6 - YOUNG CONFIDENCE

YOUNG CONFIDENCE

25 x 16 ½ inches

(c. 1920’s—my father as a young boy)

This is my proud father as a young man. Dad’s stance exemplifies the strong Young family trait of confidence. My German Lutheran maternal ancestors considered confidence prideful; instead they revered humbleness. Conflicting parental lessons often created confusion for me: pride versus humility.

Dad encouraged his children to be confident. He taught us to think outside the box and believe in our dreams. We watched him relentlessly explore better ways to do things. He held several patents; some far-fetched and eccentric, some continue to bring financial rewards for his family.

Dad’s eccentricities often embarrassed me when I was a child. With maturation I was glad he did not care what anyone thought and that he never feared trying something new and outside the box. To him, humiliation was warranted only if one hadn’t pursued a dream. Dad taught us to reach for the stars as he did. His life lessons gave me confidence.