Author: Gene Dixon, ASEM President

I’ll start with a quote that’s making the rounds on Facebook:

    “…you can’t separate your successes from your failures until you look back, and even then, there’s not much point in putting each into a separate column. It’s all a part of whatever path you’re on.

But don’t misunderstand me - that path is not laid out in advance - at least not in my opinion. I don’t believe that, “everything happens for a reason.” I think we make our own luck, and the only real failure is the failure to try.”
~ Mike Rowe, Syndicated TV Host

My granddaughter accuses me of being part fortune cookie. When she asks a question, I want to reply with some pithy piece of Solomon-like wisdom. I confess, I still enjoy the book, “The Further Sayings of Chairman Malcolm”, a compendium of wisdom quotes pulled from Forbes magazine when Malcom Forbes was editor.

Often in my classes, I’ll encourage students to find and absorb Winston Churchill’s commencement address, October 29, 1941 to the Harrow School. Somewhere in the middle of his two-page text is the part I want them to absorb. “…never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

I still (re)read the book, The Go Getter, by Peter Kyne from time to time. It’s out of print but when I find copies, I buy them and give them to folks who are already demonstrating a never give up attitude and need some reinforcement. Sometimes greatness deserves a push.

And so with that, you can know, I will never give up on promoting ASEM. It’s vision. It’s purpose. It’s members. It’s supporters. We will change and move to support the discipline or profession as the case may be. And still, our passion for who we are and what we represent (thanks Bill Daughton) sustains us in the tough times and keeps us humble and full of respect when times are good.

And that is why I encourage all of us to grow the ASEM by inviting others to join, individuals and organizations-academic, profit, and non-profit.

That is why I encourage all of us to seek ways to add value to ASEM and to push ASEM to provide value to all of the Society’s constituents.

That is why I encourage all of us to continually renew our support for ASEM.

What is it that draws you to ASEM? To use failure as a stepping stone? To never give up? To always be a go getter? Send me a note and let me know, please (dixone@ecu.edu).

Oh, by the way, membership numbers are up. Thank all of you. Please, continue!
Gene Dixon
Image Credit: https://pixabay.com/