JUNE MUSINGS

1. Met Any Arrogant Smart People Lately?

I support people working to be as smart as they can be. I admire those who can retain information; trivia is always fun to hear. I would like to see opportunities for education abound in every neighborhood and for people of all ages to attend classes wherever and whenever they want to. And, I am really impressed with those people who are two-sided thinkers, like designers and artists.
Then there’s the “harrumph” types that roll their head back and look down at you through those half-glasses perched on the tip on their nose. It can be a man or woman; both are known to take such a posture. It’s a clear sign that their knowledge trumps your knowledge. These people are Truman Capote arrogant.
I knew such a person years ago. He was a brilliant cardiovascular surgeon that believed so strongly in his abilities that everyone else was a mere peasant. He not only enjoyed rolling his head back, but he added the extra touch of flinging his tie over his shoulder to emphasize his superiority. It was like Superman standing defiantly by the American flag.
At first glance you would just stay away from this fellow. But it was amusing that he took this superiority posture even though the majority of people were taller than him! And his “hissy-fits” were truly funny. Once, he jumped on top a counter and slowly turned 360 degrees yelling “fools, fools fools, I’m surrounded by fools.” (It’s hard to make that kind of stuff up!)
The really amazing thing was when you worked to get to know him. What everyone interpreted as arrogance was his insecurity in a field that demands perfection. Underneath was a deeply dedicated man who was very sensitive to the needs of his patients and their families. He wanted everything to be perfect because he wanted them to have a full life. Once you got to know this man, you understood his eccentricities were not grandstanding but a real concern for achieving quality outcomes.
I had a chance to work beside this surgeon for about 8 years. I found him to be generous, dedicated and funny. But, he still had those times when Superman would re-appear. Unfortunately, medicine lost a great surgeon when he died a few years ago.
Maybe we need to “tickle” a few more of our arrogant acquaintances and get them to laugh. If we don’t get arrested for assault, maybe we will have an interesting and good friend.

2. Boom, Boom, Boom Out Go the Lights!

Now there’s a great party song. Add “Shout” and a keg of beer disappears in a heartbeat. Actually in this case the “Boom” refers to the advancing age of the baby boom generation that will be retiring by the millions over the next few years.
I saw a great descriptive term for this onslaught of retirees: the “Silver Tsunami.” The very phrase conjures up images of a huge tidal wave of people rushing to the bank to cash their pension checks!
The 20th century produced several laws that created the notion of a “Great Society.” FDR pushed through Social Security to protect the elderly from poverty. LBJ pushed through Medicare to keep the elderly healthy. Both programs, called entitlements, seemed like a great idea when people barely lived past 70 years old. No problem paying for such a short period called the “golden years.” Alas, times have changed.
George Burns commented that he was hoping to make it to 100. He reasoned that not many people die after 100.
Joe DiMaggio, the great baseball player, retired from the game in 1952, the same year I was born. As long as he lived, DiMaggio never worked in my life (except for a stint as “Mr. Coffee”). I suspect that many people will live long after 70, meaning that their children will be near retirement before their parents die. I guess it is conceivable that there may be a time when there will be more retired people than people working or in school. It may even end up that there will only be two types of people: retired and those in school.
Like most people in their fifties, I am looking forward to retiring when I’m 80. That way, I may not have to stand in line so long!

3. A TV Recommendation

I like TV, especially sports. But I also know that a person who watches more than 35 hours of TV per week makes 50 percent less income per year than those who watch less than 35 hours of TV per week. Here’s a tip, tape (yes, I’m old fashioned) your favorite shows and watch them later. You skip through the commercials and other stuff and see your program the way it should be watched uninterrupted (almost).
Here’s a show I recommend you tape: the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson. This guy is really funny and in my opinion has the best monologue on TV. Plus, he does a credible job with his interviews. So, “sit back and take a load off” with TV’s Craig Ferguson. You’ll like it. And besides, anyone who works that hard that late at night needs you to tune in at least once a week!

GROWTH <> LEADERSHIP <> EXCELLENCE