Don't try to be perfect!?
I can't help it. I don't know how not to. It's as integral a part of me as my love of men. It's hard coded in my DNA. Like my sexual orientation, it's been a noticeable part of me since I can remember.
In Philadelphia in the early 80s, I was with a small law firm of 18 or so attorneys. My mentor was the firm's number-two man. He came to me after about six months and said, "Alexander, there's such a thing as being too perfect. It's more important to get it done and off your desk than to do it perfectly." That didn't sit well with me, but I nodded, and he left.
He was in the habit of dictating his briefs, then editing the hard copy. He edited only the once trusting to his secretary not to make typos or spelling mistakes, and trusting to himself that his logical flow, reasoning, and persuasiveness were correct as they came to him extemporaneously while dictating.
I can't operate that way, and I didn't think he could either, at least not effectively.
I got six of his briefs that had been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the court I was before at that moment. I read three opening briefs on his motions and three briefs opposing the other party.
I was surprised. I wouldn't have allowed one of them to be filed under my name. Never. So, I decided to stick with what I knew.
Some little time later, I received from Dick, the firm's owner and an anal perfectionist, a copy of a brief I had written. In his red fountain pen ink in the margin of the first page was the notation, "Three big words the judge won't know. One spelling mistake p. 17."
Shortly after that, Dick assigned me to edit and approve all court filings of three of the attorneys, two of whom were senior to me. He told them in my presence that they were to file nothing without my signature. He told me that if I approved it, he didn't need to.
That was an incredible investment of trust in me, burdensome as it was.
've never regretted trying to do it perfectly, especially so when it comes to written product that I'm going to put before the world over my name. There's no other way that pays off.
