Once upon a time...

by Kelly Knowlden

Here is a story worth hearing.

Ben Carson was eight when his mother was left to raise the children on her own. Because the family was very poor, his mother sometimes took on two or three jobs at a time in order to provide for her boys. Some days the boys would not see her because she would go to work at 5:00 AM and come home around 11:00 PM, going from one job to the next.

Both Ben and his brother experienced difficulty in school. Ben fell to the bottom of his class, and be- came the object of ridicule by his classmates. He developed a violent and uncontrollable temper, and was known to attack other children at the slightest provocation. Convinced that something needed to change or else Ben would end up like the other boys in the projects, his mother determined that limited television and reading good books would be to her son’s advantage. So she made her boys read two books per week and write a book report for each!

“At first, Ben resented the strict regimen. While his friends were playing outside, he was stuck in the house, forced to read a book or do his homework. But after several weeks of his mother's unrelenting position, he began to find enjoyment in reading. Being poor, there wasn't much opportunity to go anywhere. But between the covers of a book he could go anyplace, be anybody, and do anything. Ben began to learn how to use his imagination and found it more enjoyable than watching television. This attraction to reading soon led to a strong desire to learn more. Carson read books on all types of subjects and found connections between them. He saw himself as the central character of what he was reading, even if it was a technical book or an encyclopedia. He read about people in laboratories, pouring chemicals into a beaker or flask, or discovering galaxies, or peering into a microscope. He began to see himself differently, different than the other kids in his neighborhood who only wanted to get out of school, get some nice clothes, and a nice car. He saw that he could become the scientist or physician he had dreamed about. Imagining the possibilities, Ben improved in his schooling and went on to graduate from high school with honors.”1

Today Ben Carson is a renowned neurosurgeon who has received more than 50 honorary doctorates, won many awards, and recently spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast. He credits reading as a major turning point in his life.

1 A&E Networks