Just Some Thoughts - From a Friend

Larry Adamson is a man I highly respect. He and his wife Barbara were members at the Garretson Rd. church in New Jersey when I preached there. He became one of my mentors, and has had a great influence on Leisa and me over the years

Larry began his career as a High School Basketball coach in Indiana, then moved to New Jersey and worked with the USGA, until he retired and moved to Nashville to be closer to kids, warmer weather and music. He is a remarkable man with the best 'people skills' of anyone I've ever known. Larry is also a 'blogger' at heart, yet doesn't have a blog page of his own. He sends out his "thoughts' via email. This is one I received a couple of weeks ago and asked him if I could post it here. I thought you might appreciate it.

Just some thoughts:

I'm uneasy with people who have been in a position of power or authority for an extended period of time and appear unwilling to make changes and give up that position. For me this has recently been aptly represented when a United States Senator changed political parties in which he acknowledged he could not be re-elected if he remained with the party that had put him in this position of authority. The man is one year away from eighty years of age and has been at this position for twenty eight years. Why is it that some have difficulty in "moving over?" Joe "D", some say he left before his time, well at least his fans did not have to witness his demise.

I've come to believe that for some "power" is a strong drug and hard to give up and as I said that makes me uncomfortable. In the business world, politics, sports ,churches, schools, you name it and most all of us can think of cases and people who could not give up that role of authority or power and it came to the demise of that group they were representing. Because one has been at a certain position of power or authority for a period of time what makes them think they should continue at such? My family and I had a doctor that we loved and respected dearly, but time and medicine brought change and we no longer sought him as our doctor. Respect for him and our indebtedness continues to this day but we and thankfully he knew when it was time to remove himself from that role.

Recently I ask Vince Gill about a song he had written that had caught my attention. "It's a young man's town" is the song. I ask Vince to share with me how he came to write that song. He told me he was having lunch with one of his producers/record people and he (producer) said "Vince your just not getting the air play you should, they just aren't doing you right." Vince said he told him "Hey that's ok, it's a young man's town." From that came the song. Vince went on to say "the song is about more than music, its about change and realizing when change must come to you."

You wake up one morning and it's passed you by

Don't know when and you don't know why

So why b---ch and moan and say they done you wrong

Just teach' em what you know an' pass it on down

Leaving a position one has held for a long period of time does not mean "its over." From personal experience, it means a lot of things and many of them good. New avenues to travel, interest to pursue, people to meet, places to go. Time one can now give "to teach' em", to mentor, to volunteer, to spend with people you previously have not had time. The possibilities are vast. As I grow older I am skeptical of the reasons some people give when trying to keep or stay at positions they have been at for a long time. Often others realize it is time for change but they don't or better still, just plan and simple, won't. I fear the reason far too often, is one word, power. Some say power corrupts, and absolute power, well it can really corrupt. So to the Senator from Pennsylvania who is nearly 80 years old and held his seat for twenty eight years......come on..."move over and move on." Notice I did not say retire, I don't think one has to ever retire... but accept change, absolutely.

Larry Adamson