October 2021 – Repertoire Magazine
This past month several events took place that made me pause. First, in a two-day period, three people I know and love in the industry lost their lives: Jon Trujillo, formerly with PSS and Owens & Minor; Dee Chapman, formerly with Alere and Abbott (Dee was also a Repertoire Manufacturer Rep of the Year); and Linda Kitzmiller, wife of Don Kitzmiller, formerly with Midmark.
The second event, while small, in the big scheme of things hit me right between the eyes. My oldest son Scottie who works for MTMC in Nashville texted a picture on our family thread of a new grill he bought. The photo came with the following message: “I put together my first grill and had my first cookout with friends – this is a proud moment for me.” Most of you know I’m a grilling fanatic, so this was a proud moment for me as well.
So, what do these two completely different stories have in common? They are both lives filled with big events and small milestones. In the movie Tombstone, Wyatt Earp asked Doc Holiday why he could never have a normal life, to which Doc replied, “Wyatt, there is no normal life. There’s just life.” If these past 20 months have shown us anything, Doc couldn’t have been more correct. There is no normal life. There’s just life.
Our lives are a mere vapor. My hope is that none of us take any part of them for granted from the smallest things like your first grill to a tragic event of losing a loved one. Cherish every day, and every one, in your life.
Have a wonderful fall and good selling out there!
Dedicated to the industry,
R. Scott Adams