More and more of what I write starts with what one of you said in Comments, especially General Comments 5, to which there is a link at the top of this page.

In a seminar, the professor’s job is to get his students to asking the right questions and making the right points. When I see someone who needs correcting, one of you leaps right in and does the correcting.

Please know that Old Bob sees what you did and is grateful.

A few of you have been a bit upset that I dropped out of comments so completely. It is VERY important to me for you to realize how delighted I am when one of you puts another back on track.

I have admitted to you that I have an ego. I like getting the praise I am due.

I am just too old and experienced for the Silent Hero crap. The one failing everybody finds at my age is that they didn’t give people enough credit. I felt my bosses were too much above me to need my praise.

I was wrong.

So you deserve praise, but it would get us off he subject if I kept thanking each person who jumps in with the right thing at the right time.

The old Strong, Silent Hero is the subject of an entire movie or book talking about how wonderful he is. Being a flatterer is something that makes us sick.

But a flatterer gives praise that is NOT deserved. He has a reward in mind besides simply encouraging someone who merits and, being human, NEEDS to be recognized.

There probably are some Strong, Silent Types out there. But as one guy said to me, “A guy who doesn’t have much to say usually doesn’t have much to say.”

No, it wasn’t Yogi Berra, but it sounds like him.

My silence is consent. You are turning right into pros before my eyes, and it is the best reward I could possibly have for years of work fighting the good fight and hoping you would come along.

Now shut up and get back to work.