| ... by Unusual Wisdom from Extreme Experiences !!! |
Herman Neuman triumphed over years of very traumatic early-life experiences like few others. His satirical, blunt-truth memoir, Heroes from the Attic: A Gripping True Story of Triumph, reads like bizarre fiction. For the first two dozen years after he was born, he had to endure killer illnesses, starvation, war, intense floggings, school failure, homelessness, extreme culture shock, extreme social isolation, extreme judicial injustice, and slavery(*). He patiently endured with great loneliness, because after the Nazis, his parents were his worst enemies. There was not one adult to mentor, console or guide him. Even so, he has now become obsessed to seek out harsh reality wherever he may find it, and tries to help improve such situations. Readers and audiences cannot believe that Herman is still sane or even alive. They have reported that this "...is one of the best books I've ever read," and that "this book should be in all schools." As a child Herman "turned the other cheek" thousands of times, so to speak. And literally all four of them too many times. But he did not buckle under. Instead, after his escape from his enslavement by his uncles*, he and his new wife quickly zoomed as close to heaven as one could get right here on earth: After their college graduation, they had saved enough money to be able to travel around the world for six months on a very low budget. For the adventure of a lifetime. Do not be saddened by Herman's beginnings, because in spite of, or because of his long sufferings, he has received many unusual blessings. Some of these are described in the book Invisible Heroes: Survivors of Trauma and How They Heal, by psychotherapist Belleruth Naparstek, LISW, BCD. Its last chapter, “Surprise Blessings: Gifts in the Rubble,” describes them to be: Generosity, Joy, Compassion, Heightened Creativity, Survivor Power, and Spiritual Connection. People frequently ask Herman, "How were you able to deal with your stresses? How did you manage to survive?" After having thought about this for a long time, he had to conclude that it could only have been through the guidance and protection of God, and that it could not have been any other way. The odds of his survival, or remaining sane, had been so low that he now challenges anyone to demonstrate how it could have been otherwise. His conclusion is being affirmed by many of the people who have learned his story: "The human potential seems to be infinite!" and "God's plan for you is to inspire." Herman is a recent member of The American Academy of Expert in Traumatic Stress, a volunteer chaplain at the St. Luke's Magic Valley Regional Medical Center and the Canyon View Psychiatric and Addiction Services and past president of Toastmasters International, Magic Valley Chapter. He is a recipient of the Jefferson Award for Public Service, for inspiring individuals and audiences to have hope and strength to deal with problems in their lives. (*) His master forced Herman to work in mud and manure and would not allow him to bathe or shower under the threat of physical punishment. Herman’s brother testified before the Everett (Washington) District Court that they had been "slaves" to their relatives. "Why is it that nobody understands me, and everybody likes me?" - Albert Einstein |
