A letter from our future

A letter from our future

Today, this appeared in my history, a post that I put up in 2014. Today, after having an unpleasant disagreement with various organizations that I was involved with, I needed this reminder. I offer this up not as a way to glorify myself but as a reminder that planting oaks takes a long time before they become a magnificent tree.

This conversation started when a 17 year old young man asked me on LinkedIn to connect. I did indeed connect with him and encouraged others to take a position to be the wind beneath the wings of our future. That is what we should all do. We should all be involved in encouraging their growth, ignoring the possibility of whether or not they can write in cursive or drive a stick shift, things that we were responsible for teaching them. It is our duty to sow the seeds, nurture them as they grow, continuously water and feed them and enjoy the glory of living in the shade that those great trees will ultimately provide.

As a way of an update, this young man is now the Senior ESG Consultant at Crowe, LLP. I can't say that my acceptance of him made a big difference, but what I can say unquestionably is that my rejection would have.

Nurture the seeds at every opportunity, nurture all of the seeds, grow the biggest forest possible.

“Heinz,

Based upon everything I have seen you accomplish up to this point, I believe you are truly a great man. I come to you today, as a 17 year old junior in high school whom is very passionate about the environment and sustainability. You see, I have spent two years at my high school, Loveland high school, finding ways to make my school a green school. Through hard work and dedication to the program, we have successfully created 2 zero waste cafeterias in our school district and we has diverted our waste by 88%, which is only 2% away from being the first zero waste high school in the nation! I am the program coordinator of this process.

Now, all of that is fine and dandy right now, and not to mention it is a great honor for a 17 year old to have such a big part in a first for the nation! Yet, I am seeking ways to further my influence and that is why I have messaged you. I have come to you to ask for your help in finding me an internship or job in the world of sustainability and environmental sciences. I know this is a task that might seem impossible, but I know how to push boundaries to get where I want in life. My parents once told me, it's about persistence, you can get anywhere you want in life as long as you work at it constantly.

I believe that I can achieve something great and that is why I am coming to you for help. Please feel free to message me back, or preferably email me at: [email protected] . I hope to hear back from you soon, but until then I will continue to read your magnificent articles and follow your new motion you have started!

Mike Fackler

Grocery clerk/ Ambassador of compost at Fresh Thyme Farmers Market”