Guess Who's Writing A Book?
PLEASE!!! If you aren't interested or simply don't like me, do not post anything to that effect and move on. I have many personal friends on here who aren't on Facebook, so I wanted to share. This forum has changed my life, and I just wanted to share this introduction that I just now finished.
This is not about me so much as it is simply sharing my appreciation for this forum and the unimaginable roll it came to play in my life, for which I am extremely grateful. It's been a rough several weeks, but COVID has truly turned out to be a blessing. I wanted to share it with the world as I think we can all use a feelgood story as mentioned in this intro. Here it is. I welcome any and all input (except as noted above).
The COVID Awakening Of A Dumb Old Safe Salesman
An autobiography of how COVID was a blessing from God.
Introduction
Life is like a box of chocolates... wait a minute, that's already been done.
Life is like a bowl of spaghetti noodles. It can be tasteless and uninspiring, until you, God, or someone/something else adds meat sauce, mushrooms or anything else to make it taste wonderful! Unfortunately, God or someone else can also add peanut butter, or prunes, or... I trust you get the point. This book will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and you will hear things that will shock, stun and amaze you. There is more to my life's story that I will not share in order to protect the feelings of those who are still alive. I considered making this book anonymous, but when you read further, you will see that would have been an exercise in futility. My 40 years in business and 15 years on the Internet where I felt no need to hide my identity will ensure that. There are only a few Randy Register's in this country, and as far as I know, none of them are more famous than I know I already am. I am definitely the only one who owns a safe business.
I came came to the realization that I have lived an extremely unique life. This while I had been lying in a hospital with COVID pneumonia and on death's door. My doctor later told me I could have easily gone the other way. After being in the hospital 11 days (which was nothing short of bizarre), I was released. There was more to that particular day that I will share, and you won't believe what I experienced in the hospital where staff is concerned. As far my life, (I'll start in the middle of my work history) I started my first business (right place, right time, never a previous thought of doing that) when I was 23 years old. More on that later, but I went from living in a single wide mobile home in a dead end job to starting a gun safe business (nobody knew what a gun safe was in 1981) that was a virtual rags to riches story. I went from making around $15,000 per year to selling almost $800,000 worth of gun safes my first year (enter the rumors that I was a drug dealer! LOL MUCH more on that later). My unique advertising approach (I was in every hunting and shooting publication along with the NRA publications) and natural sales ability lead me to become the largest volume warehouse distributor for several of the manufacturers who I represented. My annual sales numbers would remain around the $1M mark for 23 years until... I'll get to that in the book. Back to present time.
The next several days had me in an unreal fog. For example, I would find myself looking in the mirror and thinking, who is that old guy in the mirror who looks so lost and confused? Well, we all know who THAT was! LOL I was seeing my late father in me, big time. It wasn't comforting. As the next several days passed, I discovered I now have a photographic memory. We've all heard the thing about your life flashing before your eyes as you're leaving this earth, but I was firmly planted. It was like watching a cinematic production of my life, complete with sound, verbatim script of things I remember saying and hearing from others, and it was complete with smell in may of these particular scenes. I would get detailed scenes lasting a few minutes, and I would get rapid fire images that I could remember vividly as they raced across the screen. The more detail ones took me back to around age 5. A day or so later, I went to what I believe was age 3. My father was serving his first tour of duty in Iceland, and my mother and I had moved to Swannanoa, NC and moved in with her parents. Papaw was a Baptist preacher. This is how my parents met when he moved to a church in Durham, NC where I was born and where my dad's parents lived. The church was literally in their backyard. Well, maybe not literally, but you know what I mean. You could walk to it. More on that in the book as it had everything to do with the bizarre story my dad told me MANY years later of how he came to meet and marry my mother. Mom's revelations were beyond bizarre, but as usual, she "embellished" on this a bit. This after talking to her cousin, but I digress and will tell in detail. I was my own entertainment center, and it is fascinating! I could watch for... years. It's a re-run to this point, but I can wait to see what's next!
Speaking of that, yesterday I had another new COVID gift appear, I can sing like Gomer Pyle! I began singing along with my music in the car as I drove to Navarre Beach, FL (lots of history I'll talk about) where I am sitting in an EXTREMELY nice condo on the beach where I came to write this book. My range and volume were like never before. I then found myself turning off the stereo and just singing parts of different songs. When I sang, "Amazing Grace", I was stunned. Where did THAT come from?
I could see myself auditioning for a TV show for such things, or even singing in one of several bands my friends are in. Not that particular tune of course as it's hard to rock out to Amazing Grace, and I am definitely a rocker. I'm still planning to shoot video of the Gulf while I sing it. I'll then share it on Facebook and amaze my friends.
Here is how I came to have COVID. Everything was going great in my life. I am a yacht delivery Captain in addition to owning a business I started 40 years ago where I buy, deliver and relocate safes for others. It was a proud day in my history, but unfortunately, I was lying in a hospital bed where I had been for 11 days with COVID pneumonia I had contracted days earlier while delivering a yacht. Note to self, you're rambling, stay on topic. I tend to do that and always have since my first life altering event that I'll get to in the book. I'll chase so many rabbits in a conversation, it can last forever to the point of forgetting what triggered that particular bunny chase. Back on point.
I was hired to deliver a yacht, I got COVID from the owner who feels badly about it, COVID has changed my life for the better in SO many ways, and I'm going to shut up now and start this book.
WARNING!!! Do NOT read this book with anything in your mouth! It will end up in places you simply do not want it to be, and it will be very sudden with no advance notice! I've been told this over the years by readers on my online ramblings on various boating forums and Facebook. With that in mind, don't read it in quiet places or around other people as they will think you have lost your mind.
Outside that, prepare to be mesmerized. You simply won't be able to put it down. I don't know how long it will take for you to read it any more than I know how long it will take me to finish this book. I have no idea how many pages it will be, but I promise I'll just hit high points. This is my first book, but I have been encouraged for years to write one as a result of my participation on the aforementioned boating forums. When I asked, they said it wouldn't matter, and it would be a best seller. (I plan to star in the movie that will follow this best selling book! LOL). After signing up on my first forum at the suggestion of Hatteras Yachts in New Bern, NC, a Canadian attorney living in Bermuda sent me a private message telling me I was the best wordsmith he had ever seen (jury is still out of that one, I'll see how you vote). He said he was fascinated in how I would lure in those who didn't appreciate my coming into THEIR forum and talking about things other than which toilet paper to use in your head (that's toilet for you landlubbers), which product is best for cleaning teak, etc. etc. etc. I wanted to talk about actually USING your boat, cruising... the reason you buy a boat in the first place.
He said he would watch me respond nicely at first, then draw them in for the kill. He said even the kill would be polite and humorous, but I would virtually destroy and humiliate them. Did I mention that I'm a REALLY nice guy with a super computer brain that shoots out lighting fast responses to anything and everything, (well, maybe not the things I know nothing about) and comes up with things that absolutely make me laugh out loud, even when I'm the one around other people who look at me like I'm crazy! What can I say, I crack myself up. It's like having someone tell me a joke or come up with a line that just...
I'll shut up now. Enjoy the book.
BUNNY ALERT!!!
This attorney and I went from a PM exchange to extremely personal revelations from him. I tend to inspire people to tell me their life's stories, their problems, etc. This guy was on a plane during the 911 attack and... Shut up dude, this is an introduction!
Enjoy my new book. See you at the movie premier! LOL Did I mention I like to laugh?
Re: Guess Who's Writing A Book?
The hook is set. I'll buy the first copy!
Re: Guess Who's Writing A Book?
Congrats on making the book happen
Re: Guess Who's Writing A Book?
Looking forward to it!
When will you have it done and ready to sell?
Re: Guess Who's Writing A Book?
Not sure why I haven’t seen the replies to this point, but thanks. My new business ideas are kicking butt, and I’ve been super busy. It came to me a few days ago that I knew someone who could fill in some gaps. Man, did he ever! LOTS more material for the book and more head shaking.
Re: Guess Who's Writing A Book?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bob Quinn
Looking forward to it!
When will you have it done and ready to sell?
I found someone who has experience with writing and having books published. She loved what I sent her (total stranger through the Facebook HOF page) and encouraged me to finish it. Hard to stop when you’re making money, but I’ll make some time. Might make a good Christmas release if things can move that quickly.
Re: Guess Who's Writing A Book?
This same thing happened to my dad. He had to have emergency surgery to repair a cranial aneurysm which went fine. Then they wanted to keep him for observation which did not go fine. He got MRSA in the hospital and came within an inch of death. Lost 60lbs laying in a hospital bed running a 108 degree fever and hooked up to a vancomycin iv for a month. They were packing the bed with bags of ice and had to induce a coma to prevent brain damage. Nurse said we were probably going to lose him. He survived. Once it was behind him he had this whole new attitude about everything. It's like it gave him perspective. He started doing a bunch of the things he'd wanted to do but he was always working. Started traveling. It's bizarre to think of something like that as a positive, but he's really been a nicer guy and living his best life since then.
I just wanted to say it's pretty damn cool you went through something horrible and came out the other end a happier person with a fresh perspective on what matters to you. So much boils down to how you look at things.
Re: Guess Who's Writing A Book?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cww
This same thing happened to my dad. He had to have emergency surgery to repair a cranial aneurysm which went fine. Then they wanted to keep him for observation which did not go fine. He got MRSA in the hospital and came within an inch of death. Lost 60lbs laying in a hospital bed running a 108 degree fever and hooked up to a vancomycin iv for a month. They were packing the bed with bags of ice and had to induce a coma to prevent brain damage. Nurse said we were probably going to lose him. He survived. Once it was behind him he had this whole new attitude about everything. It's like it gave him perspective. He started doing a bunch of the things he'd wanted to do but he was always working. Started traveling. It's bizarre to think of something like that as a positive, but he's really been a nicer guy and living his best life since then.
I just wanted to say it's pretty damn cool you went through something horrible and came out the other end a happier person with a fresh perspective on what matters to you. So much boils down to how you look at things.
Thanks, Chris. It was definitely a life-altering event that has turned out to be a good thing. I am definitely not the same person (not that there was anything wrong with the old me :D) and still have total peace within myself. There have been some interesting developments over the past couple of days. Expect a call soon. This could be interesting.
