The Never-Ending Search for Truth

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

I learned something important this week. After being in denial for years and judging people who used one, you do need a comma between “thank you” and who or what it is you are thanking. I always thought the implied pause made the sentence read awkwardly. Thank you, Google.

On Thursday February 29, I asked someone what I should write about. He said that I must mention the leap year. Do I?

I spent office hours Thursday with two people who are working hard to understand some challenging material. They suggested that I write about their observation that this week is “drab”—constantly cloudy, a humid warm and then a raw cold, and Spring Break begins in a week with no tests until after. They noted that it’s tough to be working so hard while those they typically study with have an “it can wait until after Spring Break” attitude. However, by working hard now, they’ll reap the benefits of feeling 15 minutes ahead as opposed to 15 minutes behind as well as learning now and reviewing later.

This is for all of you who are fighting through things and doing it the right way. You can define “things” any way you’d like. I did not have to deal with much of what many of you do, so for you I have a great deal of admiration.

Measuring your worth or trying to prove yourself by showing that you can do it all invariably results in stretching yourself too thin. Here’s an analogy I’m borrowing from someone else: When you put a full-size blanket on a king size bed, pulling the blanket up to feel cozy results in cold feet. There’s absolutely no shame in saying “no” or “I can’t do it all anymore,” and managing your life to reach a workable equilibrium. It’s a tough balancing act, and juggling tennis balls instead of knives is certainly not a sign of weakness or failure. Please give yourself the gift of time to do whatever it is you love, like playing the piano, crocheting, or painting. Your mental health and your work will both benefit from it.

Someone who was in my class last year, whose test grades improved from a 36 on Exam 1 to an 85 on Exam 2 to a 91 on Exam 3, provided this advice to people who are currently seeking to do something similar: put yourself around others who share your goals, immerse yourself in the material, and be proactive by asking your questions as opposed to relying on others to ask questions that may or may not be relevant to you. It says a lot that he remembers his exact grades a year later.

Confidence is being able to say “nothing” when asked what impact a transaction has on a specific part of the financial statements when, in fact, it has none. Supreme confidence is saying “nothing” like Gene Wilder did in Willy Wonka.

I watched a movie the other night in which someone said to someone else: “You prize secrecy over assistance.”

I woke up Wednesday feeling groggy and unmotivated, and wondered how I was going to get through the day—until I read Henry “Crip” Heard’s obituary in the New York Times. He was a professional dancer prior to and, remarkably, after having an arm and a leg amputated. His obituary stated that “His dancing upended audiences’ assumptions that people with disabilities were incapable of leading fulfilling lives, and he boldly turned a derogatory term, “crip,” into a stage name, declaring pride in his body’s unique power of expression.” If you doubt that you can rebound from a setback, or overcome whatever it is that you’re struggling with, please watch this brief clip. How much courage must he have had? Clearly, he never gave up…and neither should you. And I ended up having a great day.

The General Store at Tannehill State Park burned to the ground early Thursday morning. The Park Superintendent said ““We’ll regroup; We’ll be okay. It’s just hard at this moment.” Although I’m sad, I look forward to seeing what’s next.

I intend to leave you with this: I was watching a poker tournament on TV the other night and had a sudden craving for Benton’s Animal Crackers (which have a delightful lemony finish). However, I didn’t want to make the trip to Aldi’s because I thought I’d just eat the whole box (not to mention the animal crackers) on the way home. Instead, I decided to go all in on a stack of Thin Mints. I’m not a huge Thin Mints fan (my loyalty is with Trefoils), but I knew that washing them down with some a2 Reduced Fat Hershey’s Chocolate Milk would make it OK. Am I an influencer? I don’t know, but if you sample and enjoy any of the products I placed in this paragraph, toss me a quarter next time you see me. I have quick hands, I’ll catch it.

In reality, I leave you with this: