2012 - My Renaissance

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Happy New Year. 

I am confident on this celebrated holiday evening that I am one of a handful who are spending their time reflecting on the year that has gone by.  Not to say that others have not reflected on this last year.  In fact, I suspect most folks take some time to think about the year gone by.  Generally though, New Year's Eve is not so much a time for reflection as it is a time to celebrate and tonight I am confident that most folks are out and about celebrating the dawn of 2012. 

For me, I am looking forward to 2012.  I am considering it my "renaissance year".  In fact, I actually will be staying up tonight to welcome this renaissance that I am committed to.  The New Year will be a renewal of life for me.  A rebirth if you will.  I feel challenged by such a significant happening in my life and I want to remember the moment when it officially begins. 

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Truth be told, the beginning was months ago when I was awoken to the rather harsh reality of my life.  It was brought to my attention in a forceful and less than flattering way.  I was letting it slip away through melancholy, complacency and ineptitude.  Those are tough words when you use them to describe what you have allowed to happen in your life.  It became crystal clear for me as I started to re-design my professional resume.  First, I realized  I had achieved a great many things through work and secondly, it became clear that I was working for everyone else but myself. 

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As I wrote about my core skills and proficiencies and started to list key accomplishments, I recognized that I had achieved greatness for the organizations I worked for but accomplished very little for myself.  Some would say this smacks of selfishness and it would if I had not demonstrated time and time again, a higher priority for whom I worked for than myself and those I loved.  It was a simple exercise and it became clear that the scales were greatly imbalanced and the results were what I looked at in the mirror every morning. 

It is only fitting that I turn 60 years old in 2012.  Sixty is a good year for a renaissance, my renaissance.  Life will take center stage from here on out.  Work will continue to be important to me but it will no longer define me.  I will find fulfillment in the work that I perform but my passion for life is what will fuel my heart and soul.  This is not an easy transition and it requires incredible self-discipline from someone who's work ethic is beyond reproach.  Each morning, the first thing I do is remind myself of who I am, what I am choosing to be and how I can accomplish that for me. 

No longer do I think about the calls I have to make, the staff I have to supervise or the tasks waiting for me when I arrive at the office.  No more.  Today, it's about sharing my stories, working out at the gym, reading to my heart's content, taking care of my business and trying to extend my life.  It may all sound silly but for me, this truly is a new beginning.  A rebirth at sixty.  I have climbed aboard again but this time, it's not about work, my kids or for that matter, anyone else, it's for me.  My renaissance of sixty.  Happy New Year friends!   

Please Turn Off All Electronic Devices

 We have all heard the words from our friendly flight attendant asking us to turn off all electronic devices as we fasten our seatbelts, put our trays in the upright position and relax for an uneventful flight across this great land of ours.  Why is it that so many folks believe that this friendly message should go unheeded. 

As I am sure you have seen on television or read in the newspaper, Alec Baldwin chose to not only disregard this friendly message but took it a step farther with the flight attendant who asked him to turn off his electronic device.  Obviously, Mr. Baldwin felt that he should have special privileges with his electronic device.  But then again, that's not necessarily the case.  As I am sure you have experienced on flights, there are quite a few folks who choose to disregard the friendly message and find a way to text, use their I pad or laptop.  They try to be sneaky about it but they really aren't fooling anyone. 

What truly is amazing, the friendly message is only for the periods of take-off and landing for most flights.  It says something about us that we are unable to even briefly do without these technological gee-whiz gadgets for even a few minutes.  The insatiable need to be connected and not miss one moment of chat, connectivity or email is catastrophic for some folks.  As things go, I could care less if people want to chat away, text away or surf the web.  What I don't get is not being reasonable about the request from the flight attendant. 

Recently released information on flights and the interference from electronic devices point to a number of instances where these hand-held devices caused disruption of airliner electronics.  Fortunately, in each instance, the offender of the airline policy was found and asked to turn off their electronic device.  Each time they turned it off, the airliner's electronics came back on line and all was fine. 

It seems reasonable enough to me that if there is even a remote chance that an electronic device could disrupt the machine I am flying in, at 30,000 feet mind you, I would think I would want to be cooperative.  What don't these people get.  The rule is there for a reason.  I grow tired of all the criers pronouncing that individual liberties are being trampled on by such a small request.  There truly are serious breaches in our nation of individual rights but this is not one of them.  This is one of those regulations that you need government for.

Just get over it already.  Turn your device off for the first ten minutes of your flight.  The folks you want to text or chat with or game you want to play will still be there when you are allowed to turn your device back on.  Grow Up! 

      

Just Like I Remembered!

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It was not nearly as cold as I remembered it to be.  Of course, Myrtle Beach is not quite like Dayton, Ohio at Christmas time.  Many of those growing up years in Ohio, the ground was covered with the white stuff.  Not here in Myrtle Beach. 

I dressed for the occasion with a red sweater, jeans and my new leather jacket.  The faces were all different than what I remember as a teenager but the smiles, the voices and the enthusiasm were all the same.  My voice, although unpracticed and certainly deeper than those teenage years, enjoyed the experience all the same.

Although I had the provided songbook, the words all came back to me.  I had sung them thousands of times as a young man.  More so than most as my mother was a piano teacher and church organist.  Christmas carols were standard fare around my house from Thanksgiving to Christmas.  All those young students of mom's learning how to play Joy To The World, Silent Night and Jingle Bells. 

Joining the church youth group for their annual Christmas caroling was a blast from the past.  Piling in cars and a van, we visited half a dozen homes and sang to several shut-in seniors.  It was an enjoyable evening bringing just a little bit of Christmas to friends.  We actually sounded pretty good too, given the only practice afforded us was on the drive to the various homes.   

I was somewhat disappointed that no one offered up hot chocolate.  Of course, the outdoor temperature was in the 60's so I probably was the only one of our group that even thought of hot chocolate on such a night.  We did enjoy a plateful of cookies, brownies and a few other Christmas delights.  It was a good time and not all that different than 40 years ago when I participated as a teenager. 

Singing Christmas carols with a group of young people and bringing just a little "good cheer" to those less fortunate was meaningful for me.  Actually, one of the most meaningful experiences I have had in years.  I have always held Christmas close and I have always celebrated Christ's birth.  This Christmas year is more difficult than most and I was glad to have the opportunity to find some joy.  Merry Christmas to you and yours!      

Who does that?

It was a good night.  Earlier in the evening I had successfully completed my first experience back in the classroom.  Unlike so many years before, I didn't even skip a class, fall asleep or leave early.  I was a dedicated student soaking up every bit of information that my teacher shared.  Joining two of my classmates, we stopped nearby for a pizza and to recap our shared experience of learning. 

It was a good time as we learned more about each other and the work we each do.  Saying good night and walking toward our vehicles, I was approached by a maintenance worker who pointed toward my car and asked, "Is that your car?".  I responded affirmatively and he quickly announced that I was victimized by a hit and run.

As I drew nearer to my vehicle it became clear that I had sustained significant damage to the rear end on the driver's side.  My first reaction was disbelief as it had only been six weeks earlier when I was rear-ended on the passenger's side coming out of a grocery store parking lot.  It took two weeks for them to repair the damage of that collision.  My second reaction was the thought of my tentative deal made two days earlier with the local Honda dealership.  That was history now.  No one wants a vehicle that has been in two accidents, let alone one. 

The maintenance man retrieved his supervisor and they both shared the story of the SUV that backed into my vehicle.  As they approached the man driving the SUV,  he floored it and sped away before they could get a good look at his license plate number.  I shared with them my thanks for their diligence and effort on my behalf.  As I spoke with these two gentlemen, I called the police. 

I happen to be one of those folks who have the police number memorized.  It's funny, don't know my own cell phone number but I have memorized the non-emergency police number.  Just one of the many benefits of being a hospitality manager is the frequency with which you call the police.  The traffic officer arrived shortly and took all of our statements.  Looking at my vehicle, he indicated that the SUV evidently had a trailer hitch as he said the hole in my bumper was caused by one. 

The officer indicated he had patrolled the parking lot just thirty minutes earlier and that he was going to look through his tape to see if he would notice the SUV.  He had the cruiser that has the cameras mounted on the trunk which is used to identify stolen vehicles.  As he reviewed the tape in his cruiser, it became evident that he had not driven the row where my car was parked.  Unfortunate but I appreciated his effort.

Why does someone hit your car and leave without informing you or calling the police?  What's that about?  I'm sure the individual had insurance.  South Carolina requires it and most drivers have it.  His risk in leaving the scene of an accident if apprehended would have been far greater resulting in fines and perhaps suspension of his license.  More to the point, why victimize someone.  Me, in this case. 
I have yet to have the car repaired.  I am sulking about it.  It is such a great inconvenience.  I have to arrange to rent a car.  I have to give up my car for probably two weeks.  I have to pay my deductible.  It just doesn't seem fair.  This is the second time I have been a victim of a hit and run.  The last time I was actually in the car when the truck sped away. 

I feel sorry for the man who hit me.  Maybe he thinks he got away with it and it doesn't bother him.  On the other hand, he may have panicked and now regrets his action.  Either way, he will have to live with the fact that he damaged my car and failed to report it.  For me, it's just a matter of having my car fixed.  For him, who knows - maybe regret.    

Talking and Texting - End of the Road

Today, The National Transportation Safety Board announced a concerted effort to institute a nationwide effort to stop drivers from talking and texting on their cell phones while driving.   They want a ban in all fifty states outlawing all non-emergency phone calls and texting by operators of every vehicle on the road.  Their ban would apply to all hands-free as well as hand held devices.  Exclusion would be in place for those devices installed within the vehicle by the manufacturer.

 

The nationwide ban would not apply to those in passenger seats, only the operator of the vehicle.  As we all know, cell phone usage, texting and other distractions lead to traffic accidents and deaths each year.  The National Transportation Safety Board has linked over 3,000 deaths annually to distracted driving.  Most folks in accidents either lie or fail to disclose that they were distracted by cell phone usage.  The Safety Board reports that over 13.5 million Americans are on their cell phones at any given time during daylight hours while driving their vehicle.

 

These numbers are huge.  Currently, 35 states have banned text messaging while driving and ten of those states also ban hand held usage entirely.  Another 30 states ban cell-phone usage by novice drivers.   Like everyone else, I see vehicle operators driving carelessly all the time while talking on their cell phone.  Those that text are even further distracted by taking their eyes off the road.

I freely admit that I am guilty of both talking on my cell phone as well as texting while driving.  The cell phone usage does not particularly concern me but I know that I am distracted when I choose to text while driving.  Recently, I made the decision to stop texting while driving because I know it’s an accident waiting to happen.  I do not want to have to explain why I’m sitting in a ditch or hit the vehicle in the next lane because I was sending a silly message to one of my children or employees. 

Lest we forget, we operated for years without these hand held devices, communication tools and connectivity that we enjoy today.  If it is all that important, it’s easy enough to pull off the road into a safe area and respond to the text message you received.  Same could be said for the phone calls if it comes to a nationwide ban on cell phone usage entirely.  Frankly, I am one of those folks who could very easily cast my cell phone aside and not feel any hint of regret.  Being continually accessible is not always a good thing.  I can remember when I wasn’t all that easy to find, especially when I was on the golf course. 

Text messaging and driving is nearly every bit as dangerous as is drinking and driving.  I believe every state should endorse the National Transportation Safety Board’s recommendation and make it a nationwide ban.  If they do, then education and enforcement will be the key to its successful implementation.  

Lost Your Christmas Spirit - Go Find It!

Every so often we get caught up in the stress of the holiday season and it can take a toll on one’s feelings about Christmas.  It might be the personal loss you feel during the holiday season for a loved one.  It might be as simple as too much to do in such a short period of time.  It might be the financial stress you feel wanting to make sure that everyone has a great Christmas.  It might be the hustle and bustle; all the traffic and crowded stores that are getting to you.  Whatever the case, don’t let the Christmas holidays get the best of you.

I love Christmas.  I love the Christmas carols, the Christmas cookies, the giving of gifts, the Christmas trees and the excitement I see in little ones.  I love seeing people shop, all dressed up, the Christmas shows, going to church and seeing Santa at every turn.  It’s all great fun.  Is the season over commercialized?  Of course it is.  It is possible though to keep everything in balance if you choose to.

I think most people remember that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus.  I really do.  Sure, we get caught up in all the trimmings and stress of the holiday but in the end, we do indeed celebrate the birth of Christ.  Everyone does it a little differently and that’s part of what makes it all the more special.  The trimmings, the store Santa, the shopping and gift giving all contribute to our celebration of his birth. 

I know when I feel in danger of losing my Christmas spirit, there are several things I can do to help bring me back around.  First and foremost for me is attending a worship service and singing the Christmas carols I remember caroling as a youngster.  Those magical hymns and songs bring joy to any heart.  Secondly, I find my way to Santa and watch the little ones with all the wonder in their eyes waiting to sit on Santa’s lap.  There is nothing like a toddler seeing Santa for the first time.  I cherish the memories I have of my three children seeing Santa. 

For me, I embrace my memories of Christmas.  I remember the plastic bowling ball set I received when I was ten.  I remember the anxiety I felt buying my first Christmas present at 19 years old for my girlfriend.  I remember how alone I felt at Christmas when I was in the Army.  I remember how my own children in those first few years were always more fascinated with the boxes and wrapping paper than the gifts.  I remember the book of coupons with special gifts I received from my love.  I remember how Christmas brought a family in great despair the hope and inspiration they all needed to persevere.    

All these memories of love and celebration are with me today.   I may not have the Christmas I would hope for this year but I will keep Christmas close and in my heart.   If you have lost your Christmas spirit, go find it.  It’s waiting for you in your most cherished memories. 

Questions-Questions-Questions

Have you ever submitted a question for a Presidential debate?  You know, when they are advertising for the political debates, they always encourage people to email, text, facebook or twitter debate questions to them.  I imagine there are some folks who sit around and anxiously await these opportunities to submit their questions to the candidates.

I suspect that some spend hours fine-tuning just the right question in hopes that their question will be selected and used.  I recently participated in this exercise submitting three different questions for Republican candidates on stage in Detroit. 

It seemed odd to me but none of my questions made the big time.  In other words, they were not selected.  What's that about it?  I worked hard on the questions.  I made sure they were grammatically correct and spelled properly.  I asked important, topical questions.  I framed them to appear as a moderate independent or actually a moderate Republican.  I was actually taken back that not one of my three questions were asked.  I stayed within the national security discussion with my questions so it could not have been that.

I actually used my new-found social-media skills by tweeting one question, facebooking another and emailing the third.  I was really proud of that as I still have no clue what I'm doing with all that social-media stuff.  I figured that one of my questions would be a winner.  As the debate proceeded and question after question was asked, I kept thinking that my questions were significantly better-written, more profound and immensely more important than the ones that were being asked.  Why did they select their questions over mine?

I actually thought about protesting to CNN with a letter of outrage.  Just kidding!  Not giving up though.  There's one scheduled for later this week and I have already submitted five questions this time.  I figure my odds will be better submitting five.   If none are selected this week, I will still have plenty of opportunities going forward as the political season is only starting to heat up.  Just hoping this isn't like the lottery - I don't have much success playing it either.  Of course, it would help if I actually bought a ticket.      

Saturday Night - The Mall

Have you ever noticed the strange comings and goings when sitting in the food court of your favorite mall?  The food court has become one of my new favorite hangouts to relax, watch people and write.  Lots of noise, bunches of interesting people and always, always plenty of food to choose from.  Tonight it’s pizza from Sbarro’s .  Those are the large slices with lots of ingredients on them. Nice and greasy too.   I’m actually having a slice of mushroom and a slice of pepperoni tonight.  I normally order a pepperoni and mushroom but they didn’t have that combo so I am alternating between each slice so I receive the pepperoni-mushroom effect.  I can tell that my fellow diners think I’m rather odd munching on two separate slices at a time while typing on my laptop. 

Actually, this is the first slice of pizza I have had in a long time.  The folks sitting across from me at the picnic table are questioning what I am doing.  They seem to think it’s odd.  Maybe so but within eyeshot, I can see at least thirty teenagers and adults texting away on their cell phones.  I’m not so odd after all unless they were motioning with their hands about the way I’m eating my pizza slices.  I’m breaking all the rules of computer safety having my drink and pizza so close to my screen, not to mention my greasy fingers that are probably leaving smudges on my brand new laptop.  Not too worried about it today.  This has not been a great day for me. 

I just may have to stop at Dunkin Donuts later and grab a couple of donuts.  I generally go right to the food when I’m feeling a little down and out.  That describes today in a nutshell.  I figured coming to the mall would lift my spirits and if eating pizza and drinking a diet Pepsi doesn’t do it, then maybe I’ll go drop a couple of hundred and help grow the economy.   I’m always amazed that you can be out shopping at the Mall and not run into anybody you know.  Not always but sometimes.  I would understand it if I was out of town but right here in my own community, you would think that someone would spy the weird guy typing on his laptop and come over and bug me.  Truth is, I’m getting a lot of avoidance from people lately.  Maybe I’ve developed some type of body odor or something even worse.  Hope not.

Alright, back to the strange comings and goings here at the Mall.  I’m sure you have noticed at your mall that everyone hanging out there is younger than you are.  That’s getting to be the case pretty much where ever I go these days.  The mall seems to have a greater population of younger people.  This isn’t a recent phenomenon, but it really is noticeable on a Saturday Night.  I don’t believe I have ever been in the food court on a Saturday Night alone.  One observation I have noticed is that I wish I would have invented the”hoodie”.  Everywhere you turn, there’s somebody in a hooded sweatshirt.  I never remember them being such a big deal when I was a kid.  I know we must have had them but I seem to have forgotten what the fashions were back in the sixties when I was dressing like a teenager. 

Tonight, the community area where I am sitting is filled with a diverse group of people.  You have the young couples in their thirties sitting across from me who were obviously questioning my eating habits.  Then you have ten teenagers squeezed together at the adjacent picnic table.  Two seniors eating to my left who look like deer in headlights.  Myrtle Beach is a resort community-these folks are probably from Ohio, West Virginia or some other unpopulated community.  Right behind me is Mom, Dad and two little ones, no, make that three with one in a stroller.  The kids are climbing all over their table and Dad is trying to control them while Mom is cooing sweet little nothings to the baby in the stroller. 

It’s all fascinating to me.  I’ve always been engaged in conversation or listening when I’ve sat at the mall.  I also read my magazines when I sit in the food court.  In other words, I have never paid much attention to the comings and goings of the mall patrons.  Most folks seem to be smiling quite a bit.  Happy folks here at the mall.  I guess maybe that’s why I chose to come tonight.  I needed a good pick-me-up and I knew there would be lots of folks here-easier for me to keep my emotions under control. 

This article reminds me of Seinfeld-absolutely nothing.  I’m just going on and on about nothing.  Oh, the little girl in the stroller is talking to me, laughing and giggling.  I love little ones.  They’re so much fun as long as they belong to someone else.  Babies and tiny tots do indeed like me.  Something about me I’m sure.  Maybe it is because I’m different.  At least the little ones pay attention to me.  The crowds are dissipating now.  You can tell that many are getting ready to re-engage with their shopping efforts.  For me, the mall experience tonight was all about being around people.  It was fun.  I’m sure it’s like this all the time; I just never took the time to notice.  I may even try the shopping thing.