My Papa

An Interview with Ted Tomson

By Tristan Tomson

My grandpa built our family business and continues to work there to this day. Even in his seventies, he is the hardest worker I know. He comes to my basketball games. I grew up working with him on his farm, feeding racehorses. We always play checkers or Texas Hold ‘Em together.

What was life like growing up?

There were 10 of us, and we only had enough to take care of 2 or 3. It was very difficult. I never had good clothes. We went for days with almost nothing to eat. We would each do different things to help. I would make pot holders, and then I’d get my siblings to sell them. We tried to earn enough money just to buy something – some bonds, maybe. That inspired me to keep working. Just because you don't have something doesn't mean you'll never have it. 

Tell me about something that you're proud of. 

I'm proud of my family. Everybody worked so hard with me to achieve our goals. 

Imagine that you're receiving an award for one thing you've done in your life. What would that award be for? 

Helping other people. I am proud of the fact that I helped a lot of other people achieve their goals. 

Who influenced you during your childhood? 

My grandfather influenced me the most. He worked even though he was retired from 2 King Light, as a faith bitter helping make electricity. He still worked every day. He built a recycling center. I worked at it with him. He was also extremely intelligent and knew how to prepare material for mills. 

Think about your accomplishments. What are you proud of? What do you care about, who shaped those values, who helped you realize those achievements? 

I'm proud of our recycling center and, of course, racing, breeding horses, and racing. I'm proud of our car, Speedway, our farm, and all of our recycling. I’m also proud of all of my brothers, sons, and nephews who worked so hard to achieve our goals. And my grandson.

What advice do you have for future generations?

Pay attention. Do the best you can. Never give up, because failure is not caused by somebody else. It's something that you overlook – just keep working, and you'll do fine. 

What do you wish young people would understand? 

I wish young people would understand more about finances so that they can be prepared for their future. They won't have somebody who’s going to pay for their things forever. They have to save their own and prepare for their own future.

How are things different today from when you were young? 

When I was young, there were no limits. You could work day and night, and there were only so many restrictions on what you did. Seventy years ago, the government wasn't involved in everything everybody did; they didn’t try to stop everybody from making their own decisions. People don't understand the key difference between the United States and other countries. Here, everything here is legal until they make it illegal. In other places, everything is illegal until they make it legal. If you ponder that question, you will understand this difference is what makes our country great. 

What are your concerns for this next generation? 

They're not paying enough attention to the world, and they’re not willing to work hard. They think that somebody should take care of their stuff. They have to understand that the only person who can take care of their stuff is them. 

What changes are you glad to see in this generation?

I'm glad to see the proliferation of computers and AI. New technology is helping us learn new things and organize information more quickly, leaving time for other work. 

What do you want to see in future generations? 

I want to see a longer workday. I want to see people work more. I want to see them be happy that they're working.

What lessons or values from your life do you want to pass on to future generations? 

A good life is a good life for what you make it. You work it, you earn it, you make a good life, and you pass that on to future generations. Be a good steward of activity. Take good care of your family so that they understand how to take care of their family. 

Is there anything else you want to add? 

Not only have I worked very hard in my life to accomplish things, but so did all the people around me. Remember, there's no I in team. All of us work together to make it good. I'm extremely proud of all of my family members. They came from nothing and worked so hard to achieve the American dream.