You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.    - Charles "Tremendous" Jones

This very true quote has been used and re-quoted by many people. American’s prize independence but it is foolishness really. We cannot live a single day without depending on others. Even simple things like brushing our teeth are supported by companies filled with people that make that routine two-minute task possible and optimal for us. We are fully interdependent whether we realize it or not.  The ideas of and our interactions with others, in books and in person, transport us from the present moment to each and every future moment.

I was are difficult student who didn’t care to read when I was in high school, but I found I loved it as I grew older.  Still, I struggle with a wondering eye, amblyopia, and am generally a slower reader.  So though I’ve read much as an adult, I tend to focus on what is needed rather than reading for fun or general expansion even though I love to grow my knowledge and experiences.

However, it is now easy to acquire an endless array of books in audio form, easily and affordably.  I have used this medium many times in the past but it was harder and more costly in those days.  Now, with the iPhone, iTunes & Audible.com, and the USB car radio connection, I can easily move from book to book without the issues that have plagued me in the past.  Also, I can download and read books through the reader apps too making it easy to have them with me when the moment arises.

I have dived into this wholeheartedly and will be sharing my exploration and experiences as this is a key part of the Journey Home From Troy. It is my intent to intersperse books of non-fiction personal development, biography, and topical study with the great literature of past and present. 

God has blessed me with mentors and skills in the past that carried me to this point in my life – beyond sustenance and the present life and well into the good life.  But, God has made it clear that he was more for me – he beckons me further up and further in.  What has gotten me here – cannot take me to where I need to go next.  New mentors and skills are the ship that will transport me home.