Honoring Excellence

I’m a subscriber to Word a Day and one of the clever things

it does, beyond expanding my vocabulary, is to present a quote every day. Here’s

one that particularly struck me:

We must learn to honor

excellence in every socially accepted human activity, however humble the

activity, and to scorn shoddiness, however exalted the activity. An excellent

plumber is infinitely more admirable than an incompetent philosopher. The

society that scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble

activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted

activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes

nor its theories will hold water.

-John W. Gardner, author and leader

(1912-2002)

In our current favor for immediacy and controversy

over humble excellence, Gardner’s words set me to thinking. Perhaps we

have made price, status and availability too low a bar.

What makes us smile? Why does extra effort so

amaze us? Why is it that a simple act of kindness or courage is

so rare in the buzz of everyday life?

I was looking for a new case for my

cell phone the other day and the very large and amply equipped shop I chose

explained that my phone was too old for them to carry such an item. Okay, I

understand that.

But he went further and checked out

additional sources, suggesting a competitor who still had several available. Indeed,

I found one there.

Now he didn’t need to do that and even exposed his

shop to the possibility I might use his competitor in future. But I won’t. That

simple act of going the extra mile assures (at least for me) that I’ll try him first

of all the next time. He smiled and wished me well—the cherry on the

sundae.

Waiting for a tram several nights

ago, I spotted a homeless man and his dog, sitting on the street. A common

sight these days and more common yet to step around him with a scornful look.

But a man, clearly not homeless,

stopped and engaged him in brief conversation. Then he sat down, pet the dog

and chatted for a while. No money changed hands, but the homeless man’s

humanity had been acknowledged. He was lifted, if only for a moment,

from the scum of the street to (perhaps) just another guy a bit down on his

luck.

What drove him there? Alcohol? A divorce, lost job or mental

health? I have no idea. His dog still loves him and dogs are very picky. It may

be that our collective annoyance is closely tied to the possibility that, under

certain circumstances, we might be him.

Enough of speculation.

I’m no better than you at

understanding or doing good for the less fortunate. It was not John Gardner’s

purpose, nor is it mine, to pontificate from an ivory tower.

But his words were powerful for me in these difficult times

and I wanted to share them with you.