I have a little surprise for one of my high school teachers.
My sophomore year in high school I had a teacher named Mr. Bohi. He was a large, bear of a man who spoke with booming confidence and authority. Originally from Iowa, his life path lead him to the Ivy League town of Hanover, New Hampshire. In Hanover he taught high school students lessons about humans, through the lens of history. He also smiled at you when he was mad at you, which I found quite challenging to process.
Mr. Bohi was a great teacher who taught me a lot. But on the first day of class he said something that I strongly disagreed with. As he launched into his initial lesson, he pulled out a dollar bill, and made a stump speech about the power of money, and its enormous influence over world history.
He orated about the fallacy of money, saying that currency wasn’t real. That money is an illusion in our heads. And that a plain piece of paper was actually more valuable than a dollar bill. One of the things he said that day has bothered me for 30 years. So today I am putting this note in the mailbox and sending it to Mr. Bohi.
I love doing what other people say can’t be done. I love solving problems that others think can’t be solved. As an entrepreneur and Founder of the advertising and idea agency The Weaponry, I appreciate a good challenge. And I realize it is my will to do things that makes them happen. Even if it takes 30 years.
*In case you couldn’t read my handwriting, this is what the note says:
Dear Mr. Bohi,
In 1988, in my first class with you, you said that money wasn’t that valuable. Specifically, you told us we couldn’t write a Shakespearean sonnet on a dollar bill. I want you to know:
- I was listening.
- I remembered
- You were wrong.
Enjoy your dollar.
Adam R. Albrecht
HHS Class of ’91
Originally published at theperfectagencyproject.com on March 20, 2018.