OnWARD with Peter J. Ward “I’m shakin’ the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and I’m gonna see the world. Italy, Greece, the Parthenon, the Colosseum. Then, I’m coming back here to go to college and see what they know.” -James Stewart as George Bailey, “It’s a Wonderful Life” In a recent column, I detailed how my oldest brother would edit my work as a writer since I was in grade school, all the way through college. When I sent the article to one of my sisters, she texted back, “I won’t read past the first paragraph, you didn’t graduate from college.” I was stunned by her reaction, but she was right. I did not graduate. However, I did attend college - briefly. In fact, I attended several. But life had other plans and my career took off from a different launching pad than others around me. In retrospect, I should have called on my older brother to edit the piece. He would have caught the implication and had me make it clear that I attended, but I did not graduate college. As a teen, I was encouraged by all my older siblings to complete my college education, but the stubborn 17-year-old version of me wanted only one thing. My Independence. Growing up in a family of eleven children, two parents, and a dog was amazing. It was often volatile, especially as we grew into teenagers. There were days when it seemed like both noise and traffic through the living room would never cease. Of the eleven, nine completed some college degree from highly respected schools and universities. They have all been incredibly successful in business and life, finding happiness and expanding our family with 22 grandchildren for our now, late parents....... Read more on Full Issue!