I’m Betting Almost 1000 Words on a Horse Named Disjointed Thoughts

My Foray* Into Gambling Without Knowing the Odds

Written By: Dr. Rich Houston, Director of the Culverhouse School of Accountancy

Today in math and history. Today’s date is 3 * 8 = 24. Today also is the 53rd anniversary of the first of three Ali-Frazier fights, which at the time was a huge sporting and cultural event.

Making lemonade. I saw a post on LinkedIn and almost didn’t read it because I thought it was going to be one of those in which the person complains that they did not get that job because life is unfair. However, it turned out to be quite the opposite. The post listed a series of well-thought-out actions designed to maximize the likelihood that the next result would be different. It was. Is there something in your life where you’re seeking a different outcome, and have you formulated a series of actions that will enable you to attain it?

Habits. How well will the habits you’re developing now serve you for the rest of your life? I see some people admirably “leaning into” a challenge and some shying away and procrastinating. I observe that leaning into a challenge provides a feeling of dignity. What’s your next move? To me, there’s more to this cartoon than first meets the eye.

A perfect cube. I ran into someone today (not literally) who was in one of my classes 27 years ago. He said that we all need to be better about not allowing things to control us (i.e., hold us hostage)—things like uncooperative people we’re interacting with and the less rewarding tasks we need to complete. Then I ate a grilled cheese sandwich—two types of cheese on rye bread…what could go wrong?

Commonality. Great moment during office hours today: One person smiled and said “same here” to another in reference to something both found difficult to understand. How much of a relief is it when you know that you share a struggle with someone else? When are you going to realize that you have more in common with each other than you think?

People want to unburden themselves. A great conversation I had earlier this week underscored the importance of asking questions until you break through the surface.

Being present means never having to say you’re sorry. Some of you left early for Spring Break, but of course you know that. Leaving early can be fun, but you’re still leaving early. I’ve never surrendered to “premature departers” by cancelling class and I don’t ever intend to. It so happens that some of the best classes are those with the “timely departers.” There’s always kind of a laid-back vibe to the class and I find the following to be true: When I’ve had speakers, they are more forthcoming; when I have discussions, they’re more open; and when I cover material, there are more questions.

Relatedly, I received this note last week from a former student:

One story I would love for you to tell is one I tell our Analysts and junior bankers all the time. It’s about the time an audit partner came to campus to speak to your class. I think it was 1998, as Sosa & McGwire were battling it out for the home run record. On the day the speaker came to campus, there was a test in another class (Finance 302) immediately afterwards. A lot of students, including me regrettably, missed your class that day to study for it. You made a point during the next class to stress the importance of respecting people who are making an effort to recruit on-campus, especially a firm new to our school at the time. You mentioned how our actions could hurt current, and future, students who wanted a job with that firm. I never forgot what you said. So many times in my career I have benefited from showing up, being present, and not thinking I was too busy or important to meet with someone. I just wanted to say thank you for the lesson and, most importantly, I apologize for taking so long to let you know how valuable that lesson has been to me.

Some comments:

• It’s never too late to reach out! If you convince yourself that it is, you’ll never do it. I have owed an embarrassing number of people email replies for quite some time (please accept my apologies), and I think that I’ll spend part of Spring Break trying to catch up.
• You can interpret both “Being Present” and “Showing up” literally or figuratively.
• Great point about never thinking that you are too important—make it a point to treat everyone with the same level of respect. You’re never too busy to do that.
• I’m not sure that what you’re doing an hour before a test is studying; I think it’s called cramming. I wasn’t a perfect student, but I always tried to be done studying the night before the test.

The word. This week I learned about the word “simplexity,” which means using simple language to explain complex topics. I do know that I sound like a broken record when I constantly suggest that you do this, but now that I know the word, I also realize that I run the risk of getting worse.

Now, create your own story by either closing the page, clicking on the list of racehorse names embedded in this entry, or reading my attempt at simplexity, which takes the form of a fictional conversation between Bob and George, who are helping each other understand principal and interest…and perhaps how to strike the right chord. A lot of people are struggling to understand how principal and interest work, but they’re not telling anybody that they are. Please ask…I assure you that it’s not just you.

*June Foray provided the voice for countless cartoon characters, including Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Cindy-Lou Who, and Lucifer the Cat in Cinderella. You should read her brilliantly-written obituary.

See you in a couple of weeks.