Giving something back.
12-28-2010, 08:11 AM
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Giving something back.
This link
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=836750
is to a thread about Fred Hargesheimer, a World War II fighter pilot who was shot down in the Pacific over the island of New Britian. The people there rescued him, nursed him back to health, hid him from the Japanese and delivered him to Australian commandos who delivered him to a rescue submarine. After the war, Mr. Hargesheimer felt that he owed his life to the islanders and wanted to give something back. He raised money, had a school and other facilities built and was active until his death in giving something back.
Reading his obituary made me think of an accounting professor who I had for advanced accounting. He was an older man who had lost about 80% of his eyesight. He had a fine career, having been the head accountant for one of the big three automakers in the 60s and 70s and serving on the Accountancy board and FASB. He had lived all of his life in Michigan, but in his older years and retirement, he moved to New Jersey to be near his children and his grandchildren. By the time I took his class he was in his late 70s or early 80s.
I used to go to class early just to spend a few minutes talking to him and sharing in his knowledge. Once I asked him why, after having the kind of career that he had, and not needing the money, did he come back to teach. Especially considering his loss of eyesight and his advancing age. His answer had a profound impact on me.
He told me that the accounting profession had been better to him than he ever imagined it could be. How he and his wife had done very well, and lived a good and full life, and now he felt that he had to give something back. He said he was giving back the only thing he knew how to give back. He was teaching so that he could share his wisdom and experience with the younger generation in the hopes that he could help to nurture some future accountants and so that the profession would continue to advance.
I've never forgotten what he's said. To this day, I try to mentor young people in the industry and try to promote what I think is excellence in accounting.
I know that this professor, had a great impact on me in his attempt to give something back. Did you ever know anyone who "gave something back"? How did they affect you?
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=836750
is to a thread about Fred Hargesheimer, a World War II fighter pilot who was shot down in the Pacific over the island of New Britian. The people there rescued him, nursed him back to health, hid him from the Japanese and delivered him to Australian commandos who delivered him to a rescue submarine. After the war, Mr. Hargesheimer felt that he owed his life to the islanders and wanted to give something back. He raised money, had a school and other facilities built and was active until his death in giving something back.
Reading his obituary made me think of an accounting professor who I had for advanced accounting. He was an older man who had lost about 80% of his eyesight. He had a fine career, having been the head accountant for one of the big three automakers in the 60s and 70s and serving on the Accountancy board and FASB. He had lived all of his life in Michigan, but in his older years and retirement, he moved to New Jersey to be near his children and his grandchildren. By the time I took his class he was in his late 70s or early 80s.
I used to go to class early just to spend a few minutes talking to him and sharing in his knowledge. Once I asked him why, after having the kind of career that he had, and not needing the money, did he come back to teach. Especially considering his loss of eyesight and his advancing age. His answer had a profound impact on me.
He told me that the accounting profession had been better to him than he ever imagined it could be. How he and his wife had done very well, and lived a good and full life, and now he felt that he had to give something back. He said he was giving back the only thing he knew how to give back. He was teaching so that he could share his wisdom and experience with the younger generation in the hopes that he could help to nurture some future accountants and so that the profession would continue to advance.
I've never forgotten what he's said. To this day, I try to mentor young people in the industry and try to promote what I think is excellence in accounting.
I know that this professor, had a great impact on me in his attempt to give something back. Did you ever know anyone who "gave something back"? How did they affect you?
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