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The Boy Scout Law

(as defined using web sources)

I was very fortunate this weekend to attend the opening, or orientation, session for MedClass III, a leadership learning commununity under the auspices of the Houston Chapter of the American Leadership Forum.  This will be a year-long undertaking by 24 individuals, all of whom work within the Texas Medical Center.  Our goals include the usual endpoints of networking and collaboration, but perhaps the methods we will use to achieve these important aims is a bit different from the usual 4 to 8 hr workshop (which, to me, always feels a bit forced, or even contrived). 

 

We started slowly this weekend, with an icebreaker where we simply visited for 25-30 min and asked each other canned questions we had been handed as we stepped in the door.  Mine related to: 1) what value is most important to us (actually the question was phrased "Which value would be most difficult for you to give up?"); and 2) to whom to you most often turn for advice?  Other questions were similarly thought-provoking, e.g. "Whom do you admire more--Hillary Clinton or Condi Rice?", while some were less serious, e.g. "What is your favorite movie? (and why). 

 

I did not have to answer my own questions, but will do so here: 1) Integrity and/or honesty (are they the same?) is/are most important to me; and 2) I most often turn to my best friend (who also happens to be my wife) for advice (I used to go to my dad regularly as well, though, sadly, he is now gone).  Oh, and: 1) I admire Hillary much more than Condi; and 2) "Bull Durham", because its a funny baseball movie, but at the same time a poignant love story (and well-acted by Susan Sarandon and Kevin Costner besides).

 

Later in the weekend we proceeded to our seven minute stories.  I'll post mine in another entry, but suffice it right now to say that I'm a bit more of a matter-of-fact, state-my-beliefs, kind of person, not one easly given over to tellling my story through stories, and if the truth were told, probably more guarded/less willing to risk deep disclosure than were a number of others in the group.  Hopefully I can open up and learn to trust the others in the class at least a bit more as our year goes by.  I'll try to keep you posted.

A simple poem this time for my son Ross on the occassion of his completing the requirements for becoming an Eagle Scout.  Congratulations bud!

 

On My Shoulders

 

From when you were new

and the world was untold,

Until you were two,

and on my shoulders you rode.

 

Europe was real,

and on trains we did go,

Castles we saw

and in box-boats you'd row.

 

Next you were four,

and so quickly then older.

You got yourself brothers,

and became ever bolder.

 

Soon you were ten,

and a big boy scout.

Through the ranks you then flew,

no question-a route.

 

But then you found marching band,

and after that AcaDec,

Also Elyse and a car,

Though never a wreck.

 

Now here you stand,

Eagle in Scout.

My cup runneth over,

and your future's in clover.

 

I'll love you forever,

and of course with great pride

but never forget a little boy

who on my shoulders would ride.

Have a look at the article at this link, entitled “Are You Happy?” By Sue M. Halpern: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21197

The author makes a great point that defining something like happiness really can't be done as a global all-encompassing concept; rather, each and every person needs to define it for him/her self. Further, how we rate our happiness is by no means static; i.e. how happy we are is a function of our current state/status.  Last, what makes one person happy may be quite different from that of another person.  For example, I have a friend in Phoenix who is an entrepreneur; he (and his partners) start up companies, and then sell them when (or if) the company becomes successful (i.e. makes money).  Because he has no spouse or children (he's happier this way, he says) he doesn't worry about losing his capital/property/possessions.  In other words, taking risks is what he *needs* to do to be happy.  Others I know are just the opposite, and would never risk their savings, e.g., on a business start-up; they *need* the security of a weekly (or other frequency) paycheck to feel happy (I'm more in this category). 

 

As Americans, it is my view that we tend to think everyone else around the world would want to be us, if only they could (and there is reason to believe there is some truth to this, based on looking at patterns of immigration--in contrast, its also painfully obvious that there is a great deal of resentment toward Americans outside the U.S. It is, e.g. paradoxical, that Mexicans are among the happiest people, but that they still are literally swimming across rivers, tunneling under fences, and hiking through the desert to get here.  On the other hand, its clear that striving, in and of itself, is no more likely to lead to happiness than simply going with the flow.  Should we therefore choose the path of least resistance?

 

For me, the answer is no, for the following reason:  my study and training in science, philosophy, religion, psychology, sociology, etc. have collectively led me to believe strongly that a higher purpose than human happiness does exist.  Namely, ensuring (or at a minimum, enabling) the survival of not only the human species, but of life on this planet.  I agree with the author of this piece that the individual pursuit of immediate gratification (not to be confused with true happiness, at least for me) has resulted, and continues to yield, long-term degradation of the planet's resources, and that coordinated human action (which caused it) is the only solution over the longer event horizon of hundreds of years (which, for the foreseeable future at least, will continue to exceed the human lifespan).  Therefore, I (and, I personally know, many others) feel a certain sense of urgency to do what we can to promote education of the next generation, not only in science and math, but also environmental stewardship, leadership, etc. 

 

Personally, I am happiest when I am writing, teaching, or leading in some fashion.  I am least happy when I am separated from family, and when I am not being, in one way or another, productive.  Of course I am conditioned by not only my upbringing, but also by the influence of my liberal arts and hard sciences education, and by my ongoing intensive study of (primarily Anglo-American) history, to feel this way.  It is how I am, for better or worse.  I have no expectation that the majority of people (or even a substantial minority) agree with me; I can say, however, that real and mountain-moving change never happens from within the mass of people.  To the contrary, its always the outlier, the person willing to speak up and say that the status quo will not do. 

 

This is probably more than you want to know, but actually, writing helps me to better identify and articulate my own views.  I found this article at a most interesting website.  Check this out periodically, and you will be surprised by some of the interesting essays you will find:   http://aldaily.com/