Mark Twain by Ron Chernow

The best book I read last year was the biography of Mark Twain.

There were many lessons in it, but the biggest one I took away was the power of humor.

Mark Twain made his career by taking on serious issues in a humorous way.

He lived during a turbulent and wretched time in American history – the Civil War and Reconstruction Era.

The time of lynch mobs, the Lincoln assassination, and Native American genocide.

His views on race and society evolved as he evolved.

Many of his views were ahead of their time – and he had the balls to say them even when the world wasn’t ready for them.

When people wanted to argue, he engaged. And he did not hold back. And he held grudges.

But he was best known for being a humorist.

He was the world’s first stand-up comedian.

He toured the entire globe giving humorous lectures on life, politics, and current affairs.

He was arguably the first person to become world-famous.

He crossed the Atlantic Ocean 14 times – by boat.

He was wildly popular everywhere in the world he went.

Royals rolled out the red carpet for him.

All because he was funny.

There is a powerful lesson there.

Humor gets through to people.

If you want to make people listen, make them laugh.

This is something I have been struggling with.

I do not like politics.

There are a million things I would rather be doing other than writing about politics.

Playing my guitar, singing, working out, surfing, reading, traveling, looking for a wife, building my business, spending time with my family and friends – all things I love infinitely more than politics.

I don’t want to write about politics.

I have to.

It’s a calling.

God chose me to do this.

I’d rather not do it.

I’d rather shirk my responsibilities.

But my country and the world need me too much.

They need my voice.

And I would be doing the world a great disservice if I didn’t use it.

What if Mark Twain avoided politics?

He wouldn’t be Mark Twain.

He wouldn’t be the godfather of American literature.

He wouldn’t be one of the greatest writers who ever lived.

Mark Twain played his part.

So, I will play mine.

The problem is that I cannot find the humor in what I see.

I don’t think ICE raids are funny.

I don’t think it’s funny that Americans can’t afford healthcare.

I don’t think it’s funny that America is run by cartels – insurance companies, gun manufacturers, banks, defense contractors, oil companies, pharmaceutical companies, and even universities (the student loan cartel).

I find no humor in any of that.

These are serious problems.

But Mark Twain’s world had serious problems, too.

And he found humor in it, anyway.

And that is the lesson.

So, I pray to God that I can be like Mark Twain.

I hope I can find humor in the world, no matter how heavy it gets.

I hope that when I write, it connects with people.

I hope people remember me for being funny.

And most of all, I hope I make a big enough positive impact to make myself someone worth remembering.

So, here’s to remembering Mark Twain – the great American humorist.