Bradley Malone - WWGD: What Would Grampa Do?

Copyright 2021 by Bradley Scott Malone. All rights reserved.
Cover, illustrations, and book design by Jason D. McIntosh.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher, except as provided by U.S.A. copyright law.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously.

Any resemblance to actual events, locations, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Information about the author, sales, bookings and more may be obtained by visiting www.bradleyscottmalone.com.

First printing: May 2021
ISBN:

978-1-7371908-0-6 (pb)

978-1-7371908-1-3 (hc)

978-1-7371908-2-0 (ebook)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Dr. Leland M. George, PhD

You told a confused 19 year old that he was intelligent and valuable, and you kept telling him until he believed you. Now look what youve done.

Melissa Cline Malone

You are a testament to inner strength, faith and determination.
A stone that others now lean on.

The Malone Family

Thank you for holding the jump-blanket below as I leapt from window to window instead of walking down the hall like everyone else.

Mrs. Barbara Gellner Maston - Teacher

In the midst of your own hurricane, you held umbrellas to shelter us from spring showers.

Tammy & Worden Rustemeyer

Thank you for being a very safe place during a very scary time.

Sgt. Ronald E. CatDaddy May (In memoriam)

A friend who spent his entire paycheck replacing shirts from his own back.



DISCLAIMER

The content of this book is solely the individual opinion of the au thor and is for informational & entertainment purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any mental condition, disease or represent any particular recommended course of action.
You understand that this book is not intended as a substitute for consultation with a licensed practitioner, therapist or counselor. Please consult with your own physician, psychologist or other licensed professional regarding the suggestions and recommendations made in this book. The use of this book implies your acceptance of this disclaimer.
The publisher and the author make no guarantees concerning the level of success you may experience by following the advice and strategies contained in this book, and you accept the risk that results will differ for each individual. The testimonials and examples provided in this book show results of the authors experience only, which may not apply to the average reader, and are not intended to represent or guarantee that you will achieve the same or similar results.




INTRODUCTION

Ideally a book would have no order to it, and the reader would have to discover his own. Mark Twain

Well... What Would Grampa Do? didnt start out as a book . Theres no prologue, over-developed dialogue, or well thought out epilogue. There was no storyboard, character or plot development brainstorming sessions, or shrewd attention to timeline and detailed setting; no overarching, thematic tropes that you have to use to sell a book now. I plan to publish works of fiction in the future, but for now Ive skipped all that wonderful normalcy forwait for it a list of random experiences. Yep. My seminal published literary work is a random assortment of oddly unrelated truths. And it took almost an entire year to assemble into something even semi-coherent. Mark Twain is smiling for sure. After all, we clearly share the same affinity for plain-spoken literature and literally never combing or trimming our hair. We are a kindred spirit indeed.
This book was originally intended to be a handwritten list included in my estate, a substitute for all the things I might not get to share with later generations of Malones should I somehow fall victim to COVID-19. Just something to leave to my childrens children besides money, pictures, or songs they can streama small keepsake that can be dusted off 50 years from now and travel into the still unweathered hands of family teens. Therell be a moment of curiosity as they look at duct tape on the spine and bend down to pick up the folded, yellowed pages that will surely fall out. I imagine them being folded and randomly placed back inside other pages like a flower press. I feel for these parents also trying in vain to describe what an odd and comically dysfunctional place America was in 2021, and the unusual risk Grampa took publishing this book at all back then. And Ill bet my lunch they are met with puzzled stares as they attempt to describe what a folk singer was and why anyone on earth would want one of those. I know, I wonder sometimes too, honey.
WWGD wasnt originally intended to be a faith-based book at all, it just sort of ended up that way. After assembling all the meaningful bits and pieces from the careening, clown-car-ride season of my life, there it was, staring me back at me from the pages, like a homemade jigsaw puzzle. Every bizarre moment of my life woven together by a singular, golden thread that wound like a tapestry through every bizarre moment: The kindness, generosity, and incomprehensible patience of Godit was all there.
But lets face it, everybody sort of knows what Jesus would do, right? His no-nonsense guidance for your life is pretty well documented (best-selling book ever) and understood by pretty much everyone, regardless of religious affiliation. He split time in two. Were familiar with it. Its for everyone.
Instead, WWGD was written specifically for young men in a very specific season of life. That exciting and frightening time when youre just getting started on your own, youre a college guy, youre entering the workplace, or just nearing the end of your high school journey. At this point in life, the world looks like a gigantic haystack, and everyone seems to already have a needle except for you.
This unique transition from juvenile to man provides the greatest opportunity to leapfrog into permanent success, or it can tip a perfectly good life into a Looney Tunes cartoon tailspin that can be near impossible to pull out of. I know about the latter . This period of life is the crucible all men must pass through in the decade between the ages 17 and 27. And if you dont understand certain key concepts, reality can be a remarkably unforgiving adversary during this time. And add to that, few parents or churches feel comfortable talking on a kitchen-table level about some of these dreaded mens issues, so youre sort of on your own. But you know what? Grampa might have some answers. Boy, he has seen some stuff. Go ask him . Then get ready to laugh while you hold his flashlight and wonder why he still calls you babe and wears the same beige Dickies work pants every day, even though he retired 15 years ago.