The
President’s Desk
It’s
Let’s add laughter, joy and renewed
friendships
To our lives an celebrate both this
greatest of
Team games and every one of our
teammates!
There are always
things we say we will never do … me too.
First, I hate excuses
… and when I make a mess of things I hope I am willing to step up and take
responsibility.
And I am guilty of
various degrees of procrastination this year in getting everything set up for
World Series XIX … my delay affected everyone else around me … so speaking on
behalf of my co-workers, we appreciate your understanding and patience.
Second, I always said
I would keep family and business separate … even though my family is an
integral part of the Roy Hobbs World Series.
One look at the photos on page 8 will make that very clear.
With the death of the
Giffen family matriarch Elsie R. Giffen on September 30, I realized I was wrong
on that approach, so here’s to making it up.
My mother was 94. She was an energetic, vibrant lady, who
despite a tough last 4 years emotionally, approached each day with poise and
dignity. She would say very matter of factly that “this business of growing is not for sissies!”
Many of you have sent
cards and emails and phone calls of condolence … thank you. And let me tell you why it was easy for me to
preside over her Celebration of Life and say “so long.”
Four years ago, her
husband of 67 years died despite her best efforts to will him to live. Two years ago, we finally convinced her that
she could no longer keep up her home, so she agreed to move into an
‘independent living’ facility. Within
the last 12 months, she finally lost her sight to Glaucoma – this for a magna cum laude English major who had read the newspaper
every day for 70+ years and completed more crossword puzzles than there are
words in the English dictionary.
In 4 years, she lost
her constant companion, her home and her eyesight – that’s an emotional load
for anyone.
Yet when we pulled off
a surprise 94th birthday party / family reunion for her in August,
once she got past her disbelief that relatives she could not see would come
from all over the country to see her, she was elegant, in control and
articulate in talking with everyone there and enjoying their company.
Bottom line, we did good with that event.
And so did she.
So, what does all this
have to do with what we’re about?
It’s easy … my mother
and father pushed their children to excellence and high standards – probably
one of the big reasons why I hate excuses.
Second, they were
incredibly supportive of whatever we did, as long as we did gave it our best
effort. Both my mother and father asked
me to make sure they were buried with Roy Hobbs pins on their lapels. What an honor …
And what a standard to
live up to!
There is a power-point
presentation, called The Paradox of Our
Times, making the email rounds these days, and its point is that we are so
busy every day that we forget to enjoy our families and life itself. It says, in part:
“I propose that as of today, you do not keep anything for
a special occasion.
“Because every day you live is a special occasion …
“Life is moments of enjoyment and not just about
surviving.
“Remove phrases like ‘one of these days,’ ‘someday’ and
‘not now’ from your vocabulary.
“Let’s tell our families and friends how much we love them
…
“Do not delay anything that adds laughter and joy to your
life … Every day, every hour, every minute is special.”
Well, to my family –
Ellen, Rob, Mac, Meg, Mom & Dad and
To you, the players,
managers, umpires and families, thank you for supporting what we do and making
a week in Fort Myers a guarded part of your annual calendar.
But most importantly,
enjoy your time at the XIXth Roy Hobbs World Series …
every day, every hour, every minute is
indeed special.
Yeah, we finished your
schedules late. That was me … no excuses
and there’s no place for me to look except in the mirror.
But, everything is
ready, we are here in
Welcome to the 2007
Roy Hobbs World Series … at least for now, no more procrastinating!
n Tom Giffen