Getson: On Politics and Time
Early in my career I was told by a Senior Project Manager by the name of Keith Hanson that the two most important words in any language were a person’s first and last name. Pronounce them correctly, spell them correctly and remember them. He also had another mantra that he drilled into me which was the Economy of words. Seems Ironic now that I ended up here, but in my former career, it was vital. The economy of words was to ensure we didn’t waste time of the reader.
On projects, everything is time sensitive, and is scheduled. The most valuable thing you have is time, and it is continually managed.
Flying an aircraft, altitude, and fuel give you time in the air. The fuel is obvious, without it, you are a glider, and that is where the altitude comes in, the higher you are above tera firma, the more time you have to find a safe spot to land, what goes up, must come down, it’s just a matter of time.
To me the most valuable thing that we possess and can give others is our time. We are born, and we die. We don’t know how long we have, we should be cognizant that our time is finite, as are those around us. The less time we have, the more precious it becomes, not only to us, but what we give of it to others. I imparted this lesson on my kids. Back then I was away from home for weeks at a time for years at a time, the days we had together were precious, and it was the most valuable thing that we had.
I was recently at a celebration of life for Mrs. Lori Florkewich that took place out at the Carvel Hall, hearing how much she gave of herself to others, her community, her family, local not for profits, and to a number of political boards was simply awe inspiring. I had a chance to speak and thank Lori, and her family for the time she gave up to help me on my own board.
Time is precious and I hope that we can remember that here. We only have a limited amount before the next election, and Albertans expect us to make the most of it. Let’s ensure we get the work done in the time we have left that will mean the most to them and park the “Partisan Politics” until next spring.
