Respect for People

To move forward in life you have to find mentors to teach you. They often don’t even know they have taught you about life. It is not a formal job title. You find mentors everywhere.

Two men who mentored me were both named Robbie Robinson, many years apart. Both men helped a much younger man grow despite my being white.

Mawthorne “Robbie” Robinson trained me as a material handler, a summer replacement worker of 19. Be on time, be organized, work hard, and help your coworkers be productive. Eastman Kodak paid well, his son was also a summer replacement and decided to stay. He celebrated my going back to college, and wished his son did. His words and example helped me persist when I struggled to graduate college, and when work was hard.

Robbie Robertson was the husband of our engineering secretary. He carried himself well in any situation at work and in public, and always took care of people. Robbie was use to fame, a retired negro league baseball player. Being married to a white woman had to expose them both to some awkward situations, but you never knew it around them. Learned from Robbie both working with people and gracefully handling the inevitable aches and pains of aging. Useful now in my 60s.

In trying times, respect people with different views than our own. Mentors are family members, people you know, commentators, humorists, religious leaders, and writers who challenge our thinking. Find more mentors today for your tomorrows.

“If you never venture beyond what you know... You’ve spawned your own limitations.” - Sumner Redstone