When Your Kids Turn 50

I kind of remember what my mother said when she wished me a happy birthday on my 50^th. It went something like, “Just imagine what it’s like to realize your youngest is now 50! That makes me 81!!”

Well, I’m not 81, but not far behind. I am 78. I was 28 when my youngest was born. And yes, the 50^th birthday of one of your kids causes you to think.

What was I doing at 50? Well, for one, I was newly divorced and entering a totally unknown chapter of my life. One that was alien and scary. Add to that the reality that I was a late bloomer gay man who finally owned up to his sexual orientation. 50 and ready to explore a strange new world.

At the time my kids did not know about the gay thing. I had not told them yet. My oldest had just graduated from college and was living with me at a new townhouse near the old family home. That home was the only one the kids knew. It was my wish to stay close to their friends so they would not feel isolated from their roots.

My son was a sophomore in college and newly transferred from University of Missouri to Illinois State University. He had found just the right major closer to home and that suited us just fine. Closer and less costly!  A winning combination! He also lived with me when not on campus.

So, newly divorced, owning my own home, two nearly adult kids living with me, and still one year away from starting up my own business. The times were clearly unsettled, and I had a lot of growing up to do that no one would have imagined. Least of all me.

Leap forward 28 years and my oldest child is now 50, a wife and mother of two girls. Their oldest is a junior in college and on an international student exchange program at Oxford University. The second daughter is a senior in high school. And mom is a seasoned professional working remotely at home for a nationwide team of insurance and investment sales executives.

My son is 47 and a sales executive working from his home. He has two young boys 5 and 7 years old.

My family is settled. They are mature family people with issues like mine at the same age. They are no longer the young kids we nearly always think of, belying the passage of time.

Belying the passage of time. A common theme in so much of living our lives. I doubt I am the only one doing that. You too?

Just think back 50 years and see how sit feels.

November 9, 2021

 

 

Bits and Pieces

Infrastructure Bill: Finally, congress has passed the spending bill for infrastructure. Please note that over half that bill’s funding was approved in other legislation long ago, so the actual increased spending is less than $600 billion. But it is a start.

This is not a feather in anyone’s cap. Infrastructure is like a house. We invest in buying a house, condo or tent in which to live, to house our family. It is an investment in ourselves. So too, roads, bridges, dams, power grids, airports, public safety hardware and the like. We pay for these investments with taxes and improved economic functioning. If the economy grows, tax revenues grow. These are used to pay the ‘mortgage’ payments on the debt that funded the investment in the first place.

Our thinking needs to expand to include new things that are infrastructure. Things like internet expansion to improve access by most if not all Americans. Like the airwaves that carry TV and radio signals (and cell phone conversations), we all benefit from technology only if it is broadly available and accessible. This is an economic reality reliant on technology access. Fund it for God’s sake!

Such spending is a society’s way of improving itself. It is not republican or democrat. It is not even American. It is universal.

Expressway Shootings: Freedom. To think, move, live one’s life pretty much as they want to. As long as we do not trample on the rights and freedoms of others, then what we do should be OK. Of course, there are shared values and limitations to be observed (public decency, respect for privacy, and public safety to name a few).

Random acts of violence like drive-by shootings, whether on a neighborhood street or on an expressway, limits the freedom of the public. Our safety is threatened. Our freedom of movement is squashed. Our peace of mind is jarred, even erased.

To say gun violence is hazardous to public health and safety, is obvious. So too vaccinations; they protect the public’s health and safety. In turn, that protects our freedom of movement, thinking, health and commerce.

Random acts of responsibility could counter the other hazards. If only we were not so stubborn. And selfish.

Joe Biden’s Success: The President’s job is to help develop the nation’s agenda. What needs to be done, when and how. What are we missing and how do we fill those gaps? Where should we focus our attention for now and the future? What vision do we follow, create and amend? These are the functions of leadership.

Whether the followers follow or muck it up is on them. Whether loyalists or opponents, it is not the personality that suffers wins and losses. It is the people who do.

American politics have failed to understand that the job of government is to support and nurture living forward. Not backward. Forward with invention, hope and peace.

Are we doing that in our nation? I think the answer is a resounding NO!

That’s not on the President. That’s on the rest of us for allowing jerks to distort our system of justice, equality and freedom.

Shoutout: Daughter Elizabeth’s 50^th birthday is today. From the hospital in Elmhurst, Illinois, to home in Wheaton, and all the places in between then and now, Liz has graced so many lives in those five decades. We wish her happiness in all things and long life! 

November 8, 2021

 

Emergent Dreams

Most of you recall that I am a SCORE mentor. Have been for 7 and a half years. My management specialty is in strategic planning while most of my career was spent in the nonprofit sector. The latter makes me a bit unique. Most people don’t realize that 14% or more of our economy rests in nonprofit organizations. That does not include government or government agency enterprises. Those operations likely account for another 15% or more of our economy.

The thing I like about nonprofits is that they are driven by the passions of their founders and leaders. They are committed to the value structure they serve. For example, credit unions are nonprofit financial cooperatives originally formed to help low income wage earners. They provided financial services in bits and pieces to help the small guys in the economy. They still do, but credit unions have matured into much more sophisticated financial institutions in the last 30 years. They did so to survive. Today they continue their mission in helping people grow financial strength however small that definition is.

Day care for low income single mothers is another nonprofit field of enterprise. Covering operating costs and eking out measly earnings to the daycare workers is hard but necessary work. The kids benefit. The single parent homes benefit. A generation has a better chance to prosper.

So too battered wives and kids. Safehouses are created and operated by nonprofits. Same for private schools serving low income families. Centers for art education in poor school districts which cannot afford art education programs.

Readers of my blog know I care about quality of life issues. So many of these issues exist it is frustrating for me to witness society’s failure to adequately address these. However, many nonprofits enter the picture to address those very issues.

My work as a SCORE mentor encounters many entrepreneurs willing to create nonprofits to address these issues. A few recently emerged.

Gun Violence: a family suffered two sibling deaths by gun violence over 18 years. The first death plunged them into the reality of the issue. They responded by developing programs that help communities lessen gun violence in their midst. The second family death energized them to expand their operations significantly. That is what we are working on presently.

Gifted Child Education: three teachers with nearly 60 years’ experience combined teaching gifted kids were disappointed with school employers shutting their doors. These institutions could not sustain operations, so the teachers thought there was a better, nonprofit way forward. They started their own school. Four years later it is thriving. A true nonprofit, they are led by a talented board of experienced educators from across the nation. Who knows? They may just be inventing a successful template for gifted education to be copied by many communities nationwide.

Homeless Veterans: a woman client is heartbroken that homeless vets appear frequently in her community. She is committed to housing them and teaching them the skills that will help them graduate to permanent housing solutions.

There are other issues and nonprofits forming to address them. Too many to list here. The point is that there are people who care enough to take action to solve problems. This is not government in action. This is individual effort. In many instances these programs are a result of government inaction or inadequate resources.

In my career I have watched and worked with people who care about others and value quality of life they think all should share. At the very least, these people struggle to provide access to such quality of life elements.

This witness has been the source of my positivity. I believe people can do great things alone and in team. I believe this because I have seen it happen over and over again. Nonprofits are a little recognized asset to our nation. Thank God for them!

November 5, 2021

 

 

Sidewalk Supervisor

The title recalls comics and funny papers from the 1940’s and 50’s. In those days, plywood ‘walls’ were constructed between downtown sidewalks and construction sites to keep pedestrians safe from building activities and dust. Every few feet, however, ‘portholes’ were cut at head level so pedestrians could see what was going on with construction progress. These viewing holes were for the curious who were called ‘sidewalk supervisors.’

Today I sit at my ‘office’ window in a fourth floor condo building. I look westward into a construction site that once was a vacant lot between our building and city hall. The new building will house severely disabled people who otherwise would be homeless. The facility will have 24 loft apartments suited for handicapped persons. Programs will be provided in the building to help residents learn skills for self sufficiency elsewhere. The building is considered transitional housing but in all likelihood, it will be long term housing.

The building will be four stories with residences on the top three floors. The first floor will be for reception, offices, program spaces and building mechanicals and utilities.

Watching it go up has been both a treat and a frustration. The frustration part stems from two sources: first, it is slow and marked by delays; second, the site ate up at least eight parking spots used by our residents. Some of those will be returned to our use after construction, but not until then. Thus, our parking is tight and poses problems.

Construction began in April. So far the land was cleared, underground utilities were brought in and capped, the foundation was poured, followed by the first floor slab pour. More drainage and stormwater plumbing were installed. Finally, the elevator shaft was built. Currently the driveway and parking lot underlayment has begun along with finalization of groundwater drainage facilities.

From my aerie I wonder when the walls and floors will be built for the rest of the building. I also wonder if the skeleton of the building will be concrete block or steel caging. Of course, the exterior design is pondered; will it be modern or classical? Will it be brick, stone or walls of glass. As a neighbor we wonder these things although we doubt parking and auto traffic will be a concern. Blind tenants don’t drive! Neither do severely handicapped individuals. So, staff parking will be the norm plus delivery and utility purposes.

As winter is nigh, we all wonder about snow removal and parking access during construction. As a retiree, I am not terribly concerned about any of this; just curious. And expectant. I’m dreaming of a flashy new building in our downtown neighborhood, one we will be proud to share space with.

Change is good. It motivates the brain. Supervision whether from the sidewalk or a neighbor's window, builds suspense.

November 4, 2021

 

Global Energy Market

For most of history, nations have managed their own affairs internally. When problems doing this occur, they seek other nations’ help to solve their own problems. International trade grew to meet this need. Buying and selling goods and services not available, or not in good supply, in one nation automatically creates a demand for those goods and services where they are available. Swapping goods and fair value is the basis of all international trade.

What is normal is often challenged by differing values and beliefs. Some trading nations withhold their goods from some customers because they substitute price for power. Russia has done this for many years in the energy markets of Europe. Energy is not in huge supply in Europe. Energy is not much created in Europe. It is created in the Middle Eastern nations and places like Russia. And China as well, but China has its own towering demand particulars and must buy energy externally to meet its current needs.

Russia, however, has plied economic markets for political power. Building natural gas pipelines from its vast resource fields to supply Europe’s hunger for energy, has been a staple of commerce for Russia. However, Russia has played their energy strength to gain power over European nations by shutting down pipelines when it harms customers the most. Ransoming supply artificially is the Russia's technique.

International energy markets abound. Imbalances of supply and demand abound. Europe’s energy demand is a challenge to fix. Some of the problem is technical, some resource related, while the balance resides in inventing long term solutions. It is the latter that poses the largest challenge.

Pooling resources will go a long way in addressing challenges. Whether energy, transportation, healthcare, climate change or research and development, nations working together can and will solve complex problems. Resources joining forces is not just money; it is also know-how, education, research, creativity and a host of others.

Supply chain issues has always been a component of supply and demand. It becomes a problem to overcome when persistent imbalances occur. How should they be addressed and repaired for the long term? That is the critical question in need of an answer.

I have no doubt we can find the right answers working together. That unity of purpose builds friendships and partnerships. It also builds peace. It does double duty by weakening the political strangle hold wielded by unfriendly nations.

Something for Russia to ponder: your abundant energy resources hold little economic value without customers. Reliable supply makes for reliable customers. Mess that up and you lose the long term objective.

November 3, 2021

 

Bits and Pieces

Getting Along with Enemies: the world is a complicated place. Seven billion people plus. Hundreds of nations and their unique histories. Cultures vary with religion, history, values and belief systems. Knowing these and understanding them is a challenge. A multitude of languages complicates the situation more.

If we have learned anything we should understand that who we count as friend or enemy is highly variable. Diplomacy is a career that studies the means and methods of agreeing with those we are different from. Knowing and understanding are two different aspects of the same issue – How do we get along with those we do not truly know? That is the crux of foreign policy. Who is a friend in one season may turn out to be a competitor or enemy in the next season. Enemy and competitor are also not automatic. Most of the time we get along with and respect our competitors. They are not enemies necessarily.

Iran and American relations have been in turmoil for many years. The dynamics of the relationship change over time. Now is a good time to find a way to work with Iran to calm the Middle Eastern chaos.

To win we do not always have to be the winner. Know this and work it!

Job Market: most businesses – for profit and non – are short staffed. What they do cannot readily be accomplished without people power within their organization. Businesses do not run people; people run businesses. Another thought, people need other people to do things they need and want; that’s why they go to the business to buy the goods and services in the first place.

Having that line-up straight is essential to understanding the current labor market. Supply and demand for services and products exist. Both sides of that equation. The volume ebbs and flows constantly, but its existence is not in question. Just a matter of scale at any given moment.

Equilibrium within markets is a critical economic element. Balanced supply and demand are expressed in stable pricing and movement of goods. Imbalances create too little supply for the existing demand, or too little demand for the inventory of available goods. Prices will settle the matter quickly. High prices attract more resources to the equation; people get paid more and come to work for the organization that will support their compensation expectations. When that fancy passes, employees will seek the next hot spot.

A lot depends on career parameters. What one person chooses to do for a living is not what another person would choose. Specialties emerge in this manner. Employers know they need some career staff to always understand the inner workings of their business if the enterprise is to be a success over many years. Some businesses thrive because it has the right mix of talent working for it. Products and services are up to date and beat the competition in quality and features. Who produces the goods is not as important as the design and engineering of the product.

The American job market today is a witness to enormous imbalances. Far too many people are sick and tired of the old work routine. They want something different. They know something different is out there and developing. They are adjusting to a market of different needs and expectations. They are changing. Employers need to match their own needs with what available workers are willing to do. And for what compensation.

It is the moment employers need to change their approach. There is no labor shortage. There is a huge mismatch within the employment market – the buyers and the sellers.

November 2, 2021

 

 

Good Grief, November!

Passing swiftly, time nears another winter. It doesn’t seem possible. Just the other day we were wondering why spring was hanging back from its expected appearance. Now that is behind us and so, too, summer. Fall nears its end as hard as that is to believe.

An adage claims time passes quickly as you age. It is true. Even with time on my hands to read, nap and loll in front of a TV screen, time melts away. Resting after breakfast, it is soon afternoon. Then it is time to make supper decisions. Bedtime arrives soon thereafter.

This does not mean nothing is done or accomplished during the day. No, a lot is read, digested, thought and written about during daytime hours. Meeting with colleagues to advance work for clients takes place as well. There are studies and reports on all this activity and that draws attention. Time speeds through engagement and participation. Those two terms are not the same, but both absorb attention and concentration.

Rummaging about for today’s topic, I did not get farther than saving the opening document with today’s date. November first. Yikes. It doesn’t seem possible. Soon we will prepare for Thanksgiving, soon after Christmas, then New Years, and the many holidays that follow. Guideposts of the calendar, whisk us through another year. The rhythm does not staccato; it thrums, beats, pulses. There is no slowing down or going back.

The other day a reader did not like my use of the term ‘history evolves.’ Like time, I meant that we encounter history as it is being made, afterwards with a look in the rearview mirror, then study and assessment of what happened and what it means – then and now. With little passage of time we witness that same history differently. The context of then and now are different. Tomorrow it will take on new meaning as well. That is the result of knowing more, uncovering more, and realizing the weight of a happening when bumping up against different circumstances.

The reader is right. History does not change; its interpretation changes, it evolves. The facts, however immovable, remain open for analysis and articulated understanding. The issue of immigration is an example; native Americans populated North America long before the European white man arrived on the scene. The immigrants then were seeking a new world and opportunity. The scattered population of Native Americans were an impediment to white man’s objective. So, Indians were demonized as the dangerous enemy; out of defense, they became that very thing although not their intent.

The outcome was removing natives from their property, herding them into inhospitable regions, and ignoring them for centuries. Much of their story has been erased; even they are nearly erased. But that tragedy is not complete. There is still time to learn their story and share it.

It is high time to do just that. the question is how and who. Financial resources should come from the federal purse. Procedural and programmatic details should be accomplished by the native people themselves. Collegial assistance ought to be readily available. Guidance available, however, is not authority of. We have been down that road before and it delivered us to this day’s predicament.

The issues of Native Americans is prologue to our national immigration policy and programs. No wonder immigration has been so colossally mismanaged. We did not understand the basics from the very start.

November 1, 2021