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1-Page Summary of The Promise Of A Pencil
“Why Be Normal?”
Adam Braun’s dad was a very strict man and wanted his kids to be the best that they could be. He had “Dad’s Rules” for them: Don’t do anything you wouldn’t want your father to see, and choose your actions as if he were standing right next to you. Adam understood that his father only wanted what was best for him and did everything he asked of him with the utmost respect.
Adam’s parents were very influential in his life. They taught him that he was different from everyone else and that he had to work hard for everything he wanted. Adam’s father, Ervin Braun, was the son of Holocaust survivors who settled in Queens. He attended the University of Pennsylvania dental school where he met Susan, Adam’s mom. They settled in Greenwich, Connecticut to practice dentistry and raise their family. In one instance during a basketball game at Greenwich High School, Adam met Sam and Cornelio two boys from Mozambique who had been told they could play basketball if they came to America by a phony coach named Alonzo Martin (who is now serving time). With help from his parents’ support as well as financial aid through college scholarships given by them and others like them who understood how important education was for people living abroad with poor schools; Adam helped make sure Sam & Cornelio got an education so they would not be cheated out of what was promised to them when they were originally brought over here under false pretenses by Mr. Martin.
“Know that You Have a Purpose”
Braun is a natural entrepreneur. He started a stock trading account when he was in middle school and spent his summers working for a hedge fund while he was in high school. Braun made thousands of dollars selling rare CDs of live concerts. He went to Brown University where he could major in economics and play Division I basketball, but during his sophomore year, the movie Baraka ignited a spiritual quest that led him to quit basketball and pursue self-discovery.
Braun boarded the MV Explorer to begin his 100-day trip around the globe, but a rogue wave hit and severely damaged the boat. Braun prayed to God, who responded by telling him he would survive. The ship limped into Honolulu, where Braun decided that life was too short not to do something meaningful with it.
Braun boarded the MV Explorer to circumnavigate the globe in 100 days when a 60 foot wave smashed into their boat and caused severe damage. They were at sea for two weeks before they limped into Honolulu harbor with no engines working; however, Braun had an epiphany during this time: life is too short not to do something meaningful with your life!
In each country that Braun visited, he asked a child what they wanted most in the world. The answers were surprising to him. A little girl in Hawaii said she wanted to dance. A boy in Beijing said he wanted a book, and a beggar outside of the Taj Mahal answered that he just wanted a pencil. These answers resonated with Braun because now he realizes how powerful it is when people are given something as simple as a pencil or even an opportunity to dance.
“Tourists See, Travelers Seek”
After graduating from Brown, Braun traveled to Singapore, Thailand and Cambodia. He met Scott Neeson in Cambodia who was the founder of Cambodian Children’s Fund (CCF). Braun agreed to devote his senior year to raising money for CCF. His business card meant a lot to him because he wanted people to know that he raised money for a good cause. After graduation, before entering the corporate world, Braun went on another trip for four months. Joel Puac invited him live with him in his village so that they could help each other out and improve their English skills. In this way, Puac would be able to teach others how to speak better English as well as share the teachings of Christianity through an English Bible reading tape recording project which also helped them both learn more about one another’s culture and language together during their time living together in this small village community setting without any distractions from modern technology or busy city life style back home where they were used too much.
