On Inspiration

By Stephen E. Franciosa, Westchester Chapter President

At this point in my life, I’m not against admitting that I still seek to be inspired—and no longer from astronauts and baseball players. And I am not, nor was I ever, definitively impressed by the wealthy. Serving the nonprofit community has reinforced my belief that there is significantly more accomplishment and certainly some heroism in their day-to-day efforts.

My daughter was kidding me recently when she found me watching the traveling antique show, reminding me of all the baseball, monster, etc., cards so many of us had … and had tossed. But I confessed that I was not only inspired by the passion of the antique dealers doling out values, but also the stories associated with the painters and craftspeople whose lives and circumstances provide value beyond dollars. It is somewhat reminiscent of the character in the movie Sideways reflecting on the concluded lives of the grape growers, who live on in wine.

As a child, I remember the high regard held for our chief executive. How often I’d hear someone say a child was bright enough to be President someday. Not long ago, I read an article that touted Grover Cleveland as being an “honest” President. Moved, I went off and bought a biography.

I also look for inspiration from my profession, and I get it at meetings, seminars, conferences and, yes, even at a wine-tasting. One person I recently met at the Young CPAs’ Wine Tasting event, held in early November, talked about a recent trip to Turkey. I’ve often wondered how interesting it might have been to live in Constantinople, at the crossroads of so many cultures and civilizations. The short conversation we had about his trip with his family reinforced a desire I have to one day visit the city of Istanbul.

So take heed, if you are not being stirred, you may nonetheless be inspiring someone else … you just never know!

Stephen E. Franciosa can be reached at 718-885-9191 or sfcpas@optonline.net.