Thursday, August 24, 2006

A little Nick: I'm a liberal and a conservative, that I am as complex as the universe and as simple as a newborn child's cry . . .

Don't miss reading this post by my favorite hospital blogging CEO, Nick Jacobs over at Nick's Blog. Much of what Nick has to say strikes a chord with me and this post is a great example of his creative, optomistic and insightful look at health care and life.

Nick's statement of "everything in moderation" is something that I have heard forever (prize to the first Coffield reader who can cite the originator of this quote) and believe in. It's applicable to everything from diet to politics to work to play.

Just a taste. Enjoy the post:
This week a person called me to criticize me, accuse me of misdeeds because we were supportive of Mr. Murtha, and then he said, "Let me guess, you're a liberal?" The label was placed. (There's a lot of labeling going on in this country right now.) It is my belief that everything is relative. It is my belief that I am a liberal and a conservative, that I am as complex as the universe and as simple as a newborn child's cry.

When I asked my critic why he was convinced that the truths that he espoused were accurate, he proudly boasted into the telephone. "I listen to Rush." Let me assure you that "I don't listen to Rush, EVER." Mom always said, "Everything in moderation." Not too Republican. Not too Democrat. Not to fatalistic. Not too utopian.

During an exchange at a board meeting this week, I started a string of comments directed toward my board that went something like this, "We have $750,000 coming from grants, right?" My Foundation Director said, "Yes, maybe," and my Chief Financial Officer said, "It's not here yet." To which our board chairman replied, "Perfect, the Optimist, the Realist and the ACCOUNTANT." The next day we received the first $350,00 of the $750,000. Hah.

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