Three things I couldn't stop thinking about this week

Celebrity excess, the difference between leaders and self-promoters, and why even Larry David can wear out his welcome.

By Jim LaJoie, co-publisher, contributor

I may not be the most romantic guy….

But a wedding held at Madison Square Garden, with 1,000 guests, and Adam Sandler (who I like) officiating? Strikes me more as spectacle than revered tradition of uniting two for life. Marriage is meant to be a public declaration of your love and lifelong commitment to your partner, not a Hollywood extravaganza.

I say this as not the most romantic guy. Maybe not the least, but certainly not the most.

Oh, and in case you have been in a coma for many months, that would indeed be the wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce I was referring to. If you needed that clarification, and haven’t been in a coma or trek deep into the Amazon for the last year then I am either very sorry for your complete lack of understanding of current cultural events or deeply impressed by it.

On Leadership

I once worked with someone who would loudly proclaim what a great leader they were, how they were the type of highly motivating individual who could build successful, highly productive teams, how they were gifted at developing a cohesive, unified organizational culture.

In reality, though, on a daily basis this person’s words and actions belied their bombast. This person would claim credit for all achievements made by the team, no matter the significance, or lack of, her personal contributions. This person would run away from blame of any kind, throwing it at the feet of any staff member who unfortunately crossed her line of fire.

The fact of the matter was that this person was openly disdainful of those who were under her while fawning to those in power. The staff knew it, felt, openly spoke of it. It is difficult to be called a leader when you don’t even like those who are meant to follow.

Unfortunately, I am often reminded of this former colleague on a daily basis when following the national news. We at Greybeard Journal attempt to remain free of politics, but it is a difficult, self-imposed rule to adhere to at times.

I will just say: any true leader doesn’t have to constantly tell everyone and anyone what a great leader they are, how they are the best at this, how they could have been the best at that, ad nauseum, ad nauseum. They don’t have open disdain for most, either.

Please make it stop.

On Larry David

I understand Larry David’s shtick: cranky, contrarian, obsessed with petty social grievances. In small doses, I enjoy it. In small doses. The same way I don’t often eat cottage cheese, but if it is on my plate occasionally, I am good with it, but can only handle small amounts and very irregularly.

Having said that, for some inexplicable reason, my wife and I binged all 12 seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm, first aired in 2000 and running for 12 seasons, over the course of last summer, early Fall. Typically we would watch one or two shows a night. I watched, I laughed, I winced. I never knew exactly how I felt about the show after each and every one. 120 to be exact. Maybe that was the point.

Watching the final season, however, I felt the way I assume marathon runners do, staggering to the finish line: not really enjoying it, merely trying to finish what they started, as painful as it was in the moment. Again, maybe that was the point.

I thought of this when over the weekend I noticed David’s HBO comedy series Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness, a comedy based on American history. I watched the first episode. It wasn’t anywhere near as cringy as Curb, but retained the “cranky-old-man” routine. Couldn’t finish the show and moved on.

Some things are best served in very small doses.

Wrap Up

When reviewing my post before publishing, it was not lost on me that someone who didn’t know me could perceive me in a similar way to Larry David: a cranky old man caustically evaluating the current life and times.

I don’t think I am. Excuse me while a do a little introspection…..

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