2) QUOTE: “I’m from another planet, let’s just say were neighbors.” – Klaatu, The Day the Earth Stood Still.
LESSON: The world is a big place, but innovative thinking helps bring people and communities closer together.
The year is 1983, I’m a freshman in college, I live in my own apartment and hour from my parents, no TV, no washer and dryer, no Telephone, but a long distance calling card. I would put my clothes in the laundry-mat and then sit on my 10 speed and call my girlfriend who lived “back home.” I knew, that at the price that ATT charged we had to hang up as soon as the washer was done! If I waited even a minutre longer I could never afford to pay the bill! UNLESS I waited until after 9pm on Sunday night to call her, then we could talk through a dryer cycle as well, minutes were cheaper then! Today every child over the age of 10 seems to have a cell phone, and I doubt ANY of them, know what the bill for those devices are, since they are seen as a necessity not a luxury. Also since almost everyone has an unlimited calling plan, it doesn’t really matter. I recall dialing long distance on a 300bps modem to send messages on a computer bulletin board in another town, because I could type the messages in advance and send them that way, and it seemed faster and cheaper than even a hand written latter. Now, most cell phones have a texting feature allowing me to send JUST to the person I want to see it! My son’s High School has TWO trips planned this year, The Juniors are spending 2 weeks in South America, the Seniors are spending 2 weeks in Europe. I thought it was HUGE when I was allowed to travel to another STATE my Senior year. But its OK, almost everywhere in the world and most parts of Alabama English is a required subject for most students, they wont have a language issue, or, for the moment, a money issue. right NOW everyone wants $USD.
1) QUOTE: “I’m a Doctor not a…” – Bones Mccoy, Star Trek TOS
LESSON: Know what you’re good at, but do NOT let that label define who you are!
Whether it was a patching up a sentient brick or bringing together two heretofore unknown lifeforms, you could ALWAYS depend on Bones to make sure that EVERYONE was aware that HE knew his place in the universe.
That place of course was right there by Commander Scott as “Certified Miracle Worker.” Yes indeed, see although Scotty would deliberately (as we found out in the movies) pad his estimates so as to “pull a rabbit out of the hat” at the last minute. Bones would jump into things never REALLY knowing whether he could accomplish what he needed to do or not. Having had the opportunity to meet and speak with De Kelley, the actor, I was absolutely amazed at the absolute DEPTH and breadth of talent that the MAN had, never-mind what the writers thought up. Here we had a quiet gentleman from the midwest who started his career realistically portraying Bad Guys in westerns (see the Lone Ranger in ’49 or Gunsmoke in ’55), and was able to bring us all the way through 300 years of turmoil to a small southern medicine man in the 23rd century.
Yes, Bones knew his place, I believe he even suspected his limitations, but he was NEVER afraid to push those limits and see if he could “do what they say cant be done!” That my friends really IS the mark of an excuse breaker. Feel the fear and do it anyway, know your limits, acknowledge your limits, but understand you are NOT the man or woman you were when you determined those limits. Whether it was something you found out as a teenager, or something you ran into 10 minutes ago, use that very challenge as a brand NEW place to draw a line in the sand!
Or, you could of course just pick an excuse, any excuse, and use it anyway.
Just make it a good one, after all you will be using it for the rest of your life!
