9 ½ weeks

Greetings!

It has been about 9 ½ weeks since my last post. A lot has happened in almost 70 days of constant grind. I don’t complain though – I am lucky enough to count myself amongst the living and pray that I can keep doing what I do in the best way I know how….

So I have decided to give you 9 ½ nuggets, to catch you up on what I have been observing, doing, talking, and thinking about. The challenge is making them bite size so I won’t lose you along the way!

1 – Most kids are out for the summer. Do everything possible to make a all or part of their exciting and productive – day trips that don’t involve the mall, overnight camp so they can learn how to do archery or learn how to develop pictures the old fashion way.

2 – I was shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Tim Russert. Watching Meet the Press had become a family past time particularly during this election. Who will be able to eliminate some of the noise coming from both parties? He was born to do that job and he will be missed.

3 – I am more than halfway through classes three and four in the quest for my MBA. I did well in the first two classes which gave me the motivation to classes in the summer.

4 – I think it is time for us to stop monitoring Imus’ show, waiting for him to trip up and use that energy in our communities. He is going to keep doing what he’s doing and he will still have a platform AND an audience. Only we can diffuse the power this radio cowboy has over us.

5 – I have applied for several positions inside and outside of my organization. There is nothing bad going on here, but I resolved to explore opportunities that may be a good fit for me. It is always good to see what ahead on the horizon.

6 – I have experienced first hand how self absorbed folks are right now – requests from long lost relatives, people choosing to hold information that is useful and in some cases critical, people putting others in compromising and embarrassing situations, or folks maxing out people’s time and energy. I encourage everyone to come out of the fog, engage in random acts of kindness, reach out to an old friend or long lost relative, and think of others before making moves that may adversely impact them. The bottom line is – be an active participant in human-KIND!!

7 – I have had to have some tough conversations with people in my life. I need people to understand that this sista is not made of Teflon OR run on batteries. The goal is to get the importants and the kind of importants in my life on the same page so we can exist in a comfortable space regardless of the circumstances. Only time will tell, but I think we are heading in the right direction.

8 – I am glad that Hillary has stepped aside to make way for Senator Obama to assume his rightful place in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. For all of those who wondered what took her so long – well we can dwell on the obvious: entitlement, Bill Clinton, and a never say die attitude. At the end of the day she knew her constituency – a group of people some of which were willing to jump off skyscrapers for their candidate. I watched some of the women who were at the DNC meeting regarding the Michigan and Florida delegates – their eyes were bulging and they appeared to be frothing at the mouth. You just don’t disengage folks like that particularly if they are in a mindset to undermine Senator Obama by any means necessary.

9 – And of course I have to express my sheer joy, overflowing pride and utter amazement at the nomination of Senator Barack Obama. I often questioned whether or not I was born at the right time. All indications tell me YES – born during the Civil Rights Movement, but not suffering the actual battle scars; witnessing the Black Power Movement although not old enough to actively participate in it; being an active participant in an era of the greatest medical and technological advancements known to man; and now bearing witness to people of African descent running corporations, innovating across many industries, and changing the landscape on so many levels across the world! This nomination and subsequent presidency is just one more example of the roadmap of success. The game has officially changed and the rest of us are going to have to get our “weight up” to be able to roll with the real contenders.

1/2 – The one thing I realized is that no matter how old we get, we never want our parents to get sick or pass on. For those who are caring for an ailing parent – keep pressing on…they did it for you. For those who have lost a parent – cherish the times you had with them and become or remain a shining example of their legacy.

1/2 (for good luck) - The Celtics are back on the block after 22 years. Congratulations to Doc Rivers who took a trio of superstars, mixed them with some productive rookies and veterans, and added a dash of vision to cook up the greatest turn around of all time (from WORST to FIRST!) Can't get much better than that! Well - may banner 1-8 in 0-9?

What have you been doing since April 21, 2008? I would love to hear your thoughts!

With that I wish you the best today and always.

G