I had to chuckle about this LinkedIn message from Melissa Booth, Assistant Dean at Tulane’s A.B. Freeman School of Business:

“Dear Steve – I have come across your profile and wanted to reach out because of your impressive background. You would be an excellent candidate for one of our MBA programs. . . .
“No matter what professional goal you have in mind, an education from Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business will prepare you for your next job and a life of career advancement.”

It made me think back about 42 years — early on in my career at Shell. I was starting to get the hang of discounted cash flow economics. Maybe an MBA? I signed up to take the GMAT at Tulane one Saturday morning.

Back in a university setting for the first time in eighteen months, I idly twirled the No. 2 pencils they said I should bring. The proctor droned on about deadlines and completely filling in the little dots, my mind wandered, out the open windows . . .

A sunny, cool day, rare for New Orleans. Birds were chirping. Across St. Charles Avenue a kid threw a frisbee to a half-retriever mutt. Hippies played hacky-sack. A streetcar sparked as it waddled its way downtown.

Uncharacteristically, I bolted and never looked back. I came to Mr. Berra’s fork in the road and took it. What lay down that other path? I’ll never know, but I guarantee it won’t keep me awake at night either.