Have or Have Not
I may have mentioned it before, but I was born to a very typical working middle class family. We lived in a suburb of Savannah, Georgia in the sixties and seventies. My dad was the sole bread winner and my mom the all-american housewife. Me, my sister, and younger bother grew up in a three bedroom tract home that had the same floor plan as the other two houses on our little dead end street. We had one bathroom, no central heating or air, but we did have the dirt street to ourselves and a decent sized lot to play in. We were by no means rich, but we did live well with our needs and most of our wants met.
My point in mentioning this is, while growing up with a stainless steel flatware spoon in my mouth, we all grew up with dreams. As a teenager in high school, I wanted to be an architect. But as soon as I graduated I abandoned those dreams for an easy route into the workforce and making money. I stayed that course for a number of years until I married and had the first of four kids.
Over the next number of years I grew restless with the choices I made, as far as, my career. You see, with just my high school diploma and how the economy was losing more manufacturing jobs (like my dad had), to the more lower waged service industry jobs. I just knew for my children to survive, I had to change and show my kids that there is more to life than a career at a fast food joint.
That was a number of years ago, and the economy has gotten worse, not better. But the promise of a better life is still here, and I still believe that. So now after many try's and many setbacks, I've gone beyond where I thought I could go. With the effort and completion of my associate's, bachelor's, and now my master's degrees in business technology. I hope that the example my wife and I have set, had a small part in the achievement of our first college graduate child, with a second shortly behind them.
You see, we are the biggest examples our children will ever have. When we tell them to do good in school and make themselves better, they first look at us for that example. Now I'm not saying that each of you have to start college, what I am saying is be that example of being better. By showing your children in various ways, you are working to be a better person. Although, you may think your effords are small and unnoticeable, your kids will see them.
A lot of times we talk about the have and the have not's of this world, and yes, there are those given the brass ring from day one. But for the rest of us, nurturing, loving, and setting examples, are all we have to give. For many of our children that is all the catalyst they will need. To set them on a path to become better people, and live happy, and more fulfilled lives.
My point in mentioning this is, while growing up with a stainless steel flatware spoon in my mouth, we all grew up with dreams. As a teenager in high school, I wanted to be an architect. But as soon as I graduated I abandoned those dreams for an easy route into the workforce and making money. I stayed that course for a number of years until I married and had the first of four kids.
Over the next number of years I grew restless with the choices I made, as far as, my career. You see, with just my high school diploma and how the economy was losing more manufacturing jobs (like my dad had), to the more lower waged service industry jobs. I just knew for my children to survive, I had to change and show my kids that there is more to life than a career at a fast food joint.
That was a number of years ago, and the economy has gotten worse, not better. But the promise of a better life is still here, and I still believe that. So now after many try's and many setbacks, I've gone beyond where I thought I could go. With the effort and completion of my associate's, bachelor's, and now my master's degrees in business technology. I hope that the example my wife and I have set, had a small part in the achievement of our first college graduate child, with a second shortly behind them.
You see, we are the biggest examples our children will ever have. When we tell them to do good in school and make themselves better, they first look at us for that example. Now I'm not saying that each of you have to start college, what I am saying is be that example of being better. By showing your children in various ways, you are working to be a better person. Although, you may think your effords are small and unnoticeable, your kids will see them.
A lot of times we talk about the have and the have not's of this world, and yes, there are those given the brass ring from day one. But for the rest of us, nurturing, loving, and setting examples, are all we have to give. For many of our children that is all the catalyst they will need. To set them on a path to become better people, and live happy, and more fulfilled lives.
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