Bluff to the Future

I remember bluffing my way through English when I was a junior in HS. There was no question that the teacher asked that I didn't raise my hand to be called on. To every question, I had an answer -though not necessarily the right one, but in HS English, you can never be far from the correct answer, can you? At least that was how I looked at things. That was until the teacher finally said, "No more! You're bluffing again!" But even then, I knew somehow that I was a source of amusementto her. I was pleased with myself, knowing that even if I didn't study for the recitation, I wouldn't be called on anymore. Mission accomplished!

Those were my early beginnings not as a con man but as a salesman. I wasn't aware then of the now popular adage, "Fake it 'til you make it." But, more or less, I did.

Later in life and even now, I draw inspiration from those days. Like when I speak before an audience, I always assume that I know more than my audience (even if I don't) -otherwise, I wouldn't be on the stage with the audience below. My HS foundation gave me the confidence that I can look back on when needed.

There are episodes in my early life that still help me run this sometimes dastardly race called living. The mantra I go by now is no longer that "fake" adage I mentioned -it's "I made it then, I'll make it now."

I raise this cup to those early days of brave guts.

Cheers!