ABOUT THE AUTHOR
About The Author
PAUL ARMENTO
Paul Armento was used to living a life defined by adversity, resilience, and complex personal battles for decades. His early life was spent in an unstable household, due to which he developed strong coping mechanisms to endure significant trauma.
Seeking independence and an escape from a violent home, Paul enlisted in the United States Air Force at age seventeen. During his military service, he was introduced to substances that initiated a decades-long struggle with addiction.
Career, Isolation, and Personal Hardship
Despite ongoing personal challenges, Paul maintained a strong work ethic and demonstrated remarkable versatility. He built a successful career as a licensed general contractor, overseeing projects in high-pressure construction environments. His diverse professional background also included training military attack dogs and founding multiple commercial ventures.
Behind his professional achievements, however, Paul faced persistent personal difficulties. In an effort to shield those closest to him, he maintained an intentional distance from his family. Living without expectations for the future, Mr. Armento eventually found himself homeless and residing in his truck when, at age 67, he received a terminal diagnosis with a three-month life expectancy.
A Turnaround in Faith
Having survived numerous life-threatening circumstances throughout his life, Paul underwent a profound personal shift following his diagnosis. Although raised as a strict atheist with a deep skepticism toward religion, he began reflecting on his past through a new lens, interpreting his survival as a series of fortunate interventions. Choosing to embrace faith late in life, he resolved to confront his past and share his journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recently retired at sixty-seven and watched several people I knew die of drug-related causes in a short period. Combined with my own terminal heart diagnosis, I realized my time was short. I wanted to put my fifty years of stupidity to good use: if this book stops just one person from taking the wrong road, it was worth the pain of writing it.
Yes. Every fight, every dollar spent, every military incident, and every strange encounter happened exactly as written. I spent my whole life refusing to let anyone call me a liar because I always believed you cannot remember a lie. This book is the absolute truth.
Writing about my father was incredibly difficult. He was a monster who ruled our home with absolute fear, but he was also an eccentric genius who predicted inventions decades before they came out. Facing the reality of what he did to our family, and what I block out to this day, took a massive emotional toll.
I realized that until I sat down to write, I did not truly understand what regret meant. Looking at my life on paper forced me to feel the pain and guilt of wasted decades. However, it also helped me realize exactly why God kept me alive through so many accidents: to finally have a real goal.
People look at the drug use and the wild stories, but they sometimes miss the underlying message: I always had a deep compassion for people. Even when I was a broken, addicted maintenance man, I cared for others. That small spark of empathy is what allowed me to eventually turn toward God and start my foundation.