I like to think that Theodor Geisel was just an ordinary man with an extraordinary mind, who didn't know how incredibly impactful he would later become writing and drawing under his, now immensely popular, pen name.

From the time we could sing our ABCs, we were tracing our pointer finger around Geisel’s pages and memorizing chunks of his rhyming phrases. His work began to entangle its creative verses into the young minds of the baby boomer generation, then wove its way into Generation X as he gained more fame, continued to impact our millennial generation and, I’m sure, will be read and remembered by many more generations of children to come.

To the readers I have seemed to befuddle and confuse, and who have not yet pulled out an iPhone to Google this significant German name, I’ll give you two hints to reveal this mysterious man behind the curtain. He once wrote, “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Still stumped? How about a quote that almost every other high school graduate wrote as his or her senior quote, received on a “Congrats, Grad!” card, or scribbled on a pad of paper for inspiration? “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.” If you still are puzzled, then your childhood has been robbed, because it should be pretty obvious that this man, Theodor Geisel, is indeed the great and wonderful Dr. Seuss!

Dr. Seuss, one of Geisel's many pen names, has been a published writer since the late 1920s. He lived through the Depression, World War I and II, and so much more. He became the mastermind behind world-renowned cartoons and many celebrated children books which we grew up on. Countless numbers of people have his quotes hanging from their bedroom wall for inspiration. Kids treasure his stories like their own little bibles, reading The Cat In The Hat or Green Eggs And Ham over and over until they can close their eyes and recite it by heart. Directors and producers have taken it upon themselves to put his stories on the big screen and produce movies with his unforgettably imagined characters. There is even an amusement park named Seuss Landing at Islands of Adventure in Orlando in honor of this famed man.

Like every great published writer, Geisel had to start somewhere and his somewhere was a humor magazine called Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern. Yes, our very creative and admired Dr. Seuss was a Dartmouth grad, but little do people know, he was also Greek. Geisel was a proud brother of Sigma Phi Epsilon.

Besides the fact that Dr. Seuss was highly intelligent and imaginative, he was a respected man, a role model and had one of the most creative minds I have ever known. Sure, his books were childish and silly, but they had underlying themes, poetic qualities and lasting morals. As a writer, I look up to Geisel. He wrote with his heart, wrote with a purpose and did what he loved. That’s all you can ask for in your life, right?

Take a page from Geisel. Say what you mean and speak what you feel. Be passionate and creative. And don’t be afraid to give it all you’ve got. When writing a book, Geisel was known for spending up to a year on his work and would never settle for less than his best. So, like him, don’t settle for anything short of your greatest effort.

Do what you love and love what you do. Believe in your self, like Dr. Seuss made us kids believe in his 46 children books. He once said, “So be sure when you step, step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed) Kid, you’ll move mountains.” And kid, I agree with Dr. Seuss.