I Want to be There When...
By Dr. Guy Riekeman, D.C.
President, Life University
Twelve-year-old Brianna Zook, daughter of chiropractor Dr. Tim Zook, heard about
Life’s campaign to raise $3.8 million dollars as a critical step in clearing
its accreditation hurdles this fall. Like so many, she realized this was important
for Life’s future. She also realized it was achievable, but only if people
stopped casually observing and got in the game and did something. Brianna decided
to bake cookies (they’re excellent, by the way) and sell them on a donation
basis in her father’s office. At day’s end, she had collected $54.08.
She decided to match it out of her savings and sent Life a total of $108.16.
She became part of a family that has, in 16 weeks, raised $2.7 million in cash
and $3.0 million in short term pledges. But Brianna did more than that: She
inspired a host of people to step up with a similar commitment. At my request,
Brianna brought a basket of cookies to LP3. That basket of cookies sold quickly
and, by dinner’s end, Brianna’s commitment had translated to $570,000.
Add her original donation and Brianna raised $570,108.16. You should have been
there.
How many times have we heard the expression, “You should have been there?”
It seems that the people who “show up” have great stories of heroes
and heroines, have an intimate experience with history, and are full of passion
and excitement. I remember the night I gathered with thousands of people at
the Berlin Wall just before it fell. I stood in line to step through a hole,
chiseled with little picks, into East Berlin where I had visited with my daughter
years earlier. That original trip was clearly one of guard towers, automatic
weapons and car searches as we cautiously traveled through Checkpoint Charlie
into communist Berlin. This trip was one of celebration, chipping pieces of
the cement wall as memorabilia, and feelings of power. You knew you were engaged
in something important, something historic. You should have been there.
My oldest daughter, Vanessa, when she was young, thought that if you did everything
right that someday something important would wander into your life and you could
grab onto it and find a passionate purpose. Well, folks, it isn’t coming.
People with passion and purpose will tell you that at some point they decided
to make a commitment, first, and that passion follows in direct proportion to
their investment into the event, project or profession. What have you really
committed to? What have you really invested in time, effort and money? You see,
your passion is proportional to this investment.
LP3 marked a passionate turning point in Life’s history. Prior to those
four days, July 22-25, the college climate was one of survival, uncertainty
about its future and wasted dreams of past glory. Today, people have hope and
a growing confidence of a new future based on new dreams. We still have questions
in front of us: accreditation visits and decisions by the Council on Chiropractic
Education and the Southern Association of College and Schools are coming this
fall. Enrollment is increasing significantly, but will take a while to rebuild
for the institution to be strong financially. But we have one of the strongest
teams in education, finance and administration, and many of us have worked together
for years. Combine that with the committed people who stayed at Life during
its troubled times and that leads the way for something magical to happen. You
should have been here.
A lot of people have stepped up. Dr. Joe Lupo decided he was not going to wait
for someone else to send students, so he organized a conference call every Tuesday
(9 p.m. Eastern) to brainstorm and support DCs putting on recruitment nights.
You could be one of these people by investing some energy. Call in almost any
Tuesday night – 512-225-3197 (929674#) – and listen or participate.
Dr. Bill Harris pledged $1,250,000. Drs. Hoffman, Perman and Markson gave $250,000
in cash. These and other people who decided to “be there” were inducted
into Life’s Academy of Fellows. This prestigious group represents those
who acted and will have a say in Life’s future. Here’s a list of
the initial inductees.
Dr. Gerard W. Clum
Dr. Henry J. Cousineau
Dr. Ian Grassam (posthumously)
Dr. William Harris
Dr. Robert J. Hoffman
Dr. John A. Hofmann
Dr. Thomas M. Klapp
Dr. Joseph Lupo
Dr. Larry Markson
Dr. Randolph O’Dell
Dr. Dennis Perman
Dr. Charles Ribley
Dr. Jerry Schindler
Dr. Robert T. Sottile (posthumously)
Dr. Gary C. Wanamaker
Dr. Claire M. Welsh
More will be added because of their commitments and actions.
Someone said to me, “Well, I’ll give when Sid Williams is back in
the mix.” Look, we all have our opinions about Sid. There’s my opinion,
which dates back to a life-changing experience as a student at a DE meeting.
There’s your opinion, which may be pro-Sid or anti-Sid. And then there
will be history’s view of Sid. That will be shaped by fact, myth and Sid’s
behavior in the years to come. But Life’s future is now. There are those
who are stepping up, now, because they know the real issue has always been about
the future of chiropractic and the future of Life, and that we are simply caretakers
of chiropractic for our time. Using Sid as an excuse to not step up may be convenient,
but it does nothing to help. Those who help today will be the benefactors of
a positive future. Those who don’t will be spectators to the noble women
and men who attend history. These committed people, like the students in Berlin,
wanted to be there at Life’s historical moment and that’s exactly
what they’re doing.
Walt Whitman said, “We convince people by our presence.” When I
complete my life, I want to look back and realize I was there at the greatest
moments in history and life.
“I want to be there when the Berlin Wall falls. I want to be there when
the astronauts return from the moon. I want to be there when my children are
born. I want to be there to say goodbye to fallen friends. I want to be there
now to propel Life toward its destiny.”
Can you say, “I want to be there?” Will you be able to say, “I
was there and I made a difference?”
About the author: Dr. Guy Riekeman, serves as president of Life University,
and is the former president and chancellor of Palmer Chiropractic University
System. He is also a former vice president of Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic,
a noted lecturer in the chiropractic profession, and a 1972 graduate of Palmer
College of Chiropractic.
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