Following up on the previous item about Jim Borgman, Jim sent on these reflections about his editorial cartooning career:
“As an editorial cartoonist I used to figure that I had the reader’s attention for maybe five seconds…When you think about it, it’s a remarkable honor to be given someone’s attention every day, and I tried to reward the visit with as much punch as I could pack.”
When someone looks at his or her work as a remarkable honor, doesn’t that so often make the difference? Isn’t the honor piece true of all sorts of work? If a lawyer thinks it’s a remarkable honor to represent a client, won’t that make a difference in the quality of the representation? If a judge thinks her or his office is a remarkable honor, won’t the judicial temperament reflect that? If an elected official sees his role as an honor to serve people as opposed to being served, doesn’t that set him apart? If you go to the store and the salesperson says thank you and treats you respectfully, don’t you go back?