By: Michael Oher with Don Yaeger
Hennepin County Library paperback 250 pages
Published: 2011
Genre: autobiography
Having read The Blindside (too much football strategy) and watched the movie (Hollywood always takes liberties), I was curious to hear Oher's story from his own perspective. Especially since it was just last year that he sued the Tuohys over some of the financial arrangements regarding his time with them. I'm a bit shocked that they had a legal conservatorship over him well into his professional career.
This book isn't especially well-written, but it was interesting and he definitely "set the record straight" regarding his own determination to break out of poverty. I like that he partially addresses his book to kids in foster care. He has a very challenging personal story but he has an amazing attitude and work ethic.
Page 22: Trouble was the biggest source of entertainment for the kids in my neighborhood. I think it was the favorite of some of the grown-ups, too.
As a teacher, I have definitely seen students who like to create drama and cause trouble. Getting yelled at is getting attention, even if it's negative.
Page 56: There are other people who become foster care parents because of the monthly check they get from the state. That's the part that people don't want to talk about, but, unfortunately, it's very real. There are some terrible people who slip through the cracks when the state is screening applicants to the system.
I'm not naive enough to think that everyone who becomes a foster parent does so to make a positive difference in young peoples' lives, but it horrifies me to think of people doing it just for a paycheck!
Page 75: It's amazing what regular attendance can do for you. Even if I had pretty much given up on trying to learn much, as I was changing schools so often, I still began to understand better what responsibility was all about and why it was important to show up where you are expected each day.
He did a lot of growing up on his own. Again, I love that he is trying to advise youngsters to make good choices in life. A big one is simply showing up.
Page 77: I carried that memory of Ms. Logan with me for years because she made me believe that I had a talent worth developing and the ability to see it through.
I love stories about teachers who made a difference! Ms. Verlene Logan was his fourth grade teacher at Gordon Elementary. She made an impression on Oher.
Page 125: I think that a lot of times students who come from rough backgrounds struggle to learn because they are afraid to embarrass themselves by asking questions about what they don't understand.
It seems as though one of the worst aspects of the movie's impact on Mr. Oher's life was the perception that he was stupid. No one likes to feel dumb! But if millions of people watch a movie which portrays you a certain way that you don't agree with, there's not much you can do about it. I'm glad he wrote this book about his life and I'm glad I've read it.
Page 139: I also got the sense that they seemed to understand what I was trying to do, but that I just didn't have the tools - or even know what the tools were - that I needed to get there. I wasn't dumb and I wasn't lazy. I was lost and hurt and I wanted to work hard but hardly knew where to start because ambition just wasn't anything I'd ever really seen modeled in my life.
Page 150: One thing I definitely understood, though, was how the game worked. In the movie The Blind Side, you see S.J. teaching me different plays using ketchup bottles and spices. I know stuff like that makes for a good story on screen, but in reality, I already knew the game of football inside and out.
Page 153: There is a right way and a wrong way to act in different settings. It is so important to have a basic working understanding of etiquette.
Yes! As people discuss whether or not we should teach money management, cursive handwriting, and other topics in schools nowadays, I think a basic etiquette course is more needed than ever!
Page 202: Who would want to write a book about my life? . . . .Besides, I was starting college, so I had a lot more pressing things on my mind.
How ironic! A LOT of people have read about this man! But as an 18 year old going off to college, this must have seemed absurd. Again, when I read the book I remember thinking it was much too football detail - no thanks. It's Mr. Oher's story that holds sway.
Page 204: It turns out that football fans weren't the only people reading the book. Most people weren't excited about the ins and outs of the left and right tackle positions; they were connecting with the human side of the story.
So true! His story is much more compelling than all the football stuff.
Page 223: In neighborhoods like the one I grew up in, it can be hard to find people who behave responsibly, hold down a solid job, support their families, and generally live lives they can be proud of. I really can't explain to someone who hasn't lived in poverty what it's like to struggle to find some kind of hope.
It makes sense that no matter how empathetic someone might be, it can be hard for them to truly understand another's mentality in a radically different environment.
Page 224: Make the decision today to commit yourself to something better. It's going to take work and it's going to be tough at times, but you've already taken the first step by thinking about wanting something different.
He has lots of good advice for young people.
Page 228: The people you choose to hang out with are going to have a huge impact on the choices you make and the person you end up becoming. If you hang around with people who are always negative, you're going to start acting that way, too, because it will just seem normal.
His final chapter is titled "Ways to Get Involved" and deals with some of the organizations and programs that help young people in the foster care system. I love the tone of this book and the observations Mr. Oher makes. Even his acknowledgements were fun to read.
