Are You A Mover?
I recently read an interesting anecdote about Herbert Hoover (31st President of the United States, b. 1874 d.1964). When he was a college student, he looked for jobs to support himself while going to school, and one business that he applied at had an opening for a stenography position. Hoover jumped at it, but said he couldn't start for several days. His new boss said that was okay and sure enough, a few days later the young man showed up promptly on time. Curious, the employer asked Hoover why he needed the delay, and the young man replied, "The job calls for skill with a typewriter, and as I had none, I needed to find a typewriter and teach myself how to use it."
Hoover, orphaned at an early age, with the odds seemingly against him, went on to amass a fortune as a mining entrepreneur and, as a pacifist and a Quaker, devoted his life to public service so that he earned the nickname of "Great Humanitarian."
Herbert Hoover once remarked, "No difficult or simple job ever gets done until someone decides right now to do what it takes to get the job done. Unfortunately, too many people stand by ready to carry the stool when there is a piano to be moved."
Wise advice in any endeavor, be it landing a job or writing a novel. Why settle for carrying the stool when you can be a mover?
Image Source: www.bluebook.state.or.us/
Re: Are You A Mover?
Buy/sell anything (goods, time, service, skill...) by anticipation.
Something many people use already. When you borrow to buy a home you get the house before having the money to pay it... yet. Just like Hoover getting the job before getting the appropriate skill...yet.
One would say that’s cheating, but it proved to be a very efficient tool in fast growing situation. When what you can expect is much bigger than what you can afford. It helped “new continents” like North America, South Africa, Australia and others to grow faster. Actually it was popular when Europe started to get potential growth from colonies.
No surprise here if Hoover made a fortune with mines at a time when mines where ready to be owned by the most adventurous, pretending they have the skill and the money to rule them.. in advance. Things have changed though. Most mines are owned or exhausted.
The problem with such a principle is when expectation of growth we can anticipate is not really reasonable. When with the greed to make more business, that is more money, rules first and gambling replaces anticipation. When people borrow more based on a better job to-morrow than the job they have today, ignoring the risk to become jobless. When the banking system, to make more money, accepts more borrowers than its funds allow. Borrowing to other banks without wondering where that money comes from. Building a pyramidal system doomed to collapse one day and that day is today.
I’m not only speaking here of Americans, losing their job AND their house they can’t afford anymore. I am also speaking of the developing poor countries. Where the poor are becoming even poorer – if that can be ever possible – just because of the greed of the rich. And Barbara’s site and novels is the place where to realise the situation of those population today.
One will say this financial crisis won’t last. Forgetting the future of our planet is still at stake.
The problem is with the Hoover’s principle to borrow the future. When a useful principle used with wise becomes a religion. When to learn “typewriting” isn’t a matter of few days of your own but to mortgage the next generation.
According to Hoover’s principle we are now “fucking the planet”. Sorry for the expression.
The growth by anticipation asks us to consume more. More oil, more costumers. more wars.. to control the growth.
Hoover may have been a "Great Humanitarian." Like many of his peers being fast fortune-makers.
Alas, there is no more “free mines” when someone can jump in saying I’m the boss with skill and money still to come..
He has been a generous guy beside the business. Like most of his fast-growing-fortune peers.
But the good doesn’t balance the wrong. When those guys wanted to stand as icons of a new economy system which proved to be totally wrong.
Today, his quote sounds pretty much pathetic. Let me answer him in name of the victims of the system he stood for:
Dear Edgar,
Sorry to disturb you in your grave. I imagine now, listening to me it’s harder than to grab the next mine business.
Things are not going well here according your quotes when you thought your piano thing could be an ever valid reference.
You simply forgot one thing. With your greed to get any business, and the one from your followers, there is no more piano to move. Your philosophy has come to the ultimate end when our sons (that’s your grant-grant- sons) will have to pay for your stupid selfish attitude.
Please help our generation giving us the minimum clue to survive. For my children, a job to move a stood would be just fine... if we can get it...