A debunking of myths:
Born in
Atlantic City, New Jersey, his biological father's name was Sam and his biological mother's name was Molly.
[5] Thomas was adopted between six weeks and six months later by Rex and Auleva Thomas,
[6][5] and as an adult became a well-known advocate for
adoption, founding the
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. After his adoptive mother's death when he was 5, his father moved around the country seeking work. Thomas spent some of his early childhood near
Kalamazoo, Michigan, with
his grandmother, Minnie Sinclair, whom he credited with teaching him the importance of service and treating others well and with respect, lessons that helped him in his future business life.[7]
At age 12, Thomas had his first job at Regas Restaurant, a fine dining restaurant in downtown
Knoxville, Tennessee, then lost it in a dispute with his boss; decades later, Regas Restaurant installed a large autographed poster of Thomas just inside their entrance, which remained until the business closed in 2010. He vowed never to lose another job. Moving with his father, by 15 he was working at the Hobby House Restaurant in
Fort Wayne, Indiana. When his father prepared to move again, Thomas decided to stay in Fort Wayne, dropping out of high school to work full-time at the restaurant. Thomas, who considered ending his schooling the greatest mistake of his life, did not graduate from high school until 1993, when he obtained a
GED.
[8]
He subsequently became an education advocate and founded the Dave Thomas Education Center in
Coconut Creek, Florida, which offers GED classes to young adults.
[9][10]
Dave Thomas
That said; quality over quantity is what counts;
my grandfather told me at a young age when someone says something to someone else not directed at you that doesn’t affect you, the only way you can become offended is if you are so self-absorbed and you make something about you that’s not about you.”
Jimmy Allan
Everyone is wired differently- allowing, or demanding, success be judged by material wealth is a sad state of affairs- it is herd mentality at its worse- group think. Using it for politics is stupid.
I consider myself successful-
by my standards- not anyone else's- I am wealthy beyond belief because I helped raise 2 good people and they in turn are passing my genes on to their own successors-
I've lived my life the best that I could, not really bad, just not real good- all the stuff left behind won't matter anyway- what really counts is, backing up what you say- play the hand you were dealt, forget what their rules say, you know you win, when, you love life your own way- me.
