Do What I Do

A good many of you were present at, or have heard about, the investiture for RBD JR. If you hadn't, you certainly gained an appreciation for the event through the accounts of FTD and MLL. I have struggled to come up with how to find my own words to describe the event as it was the pinnacle of years spent climbing a mountain for a man who deserved to be simply placed at the top. I had the distinct honor of spending a portion of that time with a front row seat; to witness the highs and lows, the times of excitement and extreme frustration; to seemingly reach the goal, only to see it dashed upon the rocks.

There was a portion of RBD Jr's remarks where he lauded us kids as being, "exceptional people," "role models," and people who "constantly seek out new challenges and treat others with dignity, respect, kindness, and compassion." If these words are true, it is only because we all, in our own way, wish to somehow come close to the example set by him. It was easy to see by the sheer numbers present at the event, he is as well a respected man in the community, both within his profession and out, as there comes. The outpouring of love, adoration, admiration, and pride was truly moving.

Over the past few weeks, I have been helping to clean out the basement for some sort of overhaul and have come across a number of awards and plaques that have been given to RBD Jr over the years. I would say he has been in a veritable who's who of lawyers in Florida during his career, except he is in an actual who's who publication. As a kid, I once said, "I bet if my Dad stood on this car, he could touch the top of this bridge." The bridge is on the way to Amelia Island, and is well out of reach of any man, standing on a car or not. I think a more realistic statement would be, he is one of the smartest people I know.

A portion of his remarks reads as follows:

"I come to the bench at a tumultuous time in our nations’ history. Our political
discourse is marked with sharp division and rancor. We are in danger of losing
sight of the fact that the issues that unite us as a nation are far greater and
more enduring than the issues that divide us. In some respects the operation of
our government has become so dysfunctional that the confidence of the public
in our collective ability to solve problems and maintain our position in the world
as an icon of justice and equality is being undermined."

This particular excerpt from his remarks stood out to me. It has been well documented that I do not like to talk politics, especially over social media, because of the "I'm right, you're wrong or just an idiot" discourse that seems unchangeable. I have come back to these remarks many times since the investiture, and I thought, if only government officials would take a page from me, and try and be more like my dad. I have no doubt we would be in a better place if they did.

I, for one, will always try and follow his lead.