Shel Silverstein on Management

July 17, 2008 • 12:13 pm • POSTED BY David Burden

Walk the plank” says Captain Jim.
“But Captain Jim, I cannot swim .”
“Then you must steer us through the gale.”
“But Captain Jim, I cannot sail.”
“Then down with the galley slaves you go.”
“But Captain Jim, I cannot row.”
“Then you must be the pirate’s clerk.”
“But Captain Jim, I cannot work.”
“Then a pirate captain you must be.”
“Thank you, Jim.” says Captain Me.

Yeah, its been kind of a grueling week in (upper) middle managent, one of those weeks where I constanly asked myself “How did I get here?” “Am I doing the right thing?” and “Where the f*%k are my car keys?”. While putting my kids to bed the other night (the extent of my parenting this week, have you) I read a few poems from the brilliant Shel Silverstein’s “Where the Sidewalk Ends”, which was given to me on my eighth birthday (and as of yet hadn’t scarred me emotionally the way his maudlin “The Giving Tree” has). The above poem fairly well summed up how I felt.