What Inspires You?

I find inspiration and motivation in the past...in my parent's journey.

I keep a frame on my desk at work. It contains my late father's first record of employment and his business card. My mother gave me these after my father passed on July 2nd, 2019.

My father obtained his GED while serving in the Army but only attended school through the 7th grade. That education came from a one-room school house in the hollers of Oil Springs, Kentucky.

He began a 57 year career working in foundries at a steel foundry in Marion, Ohio. If you look at his age in the photo and do the math, he was 77 when he "completely" retired. (He retired the first time for 3 months at the age of 64) His career ranged from his first job cleaning within the foundry to Plant Superintendent. I don't think when he left Painters Lick Rd in rural Kentucky, in the early 1950s, that he had his eyes set on leading a steel foundry one day. That was not how my father operated. He was looking for reliable employment, then for enough work to support a wife and growing family. Sometimes working multiple jobs to make that happen. He didn't dream of professional success; instead, he worked hard and was rewarded for that hard work. It didn't come overnight, and it wasn't always easy, but he persevered and accomplished so much more than that young 20 year old man could have imagined when he set off to Ohio for a better life.

My father and mother provided well for us. Us being their two sons and three daughters. They provided a significantly different upbringing than they had experienced. Both of my parents came from poor families. My paternal grandparents didn't have indoor plumbing until the 1980s. My mother quit school after the 10th grade to work, grew up in a time of potato/feed sack dresses and war ration stamps.

This was very different from my childhood. My siblings and I had a pool in our backyard (a huge deal in the 1980s), clothes purchased via layaway, and family vacation road trips to Florida each year. A dramatic difference from my parents' early years. I may have "wanted" for things, but certainly had all I needed growing up (and then some). I was fortunate to have a stable home and wonderful parents, which resulted in a blessed childhood. I moved out into the world, having been provided with a strong foundation to grow from. I recognize how rare that can be and how lucky I was.

I'm not saying it was always easy, because it wasn't. I had personal hardships as a young adult and challenges that took some recovering from along the way. I credit that strong foundation, along with some genetic drive that was passed to me, for getting me through the tough times.

Today I sit in my office, one that took a lot of work and dedication to earn. I'm thinking, What inspires me? I look at that frame. I draw motivation, drive, and inspiration from its contents. I think of the hard road that 20 year old man had already traveled and the mountain he had to climb ahead of him the day he signed that application. I think of the hard work that he put in to achieve a level of success that many didn't think he could achieve.

It will remain here on my desk. (until I "completely" retire)

Inspiration in the form of a frame, a reminder of what can be achieved.