Welcome to my "Little Engine Blog".

Welcome!

I named this blog after my favorite childhood story, "The Little Engine That Could", because I think my life has been a lot like that little engine's struggle. I've been struggling up hill most of my life.

First of all I was born into a poor family. I can't say that we where in poverty but we where pretty close. My parents never owned a car and they never owned their own home. I also had a learning problem that was never officially diagnosed; however, I always suspected it was a form of dyslexia.

The latter caused me most of my problems in school. I failed and repeated first and Third grades and came very close to repeating sixth grade as well. In Tenth grade, seriously considered dropping out of school. Considering most of my problems throughout school, most people probably wouldn't have blamed me for giving up, but I was not in a family like most. My family had a lot of faith in me, far more faith then I had in myself. As a result, I stayed in school and kept saying "I think I can, I think I can".

It's a good thing too, because as it turned out eleventh and twelfth grades turned out to be the easiest years in school. I was able to pick up momentum and speed before I hit the brick wall called U.S. Navy "A" School.

I graduated second ... from last in my class and went on to the fleet where I landed on a ship with a lousy workshop supervisor. I learned next to nothing under him, but I did have some time to work on my work ethic and character with different kinds of physically challenging ship board work.

When I got out of the Navy, I went back to school. I struggled my way through school. As in high school, I began to think seriously about quitting but my girlfriend, my future wife, wouldn't let me give up on myself either. Like my family, she too had far more faith in me then I had in myself. Looking back, especially to that point in my life, I realize that I owe my wife my life, because it was her belief in me that gave me one.

After I got out of school, I went to work with an engineering firm, who quickly showed me how much I have to learn about engineering. At one point I was told I had three months to catch up on what I needed to learn or I would be canned. This was easily one of the most depressing points in my life. I was being rejected from the career I had been preparing for since high school.

I really felt like all my dreams where about to end. I had already been working hard to learn the job and here I was at the edge of a cataclysmic disaster.

I spent the next three months doubling my efforts and looking for another job. But two things happened. My wife got pregnant and my boss called me into the conference room again, this time to tell me that he was pleased with my progress.

That is where I am today. I'm not working with the same firm, but I am with a firm that I like very much and earning the money I believe I deserve.

I'm here because of my wife, my family and a children's story that was read to me over and over again many years ago.


I believe I am going to have fun writing these blogs and I hope someone will read them and be inspired to keep on saying to themselves "I know I can, I know I can".