Welcome to Three Questions with Van Heerling. This is where you get to meet authors, actors, painters and anyone else that is bent toward the arts, but on a more personal level.
Today I would like to welcome a special guest. Paul Rega author of How To Find A Job: When There Are No Jobs, 2012 Edition.
VH: Happy to have you here Paul. Let's get started. For what are you grateful?
PR: What instantly comes to mind with this question and the reason I choose to answer it first is a time when I was sitting at my Grandmother’s bedside while she waited for a doctor to appear. Anyone that has ever been to a hospital, knows that this can be a long wait. She had fallen and it was suspected that she broke her hip, a common occurrence with older folks. I had always made an effort to get to know my grandparents usually spending time with them on my visits home from college. This time was different though, as she was in a great deal of pain and I feared she may die. I wanted to know more about this woman I had called “Grandma,” my entire life. As we talked, a question came to me, a simple question really but an important one. I asked her, “Grandma, what is the most important thing in life?” Without any hesitation, she responded, “Your health, Little Paul.” That’s what they used to call me back then as my father was “Big Paul.” Well, at that moment, I realized that my Grandmother was a person and not just some place we went to on holidays. I had learned something profound and I carry that idea with me every day as I strive to stay in the best condition possible.
VH: If you could change one thing about our world, what would it be and why?
PR: The wars across the globe have always bothered me as most seem senseless and cause undue hardship and death to millions. I can understand if you are attacked that you need to defend yourself with all of your might and will. But to start a war in an effort to conquer another is irresponsible in my view and unfortunately it keeps happening. It may just be a product of who we are as a species. Being that I am part German and Italian, my ancestors were certainly to blame as the Germans started the last two world wars and we all know what the Romans did. So, my answer is pretty straight forward, I would want to cease the starting of all wars and our world would be a better place for all who live here.
VH: At what age were you the happiest? What triggered such joy?
PR: I had just turned 15 years old in August of 1972. I was on a trip with my Boy Scout Troop where we rode our bicycles from our hometown of Wood Dale, Illinois to Jacksonville Florida. At the time it was a historic trip as it was hailed as the longest bike hike in Boy Scout history. There were no helmets then, and all we were armed with in addition to our new Sears Free Spirit ten-speeds, were our unique set of values we had learned as children during the early 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. When we completed our trip on August 20, It was an irreplaceable moment of time. The fact that we successfully completed our trip of nearly 1,400 miles was a euphoric feeling like no other I have since experienced. The trip is the subject of a new novel I am currently writing that should be released in approximately three months.
My current book, titled, “How To Find A Job: When There Are No jobs” 2012 Edition has risen to the top of Amazon’s charts and recently hit the #1 position in Job Hunting and Career Books, surpassing the iconic “What Color is Your Parachute,” now in its 40th edition! My book in now available at Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/How-Find-Job-Competitive-ebook/dp/B0056PFONW Please check it out.
VH: Paul I am half way through your book and looking forward to finishing it. I thank you for stopping by. I am sure we will chat again soon.
VH: Happy to have you here Paul. Let's get started. For what are you grateful?
PR: What instantly comes to mind with this question and the reason I choose to answer it first is a time when I was sitting at my Grandmother’s bedside while she waited for a doctor to appear. Anyone that has ever been to a hospital, knows that this can be a long wait. She had fallen and it was suspected that she broke her hip, a common occurrence with older folks. I had always made an effort to get to know my grandparents usually spending time with them on my visits home from college. This time was different though, as she was in a great deal of pain and I feared she may die. I wanted to know more about this woman I had called “Grandma,” my entire life. As we talked, a question came to me, a simple question really but an important one. I asked her, “Grandma, what is the most important thing in life?” Without any hesitation, she responded, “Your health, Little Paul.” That’s what they used to call me back then as my father was “Big Paul.” Well, at that moment, I realized that my Grandmother was a person and not just some place we went to on holidays. I had learned something profound and I carry that idea with me every day as I strive to stay in the best condition possible.
VH: If you could change one thing about our world, what would it be and why?
PR: The wars across the globe have always bothered me as most seem senseless and cause undue hardship and death to millions. I can understand if you are attacked that you need to defend yourself with all of your might and will. But to start a war in an effort to conquer another is irresponsible in my view and unfortunately it keeps happening. It may just be a product of who we are as a species. Being that I am part German and Italian, my ancestors were certainly to blame as the Germans started the last two world wars and we all know what the Romans did. So, my answer is pretty straight forward, I would want to cease the starting of all wars and our world would be a better place for all who live here.
VH: At what age were you the happiest? What triggered such joy?
PR: I had just turned 15 years old in August of 1972. I was on a trip with my Boy Scout Troop where we rode our bicycles from our hometown of Wood Dale, Illinois to Jacksonville Florida. At the time it was a historic trip as it was hailed as the longest bike hike in Boy Scout history. There were no helmets then, and all we were armed with in addition to our new Sears Free Spirit ten-speeds, were our unique set of values we had learned as children during the early 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. When we completed our trip on August 20, It was an irreplaceable moment of time. The fact that we successfully completed our trip of nearly 1,400 miles was a euphoric feeling like no other I have since experienced. The trip is the subject of a new novel I am currently writing that should be released in approximately three months.
My current book, titled, “How To Find A Job: When There Are No jobs” 2012 Edition has risen to the top of Amazon’s charts and recently hit the #1 position in Job Hunting and Career Books, surpassing the iconic “What Color is Your Parachute,” now in its 40th edition! My book in now available at Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/How-Find-Job-Competitive-ebook/dp/B0056PFONW Please check it out.
VH: Paul I am half way through your book and looking forward to finishing it. I thank you for stopping by. I am sure we will chat again soon.
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