He Always Knew How To Lead

My Uncle, Sam Gibbons, was a great American.  Many tributes have been written since his unexpected death on October 10, 2012.  Here are a few of my reflections.

 

Sam Gibbons:

Never had a Swiss Bank Account.  He always found his Swiss Army Knife more useful;

Never ran for office to advance his personal financial position; he ran to make sure everyone else had a fair shot;

Never forgot his Faith, but knew there had to be a separation between his personal faith and the government he was helping to lead;

Never tried to prevent anyone from voting—instead, he cast a vote for the 1965 Voting Rights Act to stop voter suppression, discrimination, and poll taxes;

Knew the difference between War Heroes and War Mongers, and had no patience for the latter;

Knew the difference between toughness and tough talk;

Knew that the secret to success in politics was simple—just treat everyone the way you would like to be treated;

Knew the importance of Veterans’ Hospitals after his brother spent a year recovering from his World War II injuries in those hospitals;

Knew his calling was to help other people, and embraced it;

Knew how to work with others to advance the Country’s needs, and not simply his political party’s needs;

Never put his own political future ahead of his Country;

Knew how to speak up for those who otherwise wouldn’t be heard, and never shied away from doing so;

Knew that our planet has finite resources and we’d better become better stewards of it;

Never forgot that Christmas was his brother’s birthday, and he always relished that day because it gave him his best friend in life;

Never forgot to give credit to others;

Knew he owed much of his success to his wife, Martha, and he knew they were a team—and that she was the Manager;

Never moved away from his middle class home or his middle class values as  he rose in National prominence;

Never cowered from labels like “Liberal” or “Democrat” and always knew that his ideals and beliefs were firmly grounded, and the right thing to do;

Knew how to be comfortable in his own skin—often making fun of his looks;

Knew that good ideas make good laws, and he never needed any PAC money or Leadership Funds to convince his fellow legislators to join with him in passing laws;

Knew that he had those huge ears to listen to others, and listen well, he did;

Never failed to help the people he represented, and his Country, every day;

Knew that Trading and Commerce, not Bombs, make Peace;

Knew that some people need an extra Head Start in life just so they won’t fall too far behind;

Knew that although he had unmatched strength and courage, that his love for his family could make him tear up at family gatherings;

Knew he couldn’t carry a tune, but always was the first one to break out the songbooks to sing "Joy To The World" at our family Christmas party each year;

Knew he could make Tampa, Hillsborough County, and our Country a better place—and he did so; 

Knew how to lead by example, and not by sound bites or slogans;

Never forgot he was the People’s Representative;

Knew when it was time to retire;

And he knew that there’s no better way to leave, than peacefully, in your sleep.

And because he knew so much, and served others so well, and never let us down, we’ll never forget what a wonderful man Sam Gibbons was.

Godspeed, Sam Gibbons.  We’re glad we knew you.

Rest in Peace.  You’ve earned it.