Covering the Bland

Having served four years on the local city council, and another seven years on the board of the park district, I have a good idea who the newsmakers are in town, as well as the issues they have to deal with for the good of the community.  Of course those issues shift around a bit over time, having high interest at one time, no interest at a later time, only to be raised again to high interest. This shifting of issues is constant. Understanding the issue is one thing. Knowing the context of the issue is a completely different animal altogether!

Over the past several years I assembled an issues list, or an Issues Scorecard for the town. A total of 22 issues are itemized, and a small blurb explaining what the issue is and its current status. I publish the Scorecard at least every six months in the local newspaper, sometimes more often if issues are changing rapidly. The piece runs about 2000 words so it takes up a lot of space in the newspaper. However, the Scorecard is an accountability tool for the newspaper (are we keeping up on the items that matter), the elected officials (are they keeping these issues in mind and managing them) and the readers (are they keeping up with the issues that matter).

The Scorecard has another value: a live demonstration to all that issues are not one or two, but many, all operating at the same time, and many of them interacting with other issues on the list.

Governance is not a simple matter. It is complex. It has many moving parts. The basics of local government are these: public utilities working reliably, growing as the community grows, keeping pace with the changing demands of users (water and sewer systems are the main components here); public safety (police, fire, emergency responders, traffic controls and accident response and prevention); streets, curbs, sidewalks, intersection hardscapes; stormwater management and flood mitigation management; financial management (controlling taxes and long term debt); economic development and sustainability of the community; quality of life issues for the community (arts, culture, humanitarian services, beautification, etc.); long range planning that guarantees the community’s identity is well-founded and maintained, while managing both accidental and intended changes as they occur over time.

A citizen may complain about public authority and what it is doing at any given time. Or why a stop sign hasn't been installed at particular intersection. Or why is the electric power out so much. Or,…the list goes on and on. Although each complaint or issue is important in its own right, it is only one of many in the context of the on-going business of the community. Not all things deserve immediate attention; nor are they likely to get that attention while other items of importance are under active management.

The Scorecard demonstrates all these matters for one and all. Also, for those living in neighboring communities, they can witness what our town is doing with its time, attention and resources. So many communities do not attend as closely to their business as our town does. I am firmly convinced on that point.  And here is where it matters:  we actively consider adopting change that is good for the community; we actively repel change we do not need or want, or would do damage to our identity and sense of community; we accept responsibility for all the ‘to do’ items on a timely basis and make financial preparations to afford paying for them; and we do all of this without any long term debt.

Our community has actively pursued economic development. Although our population is just over 13,000, more than 20,000 work in our town each day. We have massive flows of traffic through our town north and south, and east and west. We are visible in the county and are holding our own in quality of life.

In short we have attended to the business of business and the business of citizenship. That makes Warrenville, Illinois a good place to live. We pay attention to the details, don’t forget them, and manage them all with the resources at hand.

A sewer lift station boring? A repainting of fire hydrants dull? Repaving all streets on a timely basis a dull routine? Redesigning traffic routes for public safety and air quality goals unexciting? Yes, much of these items are bland. But taken together they mean everything for a community intending to manage its own affairs well. It takes time, dedication and a lot of people with goodwill to make all of this happen.

And we report all of that so it doesn't get taken for granted.

Oh, and one other thing. In Warrenville collaboration is not a dirty word. The Park District shares its expertise with the City and the Library. The City and Fire District share information and equipment all the time. Joint purchasing agreements are worked out for best pricing of needed equipment and supplies among all the local governmental units.

What goes on in the city is of interest to everyone in the city. So the tasks are coordinated whenever possible. And resources and managed jointly when it makes sense and saves taxpayer money.

The result is a well-governed and managed community. That matters a lot to those who live here. But the story would not be known if it weren't printed in the paper often.

That’s why I cover the bland. The combination of the dull details build exciting environments in which to live and thrive.

July 31, 2014

Making Suggestions

Have you ever been in a restaurant and had an idea how they could conduct their business better? What did you do about it? Did you discuss it with your table mates? Or did you keep your thoughts to yourself? Maybe you know the waitress pretty well and mentioned something to her? Or him?

What about your dry cleaners? Do you have a compliment you wish to pay them for their work, their prices?  Their timeliness of service? How about referring their services to local hotels for their guests? Have you ever done anything like this?

What about a service station or auto repair shop? Are you always pleased with their service, their promised time of completion, their pricing? Have you asked about their challenges in remaining in business? Have you expressed your hope they remain around for many more years because you want to rely on their help for years to come? Or if have a complaint and a suggestion as to how to improve the business, do you share it? Or do you quietly leave it alone and find another service provider?

Living in the same towns for over 43 years I have become well acquainted with shop keepers and local businesses. Mostly we are on a first name basis. When one retires and leaves public service, we have an appreciation event and hugs all around. That makes our town special, I think. Perhaps this is also your experience?

I spent over 30 years consulting with business firms. Large and small. I got good at sizing up an organization’s persona as it appears to the public. I also quickly spotted service snags that could tear a business down to little pieces. If I didn't know the personnel or firm’s management team, I often said nothing. Unless I was pissed! Then I would say something, not always in the best manner, unfortunately. But it is amazing to me how disengaged businesses are in serving their customers. They take a lot for granted: that the customers will continue to return over and over again; that through good business cycles and bad, enough business will be present to sustain the firm, and that what they do, or the product they provide is the best. At times they even appear to be doing the customer a favor by serving them!

My experience tells me never to take anything for granted. Life is not on automatic pilot. Is it no wonder that most small eating establishments fail after 2 years? Most after 3? Many do not survive their first years of operation but that is usually due to poor capitalization of start up costs and early operations.

No, most businesses fail because they have failed their customer base without ever knowing it. It is a fact of life. It is an ugly fact that most business people do not want to hear or know about. But their deafness is fatal.

I wanted a family restaurant to open in my town. I talked to entrepreneurs who might be able to handle this project. For years the answer was no. Then one intrepid fellow did open an eatery serving just breakfasts and lunches. This kept his personnel costs under control with just one shift of wait staff and kitchen crew. He was open seven days a week. His operation became a staple for the community. It was where most of us visited to meet, eat and greet fellow residents.

Through the years I made a lot of suggestions to John on how to improve his business. He listened politely and did what he felt comfortable with doing. Not all of my suggestions were implemented; after all I am not a restaurateur. But always John listened to me. You know why? Because he knew I cared about his success and sustainability for the good of the community. I returned often to eat at his establishment. He trusted my motives and intent. And he did succeed. He finally retired and we gave him a wonderful sendoff. We also welcomed the new owner and built a trusting relationship. Hopefully she will be around to serve the community for many years. That’s good for her, and for us.

It is easy to complain. It is even easier to be a grump! How about trying to be helpful and friendly to the local businesses. We need them.  They need us. They are taking huge risks to be in business. We have little at stake in the transactions. But for them it is life and death.  Help them succeed. Help them survive for the long haul.

Engage them and get to know them. Don’t forget to let them know how you feel about them and their business. A suggestion rightly timed is a nugget of gold. May yours be heard when needed.

July 30, 2014

Aloof?

Congressional voices have labeled President Obama aloof. I don’t agree. Here’s why.

First, the definition of ‘aloof’: not friendly or forthcoming; cool and distant.

"they were courteous but faintly aloof"; synonyms: distant, detached, unfriendly, antisocial, unsociable, avoidant, remote, unapproachable, formal, stiff, withdrawn, reserved, unforthcoming, uncommunicative, unsympathetic; [Google reference.

My take on this? Obama is anything but aloof. He comes across to me as engaged, caring, relaxed, intellectually attuned to both the moment and the long term significance of what’s happening right now.

President Obama is a thinker, reader, student of history, and a trained lawyer. He understands context of issues. His focus is on the long term solution and sustainability of those solutions. His is not a short term focus mentality.

He is also friendly, hospitable and humorous. He is not stuffy.

In short he is the kind of person I want in the White House. I also think he suffers fools badly. Perhaps that is what the ‘congressional’ voices are expressing?

Second, I suspect a definition of congressional personality by the President would be this: not engaged in the real work of their office; consistently playing power games and shirking responsibility of their tasks.

I don’t think such a definition of congress is aloof. The reality is worse than that.

I’ve said it in past blogs and I will say it again here: America faces many problems. Not all can be fixed or properly attended to in an instant or all at the same time. They must be prioritized and then studied for determining the best solutions.

To accomplish this, however, requires a team of people willing to seriously engage in this work and find it necessary to collaborate with each other to accomplish tasks successfully. It will not be done in any other way.

Every corporation or large institution understands and values the methods, systems, and human resources required to accomplish great things. Leadership is only one ingredient needed. Cooperation, however, is an enormous ingredient required for any success.

No one person has all the answers. No general. No President. No senator or congressman. Not even a clergyman, philosopher or esteemed academic.

Each of these has a part of the answer to common problems. But working together to supply workable answers comes from a willingness to lose the ‘self’ in the task of the common good.

If there is a sickness in America I think it is this: too much ego and not enough cooperation. Greed of money and power has warped our nation critically. This is not group behavior; it is individual behavior. And it destroys group. It destroys organizations. And yes, it has destroyed nations: Germany, Poland, Russia, Libya, Egypt, Palestine, many nations of Africa, and the Roman Empire. That is naming just a few examples of nations lost in chaos and the dust of history.

A nation needs leaders, those who care enough about the common good to set aside their personal wants and aches in order to serve the larger good. A President needs to demonstrate leadership, but that does not require a whip, chains, a loaded gun pointed at the heads of those who need to follow. No. leadership requires a cool head, an understanding of historical context, an appreciation for social policy and values, and an intelligent statement of the problem and the need to fix it.

Obama has done all of those things. But congress was at play, not at the nation’s business. They have failed the country. They have enjoyed a feast of personal luxuries while blaming inaction on the one and only person who has demonstrated the intellect and humanity to get the job done.

A nation is not just its President. Or its congress or parliament. A nation is its people. And a government is authorized by the people to get the necessary tasks accomplished.

Who’s doing their job? Who is not?

I think the record is very clear.

July 29, 2014

When the Going Gets Rough, Sue

So John Boner has decided to sue the President of the United States.  And he got his minion republicans in the house to go along with him. So the fight is on, that is, the lawsuit.

Not much will get done while this business is underway. But then not much has come from the House for 6 years. All they have done is argue among themselves, raised their rhetoric and blockaded most of the business before them. Individual house members listen carefully to their party leadership and follow orders. Oh, and they listen as well to their financial backers so they don’t lose campaign funding. Those voices they hear are not yours or mine. They are the voices of power and influence, buying what they need and think they deserve. They are, after all, the captains of industry that make America go and grow. At least they like to think so!

The cries for impeachment of President Obama are heard more often these days. The lawsuit is first, then they will float the impeachment threat. Problem is, they do not have cause for a lawsuit, let alone impeachment.

Let’s face it. Republicans don’t like Democrats. And vice versa, too. But when did democrats last sue a sitting president? Yes, they did impeach Nixon, but that was bipartisan. Clinton’s impeachment and lawsuits were meant to distract the nation from its work. And to bog the president down so nothing could get accomplished. Remember the impeachment failed. Also the lawsuits. The suits did accomplish an enormous personal debt for legal costs privately borne by the Clinton’s. More than $16 million worth of such debt. Shameful.

Republicans are immature and play their political games like kids. They sneer and make jokes in poor taste. They don’t even hide their racism very well with respect to the Obama’s. They play poorly. They don’t get along with others that don’t agree with them, they have lost their ability to conduct diplomacy, they cry war often and will do almost anything to throw monkey wrenches into the works of government to attempt to demonstrate the failure of the President.

At that they have failed. The American public gets what is going on. The republicans are held in low esteem. They demonstrate no workable ideas to do the business of America. They whine and gripe and blame anything and everything. Problem is: their fingers point back at themselves.

I understand why Boner is upset. I understand his frustration. He has lost his cool. He has lost his functionality. He has lost his reputation and character. He is turning out to be a very poor speaker of the house. He is nasty. And he earns shame on our nation because he is nasty.

Bernie Sanders to the rescue!  An Independent Senator from Vermont, Bernie offers this quote today:

“For most Republicans in Congress it is okay to spend unlimited sums on a war we should never have gotten into, but it’s wrong to rebuild our bridges, roads, rail system, water systems, wastewater plants, dams, culverts and airports – and make our country more productive.”

Of course they support war. They think it is manly to shoot guns and rockets. They look for ways to be insulted by other nations so they can threaten war against them. Just watch John McCain and his sidekick Lindsay Graham. All they talk about is external threats to America, threats I might add they have helped create. They refuse to sit down and discuss new defense methods that would better safeguard the nation (that is actually defend it!) while also saving money and lives. But no, they are in bed with the corporations who make money on defense materials and weapons. Meanwhile, they declaim our weak borders, the same borders that McCain and George W. Bush failed to get bolstered because their own party refused to listen. So they spent billions on a fence. A fence!

They decry Obama’s lack of progress on the illegal immigration issue while they themselves helped create the mess, then failed to fix it. Listen to McCain’s speeches on the topic over the years. What Obama wants to do to fix the immigration debacle is the very same thing McCain put forth as a solution. But with a different party in the White House, he has to take the opposite view. Opposite even from his own views! Strange behavior, eh?

We have the first African American President in the White House in our history. That is a good thing. By all accounts Mr. Obama has done an excellent job. He has not usurped the powers of the Congress or the Senate. He has challenged them to provide workable answers. He will sign such legislation. He even offers his own ideas on the matter. But they shoot those points down while not offering up their own ideas. This pattern of childish behavior under the Capitol Dome has gone on for over 6 years.

I am ashamed of America because of it. Aren't you?

In the 18 months left in his presidential term, President Obama will get a lot accomplished only because the Congress is absent from their desks and playing games that do not help the nation with its problems. It will be fun to watch the President accomplish what Congress has blocked all these years.

Meanwhile, I think we should rise up as citizens and sue our elected representatives and impeach them for not doing their job.

Maybe that would give them something to think about!

July 28, 2014

Thought for the Day

This post is for my republican friends. I just wanted them to think about this during the weekend and wonder what it all means:

“If voting for the GOP is the ‘path to prosperity’, why are most GOP-leaning states the poorest and most un-educated?”            ~Politicomments.com

Just saying….

July 26, 2014

Hum Drum Days

Traffic moves up and over the bridge. A freight train moves slowly through the congested center of town. Flags flap in the breeze steadily, indicating a strong wind of 13 mph from the south. Trees form the horizon with billows of branches, limbs and leaves of differing hues. Traffic slowly passes our building, some turning into the small grocery store. The sun is sell up. It is 9 am. The sky is blue, the light diffused by a persistent haze. Temperature is 77 degrees and will build to 90 later today. An air quality warning has been announced. It is summer in Illinois, more precisely in downtown West Chicago, Illinois.

The diffused light reminds me of my youth in southern California. We had smog there, another way of saying haze. Smoke mixed with humid ocean air (fog?) formed the term smog. Haze to you and I!

Little things wiggle my memory. Sometimes it is a breeze coming from a certain direction, another time it is a breeze that brings with it sounds that awakens memories of years gone by. Another town, another year, at an age I was still a kid wondering about the world. A breeze with sounds. Also with smells. A touch of automobile exhaust, or maybe a heavy truck. A smell of a nearby restaurant or bakery with its aromas tickling a hunger I didn't know I had. Or maybe the smells are of trees, weeds, dirt or chemicals. All mixed up. All niggling the memory of another time and place.

I watch a person walk down the street. On his way to school or work, or just a drop in visit to a friend or family member. What’s on his mind? What is he thinking about at this very moment?

Remember when you had a big event in your life, one you were preparing for? Maybe it was a big test that worried you at school. Perhaps it was the battery of tests taken to determine if you were college worthy. Maybe it was a medical test to answer the questions you had about a pain you had been experiencing for several weeks. Maybe it was a happy event anticipated, like a wedding or a special birthday. Or maybe the grandparents were expected to be at the house when you got home from school. They visited annually at this time of year for a few weeks. Then they would continue on to other family and friends they visited each summer. Or the other set of  grandparents who made the yearly trek to the cabin in Canada. Fun times to spend with them. It was hard for me to get through the school day just knowing they would be home when I got there in the afternoon.

The sense of doom I use to feel knowing I had a big meeting at work that day and wondered how it would turn out. I watched other people going about their business and wondered how their day was to unfold. Would it be as momentous as mine? Or as worrisome?

Driving home from a doctor’s appointment having received bad news about my health. How was I going to adapt to the new circumstances? Would the disease encroach on my routines and happiness? And my family? And what about the others on driving down the street? Are they worrying about something similar? Or just concerned about their shopping list and hoping they wouldn't forget an item?

So much to think about. So much that is personal and specific to me. I wonder what others are wondering about specific to themselves?

We are not alone. We are not the only ones with problems. Or with special joy. We are one among millions of others.

And that’s what makes the world go ‘round. Hum drum.

Kinda interesting, no?

July 25, 2014

Falling, falling, falling…

I usually write a blog or two ahead so I don’t have a time crunch affecting my productivity, or for that matter, affecting the quality of my work. Last week, for example, I wrote four or five days ahead so I had inventory to publish day by day without pressure. 

Good thing. Last Thursday, I fell. At church.

First some background. The church is small and has husbanded its resources carefully. It does not need fancy things to celebrate God. Nor does the congregation have to be wowed by silver, gold or shiny brass to lift praises to their loving God. The sanctuary is beautiful yet simple. It’s just that the interior of the sanctuary was showing its age, wear and accumulated stains and eradicable dirt. So the congregation felt it was time for a renewal. Nothing fancy. Just some paint, carpet replacement and some lighting improvements. Oh, and some new seating that would provide more flexibility in use of space in the sanctuary.

That’s where this story begins. The new sanctuary seating arrived by truck last Thursday, July 17^th. Although I am not able to lift and tote anything of much weight, I at least arrived at 7 am to see for myself that the crew was sufficient to do the job. Somehow I got involved and climbed the truck ramp to help someone carry a pallet of light weight parts down and into the church. It was a little disconcerting because the ramp was steep, but I was slowly walking backward with my share of the load.

Having accomplished that small feat, I climbed the ramp again to take a small collection of loose wooden parts off the truck and into the church. I should not have! Hind sight, you know.

The ramp was far too steep for me. My body weight provided the forward momentum down the ramp but my feet and legs could not keep up. So I began a slow tumble. I managed to remain upright down the ramp, across the sidewalk, and into the church entry whereupon I collapsed in a heap on the welcome mat. I landed on two knees, an assortment of elbows and arm extensions. Fearing I would hit my head or land flat on my face, I scrunched my stomach and back muscles fiercely. The strategy worked. I landed without hitting my head.

Winded and considerably short of breath, I lay there for a few moments, collected my thoughts, and slowly pulled my arms and legs together so I could rise. A colleague moved a chair near to me and I managed to get onto the chair where I sat for 8 minutes or so. Nothing much hurt. No sharp pains. Just abrasions, bruises and contusions. And soreness.

I said my apologies and admitted my humility. I claimed willingness but inability to help. Slowly I left the building and carefully climbed into the van and drove home.

Bleeding a little from knees and elbows and one finger, Rocky daubed and spread appropriate ointments. I then sat in my recliner. Even fell asleep. Upon waking I felt back pain. I could not move, sneeze, cough, burp or talk without pain. Breathing was labored.

Fearing a broken rib, I agreed to visit the emergency room. They felt no x-ray was needed but examined me and found nothing glaringly wrong. They admitted I would be in a lot of pain for a few days and that they could provide drugs to relax muscles and take the edge off the pain. Armed with those drugs and  prescriptions, I left the ER and went home. Rocky went to the drug store to fill the scripts.

Today is Tuesday, six days later. I am still hurting but improving. Knees and elbows are healing and swelling lessened. The back pain continues but lesser so. I am beginning to cut down the drug intake and aiming for normal soon.

Meanwhile humility calls me. I need help to get in and out of the car. I need someone to drive me. Although I can set the table I cannot carry food laden dishes. I can take my own shower, shave and brush my hair. Donning underpants is a terror but possible. So, too, putting on socks. Shoes are not such a problem; I just jam the foot in and hope for the best!

But there is more to the ‘meanwhile’. Writing a blog, a newspaper column or news reports, takes a level of concentration that is challenged by drugs and pain. Words come slowly if at all. You may have noticed a decline in my writing ability in the past few days. So be it. It is part and parcel of writing a commentary on real life. And this is real life. And these words are an honest commentary!

With more time on my hands plus enforced inactivity, is can now time to smell the air better, hear the birds clearly, and fawn over our dog more. All are rewards of the circumstance I find myself in.

And it is OK. Try it sometime. Other than the pain at first, I’m confident you will find ample rewards.

Meantime, enjoy the great day!

July 24, 2014

  

Stupid vs Ignorant

The term ‘stupid’ is tossed about frequently, usually as an epithet or angry sputter. Truth is different.  Stupid is mismatching facts and arriving at a conclusion that is simply wrong or skewed or unsupported by the facts. All the building blocks of a logical answer are present but the debater gets his conclusion wrong. This is an error in logic, smarts, ability to put things together logically. In short stupidity is alive in the moment.

Another way the wrong conclusion is arrived at is through ignorance. The individual simply doesn't have the facts or connected reasoning available to build a proper conclusion. Bits of knowledge are missing. Facts are not at hand. Missing pieces of the argument or discussion make for strange conclusions.

Clearly the two circumstances are different. Stupid or ignorant. Both are somewhat an insult but ignorance can be fixed. Stupid may not be reparable. The larger insult, therefore, is stupid.

Regardless of the presence of free public education, a great deal of ignorance is present in the land. Unfortunately, some ignorance is culturally perpetuated. Prejudice is one form of cultural ignorance – anti black, Hispanic, immigrant and gay are examples of cultural prejudice. Another is over reliance on biblical teachings that then are adopted as culturally true historical facts. Biblical teachings are also used to displace science. Thus logical conclusions are starved of harder facts that distort truth as some people view it.

I would place biblical culture in the ignorance column. The Bible teaches wisdom. It offers a view of world history before records were widely maintained. The Bible is a grand allegory written to explain life on this planet at a time when the term planet was itself undefined. Allegory as explanation came to be accepted as fact. There is value in that, and beauty. And there is wonder as well at the creativity of man’s mind to come up with answers for the unanswerable.

Later research and scientific methods helped prove some of the assumptions in the Bible, but not all. The Earth is not 6000 years old. Dinosaurs existed prior to mankind by millions of years. Evolution of flora and fauna slowly yielded magic. It is there for all to see. Not all believe, however. That is chosen ignorance. But it is not stupid.

Why raise this issue? Simply because I overheard someone say someone was stupid because he didn't believe as he did. Disagreement over the meaning of a public discussion does not necessarily mean one of the participants is stupid. It seems to me that accusation is a pejorative that is at the least unfair, and at the worst, a prejudiced conclusion.

Ignorance can be fixed through education and thoughtful discussion. For example, ignorance causes litter. The litterer does not know that litter harms flora and fauna which carries downstream consequences – plastic packaging material strangles birds, affects food chain functioning, clogs up water ways and streams with dead bird carcasses. The ‘downstream’ effects are broad and ever widening. Decaying bird corpses can affect micro organisms in the streams and the fish that feed on them.

We are ignoring for the moment the blight that litter causes on the landscape. Or the putrid aromas caused in the air we breathe due to rotting matter. Although aesthetics are an important consideration, their scientific cause and effect is more important.

Teaching a litterer the results of his lazy habit will hopefully switch on his awareness of the harm he is doing. This may lead to a change in behavior. We can hope such is the case. If successful we can proclaim victory over ignorance.

Stupid is another issue entirely. When presented with all of the necessary facts and reasoning, a person can still come to a conclusion that simply is wrong. Fixing stupid is a greater task. Changing the heart and the mind is necessary to redirect the stupid toward a healthier result. The heart is needed in this calculation because often stupid turns to hate and emotion. Turning from hate is much more complicated. There is a motivation deep inside to feel badly about something – the core of stupid.

Ignorance is much more malleable and fixable. It takes time and goodwill to change stupid. And that assumes goodwill is reachable.

One wonders if that is possible.

July 23, 2014

Why?

Yesterday’s blog talked a little about my commentary. Today I want to focus a bit on why I do this in the first place.  Probably I've written about this before but I don’t recall.

I write a blog for these reasons:

-It helps me be calm when I least feel it

-It keeps me disciplined in my thinking. Just try to explain something; write it

  down to see if you can keep it coherent. Not an easy job. But taking a stab at it

  helps clarify the thinking, the logic, and the expression in logical phrases.

-The more I write about a topic, the more I realize I don’t know. It is considerable

  – what I don’t know. This is a practice in humility. I make mistakes and let it all

  hang out in public.

-Eventually the humility forays help me clarify my thinking and I get it right.

  Hopefully!

-Writing about a problem is my way of getting involved; I think we should all get

  involved. If I’m not willing to do so then I cannot expect others to do so.

-Attempting to say something is an act of invitation to others to make the same

  attempt. It hopefully encourages honest sharing of feelings and thinking without

  worrying about being right all the time. This is healthy communication – the

  give and take that eventually leads to understanding.

Bottom line? I write the blog to understand myself better. Some topics already upset me, or at least the way others react to them. I am ready then to vent my frustrations and at least make a stab at explaining an issue in a way that makes sense to me.

So venting is also a purpose of the blog. I no longer bottle up frustrations and let them poison me. I find both release and serenity in writing a blog. It is healthy emotionally.

What surprises me is writing a blog also articulates my thinking on a wide range of topics. I am not nearly as liberal as I sometimes think I am, or what others think about me! And I am not as easily painted into a conservative corner either, for that matter.

I have come to appreciate community. Dearly so. The simple act of living with others in a contained space – whether in a building or neighborhood, or small town. So much of what we individually value comes directly from the sense of community we share. We do not always know this. We don’t even know how to put it into words. It is that subtle.

Community: shared faith in living lives in close proximity with one another while gaining a sense of self as well as a sense of community. It is a special dynamic. From our first sharing a room with a brother or sister, to placement in dorm rooms at college, to encamping several tents among friends in a campground. We share something very personal without losing our identity. We gain something – reliance on others. In time we come to value that and realize we have grown because of it.

No man is an island. I know that from examining my own life. Have you?

If not, perhaps you should try a blog!

July 22, 2014

Commentary on Commentary

So something happens. It is reported in the newspaper or on radio or TV. One’s mind digests the happening. What does it mean? What are the who, when, where and why? A hole opens up in the Siberian landscape. It is reported to be 60 to 100 meters in diameter. No sign of man-made excavation. The area is desolate. Weather is worse. Why here? Why now? By what means was the hole made? Indeed, how deep is it? Has anyone explored it?

You know what I mean by all this. Our minds want to make sense of things, happenings, thoughts. It is natural. It is healthy to think about these things.

Well, this blog is my commentary on the life that happens around me. It is my little effort to make sense out of those ‘things’ that I notice. Are they important? If so, to whom? Me I suppose; but you as well? and what about the millions not paying attention, are they thinking about these matters as well?

My responsibility begins and ends with me and those I feel are important to my life – family, friends, and colleagues. I can’t very well alert the world to my thoughts. In the first place that is presumptuous. In the second place, why add the noise of my comments to the already noisy world? Who would listen? Who would care?

As I near the third anniversary of writing this blog, I am heartened to learn I am not the only person who feels as I do. I am not alone! That’s comforting. It also affirms that my thinking is on the right track.

Surely there are those who disagree with me, but that’s OK. What matters is whether we are learning new things and perspectives that will allow us to come to new conclusions, better conclusions. Conclusions that will encourage more thinking and adoption of broader views that more of us can use to improve on matters challenging us.

As I continue a daily regimen of scanning the ‘news’ and selecting what to write about, I am aware of more and more people doing the same. What is different about this process today is the availability of news reports large and small. We are able to learn about events 24 hours a day, every day.  By the time we hear a newscast the news is old. By this time my mind is asking why it is important? What have we learned since first hearing of the event?

Maybe that’s what bothers me about newscasts. They are old, stale. They do not offer a cause/effect/result story line for the news item. Absent this the blank reporting of the item seems almost meaningless. Or worse, the news head provides a subtext message about the event. Often these are political.

The world is a dangerous and complex place. Every day we witness the unfolding of history. In minute detail we don’t recognize it as history, but it is. For example, what is going on with Putin in Russia?  He hosts the winter Olympics and puts on a pleasant public face, but immediately takes over Crimea following the Olympics. This was a planned event. Putin knew what he was doing. He actively manipulated the news and dared the world to do anything about it.

Then Ukraine. He orchestrates the taking of Ukraine from a stand alone nation to the status of colleague nation in his bloc of influence. The only conclusion is that Putin is working up public support in his Russia to assume hegemony over eastern bloc nations similar to the Soviet Union. He is pressuring natural gas and oil supplies to do this. He is amassing military supplies and personnel to do this. He has no opposition within his nation to such adventurism.

And Russia is a member of NATO now. He knows what NATO’s plans are in response to Russia’s ill-conceived plans. He can dare the world to stop him and he will not get much opposition. American opposition is in the form of words because we have built a posture of peace keeper. Military might is not to be used against enemies unless the threat is perilous.

Interesting history building I think. We are witness to it.

Trouble is America is viewed as the peacekeeper and policeman to the world. We don’t see ourselves in that light. But others do. This makes for a very uncomfortable reality internationally: the bullies get their way because there is no one willing to play the opposite role.

In the Middle East Israel is known to be quick to defend herself. People do not bully her often without knowing for sure she will strike back. Their only hope is to get America involved in the fracas. And we are not willing to do so quickly. That leaves Israel to act on her own. And she does.

Palestine has nothing to lose and everything to gain by being stubborn. Hamas is a terrorist group, not a humanitarian organization. It plays its peaceful population of civilians as hostages. Hamas shoots rockets into Israel daring Israel to shoot back. She does and kills civilians. It cannot be avoided. I have no sympathy for Palestine. They have been given 60 years of opportunity to settle their hostilities with Israel. They have wasted 60 years of opportunity. The world can expect nothing but death and destruction of the area by Israel in defense of her own people and territory.

No other Middle Eastern nation gets involved except to undermine the peace and sneak around. They are not peacekeepers. They are war mongers. And they too play the Palestinian civilians as hostages. The only losers are the Palestinian people. As it always has been.

How dreary.

The Middle East, however, is not Palestine. Nor Israel. It is a region rich in peoples and nations, cultures and histories. It is the business of all Middle Eastern nations and peoples to build peace. They don’t. The question is why?

And that is the historical question of significance. There is no answer yet. That begs the answer even more so. Why is there no answer? Is it meant to be unanswered? Is this what that part of the world wants? Again, why?

America wastes its time and resources by being involved in the region without first answering that question. In all of my life experience the question has not been asked or answered.

Why is that?

Here are a few more questions that need to be asked and answered. Trying to fix the issues without asking and answering these questions is pure folly.

1. Why is there an illegal alien problem in our country. All of us are immigrants, literally and figuratively. We need to provide a reasonable process to acclimate all new immigrants to our land. There is no such thing as an illegal alien. That posture alone would help solve the issues currently being hotly debated. The debate is over. All people who want to be here should be allowed. End of issue. Now how do we make that happen smoothly?
2. Diabetes is an age old disease. Billions of research dollars have been spent to solve the disease. Billions more are spent to treat the disease. The question: why has there been no cure found for diabetes? It is staring us in the face. Let’s finish the job. Or are there too many people who make too much money not solving the disease? I think that is the core of the issue. Shame on us for letting this happen. How many other diseases are curable but the economic loss is considered too great to end the scourge?
3. If universal education is the answer to nearly every problem under the sun, why is universal education not free?

These are the obvious questions of the moment. Many more exist. The historical issues is simply this: why not ask the basic question and then demand an answer. Both the question and the answer are well known. And the solutions are of certainty. The larger question is why have we allowed these to continue unchallenged?

That’s my commentary for today. We are capable of solving many problems. We don’t do so. Why?

Why indeed?

July 21, 2014

Thought for the Day

I've been keeping my eye on this quote for several days now. I’m itching to use it, so here goes:

“Religion will eventually become as offensive & unacceptable as racism.” ~Chris O’Dowd

Personally, I hope this doesn't come true. I think religion is basically a good thing in our lives. What I object to is the selfish religious practices that do harm to other people. Religion is not judgmental and hurtful; people are; and ecclesiastic staff are people. They make as many mistakes in theology and religious practice as the Bible advises us not to.

Religion ought to be a force for good. But we know it often serves opposite aims.

Think this weekend how we can change this for the good.

Peace to you!

July 19, 2014

Being of Use

The Midwest has been pounded by some mighty winter storms over the years. This will likely continue; some years will be worse than usual while others will be milder. The averages will still be maintained and winter weather will have to be survived.

During a storm I've noticed people help each other. At the supermarket people will help others get unstuck in the snow while backing out of a parking space; others will help push/pull the grocery cart through the snow and mush to someone’s car, especially if it is a woman with small kids, or an elderly person. We tend to stick together in such times and help each other.

Audrey Hepburn, the late famed actress and later UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, said this:

“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands: one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.”

With that attitude, had she lived in the Midwest she would certainly have assisted others during a winter storm! Not a Midwesterner she managed to help others quite handily regardless. It’s a human nature thing, I think. We naturally help each other if we are gathered in a spot and witness someone else’s difficulty.

Being of use comes naturally. Most people feel good about doing something for another person. It gives us a lift in spirit. Once the act is done it draws us into doing it again. In a storm and in a supermarket parking lot, opportunity knocks often!

Doing something for someone else also does two other things: it reminds us that we would like the same consideration if we needed help; and the act gets us outside of the self, a sense of freedom and fulfillment.

Not bad rewards for helping others. I’m surprised we don’t do these things more often!

On to public matters, rather than helping, we often complain. I’m reminded of a quote by Teddy Roosevelt:

            “Complaining about a problem without proposing a solution is called whining.”

That works for me. Pretty simple too. The Late Mayor Richard J. Daley, was often quoted as saying “It’s easy to complain; but where are your programs?”  We used to laugh at his messed up syntax but this is one quote that hits the nail on the head. If you don’t like something, or are concerned about a burgeoning public problem, what ideas do you have that would alleviate the situation? Can you lend a hand with the issue instead of make negative noise?

John Kenneth Galbraith, noted economist and political commentator (1908 – 2006) often provided gritty comments on current events. Here’s one that appears true today as well:

“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.”

It is known as the ‘what’s in it for me’ syndrome. Or ‘why should I care?’ syndrome. This is the opposite of what we were discussing, mainly the willingness of helping others, or engaging in spontaneous acts of kindness. Those are the feel-good moments in life, while Dr. Galbraith would argue some ideologues fall into the selfish trap. Such people are protecting themselves from being taken advantage of, perhaps. They still want to feel good about themselves so they build a false front that covers their selfish motives with an air of superiority.

I think this is an inner enemy of such people, however. Something they are afraid of or such. Some people might jump to the conclusion that such folks are haters. I don’t think so.  I think hate and fear have been confused here. As Gandhi said:

            “The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but it is fear.”

Maybe we can help these people with an act of kindness? Randomly delivered without warning? Perhaps they would learn to be less fearful and more joyful.

July 18, 2014

Feeling the Inside

I am not a cool person. I know that.  In the past some people have told me I must be a cool dad, but then they would not really know that.  No.  I am a nerd, a geek. I tend to focus on things most people aren't interested in. I see things others miss. And when I speak up about them the others think I’m a little ‘off’.  That’s OK. I agree to remain a geek.

However, I often wonder if others feel things the way I do? You know how a new leather glove feels when you slip it on? Tight and well fitting. The inner surfaces fit just right. Same with a pair of shoes, new or already broken in. A good pair of shoes has a wonderful feel to them. The inner soles are smooth and arched to support the foot perfectly. The inner surfaces of the sides and uppers are smooth as well, stitched finely to offer no points of friction or rubbing when walking. It’s the feeling inside the shoe or the glove I wish to focus attention on.

Feeling the inside. Like music that fits a mood and mirrors my inside self. Or hearing a line of music and seeing it better than hearing it. The line paints a picture of swirls of activity, maybe birds or tree tops pushed by the wind. Or a river surging down its course to places unknown, over rocks and falls and through dim narrows and chasms. The music suggests movement.

Feeling the inside. Like poetry probes the depth of ideas and emotions. Expressions that can be made in no other way but poetry. Or maybe music? Or painting? Or dance?

Insides. Of people, emotions, beauty and ugliness. In unspeakable moments and places.

Listening to youth recount their experiences with drugs is a trip in itself. For me it is like eavesdropping on a group of chemists at an academic conference. The lingo and technical jargon is amazing. Who knew kids could master this language?

I should have guessed they would. After all they do quite well with tech gadgets, snickering at me struggling to receive or make a call on my cell phone! They can extract much more utility from their phones. Not me; never!

These are inside moments with the kids. They are unguarded, chatting their familiar jargon. A good time to ask a not so innocent question: ‘What do you want to do with your life?’ They stumble but look me in the eye and attempt an answer.

I think their parents would be surprised to learn some of those answers. One wants to develop his tattoo art skills. Another wants to be a glass blower and create art glass. Another wants to be a stage actor with serious script material like Shakespeare and Inge. One wants to become a ballet dancer, another a contemporary dancer. Still others in the group express the desire to write, all sorts of material – scripts, poems, novels – the whole gamut.

The insides of these youth are something to behold. They have dreams. They have serious thoughts. They need to be heard. No, more than that; they need to be engaged. Honestly engaged. We might be amazed at what we will learn, about them and about us.

I awoke early this morning with these thoughts rumbling in my head. I felt their meaning. I wondered if I could express them well enough for others to understand.

I guess the main thought is this: do we try to get inside of things and people to better understand them? Do we give them a chance to be important enough in our lives to do this for them? I wonder.

I fear we don’t do it at all most of the time. And when and if we do, it may be too fleeting or too infrequent to be of help, of value.

If you give another person – regardless of age, status or rack of problems – the chance to be heard and felt, I think we can build a meaningful dialog with that person. In just that moment. At just the right time. It is fleeting. It will not last. Best we make the most of it.

Not doing this, not developing this communication ability, means we will miss out on much of what the other person is worth. The other horrible truth is this: he will miss out on what we are worth, too.  It is a two-way street.

Do we have these communication skills already? If yes, are we using them well? If we don’t have the skills, how do we obtain them? And when?

Will it be in time? To feel the inside?

July 17, 2014

Community or Corporation?

These entities are similar and dissimilar. Communities are people who live together, side by side and in organizations, work spaces, charities and churches. Also on the golf course or the ball field. Corporations are also comprised of people, just not from the same community. Their commutes may even bring them from far away towns and villages.

Corporations are also formed to fulfill a purpose different from a community: to produce a product or service and to sell it while making a profit to reward executive staff and investors. A good neighbor policy and program may extend the value of this corporation to local interests, but it is not its purpose. Such are public relations goals.

The community, however, finds its worth by way of its people. How they work together, play together and learn together. Getting to know each other and being involved in their lives is a core feature of a community. Accepting each other and enabling each other to develop in fruitful directions is another feature of a healthy community.

Local governmental units – city/village/town, library, park district, and schools – serve the needs of the community. Often they work collaboratively to meet community needs more fully. The community funds these units of government to do this work for the benefit of all those living in the community.

As Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) states:

“People have hearts, they have kids, they get jobs, they get sick, they cry, they dance, they live, they love, and they die. And That Matters. That matters because we don’t run this country for corporations, We Run It For People.”

A corporation runs its ‘life’ for itself and its stakeholders. To be successful it needs to meet competitive standards in its marketplaces. One of those marketplaces is the community in which it operates. That may be many communities.

But it is not a given that the corporation will act as a person in those communities. And that is the point of today’s posting.

Often a community makes concessions to companies because they employ local residents, pay taxes to local governmental units, and generally contribute to the well-being of the community. Too many concessions, however, and the company becomes a net taker rather than contributor to the well-being of the community.

For the corporation, being a good neighbor has benefits: well educated students from the schools, well-adjusted youth from local healthy families, and a wellspring of good new labor for hire. The company may even provide involved employees in local charities, churches and volunteer agencies.

Such a company will certainly experience goodwill and loyalty from the community. This may lead to increased sales and corporate success.  One can hope this will be true and remain so.

Too often, however, the community vs corporation gets out of whack.

Normally this is on a national scale, possibly, too, on a state by state basis. With states competing for companies both as taxpayers and employers, sweetheart deals are made to steal companies from one state to another. The results lead often to regional desertions, empty factories, failing industries and dying communities. Think of Detroit and Flint Michigan as prime examples. But each rust belt city or town has felt the same tremors of despair at one time or another. And empty tracts of past industrial areas.

Warrenville, Illinois has lost BP/Amoco executive offices; so too, Navistar. But the community attracts many others to replace them and a whole lot of smaller businesses as well that hopefully will grow to be significant partners in the community.

Competitive pressures on corporations exist on a global, national and regional basis. National and state governments can try and help with those problems, but the local community has to minister to its own needs. They do not need to financially subsidize corporations. That task is too large. Meanwhile, however, corporations need help of a different nature.

They do not need conferring citizenship on them as natural persons. Such is an extension of influence and power far beyond the powers of individual citizens. A balance of power is needed. As Senator Warren says, we run the nation for its citizens, not its corporations. Communities need to be fair and good neighbors to the companies within its borders. So too the corporation needs to be a good neighbor to its communities.  All of them.

Balance is needed. We have to take care of our businesses and corporations. If we do they will provide resources to make and keep the community healthy. But the residents alone are citizens. The corporations are not. Their purposes are much different. And rightly so.

We just need to keep these two separate.

July 16, 2014                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Taking Care of You

Two plus two equals four. Similarly, one plus one equals two. 

I think I can draw another equation that works, as well. It is: one plus one equals community.

This may seem too simplistic to some people but the older I get the more I understand the wisdom of the equation. Underlying its genius is this simple fact: if we help another person we transform from an inner focused being to an external focused one. The more I do this the more I leave myself and troubles behind and can thus focus on the needs of others. As my service to others expands others join in and soon, very soon, the neighborhood, community and more get involved. The larger the circle becomes the slower the evidence rebounds to me, but eventually I see, hear and feel the difference.

It is not sudden. But in a way it is. What was once a sleepy little town is now a vibrant, involved and responsive town. Responsive to the needs of its residents. One person at a time. But the entire community feels the difference. It was not done by a corporation, government or organization. It started with one person and grew to many others. Voluntarily.

If we want to live in this type of community we have to make it happen. Each of us. It doesn’t happen automatically. It is easy, however. Noting something needs to be done and then doing it without asking. Just doing it. Like picking up litter. Or picking up someone else’s dog poo left behind and discovered as you walk your dog. Or maybe it’s pulling a weed from a public space and dropping it in a waste container nearby.

Little by little the public face of the community brightens. Maybe later a small group of gardeners decides to plant small gardens at the welcome signs at the town’s borders. Next they move on to public buildings with large flower pots and container gardens. Some groups have expanded their efforts to hanging flower baskets on light poles all over town. Eventually more people get behind the effort and soon a sustainable program is evident and receives broad public support and funding to keep it alive.

The town is not the only entity that brightens. People do as well. Individuals. Feeling better about their surroundings, their friends, even themselves.

Getting outside of the self is an important trip to make. As ‘distance’ increases the self is left behind along with its problems. New people are discovered. Also new feelings and meanings spring to mind. Working with others and focusing on their needs creates a new living space for the person. Soon a new world is discovered. As they return home they have fresh perspective on their old problems. Now they don’t seem so large and unsolvable.

Over the years I've worked with people with drug and alcohol addictions. Getting to know them I soon discover something I didn't expect: they are smart; all of them. Some are even gifted with superb intelligence, and many have talents of artistic importance. Something else: each of them is worth knowing.

They don’t know that about themselves. That’s part of why they became addicted – to escape from something they did not understand. Often the monster is amorphous and undefined. The mystery grows and the need to escape it expands, too. The addiction expands along with it.

The question: what could I do to prevent this from happening to these people in the first place. Is there anything I could do? Probably not. But working with others I might be able to prevent their eventual plight. For now work is needed to bring them back into a community of health. I think I can handle that with the efforts of many others, at least I can lend a hand in that effort.

Preventing the problem in the first place, how can that be done?

First we need to understand the sources of the problem, at least in general. Families of these folk are seemingly sound – stable incomes, nice houses and neighborhoods, good education systems available, etc. Problems emerge from parents constantly working outside the home with limited time spent with the kids. Families split by divorce and marital discord are a contributing factor in many cases. The kids, pre-teens and teenagers, are left on their own to amuse themselves. Some focus on school work and grades; others seek achievement in sports, scouting programs.  Too few consider exploring the arts but eventually they may. All too many, however, seek escape in cigarettes, and alcohol, looking cool and then being cool experimenting with drugs. Left on their own too long and their behaviors extend out of control into chronic substance abuse, crime and drug dealing.

To the outsider this appears as a criminal behavior to be relegated to the police and court systems. But I think it is behavior that can be reformed and avoided in the first place.

I may be over optimistic in this belief but I am hopeful that healthy communities can nip the problem in the bud.

A coalition of community forces is needed. Good recreation programs. Learning by doing endeavors, maybe exploring artistic outlets and expressions will help. Certainly part time jobs would help along with unpaid internships designed to tap the talents of young people and interest them in building their future plans.

We all grow up not knowing who we are and what we will be doing as adults. There are many dimensions that challenge this growth process. The largest challenge is not knowing. The huge void. Who will I become? What will I become? What am I to do with my life?

Assisting with those voids is the job of family and community. Healthy families and communities. Neither should be taken for granted. It will take more than a village to help with this task.

Families, neighborhoods, friends, schools, churches, park districts, libraries and charitable help groups will be needed. They always have been needed. Healthy communities know this. They work to make it happen. Together they work to make this happen.

Are we conscious of this need? Do we follow through to serve the need? Outside of ourselves?

We may just discover who we really are doing this work!

July 15, 2014

Making Business

Building businesses. One at a time.

Who does this? Who takes the responsibility to do this? Anyone?

At your next soiree, ask that question as a conversation starter. Listen for what happens. Does the group quickly think this is a policy issue for government? Would that be the federal or state government?

How quickly does the chatter settle on individuals and their entrepreneurial spirit? A few more minutes and…does the talk begin to focus on individual initiative coupled with government policy and programs?

There is no argument that government policy affects business operations, even business formation – start-ups. Mostly we think such policies hamper business but that would get us involved with ideological chit chat not always focused on facts.

It may surprise a lot of people to learn that governments at many levels are supportive of business formation and business success. It is simple to understand why – successful businesses do two things governments are interested in: paying taxes and employing people who also pay taxes, or at least buy goods upon which taxes are collected.

Yes; it is good business for governments to be concerned about business success.

How is this done mostly?  Here is a basic primer of government programs that help:

1. State funded colleges and universities offer business course and degree programs
2. University degree programs include bachelor, masters and doctoral levels of study
3. Community colleges provide all manner of business education; often these help to hone entrepreneurial skills in order to urge citizens to start their own businesses; later they help the same folks improve skills and operations to build long term success of those businesses
4. Federal programs include:
1. Small Business Administration: loans, advice, and mentoring support for small businesses; “from little acorns grow mighty oaks” and that sort of thing, you know
2. IRS: assistance with tax effects of various business tactics and strategies, help with understanding legal business organization choices and what the tax consequences are for each; help to structure paying tax obligations in order to maintain business sustainability
3. Grants to direct business activity in desired areas that currently have few players
4. Tax incentives to encourage new employment opportunities
5. Incentives for investments in new, needed areas of the economy
6. Research and development programs funded at colleges and universities throughout the nation designed to expand business knowledge and technology to support industrial expansion and global competitiveness
7. And much, much more
5. State programs include:
1. Tax incentives to attract new businesses to the state
2. Tax incentives to expand business in under served areas
3. Tax incentives to expand hiring
4. Education programs to encourage business formation and business success
5. Research and Development programs funded through state universities designed to expand business knowledge and technology to support expansion of industry and business
6. And much, much more
6. County and municipal programs include:
1. Tax incentives to retain and attract businesses to the area
2. Tax incentives to boost hiring in the region
3. Publicity designed to attract businesses to the area, and to retain existing firms
4. Local committees and commissions tasked to support local businesses and help improve their success
5. And much, much more

There are other agencies working to improve business success. These include local and regional chambers of commerce, trade associations and a hosts of special interest organizations focused on specific business functions and professional credentialing. All play a role in building business success.

And here’s an organization you may know about but few do: SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives. SCORE provides free mentoring to small businesses, both in helping them survive and succeed, as well as forming start-up enterprises. SCORE is staffed by volunteers, most of them retired. The mentors share their lifelong expertise with younger less experienced people. SCORE is affiliated with the Small Business Administration of the federal government. SCORE works with individuals and organizations to further small business success including local libraries, chambers of commerce, community colleges and area universities.

All of this begins with one person’s desire to own his/her own business. The entrepreneurial ‘bug’ has to be present if starting a business is to happen in the first place.

I remember working at a state university and learning how many programs it could offer if it could only find the money to do so. I suggested creating services and programs people would be willing to pay for, at least in part, and thus develop revenue streams that would then pay for a broader array of needed programs and services. They allowed me to experiment and the results were terrific. Collaborative efforts grew among departments, colleges on campus, and university divisions. Staff time, facilities, ideas and some funding were shared to build programs with common interests for success. Such activities mushroomed and state budgeting woes were sidestepped successfully.

Entrepreneurial thinking exists throughout our national fabric – in for-profit and non-profit arenas. Also in social services where you would least expect it.

Human enterprise is needed everywhere we live and work. With collaboration and effort, business success is supported at many levels of society. And it is the task of each of us to make sure this happens. And succeeds!

July 14, 2014

Thought for the Day

I've been saving this quote for a while. It resonates with me heavily. Perhaps it will for you as well?

“There comes a point when you have to realize that you’ll never be good enough for some people. The question is, is that your problem or theirs?”  ~Author Unknown

Whether it is a parent, a neighbor, a teacher or an ex-spouse, our purpose in life is not to please them. Whatever my value is, I define it and must be true to it.

How much time do we waste not believing this? Or at least living as though it is not true?

May this weekend and this summer be a time of discovering yourself and letting the others deal with their own misconceptions of you. It is their problem. Not yours. Certainly not mine.

When will I live as though I believe it is so?

July 12, 2014

Making Sense Of It All

I didn't get specific permission to reprint this, but I will cite the sources: Jann Arden Richards and Robert Foster from “Looking for it (Finding Heaven)”, copyright 1994, Polygram Songs, Inc.  Here’s the quote:

            “the world is big

             the world is bad

             but I will find the beauty

             I see a vision in my head

             I am looking for it now

             oh, I am looking for it

             oh, I am looking for myself”

Let that settle in. Re-read it and do so slowly. Feel the words and their meanings. Then rest. Allow the words to well within you.

Do these lyrics speak to you?

Working with people struggling with their own problems I find their struggle has been similar to mine. Perhaps yours, too?

The world is enormous; lots of things going on in it. Many of those things are invisible to us. We are not there in place to witness their happening. Yet we know they exist; we see the news; we read accounts of global events. We see also the results of some of these events – the poverty, violence, greed, death, pestilence and plagues. These negatives come from causes. Someone’s actions either created the problem, or didn't lessen the problem when they had the chance to do so.

Thus we see the world not only as big, but also as bad. Bad things happen in the world. Ugly things that detract from what is good.

I might not be able to control the bad, or the results of the bad. I know I cannot make a huge difference by myself. But there is one thing I can do.

I can look for beauty and find it. It is there. Gaze out upon the Alps in Europe. Look down from the heights of Italy to the Mediterranean Sea. Ponder the view from the rim of the Grand Canyon.  See and smell the wonders of the Painted Desert in Arizona. And Sedona.

As we see the beauty of the earth we also form a vision of what is good, what is beautiful, a vision that is very personal just to me. And that vision urges me to see more, to discover more. Oh yes, I am looking for it now. And while doing so I am finding myself. In the world. With a purpose.

This blog is a commentary, a personal journal and commentary on today’s issues. It is not a political rant or rage. It is my venting and exploring and discovering life in its many forms. Much in the world is good. Much is also bad. We make of it what we can. but first we must make sense of it all.

This morning there was a news item that claims the Federal government has misspent $100 billion to incorrect payees: social security beneficiaries, Medicare suppliers, veterans benefits, pentagon vendors…the list goes on and on. Of course there is an oversight committee in Congress that bemoans these errors, this waste. Of course it is a partisan observation by partisans in the government. The problem is: this problem has been going on for many years by career bureaucrats. The problem is a systems problem deeply embedded in government operations. Audits will find the mistakes; efforts will be made to recover the payments made in error. Some of these errors will be found to be fraud. Others will be just dumb, stupid mistakes. These are inevitable. Companies do it all the time. They discover the errors and recover them. It is the same in government. But somehow such mistakes shouldn't be made in government. They should be perfect, right?

Another item, President Obama and his traveling crew found some time to rest and have pizza. As though that is inappropriate while erroneous expenditures are made, or while Central American children are crossing our borders in record number, or a war is on in the Middle East. I wonder when Obama’s bathroom breaks will be trumpeted?

Making sense of the world and its problems, and our humanity, takes each of us to see, explore and learn. We can waste time blaming others. We can believe everything we see and hear in the media. At all times. But we also can and should look for the truth and use it intelligently. To make a difference. To make things better. To solve problems so others don’t have to live in deep dark places.

David Letterman as usual gives us some perspective:

“Soccer is one of those things that the rest of the world cares more about than we do. You know, like healthcare, education, gun control…”

Not all things are supposed to be political. In America, though……

July 11, 2014