It must have been 15 years ago when nemo_wistar named me Chief Coverer of Asses for how hard I'd worked during and after Medfest that year, and had me elected secretary for the organization the following year.

I've been a secretary and an ass-coverer ever since. One of the reasons I shy away from official titles and responsibilities is that I do my best work when I'm free to step in at the last minute to do whatever's necessary. That's one of the realities of life, whether it's working in an office or running an event or planning a wedding: things are going to go wrong at the last minute. Things are going to come up that were forgotten. People are going to have life happen to them and be unable to do what they promised. And the show must go on. So it's vital to know who can be relied on to pitch in and make things happen.

As far as I'm concerned, recognition is not merely unimportant but a sign that I didn't do a good enough job. My role is to make things run smoothly, and keep other people looking good. So anyone who isn't directly involved should never know there was anything for me to do at all. Whoever I'm working for knows what I do, and that's what matters.

Anyway, I invoked the title of Coverer of Asses in the course of conversation tonight, which is why I'm thinking of this.