Doing The Right Thing

When my friend Paul was managing a band, his email signature was a quote attributed to Hunter S. Thompson: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I loved seeing that quote every time I got an email from Paul.  I took it to mean that he was determined to retain his humanity. 

But it turns out that Hunter never really said or wrote this. 

Still, it resonated enough to proliferate right?  

And why should we let something like factual research get in the way of a good gestalt?
 
But in reality, as I have shadowed the music industry in my career for the past 17 years, I have actually come across some real stand up, honorable people. People with principles. It is good to be reminded of that once in a while.

This week I was given a sterling example of how amidst the rip-offs and the screw-overs, you can still find people to admire for their courage and tenacity to do the right thing. 

  This guy - who would probably prefer to be nameless - he stuck to his plan to help out the non-profit I work for even though it meant a LOT of headaches and bullshit obstacles. 

It would have been more expedient for him to shrug his shoulders and say, "at least I tried."  But he dug his heels in and found a way. 

He didn't do it for the glory or the recognition.  He wanted to help out people that many others have forgotten.  He did it because he wanted to stick to his original deal and because he has integrity. 

I would like to take this moment to thank him.