Publishers Note
Commentary By Scot Giambalvo
PMA, Alive And Well In Central PA
(I dedicate this publisher’s note to my son Quinn, who is too young to
do much more than enjoy life for all the new experiences it offers.)
Once upon a time, in a land much like Harrisburg, rolling with hills and
bustling with people, there lived an old scrappy man named John. John
wandered the streets like a vagrant, traipsing up and down the sidewalks
at a snail’s pace, leaning vicariously on his weathered cane, paying
attention to no one.
John often needed the services of a good lavatory and laundry. He
didn’t seem to care much about the world around him. When approached,
John would often comment about the last time he was robbed, or even ask
for some spare change. Maybe John was a bum.
It wasn’t hard to ignore John.
But one blustery October day, the publisher of a little (then monthly)
newspaper, who’s offices John passed by, day after day, invited John
in to warm up and enjoy a cup of coffee.
This scraggly old fart was a kind, considerate fellow, who, for the most
part, had a full life, and in his twilight years, just decided he
didn’t want to do anything anymore. His life story was fascinating and
nothing short of a fairy tale. So taken by this character was the
Publisher of MODE Weekly (Formerly MODE Magazine), that John was invited to grace the cover of
the December 1996 issue. The publisher wanted to remind his readers that
not every “undesirable looking” person is a vagrant, a crook, or a
drug addict. Sometimes they’re just a soul with a lot of PMA inside.
PMA stands for Positive Mental Attitude.
So, that was almost five years ago. That bold young publisher of MODE
still sees John shuffling down the street from his one room flat to the
soup kitchen, or back. The publisher even waves, or honks once in a
while, as a token offer of reminiscing friendship.
I recall this story because of a book I’m reading right now. The book
is Dale Carnegie’s How To Win Friends and Influence People. It’s a
wonderful text, written in the first part of the 20th century, that
today stands as the foundation of developing good relationships for
probably millions of readers. As I read this book, I feel good about
myself. It offers suggestions on improving your personal relationship
skills. As I try to incorporate these insights into my lifestyle, I feel
myself becoming a better person. I enjoy more of what I’m doing, and
genuinely feel a revitalized zest for life.
I am, for the first time in a long time, feeling what my son enjoys
every day, an unbridled ability to take every breath of life without
necessarily attaching some deep psychological interpretation to it.
I guess I am learning to appreciate John’s view on life. If you choose
to make your life simple, then it’s easier to achieve it.
Appreciate today for it’s delight... and, as someone very famous once
said, live in
day-tight compartments. :-)
Scot Giambalvo
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