I Love a Good Story. Don’t you just Love a Good Story? Here’s another Good Story.
Hello, I’m Jeremy Maddox. My father is Hamilton Maddox in Judy’s soon to be published novel, The Attractiveness of Wisdom. I’m sure, by now, you are anxious to read the novel and I hope what I have to say will encourage you to get your copy just as soon as it comes out. I can’t wait to read about my character in The Attractiveness of Wisdom. As I say that, remember that I am a teenager. This heart-warming story is about my father, the person I admire most and love dearly. He calls me Buddy Boy. I love it when he calls me that. He also likes to rustle my hair. I used to love that. Through my father’s journey, he shows me how not to live with anger or hatred. That’s a waste of time and energy. He shows me what I am capable of and he shows me how to love.
The Attractiveness of Wisdom is about my father. I used to think that once a person became an adult, that he or she understood things, knew how to make a good life; that all the growing was out of the way and now they could just be an adult. In The Attractiveness of Wisdom, I now understand that no matter the age, a person is constantly growing. I’ve come to realize that the ability to continue to grow is the beauty of life. In this beautifully written and well-crafted story, my father saw his mistakes and his need to change. He helped me understand that change is something a person must see and must do on their own. No one can make another person change. Change must come from the person.
He and my mom didn’t always have a good marriage. My mom said my dad was too controlling. They both had their share of problems, but my father always saw to my brother Eric, Anna and me. Our emotional needs as his sons and daughter never went unmet. I was born under a dark cloud, but my father has loved me, taken care of me, and shared himself with me almost every minute of my life. I never want to disappoint him, but I was sure I did.
I have known for some time that I wanted to be a priest. My father does not believe in God, so he says. I’ve tried to keep my aspiration from him because I didn’t want that to divide us. But when I think about something dividing us, I appreciate that nothing can. I had to tell him what I wanted to do with my life; my need, my dream. He always said that we should not keep secrets. So, I told my father. But I did it during Thanksgiving dinner with our entire family. I waited for his reaction, but what he said was that being a priest was my choice, not his.
I love doing things with my father. We’ve gone to baseball games together. He watched while I played in baseball games. We bike on the trail around the lake at his university. Several summers, he enrolled me in summer classes at the university; that way we drove to the university together, had lunch together, and rode home together. He has told me many funny stories about people in his department. The things some people think and do. My father is a dean at the University of Maryland. Sometimes I forget he’s a dean. He has never been a dean to me; he has always been my father.
One of my favorite times are the times when my dad and I visit his home in Stevensville, Maryland. We always find time to sit on the pier and watch the boats come in and go out. Sometimes we just do that all day – being quiet; allowing our thoughts to roll around in our brain, one after the other; looking out across the water watching how the sun flickers on the water; watching the people in the boats trying to decide what to do; and waving to the birds flying by. Every now and then, one of us would break the silence with something we need to tell the other. But then we go back to quiet – just thinking. During these times I get ideas for topics for my papers, class experiments and even solved math equations. These are relaxing times for me and I’m certain my father is more relaxed. When I share my problems or anything bothering me, his advice is always warm, loving and expert. When he shares with me, though they are not serious matters, I cherish those times.
I hope you get your copy of The Attractiveness of Wisdom so that you can read this wonderful story. I’m not just saying this because I’m in the story. I’m saying it because it is. Read about my father. My father thinks I supported him and encouraged him. I did because I needed him. He recognized that. Through the process, we made each other stronger.
You can always go to www.judycar.com and see the other blogs on the site from my grandfather, George, grandmother, Mary, and my uncle Taylor. He’s a priest.
You can also purchase Blessings and Curses and That Ever Died So Young if you haven’t already. You will also be able to purchase this book through www.blackrosewriting.com/ and at www.amazon.com/judy-kelly/. You will be able to purchase all her books on Amazon.
Below, I have pasted pictures of the elementary and middles schools in Stevensville. Aren’t they beautiful? There are many loving and dedicated teachers in both schools. Mrs. White, of course is not the principal at the middle school. But I think you knew that. Please let me know what you think of the novel. I think Judy would like to know also.
Love a Good Story 