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Reply to "High School Not A Dream For All"

At the first high school I attended I played for head coaches in football, basketball and baseball who had been around so long they were assistants when my father played. They had old school ideas about how to play the game and motivation. All three were anti Semites. One of them actually said out loud, “I can’t believe EWM married a Jew and had a little Jew boy” to my face. I spent that year mumbling FU to myself a lot. But I didn’t let it get in my way of enjoying each sport and being successful. It just made me tougher. I didn’t quit. By chance I moved.

It made my first job out of college a lot easier when I went to work for a manager who didn’t realize it was 1978 and not 1945. I was so excited to receive an offer from the (then) #1 corporation in the world I didn’t notice my final interview was with a complete arsehole (the guy I would be reporting to).

When I started an MBA program at night he threatened me not to get smart and quit on him. I did. I didn’t need an MBA to be smart enough to decide I had enough of drill instructor style verbal abuse. A few years later he was offered early retirement when it was discovered his last six successful hires all left the company within three years of starting. The world had changed on this guy. He didn’t. He was a hire the vet, post WWII hire without a college degree forced to hire all college graduates with at least a 3.2 gpa.

One of the great responses to this arse came from a friend. After making a mistake the manager asked him how long he had worked here. His response, “Too effing long!” He scaled his notebook at his desk and kept going. He went home, typed his resignation and returned in the morning.

After this big time corporation purchased two companies I went to work for (It was like the Twilight Zone. I couldn’t escape.) and injecting the same corporate mentality ** I started my own company with two partners. Sometimes being uncomfortable can push you in the direction of the best decision you can make in your life.

** Imagine working for a Silicon Valley startup that had keggers Friday afternoon and you’re purchased by the stiffest corporation in the world. They come in and changes all the rules. Imagine going from Friday afternoon keggers to faux champagne at Christmas parties.

Hit’s school sports is just training for future realities. But if you want a real wake up call join the military.

Last edited by RJM
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