Learning from a Forward-Thinking Philosophy
It is hard to believe how quickly the summer snuck up on us. Each year feels like a sprint when I look back on it, one full of milestones and reasons to be proud of our students. Perhaps no milestone is bigger than Graduation, held this year on May 19. Row upon row of Ladue blue caps and gowns surrounded by their families and friends is an image I look forward to seeing each year. If you haven’t seen one of our graduation ceremonies in person, it always ends with the ringing of a bell, followed by 300 caps soaring skyward. The bell signifies the end of one journey and the start of another; after this moment, as our high school motto states, our seniors “go forth to share."
This motto – “Enter to learn, go forth to share” – ties in with the message I shared with the Class of 2024 at their graduation. We encourage them to go forth, move forward out into the world, and create a legacy. I told our seniors that life from this day on will not be about only success and victories and that challenges lie in wait. Even still, I reassured them that their best days are yet to come if they embrace the philosophy of failing forward, learning forward, living forward, and loving forward.
This philosophy was exemplified by someone very special whom I once knew—Staff Sergeant Dwight Johnson.
As a young person, Dwight Johnson grew up very poor, and in speaking with his family, I learned that they often struggled to put food on the table and that despite being a good basketball player, his family could not afford tennis shoes for Dwight to wear. Yet throughout his childhood, he would always…
Fail Forward Learn Forward Live Forward Love Forward
Fail Forward Learn Forward Live Forward Love Forward
I met Staff Sergeant Johnson during Veterans Day celebrations in the 2015 school year. His stories and wisdom drew me in. I found myself trying to find out what school he was visiting each year so I could plan to be there as well. Needless to say, I enjoyed visiting with him and was never short of impressed that he still fit into his uniform at the age of 90!
Despite his cheerful demeanor, and even when he returned home from the Korean War, his life was not without challenges. Staff Sergeant Johnson and his wife, Freda, faced heartbreaking news about their dream of starting a family. The news was so bad that his wife needed a medical procedure that was sure to end any hope of having children. Dwight decided he needed to do something for her. He decided it would be nice to take her only winter coat to be cleaned so she could wear it home and feel as comfortable as possible leaving the hospital.
Another quality of Dwight you should know about is that he had a gift of gab and never met a stranger. So, while at the cleaners to drop off the coat, he shared his heartbreaking news with the attendant working behind the counter. Her name was Debra. She listened intently and offered one piece of advice when Dwight finished sharing the news. Debra said, “Dwight, this decision you and Freda are about to make is pretty big. Have you ever thought about a second opinion?”
Dwight and Freda then sought one out. And regardless of what came next, jubilation or more heartbreak, Dwight was always going to move forward with a mindset of…
Fail forward Learn forward Live forward Love forward
Staff Sergeant Dwight Johnson of the United States Marine Corps was laid to rest in May of 2021 at the age of 90. He was the husband of Freda Naomi Jones for 65 years, and due in no small part to his life philosophy, he is survived today by his six children, 14 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.
That second opinion indeed changed Dwight and Freda’s lives, leading to their wonderful family. I know this story to be true because, during his visitation, I met a couple of their children. I even was fortunate enough to speak to their oldest child on the phone recently. She goes by Annette, but that’s actually her middle name. Her given name? Debra, named after the cleaning attendant who came into Dwight’s life at the right moment all those years ago.
Staff Sergeant Johnson taught me more about life than I could have imagined—how to fail forward by turning setbacks into setups for rebounds, how to learn forward from every lesson life offers, how to live each day with purpose, and how to love with all our heart, openly and generously.
Using what I’ve learned from Staff Sergeant Johnson, I encouraged our students to embrace life fully, live it wisely, and love it deeply. Above all else, remember that each day is an opportunity to move forward.
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