Last Updated on October 14, 2020 by Paul Farrell, MRP, JD, PhD
Silent Mentors: Gramma & Grampa
My “greatest mentors” … gramma & grampa!
They raised me on a diet of irish oatmeal,
faith and unconditional love!
Yes, the still small voice within …
I was an altar boy,
the first time I heard wasn’t in church,
it was from Gramma …
She was making bread …
That was 1947, I was 11 …
“Gram, why are you talking to yourself?”
A wry smile, then …
“I talk to myself so I can get to know everybody!”
I don’t remember any other words she ever said.
Nor Grandpa’s
In all the years I was raised by them,
can’t remember another word either said!
But they mentored me, just being there …
just being who they were.
Grampa waiting till I got home when out too late …
We ate toasted cheese sandwiches, two, three …
Gramma always had the house warm,
oatmeal ready before I want off to serve
early mass on cold dark days …
They taught love, caring, just being there
for a lost, hurt kid filled with anger
for a father who kidnapped me from
a drunken mom I loved …
Yes, mentors can be silent folks,
they hear you …
Even if you can’t remember the words,
your ‘still small voice” deep inside
heard their still small voice …
loved the oatmeal and toasted cheese …
Their silence was that still small voice within
… I used to think it was amnesia …
About the Author
Dr. Farrell is a Behavioral Economist. His books include The Millionaire Code; The Millionaire Meditation: Stress Management for Wall Street, Corporate America & Entrepreneurs; The Zen Millionaire; The Winning Portfolio; Expert Investing on The Net; Mutual Funds on The Net; and The Lazy Person’s Guide to Investing.
He also published 1,643 columns on DowJones-MarketWatch and for years was their #1 traffic-generating columnist. Before the Internet, he edited & published FNX: Future News Index, a financial newsletter for stock market traders. Earlier he was a Wall Street investment banker with Morgan Stanley, Executive Vice President of the Financial News Network; and Associate Editor of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner.
He has a Doctorate in Psychology, Juris Doctor, Masters in Regional Planning and Bachelor of Architecture. He worked on the Esalen organic farm and served in the U.S. Marine Corps as Staff Sergeant in aviation computer technology.
