Favorites – you must be kidding!

None of my favorite people are politicians. And no, this is not a recent development. While working as an applied anthropologist, I largely worked for local, state, and federal government institutions. I frequently had to interface with the good, bad, and ugly of the breed. My favorite people then were the aides, assistants, and program directors who did all the heavy lifting and the rigorous investigation. They were the ones who put in all the long hours researching and building programs. When the boss’ image started tilting and was about to collapse, they shoved in a shim and built the support to hold the construction up. And here you thought it was all smoke and mirrors!

During those years, I had frequent opportunities to look behind the green curtain and watch the people at the top take credit for what the organization behind them had achieved.

I do not build shrines for figureheads. Or, as we referred to them at one organization I worked for, “the suits.”

So, who do I admire? Among my favorites is my wife, a night shift nurse, cares for those who can no longer care for themselves. Another is a close friend who tries to build beauty and function into every boat he builds. In general I’ve ceased admiring names, positions and people who take credit for what others do.

We are attracted to flash, jive, and presentation. But in fact, we’d be better off realizing that the greatness of many public figures is built on the work of others. It’s a paint job. And as seamen say, “Paint covers a multitude of sins.“

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “There is an optical illusion about every person we meet.”  We must see past the optical illusion in searching for value and worth.