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President's Messages -- August 2015
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The most powerful tool is the human soul
By David Ferris
We all have dreams. It is not a singular pursuit as dreams can be for family, home, career or personal achievements. As Walt once said "all of our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."
So where do dreams begin? I believe they begin with a passion. I think as Landscape Architects the foundation for what we do is based on passion. We certainly didn't choose Landscape Architecture as our field of study because we are masochists that wanted to work in studio until the early morning hours. I believe we all entered the profession to make a positive difference in the world.
When you were in middle school, did you ever find yourself doodling random designs? Ever envision a design with Play-Doh? Convinced your friends to participate in building something instead of cruising around town looking for trouble? For me, the answer is 'yes' to all of the above.
For those that know me or have read my previous messages, you know my passion is golf. Although I came from a long line of Hall of Fame lacrosse players including my grandfather, who is listed along side Jim Brown as one of the most prominent players in the history of the game, my father took to golf. I am the son of an accomplished golfer who played in PGA Tour events in the late 1970's and early 1980's. My passion was foretold with my birth.
Starting in eighth grade, all of my school papers were littered with sketches of golf holes. I once drew a 9-hole golf course on the end of a pencil eraser. I would ride my bike in search of a suitable piece of land to build a golf course and then go home and build a clay model. The pinnacle for my adolescent passion came during a slow summer day when my friends and I built a golf course in my yard. My mother came home from work that day to find nine carefully sculpted tees, a green complex and a fairway bunker. We even named it the Minoa Players Club, developed a scorecard and held neighborhood tournaments there.
Now, as far as moms go, I put my mom up there with the best of them. She stoked our passion and encouraged her children to follow their dreams. I imagine most moms coming home from a long day at work to find their yard torn up as the catalyst for a fit of rage. My mom changed her clothes, grabbed her clubs and played the course.
Passion is our most powerful design tool, so let's all be 'mom' and continue to encourage passion in ourselves and in our profession.
As always, feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.