I want to tell you a little story. It happened during my first year in college. I was sitting in my room, late one night, studying for a chemistry test.
Tests seemed to be a major part of my life in those days. I longed for the time when I would never have to take another quiz, study for one more test or await the results of final exams.
I took a break from the chemistry book to reflect on the injustices of life. The food in the cafeteria seemed designed for nutrition and not enjoyment. The professors were unfair, so many projects, too much homework, too little time, too much this and too little that.
Shaking my head, I reached for a book a friend had dropped off the day before, leaned back in my chair, and switched my attention away from studying, at least for a short while. I looked at the title of the book. It was “The Night They Burned the Mountain,” by Dr. Thomas Anthony Dooley.
I casually flipped it open and thought I’d skim a few pages. My eyes settled on a sentence that was to determine, to a great extent, the path my life would take. The words read, “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the...