What You May Not Know “About Me!”

(For The Daily Prompt – A Mystery Wrapped in an Enigma)
By Joseph E Rathjen
July 3rd, 2013

I bet none of you knew that at one time, I was a famous safecracker. I even wrote a book titled: “Manipulation Simplified” for the Locksmith and Safe Lock industry.

Nevertheless, what is “Manipulation?”

Manipulation is the term used to determine the combination of a safe lock using only your hands and a pen and a piece of paper. Now I am not talking about your cheap, ten-dollar, Master Lock on gym, school lockers that anyone can break into. I am talking about the more expensive types, like the ones used by drug dealers and international spies to hide multiple passports, handguns and getaway cash. Those high-end, safe locks cannot be broken into by just anyone, like you see actors do easily in the movies.

To break into those safe locks without drilling, you have to know your “stuff” so to speak.

It all began when I decided to enroll in the “New York City School of Locksmithing and Alarms”, back in 1989. My main purpose for doing so was to earn a little, extra cash on the side, but which soon ballooned into something more. I quickly became despondent with the only known and long method for determining a safe lock’s combination, so I set out to invent a quicker and more reliable technique – which I quickly did.

Not soon after that, Bill Reed, who was the owner and founder of “The Locksmith Ledger International magazine, approached me. Bill’s magazine was the “premiere” publication of its kind at the time. Bill said to me “How would you like to write a book about it for us?”

I was thrilled, I knew I could write, but the thought of me writing a book and actually getting it published seemed like nothing short of insanity, nevertheless, I just looked at him and smiled, then said “Sure.”

A year later that book was published, and then two more. I even got the nerve up to send in a not so professional book proposal to the McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, which was, surprisingly, accepted and published a year and a half later. Incidentally, that last book has been selling for 17 years now on amazon.com (Google me) of which I still receive two royalty checks each year for.

Thus, my future, part time writing career was born.

Now this story may not serve to describe a deep, mysterious revelation about me, but it may serve to prove that nothing is impossible.

When you have a desire and a passion – mixed in with a little bit of talent – all you need to do is to put your mind to it, keep your eyes open, be persistent, and then rush in when you see a good opening.

I wish you all, the best of luck!

Here are some of my blogger friends mysterious enigmas:

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	Joseph E Rathjen on The NRA and Planned Parenthood…

What You May Not Know “About” Me!

What You May Not Know “About Me!”

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What You May Not Know “About Me!”

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