Wearing the White Hat

Greetings, fellow Travellers! :-)

Well, I can safely say that Mike & I added a few more things to our "not how we're going to run OUR biz" list this weekend. Oy comma vey freakin' exclamation POINT!

Now, as much as I'm tempted to, I'm not going to tell you this person's name who has provided us with such educational opportunities, nor am I going to tell you the organization they work with. In addition to the fact that I see no reason to condemn an entire organization of otherwise lovely, dedicated people for the actions of a single less-than-enlightened soul, it's also because that's not the kind of person I want to be.

You know the white hat/black hat symbolism from back in the day? Well, I like to wear the white hat.

As an excellent example of what I call White Hat behavior I give you Rene Auberjonois of Benson & Star Trek fame. I was privileged to see him at a couple of Star Trek conventions in Florida. What struck me then and stuck with me through the years, beyond the usual fannish things, was his complete and respectful professionalism. He had stories to tell, as all the speakers do, but they were never mean or gossipy, and even when flat-out asked (not by me), to dish the dirt on his shows and his fellow actors, he politely, but firmly refused. Class.

To this day, when I am tempted to indulge myself in less-than-professional behavior, I look to his example and remember the kind of professional, and the kind of person, that I want to be.

So I'm not going to tell you about this person, or about what happened.
It's about taking the high road.
It's about being better than that.
It's about being the person I want to be.

It's about wearing the white hat.

So as I leave you tonight, basking in the glow of taking the higher course, I ask you...

Are you wearing the White Hat?

Bright Blessings & Good Fortune! :-)
-Bird