Steve Fossett didn’t grow up rich. He made his own fortune.

He learned how to swim by diving in the dirty pond on the outskirts of his town.

He swam every day.

He learned how to program computers by being friends with nerds.

He started training his legs for mountain climbing by working in a brickyard.

He read the Scout manual forward and backward and he left his whole stupid family and all the rest of it behind to become the best adventurer in the entire world.

He made his own fortune.

~

No more sweepstakes for me.

No more waiting on Carlene to go to Monster Jam.

No more Mom.

No more Dad.

I was going to make my own fortune.

I was going to do it on my own.