The Daily Feather — Losing T. Boone Again

On September 11, 2019, the fortunate followers of T. Boone Pickens had a letter from him pop up on their LinkedIn feeds. It started with:

“If you are reading this, I have passed on from this world — not as big a deal for you as it was for me.

In my final months, I came to the sad reality that my life really did have a fourth quarter and the clock really would run out on me. I took the time to convey some thoughts that reflect back on my rich and full life.

I was able to amass 1.9 million Linkedin followers. On Twitter, more than 145,000 (thanks, Drake). This is my goodbye to each of you.”

Boone Pickens ended his letter, one of the wisest guides to living a fulfilling life as such:

“Over the years, my staff got used to hearing me in a meeting or on the phone asking, ‘Whaddya got?’ That’s probably what my Maker is asking me about now.

Here’s my best answer.

I left an undying love for America, and the hope it presents for all. I left a passion for entrepreneurship, and the promise it sustains. I left the belief that future generations can and will do better than my own.

Thank you. It’s time we all move on.”

In my past life as a flag football and soccer mom, I sat on the board of the Park Cities YMCA. In those years, I was part of a team that successfully fought the town of University Park, where I live, to approve changes to zoning laws to rebuild the decrepit facilities. While three of my kids are now at Culver Military Academies and my firstborn at my alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin, I suffer the sin of pride every time I drive down Preston Road. The new YMCA is a thing of beauty and does the community, well, proud. As such, I was saddened upon opening DailyJobCuts.com on Wednesday. Among the day’s announced Closings was “T. Boone Pickens YMCA in Dallas.” After more than 40 years, the $8 million needed to renovate the crosstown sister YMCA was just not there.