Archives for December 2012

A Story: As a staffer for his 1988 Presidential Campaign, I met Al Gore about eight times. After Gore went down in flames, I got a job with Dukakis during the general election and met Gore out on the trail another half dozen times. After the 10th time where Gore showed no recognition that we had met, I started a running joke with my dad that “I met Al Gore again!”

I knew I was a nobody, but back then I thought they all had transcendent human qualities.  In contrast, I first met Bill Clinton at a Governors’ Conference I attended with my boss, Governor David Walters, a few months before Clinton announced for President. Months later and by myself, I saw Clinton again at one of his early campaign events.  He obviously didn’t know my name, but as we shook hands,  he said, “How’s David doing?” letting me know he knew how I fit.  Hmmm!

A Person: Not a friend but you should follow David Brooks. Watch as he succinctly summed up where we are and why on Sunday.  The Republican leadership is lost but my New Year’s wish for our President is a little less Gore cool and a little more Clinton charm.

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An Idea: This agnostic believes in angels…horribly, a whole first grade class full of angels.  First graders are already perfect. They know how to postpone bedtime, they tell a good knock knock joke and have perfect ears that rest just so on stuffed animals as they sleep. First graders begin to space themselves (a little) on the soccer field and can run a mile.  They do chores and act bravely in the emergency room.  They create beautiful art, dance, mimic accents, organize lemonade stands, sing in choruses, ride bikes, skin knees, safeguard siblings and ask you how your day was.  They are perfect.  Angelhood could have waited.  Silent nights are overrated.

A Person: But if it has to be, I hope that my friend Kirk Orrell is there to meet them. We taught sailing together during a perfect Cape summer in 1984.  Kirk was a graduate of Philips Andover and Davidson. He was a talented drummer and brilliant.  He restored a 1967 Plymouth Sport Fury III to un-preppy perfection.  Each morning the Plymouth picked me up for work and we cranked Steppin’ Out by Steel Pulse, the anthem of that golden moment, while Kirk drummed on the dash with open hands. Kirk made our students smile and laugh.  His light just shined brighter and the kids loved him. Kirk died after a brief illness in 2001 leaving a wife and daughter.  He was 35.  Kirk, take good care of them.

231  Full refund due to all readers for not observing word count rule!

A Person: Tim Sperry and four friends set out in October of 1992 in a hurricane-wrecked boat, circumnavigated the earth and returned home in May, 1995. While Tim is “efficient” with the spoken word, he has just written a beautiful book about the journey.

An Idea: Tim and I grew up in the same small town. I’m a few years older.  When I first heard about his big plans all those years ago, my initial reaction was “Who?…Where??” In my mind, my group of friends had done as least as much sailing and some of us shared the dream.  But Tim and his group heeded one of my favorite quotations, ““Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.”

I admire their courage to dream big while maintaining their every day, chore-doing grit to make it happen. I loved how their personalities blended perfectly imperfectly. Together, they were able to stay on schedule (making miles) while still reveling in the great quest.  This was the fiery liftoff of their young lives — a story of the very bearable lightness of being while tethered to small boat on a big ocean.  Good on ya boys!

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Connect with Tim Sperry:

Tim’s New Book

Tim’s Tent Business