Are You Going to Write a Book When You Are 97 Like This WWII Veteran Did?

What are your goals when you turn 97 years old? Most of us doubt we will live that long. Others hope that we don’t, because this world isn’t always a nice place to be. When Sam Baker, soon to be 98 years old, joined the marines nearly ¾ of a century ago he probably didn’t imagine that he would be working to promote his second children’s book in the last two years, but that’s exactly what he is doing. 

I was blessed to meet Sam through his daughter Sally who asked for my help in launching his Kickstarter fundraiser she put together for her dad to publish his newest book Oscar the Mouse.. I found his story fascinating and after learning he was a WWII career veteran I knew I had to have him on my podcast.  (here is a clip of the podcast)

Sam is a bundle of energy with a lifetime of stories stored up just waiting to be shared with the world. He grew up in MIssissippi and learned early on that life could be a challenge. The great depression was causing devastation and his family was about to lose their home so Sam wanted to help. So, at the age of eight,  Sam got a paper route where he delivered hundreds of papers a day for just a couple of dollars a week. His mother was able to make a deal with the bank and they kept the house, but times were tough indeed.

Despite the challenges, Sam speaks fondly of his childhood and of those who helped care for and teach him things including Emma, a 15 year old young black woman who his mother hired to help her raise the children and care for the home. She, along with some of his dad’s hired help and other neighbors “of color” as they called black people in those days, were given opportunities and they rose to the occasion becoming more like family than hired help.  

Sam learned a lesson back then that became the main theme of both Oscar the Mouse and The Silly Adventures of Petunia and Herman the Worm.  We are all different and need to accept each other just as we are. Sam saw the discrimination in those days as he has seen in rise up again in this day and age and he has a solution. On my podcast Sam put it this way “We need to see people for who they are, not for what we perceive them to be.” 

Sam is disturbed by our world today. The racial conflict, the political negativity and mostly he is disturbed by the hatred.  He implored all of us when he said  “We need to look at others like we have the eyes of a blind person. What difference does color make?“  When I asked him if he wanted his book to go worldwide he said “Yes, anything we can do to settle the world down and stop hating and start loving people.”  

That is what both of Sam’s books speak to. He wants children and adults alike to learn how to imagine the world a better place, a place where there is love, harmony. hope and joy. He makes learning the lesson of love and acceptance a fun and entertaining experience for all of us. He gives us a chance to escape the hatred of this world and go to a place where differences come to be appreciated and sought after.   

Sam Baker and his daughter Sally have inspired me to never give up. I am 65 and pray to God that I have another 23 years to write more books and live my dreams but we all have to listen. Sam never quit listening to that still small voice of God that spoke to him and let him know that his service to the world wasn’t over. His career as a veteran was only a portion of his life. The rest of it will be in serving others in whatever way he can, including through children’s books, to make this world a better, more peaceful and loving  place where we are all one. 

Here is a feature article about Sam’s first book The Silly Adventures of Petunia and Herman the Worm from the publication Lovin Life After 50  “Scottsdale resident Sam Baker publishes his first children’s book at age 95” by Wayne Schutsky    

You can order The Silly Adventures of Petunia and Herman the Worm on Amazon by clicking HERE

Because there is a significant cost to publishing, Sally started a Kickstarter fundraiser for Sam to publish Oscar the Mouse which will continue until August 20th, 2020 and you can donate to Sam’s Kickstarter page HERE 

To listen to my entire interview with Sam on my podcast go to www.lindalarsonschlitz.com/podcasts

To get in touch with Sam and get more information on ordering his new book or booking Sam to speak at your event you can email Sally Baker at sally@gr8ideas.com

Linda Larson Schlitz is the owner of the “Faucet of Hope LLC,” a Wausau, Wisconsin based organization dedicated to helping others realize their purpose and irreplaceable value in the world.  Linda is the recipient of the 2010 Red Cross Hero of the Year and the prestigious Athena Award and has also received commendations from Wisconsin’s Governor Scott Walker and many others state leaders for her determination and commitment to be an inspiration to others like herself who have struggled with substance abuse and mental illness. Linda is an internationally known featured speaker with the Public Speakers Association and has been inspiring and educating others for over 40 years with her message of HOPE that offers Help Opportunity Praise Encouragement to others.