I will be a failure.

That's what I was told when I was a grade 9 student in my French class. I was also told that in 11th grade "that I was taking up space", and should be suspended. Both by teachers in my high school. Both by angry men who had know patience for anyone that didn't just do it and work harder. 

Before anyone gets upset, this is not a dig against teachers. I had many teachers that were awesome in my life. I had a principal and a couple of vice-principals that were in part the only reason I am still here I am sure. Plus My Jenny is a teacher and I love her. 

But, I was told that. I was told that I would not amount to anything. My guidance counsellor told me to consider a service industry job because I wasn't smart enough or focused enough to get a "higher education".

It was a different time, there weren't any options in public education for kids like me back then. Sadly, we still are running schools the exact same way (for the most part) that we did during the industrial revolution. Rows of desks, all learning the exact same stuff. It was designed that way to prepare youth for the manufacturing world. Factory jobs. Repetition.

There are a few exceptions where school boards and districts are doing their best to have open classrooms and flexible schedules. But, still for the most part it hasn't changed much. 

In fact it may have become worse in 2019 with far less importance placed on physical education and creative arts. If youth don't move and create they will NOT thrive. 

Throughout my life I have been told that I would not become anything of significance because I never did well academically. There was always shock when I would pull of a new crazy activity on Students' Council or create a new successful program for Canadian Youth.

My mom for a long time would always ask, "when are you going to get a real job?".

I guess it's why I have done all the stuff I have done. If you can't conform to a system or you don't learn the pre-set parameters, then you don't know they truly exist. 

One of my favourite quotes of all time is by Arthur Schopenhauer the German Philosopher. 

“Everyone takes the limits of his own vision for the limits of the world. A few do not.

Join them."

Those are my people. The FEW. 

I wasn't aware of my limits or what they even would be. 

So with great excitement and from the help of some incredible people that include, Kate O'Neill, Phil Jones, Susan RoAne, Nick Morgan, Brian Fanzo, Christian ?rsted, Jane Wilson, Brad Gosse (get that face out there), Hope Wallace Timberlakee,  Laura Gassner Ottingr Otting and of course My Jenny (Jennifer Woodburnn) I decided to begin work on my book with the STUpendous Page Two Publishers (Trena White and Jesse). 

I probably shouldn't be writing a book. I have taught myself how to write. My grammar may be off but the story is rich and worthwhile to those that may have had a similar message told to them at SOME point in their life. So below is the working title and beginning of my book. 

As my dear friend Laura Hamilton told me once, "Stu, you just keep putting stuff out there without much concern if you will fail. I like that about you. You actually do the stuff you talk about in your speeches".

Thanks for the support as well to my friends and colleagues, Greg D. Wells, James E. Rouse, Nick Foley and Alison Stratten who have said in the last 72 hours they got my back.

Here goes....