I got up yesterday morning at 4am and made pesto. I had a lot of basil I needed to get rid of … so I needed to make it* … or the basil would have gone bad. Did I have to do it at 4am; probably not but I was up, so why not? Since my parents were thrifty I have issues throwing perfectly fine things away – which is usually the clinical definition of hoarder but thankfully, it hasn’t gone down that path yet. And I was up at 4am.
Lately, we’ve been having discussions surrounding how do all become fully and absolutely engaged to the point of utilizing everything in its best possible way. “What does that mean?” – asked in a slightly snarky and paranoid way.
Ok, so when I fly I pay particular attention to the landscape I am flying over. I am always so impressed at flying over Iowa. Why? Because we use every inch of our land, and the above our land we put up windmills. Under the surface, we have drains to make sure we get full use out of our surface area. You fly over Nevada or Utah – it is dirt. Not a lot happening. Bottom line? In Iowa, we are fully and absolutely engaged in utilizing everything. This efficiency/effectiveness thing is driven into us – this is how we are built.
So as we go forward with Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics – we will continue to look in every corner and turn over every stone for possibilities. We’ve had a lot of luck over the years spinning the hay into gold, and so that’s what we’ll continue to do. If I ask you about engagement, don’t be paranoid, it’s how I’m wired (because you don’t want the basil to go bad).
*pesto = fresh basil leaves, garlic, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, olive oil, salt to taste. Blend.
-Steve Simonin, President & CEO
