I was driving between Riverside and
Oak Brook, just before five o’clock this morning. The road was all mine. No
freight trains and a steady flow of green lights. Fog rolled low through the
forest preserve as Jupiter and Orion hung brightly in the dark sky. The air
carried that heavy scent of summer’s last breath. After a talk with heaven
about all you Chalkheads, I found myself behind the wheel of a large automobile
and I asked myself, “Well… how did I get here?”
The answer came back in five pillars, built on my Foundation of Faith,
Family, and Friends.
The Five Pillars of John Shepley
1. Serving
early morning Mass for Father Morris
Father Morris was a taskmaster. He demanded discipline and reverence, but when
he celebrated the Eucharist, it was powerful! More powerful than any celebrant
I have ever seen. From him I learned the weight of respect, the importance of
showing up, and the beauty in routine done right.
2. Getting Yelled at by Don Shepley
My old man didn’t just yell, he taught. He was strict, but he nurtured too. He
could smack me in the back of the head one minute and hug me tight the next.
Accountability and integrity wasn’t an option, it was the standard.
3. Getting Hit on the Football Field by Dale Speckman
An Oklahoma drill lined up across from Dale Speckman, it didn’t take long to
find my weaknesses. Pain came quick and sharp, but it also came with a lesson:
the only way forward is to get up, square your shoulders, and hit back harder
the next time.
4. Working on a Trading Floor
The chaos, the pressure, the sharp elbows… there was no faking it there.
Instinct, grit, survival, those things were forged in the cacophony of bids and
offers, in the rush of winning trades and the sting of losses.
5. My Gramma and the Greatest Generation
She was my connection to a tougher, simpler America. She showed me how to
tackle hard work, how prayer before and after every meal keeps you grounded,
and how to make the best of everything. Keep it simple, keep it steady… that
was her gospel.
Those are my pillars built on my foundation
Here is a chore for all of you at
the beginning of October: Write down your five pillars on a piece of paper or
on Microsoft Word like I did. This could be a great therapeutic tool for you to
take some inventory.
Life will test the structure sooner
or later. Better know what’s holding you up.
