Fill the Stage

Daniel Dignan

Fill The Stage

“Character is Destiny”

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The Small Woman

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In 1930, a young woman named Gladys Aylward boarded a train in England bound for China. She carried her clothes and food in two suitcases. Due to a war, the journey ended in Russia. She slept out in the Siberian cold and was eventually smuggled to Japan, where she made her way to China.

Gladys was called to be a missionary. She learned Chinese and started an inn with an older missionary woman in a small north-central town called Yangcheng. She began feeding, housing, and telling Bible stories to mule caravaners. At first, the townspeople distrusted her and threw mud at her, but over time, she gained respect.

One day, the town’s Mandarin (the philosopher-leader) asked her to work for him as the local foot inspector. She traveled from village to village, overseeing the end of female foot-binding.

All of a sudden, a prison riot broke out: prisoners were being killed. The town’s leadership asked her to put it down. Extremely frightened, she walked into the prison and witnessed horrors: a man with an axe was chasing and hacking fellow prisoners. The man approached her; terrified, she demanded that he hand over the axe.

Gladys experienced many difficulties and adventures. She traveled all around the area, establishing Christian communities.

Her most significant test came when the Japanese invaded northern China, bombing and pillaging towns and villages. When her town was bombed, she became the leader, nurse, and caregiver to many. She lived in the mountains and caves, caring for refugees. However, it became clear that she had to leave, with prisoners and nearly 100 orphans who considered Gladys their mother.

Her southwestern journey to the province of Sian achieved legendary status and is the book’s climax.

The author of Gladys Aylward’s biography, Alan Burgess, said she “is one of the most remarkable women of our generation.” Her heroic life and accomplishments began with a prayer that God would use her.

The book was published in 1957, and the following year, a movie starring Ingrid Bergman debuted. I like the film, though there are some critical differences, and I highly recommend reading the book before watching it.

This book is worthwhile for teenagers and adults. Her life is a testament to the fact that one can thrive in the midst of difficulty and that hardship is the pathway to an adventurous and great life.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

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The most famous of Narnia’s stories begins when four children are evacuated from London during the war to the countryside. They arrive at a large house with many rooms owned by a mysterious professor. Soon after, they are drawn into a world of talking animals and mythical creatures. And they are in danger.

Connected to The Magician’s Nephew and the other stories that comprise C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, this story has served as the entry point into the land of Narnia for millions of children and adults. It is the most significant of all the stories, though all are intensely enjoyable classics with essential lessons.

In this story, Narnia is “Always winter and never Christmas” and is ruled by a White Witch, who turns creatures into stone with a wave of her wand. Several famous scenes stick with you, like the temptation scene and the stone table.

The main characters, the children —Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy —struggle to overcome uncertainties and dangers. And they find that they need Aslan, the great lion’s help. However, they are unsure if he is safe, but they find him to be greater than imagined.

Lewis is a master storyteller; the book is not only great for young people, but it also improves with subsequent readings. 

I recommend The Complete Chronicles of Narnia, which features the illustrations of Pauline Baynes. You can purchase a single volume here.

The Iliad, Achilles, Hector, and What the Best Men Do Well

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I interview JP Shafer about the Iliad—the Greek epic poem about the Trojan War and one of greatest books of all time. We discuss the story, highlights, themes, characters, what the best men do well, and why one should put the poem’s lessons into practice.

You can read the Iliad in prose or poetry. I recommend Emily Wilson’s poetic translation.

Making Men: Five Steps To Growing Up

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Chuck Holton, an Army Ranger and war correspondent, endeavors to help young men live happier, more fulfilling lives by embracing hardship and responsibility. His book explains what growing up and becoming a man looks like.

The book is structured around five qualities of manhood. Chuck describes each quality and weaves his story through the book, showing how he learned of and adopted them.

The qualities are submission, honor, assessment and improvement, perish and provide, and engagement. Chuck makes a critical point: Real men sacrifice for the good of others by embracing difficulty and hardship. This selfless leadership leads to a healthy family, an adventurous life, and personal fulfillment.

According to Chuck, submission is the foundation of manhood. A man must submit to God and proper authority. This means submitting to the Ultimate Being and orienting one’s life according to his design and commands, revealed in nature and the Bible.

Chuck explains that to live honorably, one must value things rightly. Chuck writes: “Understanding honor requires nothing more than learning what is most important and living appropriately based on that knowledge.” (66). This requires desiring what is true and good, serious thinking, prioritization, and a willingness to take action.

Chuck’s third quality, assess and improve, is likened to a farmer walking down a field, evaluating the quality of his crops and rooting out weeds. Chuck believes in the importance of assessing one’s life, including career, religious beliefs, and physical health, to make needed changes.

The following quality, perish and provide, is the heart of manhood and leadership. A man considers the needs of others as more important than his own. He is devoted to his wife, kids, and colleagues and fulfills his duties. Importantly, this quality of sacrificial service is the key to a fulfilled life. Chuck writes, “The more hardship a man is willing to embrace, the more fulfilling his life will become….” (138).

Lastly, Chuck explains that a man must engage and execute. This is the opposite of passivity. Knowing what one ought to do is not enough. One must act. Action, the key to an adventurous and fulfilling life, is the capstone quality that separates men from boys.

The book is accessible and practical, with many interesting stories that emphasize and illustrate the qualities of manhood. It would benefit high school, college, and middle school students. Girls and young women interested in marriage can also benefit from learning what to look for in a husband.

How to Be a High School Superstar

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This book can help your teenager develop an interest and discover opportunities. Top students across America have used the methods. Cal Newport shares their stories.

The main idea is that one ought to develop an interest that leads to skill development and productivity in an unusual yet valuable area of knowledge and service. The book functions as a guide to help teens access top colleges and universities, but its actual value lies in its career development and vocational aspects.

Newport emphasizes that developing an interest requires ample time for constructive leisure. This is because the interest cannot be contrived; it must be genuine. The interest must also drive one to serve people in ways that are valued. In other words, one must go beyond interests in ping-pong or extracurricular activities that anyone can do.

The book has three parts: unscheduling, focus, and innovation.

Overscheduling is a common problem, according to Newport. Many bright students do too much of what ultimately does not matter, such as taking challenging courses designed to impress college administrators. Underscheduling requires avoiding what does not matter and completing homework quickly so that evenings and weekends are free for the necessary trial and error to develop an interest. Students need time for reading, experimentation, volunteering, developing relationships, and working.

To complete schoolwork quickly, students must learn how to study effectively. Newport dedicates a portion of the book to examining the study habits of top students.

Next, regarding focus, Newport explains how to identify meaningful extracurricular activities. Not only should teens immerse themselves in the activities, but they should also investigate how others became effective. (This can be done by reading biographies.)

Finally, he explains how to innovate and turn an interest into something inexplicable and impressive. This can be achieved over time by volunteering and serving a particular community, gaining trust, and gradually taking on larger and more complicated projects as one gains experience, character, and knowledge.

All of this is explained in detail with many examples.

He shares how one high school student started a company and a successful entrepreneurship blog, leading to many opportunities. Another student became a teacher’s assistant and eventually transformed student reading programs. Another wrote a successful book, leading to speaking opportunities and significant relationships that helped a student become a sought-after expert and commentator.

In closing, this is the best career advancement book I’ve ever read. It could help your teen develop a plan of action and identify a calling years earlier than most.

I have read the book twice and found it personally helpful. Parents should read the book first; it could help them in their endeavors and in guiding their teenager.

How to Be a High School Superstar

George Washington’s Epic Forest Adventure

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George Washington’s behavior and achievements in the American War for Independence are legendary and heroic. Yet, his early life is not as well-known, though his energy, activity, bravery, and leadership were striking. James Thomas Flexner tells the story of a 21-year-old Washington leading six men through the wilderness on behalf of the King of England. This trek put George Washington on the map.

Functioning as an emissary and spy for the king, Washington embarked on a cold, dangerous, and grueling journey through forests and paths (known only to indians and explorers) from eastern Virginia to the Ohio Valley, south of Lake Erie. The result of his mission would be a world war, remarkable military leadership, and the command of the Virginia Regiment charged with the protection of the settlers and families of the Shenandoah Valley.

It all began when George Washington strongly pursued military responsibility and leadership. His “visible intelligence and energy” (52) marked him, as did his woodland experience as a surveyor, as one dependable for a unique and essential mission.

Here I tell the story that you can read about in Flexer’s wonderful book, in chapter 6: Forest Adventure:

George Washington: The Forge of Experience

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Reading biographies can help a young person develop character and become a better leader. Even a single biography can make a huge difference. George Washington is a great place to start.

It has been said that Washington is the most unknown well-known person in American history. Very few people know much about his life or what made him one of the most significant leaders of all time and a universally loved figure. Washington’s character, leadership, bravery, work ethic, and consideration for others made him indispensable. Generations of people have benefited from his life.

I have enjoyed learning about the early life experiences of Washington, in particular, his hardships as a young man in his early twenties, leading men in wilderness adventures.

Here, I review a top biography of his early life:

David Balfour

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Robert Louis Stevenson’s sequel to “Kidnapped” picks up where the first left off. David risks his life and fortune to testify for a man wrongly accused of murder. During this time, he falls in love with Catriona, a young woman with a perplexing and deceitful father. A page-turner to the end, David Balfour might be better than its more famous prequel. 

The story is set in mid-18th-century Scotland, six years after the English victory over the Scottish clans and Bonnie Prince Charlie’s attempt to restore his father to the British throne. 

The central characters include Lord William Grant Prestongrange, a powerful judge and politician, Alan Breck, a valiant warrior, the fiery and honorable Catriona, and James MacGregor Drummond, her father.

Early in the book, a man named Fraser—secretly directed by Prestongrange—sought to terrify David into changing his story about the accused man’s innocence. But David sought to speak truthfully even though it would have been easier, safer, and much to his economic and social advantage to drop his claims. (Read Kidnapped for a complete account of the murder.)

To block David’s testimony, Prestongrange kidnaps David, yet protects his life. (David’s relationship with the morally complicated and political Prestongrange vexes David, and is one of the most thought-provoking parts of the book.)

On a lighter note, although just interesting, a moving courtship between David and Catriona develops. Here’s a beautiful moment in their budding relationship:

“I have seen you but a small time, but I put you very high. You are true, you are brave; in time I think you will be more of a man yet. I will be proud to hear of that. If you should speed worse, if it will come to fall as we are afraid–O well! think you have the one friend. Long after you are dead and me an old wife, I will be telling the bairns about David Balfour, and my tears running. I will be telling how we parted, and what I said to you, and did to you. God go with you and guide you, prays your little friend: so I said–I will be telling them–and here is what I did.”

She took up my hand and kissed it. This so surprised my spirits that I cried out like one hurt. The color came strong in her face, and she looked at me and nodded.

“O yes, Mr. David,” said she, “that is what I think of you. The heart goes with the lips.”

Throughout the story, David experiences many challenges and decision points, including:

  • Whether or not he is ready for marriage and fatherhood
  • Whether to duel or flee due to a lack of training
  • Pressure from Prestongrange and the political establishment to ignore the truth about a condemned man
  • Do the right thing or help Prestongrange avoid calamity

Like other great classic works of fiction, David Balfour is an entertaining and thought-provoking experience. The reader is made to see that life is full of moral decisions and that drastic action is often required to avoid moral catastrophes. Teenagers need stories like this in their heads when moral challenges come their way.

Finally, the book is full of interesting tidbits of Scottish history, Highland dialogue, duels, political intrigue, romance, and lessons for all ages. Teens will learn the importance of convictions, ethics, education, and quality friends.

I recommend reading the N. C. Wyeth illustrated version from Charles Scribner’s Sons.