Eric Edelstein

On friday morning at the V&A Waterfront, after watching the movie “Perfect Stranger” (which I haven’t blogged about, but is worth catching), my JHB friends Ilana & Lara, wanted to do some shopping at woolworths.

Within 5 minutes I was bored, and told them I’d meet them at CNA. While browsing the magazines, my eye caught a book. I’m not sure if it was the picture on the cover of a prisoner, or the gold sticker which said “Signed by the Author”, but I picked it up, and saw it had been signed personally by the author.

“It’s never to late! GMC”

I don’t know what prompted me to buy “The Choice - the Gayton McKenzie Story”, as i’ve got a long list of books on my shelf waiting to be read, but some voice deep inside me told me that I needed to read it.

When I met the girls a few minutes later with my purchase, I could only tell them that the author had spelt the word “too” incorrectly. I also had a jarring feeling that I was contributing to a criminal by buying his autobiography.

BUY THIS BOOK!

Often books lie around my place for years on end, and some have never been read, but I started the Gayton McKenzie story immediately, and a few days later, I’ve finished the book, but realised that the challenge is only just beginning.

For those that don’t know who Gayton McKenzie is, he was a hardened criminal who continued his ways in Gaol, and then turned his life around, exposed the corruption in the prisons, and now spends his time motivating kids to try keep them out of crime.

You can see more about Gayton at the Gayton McKenzie website.

Gayton, what you did was remarkable, and I look forward to meeting you.