56 years ago when I was 15, I was in a class room goofing around with a bunch of guys. Jim Huxel, the Principal came into the room, grabed me by my ear and took me to his office. He gave me swats with a heavy wooden paddle. I asked him "Why, why me? There were lots of guys goofing around and you only took me. Why?" He responded: "Because I believe in you. You are smart and I know if you apply yourself, you can be successful. You can go as far as you want to.
I walked out of his office with a very sore butt however, I felt GREAT.
Someone believes in me, someone thinks I'm smart, someone thinks I can win if I apply myself. I was given this gift 56 years ago. It has driven and inspired me every day of my life. Excluding the swats, I have passed this gift on to tons of young people.
Submitted by Anonymous
We've all had people in our lives who have made a positive impact on us. A parent or grandparent, a sibling who was there for us, or maybe even just a guy who shines shoes for a living? Whoever they are, tell us their story so they can inspire us even more.
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