The Quiet Man

John Wayne made the movie but my dear friend, Dr. Gene Curran, lived it.

“The quiet man who spoke so loudly.” This was the refrain used by the homilist for Gene during his eulogy. Gene never spoke about all he did for others; he just did it and did it regularly.

He was a local podiatrist who treated thousands of patients in his lifetime…and often forgot, intentionally, to bill them.

It was said of Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs during this year’s NBA Finals that he is the quietest player in the entire League. Was that one of the reasons why his teammates – great players like Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili – were so happy for him when he was named the Most Valuable Player of the Finals?

He had little to say, but he sure let his actions speak for himself during the Finals.

Will Rogers, in his own inimitable way, saw this topic from another perspective, “Never miss a good chance to shut-up.”

When I reflect on my father, he had little to say. However when he did talk, it was like that old advertisement for E.F. Hutton. Everyone adhered to that Will Rogers adage and listened. For years, Dad volunteered for the St. Vincent DePaul Society gathering items for the poor in the community. He did it, but I never heard him talk about it.

When all is said and done, a leader, because of his position, does have the opportunity to help others. Albert Einstein had this figured out when he wrote, “I can see no other reason why we are here but to help others.” And I believe we admire people who do it, but don’t advertise it.

“The quiet man who spoke so loudly.” Not a bad mantra for a leader?