Page 616 - WhyAsInY

Why (as in yaverbaum)
negative professional experience. To the contrary. When, prior to my announced departure, I was treated to a surprise party that was orga- nized by my department and attended by about sixty people from all divisions and levels of the agency, my tendency to tear up did overtake me. And the tears turned to laughter when, with a great deal of fanfare, I was presented with a tongue-in-cheek “Commendation”—read aloud— that pretty much captured the manner in which I conducted myself in the service of our nation. Working at the RTC was the best single thing that I did during my professional career, a career that spanned almost forty years. It combined the intellectual challenges of working at a law firm with the continuous excitement (and power, if I must say so) of being a general counsel. There was, however, one key difference: I could utilize what I had learned in a private business context representing Inte- grated Resources, Norman Dansker, and many, many other clients, but I could do so in a cause in which I believed.
There is an almost necessary tendency in private practice to wed yourself to your clients’ goals, but that is not the same as truly believing in the mission. That is a luxury that Kathy will admit to having had in her service to healthcare. And it wouldn’t surprise me if our children and their spouses feel that way about the careers that they have chosen. I hope that they do; they should.
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