Do as I say, not as I do

I consider myself to be a reasonably smart individual, at least most of the time. No, I probably won’t find the cure for cancer. Despite my best efforts, I’ll likely never be the next Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerburg either. Although I have lofty aspirations and a pretty awesome imagination, I am still very much a realist. I know that my place will likely be somewhere in the meaty part of the curve.

Odds are that I’ll fall right where many other Americans do. Not overly wealthy or anything like that, just enough to help my son buy his first car and assist him with the staggering costs of higher education when the time comes. I hope to have enough to spend my later years enjoying some time with my wife and being able to travel a bit. No, it probably won’t be the south of France or anything quite so trendy. No, we’ll likely spend our golden years here in the states, just a bit closer to the equator.

This is the sobering reality that comes with reaching your late 20’s and beyond. You begin to realize that the time has been flying by and you hardly noticed. All your big plans have been stuck into a drawer and forgotten in favor of a steady job and security. It’s not a failure by any means. It’s just different. My life now certainly isn’t what I imagined when I was younger. I thought by now I would have started and sold a company or two. Perhaps drive a fancy sports car or have a large mansion to call my own.

Unfortunately, my inability to take risks or step outside of my comfort zone has put me here instead. Not that here is a bad place. My wife (whom I love very much) and I own a nice home, I drive a nice car and, besides working for the family paper, which I never saw coming, I also own a web and print design company that does pretty well. I wake up most days extremely thankful for what I have and what I’ve accomplished so far in my life.

My biggest joy now is my son Eric and my sole focus is making sure I give him every advantage I can, like my parents did for my brother and I. With a little luck, maybe he’ll become the billionaire I always wanted to be. I just hope he stays humble and remembers a few important lessons. First, no amount of money can replace family. Family is everything and without it you’ll be the poorest man in the world. Second, please don’t be afraid to take a risk once in a while. You’ve got my blood so I know you’re going to be capable of great things. The Third thing…I get a cut. It’s called a “Gene Tax”.

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