Frank Abagnale Jr: A personal hero

Frank Abagnale Jr: A personal hero
Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Frank Abagnale Jr. is a semi-well known figure in modern society. His memoirs were published and made into a movie called "Catch Me if You Can".

He began adulthood as a check forger/con artist and was very successful, temporarily. Eventually he was caught, served time in a hideous French prison then brought to the United States where he served more time in prison.

While his stories are interesting, fun and show him in a somewhat un-reprehensible light, what amazes me about him is the way in which he recovered. Lesser men would fallen into a life of crime or poverty as one's credibility is destroyed as a known thief and con man. Who would want to hire someone they can't trust?

Frank however learned to work with the system (I tend to think he learned the art of a legal con job). He began working with the FBI to help stop check forgery and is now considered an expert on identity theft.

What amazes me about him and why I have long thought of him as a hero is that he effectively recovered from a life changing fuck up. To me the art of recovery is far more important than attempting perfection by living up to the expectations of others. No one's perfect their entire life and if someone were they they'd probably be the most boring person alive.