Same Kind of Different as Me, by Ron Hall and Denver Moore (2006)
The Same Kind of Different as Me is the tale of two men ~ one a wealthy art collector and the other born a virtual slave in northern Louisiana. Their lives intersected in a most unusual way and changed both for the better.
Denver was born in the mid-1930s on a plantation in Red River Parish, Louisiana. Although slavery had been abolished, virtual slavery continued to thrive on the cotton plantations of the south. Denver and his family, (as well as other families working on the plantation) were kept down by The Man. Denver never attended school and never leaned to read. From the time he was a young boy, he worked in the field picking cotton.
One day when he was in his late 20s, he hopped a board a freight train and began live as a homeless drifter. He learned to survive on the streets and was often in violent altercations. In 1966, he was back in Louisiana and was sentenced to 10 years in Angola Prison. Angola has a reputation as being a very violent prison in Louisiana, and when Denver was there, it was particularly notorious.
After his release, he was still without means and ultimately found himself homeless in Ft. Worth, Texas. Enter Ron Hall.
Ron Hall was born into a lower-middle class family. After college and a stint as a banker, he discovered a talent as an art dealer. He soon “quit his day job” and embarked on a career as an art dealer ~ a decision that made him an international known and wealthy man.
Although not particularly religious, one evening he and his wife, Deborah, attended a “prayer meeting” filled with evangelists. Soon Deborah feels the call from God to work with the homeless. Ron initially joined her more to humor her than out of his own conviction. Deborah begins working at the Union Gospel Mission in downtown Ft. Worth serving food to the homeless.
Denver goes to the shelter for food, but he has no interest in making friends. Indeed, he is reluctant to speak to “Miss Debbie”, because the only other time he spoke to a white woman, he was nearly killed. Slowly, however, Deborah brings Denver out of his hard street-earned shell. Deborah has a vision that a homeless man will change the city. That man is the homeless, illiterate Denver.
Eventually Ron and Denver strike up a friendship. When Ron and Deborah’s daughter moves to Denver, Colorado, Ron asks Denver to transport her worldly goods to her new home. Denver is intrigued to have the opportunity to visit the city that bears his name. Although Ron gives Denver precise instructions on how to drive in his $40K vehicle, Denver still cannot read and has only recently gotten his driver’s license. Ron also gives Denver a fair amount of cash to cover expenses on the trip. After Denver embarks on his voyage, Ron begins to worry that Denver will simply drive off with the cash and goods.
For Denver, however, he is thrilled with the enormous trust that Ron has placed in him to take this trip. He takes his responsibility very seriously. After delivering the goods, he promptly returns to Ft. Worth and returns most of he money he was given for the trip back to Ron.
Things are going well for Denver, Ron and Deborah. One day, however, Denver tells Ron to watch out because something bad is about to happen to Deborah. Soon Deborah discovers that she has cancer. Although for the next year and a half, she is subjected to surgeries and chemotherapies, in the end, she loses her battle. She survives much longer than her doctors predict ~ in part, perhaps, because her family prays for her to continue to stay with them. Again, Denver, in his wisdom, tells Ron that they need to let her go to her heavenly home.
This reminded me of the story in Talmud about the death of Rabbi Judah ha Nasi. Rabbi Judah ha Nasi was very old and ill. The rabbis and his students were praying for him day and night as he lay on his death bed. His maid, however, knowing that his prayers were continuing to keep him alive while he was in agony and it was now his time of death, went up to the top of the roof and dropped a jar of water on them. This action stopped the praying for a moment ~ just enough time to allow the Angel of Death to come and let Judah ha Nasi die in peace.
This was the lesson that Denver brought to Ron. After Deborah’s death, Ron and Denver’s friendship was cemented. Today Denver is an artist in his own right and Ron sells some of his paintings.
Although there is a Christian motif in this book, it is not preachy. It is an inspirational and beautiful story of how people can positively influence others by their actions. Denver, despite his violent background, was essentially a good man. His actions speak to all of us.
Truly an amazing story. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
Read: September 17, 2010
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