Breaking the rules, by Carol Orndorff
A couple of weeks ago I happened to catch the tail end of The Rachel Maddow Show. She ended the show as she always does….”Stay tuned for The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell. Tonight he returns from his three months of battling back from his accident and he has some thought provoking and moving stories to tell from his journey.”
Okay, I didn’t really know he had been gone. How would I, not being a regular follower of MSNBC? I was curious and decided to watch longer.
Mildly, Lawrence began, “As you can see, I am not wearing a tie tonight and most anchormen always wear ties. And real anchormen don’t cry on their show, either. It’s not acceptable; if we did, we would make the stories about ourselves. Heaven forbid, we teach America that it’s okay for its leaders to suppress emotion. Well, I am not going to wear a tie tonight and I don’t promise not to cry.”
He had me now. What in the world? Where was he going with this?
Lawrence proceeded to share his tale of tragedy and hope and being humbled by the richness of humanity.
Three months earlier, Lawrence and his big brother, Michael were vacationing on a Pirates of the Caribbean trip in the Virgin Islands. Late one night they were hit by a drunk driver and both crushed. He recounted the surreal moments of watching his life flash before his eyes and then acknowledged the many individuals who ran to their rescue. Not only the people in the streets, but the local hospital and eventually his MSNBC family, including the station president and the head of the newsroom who personally pulled strings to get Lawrence and Michael helicoptered back to the states.
Once back home, Lawrence, suffering from a broken and displaced hip, was rushed to one of the best hospitals in New York. He recalls being rolled out of the ambulance, looking up and reading
The David H Koch Pavilion for Special Surgery
And he had a moment with himself.
“I may not agree with his politics, but the Koch brothers have given millions of dollars to hospital facilities, giving people like me a better hospital experience in a time of need and helplessness.”
Recalling a line from F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Before I go on with this short history, let me make a general observation– the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.”
Lawrence realized that he could oppose their politics and appreciate their contribution to healthcare.
At that moment in the show, he paused and there was a quiet humility present. It was clearly a turning point in his career as an anchorman.
Lawrence could not end without acknowledging the doctors and the nurses (the care community) who stayed right with him, and “got him through the night.”
“It’s a remarkable thing to save lives. When’s the last time you saved a life?”
That night he ended by saying, “More good things happen than we know how to report to you.” There was not much more to say.
As a leader, Lawrence has demonstrated what it is to be publically authentic. He owned his views and gave space for others to contribute to him. He was moved and humbled and transformed by this experience. And he continues to not wear his tie.
Okay, I didn’t really know he had been gone. How would I, not being a regular follower of MSNBC? I was curious and decided to watch longer.
Mildly, Lawrence began, “As you can see, I am not wearing a tie tonight and most anchormen always wear ties. And real anchormen don’t cry on their show, either. It’s not acceptable; if we did, we would make the stories about ourselves. Heaven forbid, we teach America that it’s okay for its leaders to suppress emotion. Well, I am not going to wear a tie tonight and I don’t promise not to cry.”
He had me now. What in the world? Where was he going with this?
Lawrence proceeded to share his tale of tragedy and hope and being humbled by the richness of humanity.
Three months earlier, Lawrence and his big brother, Michael were vacationing on a Pirates of the Caribbean trip in the Virgin Islands. Late one night they were hit by a drunk driver and both crushed. He recounted the surreal moments of watching his life flash before his eyes and then acknowledged the many individuals who ran to their rescue. Not only the people in the streets, but the local hospital and eventually his MSNBC family, including the station president and the head of the newsroom who personally pulled strings to get Lawrence and Michael helicoptered back to the states.
Once back home, Lawrence, suffering from a broken and displaced hip, was rushed to one of the best hospitals in New York. He recalls being rolled out of the ambulance, looking up and reading
The David H Koch Pavilion for Special Surgery
And he had a moment with himself.
“I may not agree with his politics, but the Koch brothers have given millions of dollars to hospital facilities, giving people like me a better hospital experience in a time of need and helplessness.”
Recalling a line from F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Before I go on with this short history, let me make a general observation– the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.”
Lawrence realized that he could oppose their politics and appreciate their contribution to healthcare.
At that moment in the show, he paused and there was a quiet humility present. It was clearly a turning point in his career as an anchorman.
Lawrence could not end without acknowledging the doctors and the nurses (the care community) who stayed right with him, and “got him through the night.”
“It’s a remarkable thing to save lives. When’s the last time you saved a life?”
That night he ended by saying, “More good things happen than we know how to report to you.” There was not much more to say.
As a leader, Lawrence has demonstrated what it is to be publically authentic. He owned his views and gave space for others to contribute to him. He was moved and humbled and transformed by this experience. And he continues to not wear his tie.
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