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..USA Today - New daditude: Today's fathers are hands-on, pressure off..Connecticut Department of Children & Families - Resources for Dads
I consume information like most people consume french fries. When I face unusual roadblocks and veritable quandaries, I become like a squirrel during the waning days of Fall – seeking various nuggets to hold me through the Winter of my Discontent. Over the past few days – the last couple of weeks really, my soul has been satiated with a virtual cornucopia of ideas.
While I may have heard of Dr. Freeman Dyson, I didn’t have a readily available hook to remind me of who he might be. However, when my friend Paul tweeted that Dr. Dyson was speaking at the University of Portland last night, after a quick Google/Wikipedia search, I knew I had to attend this panel discussion.
My Dad used to say, “Don’t just stand there – do something! Even if it’s wrong!“
Our Western European roots are hard to escape. Not that many centuries ago, boatloads of people came to this land to make something of themselves. The “Great American Dream” – from “rags to riches.” And many have done well. Yet over the course of the last several years, I’m not so sure we’ve done ourselves any favors. Maybe, just maybe, we were happier when life was slower.
Most of the leadership books I’ve read in the last couple of decades have taught me to have a laser-sharp focus. It’s important for me to understand my strengths, focus on my purpose, and to not get distracted by the people, or unimportant things around me. And so, in lock-step with my peers, standing on the shoulders of our ancestors, I became successful in the things I set my mind to accomplish.
And then I became a father. Everything changed.
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When we arrived on scene we found a two-story, older farmhouse with flames coming out of the upstairs windows. Most of the house fires we responded to didn’t present this dramatically. Often the fire was contained in an attic or basement – rarely did flames leap from the windows like a Hollywood movie set. Our company officer radioed in that we had a “working fire” and he called for a second alarm.
Our fire station was located on NW 185th Avenue – just north of the Tanasbourne shopping center and US Hwy. 26. The house fire was located up in the hills, well out of suburbia and into rural Washington County, just off of Germantown Road. The next arriving equipment would take a good 10-15 minutes to arrive. Additional fire engines and trucks would have to come from the Cedar Mill, West Slope, Aloha, and Jenkins Road stations. read more…
Photo by alicepopkorn (click for info)
I skipped church today. I skipped church last week too. Put aside for a minute (or two) why I would go on Saturday, and let’s just talk about this for a bit.
I didn’t grow up going to church. Oh, there were a few occasions, like when my grandparents took us – or my parents wanted to appease their parents, but for the most part, church was a foreign concept to my family.
Several years ago, after multiple attempts to straighten out my life, I found God. Not in the usual manner, mind you, but in a more spiritual, less religious sort of way. I had stuck my toe into the water of various world-views: Buddhism, Scientology, Disco, Bowling Leagues, et cetera – but they all left me feeling empty.
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I’ve often thought that someday I would develop water systems in developing parts of the world. My Dad was a waterline contractor and later managed the Raleigh Hills Water District. I know water, I know dirt, I know the need.
My interest in this began during a short-term mission trip in southern Mexico. The people of this village only had running water for about an hour a day. They left their faucets open and when the water was turned on, it filled cisterns located on the roof of their houses shanties. For the next 24 hours, they rationed this water and hoped it would flow again the next day. And of course, this water was not clean – the way you and I think of clean water.
Recently I’ve been able to place some ads on my site, which has enabled me to self-host the blog, which gives me the opportunity to be more flexible with what, and how, I manage the content. Most notably, I’m able to place banner ads for significant charities, next to the paid ads. This is how our society works, the creation of wealth, allows us to support those whose needs are greater than our own.
As the holiday season approaches, consider giving a gift to a worthy charity, in another person’s name. Despite being unemployed, I don’t need more stuff! I’m sure that’s true of most people for whom you usually buy gifts. Spend, splurge even, but at least dedicate some of your holiday budget to those who have a need greater than your loved ones.
It’s not just the right thing to do – it’s what we do.
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