Memorial Day

Calling it quits is an alluring move. When a job becomes onerous enough and not rewarding to the inner person, how does one move on?  First the person needs to discern that the critical point has been reached. Second is the realization that action needs to be taken, a decision needs to be made.

Of course the third step is determining what comes after the decision? To quit or not is the decision; but what do we do with the remainder of our life afterward?

Perhaps this is the question we needed to address long before.  What am I doing with my life, is it a satisfying journey? Is there an alternate route I need to explore? If I do these things what are my options for earning a living, satisfying my soul, meeting my obligations to family and society?

This is when we should be dreaming of the long term future. What do we want from life? How much of that ‘want’ is tied up with our career or job? Should I be doing something else with my time and if so, what?

When you are retired the same questions arise. What am I doing with my life? What would I rather be doing? Are these activities feeding my inner person? Is it enough? Might I be doing something else that would be better for the inner me AND others as well?

I’m facing those questions. The move to an adjacent town has caused a lot of rethinking. I have simplified my life with these steps in the past two months: first, resigned from the board of the local arts organization; I co-founded the organization and worked on it for 9 years. A lot of grunt work, intellectual investment and blood sweat and tears went into the organization. In the final analysis the board was not willing to step forward and do what was needed to keep the organization alive and I was not going to make another large investment of time and effort to help them get reinvented. I said goodbye and the organization folded.  So much for my leadership!

Moving out of its taxing district, I had to resign from the city’s park district board. I will miss these people and the ongoing mission of the district. Their work is excellent, much needed by the residents, and the board is in tip top shape to keep this success story moving forward. I feel OK about stepping down. It has simplified my life and schedule.

A week ago I resigned from the chamber of commerce board and its executive committee. Two reasons guided this decision: team work was missing on the board and among the key leaders of the organization. Discussion was conversation passing by people not through them. Mission engagement was missing. Vision belonged to ‘others’. Too many people were along for the ride. You know the sort of thing: “It’s an honor to serve with these people on this board.” Actually is ought to be an honor but the honor comes from principled and committed belief and action.  Engagement. I saw very little of that.

Meanwhile, sitting at the hub of the three towns’ newspaper I could observe real economic development needs of each community. The chamber serves the same three communities. And those economic development needs are going unanswered, unattended. A partnership with each town’s governance structure is needed. Earnest conversations and dialog are needed. Inventive solutions and programs are required if we expect the future to development into something better than today’s situation.

The chamber had no engagement. Not even any discussion on these matters.  So I resigned.

Now I have only my involvement with our church and the operation of the local newspaper which I co-founded and currently serve as managing editor. The paper is as it always has been: in deep financial condition. Heavily indebted to volunteers for both their money and their labor and commitment. This cannot go on endlessly without monies growing enough to pay back accumulated debts. The end of the paper may be in view.

I do not want that to happen. So my current involvements have been streamlined and I have more time to spend on the newspaper. Still that may yield to a decision to shut down sooner rather than later. Time will tell.

What to do with my time left? Well, I have always believed that listening is a good thing and that people who are in the thick of building a business can always use volunteer help, so I researched how retired business people volunteer effectively to mentor small businesses to health or to higher levels of achievement. I discovered SCORE. Look up its website and learn more about it.

For now SCORE is an organization of 13,000 volunteers nationwide of retired business people who lend their services for free to teach, mentor, guide and urge small business owners on to new heights. This is economic development at the grass roots level! And it fits me to a T.

I will begin with workshops, mentoring small groups attempting to form new non-profits to serve societal needs, and produce seminars and workshops that build actual skills for long term success of these small business units. My background in non-profits will be used. My strategic planning skills will be used. My teaching skills and communication gifts will be used.

I’ll keep you posted on how this goes. But for now, I see a very interesting future about to take shape. That is a good thing. For me and others.

Isn’t this a rebirth befitting a Memorial Day? 

May 26, 2014