Thursday, October 28, 2010

Food for Thought: The lowest denominator

Read this story and it struck home deeply.

I'm not trying to be noble or magnanimous in spirit when I penned this blog entry, nor am I attempting to resolve world hunger issues. But one principle I strictly adhere to with conviction in the army and also in my work environment is:

Everyone has a crucial part to play and the team is only as strong as the lowest denominator.

Recently a taxi driver shared his condition and predicament with me while driving to my customer's site. He is a 65-year-old Malay diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure and hypertension. His wife is very sick and bed-bound. He drives to support her and himself. His income is largely used to pay for his medical expenses. His children are not financially well-off to support their parents. He complains of fatigue and wishes he need not work so hard because he wants less stress and to live a simple life. He is definitely NOT getting it right now.