"Stand and deliver" is a quote I read out of President Grant's memoir. I don't recall the details, but he was in a bit of trouble, facing one those career ending events that crop up every once in a while. Something had happened very bad and at least part of it was Grant's fault. General Grant said, "I had to turn and face the music, I had to stand and deliver." That might not be the exact quote, but pretty close.
Anyway, General Grant decided he had to face the problem and he did. I use the word had because that's kind of guy he was. He felt bound by his duty as a human being to face problems of this magnitude head on.
To read his memoir is refreshing. Most Generals write books that sound like, "You guys don't understand how great I am so let me write it down for you." President Grant's book was quite the opposite, very humble, very self-deprecating.
He finished it 10 days before he died of throat cancer. He and his family were completely broke during that time and he wrote the book so his family would have some money to live on. The book still lives, is still in print and provided his family with a comfortable living after it was first published.
Again, he stood, faced the music and delivered to the very end.
Yes, that is an example I strive to emulate, especially when things go very, very wrong.
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