It all started in 1943...

Have you ever thought about how the decisions you make today impact not only those around you, but those who will live after you? This is an article about how the decisions one person makes will impact future generations. This is an article about legacy.

My grandfather, Marvin Monroe Alexander, Jr., graduated from Texas A&M College in 1943 (known today as Texas A&M University). He earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering and after graduation went to work for Consolidated Aircraft in Ft. Worth building the B-24 bomber. My grandfather passed away when I was in high school back in the 1980s, but had he lived he would have been astounded at how engineering has advanced our world over the past 80 years.

When my grandfather attended A&M there were about 6,500 students. Back then A&M was an all-male military school and all students were in the Corps of Cadets. Most of his classmates either served in World War II or went to work for defense contractors , as he did. My father, Dr. Richard Alexander, followed in his footsteps and graduated from A&M with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1965. By that point A&M had only grown to about 7,500 “male” students. By the time I got to A&M and graduated in 1991 (with, drum roll please– a degree in Mechanical Engineering!), A&M had grown to about 40,000 students and now included women (one of whom was a beautiful blonde that I married!). My daughter, Ashley, our 4th generation Aggie, graduated this past May in 2021 at a time when A&M now boasts over 70,000 students. This number of students is over 10 times the number who attended when my grandfather graduated from A&M!

The Alexander family would be very different had my grandfather, a depression-era kid, not decided to go to college, attend A&M, and become an engineer. I probably think about it more than anyone else in my family (I tend to be sentimental), but what he decided to do shaped the very fabric of who I would become. I love being an engineer and since starting ADV Integrity, Inc. four years ago in 2017 I have been able to do more than I ever dreamed possible, in large part because of the very talented men and women who work in our company.

I think it’s easy to believe the decisions you and I make don’t really matter. They do! Let’s not be lulled into the idea that what we do doesn’t make a difference. How we spend our time, the people we choose to spend time with, what we read (or don’t read), and how hard we work have a tremendous impact on not only what happens in our lives, but the lives of those around us. What’s even more crazy is the decisions we make today will impact people we’ll never meet. My three children never met my grandfather, but each of their lives have been impacted by him because of his impact on me.

So, here are a few thoughts to consider as we think about the impact we’ll have on future generations.

• Be careful how you live – make good decisions. Don’t do things you’ll regret later in life.
• If you make bad decisions, learn from them, but don’t keep doing them. I have several friends whose lives are train wrecks because they keep make the same mistakes over and over again.
• The greatest impact you’ll likely have will be on your family, especially your spouse and children. Let them know how much you love and appreciate them. Don’t assume they know – TELL THEM!
• Lastly and most importantly, consider what happens when you die. I am astounded by the number of people who don’t even think about this. I also think it explains why so many people in the world are panicking right now. If I didn’t know what was going to happen to me when I died, I’d probably be freaking out right now, too! If you don’t know where you’re going when you die, check out this site: https://www.4laws.com/laws/englishkgp/default.htm

As General Maximus, played by Russell Crow, said in the movie Gladiator, “What we do in this life echoes in eternity”. Truer words were never spoken…