Life of Harold
Harold Torrance was born in 1924. He never worked a day in his life.
He was an avid reader, a true American, a bow tie ‘fashionista’, knew Disney World better than the employees, thought bottled water was a rip-off, and was the last hope for the vintage photographic film industry.
However, none of those are the things that will stick with me about the life of Harold.
He never worked a day in his life. Think about that for a moment.
Modern day companies talk about work/life balance. It’s the notion of having a job, plus having time to take care of your hobbies, friends, and family. This notion of work/life balance did not resonate with Harold. After all, it’s just ‘life’, if you make the right choice.
He found a profession that he loved as much as anything he could do with his free time. As a physician in World War II and Orlando, Florida, he catered to family, friends, and anyone that asked. Later in life, he volunteered at a medical clinic for those in need. This was not work for him, it was life and it was what he loved. Said another way, he found his passion and shared it with everyone he knew. He practiced until he was 74 years old. That’s the impact of passion and enthusiasm: they make you unaware of time.
Harold was my grandfather and he passed away last week. His model of work/life balance or “life”, is something we can all learn from and admire.
He was an avid reader, a true American, a bow tie ‘fashionista’, knew Disney World better than the employees, thought bottled water was a rip-off, and was the last hope for the vintage photographic film industry.
However, none of those are the things that will stick with me about the life of Harold.
He never worked a day in his life. Think about that for a moment.
Modern day companies talk about work/life balance. It’s the notion of having a job, plus having time to take care of your hobbies, friends, and family. This notion of work/life balance did not resonate with Harold. After all, it’s just ‘life’, if you make the right choice.
He found a profession that he loved as much as anything he could do with his free time. As a physician in World War II and Orlando, Florida, he catered to family, friends, and anyone that asked. Later in life, he volunteered at a medical clinic for those in need. This was not work for him, it was life and it was what he loved. Said another way, he found his passion and shared it with everyone he knew. He practiced until he was 74 years old. That’s the impact of passion and enthusiasm: they make you unaware of time.
Harold was my grandfather and he passed away last week. His model of work/life balance or “life”, is something we can all learn from and admire.