Saturday, Jun. 11, 2011

Raleigh woman's book is 101 years of wisdom

At 101 years old, Raleigh resident Carrie Lee Shaw Troy's "Granny-isms" - her short, snappy one-liners born from a century of life experience - are a staple for her five generations of extended family.

"Every closed eye ain't asleep." "Kind words turn away a fuss." "A candle don't lose nothing by lighting another one."

Her granddaughter, Raleigh businesswoman Denise Bennett, has compiled Troy's wit and wisdom into a new book, "A Chosen Seed: From Mustard Seed to Abundance," available at Quail Ridge Books & Music on Wade Avenue as well as online. Bennett expands on Troy's sayings with her own insights from more than 30 years as a commercial bank executive and business woman.

Staff writer Chelsea Kellner talked with Bennett last week to get the details on life lessons learned and shared.

Q: Tell us more about your grandmother's sayings, and about what people can expect from the book.

A: They are basically wisdom and wealth sayings that help show you how to live an abundant life. They're applicable to everybody and every situation, from personal situations to business and community leaders. Some of them sound folksy and old at first, but when you really listen to them, they apply to all of life. A lot of them are biblical references, and a lot of them were passed down from her parents. A lot of the sayings I grew up hearing didn't mean much at the time, but as life knocks you down and you develop discernment and wisdom, the meaning of those sayings really comes back to you.

Q: How did the book come about?

A: On March 20 last year, I broke my ankle riding a bicycle. I got two blood clots and had to stay in the house for 10 months, literally. In 30-plus years of working, I have never sat down for more than a few days. I just started writing down and journaling my dreams. I had no idea it was going to be a book. I just took the old sayings and related them to running a business, as well as to one's personal, professional and spiritual life.

Q: What do you think is one of her most potent sayings?

A: Her saying, "Pigs get fatter, while hogs get slaughtered," really speaks to where we are as a nation today - we are where we are because of greed. The origin of the saying is simple: On the farm, we had to feed the pigs slop in the trough. If you can imagine, the little pigs would be trying to get fed, but the big hogs knocked all the little pigs out of the way so they could eat. Well, when it's time for the slaughter, the hogs are bigger because they were greedy, so they are the ones who get sent to the slaughterhouse, while the less greedy pigs live on for another meal. When we have greedy and selfish business maneuvers, bad will always come of it. That was the bridge to our current recession.

Q: Is there one "Granny-ism" that has been especially influential in your own life?

A: When there was a decision to be made in business, this always stuck in my mind: "When in doubt, always do the right thing," even when that means passing up money, because "fast money flies fast." Those are both things Granny used to tell me. Her sayings came back to me in running my own company and dealing with people - don't worry if you profit from it, just do the right thing and it will come back to you.