I teach business and marketing seminars all over the globe. I have no degree. In fact, I have no high school diploma. According to the state of Oregon, I am a high school drop out. Such is the way of things.
I love that I live in a country where it is possible to achieve one’s dreams by following a path less traveled. I love that laws can be changed and freedoms (or lack thereof) challenged. I love that the fabric of our nation is made up of people not afraid to explore the unknown, create the not-yet-understood, and cross the Rocky Mountains in a horse-drawn wagon for the hope of something not yet seen. I am thankful that my parents chose to take me and my siblings out of mainstream schooling institutions when it was illegal in our state, and teach us at home that we can figure it out if we only just try.
Because I was homeschooled during my high school years and states had not yet reacted to the trailblazing families of that day which decided, for a variety of reasons, that they would teach their children at home, I was truant from school enough days to be considered a drop out. I did complete high school. In fact, I finished my studies ahead of schedule due to the self-paced option that homeschooling affords. And, although I was awarded a “diploma” by our homeschool, it was not recognized at the time by the state in which we were living. I can tell you though, that not once in all my life have I been asked to show my high school diploma. I have been asked (on applications and such) if I have completed high school, a question which I can answer in the affirmative. So, to go along with my #1 on the 10 things you probably don’t know about me list: #3 – besides having an arrest record, I am also a high school drop out. Just to keep things interesting.
An education is never wasted. But I can attest to the fact that sheer determination and a no-fail attitude go a long way toward reaching success in whatever shape it takes. I attribute the invention of the Catty Shack Vac, the growth of The Catty Shack, the formation of the National Cat Groomers Institute, the invention of Chubbs Bars and so much more to huge amounts of determination, the kind that keeps one awake at night and makes the neck ache. This always takes me back to the poem by Edgar Guest, a piece oft quoted by the ever-inspiring George Washington Carver, entitled “Equipment.” (My mom made us memorize this poem once. A good idea in retrospect.)
Yes, I am a high school drop out in the official sense. But I had an education far more valuable. I continue to live out the many benefits of that education and am thankful for the many achievements and successes that have been realized as a result.
The greatest success arrived today – this morning at 8:04 am Eastern, weighing in at 6 lbs 11 oz, just over 20″ long and more adorable and precious than anything else I’ve ever seen. Meet Colton Liam Schipper, son of my daughter Olivia and her husband, Eric. This is my grandson. I look forward to one day reading him Guest’s famous poem and explaining what it can truly mean if you put your mind to it and never give up.