Dear Readers:
 |
| My makeshift office in my mother's room as she sleeps in her recliner as I work. Oh, the cat is Johnny Cat who has adopted me. |
Happy, happy holidays to you. I don't know about you, but I am exhausted and I feel like I am being pulled into a thousands directions. As you all know, my mother has cancer and doesn't have much time left here on this earth. The good news is that she knows that soon she will sit at the right hand of our Savior. She has no doubt and neither do I. With her being extremely ill, I have been at her side taking care of her. I set up a mock office in the corner of her room so I could be near her when and if she needed me. The most beautiful part of this time was a very special Christmas gift she gave me this year. I'm not talking about the plush new robe she allowed me to open early because I was freezing, but something else completely free that can't be bought -- she prayed outload for me and my family as she squeezed my hand. Now, that's a gift. I've always said to keep Christ in Christmas and now I know why, my mother set the example. I haven't heard my mother pray out loud in years so you can only imagine how I felt as I listened to her voice lifting me up to Him. Even as ill as she is, she will always be a mother and no matter what, a mother will do what she can for her children until her very last breath. I'm fortunate to have had her pray for me. Trust me, her prayer was heard by Him because I am at peace. During this time, give the best gift of all, the gift or prayer and a testimony of what Jesus has done for you. Spread the joy, don't wait until you are on your deathbed.
May you all find joy, love, and peace,
Dr. Mel
Solomon Christian
MANNISHLAWS
Manhood Defined
Tell your readers a little about yourself.
Where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school etc. Let them get to know the personal you.
Well, I’m a middle-aged professional man that is originally from
the “Deep South.” Born in the “City by the Bay”, Mobile, Alabama. At a young
age my family relocated to the Northeast, where I grew up. Most of my
adolescent life experiences took place in the inner city, and the suburbs of
Washington, DC.
My Summers were often spent back down south with my grandparents
and other extended family. I’m a proud graduate of the University of South
Alabama where I majored in Human Resources Management. Following my college
experience, I began my professional career as a Manager Trainee with one of the
leading retail department stores in the area. I’ll never forget the feeling of
getting my very first paycheck off of that whopping $19,000 a year salary.
Those were truly the days.
But little did I know that this job would present an assortment of
challenges and circumstances that would serve as a springboard to progressively
greater career opportunities that span a range of industries that include
Community Development & Fundraising, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology,
Telecommunications, Facility Service, and Construction support.
Today, I am the proud owner of a thriving small business and the
author of my very first published book, “MANNISHLAWS – Manhood Defined.”
What inspired you to write this book?
What do you consider your greatest success in
life?
Everyone has life lessons to learn, tell your
readers one or two of yours and how they make you the person you are today.
For years I had been expressing an interest in writing a book.
The funny thing is that my ideas always revolved around producing something
that related to helping men. But in what way, was the question? And though I
never could exactly define what I wanted the book to be about, I knew it was
going to involve the male development experience, a self-help book of sorts.
I guess my true inspiration for writing this book was a personal
need to share information that could be beneficial for the readers. And not
just conceptual knowledge, but information that applies to the daily lives of ordinary
men. I was further motivated to write this book because I had also grown
somewhat frustrated with what I perceived as the inability of many of my peers
to break out of a hopeless cycle of failure. Hopefully this book we’ll help,
motivate, or even inspire its readers to grow, and advance beyond their current
places in life.
Where did you get the inspiration for your
book’s cover?
During my many conversations over the years. One thing that I
recognized was the fact that many of the experiences that contributors shared
had a certain amount of overlap, or basic similarity. This told me that, we
men, all are experiencing many of the same life issues and challenges.
Regardless of our backgrounds, socioeconomic status, wealth or lack thereof, we
all are experiencing many of the same obstacles relating to interpersonal
relationships, personal development and life vision. And while there are similarities
in our stories, our faces look very different. So, as a result, I wanted to design
a cover that reflected the people that contributed the many stories that comprise
this book.
Who has been the biggest influence on you personally and as a writer?
My grandfather, by far, has been the greatest influencer on my
life. Having barely a 7th grade education, he grew to become a high-level
minister his church, a respected community activist, and a recognizable professional
figure on the riverfront of the Alabama State Docks. And while I was proud of
his accomplishments, none of those things served as inspiration for me
personally. What had the greatest influence on my life was the fact that
whenever I looked for him, he was there. Whenever I needed someone to pick me
up, nudge me forward, have a corrective conversation, and generally love me in
a way that encouraged responsibility and manhood development, he was there. Not
to diminish anything else that was done by the other people that loved and cared
for me in my life, he was simply able to deliver the “how to’s”, and the “need
to knows”, in a unique way that impacted my life to a greater degree.
What were your struggles or obstacles you had
to overcome to get this book written?
I don’t think my challenges producing this book were dissimilar
from what many other first time Authors face. My most basic obstacle was one of
committing to take on the project and move it from the realm of talking points
to organized text. Then there was also the issue of Time Management. There are
only so many hours in a day. Where would I find the time to produce a book
while managing the responsibilities of running a growing enterprise, as well as
dealing with the normal issues, challenges and occasions that go along with
everyday family life? To add to the challenges, I had zero experience writing a
book. I knew very little about anything relating to taking a book from idea to
publishing.
Then lastly, as it pertains to the content. How do I arrange it
so that the readers find it useful, engaging, and pertinent to their daily
lives.
Tell your readers about your book.
Well, the concept of the book is actually in
the name. “MANNISHLAWS - Manhood defined.” In a nutshell this book is a
compilation of stories, circumstances, and challenges that men have experience
over generations. And while there’s nothing unique or earth-shattering inside
the cover of this book, The Power of this book comes from the sheer fact that many
points covered in this book are things that have been experienced, to some
degree, by the reader, or someone that the reader knows. Not only does MANNISHLAWS
talk about, and attempt to categorize the male experience, it goes even further
to define what manhood really is. As a result of reading this book, it is my
hope that the readers become better equipped to understand how to embrace
manhood, live life as a real man, and become able to live life at a higher
level without regret.
Who is your target audience and why?
Primarily my target audience is Men. Young men,
middle aged men, and old men. Next, I’m seeking to attract anyone that aspires
to be a greater man, as well as those who may have men in their lives that may
benefit from such a valuable resource.
If you were going to give one reason for
anyone looking at your book to read, why should they buy it?
This book is an Incredible tool and resource
with information that the reader will certainly benefit from. But not only
that, the reader will generally enjoy this book and be compelled to turn the
page to see what’s coming next. Not a fairytale, not a Sci-Fi novel, or a book
on your favorite athlete. This is a how to book for manhood development that is
a must have for any man, or anyone that cares about the impact of manhood on
the men in their life.
While I’ve been blessed to experience success
on various levels, I always find it a struggle to identify one thing that I can
call my greatest accomplishment. Success tends to be something that I see as
fleeting. I seek it, I achieve it, and then I look for the next thing. But that
being said, what gives me the most joy is my participation in raising my two sons.
Though they are young men now, Being a father is a job that is certainly not
easy, there are a lot of requirements and sacrifices that go into it, but I
cannot think of anything else that has been more enjoyable in my life, than
watching my boys grow and mature into men. Seeing so much of me and them has
really add it a tremendous amount of pride in my life. So, being an active,
influential, and loved father has, by far, been the greatest success in my
life.
My life lesson was “Learning how to be ordinary.” As an
adolescent, as well as during a great part of my young adult life, I was overly
ambitious. But not just anxious to be successful, I was overly obsessed with
achieving extraordinary things and acquiring material possessions. I pursued
these things with an ambition that outpaced both my physical resources and
abilities. I was a “Ready, Fire, Aim” type person. Committed, but disorganized.
What I learned in time was that it was not just important that I
learned to do things in a proper and appropriate order, but it was mandatory. I
found that my ambition and desire to accomplish extraordinary things was always
driving my behavior. So much so that I had become comfortable seeking out short
cuts to achieve my goals on virtually any level. I had become comfortable with
doing things out of order to expedite what I perceived was my progress towards
the goals that I wanted to achieve.
Ultimately, I learned that before I could achieve extraordinary
things, I had to learn to be consistent and proficient in doing the ordinary
things first. This required me to be more focused on doing things in a
progression that would allow me to experience and enjoy sustained success,
rather than experiencing happenstance wins along my path.
What one unique thing sets you apart from
other writers in your genre?
If I could determine what would set me apart from
other self-help experts, I would say that it’s my “ordinary man” status. I am
not a professional book writer, neither am I an award-winning self-help expert,
nor am I a life coach of any magnitude. What I am, is someone who recognizes
that on one of the most basic levels, men share a lot of commonalities in our
life challenges and circumstances. I just committed to cataloging, and
summarizing some of these experiences and offered them up in a book. So, I’d say
what makes me unique is the fact that I’m like every other “ordinary man.”
