Never having wanted to work for anyone, I have spent my entire
legal career in private practice in a relatively small firm
setting. Doing so has allowed me some freedom to answer mostly to
myself and my clients, hastening to observe that I have to answer
to my colleagues at my firm as well. But law firms of whatever size
are still group endeavors and, to work well, have to have some glue
other than economics to hold the individuals in the firm
together.
The late, delightful and insightful author, Kurt Vonnegut,
published the novel Cat's Cradle in 1963 when I was
finishing high school. Having read the novel when it first was
available and having revisited it a few times since, I remain
struck by its instructive window into human behavior. Vonnegut
coined the terms "karass" and "granfalloon" in that novel. To
paraphrase Vonnegut, his fictional karass is a group of people
collectively doing good things, carrying out specific, common
tasks. A granfalloon, on the other hand, is a false karass - a
group of people gathered together based upon a fabricated
premise.
Thelonious Monk, the great jazz pianist and composer, was
thought by many not to have good technique on the piano. His very
individualistic attack style at the piano did seem at times like a
butcher hacking away at a large slab of beef. Yet Monk's technique
was considerable, rooted in not just his innate talent but also his
early training in classical piano. As a child in New York City,
Monk had not been taking lessons very long before his piano teacher
told Monk's mother there was nothing more that piano teacher could
teach him. If you listen to early Monk recordings, you will hear a
lyrical, classical style very different from the percussive
dissonance in later recordings, which are more familiar to most
listeners.
Thelonious Monk became legendary at an early age. A significant
part of his life included regularly inviting other musicians to his
apartment for late night jam sessions. These sessions became rites
of passage for young musicians attempting to establish themselves
in the New York jazz scene. An invitation from Monk signified you
had arrived. With Monk always composing and improvising on the fly,
the musicians who could keep up with him quickly established
themselves as serious players. At these chaotic sessions the
musicians' efforts often gave new meaning to the concept of the
whole being greater than the sum of the parts. From that chaos,
Monk and the group of players he nurtured through these late night
sessions became a karass.
A false karass, a granfalloon, is like the following. If people
say to me they are from Buffalo, I can say, "I'm from Buffalo,
too." Those Buffalonians can respond, "Nobody has to be ashamed of
being from Buffalo," and I can rejoin, "I never knew anyone who
was." Think of a granfalloon, in Vonnegut's words, as "a proud and
meaningless association of human beings."
Professional associations, like the MBA, are like Vonnegut's
karass. We gather together as individuals and commit to work
collectively to do good things, carrying out common, specific
objectives, whether they be advocacy for adequate funding for our
court system, equal access to justice, or promoting professionalism
through ongoing education and adherence to ethical standards.
Some of our collective tasks and objectives are grand, some
mundane. Sometimes things seem chaotic. In all instances, by
working together, the tasks and objectives are more likely to be
accomplished. I believe that is the essence of why active
involvement in the MBA is valuable to you, as individuals. You can
contribute your individual talents to do good things working
collectively and collaboratively with other like-minded
individuals.
Unlike Vonnegut's granfalloon, there is nothing fabricated or
false about the work of the MBA. The MBA, through its volunteer
leaders, members, and staff, deals with substantial, important
issues every day. Join us in that endeavor. You can and will make a
difference. You will derive considerable satisfaction and tangible
benefits as well. You will be part of a true karass.