Random Thought Tuesday
I know I talk a lot about EV cars, but I believe they are a vital part of the Next Economy as my buddy Garvin Jabusch, the Chief Investment Office of Green Alpha Advisors calls it. Garvin's philosophy is that you cannot benchmark investments or the economy going forward, using the same old metrics used to get to this point.
Fossil fuels are an extractive industry where clean energy is additive. The topic externalities of clean industry are considerably smaller than traditional dirty businesses. There are different kinds of risks with old economy versus the next economy.
To learn more, read Garvin's White Paper here.
I wrote a little bit about my dad yesterday. It got me thinking about him again and I felt a little of the void that still exists because of his absence. He died on July 28, 2015. Here is what I wrote shortly after his death, and it rings as true today as it did 2 years ago:
July 29, 2015. “Go now. Our journey is done. And may we meet again, in the clearing, at the end of the path.”
- Roland of Gilead (Stephen King, The Dark Tower)
I used the same quote last April when my mom passed. Now, I use it again.
Yesterday evening, around 7:00, my dad took his final breath. They were always hard breaths – his post-World War II fight with tuberculosis guaranteed that they would be. He was 91.
He was simple - loved camping, hunting & fishing. But mostly, he loved yard work and mowing his lawn – it was always immaculately maintained. He was a tinkerer and would spend hours in the garage, taking things apart, cleaning them and putting them back together again.
He was basically raised in the family bar – Krull’s Inn and was the proprietor for several years. His World War II experience took him from Marseilles France to Berlin – on the front lines. He rarely talked about the details.
When he lost his factory job in the 70s, he became a school bus driver. When I was in high school, he always made sure to be the driver on virtually all of my sports trips, volleyball and basketball, so he could be there to watch.
His life was not easy and he was not an easy man. He could be stubborn to his own (and others’) detriment, self-centered and overly frugal. But, true to his German roots, he was a hard worker and did what was necessary to support his family, even during the hardest of times.
I know the most important lesson I learned from him is the value of a strong work ethic, and it has served me well. While I would never consider us close, the way I see other father-son relationships, I know he was proud of me. When I visited him in Florida in February, I pretty much knew it was the last time, and when we spoke on the phone recently, I said good-bye.
Speaking of volleyball, I'm still playing - 35 years after I started at a small beach in Rushford, NY. Melissa came out to watch us play in the Asheville summer city league last night and captured this short video. That's me on the right side of the net in the Burton B light grey t-shirt. Not bad for an old man!
