Exposing the Mind to Air

Sitting in a waiting room watching people. It is a good thing to do from time to time. See others respond to small cues from other people, total strangers. Register your own reaction to a cue directed toward you – a small greeting as the person enters your space and sits next to you – or a roll of the eyes registering a disagreeable patron expressing his complaints loudly nearby.

These cues happen continually around us. We mostly don’t recognize them unless we are watching for them. And yet they provide a rich environment of context for us to understand our surroundings. The atmosphere is different in a medical waiting room, especially if it is an emergency room waiting space. Furtive glances seek confirmation that you belong there, that you and your family member are actually dealing with a medical emergency. If you aren’t dripping blood one wonders why you are there!

In a dentist office the atmosphere is more relaxed – unless that is the patient is awaiting a dreaded procedure he knows will hurt and produce a week of painful recovery.

Gallows humor often is part of the scene when others are nervous about what they don’t know is about to happen. They seek relief through laughter. Any little distraction will do.

An airport waiting lounge is mostly boring. Travelers waiting on a scheduled arrival or departure don’t usually exhibit animation. Of course, if they are on a journey to Paris or some exotic destination they may be more animated, but most of us aren’t on such journeys. No, we are on the way home from a business trip, or on our way toward a conference or business meeting. Or maybe we are on vacation but going off to see an elder relative doing our duty to keep family ties fresh. While we can, don’t you know!

Body language tells us much. Sleepers sagging in waiting room seats are frequent views. So too the antsy children wandering around with parents' anxious eyes keeping track of them.

I remember days past in the 1940’s and 1950’s when any travel was exotic, especially at an airport. Travelers were dressed well and could very well be headed for church. Nowadays that is not true. Dungarees, boots, or flip flops are the norm; and baggage dragged by the score in search of stowage in small overhead bins or beneath seats; wherever will they stash all of this stuff? And why so much?

Casual life styles abound today. Unstructured and seemingly undisciplined. Is this a culture forming or a culture disintegrating. Depends on where you are on the age spectrum!

And then later as you mix with people with more of a planned agenda – meetings, transactions, group thinking and solution generation – we are pulled into a more authentic, full-range interaction.

Years ago I began expressing my inner thoughts and how they impacted my business thinking and solution development. At first resistance was given to that open thinking but eventually the practice became a template for others to follow in those meetings. We actually thought together and came to agreement on complex issues and even began the delicate process of solving problems.

Still years later I began writing my thoughts for public consumption. Scary at first but they were mostly well received and I worked hard to gain understanding rather than disagreement. Evidently those efforts paid off and writing became much easier. Not afraid of criticism I ventured into opinion writing and then blogging. Still no raucous outcry of disagreement. Just followers and readership from across the globe. This following is not large nor earth shattering.  But it is a beginning to share divergent views within the human community.

The other day I ran into someone who had read one of my postings and he didn’t agree with that one. So he stopped reading all the others that I have posted. I thought this was interesting. No complaint. No feedback. Just avoidance. 800,000 words published in five years, maybe 900k. And he didn’t like 700 words in one essay. So he decided to close his mind to the ideas of my other posts.

I have exposed my mind to the air of the world and to the inspection of others. Take it or leave it the ideas remain. Accepted or not it is not a problem. What is a problem is the person who actively avoids learning what others think. They are crippling themselves and isolating their life experience.

Not a healthy practice for them. Not a brave face to the world, either. Just stubborn and closed off.

I wonder how many of us live in this patterned cocoon. And what it portends for elections? Or anything else for that matter!?

September 30, 2016

If You Were Me

Have you ever asked that question? Whether silently or aloud? And of whom did you ask it? Was it a friend who you felt at the time didn’t understand you or your beliefs? Did you feel alone and naked in front of the world – no one under the sun gets you? Is that where you were when you asked that question?

Or perhaps you didn’t ask this specific question. Maybe someone asked it of you. At that moment, what were your feelings? What did they need from you and did you have what it takes to answer the question honestly? Did you do so? Or did you whiffle it off?

Interesting isn’t it? Whether it is you doing the asking or someone else doing so of you, the need to ask the question is one thing. The ability to answer it honestly is yet another.

I contemplate the current presidential campaign, the debates, the news quips and the ads. I shudder every time that we are faced with this rhetoric and gamesmanship. All in the name of democracy. What a laugh. What a travesty. What was once noble is now a sham.

But then ask the question of yourself and someone you know as a friend who believes in the opposite candidate. What would you answer if your friend asked you, “If you were me what would you do/believe?” and return that favor by asking the same question of your friend.

See what the answers would be. Really try to grasp the reality of why the answer is what it is. Why do people believe and feel the way they do? That is the core of this question. And what we then need to do to make the answers not only different, but the asking of the question as well. Why do we ask the question? Why is it necessary for the individuals? What do we have to do to make the need not necessary?

Perhaps that is the real job we need to be doing.

Because, put simply, we are too focused on ourselves to actually feel what it’s like to live in another’s shoes.

Look back on my series of posts on divided communities. If we were paying attention to each other wouldn’t our communities remain whole? And when problems arose wouldn’t those issues be attended to and repaired? In doing that wouldn’t we learn more about our communities and each other to improve our communities in the first place and ensure they remain healthy and viable?

I think so. If you had a career in social agencies or in churches and medical professions in which the goal is to serve the needs of others, I think you would agree with my take on this. Because conditions are what they are today, we need to adjust what we do.

The service agencies are doing their part; are the rest of us? And if we aren’t, what do we have to do to engage ordinary citizens in such work?

Recently I have received mentoring requests from people reaching out in heavily damaged communities to begin service agencies that will address what’s wrong. That’s a good sign. It uplifts me just knowing there are others ‘out there’ willing to take on this work. It is after all their community in need of help. They are living there and experiencing the context of the problems. They will know better than anyone else what to do about the problems. And how to help those afflicted with the living conditions.

Improved housing will be one goal. So too improved access to medical care and education, early childhood preparation for school, day care for parents out and about earning a living to support their families. And of course economic development to replace the jobs that have vanished so completely in some areas.

Along the way we will need citizens who will come to understand how to govern the same communities and their demographic context so future problems can be avoided entirely, or if not, at least minimized in their effects. Too much suffering going on in what was once strong and viable communities. So much future yet to be rekindled.

We have made mistakes in America. Our problems come from some of those mistakes but not all. Mainly our mistakes are made in addressing the problems in a timely manner. Too many people feel that belongs with some other power. I disagree. It is our work to be done.

Because it is our community suffering. The community in which we live. Better happy ever after than condemned to the margins of society where hope is lost and violence reigns supreme. There is much to do and we are the only ones who can do it.

Amen!

September 29, 2016

Doing Days

One of those days when I don’t know where to start. What should I write about? What is uppermost in my mind and feelings? Not sure, really. Let’s take an inventory.

This morning we return to downtown Chicago to Northwestern Medical complex for a post-op conference with Rocky’s surgeon. He will no doubt examine the excision and surrounding tissue and declare it healthy and healing on schedule. He may even remove the stitches but most likely will allow them to melt away on their own as they are now doing. [Yes, this is how it went.]

No, the real purpose of this visit for us is to learn definitively what next steps lay before us. He will no doubt repeat his order that Rocky’s endocrinologist (diabetes specialist) will manage the next step which is a radioactive iodine treatment. That step will be performed in our local hospital 5 minutes from our home. And it will be done among people we know.  [Yes this is what happened yesterday.]

The treatment will kill any cancer cells which may be lurking in tissue surrounding where the thyroid once was. In nearly every case like this we will be told that only one treatment is necessary. Success rates are that high. The treatment will compromise Rocky’s immune system severely so he will be placed in isolation for three days and then he will be done with the thyroid-tumor-cancer episode of his life. And then back to normal routines. [Yes, the treatment will kill any cancer cells still lurking around, but the immune system remains intact; Rocky will need to be isolated from others so the radioactivity doesn't harm others, including the dog! We will work out the logistics.]

That’s what we expect to learn this morning.  Tomorrow we meet with the endocrinologist to learn the specific arrangements of the treatment – when, how long, where, etc. Hopefully all of this will be over in another month!  [And yes this all happened as expected.]

Later in the day I spend an evening in a public library in the south suburbs of Chicago sharing SCORE information with people who are considering building their own business or wishing to improve an existing small business. We do this sort of thing a few times each year to spread the word. An army of volunteers reaching out to the public to let them know good things do exist in this world and for free! [This went very well; a small turnout because people were home watching the debate between presidential candidates.]

Then home to prepare for a busy Tuesday. My own routine clinic visit at the hospital, then Rocky’s endocrinology appointment, then a conference call with the board of an international service agency in need of a better business plan. Finally, the evening will be spent at church working on a transition team preparing the congregation to determine what kind of minister we wish to call to fill our vacant pastor position. This will be an interesting experience – but still in my realm of volunteer organizations, mission driven organizations, passions and purpose.

Wednesday will start early at 7 am at a coffee shot meeting with a SCORE client. Then a day to pull myself together just in time to meet with my teen addict group in the evening. That group is morphing new challenges. Always fresh faces; some are resolute that no one will help them or deter them from their interests! Still other faces are resolved to take their lives back and build purposefully better futures than their derailed pasts have led them. And yet others have no resolve, just open lives wondering what this rehab business is all about and what relevance it has for them, if any.

All these kids are pleasant when you scratch the surface. They want to be liked. They are likable. But they are often impish and challenging. ‘Catch me if you can’ is a theme we note many times. But their shadows and masks come off eventually and then we can deal with the real person.

These chemistries of personalities and interactions are never dull and never the same. Always cascading from one level of reality to another and we are left gasping for air as we attempt to make sense of its all. And attempt, too, to make a difference somehow in their lives. This is not for us. It is for them.

We make the most progress when the kids realize that; and they almost always do. Some failures, but mostly some successes, too. Rarely a slam dunk excellent result, but we have those as well.

Just like life. How busy we all are. How entangled with experiences we are. And preparing for yet more.

Our lives are full. But is the filling worthwhile? Are we doing something of value?

We will know tomorrow morning when we awake from a night of sleep: a night of true rest or one of thrashing? That will tell us something.

September 28, 2016

Divided Communities – Chicago

So I’ve been focusing on communities and their health. How well do they get along? And why do some communities thrive while others struggle, sputter and even die out? Good questions, each and every one. And the answers are even better. That’s if we even seek the answers. Absurdly, many communities do not ask the questions, or look for the answers.

Instead they leave. Escape. Fly away to greener pastures. That is if they can! Not all residents can do this. Witness Detroit, Flint and other Michigan communities that have watched their communities collapse. They are not alone. There are plenty of communities experiencing decay, loss of jobs, crumbling infrastructure, vacant buildings, increased crime. And of course, violence.

Chicago has some of these symptoms. So does New York, Washington DC, Boston, LA and many other American urban centers. It is part of urban cycles maybe. The rise and fall of specific locales, and then what comes after, and in what order. And even in what time frames or cycle speeds.

In most large urban centers there are many areas of economic activity and community life that rise and fall within their larger context of region and city. Some areas rise while others fall, and yet there is a comforting tempo to this cyclical pattern that informs us that not all declines are failures or inevitable either.

Not inevitable, the cycle, unless we detect and count the mini-cycles. In such the highs of the pendulum swing are not so high, nor are the lows. We modulate the cycles enough to provide the opportunity for investment and payback while regathering strength during down cycles in preparation for the next up cycle.

Not all of these cycles are economic but most are. Symptoms of decay are lower demand for services, products and housing. Loss of jobs follows rapidly, then poverty swells, crime advances and violence shows a larger and meaner face.

Violence. It is the symptom of ‘all is lost’ and what do I have to lose? I need so I take. I’m mad and powerless so I maim, injure and kill.' Soon it doesn’t matter. It is just a way of living life in down and out areas. And control of the community is lost.

A neighborhood or a town. A region or a city. Observe, please, Detroit, Michigan. For many all is lost. Their lives will never be the same again. What once was grand and of unimaginable wealth, is now slum and crumbling structures – hotels, apartment buildings, homes, mansions even. In need of paint and new roofs. Windows boarded up. Fires in the night. Crack houses by day. Meandering people picking at the remnants. Shuffling along in worn out clothing and shoes. Looking for anything of value to trade for food, shelter, clothing – or a fix.

A fix to forget and anesthetize the brain from the pain.

Poverty and pain? Boredom from poverty? Drugs for pain? Violence and pain? What is it that is creating which of the symptoms? Indeed, what is symptom and what is cause?

Communities need to understand this. It is the core of the problem they need to solve if health and prosperity is to return. Health and prosperity need people dedicated and energized to accomplish something. This is a job in and of itself. It fuels building. It creates opportunity. It informs us of the problems and the solutions that are in lockstep with one another. Find one and you will discover the other.

Communities that care about themselves do not leave the scene. They remain and fight the problems and make another day available for life and accomplishment.

A community that does this retains its sense of community and builds itself up. From the scrap heap even, it builds itself. Only now it has a keener sense of who and what it is. Now it can focus on needs. Infrastructure becomes a more evident need. Cooperation, too, and collaboration. No community ever was built without cooperation and collaboration. One is willingness to agree; the other is sharing energy and will to build and succeed for a common outcome. These are the seeds of future. These are proof of community.

Violence fills voids in crumbling communities. The answer to violence is hope for a better tomorrow. Cooperation and collaboration require us to work together, to believe together, and to strive against large odds to find and fulfill opportunities.

In the face of this violence recedes and disappears until called forth again in time of crisis. For now it is a symptom. A community is crying out for help.

Build me a future it says. Repair my street and school and supermarket. Help me live here in peace and harmony. Let me believe again in my fellow man. Help us attract jobs and economic stability. Rebuild. Here. Now.

Unfolding fresh opportunity will erase the guns because the need for them will be eliminated. Violence then will ebb until it is only a whisper in the shadow.

Chicago knows this. Communities are awakening to the realization that their problems, neighborhoods, residential blocks, are in need of working together to rebuild. It is the role of city government to support the local leadership to make good things happen. It is also the role of local organizations, churches, property owners, real estate leaders and landlords, to work together and help each segment of the community succeed.

This is their shared future. Ignoring it leads to nothingness and voids in which violence is the only incumbent.

Surely we can come together to do better.

September 27, 2016

Passion to Carry On

I meet a lot of people. Have worked with a lot of people over the years, too. Some interactions are for only moments, while others are months, years, even nearly a lifetime. Each connection sparks or doesn’t. Sometimes slowly; others quickly, like a wildfire. Something gets a conversation going and soon ideas, comments, feelings tumble together. An ‘aha’ moment or uproarious laughter usually results. Then a calm overtakes the participants and they wonder what just happened.

I’ve seen it over and over again. In a community meeting of strangers brought together to consider a problem in need of a solution, or a group of business people meeting for a community breakfast to consider some new ideas, the attendees are mostly strangers to each other. Tentative welcomes are shared, maybe a business card or two, and then an uncomfortable silence until someone introduces a topic. Usually it is not the weather or the Cubs, or Bears or White Sox! No, usually it’s – ‘What do you do for your business?’ or, ‘Where is your business located?’ or ‘What’s your business’ biggest problem today?’

And then they are off. Soon common issues are identified and the conversation takes off. Hopefully they will have identified a thread of interest for them to build a relationship on. A relationship that holds mutual benefits that help each other.

In some meetings I encounter folks wanting to start their own business, or they have a business already but have hopes to build it bigger and better. Some ‘businesses’ aren’t typical businesses; they are service organizations attempting to help others with specific needs that are going unmet. Whether for profit or not, such organizations operate for a reason. Helping them identify that reason is often what I spend a lot of time doing.

It boils down to this: in the business world we think of the purpose of the company as being its value proposition. In the non-profit arena we think of it as mission. In whatever world you operate it is the purpose of your organization. Knowing this gives focus and structure to your efforts. It is very helpful. But it is often not enough.

Meeting new people with ideas to implement in the form of new businesses and organizations, the quality that separates them the most is the sparkle in their eyes or the eagerness of their body language. Somehow some people are more engaged in what they are doing or embarking upon. Others are more demure and quiet; disengaged is more like it. I wonder why those folks are even at the meeting. What brought them out to discuss these issues? Why are they here?

Over the years the engaged ones are those who are excited to do, to build, to make something happen. And their idea is a pathway to that eventuality. They have a spark that has ignited interest and energy. They are in the act of doing. Soon we will learn what that spark is.

I think on this often and have come to know it has the passion behind a person’s action. Know this and you will learn what drives the person in the chosen direction.

That’s it - identifying the passion. Each person has it or doesn’t. Finding it is the secret to unlocking a person’s energy and focus. It is the core of why he or she does what he does in the broad sense of things, or of career, or hobby or pastime. What interests make this person’s life perk up?

Is this passion evident in his/her business dealings? In her organization of the day’s activities?

If passion is present a powerful automatic pilot most likely is operating in the life of that person. Drive results. Energy focused on doing and outcomes happen. This person is on a personal journey of excitement and accomplishment. That will likely fuel even more energy and passion. And on and on.

Meeting new entrepreneurs for the first time I find it necessary to detect their passion. Challenging them to do so is a beginning to organizing for accomplishment. Uncovering the passion is exciting for them and for me. It is the force that will ignite their future. And it just keeps on giving what is needed to make an enterprise a success.

I learned this valuable lesson from years working in non-profits. They have a reason for being, a purpose that digs deep in a values appreciation. They believe in what they are doing because the outcome is so valuable to others, and by extension, to them. They like being a part of helping another person. That becomes a passion for them.

Later I learned this parallels with business and career success as well. If we care enough about the value of the product or service our organization is delivering to the world, then we can get excited about everything that makes it happen.

Capturing our passion is the secret. It will carry us far, and on into the future of what is possible.

September 26, 2016

The Guy on the Street

[Note: this posting is repeated from September 13th; I posted two items that day but blog analytics didn't indicate readership of this item so I am repeating it today.] 

So this guy sits down on the park bench. The day is warm – mid 80’s – but the humidity is low – 40% (in Chicago that’s low). It is mid September so heat remains but dryness is returning. The trees remain green but hints of change exist. Fall will come in two weeks with colorful leaves and cooler nights. October will retain warm days but mild temperatures and very low humidity. Soft breezes will push air around with grace and delicacy. This is the time of year to hope for.

OK, so the guy is sitting in the park. This is an urban park. Streets are busy with cars moving the speed limit of 30 mph. About a mile away the expressway is in full swing for a mid-day week day. Traffic hums – really it roars! – and the entire neighborhood echoes the sounds. The city is at work, not play.

The man is in his early 60’s, maybe late 60’s. He has time to sit in the park. He has time to think about many things. Today that is health and purpose and time line. The three go together neatly. Not always, but most of the time.

If health is in question then life’s purpose is pondered; did I do what I wanted to do? Was enough accomplished to conclude my life was fully lived and worthwhile for others? And just how long do I have to remain on this earth?

Well now, those are weighty questions. Downers to some extent. But he doesn’t seem to be down. No, he seems humored somewhat. Every now and then he lets a chuckle escape from his lips. Why is that? Moments later he grins, shakes his head, gets up and walks farther into the park.

Tall trees tower over him. Birds are producing a veritable symphony. Children are playing nearby and yeeking and laughing and crying. Not a din but a hubbub of life noises celebrating their activity.

Dappled light results from sunlight filtered by many branches. The breeze is softened and barely noticeable. The temperatures, however, have dropped a few degrees.

Leaving the park on the far side the fellow strides moderately but purposefully toward a small restaurant. It is one of those places that have been a witness to the neighborhood for decades. The paint is worn, the sign a little battered and hanging slightly alop. The door is weather beaten and sports gnarly edges chewed by a hundred thousand hands, purses, and packages passing through the portal.

He steps into the shop. Steamy smells of coffee, soups and gravies tickle his interest. He chooses a stool at the counter. It is early for lunch, but it is time for him. An early riser any time after 11 am is lunchtime. And maybe a hot sandwich or another breakfast or what? What will suit his fancy today?

He doesn’t glance at the menu. He knows it by heart. He’ll await the waitress to suggest something but most likely he will opt for a tried and true selection – sliced avocado, toasted chicken sandwich with melted cheese. Water with ice. No soup. Light and no chips or fries.

He knows his time is free to indulge in more food but it would only slow him down, fatten him, and complicate health matters. Not that anything is much wrong. Just the normal age related issues most people have around retirement and later. He’s OK for now but slowing down.

He thinks about his career and his family. He ticks off the accomplishments and the successes of his kids. They are settled and happy. They are stable and in challenging, interesting jobs. They are smart and educated, able to adjust with change as it happens, even after. Mostly they anticipate change and prepare for it. No, his kids will do just fine without his help.

And his finances are stable. He has interests that trail on from his once active life and he now has focus and fun arrayed before him. Writing, coaching, mentoring, reading, more writing, pondering long term needs and problems society needs to solve.

His time line is long yet. The family is long lived and promises the same for him. He’ll make it to the 80’s for sure and most likely the 90’s. Not sure he wants such longevity; depends on whether the time is productive and meaningful. And relatively healthy.

Time. Not on his hand but on his mind and instigating thoughts. Which thoughts will become ideas to share and write about? Which will be useful to others? How will the ideas be used to address human needs?

And why should he care? Hmm. That question is not a real poser. He cares because he has the time to care.

And he ought to. It gives him purpose and satisfaction.

September 23, 2016

Staying Positive

Not easy being positive when so many things go awry. Normal everyday happenings are challenges enough for most of us but then add illness, financial stress or horrible weather and all seems lost at times.

The other day I spent the morning in a distant suburb participating in a business mentoring workshop. All went well. Interactions were excellent. Discussions were fruitful and the breakout sessions between students and mentors were very productive.

I had a short business meeting with other mentors to follow my student contact, then home for lunch – so I thought – and then on to another  mentoring session one on one.

That’s when things began to go wrong. First the traffic was God awful. Getting home was now going to be a problem if I wanted to make my next appointment on time. But I needed a bathroom break badly so soldiered on to home. Realizing the time pressure I called the client to make sure she was going to make our meeting. The cell phone misfired and kept calling the wrong number. Still don’t know why it switched to another number when the first one was dialed correctly.

Didn’t have time to fiddle with that so jumped in the car again and started out to meet the client. At a stop light I managed to call and confirm our appointment. Told her I might be late due to late start and heavy traffic.

Then construction barriers loomed ahead. A 6-lane suburban feeder highway (surface street with frequent stop-lights) was being repaired. One third of the lanes in both directions were closed. Traffic backups were monumental. There was no telling how many miles this problem existed. But each stop light intersection took 3 to 5 cycles before traffic made it through.

Finally, with 8 minutes left to the appointed time but with at least 30 minutes of travel time remaining, I called the client again and cancelled the appointment. Instead I suggested I send her an email with discussion questions for her to work on, then email her answers to me, and we could continue our work via email until a face to face meeting was more appropriate. She agreed.

I made a u-turn and made for home. Calling again via hands-free technology, the phone system balked and failed to connect me with the house. So, infuriated, I finally made it home in full frustrated mode. Worse, Rocky was unable to fix lunch (he was recently out of hospital and our larder was near bare) we went to a local Burger King restaurant where we promptly ordered McDonalds fare forgetting where we were! That confused the staff, we ordered, then changed the order further confusing them. The food came late and not completely as we had wished. We ate it anyway and returned home to change clothes and take a nap.

Later I caught up with several mentoring assignments via computer and another nap until supper which turned out to be an egg breakfast because that was all we had in the house. And it was delicious because eggs always are!

Angry, frustrated and peeved I fumed and stormed around the house mad at failed technology, egregious highway maintenance protocols that force suffering on the very people who use and pay for the highways. And a cascade of other negatives weighed me down.

Later that night I awoke after two hours of sleep completely awake. Tossing and turning I contemplated my day and realized we were both exhausted by medical and hospital happenings during the week, and that set up a perfect storm for Friday. My nerves were on edge. Muscles were knotted. And then the pain from those same muscles and an extra boost from arthritis made for an uncomfortable night.

This morning I realize the toll I allowed the negatives to take on me and my loved ones. Not a nice picture but at least I think I understand it now.

Staying positive during trying times begins with understanding that trying times are upon you. That is the warning that tells you to reschedule and manage the stress better. Some avoidance is necessary. Some fresh planning is required. And then gulps of fresh air, perhaps a nap, and a renewed start.

We are human and can shoulder heavy loads. Some days are easier than others. When they are not it pays to recharge and make changes midstream. An apology may be nice to offer; but it is not required. After all this is life and shit happens.

September 22, 2016

Well Regulated Schedules

A fine concept. Regulating one’s own schedule. On time, every time at the place you promised to be. To do the things you promised to do. Well ordered days with properly expectant results.

Or not when the schedule gets out of whack. By storms, by illness, by traffic or whatever. Our time is not truly our own. It belongs to the cosmos and all within it that acts upon the seconds and minutes that suddenly disappear like a mist. The clock advances an hour we knew not!

Rocky’s surgery went as expected last week. A little longer than planned but safe and certain the outcome will be successful. The tumor was bigger than expected and mostly on the outside of the thyroid. Removing it and the thyroid took an extra hour but all is well.

Healing with age and diabetes complicates the return to full health. Nurses and tech attendants knew their stuff and watched over Rocky very well. Northwestern Memorial Hospital in downtown Chicago is expert in these matters. And their people are wonderful, dedicated healers.

The where is a complicator. Traffic, parking, narrow city streets in dark canyons of tall buildings.  All conspire to challenge the experienced city dweller. But add seven decades to your age and watch all of that magnify!

We did it, though. A few more trips than anticipated but now we are experts. Pros even! Well, let’s not test that boundary!!

Rocky came home a day later than planned. Healing is slower than thought, but still progress is good. We see the doctor on post op consult on September 26th. Will learn more of what we will need to do to return to full health.

Still, each visit downtown sliced off 5 hours of time and attention. In turn more gas, more tolls, and more cash infusions for parking. And all of that is time consuming as well. Rearranging dog care, neighbor care and meals takes more planning. And then sleeping in odd places, recovering from those experiences, and taking showers at very different times than normal.

All in all this journey has had its unexpected twists and turns. But the drama and excitement filled what would have been empty spaces of time. Just waiting would have been awful. But then a new kind of busy-ness filled my attention.

Just being in a hub of medical activity carried excitement. So many people, so many ages, so many nationalities. And the body shapes! Oh my God! Talk about diversity. And of course we added our own to the mix which is not all that comely in the first place!!

I think we tend to forget how ordinary and quiet our lives become, especially during retirement. I remain engaged in lots of things so think on this a lot but even this time I was surprised on how ordinary my exposure to the world is most of the time. It is the out of the ordinary experiences that help us see ‘the other’ that is always around us; just not always perceived or seen.

That’s a large point for us all to think on. There is always more to life and the world than what we experience for ourselves or even what we notice. So much more. So much more beyond us that enriches life to the max. Simple really. It is there for us to see yet often we don’t see. Because we are otherwise occupied with self.

The odd schedule pushes us out of the ordinary and can engage us in the unexpected. That is the real value of reading a new book or author. Or listening to new forms of music. Or meeting new people. Volunteering involves more than our brain. Other senses are pulled into service and the world becomes more alive.

I used to get this stimulation from concerts, plays and other art presentations. Now it is watching people and getting involved in their lives a little bit. Such a payback for so little an investment of time.

The schedule perplexes. We become slaves to it at times. Until the unexpected happens. And all is new again in a moment.

Just in a moment.

September 21, 2016

Divided Communities – Part 3

Confronting a community divided within itself is a ticklish proposition. How do you begin? Who do you partner with? What is the agenda and protocol to follow? And how do we ultimately begin work and discussions that eventually will construct a bridge over which the community will travel toward a whole community?

We could also ask how long these tasks will take but I think that is unproductive effort and time spent. Better to focus on what we can do and with whom.

I write the following as a total invention. I am not an expert in these matters. I just know how organizations tend to work over time. I know how personalities help and hinder how those organizations work. And I have a keen vision of what I think a community would look like if it were not divided. What would be happening in such a community, how well it functions within itself, and the attitudes and sense of identify it has for itself. Those are the sort of things I conjure in my mind. And I think it is a great starting point in our journey. The steps on the journey include these:

1. Envisioning the Desired Outcome 

2. Identifying a trusted companion to involve in this journey, one who shares your same feelings and vision of the desired outcomes. 

3. Identifying a trusted person on the other side of the divide, someone who knows and understands the division well enough and who shares trust with you to discuss and explore all the facets of the problem. This person will do two things with you:
1. Help you define the problem to be fixed
2. Help you understand critical facets of the problem that will need attention
3. Help identify key people on both sides of the divide who can work together in addressing and fixing the problem
4. This trusted person may be with you for the entire journey; perhaps not. It is up to the person to decide the comfort level with his or her role 

4. Assembling the problem solvers. Sharing their joint purpose and discuss fully so they understand it well and agree to sign on to the role of the group and the task ahead for it 

5. Adjusting the problem solving group based on the previous step so the group has confidence it can work well together through the easy and hard steps on the journey 

6. Laying out the agenda of the group:
1. Definition of the problem to be fixed
2. Defining the scope (width, breadth and depth) of the issues in play
3. Agreeing on the final outcome desired by the group; this is their objective to be achieved by the group, its Mission!
4. Designing the process or logical steps to get from the starting point to the end point of the journey. This will be the outline of The Plan. This will also take research, patience, input from various specialists and institutions. It may be advisable to build a strong partnership with a research university with strengths in community development and social sciences. Plan protocols and authority levels need to be established to accompany The Plan.
5. Delegating leadership roles among the group to implement the various phases of the journey designed in the previous step. This may require recruitment of specialized leaders and partners to properly manage the phase.
6. Implement the various phases of the plan
7. Monitor and assess progress of all elements of the plan as it is operating toward the desired conclusion. Report results as available to all stakeholders involved with the project
8. Stakeholders to determine and declare when the project is completed and how the community can manage to maintain a healthy community without formation of future serious divisions. 

7. Implement all of the above 

8. Report on progress throughout to all stakeholders in the project and community. 

9. Celebrate conclusion when appropriate 

The project will need a steering committee or leadership group to get things underway. This may be the most ticklish part of the project. But it is a beginning. Later, groups and organizations throughout the community should be encouraged to adopt elements of the overall project to ensure they are part of the solution and not part of the problem. It is so easy to avoid difficult tasks in volunteer groups! Because of this avoidance we tend not to raise questions we know will upset some people and cause them to drop out of our valued volunteer corps.

But this threat must be lived through and championed if we are to make progress toward the goal.

Case studies will be valued tools in the work. There are many communities who have shared our problems or variants of the same challenges. How they handled those problems and solved them – or didn’t and went on to suffer terrible consequences – are all informative to us. Such case studies will help us persevere and invent our own solutions that will work in our community.

In public institutions and corporations succession planning is a major management task. It is not always tended to until its need is quite apparent. The business of management is to maintain consistent and successful operation of the entity. This requires that we understand tasks and who accomplishes them. Who understands the processes which support organizational success and prosperity? These processes and the leaders needed to operate them are critical elements the organization must replace over time to ensure their continued operation within the organization.

People get sick. Some people die while working with us. Some employees or volunteers retire and move away, or move away when the family is uprooted for a career change. Like all of life organizations are not static. They change dynamically and most often with subtlety. There are times we are unaware of the changes!

It pays for us to attend to succession issues continually. Here are key elements of a succession plan:

1. What roles/jobs are being performed and by whom?
2. Which people can be relied on for temporary backup should a key person become unable to perform his task? And long term replacement?
3. What job/task descriptions are presently documented and need to be?
4. What training to incumbents is provided and ought to be?
5. Are others in training to move into key roles in the future? Do we even know who represents such future talent for the organization?
6. Are leadership functions rotated among a key group of managers and leaders?
7. How can all of the above be organized to secure reasonable succession action when and if called upon? 

In volunteer organizations succession planning should be taking place. In fact, many ‘volunteer’ organizations are critically called into being as boards of directors, trustees and commissioners of public institutions and operations. Think of the libraries, park and recreation organizations and boards and commissions charged with doing the public’s work. Although some of these are elected by the voters, most are appointed. They are the community’s leaders with specialized knowledge and experience. And their value needs to be assured when they are no longer being of service. An orderly process is needed.

Case studies will tell us the stories of many communities and their challenges. If the population undergoes cultural change – from historically white to a mix of race and nationality – how will the interests of all the people in the community be included in the work of the community? Will the Library, for example, be bilingual? Will it have a collection of translated literature and classical books readable to all cultures contained within the community?

Will the Park District welcome people of all color, races and cultures? How will this be manifest? What programs will ensure inclusion? Does the attendance data confirm success or demonstrate failure to include?

Is the City Council a polyglot of people representative of the citizenry? Are local businesses bilingual and owned and operated by a broad cross section of the community? Are cultural events – parades, art exhibits, museum programs and exhibits, etc. – representative of the diversity of the community?

Accordingly, it is important that the steering community translate and communicate its work to all organizations within the community so inclusion becomes a common theme and objective for all functioning components of our complex communities.

More later as we work on this in more detail.

September 20, 2016

Hospital News

Well, in the wee hours of Sept 13 Rocky and I traveled downtown to the Northwestern Hospital for his surgery to remove the thyroid gland. With it was a tumor the size of an adult’s thumb to the first knuckle. Tests will inform us soon whether it is cancerous. We think not, but even if it is, the chance that it has spread beyond the cocoon of the thyroid is nil. Still they will take precautions if that is the case. We await news on that as well.

The surgery itself was a little longer than expected – three hours or so. Then into recovery ICU, then into a holding area, then on to his room where they wanted him to stay overnight just in case there were any complications. Rocky is diabetic, nearly his 72^nd birthday and has other minor health issues which could impact this surgery. So he remained overnight.

On Wednesday the 14^th we awoke and awaited examination and consultations. Then we were told Rocky would remain another day to be even more certain of a strong recovery. A lot of waiting in medical environs but then, that is all part of the time for healing, right?

So I went home to shower, get breakfast and see the dog! Also did the laundry, caught up on email, internet, blogging and a nap on a flat bed with my pillow! Finally able to stretch out and then curl up to relieve the back. Man did that feel good! Then Neighbor Pam took me out for a hearty dinner and a little relaxation. Finally bedtime and a very long sleep followed!

On Thursday morning Rocky talked with the doctor and was discharged. He called me, I rearranged doctor appointments and other scheduled matters and jumped in the car headed for Chicago. Got there at 10 am and we were soon off to find the car in the labyrinth. Then out of the garage and onward toward home. All worked out well and we were home by noon.

Now home and reunited with our dog Willow, snuggling in the chair and quieting down to the routine. Pam fixed dinner and brought it to us and joined us in the dining of it! Such a good and faithful friend!

All in all Rocky’s journey through this odyssey has been good. It took overly long to realize he needed this type of surgery but that was our slow take up of his laryngitis meaning more than a temporary silence. With eventual attention the diagnosis was timely, slowed only by rickety health insurance protocols. Once those were over things happened fast and well.

We have no complaints and are happy to be home and ready for the test results. We have faith all will continue to be well.  More when we know more.  Meanwhile, thanks for your prayers and kind thoughts. All have been appreciated!

September 19, 2016

Divided Communities – Part II

For 43 years I lived in two communities adjacent to one another. In that time I knew a little how they felt toward one another. One felt superior to the other. The lower ranked community knew this reality and scoffed at it. They laughed about the perceived differences and how wrong they were.

Because I lived in both communities – one for 23 years, and the other for 20 years – I knew the reality of both towns. The first one was often cited in regional and national press as a community of high value and distinguished features. But I also knew the community to raise up the Protestant churches, the Evangelicals even higher, and to cast Catholics to lower rungs of the social ladder. I knew that household incomes and fanciness of homes were also used as distinguishing features among the ‘classes’ of citizens in town.

The second town I came to know as one community. Oh, there were historical factors that separated some towns folk from one another, but they were few, and the population had swelled with later arrivals that so diluted the natives that the historical segregation no longer truly counted. No, by and large the citizens of town saw themselves as pretty much the same. Were they nice or not? That was more to the point, as well as were they financially viable? Poor people always seem to be placed on the lower rung, but there weren’t many of them and so we accepted pretty much everyone.

And we worked together to govern our town, build stronger institutions, help one another, and support a healthy community overall.

The former town did the same only differently. There only the elite were expected to do the work of the town and to get the credit for the work. There was a hierarchy of personality and class in town that expected and accepted such differences. If you were not in this group you didn’t have the opportunity to be heard let alone lead. No, you were relegated to the laboring volunteers of the group and of the civic project.

Now, shift your attention please to another town adjacent to the other two. This town has a history far different from the other two. It was a railroad town that acquired and attracted laborers on the railroad, and of the agricultural realities of the towns served by those railroads. Mexicans in the main traveled the nation from 1850 to 1950 working both on farms and orchards as well as railroads. As a result their families began to settle along the railroad routes. West Chicago is such a community. And I live there now, have done so for 2.5 years.

The first community I spoke of is Wheaton, Illinois where I lived for 23 years as an early married and bringing two children into the fold. The second community is Warrenville, Illinois where I lived as a divorced father of two, later as a latter day self avowed gay father and partner for 16 years.

Now I am a retired apartment dweller partnered with Rocky and living in West Chicago.

My perspective is much different today than it was in 1971 when I first moved into Wheaton. Today I am well aware of what it means to live in community. I learned this in Warrenville. I struggled with many friends to enrich the town’s life and build on its already rich life. It was a thrill to be a part of.

In Wheaton I was related by birth to the town’s founding family – the Wheatons. That allowed me to feel accepted and part of the community. The rest of the community, however, didn’t share that sense of acceptance. I was not of the ruling class or moneyed. I therefore was not in the higher echelons of society. And that distinction was felt as it was meant to be felt.

In Warrenville living was different. If the town needed a problem attended to, people aware of the situation sat down together, talked about it, and invented a solution. They implemented it and all was fine and dandy. Then on to another issue to attend to. Churches leapt to help. So did institutions like the Park District, Library and City. People got involved and suggested solutions and helped make them happen.

We needed an Arts and Tourism Commission, and so the city created it. The commission needed policy and procedures and they were created by the community. The commission needed arts groups to invent exhibits and programs. The community invented art co-ops and an Arts Council. The Hospitality Association was formed by the Chamber of Commerce to help all of the new hotels and restaurants flourish in town, and to get the backing of townspeople to patronize the new establishments. For a small town, 6 hotels and 24 restaurants was a rich new environment to be experienced and supported. But with an industrial zone with upwards of 20,000 new jobs functioning there daily, the hotels and restaurants were needed and supported.

The town also needed a newspaper. And a few good souls gathered to form one and run it for 7 years. It did its job well and fairly. But in the end the town did not support a free, non-profit newspaper and it folded. The founders each went bankrupt in turn, not just because of their efforts and financial support of the paper, but in the main it was a heavy contributing factor. The lesson, however, is still clear: Warrenville is a community of many different sorts of people and backgrounds but still lives in harmony and healthy relationship to each other. The community is thriving. Is that a result or a cause? I think a result and one worthy of replication elsewhere.

Meanwhile Wheaton suffers from a near bankrupt municipal government, high taxes, social strains among economic classes and elitism and poor economic development.

But my main focus really is West Chicago. I don’t know the whole history of this town. It is of similar age as Wheaton and Warrenville. But West Chicago currently has these distinguishing features:

• It contains a burgeoning manufacturing and industrial base providing broad employment opportunities
• It contains 26,000 citizens; (Wheaton has 58,000; Warrenville 14,000)
• Property taxes are moderate; city services are strong and stable
• Schools are well received and turn out well educated students preparing them for a multitude of careers, trades and higher education
• The native class of citizens are of European stock and white; they are dying off and declining in number
• The Hispanic immigrant citizens have been here for many generations and now own fully half of all businesses and property in town; they are stable and growing in number. Hispanics represent 50% of the population
• The old guard and the new guard (white versus Hispanic) do not talk or mingle with one another. They do not share cultural interests well: library, chamber of commerce, museums, city governance and commissions, etc. Both guards live separate but equal lives, or at least it seems so
• Old line institutions find it increasingly difficult to attract volunteers to serve on their boards, commissions and governing structures
• Downtown commercial section of town is present but somewhat shabby and underused
• Reputation of the town is held in low esteem external to the community; not deserved but it is a fact of life 

I call this the cultural divide. And it is of current importance, I think, because today we have a burgeoning Hispanic population in America that is creative, inventive, well educated, well-intentioned and very capable of enriching our business, economic and cultural life together. Not to include this dynamic community within the whole of the rest of our community is a terrible waste. It is also harmful to our healthy development as full human beings.

West Chicago is not alone with this problem. Chicago experiences it. But the old mainline cities of Illinois share this problem as well – Joliet, Elgin, Aurora. Aurora alone is working hard on inclusion and cultural expansion. Joliet is working at it. Elgin is trying. How well each community will ultimately fare on this cultural journey is open to projection. It will not be an easy journey but it is one well worth the effort.

Times are changing. But that is a given. America is a nation of change. It always has been. It is a nation of immigrants. It is what has made our nation great in the past, in the present and in the future. It defines America. It is no different today in this instant of time.

Ours is a culture of diversity. It is a culture that has difficulty with inclusion, however.

And that is the task ahead of us. We must be inclusive. We must.

Future blog posts will speak to this ‘must’. Stay tuned.

September 16, 2016

Divided Communities – Part I

I’ve been thinking of this for a very long time. Mainly because I have worked with the context of the ideas and problems. And then I thought long and hard about what made the problem in the first place, and how to fully describe what the condition is that defines the problem, and finally what to do about it.

Clearly the problem is a barrier to forward progress. To what you ask? Well, to building strong, viable communities.

And the barrier you ask? My answer is ‘cultural divisions’.

In the old days, say the 1920’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, American society would have been divided by class. People would say, Oh No! But deep inside they would say, Oh Yes!

Class distinctions were loosely arranged by family income, value of home, neighborhood in which you lived, wardrobe, and social activities at the cotillions, debutante balls, country club and the ‘right’ church. Everyone knew who was hoity toity and who was not.

The Middle Class lived in clean, neat homes on nice tree lined streets. The houses were modest and right-sized; not too big, and not too small. They had a car in the driveway and took vacations once each year. They attended church and were involved with the PTA and maybe another charity or two in the community. They read the newspaper daily and were up on what was happening in town. And their incomes were steady and sufficient to support their lifestyle without too much worry. They planned and put money aside for college educations for the kids and retirement for the parents. It was an orderly life.

The lower class struggled with small incomes or jobs that were on-again, off-again. They lived in small, dingy homes in poor neighborhoods. Often the streets were untidy with broken curbs, weeds in the cracks of the sidewalks, potholes in the street surfaces, and shabby local stores and shops. It was worn and shabby, the neighborhood. This class never had enough money from their hard toiling jobs to pay the doctor, buy shoes, go to the dentist and save anything for retirement or education for the kids. They lived day to day and paycheck to paycheck. No wonder their homes and neighborhoods grew shabby. Clean indoors, but shabby and well worn.

The upper class knew who they were and so did everyone else. They drove shiny new cars and certainly had two per household if not more. Their homes were large and ostentatious. Well manicured lawns and shrubs were ever present. Social life buzzed around the home and night life tinkled with glee often within their homes. These folks owned the stores, shops, shopping centers, medical centers and factories in town. If they didn’t work, they lived lives of comfort and ease with frequent golf outings, nightlife gatherings, and lovely trips all over the country and globe.

Communities were divided into classes based on economic status more than anything else. Of course over the generations other distinctions arose from time to time to further divided the communities into groups and sub groups, and maybe even sub-sub-groups. These distinctions mainly focused on native culture or nationality among the many immigrant groupings. Hungarian, Italian, Irish, German, Scandinavian, South American, French, Middle Eastern – whatever it was, it provided a short hand means of categorizing another human being and separating them from the main line of society.

Of course religion became a handy distinction as well. Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, atheist, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu – you name it and it became the identifier.

Global news went a long way as well. The first World War drew lines of different nationalities and those people related to one side or the other – imagined or actual – made for hotly debated gatherings at the local bar or coffee shop to say nothing about churches. By the second World War the line separating Germans from the rest of the world was well established. Then Japanese barriers became well defined as well. Finer distinctions became evident as well as Mussolini fascists began to segregate Italians by ideology. Later, when the war was settled and peace was engineered globally, the Cold War began and scarred human relationships for generations to come. Communist? Democracy lover? Tribalist?

The arguments then settled into liberal or conservative or middle of the roader apologist. Nothing was quite right throughout these eras except among those who thought similarly.

But then communities were not automatically segregated except by race. And in America race was a biggie in the segregation department! Holy Cow! We stubbornly ignored it but lived stringently by it for decades and decades, before, during and forever after the Civil War.

Americans are quite aware of their segregation and separatist attitudes. So much so it has become a culture of division within our self satisfied culture of freedom. And therein lays the rub of it all. How can we have a culture of freedom and a culture of division at the same time? Moreover, how can we accept this and still believe in communities of diversity and comity?

Well, this is what I want to talk about. America has its problems. Some are small and soft and can be ignored a while longer while we work on larger issues. But eventually all problems need to be addressed if we expect our communities to be whole and healthy.

A community is a gathering of families living in close proximity and sharing the activities of life – making families, making a living, building households, planning healthy futures, celebrating life and death in meaningful fashion, supporting spiritual lives however we can and accepting the differences among us in such enterprises. We learn about each other, enjoy each other, and celebrate our differences and enrichment, not divisions.

Today in America of 2016 we have major divisions among immigrants, Hispanics, African Americans, Whites, people of European backgrounds, and religion. Currently the most notable division is among Muslims and non-Muslims.

And immigrant divisions is mostly about legal or illegal immigrants. Once settled, of course, we will most likely continue on with the separation by immigrant versus native populations when in truth we are all immigrants unless we somehow are solidly related to the native American population who were here before all the rest of us!

Here’s the thing. We need to focus on what unites us. Focus on that. Do not even think how we are different. We will find much to label in that department. No; instead focus on how we are the same. We will find much to label in this department, and most of it will be comforting. Using that as a wellspring into the future, we can build a future together, a future that allows and accepts the many differences we don’t share.

And that’s OK. That’s the factor that enriches the lives we share in our community. It is what makes us strong. So we need to do this. Now. Stop wasting time.

I’ll talk more of this in coming days. This is important because we all likely live in communities that are struggling with many problems that never seem to get repaired because of differences in the face of many shared characteristics. What a shame we waste such energy on non-productive habits.

In America no person is better than another person unless we make it so. And that is the problem, isn’t it? We fall too easily for feeling we are better than another person until we realize all too late that we have forced the ‘lessers among us’ to do the same for their neighbors until we have a super class of the least among us.

Too bad. We are all the same really. The sooner we realize this the better we will be. And the better able we will be to solve so many pressing problems that have become barriers to our future lives together.

More later.

September 15, 2016

The Guy on the Street

NOTE: This is the second posting for September 14; one in the hospital, and the other home later in the day.

So this guy sits down on the park bench. The day is warm – mid 80’s – but the humidity is low – 40% (in Chicago that’s low). It is mid September so heat remains but dryness is returning. The trees remain green but hints of change exist. Fall will come in two weeks with colorful leaves and cooler nights. October will retain warm days but mild temperatures and very low humidity. Soft breezes will push air around with grace and delicacy. This is the time of year to hope for.

OK, so the guy is sitting in the park. This is an urban park. Streets are busy with cars moving the speed limit of 30 mph. About a mile away the expressway is in full swing for a mid-day week day. Traffic hums – really it roars! – and the entire neighborhood echoes the sounds. The city is at work, not play.

The man is in his early 60’s, maybe late 60’s. He has time to sit in the park. He has time to think about many things. Today that is health and purpose and time line. The three go together neatly. Not always, but most of the time.

If health is in question then life’s purpose is pondered; did I do what I wanted to do? Was enough accomplished to conclude my life was fully lived and worthwhile for others? And just how long do I have to remain on this earth?

Well now, those are weighty questions. Downers to some extent. But he doesn’t seem to be down. No, he seems humored somewhat. Every now and then he lets a chuckle escape from his lips. Why is that? Moments later he grins, shakes his head, gets up and walks farther into the park.

Tall trees tower over him. Birds are producing a veritable symphony. Children are playing nearby and yeeking and laughing and crying. Not a din but a hubbub of life noises celebrating their activity.

Dappled light results from sunlight filtered by many branches. The breeze is softened and barely noticeable. The temperatures, however, have dropped a few degrees.

Leaving the park on the far side the fellow strides moderately but purposefully toward a small restaurant. It is one of those places that have been a witness to the neighborhood for decades. The paint is worn, the sign a little battered and hanging slightly alop. The door is weather beaten and sports gnarly edges chewed by a hundred thousand hands, purses, and packages passing through the portal.

He steps into the shop. Steamy smells of coffee, soups and gravies tickle his interest. He chooses a stool at the counter. It is early for lunch, but it is time for him. An early riser any time after 11 am is lunchtime. And maybe a hot sandwich or another breakfast or what? What will suit his fancy today?

He doesn’t glance at the menu. He knows it by heart. He’ll await the waitress to suggest something but most likely he will opt for a tried and true selection – sliced avocado, toasted chicken sandwich with melted cheese. Water with ice. No soup. Light and no chips or fries.

He knows his time is free to indulge in more food but it would only slow him down, fatten him, and complicate health matters. Not that anything is much wrong. Just the normal age related issues most people have around retirement and later. He’s OK for now but slowing down.

He thinks about his career and his family. He ticks off the accomplishments and the successes of his kids. They are settled and happy. They are stable and in challenging, interesting jobs. They are smart and educated, able to adjust with change as it happens, even after. Mostly they anticipate change and prepare for it. No, his kids will do just fine without his help.

And his finances are stable. He has interests that trail on from his once active life and he now has focus and fun arrayed before him. Writing, coaching, mentoring, reading, more writing, pondering long term needs and problems society needs to solve.

His time line is long yet. The family is long lived and promises the same for him. He’ll make it to the 80’s for sure and most likely the 90’s. Not sure he wants such longevity; depends on whether the time is productive and meaningful. And relatively healthy.

Time. Not on his hand but on his mind and instigating thoughts. Which thoughts will become ideas to share and write about? Which will be useful to others? How will the ideas be used to address human needs?

And why should he care? Hmm. That question is not a real poser. He cares because he has the time to care.

And he ought to. It gives him purpose and satisfaction.

September 14, 2016

Just an Update - Medical

Past posts have reported Rocky's pending surgery for removal of his thyroid due to tumor growing on the right lobe. This growth actually pressed against the nerve controlling the right vocal chord and caused what we thought was laryngitis. But after 6 weeks of that we visited the doctor who said that was abnormal and referred us to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. His early diagnosis was suspicion of a tumor and this led eventually to CT scans, biopsy and other lab tests. An ENT surgeon was called onto the case and surgery was scheduled and performed yesterday, September 13.

It is now 3 am on Wednesday, September 14 and we are in hospital doing what one does following surgery. Believe me you do not want to know, but staff insist this is normal. So we persist, Rocky ailing and me writing a blog!  Go figure!! This must be modern America 2016.

At any rate we should get released sometime today and then we will drive home, hopefully not during a rush hour. We are located at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital in downtown Chicago in the midst of a vast urban canyon of buildings. So commuting to or from here is a perplexity of modern life and one we prefer to avoid.

In five days or so we will have test results declaring the tumor's state - benign or not. If not, radiation therapy will begin. We think this will not be the case but we await the verdict anyway.

So, here we are, two gentlemen in their early 70's experiencing the norms of aging. Just like everyone else before us and still forging a pathway for those who will follow. And trust me, they will follow!

So today's post is brief but it is still a commentary on modern day living of the aging set. Hooray! Such consistency.

I'll try and get back to our normal blogging schedule tomorrow.

September 14, 2016

Duterte of the Philippines

Well, here’s a guy who evidently campaigned well in his country and won the top leadership post by democratic means. It tells you what kind of an electorate resides in that nation. Reflections upon the voter are fair game for the type of leader who is at the helm.

Duterte ran as a law and order candidate and especially excoriated drug dealers. He openly told his constituents to kill a drug dealer because they were ruining the nation. And so they did. Worse, so did the national police and local police. If they encountered a drug dealer while on patrol they took extreme measures to arrest them and maybe shoot them if they resisted.

Carnage on the streets and in the jungles of the Philippines. Hundreds are now dead. And the citizenry took up the cause. People are shocked within the country. How could this be happening in a nation of constitutional law and justice?

Outside the country people are looking askance at the Philippines as well.

Duterte continues on his mission of embarrassment in other venues and with other issues as well. He openly claims that Obama should have done something to quell the violence in Syria. He thinks America should have done something militarily to stop the killing by Assad’s forces, yet he evidently doesn’t understand sovereignty of nations. Assad and Syria – however bad they are, have the power to handle their own problems. America can only enter when others agree to police the rogue nation under authority of the UN or other international peace accords. America cannot act alone. This gives each nation its own legitimacy.

And the United Nations has protected the Philippines for decades. Evidently Duterte was asleep in school when such lessons were taught. And he wants to pull out of the UN? Of course he says now that he was joking. He was not. He does not like the UN or its ‘meddling’ in international affairs. He doesn’t want someone telling him about human rights and all the rest. He especially disavows any loyalty to President Obama or the USA. Never mind it was our soldiers and loved ones who fought for their country and protected them during World War II. And continues to protect them today and provides aid and trade to build continuing prosperity within its borders.

How rude and unworthy Duterte is.

But you know what? He reminds me of someone rash and bold that is now running for the presidency of the USA. Yes, that would be Donald Trump. A know nothing. A poorly educated person. A self-aggrandizer and egotist who sees the world only from his own personal point of view. None other. No other reaching out and understanding world views. No basis for diplomacy. Just ‘you’re hired’ or ‘you’re fired.’ Such mentality. Such embarrassment.

It is this Duterte/Trump parallel that most Americans are afraid of. How easy the democratic scales can be turned to elect a misfit to an important role.

Assad is another but was he elected or appointed or manipulated to power? And Putin and other troubled souls who seem to bring problems to the world’s door step rather than solutions. Worse, they create the problems.

Such wanton destruction of truth and fact these people foist on the rest of us. And the work we must all engage in to undo such travesties.

Peace is such a better alternative. Why not work hard for that outcome? Because it is too hard? Or they do not see their own personal reward in it? Oh Please!

September 13, 2016

Contributions – Political

I have to admit I am a supporter of anything relating to the Democratic Party these days. First, because it is directly opposed to Donald Trump, second, because I want to retain as much as what President Obama has done for our country, and third, to send a clear message to Republicans everywhere that our nation is not for sale to the highest bidder.

There. I have said it.

I live in DuPage County Illinois. It is the county west of Chicago and Cook County which are both bastions of the Democrats. But DuPage is the antithesis of that. It is pure Republican and hideously conservative. I say that because they are nastily voiced against personalities. They speak down to immigrants, down to African Americans as though the Civil Rights era in America never happened, and they take a dim view of the rest of the world community.

Republicans think highly of themselves here in DuPage County. Conversely, they think and talk poorly of anyone not like them. And that’s where the problem lies.

If you are different from them you are spoiled goods. There must be something wrong with you. Wrong thinking is a sign of defective intelligence and physical ability. I know this sounds severe, but try for a moment being on the other side of this discussion. I’ve lived here since 1971 and was a Republican when I arrived. I have definitively and to the very core not a republican today. I made the switch I think in 1985. Since then the pendulum has continued to swing in DuPage County to ever more conservative realms of thinking and action. I abhor this development.

Mainly I find republicans detestable because they do not respect other people, their culture, their beliefs, their life experiences which shape and form people who are different from Republicans. You have to experience this cultural divide to understand it.

I had an intelligent colleague the other day write to me on Facebook advising me that Obama is shaping a campaign to take a third Presidential term via militia power. The insanity of this position is illustrative of what I’m talking about. These people are off the track. And that is scary. They think nothing of saying and writing and publishing what they feel as fact in spite of the reality that such is not fact. It is not history. It is not culture. It is not science. It is twisted feeling only. And yet to them it is real. You think I’m kidding? Just read my Facebook account interactions with them.

Sad. Really sad. We are all intelligent people living separate and unequal lives in the same towns and villages. But there is little to connect us in actuality. We don’t allow it.

Fearfully, they have legal rights to voting. And they will vote. And yes, in this part of the world, Trump has a good chance of winning his campaign. Hopefully he will lose everywhere else and we will be safe to pursue life, liberty and happiness undeterred from nonsense.

In the midst of all this I write and publish a blog, letters to friends and colleagues, and of course Facebook. Accordingly I get emails seeking financial donations to countless candidates and party issue organizations.

As a retired person I am living on a fixed income. It is a modest income made even more modest by the loss of my university pension proceeds by way of a divorce agreement. Furthermore, I retired after I became too ill to work a reliable schedule or do business travel. Thinking I was doomed by serious health problems, I retired and paid off as much of my debt load as possible and distributed my IRA and other investments accordingly. The only thing I couldn’t pay off was the mortgage. And eventually I had to declare bankruptcy to retain occupancy in the home long enough to find alternative rental housing. So I am low income and without any assets other than Social Security benefits. That’s it.

When Obama was first running I donated $100 per month to be certain he had enough to win. Now, I cannot afford a dollar. I’d like to but cannot. I’d like some bumper stickers for Hillary for the car, and I’d like to pass out some literature, but I cannot get any without donating dollars. I’m a supporter of Hillary and all Democrat candidates. But I have no stickers to show for it.

Meanwhile I get emails wondering if I’m a Trump supporter because I have not donated to the Hillary camp! Nothing could be further from the truth, but the tawdry fund raising campaigns continue nonetheless.

Well I know my heart and mind is pure on this issue. I will vote for Hillary and no one on the republican ticket, period. This time around I don’t need to donate money to prove my loyalty.

And love of country. Don’t ever doubt that!

September 12, 2016