| It was Thomas Alva Edison that coined the | | | | large quantities of products in a short amount of |
| phrase "Genius is one percent inspiration, 99% | | | | time. |
| perspiration." Edison established himself as one of | | | | When Thomas was a young lad, he attended |
| the most prolific inventors of all time. He holds | | | | public school, but had a terrible time staying |
| 1083 United States patents and many more in | | | | focused. His mind often wandered. I suspect he |
| France, Germany, and the UK. Edison is quoted as | | | | was bored out of his mind. He lasted a whopping |
| saying he never worked a day in his life. He was | | | | three months in public school. He would be home |
| having too much fun to ever call it work. In this | | | | schooled from that point forward. Edison |
| article, I want to convey some information about | | | | recounted later:" My mother was the making of |
| Thomas Edison's inventions, work ethic, and what | | | | me. She was so true, so sure of me and I felt I |
| drove this man to be so exceptional. | | | | had something to live for, someone I must not |
| Thomas Alva Edison was born February 11, 1847 | | | | disappoint." |
| in Milan, Ohio. He died some 84 years later on | | | | Edison's mother was the primary driver of his life. |
| October 18, 1931. Thomas Edison was without a | | | | She home schooled him from an early age and |
| doubt one of the most brilliant men to ever live. | | | | cultivated his incredible ability to think, solve |
| We can learn much from this blessed man about | | | | problems and invent. Most of Edison's education |
| how to become exceptional in one's chosen field. | | | | came from reading a book called R.G. Parker's |
| One of the biggest reasons Thomas Edison was | | | | School of Natural Philosophy. I don't know anything |
| so successful centered around his perception that | | | | about this book. It must have been some kind of |
| he never worked a day in his life. Even when he | | | | book. |
| worked long hard hours, his attitude remained the | | | | There is just so much can be said about Thomas |
| same. He discovered his gifts and ruthlessly mined | | | | Edison, much more than a few paragraphs. It was |
| them to extreme measures for 84 years. | | | | my intent to show how this man became such a |
| Mr. Edison started his early career being a | | | | giant in American history and what drove him to |
| telegraph operator. He used what he learned in | | | | be so exceptional. His mom was the hero we |
| telegraph tobridge his work into electric power | | | | never heard about. Without his mom, I doubt we |
| generation. His inventions led the U.S. into the 20th | | | | would have ever heard of Thomas Edison. If you |
| century's industrial revolution. | | | | are a mom or dad that is reading this, never |
| His single invention of the light bulb changed the | | | | under-estimate your influence in your child's life. |
| world overnight and has exploded into a million | | | | You might be raising a child that will change the |
| other inventions we enjoy today. In 1877 he | | | | world. You never know! |
| invented the first phonograph and used tin foil to | | | | I leave you with this, Thomas Edison had a |
| make the first recordings. Even the sound of | | | | placard on his desk that read: "There is no |
| music was changed forever by Edison. | | | | expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid |
| Technology today would not be at this advanced | | | | the real labor of thinking." Thank you Thomas |
| level without the work of Thomas Edison. | | | | Edison for reminding us not to avoid the hard |
| Few people know that he was responsible for | | | | work of thinking. |
| using the principles of mass production to turn out | | | | |