IT'S ALL GOOD

Humphries’ debut is partly an inspirational tract and partly a love letter to his family, though he welcomes all to the table.

“This book is about my life and I ask you to dance with me looking at my experiences and lessons learned,” Humphries says in this disarmingly upbeat story. On the surface, contrary to the title, it hasn’t all been good in his life. His father committed suicide (he’d been undone after being paralyzed by a bullet in the back when his illegal still was raided), his mother suffered dementia, cancer ran a ragged path through his family and he often had to scramble to make ends meet. But the author is a silver-lining kind of guy, as well as open-minded, bighearted and inclusive—“We need to respect everyone for who and what they are. You should never get to the point of believing you are right and everyone else is wrong.” He provides an intimate portrait of his footloose life in the American South in the 1960s and 1970s—singing gospel, hopping from job to job, selling insurance or faux finishes or cars, flipping fixer-uppers, working as a roofer and shuffling from Florida to Texas to Oklahoma. Humphries’ bubbling enthusiasm results in some scattershot pages, and his story jumps between autobiography and inspirational tome. Elsewhere, his words of encouragement occasionally feel flimsy and incomplete—“Make sure everyday you are performing to your optimal potential!... Miracles will happen.” But the author’s positive attitude shines. Humphries doesn’t despair, even when he is down to his last bologna sandwich, because he has persistence, gumption and lots of friends and family, all of whom the author warmly references in these pages. Ultimately, Humphries’ message is undeniable and salubrious—don’t grouse and grumble, but give thanks and face life with a smile.

One man’s progress toward achieving peace of mind.