After a successful and rewarding life spent in the US Navy, Larry Welch, author of The Human Spirit – Stories from the Heart, moved to Thailand where he operates the Full Moon Rubber Plantation in Nakhon Phathom. Published by Trafford Publishing in 2009, The Human Spirit is Larry’s third book on the good nature of humanity. His other two books bear the following titles: Mary Virginia: A Father’s Story (2002) and Quotations for Positive People, And Those Who Would Like To Be (2007).
I met Larry at one of the Bangkok Writers’ Guild meetings and, after reading his latest book, The Human Spirit, I have to say that the first impression one gets of Larry Welch as a man, perfectly matches the one you will get about Larry Welch the writer upon reading his book. That is, kind, warm-hearted, and positive.
The Human Spirit is a motivational book comprising of 96 vignettes that were first published in Larry’s newsletters Briefly Brinker and also On the run… during 1998 and 2003. The newsletters leading up to the year 2002 are not that numerous but, after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the soils of the United States of America, Larry’s efforts in writing about the importance of leading a positive life increased. This might also be due to the fact that paranoia and hatred for an unseen enemy became a frequent factor in the life of the American people.
However, even during such times of trial and tribulation, Larry sees the uniting power of good people who are ready to give a helping hand: “Following 9/11, people waved the red, white and blue; high-tailed it to religious services; and donated vast sums to the plight of terrorism victims and their families.” Titbits of American history, such as the ones regarding 9/11 are to be found throughout the pages of The Human Spirit, alongside recommendations of the books Larry himself had found useful for those willing to live a very positive life.
Sometimes Larry’s views are one sided, such as the ones regarding the “al-Qaeda and Taliban prisoners in Cuba” to whom America provided “humane treatment,” Korans and the Navy Muslim Chaplin. But even these comments are not written with the intention of misleading his readers, but are rather based on Larry’s obsessive tendencies of seeing that the glass is half-full rather than half-empty.
As with the case of most Americans in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Larry also tends to side with George W. Bush’s decision of waging war in Afghanistan. However, later on, in 2003, he critiques the invasion of Iraq. Nevertheless, he remains positive and hopes for a better future: “The difficult lesson of today will be tomorrow’s human progress, that’s how history works, it teaches us to be better people.”
Apart from being a positive observant of the world that goes on in front of his eyes, in The Human Spirit, Larry Welch also chronicles the events he had been involved in, especially the ones involving volunteering work and good causes. Cancer survivors and victims are the focus of many of his motivational snippets, while the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation is given the honour of being, on most of the occasions, a human catalyzing factor. As a multiple time runner in the Race for the Cure Series, Larry shows that his writing is not just words, but also physical actions meant to inspire his readers to do their part in bettering our imperfect world.
Although Larry’s experiences in the USA had a positive impact on me as a reader, the fact that it dealt with a society I am not part of made me enjoy his travel stories to a greater extent. With a lot of personal flavour, Larry Welch describes his travels to the various countries he had the chance to visit as an employee of the US Naval Criminal Investigative Service, from which he retired in 2007.
His travels to Europe, Asia, the Indian continent, the Pacific Islands and New Zealand bring about one common theme: “we truly are all related regardless of our language, culture or geographic situation.” Larry’s insights into each country visited are honest and his interaction with the local population forms friendships and memories that will never depart from the author. Even in the face of destruction and hatred, such as the Bali bombings of 2002, Larry preaches for a world where we all think positive thoughts and we are all good friends.
Wherever he goes, the author finds the time to get involved in numerous NGOs and fundraisers and, at the same time, he doesn’t forget his passion for running close to nature: “the most remarkable experience was running along the coast road enjoying the wind, panoramic seascapes, and a touching display of starlight.”
With its easy-to-read prose, The Human Spirit is a book that I highly recommend to anyone interested in approaching life from a more positive angle. I promise you that Larry’s innocent writing style will bring a smile on your face and will motivate you into living for a better life: “I love to make unique discoveries, and particularly enjoy the reassurance that monkey shines and people antics are such a wonderful part of life wherever you are.” Are you ready to delve into Larry’s stories from the heart and make a difference?
Larry Welch, a person who is often complimented by the people who know him best as being one of the most positive people on earth, tried to demonstrate in The Human Spirit – Stories from the Heart that “although we are obviously different in skin color, religious beliefs, economic circumstances, thinking patterns, and culture, we’re all closely related in the human family.” It is a family that I would definitely like to be part of, alongside Larry and the many other people who share his positive views on life. Purchase the book and become one of them too!
One recommendation I could present would be the inclusion of various photographs related to the people mentioned and the location visited. These could enhance the reading experience and help the reader visualize both the places and people being described in each short composition in part.
The cover of the book, with a design and a photograph taken by the author himself, represents Muslim children at the village of Pasinani in Java, Indonesia. The picture was taken in 2007 during one of Larry’s visits. All royalties from this book will be donated to the Somaly Mam Foundation to help save Cambodian girls and women from sexual slavery.
Currently, Larry Welch teaches English as well as running his rubber plantation in a province north of Bangkok and continues to write his motivational newsletters to those who want to read, listen, and learn.
