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BACKGROUND - BOSTON, April 04
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The First Thirty by Jillip Naysinthe Paxson (and expanded version, The Silhouette Man
) tell the story of a person's efforts to explore the world around him,
try and leave each place a little better than he found it, and the
first thirty lessons learned along the way.
Greg
is the real-life person upon whom the books are based. In April 2004,
he was a guest speaker at Boston College. This part of the site has
photos and links
regarding his trip, some of the memorable people he met along the way,
and feedback from the speeches.
Italicized notes are Greg's personal comments.
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At BC, Greg was asked to speak about topics like diversity, service, philanthropy and overcoming obstacles. The appearance at Boston College was co-sponsored by a half-dozen campus-based organizations.
Clare, BC student: "The attitudes and outlooks
he possesses are refreshing and strengthening ....I remember watching a
local news station a couple years ago and hearing about his efforts in diversity...so I knew I had to hear him speak. His philosophy of
changing what is outside your window is such a wonderful one..."
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MILKSHAKES
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After concluding his speech, he noted he was thirsty and said he was going to get a milkshake and said anyone that wanted to come with was welcome to join him....and nearly a hundred students did -- walking through the rain to a local milkshake shop called White Mountain Creamery.
These are a few pictures from the speech and the milkshake adventure afterwards (including the one on the left which is a bit blurred because of all the raindrops) and excerpts of a few of the emails sent after the event from people who were there.
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"I'm in the school of management here and hearing him talk was extremely helpful because I sometimes struggle with the idea of possibly making a lot of money in the future...and still staying grounded in my beliefs such as helping others -- which is more of how I see myself...everyone I talked to loved the speech -- definitely worth the time." --Micah
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"A lot of times it can be hard to make time to go see a speaker, but it's hard to explain how glad I am that I was able to make it to his speech...Normally one thinks of a dream life as making lots of money, and having lots of great things... but honestly I think Greg's life is probably a million times more fulfilling the way it has been...I look forward to listening to him again if he returns."
--Margaret
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"As soon as he got started, he had me captivated, and by the time he ended, I had lost all concept of time. The entire time was both intriguing and thought- provoking. He is a great speaker with a GREAT story. So many parts of it I found I could relate to and so many parts of it inspired me....Hearing [it] has helped me to see that even though the volunteering I do isn't through some large scale group, I alone can make a difference in what I do..." --Cara
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"I just wanted to write to say what a great story that was...it was just amazing, to say the least...and inspiring....it makes me just want to get out and start something new, something big, that would just keep trickling on to other people...Greg's a living example of how those small acts can completely trigger a whole chain reaction for the greater good...his story also showed me the value of being assertive, his assertiveness is what got him to the point he's at, and got the help and recognition of so many important people, it all just amazes me...it's been a half an hour since his speech and I can't get it off my mind...
Megan
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"I listened to his speech and loved every minute of it!...I want to be an elementary school teacher and hope to make a difference in children's lives. I like to keep a notebook of all of the things that I want to do in my classroom and I added a bunch of stuff after his speech." --Amanda
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"...It was amazing. And everybody walking with him through the rain to get a milkshake, that was amazing, too. I actually went home after that and wrote an essay about Greg for a course I am taking -- comparing his speech and what he's done with Ralph Waldo Emerson's book Experience, and one of Gandhi's philosophies about small actions leading to big things." -- Andrew
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So often you hear a speaker and they have a negative message about something going wrong in the world, with few solutions. While this is educational, most people just sit on the information. Sure Greg is acknowledging inequalities but more importantly he has solutions, and he is motivating others to find their own solutions...I think it could be great if we [could bring him back to speak to more people here].
--Allison
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"He is truly inspiring....His message is so positive...when does the book come out?" --Biz
[Answer: It has now!]
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