“SHAKING MENTORS”
(October 17, 2010)
Opening invocation delivered to over 2,000 attendees at the
2010 Conference of the International City/County Management Association
Dedicated to Les White,
former Town Manager of Los Gatos and twice the City Manager of San José
Please bow your heads.
Please close your eyes.
And remember.
1989. 21 years ago.
Where were you? What were you doing?
Where did you live, where did you work?
21 years ago, today, right here at 5:04 pm, the Earth shook:
The Loma Prieta Earthquake!
The World Series stopped. The marina burned. Freeways fell.
Downtowns were destroyed.
64 lives were lost, including a former colleague of mine.
But cities rebuild. Community rebuilds.
That is the work we do.
Every day and every year. For a career.
The world continues to shake right here in Silicon Valley:
Back then with Intel, Hewlett Packard, and Apple,
Then Cisco, eBay, Adobe and Apple again.
And today with Facebook, Google, Netflix, Tesla, and Apple still
But we all do the same work, in good times and bad.
Out of earthquakes and oil spills, fast fires and freezing storms, during booms and busts,
We marshal and manage the forces for our homes.
It’s not easy, but it’s the work we do.
We gather here, together, to draw strength from each other,
As we face our own joys and challenges.
To learn, to share, to care.
So I ask you, again,
To bow your heads.
To close your eyes.
And remember.
Who was that mentor who launched you on your journey?
Who was that coach who helped you over that hurdle?
Who was that boss that taught you something new?
Think of him. Think of her.
He may have moved on. She may be gone.
But he is here with you, she is with all of us.
He may look different. Her name may have changed.
But he is on your left. She is to your right.
We are here to learn from each other,
To grow with each other.
As we have grown from those before.
As we are here for those to follow.
Let us give thanks for what we’ve been given.
Let us give thanks for what we’re able to give.
And for those of us who believe,
Let us give thanks to the power beyond.
Amen
Please close your eyes.
And remember.
1989. 21 years ago.
Where were you? What were you doing?
Where did you live, where did you work?
21 years ago, today, right here at 5:04 pm, the Earth shook:
The Loma Prieta Earthquake!
The World Series stopped. The marina burned. Freeways fell.
Downtowns were destroyed.
64 lives were lost, including a former colleague of mine.
But cities rebuild. Community rebuilds.
That is the work we do.
Every day and every year. For a career.
The world continues to shake right here in Silicon Valley:
Back then with Intel, Hewlett Packard, and Apple,
Then Cisco, eBay, Adobe and Apple again.
And today with Facebook, Google, Netflix, Tesla, and Apple still
But we all do the same work, in good times and bad.
Out of earthquakes and oil spills, fast fires and freezing storms, during booms and busts,
We marshal and manage the forces for our homes.
It’s not easy, but it’s the work we do.
We gather here, together, to draw strength from each other,
As we face our own joys and challenges.
To learn, to share, to care.
So I ask you, again,
To bow your heads.
To close your eyes.
And remember.
Who was that mentor who launched you on your journey?
Who was that coach who helped you over that hurdle?
Who was that boss that taught you something new?
Think of him. Think of her.
He may have moved on. She may be gone.
But he is here with you, she is with all of us.
He may look different. Her name may have changed.
But he is on your left. She is to your right.
We are here to learn from each other,
To grow with each other.
As we have grown from those before.
As we are here for those to follow.
Let us give thanks for what we’ve been given.
Let us give thanks for what we’re able to give.
And for those of us who believe,
Let us give thanks to the power beyond.
Amen