One Less Dog In The Hunt - A journey through discovery.

October 18, 2020October 18, 2020

Sunshine and Lollypops

Maybe it’s just because I’m growing old. Maybe it’s because the people I talk to most of the time are growing old as well. Maybe it’s the tumultuous times we live in. Whatever the reason, I find that the conversations I get involved with tend to center on how much simpler life used to be. I talk with others and we remember the uncomplicated ways in which we lived, grew up, had fun, and learned about life. I find myself wishing my kids had known that world, and I do my best to share it. No, it wasn’t all sunshine and lollypops.

We grew up in a strange time. Our parents were the product of the fifties and sixties. Though Howdy Doody was long before my time, he was still around in reruns, as were the Mouseketeers. I watched Shirley Temple movies, and the Three Stooges which were all more a part of my mom’s generation. Woody Woodpecker and Popeye cartoons started off most movies at the theater. PPPP Porky Pig always told us when we had hit the end with “TTThat’s All, Folks!” We had Mr. Ed, Gilligan, Gomer (Shazam!), and Coyote and Roadrunner (beep-beep). We still lived in the age of the Western so we watched Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Big Valley, and Have Gun Will Travel. At our grandparents’ homes we were exposed to the weekly dose of country and hillbilly which came the Hee Haw! Yet, we also had cutting edge shows like Salvage 1, The Six Million Dollar Man, Mannix, Kojak (Who loves ya, Baby?) and some of the best James Bond movies.

September 6, 2020October 24, 2020

Embrace Your Fear

“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.
Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and
Demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life,
Beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and
Its purpose in the service of your people.

Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend,
Even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and
Bow to none. When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the food and
For the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks,
The fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and nothing,
For abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts
Are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes
They weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again
In a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”
― Chief Tecumseh

A generation stands upon the edge of life, yet they fear death so deeply that they waste life fighting it. I don’t suggest death is something to be taken lightly… that it should be mocked… that it is cause to throw caution to the wind. Yet, for man (humans for those who get hung up on a word) it is inevitable. We are born to death. We cannot cheat the reaper. What matters is what lies between the beginning and the end, and for some, what waits on the other side.

July 12, 2020October 24, 2020

Fear itself

“The only thing we have to fear… is fear itself” — Franklin Delano Roosevelt

From the beginning I’ve tried to keep politics out of this blog, and I hope it can be recognized that I am still trying to do so with this post, though I’m sure some will see an issue one way or another. I feel what I have to say isn’t political, but it will be controversial.

This blog was intended to explore a lot of things, but one of the main points of focus was the aftermath of life change, specifically the loss of employment. One of the land mines to avoid in that aftermath is fear. So many of us live life fearing one thing or another. Losing a job — your only source of income, having a mountain of debt hanging over you and no income to throw at it, looking for an answer to your problem and coming up empty; those things can strike some real fear into a person.

The truth is people are filled with fear — fears of failure, rejection, loss, emptiness. Fears of change, judgement, and uncertainty swarm around us. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 18.1% of the U.S. population or 40 million adults are affected by anxiety. In the UK Mental Health Today reports 49% of young people ages 18 -24 years old claimed high levels of stress. While 36% of women claimed anxiety related to self-esteem, body image, and appearance.

May 7, 2020April 18, 2020

Fix or Flee

One of the hardest parts of business is getting and keeping good people. And what makes good people anyway? I used to think that people were just born with a good work ethic; something that came natural, but as time went by I realized that just isn’t the case. Some are instilled with a good work ethic when they are young and some have to learn it along the way.

Each of my kids began working when they were in junior high or high school. In fact, you might say they started earlier than that by doing odd jobs for relatives as early as second or third grade. They were taught by their parents; they were expected to put in their best effort no matter what they did. And we were fortunate that the people they worked for – farmers, ranchers, small business owners – expected the same thing from them. In most cases, they are still close to their former employers and, though three out of four (one still being in college and working) of them have moved on to become pretty successful at what they are doing, if they had need to return to their former places of employment they would be accepted with open arms.

April 30, 2020April 18, 2020

Diversity

http://clipart-library.com/clipart/1284985.htm

Diversity. If you have any connection to a corporate job, you’ve heard the word Diversity. You’ve probably had it ingrained in you. You’ve been taught the need for it, encouraged to embrace it, and heard the exultation of the positive impacts it can have to your company or your job — unless you work for Starbucks; in that event you got a crash course after everyone else.

What is diversity? Merriam-Webster says, ” the condition of having or being composed of differing elements : variety OR an instance of being composed of differing elements or qualities : an instance of being diverse.

April 23, 2020April 18, 2020

Gut Check

You know, there are times when you just have to go with your gut. Breaking things down into pros and cons, using logic to distill your thoughts and make an educated decision; its all wise counsel, but that little voice whispering in your ear or that feeling in your gut shouldn’t be tossed aside. To use a comic book reference: When your spider sense is speaking, you should listen. Sometimes you just have to go with what feels right. That’s tough in a world where we’re taught to use our brains instead of our feelings.

I was coming up on two years of unemployment. With no prospects after a long journey through applications, resumes, job posting sites, and unemployment rejections (clue: if you aren’t making any money and you use your retirement funds to make ends meet — you likely sunk your chances with the unemployment office) I went back to my retail roots looking for gainful employment. It was a bitter pill to swallow. It was looking like no one wanted me or could see any value in me, but another retailer. I’d tried. I really tried to keep from walking back toward the darkside, but it was the only job source calling for me.

April 16, 2020April 11, 2020

A Few Projects

Although I fall far short of a woodworker, I do enjoy working out in the shop. Over the course of the past year, I’ve tried my hand at refinishing and building from scratch. Sometimes I get carried away, like when I made three of the children’s picnic tables just because I wanted to see if I could improve. I originally made one for my grandchildren to use on our deck, but it just seemed I could try it with a little different style or different wood. I ended up with one on the deck and two taking up space in the garage shop. I’m sure my wife would appreciate it if I could find homes for some of my projects so we could get both cars in the garage if needed.

April 11, 2020April 18, 2020

What’s Next?

Pluck Makes Luck. Good saying. It’s tougher than that when you’re on the other side. With the Covid-19 pandemic wreaking havoc on the economy and jobs, some of you are on the other side. I feel your pain. I spent two years on the other side. There isn’t a person alive that can realistically claim I wasn’t working towards work.

I can’t say why it took so long for a guy with my experience to find a job. I can speculate as to why employers weren’t interested, but they don’t spend a lot of time explaining their reasons. I had an interview where that question was asked. “Why haven’t you been hired in a two year period?” My response was perhaps a little too telling of my frustration. “After this interview, you’ll have a better answer for that than I do. I hope you’ll share that with me.” He didn’t.

Fortunately, I finally found someone to take a chance on me. Maybe it was just a matter of timing. If you believe in divine intervention, then the answer might be that the right job just hadn’t opened yet. If you don’t believe in some kind of greater plan, then it’s just a matter of time, work, and frustration.

January 2, 2020April 11, 2020

Panic Button

So, I got the boot. I think I walked out of that building (escorted of course) in a tunnel. I had a feeling it was coming. We’d been warned there was some corporate restructuring that would impact those in my position. Crazy thing is, they warned us a week before they told us; let us dangle at the end of the hook so to speak. Simple courtesy or even humane treatment would have been to tell us what was happening and then tell us who got the axe. One swift cut, but no, bro.

http://clipart-library.com/clipart/1289443.htm

Anyway, my point isn’t to debate the heartlessness of corporate decision making. I mean to set up the feeling of walking out of a building where I had invested over half my life with no clear understanding of where I was headed. Of course, I had bills, a wife, a kid in college, and I was still at least ten years away from retirement. I was going to need some income, but I had no desire to enter into something I would be wanting out of in six months.

In that week where I dangled, I researched. The number one thing I found was encouragement to stay calm. Don’t Panic. Keep a perspective. Don’t rush into the first job you stumble upon. Therefore, on the trip from the building to my car, with the lump in my throat growing with each step, I forced myself to take deep breaths. I opened the door and dropped my few personal items from my desk into the passenger seat, and I sat… taking deep breaths. I was empty. I was stunned. I was lost. I was questioning, but I wasn’t panicking.

December 26, 2019April 11, 2020

Convenient for Who 2?

So, you’re busy. Life has you going in circles. You have work, kids to get to school, ballet lessons, soccer practice, dinner to make, and bills piling up you haven’t had a second to pay. Oh, and the car just reminded you that it needs its oil changed. You feel like you’re out of breath, and meeting yourself around each corner. The last thing you need to do is fight your way through the superstore to shop or even drop by the local grocery store.

http://clipart-library.com/clipart/76577.htm

Never Fear. A solution is near. Whether it’s that massive superstore or your local grocery store, they have you and your busy life covered. From the convenience of your home, your car, your computer, and your phone you can shop. They even have a place for you to park while you wait for them to bring it out to your car. You’ll love it, no time wasted pushing a cart, bumping into other shoppers and displays. No more crowded aisles to try to weave down through, fighting for bargains, and climbing over carts or pallets of freight.

How can you not scream for joy? What could possibly cause you complaints?