A man fell down on a hole, unable to get out. A doctor passed by, saw his bruises and threw down a prescription so he can dress his wounds once he's out of the hole. Then later a priest passed by, said a prayer, blessed the guy and went his way. Then a friend saw him, jump inside the hole and said, " I couldn't pull you up but I can show you the way out. "
Leo McGary advised Sam Seaborne in a scene in the award winning series, "The West Wing."
In the episode, Sam got involved unknowingly with a prostitute, and was unsure on how to face the consequences since it could blow up into a scandal of sort. Leo McGary, the Presidential Chief of Staff, told him of his own personal crisis, being an alcoholic, and how he dealt with the problem without tarnishing the image of the presidency. An error is not a mistake if you are able to correct it so you have to deal with your problems head on and be prepared for whatever consequences it brings.
I too have failed in the career I took. It was easy getting a diploma, finding work thereafter. I was able to sweet talk my way into a cadetship program for new engineering graduates, over hundreds of applicants. Getting the nod of trainors and supervisors never posed a problem since I was able to present other people's ideas as if they were my own. I made a lot of good friends so they usually cover for my lapses in the field. However, while my contemporaries were focused on earning experiences and honing their supervisory skills, my heart was not into it. As they stayed focused on the details of works in the field, I was more interested in watching girls go by. While they were working on their Master degrees, my nights were spent wining and whoring around.
Things took a turn when I got promoted to head section of our department. Assigned to a another project, I don't have my friends to cover my ass. Its easy to hide your incompetence with your bosses, but you could never fool your skilled subordinates. Once you fail to give them the kind of guidance they need in the field, you could not earn their respect and its difficult to get things done. As Peter's Principle applies - " I should not have been promoted beyond my level of competence." I tried getting myself transferred to Design and Detail Engineering Department where I excel, so I quit work when my request was turned down.
That was almost 30 years ago, and though I failed in getting my stripes in the field of engineering, I found myself in a job that suited me to a tee. There's nothing like doing what you love doing, time passes unnoticed, and you get your kick when you find other people learning from you mistakes. You get to spend quality time with your family, provide your kids with the kind of education they wanted, and get to talk with people who share the same passion.
I may not have traveled far as my friends have, build a fine house for my family, or get them to taste the fine foods other people enjoy, but I am sure that when the time comes that I have to leave them all behind, I will be remembered not just for being a father and a husband to them, for also for the stories I have shared with them. Time shared with them were always full of laughter, pep talks, and some bits of wisdom which I know will be of use to them when they too would build a family of their own.
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