Books and Videos and Life

The power was out at the church today so I spent the day watching the Joseph Smith Papers on the BYU Channel.  It is so amazingly done, the research, the collaboration, the result which is not at all completed but will eventually be about 20 books and is already two seasons of very interesting videos and a very well done web site.  Today I also learned about a big donor to the papers Larry H. Miller.  

He is the owner of the JAZZ among other things but started out working in the maintenance department of a car dealer and ended up owning about 47 Toyota dealerships plus so many more companies in so many different areas.  How does one person become so successful?  We all have the same amount of hours in the day.  He passed away in 2009 but what a legacy he left.  He was also an avid reader of books and history and was so fascinated about the JS Papers project that he was very generous in his support.

The Papers are mainly for scholars which made me wonder how one gets to be a scholar.  Do they have higher IQs to begin with or just apply themselves more in study and schooling and degrees??? Why don't I accomplish more and know more???  Life is such a puzzle.

The other book I have been listening to is Meredith Baxter's life story "Untied".  What is sad to learn is how such a successful and talented actress could have such low self-worth and be so emotionally abused in her 16 year marriage.  She said she is very open about it because she wants other women who are in such relationships to learn from her and not live in a marriage where they have no voice and are mentally and emotionally and physically abused.  Her husband David Birney was a narcissist. She came from a home where she felt no self-worth or love.  What a life she lived and how quiet she was about it for most of her life.  She then went on to have another failed marriage and had had a failed marriage right out of high school as well.  She came out about her successful lesbian relationship in 2009.  I must say it is a very well-written book and she reads it herself which makes it even better.  Her life is really a puzzle but what a beautiful, talented person in spite of it all.  She has five children as well and survived cancer.

Today was so perfect outside, not too hot, not too cool, just perfect.  I am anxiously awaiting for more lilies to bloom, but they are in so much shade...