Do What You Love, Love What You Do...

Few people in this world, especially in this down economy, can say they have a job they love, a job they are excited about getting up and doing EVERY DAY, a job that they will do for the rest of their lives.  You can spot someone with a job they love by the fact that they've already been there a long time and you can tell it's a part of them.  Without that job, they would be a fraction of who they are today.  And, as this seems to be proven time and time again, they will die without that part of their life.

One such case in point... recently, Andy Rooney died.  Yes, he was old.  Yes, it may have been his time.  Sure, it may have been purposely timed out this way... but the fact that he died weeks after his last broadcast on 60 minutes seems awful coincidental to me.  Suddenly, by choice or not, he was no longer doing something he had done all his life, something that he loved.  He might as well have lost a loved one and been heartbroken over it.  Sadly, he lost her in 2004.

Joe Paterno.  He's coached Penn State Football since 1966 (and was an assistant for 15 years before that). Some say he should have retired years ago.  But when you've been somewhere for over 60 years doing something you love, how can someone expect you to pack-up and leave, especially when it's all you've know for that long.  It's an intricate part of your life and it's what you love.  So it's sad to see him stepping down because of controversy off the field. I'm sorry, no... he's being forced out.

He did what he thought was right, what he thought he was supposed to do at the time after being told something by one of his assistants - send it up the chain of command.  Probably followed whatever policy/guildelines/rules were in place when he reported things the way he did. They probably had such a policy in place to keep things OUT of the media  He wasn't a witness to anything, nor did he expect nothing would be done beyond him telling his superiors (which there actually was - just nothing came of it).  But now he's been told it wasn't enough and he should have done more.  (If you haven't seen the full timeline, here's a link... you'll see this all began way before Joe knew anything about the situation... I just don't think he knows what else to do... so he's stepping down - in my opinion, anyway... it's a big, HUGE, cover up!)

Joe is not a young man - he will be 85 at the end of the year.  He will be 85 when he has to leave something he loves doing behind.  Correction.  He will be 85 when he's told to leave what he love doings.  This isn't your standard retirement, where you take off to FL and spend your savings because you CHOOSE to.  He's being told to leave what he loves doing so the controversy will go away next year.  So what's to become of Joe?  Will he see the same fate as Andy Rooney?  I sure hope not.

They say you should love what you do, yet so few do.  So to all those do what they love, love what they do, and die doing it... I commend you.  And I really envy you.