Book 6 - Blog 1 - One Step at a Time

Book Details:

One Step at a Time
Pages: 51
Pages read: 38
Words on page 30 (there are only 51 pages, and page 50 has got hotos on it): 440 (40 x 11)
Words in book: 22,400 (averaged)
ISBN: Not applicable - this book is the epitomy of self publishing, with no ISBN, nothing fancy, hand drawn pictures, and written with love and all the best intentions

Author: 1984 by Marie Oram
Price: Borrowed (it is one of the last copies in existence, so I was under instruction to look after it and to guard it with my life)


What a great book. It was written by one of my best mate's (Joe Oram) mother in Baralaba, Queensland. The book is a biography of a local guy, Harold Hansen.

The book is predominatly a recount of both the life and times of Harold, but it is also a look at the (albiet abbreviated) history of Baralaba, including some of the major events, such as flooding, that have shaped the history of the town.

As far as Harold was concerned, he had a very tough start to his life. At the age of four, he fell down the stairs of the family home, severely injuring his hip joint. Of course, being 1919, the diagnosis of a hip joint injury was slow in coming. The protracted diagnosis was of course followed by a delay in treatment, and by the time Harold was treated (in Brisbane - which was a long train ride from Rockhampton back then - and he was in intense pain for the whole trip), his joint had deteriorated, and he spent the next three years in hospital being operated on and generally being cared for.

Now, there was a story in teh book that nearly made me cry. Little Harold, all of about 6 years old at the time, got sick from the anethetic during the operations. Eventually, he asked the doctors to operate without pain killers. Holy crap. The way Harold (through Marie, the author) told the story, was that it was excrutiatingly painful. Pain beyond belief. Harold promised the doctor that he would not move during the operation, and he was true to his word. Harold went on to say that, even at that age, he understood that if you want something badly enough, you will go after it, and make it happen. What a guy. My sort of man.

The three years that Harold spent in hospital were spent on his own, he said he spoke very little, and was only visited by his father rarely, when he could get away from the farm, that he was trying to build up and use to support the growning family.

The book, which is really well written, and well researched (Marie was obviously very proud of her association with Harold, and both hers and Harolds willingness to share a great story come through in the book) and it goes on to document Harold's schoold days, some of which were spent in a one class school. That school vanished in teh 1920's, when Baralaba was flooded.

Harold's parents were amazing people, and the daily chores of running a dairy farm must have been enormous. From tending to pigs, cows and milking, to making cream, butter and curing meat to sell to the locals must have been taxing. On his return, Harold was not able to greatly assist in many of these tasks, until he taught himself to walk and to function again (hence the book title). This was an agonizing affair, and I can only think that if the same thing happened in 2010, he would have been given the best care, the best surgeon and the best physiotherapist. Apparently, right up until his death, Harold suffered from leg deformity, but it did not stop him from taking over the farm, on the death of his parents. Both of his parents died within a three week period. That must have been heartbreaking for him, as he, and Marie, speak with enormous admiration of both his mum and dad. Dad did the traditional farming, which mum managed the house and the kids. It was a great partnership, apparently.

Key Messages
I must say that I resonated with Harold, his never say die attitude, and his ability to overcome adversity. Here is a summary of his attitude:
1. No matter what it is, you can achieve it, if you want it badly enough
2. Keep trying, never give up and you will climb every mountain that you set foot on
3. Life deals you hard blows, but it is not the blows, but your reaction to them that matters

Love your work, Harold, and Marie. Again, a great little read. It was only a small book, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Keep reading.

Jimmy