Bob Hope
I tell ya, Whippy Wing-Wing Jackson, I’m still hearing the same old tune around the rhubarb patch. Quiet quitting, the American work ethic is kaput, nothin’ but clockwatchers who say toodeloo as soon as the Flintstone whistle blows.
I’ve done that ditty a couple times myself, but the other morning as I sat in the parking lot waiting for the packie to open, I read a piece in the Globe by Bryan Marquand. He's the best obit writer around, Doberman Foley. This one was for Anne Esposito, who was the executive director of client relations at Mass General Hospital. Day in, day out, she helped patients navigate illnesses and the complications of the healthcare system. She was dedicated to her job and her patients and lived by the line, “Cure sometimes, but comfort always.” It wasn’t a goddamn job for her. It was a passion. She was 75 with no plans to retire. She represented the best of us.
And you know what, Bugs Williams, that’s the way Phil Glynn works. Phil is an oncology doctor at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield. He stood side by side with friends of mine—Bill Ochoa, Brian Trelease, Andy Yee—as they fought for their lives. I gotta say, I’ve never seen a doctor respond to patients and their families the way he does. Same deal as Anne—days, nights, weekends, holidays, at home or in the hospital. Phil is always looking out for ya with care and kindness. The guy is real and he’s got a good sense of humor too. It’s all personal for Phil. Always has been always will be. Ain’t no quiet quitting here, baby.
Phil and I have something in common. We were both kinda slow starters. It took us both a little extra time to make it out of high school. Me longer than Phil. That’s why he ended up a doctor and I ended up a windbag. I told Phil what I told my flabbergasted father when he asked how long was it going to take for me to finish high school. I said, “Dad, the longer I go the smarter I get.”
So let the dedication of people like Anne Esposito and Phil Glynn inspire us in ’23. Let’s hope it’s a good one, Bob. Keep your dukes up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy625sZAHN8
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