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Carl Baker, a recent addition to the Fuquay-Varina community, has published his first book, Moments. Baker’s book consists of short inspirational anecdotes, detailing significant moments in his life, as well as the lives of loved ones. The book explores the idea that people do not remember years, weeks, days, or hours; they remember moments.
The personal and vivid memories included in Baker’s piece have helped friends remember lost times. One particular old friend remembered her youth upon reading the selection entitled “Holding Hands.” Baker states, “The man she married, who recently died, would walk her home from church and hold her hand when she was fifteen. They were married for many years, and this story brought that memory back.”
Moments also depicts precious memories for Baker’s family. In fact, the man and girl walking together on the cover of the book are Baker and his granddaughter. Baker fondly remembers walking down the beach alongside four year old Erin with “her little hand in mine.” Today, Erin is 16, but that moment in time, portrayed in the book, remains close to Baker’s heart.
Along with fond memories, this project as a whole is also extremely close to Baker’s heart. Moments was a three-year project and lifelong dream for Baker. He was filled with excitement and anticipation upon receiving his first copy of the final product. “I’ll tell you, I was so nervous when I received my copy, I was afraid to open the package. It was a special moment for me.”
Baker believes nothing is ever forgotten, but is simply stored in our minds until triggered. This was the case with some of his stories, where writing served as a trigger. “Many of these moments I hadn’t thought of in years; they just came to me when I started writing the book.”
He was inspired to compose Moments by those little occurrences that take place each day. “I think it’s been in my mind to do it for a long time,” said Baker. “I think perhaps knowing that the road ahead is short, I wanted to do something or leave something to inspire others.”
Baker hopes that his collection of stories will help his readers realize the importance of the small moments in life. He finds that most people take life for granted and wants his book to make people reflect.
Along with poignant anecdotes, Moments consists of illustrations depicting certain scenarios in Baker’s life. “I thought it added to the quality of the book. Knowing that, possibly, this would be my last effort in this area, I wanted to do it right.”
Although he retired from the US Postal Service in 1990, Baker has kept himself busy. He is an avid reader and has written numerous articles.
Born and raised in Oklahoma, Baker and his wife decided to spend their retirement in Fuquay-Varina in order to remain close to family. The Bakers have adapted well to the community and have been “very, very happy.” Mr. Baker is especially fond of the people, who he claims have been “so kind.
Moments can be purchased at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com, as well as at David Anthony’s, located in Fuquay-Varina. Readers can also look forward to a book signing at David Anthony’s in September with Mr. Baker.
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