Life is short, don't Sip!
Posted by: jhersey in Commitment, Personal Leadership, Perspective, tags: Add new tagOur friend Wayne Tall passed away recently. It was sudden and swift, just the way he wanted it. Beverly and I just returned from his memorial service. Actually, it was more of a celebration than a service. It was a party at one of his favorite restaurants.
Several people told amusing stories about Wayne. He would have enjoyed this. It made me think. Wayne was an extraordinary man.
He adored, admired and totally respected his wife, also a “Bev”.
He loved his children and was a devoted grandfather.
He was an engineer in every sense of the word. He was building an airplane in his garage. He applied his engineering background and wood working skills to create and build wondrous presents for his grand daughter.
Wayne 1, Boulder 0
He was a preservationist, working tirelessly to preserve the beauty of our town. To hear others talk, he was the “godfather” of building and cutting trails in our town preserve. If you cut a trail incorrectly, the wrath of Wayne would descend upon you
He was a 4-wheeler, always the first to suggest the group take the steep, dangerous climb, despite being 10-20 years older than the others.
He was a connoisseur of food and wine. He didn’t just like to prepare and consume great food, like me, he analyzed it, dissected it and took great joy in discussing flavors and tastes and which side of the hill the grapes were grown for a particular vintage. He could choose the perfect wine or beer to follow a hike, 4-wheel adventure or a five course dinner.
I don’t think Wayne would mind if I suggested that he was also an extraordinary Contagious Leader. He was involved in activities for which he had great passion. Once involved, he took a stand, never being fearful of expressing a strong point of view, making a significant difference, always setting and accomplishing goals, improving his skills and acknowledging others.
At his celebration one of his friends reminisced about a time when he and his wife had hiked one of the truly great mountains in America. Following the hike they sat at the base of this majestic mountain, watching the sunset while enjoying a beer and glass of wine. They thought of Wayne as they turned the bottle of beer on its side and read the label, which said: “Life is short, don’t sip.”
How many of us, leaders and aspiring leaders, are sipping, being careful not to take in too much, being cautious, ever so suspicious, not extending ourselves, not enjoying the full measure of every moment, every opportunity, every challenge?
Not Wayne Tall, not our friend!
John & Bev
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