In the Beginning... There Ought to be a Law

I've often thought there should be a license to have children. Anyone can have or help create a child - but do they qualify to be parents? Back when I was born, I think it was automatic that you get married and then raise a family. Back then, people who had no children were thought of as unfortunate (there must be something wrong and how sad...). My parents didn't have me (their first), until they were married five years. That was long for then. The next in line was my brother and he was born four years after me - long too. I think my sister and youngest brother were unplanned. I know my youngest brother was because my father used to refer to my little sister as the "caboose" (she had red hair). When my youngest brother was born, my father handed him to me at the door when they came home from the hospital and proclaimed him to be mine. I was thirteen then. It wasn't something new though. I had already taken care of my siblings from the time I can remember. I was six when my sister was born. I recall standing over her bassinet at the foot of my parents bed in the middle of the night trying to quiet her cry. I knew where the bottles were kept and remember trying to get one in her mouth so she would stop crying. I'd hold it for her until she fell back to sleep, nearly falling asleep myself. I don't ever recall one of my parents even waking up through any of that. By the time I had my own family, I felt as though I had already raised one.

I know that things are different today and people do decide not to have children or to have them later, etc., and I think that is a good thing. However, there are still too many people out there having children who should not. And sometimes, the greatest little blessings of all come to those who don't plan on it.

Sights and Sounds...

The birds were back and desperately trying to dig out the remaining seeds that were lodged way up into the feeder; someone needed to shake those seeds down! The otter was back and playing while headed upstream before making his turn and heading back down. The geese were loudly honking at each other in support of flight as they flew overhead in their formation. Off in the distance, you could hear the gun fire of hunters sighting in their rifles for opening season on deer next weekend...

The trucks from the pulp mills and the grain trucks from the local farmers were headed up and down our road. There's a nice buffer of land between us and the road so you know their presence without them being a nuisance. The corn is coming in late this year and the farmers are busy. I find peace in the knowledge that there's a farm right near our property. I love to see the combines move diligently throughout the day and into night during the harvest. It grounds me to the earth.

The days were beautiful fall days in the northern midwest and even though things have turned from glorious color to a fall-like brown, the scenery was breathtaking. With the sky blue with some white clouds and the creek running along, even the brown grasses surrounding the stream were just another beautiful phase of the color changes that occur throughout the year.

The air was crisp and the nights into the high 20's. The daytime air was clean and clear and refreshing when it hit your face. I suspect that we will soon see snow...

Smell the Roses...

The weekend is for rest and renewal - DO IT!

I'm working on a new idea for a line of products that I can sell in the future. As I move through the investment and patent/trademark process, I'll share some glimpses. This will not happen overnight but I thought you'd enjoy the process. This is all about releasing my creative impulses - something I missed terribly while I was involved in administration. I have friends in the "arts" and they've been very supportive - a great friend from my old company, my daughters and son, and my sister-in-law. They all have experience in running successful businesses in unique ways and are known for their talent. This is great "networking" indeed.

Working the torch, working on the above project, and making some handmade Christmas gifts for my family is how I will be spending my weekend - how about you? Enjoy!

The "Good Old Boys Club" is Alive and Well...

Don't kid yourself, it is very much a major obstruction to women trying to break the glass ceiling. If you're a man, please take note - do your part and help create an environment where you can fully support your female superiors if you respect and admire their work. If they're good to you and you like working for them, protect yourself and your own position/career by creating ways to work around the "Club".

Trust me, men can always find something in common with a woman. In today's world, many people (men and women alike), are interested in many of the same things - such as family, politics, fishing, camping, boating, snowmobiling, antiques, cross country or regular skiing...and the list goes on. Even if you and/or your woman executive is not into physical activity, there is always something of interest you can talk about with each other. The same old drinking, football, baseball, working out, racquet ball, tennis, golf, and the typical "water cooler" talk doesn't really cut it anymore, unless the woman executive happens to be interested in one of those things too. (This is more likely to happen with women under 50.)

If your desire is to rid yourself and your company of an upwardly mobile woman, then the Good Old Boys Club can be a cruel way to keep her isolated and out of the loop. However, if she happens to be the right person for the job and your future (as a man), wouldn't it be in your best interest to do your part to be a modern executive and rid yourself of the burdens and stigmas of the past? Not to mention the risks involved of potential claims of gender bias, etc. Real men are not threatened by smart women - they enjoy their company and intellectual challenge.

In the Beginning... I knew the score at 4.

By the time I started kindergarten at the grade school across the street from my house, I already started showing signs of being independent. By the time I was 4, I already had lived enough life to know that I was pretty much on my own to fend for myself. When I started school that day, my mother made the effort to walk me across the street and stand in line with me and the other children, along with their mothers as well. As my mother tells the story, I turned around and looked at her and told her she could go home now. I was in line and perfectly fine, and she could just go home now. Even though all of the other kids' parents were sticking around for the doors to open, I felt like I knew what I was doing and was no longer a child. I'm sure I hurt my mother's feelings that day, but more importantly, it was a symptom of a little girl who had taken on so much responsibility already in her young life that standing in line alone for the start of school just didn't seem like that big of a deal. This is just the beginning of a long line of parental responsibility falling unto the oldest child - me.

"Good to Great"

When I became a member of my company's Board of Directors, I (and the other new members), received a gift from one of the other members. It was the book "Good to Great", by the same author as "Built to Last". Since I had great admiration for the person who gave it to me, I read it from cover to cover - several times. As with any good business model book, you take the best and leave the rest. In my case, I felt there was a lot of things that could be applied to my own company. I studied it, I followed it, and I got most of my team to believe in its wisdom. I'll be talking a lot about elements of "Good to Great" as we journey together. I thought you'd like to know in advance so that you can read it for yourself. I promise that you'll get at least one good thing from it.

In the Beginning... Touched by an Angel (or 2)

In my first post, I revealed that my mother suffered from debilitating post-partum depression. As a result, she would not care for me. She allowed me to lay in my cradle untouched and uncared for. My aunt Yvonne shared this with me after my mother's death (my mother died at the age of 54 - my Aunt told me this a few years ago). She told me the story of how my beloved Grandmother would come over to my house when I was born on her lunch hours from work to care for me. She'd change me, feed me, and rock me. When my Grandmother was not available, my Aunt would pitch in. My Grandmother ended up to be my lifetime savior in many ways which you may hear about throughout my blog. But I think it all started the day I was born and it continues today as I believe she is with me in spirit always. My Aunt is still alive and I love her dearly, but I don't see her very often since she lives so far away. I still talk to her on the phone on the days that she remembers me. I did get a chance to see her recently though and I am very grateful. You see, my aunt now suffers from Alzheimer's, something my Grandmother suffered through at the end of her life too. I am sad that I have to witness both of my saviors going through this horrible affliction. I am sad too for my Uncle. Luckily, he is a wonderful person and takes exceptional care of my Aunt. Even now, they remain a very loving couple. And for that, I am also grateful.