Tags
200 words, Alberta, Calgary, Diana Schwenk, integrity, passion, Ralph Klein
“Welcome to Ralph’s World.” – Ralph Klein Speaking to supporters on election night in March, 2001, on winning a third consecutive majority government.
I met him once.
He came down to visit us during our shine-a-thon fundraiser.
I gave him a tour.
He gave me one of those warm smiles he was so famous for.
On Friday my city honoured a man who served as the Mayor of Calgary for nine years and as the Premier of Alberta for fourteen years.
Ralph died last week and will be remembered affectionately by Calgarians, Albertans and Canadians alike.
Ralph Klein at Metro Restaurant (Photo credit: Urban Mixer)
He led Alberta out of debt.
Has any other politician ever even done that?
Did I always agree with his cut backs? Hell no!
Am I even a consertative? No way!
Did I respect and like Ralph? I sure did!
Ralph was a man of the people.
He shot straight from the hip and did what he said he would do.
I call that integrity.
~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~
“I wonder what he meant when he said that,” said of Ralph by no one – ever!
talktodiana 
Loved the word sketch you have created about the Man. What could we do to emulate that core aspect which Ralph embodied? Integrity……
Shakti
LikeLike
Good to see you Shakti! To me integrity means that you are the same on the outside as you are on the inside – you are consistent, no surprises, especially in leadership positions. Would love to hear your thoughts on integrity. I love open-ended questions like yours.
LikeLike
Hi Diana,
Well since you ask, in my years of working in the commercial arena, two aspects of integrity, or lack thereof , that I have noticed are:
1) Trying to win on the popularity charts by pleasing others.
2) Conditioned to speak only, unable to hear.
The first aspect is an ” Inside- Outside ” divergence. The second is an “Outside- Inside” issue.
What other aspects of integrity which get impacted by circumstances, could you think of?
Cheers
Shakti
LikeLike
I try to be true to my values and live them even in hard circumstances. I’m not always successful – I am human. When that happens I hope I am able to assume responsibility and make ammends. I think the best truths are simple to understand.
Cheers,
Diana
LikeLike
Never heard of him till now…………….he sounds like an interesting fella
LikeLike
he was an in-your-face, not always right, honest, straight shooting man!
LikeLike
Yes, he was truly a wonderful human being and a good man for Alberta and his people.
LikeLike
Yes I remember how much you liked him Mom, just goes to show Ralph left an impression across the country!
xo
LikeLike
Sounds like the kind of people we need all over the world… one of his word, wonderful…
LikeLike
Indeed. 🙂
LikeLike
Always sad when a great leader dies.
LikeLike
It is. A friend and I were discussing his memorial service yesterday and she said she hoped that all the other politicians there learned something!
LikeLike
Conservative or liberal, a politician who is a man of his word is a good one.
LikeLike
agreed!
LikeLike
and a politician who pays their debts is one in one thousand.
LikeLike
yes, some of the cutbacks were brutal though, there’s always a price to pay.
LikeLike
never understood why governments think they can borrow forever. It just makes debtors of our children.
LikeLike
We need a different way to define economy. Smarter people than me should be figuring that out. 🙂
LikeLike
not true — some of it is your money too 🙂
LikeLike
haha what I mean is a new way. For example, We could cut a lot of fat in hospitals, government, etc and by fat I mean useless departments. but then we have a bunch of unemployement and a whole other whack of issues to deal with. Money, gold, the price of oil (both on the evironment as well as in the pocket book) as a way to define economy doesn’t work. I just want to move to a piece of land, grow my own food and subsidize my living that way…oh I don’t know what I mean exactly but that’s why someone smarter needs to look at it!
LikeLike
maybe we got into trouble because someone smarter did.
This reminds me of the old Treebeard quote by Tolkien. When asked whose side he was on the wise old ent said “I am not altogether on anyone’s side because noone is altogether on my side.” or something similar.
LikeLike
You have an excellent point there…sigh
LikeLike
just put it on the do do list at the bottom, I do 🙂
LikeLike
(laughing) Thanks for the laugh…needed that. 🙂
LikeLike
Yes he was.
And I love your quote! 🙂 so true.
LikeLike
Thanks Louise – the memorial was touching, wasn’t it?
LikeLike