It’s Never Too Late By Jack Rolfe As I walked into the main lobby of the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame campus on a beautiful day in June 2009, I had an overwhelming feeling that my life was about to change forever. Even though I did not know one soul whom I was about to meet, I still felt that these people would be part of something special in my life. It was beautiful outside on that June afternoon in South Bend, Indiana, and it seemed as if the spirit of this long-standing institution bled from every brick in every building. I could not believe that I was standing where so many great leaders had stood before me. Even more amazing to me was the fact that one week earlier I had celebrated my 50th birthday with my wife, children, and grandchildren at our home in St. George, Utah. Now I was about to begin the course to complete a master’s degree in nonprofit administration. The average age of the members of my cohort was many years younger than I, but, you see, it’s never too late! My mind started to drift back to another spring afternoon fourteen years earlier, to a day that was a pivotal part of starting the incredible journey which brought me to Notre Dame. It was 1995, and I was at the Dallas International Airport. As I boarded the Southwest Airlines 737 airplane, it seemed like the beginning of any other flight. You make your way down the aisle, looking for your seat and possible overhead space. You prepare to be uncomfortable for the next three hours and buckle in. I had repeated this routine countless times before—and today seemed no different. How could I even imagine that something would happen to me on this trip 78 www.saintgeorgewellness.com
home to Las Vegas, Nevada, that would not only change my life, but the lives of thousands of youth across the world? Mid-flight I was starting to doze a little, drifting in and out of sleep. I was then jolted with a strong yet peaceful impression that permeated my heart and mind. I had a vivid vision of the “next step” in my life. Wow! I could not deny what I was experiencing. Part of my mission in life was to write a book. I remember thinking, “What? I am not an author! What is this impression all about?” As I mulled over this startling thought, I remembered a speech I had given to a women’s organization two years prior to this flight. The theme of my presentation was “How to Attain Straight A’s in Life.” Now, at 30,000 feet somewhere over New Mexico, I was feeling one of those burning sensations in my soul: I was supposed to pull out the notes from that talk and write a book on it. I put the idea of writing a book—writing a book!—far back in my mind. In fact, I put if off for two years until I could no longer fight it. The same impression to write the book would not leave me; thus, I gave in. Now, as I think back on the experience, I vividly remember being convinced that I needed to move forward and publish the book. But once the book was published, I still did not know what was next. I had written a book, I had published a book—what was I to do now? Then one day, once again out of the blue, the inspiration bells began to ring loud and clear. I was being prompted by that inner spirit to create a foundation to help youth; the book was to be the center curriculum. Well, I had learned from the past not to fight it.