Before that I was a drudge

He was a remarkable individual. In addition to being a composer and piano virtuoso, Ignace Jan Paderewski (1860-1941), was also a former Prime Minister of Poland.

Following a command performance on piano before Queen Victoria, she exclaimed, “Sir, you are a genius.”

Alluding to all of the effort required to earn such adoration, Paderewski said, “Perhaps, your Majesty, but before that I was a drudge.”

Webster: drudge - a person who does hard, menial, tedious work

This story reminds me of a success...