Andrew | Dad Explains

Just because @elonmusk is saying the exact same thing that I’ve been saying for the last 16 years, doesn’t mean we’ll be working together to challenge the preposterous notion that a four-year degree is the best path for the most people. Nor does it mean we’ll be partnering to debunk the stigmas, stereotypes, myths and misperceptions that have led to the current skills gap threatening to cripple our workforce. As for dramatically expanding the work ethic scholarship program at mikeroweWORKS, (which has so far helped train 2,200 people in a variety of essential jobs that don’t require a four-year degree with over $12 million in scholarships,) or the expensive but necessary business of launching a national effort across all media to reinvigorate the skilled trades in a way that encourages more kids to give the skilled trades an honest look – I can’t say with any level of certainty that Elon and I will be joining forces. But I sure would like to.

Dad I love the fact that you’re still curious. I love that you’re always reading a new book, or looking for a new friend, or making strangers uncomfortable in the elevator with your many, many questions. Or, in this case, looking at an old locomotive like it’s a brand new invention. I’m sorry we didn’t have more time to hang out last week, when you and Mom came to watch me film at the B&O Railroad Museum in our hometown. I would have liked to have wandered around with you, looking at all the exhibits, learning things I didn’t know were worth knowing. I remember you telling me long ago that The Baltimore & Ohio Connection was a critical piece of our transportation infrastructure. You told me The B&O Line was the first US railroad to use a steam locomotive, and a crucial part of the North's success during the Civil War. You told me how important it was back then for the country to be connected, and the role that railroads played in doing so. I know that 92 years ago today, when you first arrived on the scene, there was no money for model trains, or for rides on actual trains, or for trips to train museums, to satisfy your insatiable curiosity. But I wonder, as you considered the way this locomotive brought our country together, if you were thinking about the many people you’ve connected over the years? Were you thinking about many people you entertained, in all of those plays you were in? Were you thinking about the students you inspired as a social studies teacher? Or in your role as a counsellor, helping those same kids trying to figure out what to be when they grew up? I doubt it. I doubt you were comparing yourself to a mighty locomotive, pulling your family ever forward, pausing from time to time to time to enjoy the scenery, but never letting us veer off track. I doubt you were thinking about any of the many things you’ve accomplished as a man, a husband, a father, and a friend. But I was. I was thinking you’re probably the best dad there is, and how lucky I am to be forever connected to the likes of you. Happy Birthday, Dad, and many happy returns.