An excerpt from the book titled, The Quiet Rich: Ordinary People Reawakening an American Dream.
Shaun’s Success Story Continued:
Some of Shaun’s new friends were curious about his prosthetic hand, but his confidence never wavered. However, when it came to dating, he faced questions even Superman couldn’t answer. For Shaun, romance required a whole new set of skills. His natural abilities made him pleasant to be around, but he was happiest doing tasks that required detailed logistics and technical skills. Women, on the other hand, didn’t seem logical to him. After a few awkward dates, he was confused about how to get to know a woman he felt attracted to. It was on the job where he met her, the woman who would provide the completeness he desired.
I so enjoyed his good fortune the day he met Judith that I saved the email. Here is a portion of it:
I met Judith while on a routine tech check. As the traffic person, she’s a vital link in coordinating on-air activities. Her job requires logistical skills to keep information scheduled throughout the broadcast day—and she makes her job look easy. She’s smart and beautiful—and she talked to me first!
Over the course of a year, I got more e-mails from Shaun about his relationship with Judith. He asked me how opposites could attract—he was on the shy side, and she was outgoing and had many friends. I gave advice to the best of my ability, and I felt like Shaun’s uncle Kev. Judith became his partner in life and in business. The two were opposites, but Shaun and Judith made it work.
After they were married, they moved into Judith’s home. With two incomes, they were enjoyed each other and had fun. Shaun confided in me that he wanted to have children but that Judith was reluctant about starting a family. He wrote that she was his muse—he was doing well in his career because of her support—but he wanted to have a child to raise as he was raised by Andy and Sarah.
Several months went by without any communication from Shaun. Then, I heard that they’d decided to put family on hold because Judith had come up with an idea for them to make more money that had intrigued Shaun. Instead of responding to this e-mail, I called him.
“How’s it going, Shaun?”
“Good, but I have to tell you that in the months when I wasn’t writing, I was going to self-help seminars and reading books by people who claimed to have the secret for success. I got a lot of feel-good words but no substance. I needed a meaty stew that a spoon—or maybe even a mechanical hand—could stand up in! One weekend I went to Denver to attend a motivational seminar that Mom and Dad paid for, and I felt like I was on a quiz show or at a circus. I felt good for about a week, but nothing in me changed. I realized that people cannot hug their way to success and happiness. You know, everyone but me notices my prosthetic. I am so over being labeled ‘handicapped,’ because the only real limitations are in the mind. You probably know what I mean.”
Read the complete success story in the book, The Quiet Rich: Ordinary People Reawakening an American Dream.
Kevin J. Palmer, Author
