DGrant Gibson

Big decisions must rest upon the answer to small questions. This original yet profound statement by well known and respected Alaska Pioneer Bud Helmericks was written in his book, The Last of The Bush Pilots of which was published in 1969.

I have been a pilot for many years and highly respected Bud Helmericks as a true role model for Alaskan aviation pioneering and true leadership. I have had a copy of this book for years, read it and flipped through it reading short passages, reading this statement every time, yet missing something profound. This year I once again picked up the book from my library shelf after reading about the death of this great man. This time the statement made me stop, think on it, re-read it, then the entire section to fully understand the meaning.

The context of the statement is embedded in reference to an integrated part of his character- ‘An oil company from Texas wanted to ship in a complete oil drilling camp for drilling test wells in the most remote northern part of Alaska’s Arctic. The logistics and planning for such a major event fell into the hands of the only person experienced enough to fulfill such a request of this magnitude, Bud Helmericks. Western Geophysical wanted to set up a complete exploration camp to travel across the Arctic prairie making seismographic maps of the area. With no experience in fulfill their mission they turned to the Helmericks. Could they help set this up in the -50 degree darkness of winter? Without batting an eye they said yes and their vacation to the south to a warmer climate was to wait for another time.’

A big decision made spontaneously and quick without the need to think it all out first. In this day of never ending planning, preparing, and endless meetings, to be sure you get it just right it is profoundly easy to slip into procrastination mode and wait for something exterior to you to validate ‘sitting’ on it. Be it more money, a new partnership, search competitors, a long awaited holiday, the ‘right’ moment, etc.

Coming into Christmas and final week of the year, indulgence & overindulge through the appetites of festivities, parties, with hours of couch sitting through old and new movies, between the reality shows and 24 hour news. All on the pretense of the great year end mantra, keeping us in a mode of continuous seeking a better ‘something’, the all dreaded new year’s resolutions. This is when we want to make a decision(s) for the new year. Since most of the new years resolution fall by the wayside by the end of each new January, why not consider making a new decision(s) for he new year the Bud Helmericks way. Rest your big decision(s) upon the answer to your small questions? Get a notepad out, go into a quiet place for a day and think out important self queried questions that can give you guidance for a new 2012?

Cheers to a wonderful holiday season and better 2012! All on the backs of small self-propelled questions…

GG