“It Ain’t Necessarily So”

My Uncle had a very skeptical nature, which I believe was mostly influenced when he was in the U.S. Marine Corps.  He was always saying, “It ain’t necessarily so”, in answer to most every topic. I generally do not use this rather skeptical phrase, however, I think my topic today would be germane to that saying.

All my adult life people have told me I’m a genius. In college and grad school some of my professors told me I have a very analytical brilliant mind and had a very high I.Q. One even told me that I was a genius. “It Ain’t Necessarily So”. My high grades were the result of tedious study managed while working full-time. Granted, I have the ability to learn fast, I always have.

When I studied for my entry level Ham Radio Novice license several decades ago, one of the class members said I was way ahead of the other members. All Ham Radio license levels in those days were hard to get due to the very hard exams you had to pass, plus knowing Morse Code. I shortly went through the various license class exam steps to the Amateur Radio Extra Class license, which is the top of the line. The Extra Class used to be very hard to get due to the extensive electronic knowledge and 20 words per minute Morse Code you had to pass with at least 1 minute of perfect copy. One of the license tests was for the Amateur Advanced Class License. The FCC examiner told me I got a perfect score and that that was very rare.  Did that make me a genius? “It Ain’t Necessarily So”. I studied very intensely. These days it is very easy to pass all the exams since they essentially give you all the answers to the exams in a book and no Morse Code requirement. Those of us “old timers” that hold an Amateur Extra Class License did it “the hard way” when it was extremely difficult to earn and we were a small elite group.

When computers were relatively new, I set up a database to use at the County Engineer’s Office. Several people said I was a computer genius because I’ve never had any formal computer programming training. Was I a genius? “It Ain’t Necessarily So”. As I told everyone, I just went through the computer User Manual and it laid out how to do it. I’m one of those rare men that read instructions and ask directions, at least before GPS was available.

Well, I could cite dozens of examples over the years, however, in spite of many opinions over the years, I consider myself what I call a “Circumstantial Genius”. In other words, nothing comes naturally but is based on intensive study and reading manuals, etc. I think Thomas Edison’s famous quote is most certainly applicable to my case, “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration”.  If people prefer to call me a genius, then that is their opinion. (Oh, did I mention many geniuses tend to be humble. I have always been very proud of my humility).  

Yikes! I have to post this at once. Bill Gates is calling with a computer question.

“It ain’t necessarily so”. 😉

^^^Mike^^^