HI, MY NAME IS… Charlie Golding

I’VE LIVED IN PHOENIX FOR TWO YEARS AND I LOVE IT BECAUSE… of the hiking, winters, the wonderful people, my community of friends, access to the Pacific Coast and Sedona are close enough.

A TYPICAL DAY IN MY LIFE INCLUDES… waking up early at 5 a.m., starting the coffee, writing a morning inspiration text to my friends and family, and wishing them a happy day, an hour for prayer and meditation, watering all the plants, and then a workout three or four days a week. Next, I’m off to work. After work, I attend to my book projects, tweak my website, and answer my texts. I also read and watch the Dodgers if they are playing.
MY FAMILy IS… living in Canada. My son lives in Toronto and is a financial analyst and my daughter lives in Vancouver and is studying nursing. Because of Covid restrictions, I have not seen either one for over two years. I plan on going to Vancouver this summer for a much-needed reunion.

ONE THING I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT IS… The time to write and exercise the creative process.

MY FAVORITE MOVIE I COULD NEVER GET TIRED OF WATCHING AND WHY… Groundhog Day. The message is to live your life, continually learn and grow, and take care of other people. And the truth wins out and never gets old.

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I WANTED TO BE… a lawyer. I read that there were already too many lawyers in the world, so I mistakenly gave up on that profession.

THE SONG I WOULD SING AT KARAOKE NIGHT… “Feelings,” by Morris Albert—only with an Elmer Fudd voice.

THE ONE PERSON WHO MOTIVATES ME IS… Margaret of Cita di Castello. Born near Florence, Italy to a very wealthy family, she was born deformed, blind, and was locked up by her parents who were so embarrassed by her. She was abandoned on the streets of Castello at 19 years of age. She never lost her faith and positive outlook and visited the poor and those in prison and was eventually taken in by a well-to-do family and lived a happy life, always serving the poor and offering encouragement to anyone who needed it.

THE LAST THING THAT MADE ME LAUGH OUT LOUD WAS… one of the scenes I just wrote for my second book. If I can’t laugh out loud at something I wrote, how can I expect someone else to laugh at it.

THE PERFECT DAY WOULD BE… traveling to France or Croatia, other than that, a good hike and conversation with friends, reading a great book, writing the great American Novel, and then going to a baseball game.

MY FAVORITE LOCAL NONPROFIT IS… Faith House, a house for women and their children in crisis.

MY LIFE IS… getting better all the time. The learning and creative process never gets old and keeps me young. The best part of social media is that I get to say hello to my friends and family spread throughout the world every day.

THE BEST GIFT I’VE EVER RECEIVED WAS… from home when I was out to sea for a very long time as a U.S. Naval Officer.

MY DREAM VACATION WOULD BE… going to Rome and then Jerusalem.

THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE EVER RECEIVED… Stop worrying about what others think of you, so live your life.