Today, I am thankful for those stories that demonstrate that one can rise to respectability, even if they come from a meager existence.
My dad used to say that diligence was the key to lifelong success. As an impoverished Greek immigrant, my father toiled incessantly to create a better life for his family. He was able to persevere through sweat equity, and, in turn, our family prospered.
But, my father is not alone. Some of the world’s most successful contemporaries came from poverty. Folks like Oprah Winfrey, who survived poverty in Tennessee to become a successful TV personality. Folks like George Soros, who rose from Nazi-occupied Hungary to become one of the world’s most revered bankers and philanthropists. Folks like Kenneth Frazier, who rose from an impoverished life in West Philly to become the CEO of a large pharmaceutical entity (Merck & Co., Inc.).
On this day (Jan 13) when we celebrate the 188th birthday of Horatio Alger, I fittingly laud the ‘rags-to-riches’ narrative. During the Gilded Age, Alger was a preeminent author of young adult novels that chronicled the rise of individuals from a life of poverty to one of security. Through his writings, he taught us the eminent power of the ‘American dream.'
I’m thankful for the lesson that my father & Horatio Alger taught me: Adversity and hard work build character and ultimately can fuel a rise to respectability.
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