Encouragement

When I was a boy, I wanted an older brother.

Not just a year or two older, but six or eight or ten years older. I wanted to be able to ask him things and trust the motives behind his answers.

Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to accumulate seven older brothers who speak wisdom into my life. These brothers give me the benefit of all their experiences – their successes and their mistakes – and help me remember who I am.

I’ve never told you this, but I like to think of myself as your older brother. I try to give you the benefit of my experiences, if indeed there is any benefit to be found.

Today your brother needs a favor. Will you indulge me?

I’ve always been proud and ashamed that I never went to college. So when a group of scholars – department heads of major universities, mostly – asked me to contribute a chapter to their book about what Don Quixote means to the average person in the 21st century, well, I jumped at the chance.

And then I put off getting started.

And now I need to get it done.

That’s where you come in.

Will you write me a sentence or two or twenty about what Don Quixote represents to you?

It doesn’t matter whether or not you’ve read the book. Your thoughts and feelings will come from wherever they come from. That’s the beauty of this project. You don’t have to defend your opinion, you only have to have one.

Every generation for the past 400 years has seen Don Quixote differently. How do you see him today? What do you take from the story? Who is Sancho Panza and why does he matter? Who is Dulcinea and what does she mean to you? And if you are familiar with any of the other characters and elements of the story, I’d love to hear your thoughts and interpretations of those as well.

How do you see Don Quixote? Your response can be as brief or as in-depth as you choose.

Twenty different Cervantes scholars will each contribute a chapter to the book. I was the nineteenth person to receive an invitation, but at least I got invited.

It means a lot to me.

My chapter is supposed to be 5,000 words, so I need to hear from a lot of you. And please remember to give me your first and last name and your permission to publish what you send me. Also, tell me what you do for a living.

Indy has volunteered to help me by collecting your emails at IndyBeagle@WizardOfAds.com

Two of my older brothers, Ray Bard and Don Kuhl, have already contributed their thoughts and will definitely be represented in my chapter.

I’d love to see your name alongside theirs.

Roy H. Williams