If Gordon can do it..................

A few years back I used to teach various computer subjects at a Calgary satellite of NAIT known as ABES. One of the things that inspired me about the place was its willingness to give people a chance at an IT career when nobody else would consider them viable. In one special case, a seventy-something year old gentleman named Gordon applied to ABES because no other school would fund him. He had been in mining all his life and was too bored in retirement to sit on his behind - he wanted to learn computers.

ABES let him in their IT program and although he struggled with the pace of the courses, let alone overcome the fact he was hard of hearing, he did complete the program. He had no illusions that the IT industry would hire him, but he planned to share his newfound skills with other elderly people. He passed away before he got too many opportunities on that path, but I will always cherish the memory of this feisty old man who just wouldn't quit. He was an inspiration to all his classmates and proof that you're never too old to acquire a new skill or be given the opportunity to learn.