Chapter 1

America, and the Ideal

Lawrence and Margaret Ross enjoy a wonderful life together in the state of New York—Lawrence
is a well-respected U.S. Senator—Seeing Les Miserables in the Broadway show, and then reading the full
novel together, greatly inspires them—They start new journals and embark on a new life, sharing their
wealth with humanity—The sights and sounds of beautiful New York City are enjoyed on a Friday night—
The whole nation is overwhelmed by a inspiring new Hollywood movie that showcases the ideal America
for the decades to come.

In early spring of 2015, Lawrence and Margaret Ross, both wearing sweaters in the brisk
morning air, sat quietly on their patio overlooking Canandaigua Lake. The sun, just breaking
through the trees, sparkled across the small blue waves and brightened the expanse of shoreline
that stretched for miles. A strong breeze sounded nearby wind chimes. Margaret, feeling the
cold, moved closer to Lawrence and rested her head on his shoulder. It was a bittersweet
moment––the realtor would soon be arriving to show their home.

The Ross’s sprawling two-story estate in South Bristol was up for sale. One of the most
impressive on the lake, the estate had its own pier and natural beach and an expansive patio and
deck. Near the front entry, with a view of the lake to the rear, was a magnificent living room with
a natural stone fireplace. Adjacent to it was an equally majestic dining room. There was a well-
furnished kitchen and pantry, a family room, a game room, a large home office, and a number of
other special purpose rooms. There were several large bedrooms for the family, two additional
guest bedrooms, and a number of bathrooms upstairs and down. The estate had always been a
symbol of the couple's great wealth and status in society, and a wonderful manifestation of the
American dream.

A life-long resident of nearby Webster (the couple maintained their primary residence
there), and a veteran U.S. senator for the state of New York, Lawrence was an honest and upright
man, and one of the nation's most respected leaders. His integrity was beyond question––among
colleagues, among those in the media, among members of the opposing political party, and
among friends and family. He and Margaret had just celebrated their thirty-sixth wedding
anniversary, and had enjoyed what all in the nation could see was a wonderful life together. They
had four children: Richard, age 36, the oldest; Erica, the next oldest at age 31; Janis, age 25; and
Becky, age 23. Everyone in the family had been involved with Lawrence's political career for
many years, helping out with the campaigns, attending political rallies across the state, and
enjoying the celebrity status bestowed upon them by local and national media alike.

One might say that all of the positive aspects of the American political system were
embodied in Senator Ross. His presence on the Senate floor each day had a calming effect on his
colleagues. He was not one to hold public press conferences of his own very often, or to appear
in joint press conferences with other public officials; instead, he regularly made himself available
to the media for an hour or two each week––in sit down meetings at the Capital Building or via
conference calls when he was out of town. In these quiet and more relaxed settings, he answered
all of the questions posed to him fully and honestly and, thereby, strived to inform the public on
all of his activities and build strong personal relationships with reporters.

He had served in the House of Representatives for a number of years before running for
and winning the seat he now held in the Senate. He had served as a member of various
committees during his tenure in both the House and the Senate, and now held the prestigious
office of Chairperson of the Senate Appropriations Committee. In his late-fifties, his name had
been regularly bandied about by the media and associates as a top contender for the office of
President of the United States.

An avid writer, Lawrence had faithfully maintained an extensive journal since entering
public life. In it were stories of his campaigns, debates, exciting election wins, special invites to
the White House, exclusive banquet dinners with colleagues and celebrities, and other notable
experiences of his political career. His journal was not a single book per se, but a set of three-
ring binders (approximately 2500 pages among the four volumes), each with a custom-made
leather cover, that he could add to with new paper when needed. He considered the journal to be
priceless––an important record of his life that he planned to pass down to his children and
grandchildren later on.

It was, therefore, quite a surprise when, during the Christmas holidays a few years back,
in 2012, he had suddenly stored away his journal in the attic of his Webster home, carefully
sealing up all four volumes in a medium-sized box. That same day, he had then started a new
journal. The new binder, loaded with blank paper, was very much like those he had stored away,
but with one small difference––an added caption elegantly printed on the front cover that read as
follows:

The consecration of wealth, with pure charity in your heart, is the foundation of
leadership.

The launch of a new journal, with these important words showing on the cover, was a
reflection of the broader change taking place in his life. The old Lawrence was gone; a new
Lawrence was emerging. But it was not just Lawrence. Margaret, too, was undergoing a
remarkable change; and she, likewise, had chosen to leave behind her old journal and start fresh
with a new one.

What was behind this change for them?

The answer: A famous musical, and a famous old novel.

It happened like this. One evening, a few months before, in the fall of 2012, Lawrence
and Margaret had sat down to watch the epic musical Les Miserables on DVD. They had already
seen the live performance on Broadway years before, but in seeing the beautiful music and grand
performances once again, they were greatly moved. Seeing the play made them want to read the
book, so Margaret ordered a full, unabridged collector edition for their home library.

The reading began almost immediately after the book arrived, the two of them going page
by page for thirty minutes, one hour, or two hours at a time. They had never before read a book
together out loud, other than small storybooks with the children when they were young; but
where they had enjoyed seeing the play together, why not read the book together as well?

Great moments of the play were brought to life again and again the more they read. But
there was much more to discover than just what they recognized from the play. The 1500-page
book contained beautiful stories of human struggles and the plight of the poor. There were
powerful, inspiring lessons of the gospel to be found throughout, each a parable of its own.

The Rosses had been really good people before––honorable, kind, willing to share with
others, and always ready to lend a helping hand––but through this experience, they had begun to
see themselves in a new light, embarking upon a new course in life. They became bound together
in marriage by a purpose greater than their own, embracing a new, outward-looking vision of the
American dream where the needs of others come first. The new personal journals each would
write, therefore, would become more priceless than ever. It was a chance for them to record all of
these wonderful new thoughts, feelings, and experiences of sharing their wealth with the world
that they could pass down to posterity.

A Night on the Town

In downtown New York City, one can look out at night and see the beautiful skyline and
city lights off at a distance while dining at one of its many elegant restaurants. The nightlife is
overflowing with romance, excitement, and the energy of one of the world's greatest cities. There
is no inherent evil in affluence. These breathtaking views many have enjoyed are the fruits of an
American way of life that has shown the way and lead the world to greater prosperity for
generations.

Lawrence and Margaret had both come from very wealthy families, and were, therefore,
accustomed to the finer things of life. Staying overnight at one of the city's premier hotels, the
two had just left their room to eat dinner at the rooftop restaurant. Seated at their favorite table
by the window, they were given prompt service by the waiter.

"Are you ready to order?" asked the waiter, very politely.

"Yes, I'm ready," said Margaret, smiling. "I'll have the Veal Milanese and a house salad"

"And to drink?"

"Just water please, with a lemon"

"And you, Sir?"

"Yes, thank you. I'd like the Shrimp Marinara, please," said Lawrence. "And this seafood
salad looks good tonight. I'll start with that, and a sparkling water"

"Very good, Sir. I'll get those started for you both right away"

A nice assortment of breads and some butter were brought out and laid upon the table.
They nodded politely in silence while also watching some of the interesting people at the other
tables.

Margaret took one of the rolls and buttered it to eat. Lawrence, feeling warm, stood up
long enough to take off his suit jacket and then sat back down. It was not long before the waiter
had returned with their food and had served them.

They ate leisurely over the next half hour, discussing such things as Margaret's mother
Wilma (who was living close by to them in Webster), her health and general state of mind; things
going on with the children and their families; Senate business coming up next week at the
capital; and Lawrence's train trip back to Washington, D.C. scheduled for the following morning.
Margaret would be joining him in Washington on Wednesday after finishing up some important
business at home.

After finishing the main course, Lawrence ordered a light dessert––some apple tartlets
which they shared. Everything was well-prepared and delicious. It was a delightful meal.

Following dinner, the two took the elevator down to the lobby and then walked outside.

Standing at curbside, the doorman asked. "Where would you like to go, Sir?"

"Margaret," said Lawrence, "Shall we walk? We have plenty of time before the movie
starts"

"Yes, we can walk," replied Margaret.

Lawrence smiled at the doorman and gave him a nice tip anyway.

Soon they were out in the night air walking down Fifth Avenue, Lawrence wearing a dark
overcoat, and Margaret, a very stylish one of gray wool. Beautiful New York City, now at street
level, was all around them––the theatres, the brightly-lit signs, the tall buildings stretching into
the skies, the plazas, the museums, the trendy cafes and restaurants, the elegant shops showing
designer dresses, jewelry, perfume, shoes, hats, purses, men's suits, and other luxuries of every
kind. Expensive cars passed by them in the street one by one, along with taxis, buses, delivery
trucks, and many other automobiles. Limousines were occasionally spotted coming and going in
this fashionable district, attracting great attention whenever they stopped and the passengers got

out. But best of all to see were the wonderful people of New York out and about the city on this
Friday evening. As Lawrence was quite well-known, he and Margaret were warmly greeted by
curious persons every so often, some of which were finely-dressed couples just like themselves
casually walking down the boulevard. People were talking, laughing, or just busily walking to
their destination. Most of these were fellow New Yorkers, and fellow Americans from other
states, but every so often, tourists of other countries could be seen along the way excitedly
speaking words in their native tongue. This was New York, and this was America. It was all
there for one to see and enjoy on a delightful evening like this.

A few minutes into their walk, Lawrence's cell phone rang.

Stopping to check his phone, Lawrence spoke to Margaret saying, "I better take this. Give
me a minute."

Margaret was a bit annoyed with this untimely interruption. A minute for Lawrence on
the phone meant five or ten minutes most likely, if not more. She would need to occupy herself
for a while.

Up ahead, there was a big display of fancy dresses in a store window. She moved up
closer to take a look.

That's a beautiful dress there in the center! she thought, seeing a burgundy beaded tulle
ball gown. I'd love to have that.

Excited a little, she looked at the shoes and other accessories for it that were also on
display.

A few feet away from her was a young Hispanic woman. She had her eye on the same
dress, but it was clearly outside of her price range.

"That's lovely isn't it," said Margaret, speaking warmly to the woman.

Interrupting her gaze, the Hispanic woman gave Margaret a brief look, and then turned
her attention back to the dress.

"It sure is," she said.

"But I like these shoes better," replied Margaret, pointing to shoes shown with another
dress in the window.

"I love them all!" the young woman responded energetically, breaking into a smile.

Her animated response captivated Margaret and she, too, broke into a smile. "You're so
right! They're all marvelous aren't they? How about we go in for a closer look?"

The woman was waiting on a bus, and Margaret was waiting on her husband, so there
seemed to be time enough to go inside the store.

For the rest of this encounter, we shall now go to Margaret's journal and read what she
recorded later that evening after arriving home. It went as follows:

As Lawrence and I were walking downtown this evening, I met a very nice young woman
named Mariana Lopez. We both were eyeing the same dress at Saks and got to talking. I learned
a little bit about her family––she lives in Brooklyn––and even more about her boyfriend, who she
had just met in recent weeks. She also talked some about her studies at a community college in
town––she is studying to become a physical therapist. So, it was quite interesting.

We looked at other dresses inside the store, and then for fun I asked the sales attendant to
let her try on that burgundy gown we had seen out front. The attendant was very nice and helped
walk her through to the fitting room. It fit perfectly, so I had to buy it for her. Imagine her
surprise when I told her! Her face turned red, and her initial reaction was one of disbelief, not
knowing what to say or how to react. In fact, she was adamant in saying there was no way she
could accept a gift such as this. But I talked to her about it for a few minutes and told her my
feelings––that both Lawrence and I wanted to open up our world a little more and extend
kindness to others whenever we can. That doing small things like this for the wonderful people
we meet every day, to bring a little extra joy into their lives, is what we wanted to do and who we
wanted to be as people.

Finally, she smiled and gave me hug, accepting the gift. Her eyes beamed as she modeled
this fabulous dress in the mirror. I'm sure she had a wonderful story to write in her own journal
when she got home! The attendant and I also found a couple pairs of matching shoes to go with
it, as well as some accessories, and a beautiful coat I found for her. The total of everything was
not bad, around $3200. But it was well worth it just to see her excitement. It was so much fun,
making our evening out on the town tonight all the more special!

Waiting outside, Lawrence heard all about Margaret's joyful experience with her new
friend Mariana after she had emerged from the store. Smiling, he took Margaret by the hand and
their walk continued.

They had gone only two blocks more when they were greeted by a couple from Los
Angeles. The encounter attracted others walking by, so they ended up taking pictures with a few
more people as well. Then they were on their way again.

The last few blocks were uneventful, and they finally reached the theatre entrance where
they saw a long line of moviegoers extending far down the block, waiting to buy tickets. They
had their own tickets in hand––delivered earlier to their hotel room––so they advanced to the
ticket taker inside and found good seats for themselves halfway up the aisle.

The movie they were about see, America, and the Ideal, was by many accounts
spectacular, having captivated the nation over the preceding two weeks since its release. Movie
critics had been left speechless, marveling at how well the story-telling, the acting, and the

directing had been, but marveling even more at the movie's subject matter, recognizing its great
importance to society. The script writers, the film score composer, the producer, and the
executives of the Hollywood studio had all worked together to accomplish something on film
that one might have thought was beyond man's ability.

The movie, rated G, and truly intended for all audiences, presented a forward-looking
view of America, taking her as she is today, moving her year by year into the future, and seeing
how the implementation of high principles––freely embraced by her citizens––transformed what
had clearly been a great nation already. Americans, and people throughout the world, were given
a front row seat to see what America might become someday, and it was awe-inspiring!

Lawrence and Margaret were similarly captivated. During the intermission (the movie
run time was three and a half hours, requiring a break in between), they talked at length, and that
exciting conversation continued as they left the theatre at the movie's end. The movie would
prove to be something quite unique in the history of motion pictures, belonging to a classification
of greatness all its own. Simply awarding it one or a series of Academy Awards at the next
Oscars would hardly seem to be the appropriate response to a film of this stature.

Lawrence noted this magnificence to Margaret as they crossed over to the other side of
the street and waited for a cab.

"What did we just see?" asked Lawrence, looking dumbfounded.

"I don't know," replied Margaret. "It gave me goosebumps. Everything from start to
finish inspired me, almost like it was created in heaven or something."

"Yes," said Lawrence, smiling to Margaret. "That was my reaction, too! How could any
group of men and women in Hollywood create something this good? It was unbelievable!"

A passing cab spotted them, and stopped at the curb. They entered in and were driven
back to the hotel.

It had been a great night out on the town for sure, very exciting and very rewarding,
increasing their love of New York City all the more.

Step by step, the new life they had chosen for themselves was coming into focus. As
already noted, Les Miserables had inspired them greatly, taking their happy life together to new
heights. America, and the Ideal would take them even higher.