On the other hand, Russell Baker found success even though he completely lacked any and all drive. He didn’t have any aspirations to become successful. As his mother said, he had “no more gumption than a bump on a log” (416). Both Russell and Bernie were born with natural talents. However, where Bernie was gifted with athleticism, Russell was a talented writer. Rather than develop his talent through practice, Russell simply left it alone. Russell's knack for writing showed itself subtly and at a later stage in his life. When Russell was young, he showed no “get up and go” or any talents. This led Russell's mother to the conclusion that if she didn’t intervene, her son would end up a garbage man. Where Bernie’s parents gently encouraged him
