After I retired from IBM, I was at loose ends . . I was glad to have a respite, but too young to quit the work force. I worked at Pelican Hill Golf Course as a marshal, helped golfers, enjoyed the wonderful conditions on the Pacific Coast, and, of course, collected mountains of Pro-v1 golf balls. Then, a friend of mine called and asked if I wanted to do the Disaster Recovery Plan for Cal State Northridge. Why not?
Subsequently, I was asked to manage the Client Services organization by the CTO, a good friend who supported me for the job. I worked there several years improving the department and supporting some very talented people.
Then, there was turmoil in upper management. The department, although filled with very talented people, was extremely poorly managed. This included my friend who was a person with soaring intellectual and personal skills, but was untrained and unskilled at how to work productively with people who he didn’t consider friends. He depended on loyalty. He had the best of intentions and used his personal skills to compensate for his lack of management skills.
He was ‘convinced’ to leave by management. I did not support him when I was asked. I had to be honest. I was being paid to be honest.
My personal loyalty to him was, had been, and will always be unquestioned. But, my professional loyalty was to the university. He found a better job on the Santa Barbara coast . . really, what could have been better?
So, I come back to this thought for fellow Republicans, in the face of the greatest danger democracy has faced in 75 years:
Party is important, but there is a higher loyalty. Where is the loyalty to your country?