Be Like Rowan

“If you work for a man, in Heaven's name work for him. If he pays wages that supply you your bread and butter, work for him, speak well of him, think well of him, and stand by him, and stand by the institution he represents. I think if I worked for a man, I would work for him. I would not work for him a part of his time, but all of his time. I would give an undivided service or none. If put to the pinch, an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness.” - Elbert Hubbard

I saw this passage on the wall of a School Principal I once worked for. I found it interesting but could not locate it again for many years. I wish I had and learned its lesson earlier in my life.

"A Message To Garcia is an inspirational essay [that] celebrates the initiative of a soldier [Rowan] who is assigned and accomplishes a daunting mission. He asks no questions, makes no objections, requests no help, but accomplishes the mission. The essay exhorts the reader to apply this attitude to his own life as an avenue to success… It was wildly popular, selling over 40 million copies, and being translated into 37 languages. It also became a well-known allusion in American popular and business culture until the middle of the twentieth century… It was given to every U.S. Navy enlistee and U.S. Marine in both world wars, and often memorized by schoolchildren. A copy of it is often given to Marine Non-Commissioned Officers upon their promotion. It is estimated to be one of the highest-selling books in history, essentially due to American employers purchasing copies in bulk to distribute to their employees." (from Wikipedia)

While this essay is dated, if you take it in the cultural context of the times it still bears a relevant message. It also tells us a lot about the mindset of Americans of the first half of the 20^th century. It’s worth reading.