Today during lunch, Anne and I watched the latter part of the movie classic "Wall Street" (1987), starring Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen and Martin Sheen and it took me back to that year, a very busy time in my life.
Capital Associates, Inc., which I had started in 1974 and which a wonderful team of people and I had worked many years to build, was going public on the NASDAQ right about now in 1987, and I spent time in New York and Washington, DC to help make that public offering a reality. At the same time, I was the Chairman and CEO and had major responsibilities in running the company, which had offices across the U.S.
But sometimes the pressure was so great, I asked myself in 1987 for the first time I can recall, is it really worth the money? I wondered what else I would do with my life were I free to pursue those things. And soon I informally let others know that in three years I would leave active management of the company. But in 1990, that wasn't to be as the company had gargantuan problems and I lived Monday - Friday, in Colorado, where the company was headquartered, working long hours, with Sandy Sigoloff and his team, and an outstanding group of employees to get the company back on its feet, which we ultimately did.
Today, I have enormous energy and I know in my heart, even at age 67 I could start and with a great group of people build another company. But that is not where my heart is, and as a writer and activist I'm doing what my heart guides me to do. Although since ending the peace vigils in January, I'm not sure for now I am an activist, but I'm following the inspirational guidance that is so essential to me. Yet all these thoughts are poring out of me from watching "Wall Street" and suddenly reliving a bit of 1987. I'm very thankful to be who and where I am today and to have so many loved ones in my life, good health, a sense of purpose and to be useful and needed by others.
Dick
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