Dedicated to my hero.....

I don't have very many heroes. But the heroes that I do have, besides that of my parents and a few good business people, have been my teachers. In college I have met many great men and women, who teach because they want to share what they have learned in their life with us, their students. I think that being teacher would be a most noble position.

One particular teacher I had taught me so much. He was and is an excellent man and an excellent teacher.  To find both in one person is quite an amazing feat. This man looked on life as a journey, as an adventure. I have known no other person who had such a healthy, happy perception of life and his place in the world. And I remember his teachings at odd moments of the day. He had so many philosphies I could never tell you all of them, but the most important was he believed in life.

So many people go through life letting their jobs, or their husbands, or their wives, or their kids, or their cars, run them, instead of taking control and driving themselves, finding their own way, discovering their own ideas, and forging their own path. So many people allow life to live them. And I did this myself.

But then I took this class and met this teacher. I began to truly understand myself and began to rethink my perception and ideas on life. Not because I am a robot and sucked in all this knowledge without using my own mind, but because he made sense. And it almost brought tears to my eyes the way he smiled. Like a child, innocent and happy, with no deception or recriminations.

He taught us to believe in ourselves and life. To live life in happiness. It was probably the most important single thing I have learned in my life.

Because I don't have many heroes. But he was one of them.

This book by Dr. Seuss made me think of what I learned in his class. Because life is real, it's mean and scary, sometimes, but you make your life and ultimately, it is up to you to decide the places you'll go, if you believe in yourself. *Smile*

Oh, the places you'll go! by Dr. Seuss

Congratualtions! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away!

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy(or girl) who'll decide where to go. You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care. About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there." With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you'll want to go down. In that case, of course, you'll head straight out of town. It's opener there in the wide open air. Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and foosty as you. And when things start to happen, don't worry. Don't stew. Just go right along. You'll start happening too.

OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO! You'll be on your way up! You'll be seeing great sights! You'll join the high fliers who soar to high heights. You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed. You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't. Because, sometimes, you won't. I'm sorry to say so but, sadly, it's true that Band-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle perch. And your gang will fly on. You'll left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you'll be in a Slump. And when you're in a Slump, you're not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done. You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.  Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare stay out? Do you dare go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right... or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind. You can get so confused that you'll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace.  And grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a place to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or a No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

NO! That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape all that waiting and staying. You'll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you'll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky.  Ready because you're that kind of a guy! Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.  And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on T.V.

Except when they don't. Because, sometimes, they won't. I'm afriad that sometimes you'll play lonely games too.  Games you can't win 'cause you'll play against you.  All alone! Whether you like it or not, alone will be something you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance, you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hauken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike and I know you'll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are. You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step.  Step with care and great tact and remember that life's a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed? Yes! You will indeed. (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So.......

............be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'shea, you're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So..... get on your way!