I attended a large, suburban Chicago high school back
in the day. There were 1,000 kids in my class. Sophomore
year, I ended up in a geometry class that I just loathed.
We had to do a notebook on geometry, as if the
course itself wasn't bad enough. I developed a
mutinous stance, refusing to do this awful
notebook. Not only did I flunk the tests, but
by not doing the notebook, I got a big fat F.
In those days, you made up your F by repeating
the course in summer school. So off I went.
My parents were furious.
As a junior the following year, I got stuck in an algebra II
class. Obviously, math was not my thing and I received a
second semester D. Off to summer school again for me.
In college, my husband, Dick, had some of the same trials and rites of passage – or what is commonly called "growing up." College got more interesting, and life moved on. Dick and I started Uline about 10 years after we were married. We had three little kids at the time.
We have 9 grandchildren now and, in talking to them, they have never received a D or an F. A number of them took geometry and algebra before high school. Listening to them, I don't think teachers give many Ds and Fs anymore.
EARLY SUCCESS
Early on, my father-in-law and my older cousin developed a great friendship. They shared a mutual love of fishing, especially for muskie, in northern Wisconsin. We all got together over the holidays.
One of the best memories I have is seeing the two of them in our office, looking up at the wall with all the pictures of Uline products that were heading into the catalog. My father-in-law turned to my cousin and said, "Who would have ever thought a successful company would come from these two?" It was just a defining moment for me. One that I'll always remember. Even with that success, my thoughts always return to my first defining moment: that geometry notebook and the F I got!
Everyone has defining moments that shape their lives. What are yours?
Businesses of EAU Holdings – owned and operated by the Uihlein family.
- • The Difference Between the American Dream
and American Values - • Is Life a Pendulum?
- • Red States, Blue States and Family
- • Watch Out for This Guy, "He's Mean"
- • Is America in Decline?
- • China, Covid and U.S. Policy
- • People Working for You
- • The Car, the Battery and the Economy
- • Texafornia
- • 5 Concerns About 5G
- • All Roads Lead to China
- • "Analyzing" Analysts
- • The Year of Amazon
- • Hope and Change Part II
- • NAFTA — It's Complicated
- • What Happens in China
- • Student Testing: No Walk in the PARCC
- • Is There Hope for the Homeless?
- • Government Regulations Are Costing Us All
- • What's Love Got to Do With It?
- • On Gridlock and Remote Offices
- • At Great Companies, Details Matter
- • My Favorite Cousin
- • Thank You President Jimmy Carter
- • The China Deal
- • Energy Independence for North America
- • Government Intervention
- • A Tale of Two States
- • 7th Grade, Mr. Nelson and Uline
- • Lights Out on U.S. Manufacturing?
- • Rock Stars Everywhere
- • American Idol and Fox News