In 2007, David Von Drehle moved his family to Kansas City from Washington, D.C. Already an accomplished writer and with a new opportunity to telecommute, he thought it was the perfect time to start afresh, away from a frenetic pace, and he hoped to find a more serene path for his young family. It was during an August heat wave that the journalist spotted his neighbor, Dr. Charlie White, across the street washing his girlfriend’s car. Muscular and full of energy, Dr. White was 102. Their friendship lasted seven years until Dr. White’s death in 2014 at the age of 109.
During that time, Dr. White shared many stories about his life that had spanned more than a century. For Mr. Von Drehle, these stories formed the creative nuggets that would produce a book, not just giving voice to this man’s remarkable life but to a bevy of valuable lessons about how to live a meaningful life—all set against a backdrop of bits of history.
A Call to Medicine
Dr. Charles Herbert White was born in 1905 in an age when radio was yet to be a fixture in American households. Horse-drawn carriages had just given way to automobiles as the Model T Ford was introduced in 1908. When his father died tragically at the age of 42 from a freak elevator accident, Dr. White was left fatherless at the age of 8. Adulthood was thrust upon him as the only male in the household, which included his mother and sisters. He gave grief its due but learned that survival would necessitate his growing up sooner than anticipated.By the time Dr. White was 17, he joined two other adventurous friends on a 1922 cross-country trip from Kansas to California. They called themselves “The Unconscious Three.” The journey was not without its magic and mayhem. And the return trip involved riding the rails.
Dr. White was not one for leaving doors of potential opportunity closed. He was an entrepreneur and a risk-taker. To fund his education, Dr. White learned to play the saxophone. When he wasn’t studying, he could be found across the bandstands of the Jazz Age.
He attended the Junior College of Kansas City before the University of Missouri. His education continued at Northwestern Medical School, but he practiced medicine at a time when “quack” medicinal ideas were rampant. Effective antibiotics and sophisticated medical innovations were also coming attractions. High on his prescription lists was a positive attitude that nature’s own healing process would prevail when medical know-how had not yet developed to tackle many diseases. He possessed a good bedside manner and had a penchant for long hours, often on the road making house calls. During the Depression-era gangster wars, Dr. White was often aboard ambulances hastening to grisly crime scenes. His years pursuing medical excellence eventually took him into the new field of anesthesiology. He quickly excelled and became one of the first anesthesiologists in Kansas.
Let It Go
One of the ingredients of Dr. White’s long and productive life was his ability to let go of those things he had no control over. There’s a tranquility that comes when you are able to accept and surrender to life’s vicissitudes. Mr. Von Drehle capitalizes on Dr. White’s own observations and practices by occasionally adding quotes from Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius or Epictetus or Seneca—all Stoic philosophers. The author likens Dr. White’s pragmatic views on living to classical themes like pursuing virtue as the highest good and the wise will live in harmony with fate and providence.Hardships will be a given, but personal growth can be a consequence. One of Dr. White’s mother’s favorite mantras was, “Do the right thing.” It served as a reminder whenever he was faced with difficult decisions.
“The Book of Charlie” was crafted with the author’s children in mind. He wants to leave them a legacy, perhaps a guidebook, of how to handle adversity and upheaval and what virtues will prove best when tackling tough situations. In compiling Dr. White’s stories, Mr. Von Drehle masterfully tells readers about this one centenarian’s compelling life. It mirrors the lives of many Americans who have struggled with the ups and downs of living. Ultimately, it’s best to stand on a strong foundation, and this read tells of many of those building blocks.
