On the value of work and persistence
MicroISV linked to a very interesting article entitled "A working history for Brad Wardell: Why I think anyone can make it." Here is how it begins:
When I was 4 my dad left us. My mom and I moved to Michigan. I was a child who grew up in a single parent household whose mom worked for minimum wage while we lived in a small (but nice -okay mom?-) apartment trying to make ends meet. We lived amongst other poor people. And I realize this won't win me any politically correct awards but most of the people who I met who were poor were just losers. People who were too foolish or stupid to live responsibly. The woman who lived next door paid me 10 cents per bag (when I was 6 years old) to take her garbage out to the dumpster. Her money came from welfare. In the entire time we lived there, she never got a job. She had 3 kids, each from a different man. She had money for cigarettes though. Money for booze. But couldn't get a job. I'm sure she would be the first to complain that "the rich" don't pay enough in taxes.
And how it ends:
And the rest is history. By 24 I was a millionaire. And during the stock bubble, my company's valuation was ridiculously high (wish I could just stick with that number ) which fortunately coincided with my 10 year class reunion! So what's the excuse of able bodied people who are poor? I'm not particularly intelligent. I don't enjoy working any more than anyone else (just ask my mom). But I did what I had to do. And now I pay 6 figures in income taxes of which a large percentage of it goes to other people. If I can make it, why can't others? If you are able bodied, what's stopping you? I think Americans are very generous people. As a nation, we spend more on programs to help the poor and downtrodden than any other nation. We provide more aid to the poor of the world than any other country. And our country is rich in opportunity for those willing to work for it. Often that work is mindnumbingly crappy but opportunity lurks for those who are persistent. Don't let pride be your downfall. I got my start taking out garbage for welfare mothers and worked my way up to painting fences in the blistering heat and so on today. If I can make it, anyone can.
In between there's a lot of interesting detail about how he taught himself how to program, worked his way through college while holding three jobs, and built up his own software company. Definitely worth reading...
—Michael A. Cleverly
Tuesday, June 21, 2005 at 20:03