April, 2018 marks my thirtieth year as editor of Locksmith Ledger. Bill Reed was the publisher of Locksmith Ledger during April of 1988. Ilco Unican owned Locksmith Ledger at the time. Mr. Reed suggested my name to Ilco Unican president Aaron Fish, and it was Mr. Fish who hired me.
My credentials were not the greatest. For the preceding 25 years I had operated a locksmith business in the Chicago area. Our locksmith business serviced residential, commercial and auto dealers which did provide me with basic locksmith knowledge. I had submitted a few articles to Locksmith Ledger earlier in my career and that apparently interested Bill Reed enough to call me for the job as Locksmith Ledger editor. I had no other former experience as an editor.
During my high school days I took a course for four years called Unified Studies. This course combined English and history together. As we learned about historical events, we were then required to write theme papers on the subject. Theme papers were graded both for content and for English grammar. I also took a typing class and three years of German as elective courses.
Back when I studied Unified Studies and Typing in high school, the internet and computers were unknowns. There was no way to know that 25 years later I would be putting to use much of the education learned in those tough high school courses.
In other parts of the world children in grade school must take achievement tests. Children with good grades are sent on a track towards college. Children with lower grades are sent on a track towards blue collar careers. They have no choice.
Fortunately in the USA we do have a choice. Persons with blue collar jobs are allowed the mobility to achieve any goal they desire. First you need an education and second you need a desire to succeed.
It is reported that approximately 20% of persons attending high school will drop out before graduating. For the other 80% there is greater hope. Those students can build on what they have learned to achieve any goal they desire. It worked for me and it can work for you.
