When I attended Jamesville-DeWitt High School in Syracuse NY, I went to my guidance counselor to see how I could graduate in 3 years. I didn’t care about my senior prom. I didn’t care about only having a few classes in my senior year and spending the rest of my time hanging out in the band room. I just wanted to move to New York City and start being my singer-songwriter self, get a record deal and begin performing. I do not remember the name of my guidance counselor but I do remember what he said. “Double up on Science and English, and you can do it.” That’s what I did. In my combined 11th/12th year of high school, I took Physics and Chemistry and English and AP English. I graduated a year ahead of my classmates, and consequently knew almost no-one at my graduation ceremony. Looking back at it now, in light of high school reunions, I wish I hadn’t left early. Looking back at it now, in light of my career, I’m glad I did leave early. Before the graduation ceremony, I was notified that I would be receiving an award. The name of the award was: The “I Dare You” Award. I got a certificate and a little book written by William H. Danforth. A teacher at my high school must have nominated me for this award, but no one ever came forward and told me how or why I got the award. At the time it didn’t mean much to me. Now it does. The essence of the contents of the book was daring me to go out into the world and create great things, and consequently dare to create a great life. It worked. And now all these years later, I was recently contacted by my high school telling me that I was nominated to be in the Jamesville-DeWitt Hall of Fame. My high school bandmate Paul was in charge of writing to the potential nominated recipients and asked if I would I be there to accept the award, be inducted and give an acceptance speech. Of course I said yes. They dared me, I accepted the dare, succeeded, and now I’m going to have the opportunity to throw the dare out to future students. Thank you whomever it was that gave me the award which pushed in me in ways I never could have predicted. Those 3 words have lived in my subconscious for for over 40 years, catching me when I would fall from imagined failure scenarios, to imposter syndrome bouts to moments of severe doubt. I Dare You. I dare you to succeed. I dare you to love yourself. I dare you to create value out of everything you see as an obstacle. I dare you to live a happy and fulfilled life. It worked. To whatever teacher or teachers were responsible for me receiving that award in 1976, thank you. I will be there in 2021 to accept my next award from the place that started it all.