Klarinet Archive - Posting 000298.txt from 2001/07

From: rgarrett@-----.edu
Subj: Re: [kl] Jumping on the Bandwagon - or jumping
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2001 23:17:51 -0400

When I was a young boy, there was a boy named Pat (last name withheld) who
always took advantage of other people's work. The work could be as
insignificant as a discovery regarding a better way to complete a chore -
or worse - it could be as significant as taking credit for someone else's
ideas and honest reporting. Pat had a habit (like most good politicians!)
of making claims that were based on speculation - jumping on the bandwagon
when it suited his needs and backing off when the fire got too hot.

Pat succeeded in politics - making it to the House of Representatives in
Oregon before someone exposed his motives and he was relegated to starting
over. Last I heard, he was defending himself on the east coast for
suspicion of inappropriate behavior in his political aspirations. Go
figure. The guy just didn't ever take a stand unless it benefited
himself. He progressed on the coattails of others. Look where it got him.

When truth and ideas are overshadowed by an unquenched motivation to make a
profit - or, worse, to become important in other people's eyes, a person
has to stand back and ask themselves, what is the truth? What information
have I been given that will support that truth? What exactly is this
person's motivation for saying what they have said?

Best wishes,
Roger Garrett

Roger Garrett
Clarinet Professor
Director, Symphonic Winds
Illinois Wesleyan University
School of Music
Bloomington, IL 61702-2900
Phone: (309) 556-3268
Fax: (309) 556-3121

"A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he describes
another's."
Jean Paul Richter (1763-1825)

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