Leaving the light bulb out of the mix could have meant limited hours to work, learn and play. The invention of central power, which was also Edison's, has created the ability to live and prosper in areas that at one time were deemed uninhabitable.

In addition to the many inventions that he contributed to America, Edison also taught its residents the importance of persistence. Had he listened to the teacher who called him stupid he may have given up and become a laborers. Had he let the invention of the telephone by someone else discourage him, he may have worked in an office somewhere and retired an unknown man. Edison demonstrated the power of persistence in everything he did. When he was not working on a new invention, he was improving a previous one. If he did not have time to work on one at the moment he read everything...
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