Perhaps I'm missing something but we can reduce this even more. To this:

```python
if not function:
        """this is indirection to the run function.  By exectuting this method
        instead of the actual "run" method directly, we can use inheritance
        to provide some resources to the run function via the run function's
        arguments"""
        function = self.run
```

...because isn't that what `_run_proxy()` already does?