Lessons learned

I like to summarize. Sometimes at the end of a conversation or at the end of a trip, or maybe at the end of some period in my life, I'll try to come up with the pithy statement that ties it all together so I can put that moment on the shelf with a nice tag.

Sometimes the summaries are vague, like Bob Barrenger said after flipping a station wagon in State and Main -- "So... that happened." Other times the lessons are much more specific -- "Lighting a campfire inside the tent is a bad idea."

Here are some other ones I remember.

• Don't try to charge $5.00 for a bottle of water to 300,000 people fenced in at a concert. They will burn shit.
• Lists are good, but if you never look at them, they're not as good.
• Cows are always funny
• Phantom stock is a bad idea. The work "phantom" should have been a clue.
• You always have to have someone to talk to.
• Remember to send in your tax forms. Otherwise, bad things happen.
• Sometimes, a peaceful solution is the wrong solution.
• Things usually happen for a reason, you just might not see that reason for a while.
• If you go into the interview with an attitude, even McDonald's will give you a no hire.
• If you're really good at rationalizing, you can fool yourself.
• Sometimes you need to dig in, sometimes you need to move on. It is tough to know the difference.
• It's interesting the things people will give you in Las Vegas.
• I care about elegance and elegance is all about the details.
• I'm not a details guy, though I often wish I was.
• Palm Springs in late May is extraordinarily hot.
• There are two ways to have a long term consistent golf swing. Quit or die.
• I need goals.
• Pictures are amazing evocative.
• So is music.
• Video is less so.
• Some rules are just guidelines. It's good to know which are which.
• You have to know when to hit "Post"