FROM A TO Z, TO YOU FROM ME: A girl's willingness to compete despite setbacks brought great success.
From an early age, Wilma keenly observed the people in her hometown, Whistlepig, Wisconsin. She noticed that successful people possessed a competitive spirit. Because her parents were poor, she had to work instead of going to school. But one word kept her going: competition. She taught herself to do the best she could, where she was, with what she had, the best way she knew how.
When Wilma reached her teenage years, she began planning her future. She knew that doing something she loved to do would make her happy and may lead to a better life.
Wilma’s primary interest was plants; she loved caring for them. The area around Whistlepig was not ideal for growing crops, but she believed that more was in her than in the land. She saw a need--folks had to eat--and she set out to fill that need.
She knew that watermelons and purple-hulled peas grew well in less-than-ideal soil, and with basic garden tools, she converted a deserted plot near her home into neat rows and, in spring, planted seeds. The girl had a green thumb, and soon, her crops were loaded up with melons and peas.
Next, she set up a large sign by her garden that read, “Wilma’s Delicious Melons and Peas." Soon, many customers were standing in line to buy these tasty products. The little business flourished, and Wilma’s competitive spirit led to the next step: a roadside stand.
With nothing more than a small patch of land, a large sign, a roadside stand, and a cash box, that hard-working young girl tended to her plants and customers, and saved every nickel she brought in. Soon, the cash box became a cash register on a café counter, and the truck patch got bigger and bigger.
Every day, Wilma’s Roadside Café attracted hungry folks from all over, eager to fill their bellies with fresh vegetables, followed by a slice of juicy watermelon. Making the best of what she had, Wilma became wealthy. Still, she never stopped competing, and her café became the most popular one around. Behind the counter, she placed a sign as a reminder to herself and her customers: “Work hard, succeed; hardly work, fail.”
Wilma’s attitude was always positive. When things did not go as she hoped, she never blamed others, she never gave up, and most of all, she never stopped competing.
Wilma produced more than she consumed and earned more than she spent. In life, setbacks happen, and she had her share of them, but this girl realized that failure is an unavoidable part of success and that achievement is the fruit enjoyed by those who move from failure to failure without losing their enthusiasm for competition.
This attitude was infectious. The cooks and table waitresses adopted it, as did the customers. More and more of them gathered there for meals, and Wilma’s Café became a famous restaurant. Town folks had a name for her: Whistlepig, Wisconsin’s Wonder Woman--Wealthy Wilma.
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