Fall 1940, the phone rang at the home of George H. W. Bush. It was George calling. His mother answered.

An excited George: “I scored three goals this afternoon in the soccer game!”

His mother’s reply, “How did the TEAM do?”

Seventy-two years later at the high school graduation exercises in Wellesley, MA, David McCullough Jr. addressed the graduates as the students’ chosen faculty representative. His wise words resonated as he spoke, “You are NOT SPECIAL.”

The full text is here: http://bh.heraldinteractive.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1061137286

Professor Rider comment: “This is required reading!”

My own memorable experience with what I call “Shots Across the Bow” occurred at graduation day from the extraordinary Merrill Lynch training program in 1960, following many weeks of lectures, seminars and instruction covering every facet of the brokerage world and investment banking including sessions on stocks, bonds, other financial instruments, commodities, and special lecture courses on accounting, tax preparation, speed reading and public speaking. Thirty-five of us studied together in preparation for becoming retail brokers in offices spanning Merrill’s globe.

At the end of the training class, we crammed for the Securities exams that would launch us on our various paths. We were so well prepared that most of us scored in the high 90’s and some of us scored 100. Flushed with the feeling that comes with completing a task well and the thought of fulfilling the promise for which we were hired, we sat in our classroom the final day and listened to senior partners and founders deliver inspiring pep talks on entering the world of stocks and bonds as full participants. We were pumped and anxious to start. The best and most telling was saved for last.

One of Charlie Merrill’s inner circle delivered the final words. His name was Rubie Rubazean, an imposing, tall, graying man older with a confident gait. He strided to the podium, then looked out at us and hesitated, staring from face to face before he began speaking slowly with a heavy accent, “You have worked hard and now the tough sledding begins. Make no mistake about it! You think you are Hot Shits. Let me tell you a story about where you stand in the scheme of things.

“At the outbreak of WWII, Selective Service ranked professions of importance for drafting purposes: stock brokers ranked 134, one behind artificial flower manufacturers. Keep that in mind as you go out to become successful! Good Luck!!”

Any “wise words” that have impacted your life?  Send them to me and I will print them here…

Best, George