Ambition

I got a piece of advice from a dear friend when I was 18. It convicted me and stayed with me all of my life.

He asked me my plan following high school…and I said this:

“I’m going to SIUE, getting a journalism degree, and staying in our hometown.’

He shook his head and responded:

“If you are unwilling to leave our hometown, you are not willing to have ambition.”

That stung. I didn’t want to ever leave home.

Fast forward to 2001, I am 44 years old and living in my hometown. But I had just completed my last degree, and was offered the president’s job at Frontier Community College. My family refused to move here.

At that moment, my friend’s words replayed in my brain. If I was unwilling to leave my hometown, I clearly was unwilling to have ambition.

I took the job. Ultimately it led to a divorce but it also led to many years of doing exactly what I wanted to do with my life and made it possible to watch Bethalto, Illinois in my rear view mirror.  That ended up being a good thing.

I met Carol. We ultimately agreed this is where we wanted to end our professional careers. We made that decision exactly one year ago today.

My point is: I know many parents who lament that their kids have fled this region in pursuit of their careers. It happens. It happened to me. The advice my friend gave me in 1975 ended up saving me. For that, I will always be grateful.

My advice to 18-year-olds is similar. I tell them to follow their passion. 

Sometimes pursuing our passion leads us back home. Most times, it doesn’t.