In 1961 I knew nothing about computers but yet, I was hired to be a field service engineer to fix computers that were not working as they should. I had to how they worked so I could subtract what they were doing from what they should be doing to cure their ailment. After five years of fixing broken computers I was transferred to a regional office to teach computer repair. I taught number systems, logic elements and Boolean Algebra. After five years of teaching, I was promoted to Supervisor and I hated it.

A former student dropped by, a salesman, looking for a technical type who could work with a salesman and help the customers’ Engineer understand the inner workings of the machine the salesman was promoting.

“When can I start?” I asked and I was transferred to the Marketing division. After four years helping salesmen sell machines, I realized I was spending most of my time on my knees with an Engineer, behind a machine, while the salesman was taking the purchasing agent out for a cold beer.

“I want to be a salesman!” became my chant And by the end of the year, I was transferred to a marketing division.

I attended many sales seminars where the throbbing message was, “What you can conceive, and believe, you can achieve!” They stressed planing your sales approach with positive thinking. We were told to visualize our goal and hang up a picture so we could be reminded of the direction for which we should aim and list the steps that we needed to take to get there. The method worked well for the 6 years that I was out selling machines. It worked so well that I wondered if it could apply to life as well.

Thirty something years ago I decided to make a life plan. I planned to live to be 107 years old. I would be shot by a jealous lover as I ran naked through the back yard and leaped over the fence with a six pack of Miller Lite in my hand.” If you are still around 37 years from now (2044), check to see if my dream was realized.