Is it really work/life balance or is it money/life balance? After all, work is a conduit to money for most people unless you're lucky enough to be in an endeavor that you find personally fulfilling (which I luckily do).
Easter is always a great time to reflect on such things. It is a spiritual time when life begins anew, and hope seems to be budding with each spring flower and Yankee win. Easter is also a great time to chat with my Pop about life and get his learned prespective from 83 years of quality experience.
Like many men, he spent most of his life in the endeavor of making money. However his, more than most, were endeavors that provided him great personal and professional fulfilment. His career provided for his family, and in his earlier career he provided for his soul as well. From all of that effort, time, and life experience one theme came shining through in our discussions this weekend; money is a fine way to be comfortable, but it will not make you happy. Happiness comes from health, family, home, and worthwhile pursuits.
I know, I know... it's a bit cliche. But it bears reminding, especially as we face a recovery that is moving at a glacial pace. But has this recession left us in a better mindspace about how much emphasis we will put towards money versus life?
This got me to thinking of one of my favorite books which I recently started to re-read. It's the five part trilogy of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams, in which he kicks off the whole story like this:
" Orbiting at a distance of roughly ninety-eight million miles is an utterly insignificant little blue-green planet whose ape-decended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea.
This plant has a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy."
Happy Spring, and please remember to take a whiff of the budding flowers and to just listen to ball game on the radio.
And subject to my last blog, Pop met Ripley and thinks he's going to be a great one.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
The View From The Pop: Marking Time With Dogs
The View From The Pop: Marking Time With Dogs: "Certain days stand out as markers across our lives. Birthdays, of course, are a basic measure and today happens to be mine. But my birthday..."
Marking Time With Dogs
Certain days stand out as markers across our lives. Birthdays, of course, are a basic measure and today happens to be mine. But my birthday is not what has me thinking about milestones or reminiscing through my years. It is the passing of my dog, Oscar, that has my thoughts turning towards my years with him at our family's side. During Oscar's lifetime we built a new home, had our child, and raised her to become a bright and precocious second grader.
My daughter loved Oscar like a brother, and has never known life without him. Which got me to thinking that I have never known life without a dog either. Noel was a little dog that saw me all the way through junior high school. Berlin was a sweetheart mutt saw me off to college. While in college my future wife gave me Othello, who was with us as we entered the real world. Then came Oscar. Our handsome blonde Retriever with a huge body and bigger heart. All of theses amazing animals stand as chapters of my life.
Othello became a ward of my father when I moved into New York City. Othello became a chapter in my father's life as well, marking his entry into retirement. In fact they entered into their individual retirements together as the two of them were inseparable day-in and day-out. A morning walk along the shores of Lloyd Harbor, an afternoon of household tinkering not more than a few feet apart, and the occasional shared nap. They had the good life together.
My father had the unwanted task of putting Othello down when it was his time. My father did his duty well, but it was hard for him to say that final goodbye. So when it was my time yesterday to put Oscar in the car for his final ride, yet again my dad was the inspiration who helped me to handle the morbid duty with dignity and feeling. He told me that my emotions in the vets office would surprise me, and he sure was right.
My father no longer has a dog, so he loved Oscar when I brought him to visit. Dad says that he's just not willing to go through that last trip to the vet ever again after so many. After all, the man is 83, and he's raised and trained dogs all of his life. I'm may get to that point some day as well, but today I already started the new chapter, named Ripley.
Ripley is a yellow lab that just came into our home today for the first time and my eyes begin to gaze towards the milestones that will hopefully be marked in his chapter. If providence allows, Ripley will see my daughter off to college, my 30th wedding anniversary, and of course all of those Christmas moments, barbecues, beach days, snowmen, proms, promotions, and a few sad times too. Each will hopefully be marked with another handsome blonde head to greet me as I walk in the door each day.
I can't wait for my father to meet him.
My daughter loved Oscar like a brother, and has never known life without him. Which got me to thinking that I have never known life without a dog either. Noel was a little dog that saw me all the way through junior high school. Berlin was a sweetheart mutt saw me off to college. While in college my future wife gave me Othello, who was with us as we entered the real world. Then came Oscar. Our handsome blonde Retriever with a huge body and bigger heart. All of theses amazing animals stand as chapters of my life.
Othello became a ward of my father when I moved into New York City. Othello became a chapter in my father's life as well, marking his entry into retirement. In fact they entered into their individual retirements together as the two of them were inseparable day-in and day-out. A morning walk along the shores of Lloyd Harbor, an afternoon of household tinkering not more than a few feet apart, and the occasional shared nap. They had the good life together.
My father had the unwanted task of putting Othello down when it was his time. My father did his duty well, but it was hard for him to say that final goodbye. So when it was my time yesterday to put Oscar in the car for his final ride, yet again my dad was the inspiration who helped me to handle the morbid duty with dignity and feeling. He told me that my emotions in the vets office would surprise me, and he sure was right.
My father no longer has a dog, so he loved Oscar when I brought him to visit. Dad says that he's just not willing to go through that last trip to the vet ever again after so many. After all, the man is 83, and he's raised and trained dogs all of his life. I'm may get to that point some day as well, but today I already started the new chapter, named Ripley.
Ripley is a yellow lab that just came into our home today for the first time and my eyes begin to gaze towards the milestones that will hopefully be marked in his chapter. If providence allows, Ripley will see my daughter off to college, my 30th wedding anniversary, and of course all of those Christmas moments, barbecues, beach days, snowmen, proms, promotions, and a few sad times too. Each will hopefully be marked with another handsome blonde head to greet me as I walk in the door each day.
I can't wait for my father to meet him.
Friday, March 25, 2011
We Think It Is So Much Harder Now, But Is It?
We're moving at warp speed from day to day, meeting to meeting, project to project, and commitment to commitment. We're working harder than ever to succeed, provide for our families, and in many cases just to make ends meet. Many of us in my generation, the 35 - 45 set, who are starting and raising families, and who are building careers, are often quick to lament how complex and fast paced our lives are now. Technology, broadband, and constant access have turned up the heat on our lives, and we strain against the pressure. But is it really harder now then it was when, for example, when my father was my age?
My father was born two years before the Great Depression. He was a college kid (at a Federal a academy) during World War II. He served in the US Navy as an Officer in Korea, and he started his family when our country was engaged in Vietnam. He was in corporate America during the hardly booming 70's, and then he had to send two kids to private colleges just as tuitions started to balloon in the 80's. And in the midst of all this providing there was retirement to prepare for in the late 90's, a retirement that arrived somewhat earlier than expected due to the now common term downsizing.
Granted there was no 24/7 information cycle, there was no constant transaction stream at the speed of broadband, and there were no PDAs as appendages. But does it sound like it was easier during my father's time to raise his family, grow a career, and grasp at some peace of mind? Yet he made it seem so doable, almost easy. Now I understand.
It may not be easy now, but it certainly was no easier then.
My father was born two years before the Great Depression. He was a college kid (at a Federal a academy) during World War II. He served in the US Navy as an Officer in Korea, and he started his family when our country was engaged in Vietnam. He was in corporate America during the hardly booming 70's, and then he had to send two kids to private colleges just as tuitions started to balloon in the 80's. And in the midst of all this providing there was retirement to prepare for in the late 90's, a retirement that arrived somewhat earlier than expected due to the now common term downsizing.
Granted there was no 24/7 information cycle, there was no constant transaction stream at the speed of broadband, and there were no PDAs as appendages. But does it sound like it was easier during my father's time to raise his family, grow a career, and grasp at some peace of mind? Yet he made it seem so doable, almost easy. Now I understand.
It may not be easy now, but it certainly was no easier then.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
The Conversation Hasn't Even Changed
I happen to catch re-runs of "The West Wing" (the TV series that ran seven seasons from 1999-2006) every so often. The last episode that I saw was a debate between the two "candidates" for president played by Jimmy Smits and Alan Alda. This episode was written in 2005 and filmed in 2006, and what struck me most is that the debate is 100% accurate to the issues of 2009.
While I do think that Aaron Sorkin created a show with a firm and somewhat visionary grasp of American political issues, I don't think it's possible that he could see into the future four years hence. Unfortunately it's more true that we are debating the EXACT SAME ISSUES today in the real America that we were over four years ago in both the real America and the "West Wing" America.
If you tuned into any political news show right now you would see debates that contest issues including increased oil drilling, alternative energy policies, immigration and border control, gay rights, abortion, the sustainability of social security, and especially a healthcare public option. Yet, these were all issues written into a fictitious debate for a TV show back in 2005, and if you closed your eyes you would swear that the statements were from today.
Both sides were making the exact same points that they are making today. Both sides were using the exact same arguments that they are using today. Both sides had the exact same objections, ideas, proposals, data, and spin that they have today.
The script was so similar to today's rhetoric that this TV show brought a significant and distressing point to light for me: Not only has nothing been resolved, THE CONVERSATION HASN'T EVEN CHANGED! And look back to the real presidential debates even further back in time and judge for yourself. Are they still bickering about saving social security, expanding Medicare, or a woman's right to choose?
Maybe it's just human nature or maybe it's our two party political system that avoids issue resolution. In the recent history of the United States maybe there are really only two seminal moments when policy really underwent drastic change: when FDR dramatically expanded the role of the government and then fifty years later when Ronald Reagan (arguably) reduced the roll of the government. And maybe, just maybe, people can only tolerate or allow dramatic change or resolution every fifty years or so with a war or a crisis thrown in between from time to time.
Just about every politician extols change. It is certainly not a new campaign message. In fact it is probably one of the easiest of campaign messages because, like a weatherman, apparently our political leaders can predict whatever they want without ever having to be right. There's always an approaching cold front to blame, or a prevailing wind that threw off the weather prediction. For politicians the easy scapegoat, the prevailing wind, is always Washington politics.
It is our fault really. This is after all a government for the people by the people. We not only allow our issues to go unresolved, we allow the conversation to stay exactly same. As my father once said, "we hardly even make 'em work for it and we get what we deserve."
While I do think that Aaron Sorkin created a show with a firm and somewhat visionary grasp of American political issues, I don't think it's possible that he could see into the future four years hence. Unfortunately it's more true that we are debating the EXACT SAME ISSUES today in the real America that we were over four years ago in both the real America and the "West Wing" America.
If you tuned into any political news show right now you would see debates that contest issues including increased oil drilling, alternative energy policies, immigration and border control, gay rights, abortion, the sustainability of social security, and especially a healthcare public option. Yet, these were all issues written into a fictitious debate for a TV show back in 2005, and if you closed your eyes you would swear that the statements were from today.
Both sides were making the exact same points that they are making today. Both sides were using the exact same arguments that they are using today. Both sides had the exact same objections, ideas, proposals, data, and spin that they have today.
The script was so similar to today's rhetoric that this TV show brought a significant and distressing point to light for me: Not only has nothing been resolved, THE CONVERSATION HASN'T EVEN CHANGED! And look back to the real presidential debates even further back in time and judge for yourself. Are they still bickering about saving social security, expanding Medicare, or a woman's right to choose?
Maybe it's just human nature or maybe it's our two party political system that avoids issue resolution. In the recent history of the United States maybe there are really only two seminal moments when policy really underwent drastic change: when FDR dramatically expanded the role of the government and then fifty years later when Ronald Reagan (arguably) reduced the roll of the government. And maybe, just maybe, people can only tolerate or allow dramatic change or resolution every fifty years or so with a war or a crisis thrown in between from time to time.
Just about every politician extols change. It is certainly not a new campaign message. In fact it is probably one of the easiest of campaign messages because, like a weatherman, apparently our political leaders can predict whatever they want without ever having to be right. There's always an approaching cold front to blame, or a prevailing wind that threw off the weather prediction. For politicians the easy scapegoat, the prevailing wind, is always Washington politics.
It is our fault really. This is after all a government for the people by the people. We not only allow our issues to go unresolved, we allow the conversation to stay exactly same. As my father once said, "we hardly even make 'em work for it and we get what we deserve."
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The Problem With Blogs: No Answers
The problem: Blogs and blogging are lacking in brand loyalty. The solution: Blog some answers.
Blogs are a brand. The act of blogging is participating in the brand of Blogs. One could say that since so many people are blogging then the Blog brand is strong. I contend that the brand is not as strong as one might think.
There are many positive brand attributes to Blogs. They are seen as great way to "be heard" and as a great conduit for sharing and learning information. However, all too often the Blog brand does not fulfill on its promise, leaving long term brand loyalty to be suspect. While many have rushed to blogging only a handful actually keep up with their blog updates for more than a couple of months and many more forsake their blogs altogether in just a short amount of time.
To me, one issue facing the Blog brand is one of substance. All too often the blogs themselves are just endless rants on extraneous topics written by people who are unqualified or unmotivated to offer up a real opinion or solution. Many are quick to offer a critique, but maybe blogging would inspire more loyalty if they would also offer SOLUTIONS, or even ideas that could lead to solutions.
I used to say to any and all of my bosses or clients, "I will never just identify a problem without offering you a solution to the problem." It's very easy to just flag an issue and offer a critique. It is much harder and yet much more productive to flag an issue and offer a solution. Any team member that can do the latter is a much more valuable player. If bloggers would do the same, offer up ideas and solutions rather than just critical rants, then maybe, just maybe, the Blog brand would develop a brand attribute that help would drive loyalty.
These new Blog brand attributes would include terms like "value add", "resource for ideas", "innovative solutions", and "time well spent". Obviously these attributes would compare favorably to current Blog brand attributes that I have seen in multiple studies which include, "waste of time", "lack of substance", and the worst one, "a bunch of complaining". With the new Blog brand attributes perhaps brand loyalty would increase, people would stick to blogging due to its value, and healthy and constructive debate on blogs would become the norm rather than the exception.
Blogs are a brand. The act of blogging is participating in the brand of Blogs. One could say that since so many people are blogging then the Blog brand is strong. I contend that the brand is not as strong as one might think.
There are many positive brand attributes to Blogs. They are seen as great way to "be heard" and as a great conduit for sharing and learning information. However, all too often the Blog brand does not fulfill on its promise, leaving long term brand loyalty to be suspect. While many have rushed to blogging only a handful actually keep up with their blog updates for more than a couple of months and many more forsake their blogs altogether in just a short amount of time.
To me, one issue facing the Blog brand is one of substance. All too often the blogs themselves are just endless rants on extraneous topics written by people who are unqualified or unmotivated to offer up a real opinion or solution. Many are quick to offer a critique, but maybe blogging would inspire more loyalty if they would also offer SOLUTIONS, or even ideas that could lead to solutions.
I used to say to any and all of my bosses or clients, "I will never just identify a problem without offering you a solution to the problem." It's very easy to just flag an issue and offer a critique. It is much harder and yet much more productive to flag an issue and offer a solution. Any team member that can do the latter is a much more valuable player. If bloggers would do the same, offer up ideas and solutions rather than just critical rants, then maybe, just maybe, the Blog brand would develop a brand attribute that help would drive loyalty.
These new Blog brand attributes would include terms like "value add", "resource for ideas", "innovative solutions", and "time well spent". Obviously these attributes would compare favorably to current Blog brand attributes that I have seen in multiple studies which include, "waste of time", "lack of substance", and the worst one, "a bunch of complaining". With the new Blog brand attributes perhaps brand loyalty would increase, people would stick to blogging due to its value, and healthy and constructive debate on blogs would become the norm rather than the exception.
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