You're So Lutheran

One of the many nice things about working for BER is the "program manager"who travels with me and handles all of the details of the week: gets my lunch, drives the rental car, registers the people, sets up the equipment, handles any problem with the meeting room or travel, and so forth. Everyone I have ever worked with has also been an extremely nice person.

This week's program manager, Annie, was no exception. Unlike all the other program managers who are from Washington state, Annie is from Edina, Minnesota and has a Catholic mother and Lutheran father. Since we spent MANY hours together in cars and airports, we got to know each other very well. We talked politics, we talked religion, we talked morality, and talked about "following the rules". Annie goes by the book---she's always in the meeting room before the 7:00 a.m. magic hour, she always dresses in the approved style, she's concientious about every aspect of her job. Of course, as Ken often says, I, too, can be quite "rigid". As I told Annie, I feel guilty if I show up at 7:05 instead of 7:00!

Annie heard my reactions as I read each day's evaluations in the car. She heard my troubled reaction to any negative comment I got on evaluations. Even one unfounded, off the wall, negative comment out of a group of 40 positive comments bothers me. I would love to do what a few presenters do -- tell the participants that "I'm hoping to get all 7's today" or do something else to "encourage" high marks---but I just can't.

I also find it difficult to "self promote". Today a participant commented that she would have liked me to begin the day by presenting my "credentials". My reaction to that is that I just wouldn't be comfortable doing that and, besides, there's a written "about the presenter" section in the brochure. Annie's comment to my reaction was, "You're so Lutheran."

Annie, of course, was both teasing and approving. Her comment reminded me that if doing the right thing doesn't result in a reward, it is still the right thing to do---just what my church has taught me all my life.

I don't get all 7's. But I'm quite proud of the 6.7's or 6.6's that I get without manipulation.
And I'm proud to be accused of being "so Lutheran".