Life's Greatest Lessons

On May 1, 1940, in a small community known as Grove Park, Glenn Moffett was born. Located in the North West part of Atlanta GA, Grove park was home to a primarily lower middle class, mainly white, population. This was the kind of town where the local grocery store, church, and school were all accessible within a five-mile radius. Alongside his extended family, Glenn spent the entire period of his youth growing up in this community. His childhood home was located on an elevated piece of property known as “the hill”, a place where only him and his extended family (this includes cousins, uncles/aunts, and grandparents) resided. Glenn likes to describe his experience growing up in a neighborhood that was mutually exclusive to his own kin as one that is like the dynamics of a commune. Everyone living on “the hill” watched out for each other. Glenn recalls many of his daily activities always being done in the company of various family members.

The community on “the hill” was very close as they acted as a core support group for each other. Glenn was especially close to his mother, Mary, and his maternal grandmother, Ma Ma. Gender roles within this communal structure were extremely important in terms of the families’ fundamental expectations. Males were seen as an object of potential economic and social advancement. Glenn was expected to excel and provide.

Glenn attended the local public elementary and high school. Always an A student, Glenn was intrigued by academia and the pursuit of knowledge. His mother often pushed him to be the best in everything he did, a desire and hope that Glenn took upon himself with full force. He was president of his high school class, captain of the football team, and one of the only students in his small community that continued their education past receiving a GED.

During his time studying psychology and law at Emory University, Glenn married his current wife, Linda. They had two boys, Matthew, and Michael, shortly after they married. Glenn claims that having children was a major life transition for him as his mentality began to shift from a self-focused ideology to a wider concern for his family and his role as their leader. This shift in perspective and role acquisition, combined with the expectations and pressure to succeed that was communicated to him as a child, pushed Glenn to pursue an elevated career trajectory. When asked more about this, Glenn made the comment that, in terms of his professional life, he tried to move too fast as he felt he had something to prove- both to himself and to others.

Glenn opened a law practice that expanded rapidly and contained many moving parts. However, as the business continued to grow, so did the debt. The failing of Glenn’s firm was a major turning point in his life. Before this event, Glenn valued the perception and expectations of others as a priority and a motivational incentive to achieve what he considered to be success at this time. The end of his company forced him to reevaluate what was truly important to him and his happiness. Glenn was able to lean on his marriage and his relationship with his children as a support to get him through this difficult time.

Glenn recalls considering a career change during this period of his life. His passion for music and performing was a tempting path towards becoming the more genuine and enlightened human he desired to be. However, it was internal debates such as these that eventually led him to recognize the most important thing in and about his life: his family and self love.

Glenn eventually went back to practicing law, but this time, it was on his own terms. He was done living for other people and what they wanted from him. His priorities shifted from seeing only the black and white, to only seeing the grey. He truly believes that balance in everything you do is the key to a successful life and aging experience. When asked what he felt a person needed to have aged successfully, Glenn explained that for anyone who is growing older, coming to the realization that this life is only a speck on the life cycle of the universe is the key to self-awareness and genuine content.