What I remember about Joe Paterno

Besides pride, loyalty, discipline, heart and mind, confidence is the key to all the locks. Joe Paterno's quote from the book "Get Motivated: Daily Psche-Ups" by Karen Farley and Sheila M. Curry

Didn't former Penn State Coach Joe Paterno grace the same stage as Colin Powell, Rudy Guilliani, Laura Bush, Steve Forbes, Bill Cosby, and Zig Ziglar when they appeared in ATL last year?

There was a big two-day event downtown that I attended called "Get Motivated" Business Seminar ---I wish I could find my notes --- but I remember that Paterno was one of the speakers. I remember because of his age, big glasses, and the fact that the person sitting next to me went to Penn State where he said Paterno was a stupendous role model. Funny how history comes back to bite you.

The seminar was a big deal, well attended, and I walked five blocks to attend because traffic was so bad. When I called the seminar's 800 number, a telephone representative told me, "The lineup of speakers changes from city to city, and no one is here after-hours who can confirm that Paterno was with the tour in Atlanta." Paterno's name is not on the list of speakers today, one day after he was fired as Penn State's head coach over a sex scandal.

I was impressed with Paterno's speech but unimpressed with the seminar, for it turned out to be a sales gimmick for stock buying software. I remember that Paterno used a newspaper as part of his skit. I am searching for my notes at this moment because I want to share what Paterno said as an attempt to spur others to excel.

©2011 Tomi Johnson. All rights reserved.