In Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece, The Godfather, Don Vito Corleone is a respected, older, wiser patriarch of his family. Granted, it's a ruthless, despicable organized crime family, but you can't have everything! In the movie, Brando is pitch perfect as a father who knows his duty. He's a man who feels responsible for his family, and in his line of work, he doesn't survive unless he's shrewd and insightful. Ironically, it was unfortunate that he didn't recognize that his future son-in-law Carlo was such a scumbag. I guess that one got by him. Mamma mia! He could have saved a fortune on that lavish wedding!
Throughout The Godfather, Don Corleone dispenses some great fatherly advice, and everybody listens or he claims he'll make you an offer you can't refuse. He says, "A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man," and "keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer." Brilliant advice. Short and direct. Everyone expects sage advice from the Godfather in a movie like this. Not because he's a crime boss who would kill you and eat your cannoli afterwards. No, it's because he's a strong-minded, serious dude who's seen it all and deserves to be heard.
Years ago, I was working for a company, but I let it be known that I was itching to leave and start my own company. One day, as I was contemplating my exit strategy, a man stopped me in the hall. He was a wiser, older man who was prone to saying too much. I braced myself. I didn't want to hear what the old man was going to tell me. Instead, I was looking for some Don Corleone advice, and I suspected that I wasn't going to get it from this old codger. Anyways, he leaned in close to me and said, "If you're going to do it, do it NOW. Waiting for later in life is pointless." Then he walked away. It was the best advice I ever received. Short and direct. And the old man wasn't even Sicilian.
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