Enliven Daily

“At every crisis in one's life, it is absolute salvation to have some sympathetic friend to whom you can think aloud without restraint or misgiving.”

I live in southern New Hampshire and last night I felt like I lived in Kansas and my dog changed his name from Magic to Toto.  We had hurricane force winds hit after 11pm with trees falling and limbs everywhere.  There is more debris in my yard right than there was from the 2008 December ice storm that crippled this area.  How nothing hit my house, pool, deck or shed is amazing based on what I am looking at right now.  We still have power but many others in our town and surrounding ones do not.  People are safe but scrambling as well as getting ready for the clean-up.

Yet there is something I notice just about every time there is a potential crisis that comes up?  After the initial fear of the unknown (illness, tress falling, flood, etc.) and the dust settles, you see the goodness in so many people.  For example, over the past few weeks, my dad has had some health issues that require surgery and consults.  Just like it was for him when I was sick, it is never easy when a loved one is ill or hurt and you are unable to make it better and thus become reliant on others.  I am blessed to have friends and relatives in the medical community that I can call and they went out of their way to assist and provide referrals.  Now my dad is in a great place as although he needs surgery, his attitude is awesome based on the people he talked to that have explained everything and got him ready.

Today, friends have all been calling and checking on each other based on last night’s storm.  Many in our town are without power and right now, I have 5 kids in my TV room and a friend working out of our computer room.  We cannot escape our innate desire to help and serve others, especially those in need.  I just wish it would click on in so many without the need of a crisis or dangerous situation.   Maybe it takes a crisis for some to realize their own mortality which puts other problems or conflicts into perspective. 

Today or in the future, maybe people will read or stumble across this post and step back and think about how things could always be worse and maybe that conflict we have with a friend or loved one would be better off not happening.  Although some trees down and a mess are not a huge crisis, I always feel better knowing I have friends and family there for me: like our opening quote from Woodrow Wilson.

“We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look.”

If you have not heard about it, there was a shooting yesterday in Colorado less than 3 miles from Columbine High School.  (Click Here) for the story and thankfully nobody was killed as a deranged man opened fire at a middle school.  As you will read, if not for the quick, heroic reactions of a few teachers who put their own life on the line, this could have been much worse.

We live in a world with some crazy people who cannot handle their problems and/or have mental illness.  We always hope they do not harm innocent people and it looks like both shooting victims from yesterday will survive.  The school did have a security officer but he was not in the area at the time as he has other schools he must cover.  The reality is that many schools need a school resource officer (SRO) with the increased violence, bullying and drug use occurring across the nation.  Unfortunately, this is one of the position that town’s like mine in Pelham, New Hampshire that eliminate or vote this position out to try to trim the budget.

David Benke was the first teacher to pounce on the gunman and thanks to him, tragedy was averted.  Yesterday I wrote about the passing of a football player and how we lost a great inspiration to kids.  Mosi Tatupu has left a legacy and touched so many and although he is no longer with us, teachers like David Benke and others are.   Ronald Reagan gave us our opening quote and I agree, there are heroes among us every day, thankfully.

“Coaches who can outline plays on a black board are a dime a dozen. The ones who win get inside their player and motivate.”

I woke up this morning to see the news that one of my favorite football players growing up had passed away.  I am pretty sure a few of my friends like Timm, John, Hubie, Ron and Tom feel the same way as I know they loved watching this guy when we were younger.  (Click Here) to read about the death of former New England Patriot fullback, Mosi Tatupu, who was living in New England coaching high school and most recently at Curry College.

As I wrote above, Tatupu played fullback for his entire NFL career (and also played on special teams).  For those not familiar with football, the position of fullback rarely gets the glory.  They are not the flashy running back or wide receiver who makes the spinning runs or acrobatic catches.  They are also not the quarterback who always gets publicity or at the youth level, is usually your best athlete.  But the fullback is your hard-nosed bruiser that throws his body around the field to not only make these other players look good but also protect them from getting “lit up”.  Usually, they do their job with little fanfare and even littler recognition from most who watch but certainly not their coaches who if you know the game, appreciate their efforts more than can imagine.

The paragraph below jumped out at me from the above story as Tatupu described how the fans, known as “Mosi’s Mooses” made him feel: 

"They are great fans, but just to have your own section is an honor," Tatupu said in a 2004 interview with the Globe. "It inspired me to play harder because they were cheering for me and backing me up."

It inspired me to play harder.  Truer words were never spoken whether you are a professional athlete, Olympian or kid just starting out as fans (think parents and see where I am going with this) were cheering for him and backing him up.  Baseball season is right around the corner and then football will be here before we know it.  Let’s remember Mosi Tatupu any time we step on a field and what it was about his effort and attitude that made him a memorable player.  In addition, let’s remember what made him work so hard and selflessly to make his teammates successful despite getting little attention for his actions.

I did not follow Mosi much when he was coaching in high school and college but somehow I feel like our opening quote from Vince Lombardi applied to him.

“He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.”

I was at a client on Friday and did not catch the entire Tiger Woods press conference as it began at 11am while I was conducting a training class.  But we happened to take a break at 11:10am and a few of my participants mentioned it was on in their break room so I popped in to see it.  I left after 10 seconds based on how disingenuous Tiger was coming across.  It was reinforced later that day when I heard the rebroadcast on the radio and later saw footage on all the news-stations.  There are links everywhere but (Click Here) is you want about 90 seconds from it.  Many kids and even adults want to grow up to be someone who is rich and famous (Elvis, Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, fill in name here).  Not me, I don’t want to be Tiger Woods and that is one of the reasons I feel great about my life. 

Woods’ press conference, like just about every press conference was about public relations and money.  In order for Woods to get back to his lucrative job and keep or regain sponsors, this performance was necessary… and it was a good “performance” that was so popular trading on the New York Stock Exchange almost slowed to a halt during the time Woods was in front of the microphone.  No matter what Tiger said or did Friday for billions to see, he was going to get criticized; welcome to the public spotlight.  If he did not read his script, I would have felt better about his words even though I am still not sold on this whole “sex addiction” defense.

Another reason I feel great about my life is after I saw footage of attorney Gloria Allred’s press conference with the whack job… um I mean porn…o wait “adult film” star, Joslyn James.  If you have not seen this, trust me, you need to (Click Here) and bookmark it any time you are having a bad day.  This is only 90 seconds of the 9 minutes of bizarro world as this fruitcake and her attorney are asking for an apology from the married guy she was sleeping with.  To make it even more sceevy, she uses Woods’ wife and kids’ names.  I know I was not alone Friday night (as I was with about 13 buddies playing poker) who all said the same thing in some form - “WHAT THE BLEEP?”

All the people I mention above have loads of money plus fame and I will never come close to their celebrity or wealth status.  And that is perfectly fine with me as I am richer, happier and more content in my life than they could ever dream of becoming.   I teach people the “Socratic Method” which is probably the reason I like our opening quote so much from the ancient Greek philosopher.

Try this exercise this weekend or over the next few weeks.  Put yourself in the shoes of your child or if you do not have any kids, try remembering what it was like when you were a child or teenager.  I do it all the time as my two sons are 12 and 10 years old and I can remember many of the experiences I had when I was their age.  As a matter of fact, my mom found a story I wrote from high school where I said the favorite time of my life was 6^th grade; the grade my oldest son Trevor is in right now.

Just like I did not think my parents could not relate to me when I was a kid, my own kids feel the same way at times.  There was a generation gap between my parents and me and my siblings just as there is one between my sons and I.   I am part of Generation X, my parents (currently in their 70’s) are part of the Traditionalist Generation and my sons are considered Millennials.  Long story short; based on the decade(s) we were raised in and what shaped our values (world events, economy, technology, community, etc.) during that time, we developed our views and opinions on how we were going to live our life and face adulthood. 

But despite the many differences kids may think they currently have as compared to when their parents were children, there really are not as many as one would think.  Sure technology is a big change but today’s computers and cell phones were yesteryears telephone and televisions.  Although I cannot see my dad involved in 1/10^th of the activities my sons currently do, he and his peers still faced similar social interactions that my boys do in terms of developing friends, dealing with authority and the need for acceptance from anyone and everyone.  My parents grew up in Boston’s North End in the 1930’s and 40’s and I grew up outside of Boston in Medford, Massachusetts in the 70’s and 80’s.  Now my sons are growing up in a small New Hampshire town called Pelham.  Is it any surprise we all think each other can’t relate?

If you have kids, especially teens, don’t get frustrated if they seem to tune you out or not want to listen to you.  Did you when you were their age as if you were anything like me, you thought you knew it all and could take care of yourself in the crazy world you were living?  I wish I took advantage of all the good mentors I had available to me growing up.   There were also plenty of bad ones who cared more about what was in it for them instead of those they were there to teach or help.  I recognized both and so do most of today’s youth.

“Trust But Verify”

Academia, like so many other professions or groups where its members have college degrees, has more than its share of arrogance.  When I refer to academia, I am talking about anybody serving in a teaching capacity or working in the education field.  But I do not want to broad-brush anyone or anything as it would not be fair.  Just as when a rogue police officer makes a corrupt Choice or a member of the clergy does unspeakable acts, it does not make the whole profession or group bad. But having worked in higher education and being involved with all levels of schools, I have dealt with professors, administrators, teachers and deans who think their crap doesn’t stink. 

(Click Here) as I continue on the story of Amy Bishop and the various signs that pointed to her being a time bomb.  It is unsettling when I read that students brought their concerns to school leaders and they seemed to fall on deaf ears.  Now, if there are any cynics who want to immediately try to dismiss this as whiny kids who got a poor grade, that would be arrogance wouldn’t it?  I agree there are plenty of kids out there when they get bad grades then say the teacher s did not explain or if they do not play, it was because the coach did not like them.  Then there are the parents who take this it face value and do not spend the time to see, hear or talk to those involved themselves.

So what should we do?  Follow the words by former President Ronald Reagan in our opening quote – we should trust… but always verify! 

I will pick up more tomorrow on better understanding the mindset of today’s students at all levels.

“The individual is capable of both great compassion and great indifference. He has it within his means to nourish the former and outgrow the latter.”

I have been having a case of writer’s block the last few weeks as I go back and forth between trying to focus on positive stories about the Choices people make compared to the negative Choices of others that infuriate me.  Today I had two possible entries – a story I read on Tiger Woods and others about their so-called sex addiction or this tragic case of an Alabama professor who snapped after not getting tenure and killed 3 colleagues and wounding others.   

I am not sold on this sex addiction diagnosis as it seems these days society is quick to label and medicate the poor behavior of people whether it is kids with ADHD and giving them Ritalin or horny guys and girls who give into temptation and referring to them as having a “disease”.  But I digress as the more details that come out regarding Amy Bishop, the sadder it seems on how we either cover things up in our society or have become more indifferent to inappropriate, rude or illegal actions.  (Click Here) for the latest on this story as all the signs were there on this woman and she needed to be held accountable for her actions as a teen and since then, including her arrogance and assault when she did not get a high chair at IHOP.

The 1986 killing of Bishop’s brother stinks of cover-up or incompetence but the fact is there are many who know the truth as there are too many good, ethical police officers to allow either one or two at this station or in the DA”s office to give them all a bad name.  Bishop got away with murder then, maybe not intentional but after last week’s actions, would you want to bet it was an accident back in 1986, especially after the reports of how she left the home, including waving the gun at people in an auto shop and police?

As I sit here writing and reading, I realize this entry is far from inspiring but I hope it allows people to question more things that seem out of the ordinary, especially those in authority positions like police, teachers, and coaches as well as at the office.  Sadly, there are stories weekly about disgruntled employees going to work and snapping or students taking revenge on classmates.  Like this Bishop case, the signs start at an early age and if left unaddressed, it can lead to tragedy. 

I am not saying we become a vigilante society nor may we be able to prevent all future incidents like this from happening.  But if we can head some off, it will be worth it, especially if we start early with kids so they learn what it means to be a positive, contributing member of society.   Like our opening quote from Norman Cousins, the Choice is ours in what we are capable of in our lives.

“A good manager doesn't try to eliminate conflict; he tries to keep it from wasting the energies of his people. If you're the boss and your people fight you openly when they think that you are wrong - that's healthy.”

Does anybody not have conflict in their life at any level?  Let’s look at some of the possibilities:

Family – where do you want to start?  If married, you may have two sets of families to factor in for holidays, etc.  Throw in some kids and their events and it can further compound things.  Sprinkle in divorce somewhere and this recipe could have you with many conversations; some not so fun.

Job – Does anyone have the perfect job or better yet the perfect boss?  If you do, congratulations as you are in the minority but I urge you to embrace it and never let that feeling change.  Mix in the economy, outsourcing and 4 different generations in the workforce and you have disagreements and misunderstanding a plenty.

Community – You are not able to pick your neighbors and depending on the size of your city or town, just about everybody has an opinion on how things should be run.  Does your neighbor have kids or pets and what is their philosophy on how they run around and so on?

These days, my life has a ton of things going on and I am thankful every day for the great immediate family (wife and kids) and extended family and friends I have.  My dad who is in his late 70’s and remarried has some health issues which require a lot of input and communication between his wife and my siblings and me.  So far all so good based on his prognosis and how we are all dealing with it.  My kids are healthy and getting older so their education is always a focus combined with their numerous extracurricular activities which my wife and I have a great balance.

I work for myself which has its pros and cons but I have a great business partner that provides me clients and my clients, old and new are awesome.  But I talk and email with too many people who have a ton of conflict in their jobs between bosses and peers.  Finally, the communities in which we live and my town is heated these days with a huge March vote on a new high school the hot topic.  It is getting nasty between those that want it and those that don’t.  As kids get older and more involved in activities, especially sports, tensions rise when it comes to coaches and playing time at all levels.

I will never claim to have all the answers but the one thing I know for sure is that communication is crucial in all the above areas.  People may not always agree but if they are talking, it is always better than not talking and even worse when we assume (and do we all know what happens when we assume?).  Finally, as my wife told me one time and was probably the best advice I have ever received – “don’t try to tell people how to feel”.  Despite my initial attempt at rebuttal to this claim, she was and is 100% correct.  We should never tell people how to feel but as I finally figured out, we certainly can try to inspire them how to.

Not all conflict is bad as sometimes it is needed to get a solution or bring closure.  Looking for win/win and not making it personal while increasing communication will lead to less stress for all involved.  Our opening quote by William Townsend gives us some good advice.

“To succeed you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you.”

This weekend was All-Star weekend in the NBA and it was filled with dunks, tricks, celebrities and just about everybody involved screaming out “LOOK AT ME” with their antics.  My kids and many others seemed to enjoy it although each time I watched and had to listen to Charles Barkley speak, I got nauseous.  This morning while watching ESPN, my faith in professional sports was restored as I saw the story of Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees’ week after he won the Super Bowl.  Between Letterman, Ellen, Oprah, he visited children in the hospital and marched in parades, Brees came across as one of the most humble and genuine superstars I have seen in a long time.  Let me stress the word genuine.

Anyone who watched the end of the Super Bowl or has a copy of last week’s Sports Illustrated saw Brees on the cover celebrating with his young son and wife.  The Saints brought joy to a city that has been through hell and back with many areas still suffering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.  But for a few weeks in February 2010, people there got to celebrate all that was good in their lives as Brees and the Saints gave them something to believe in.  Even more impressive was the way in which the city celebrated after they won as we heard and saw little to no footage of destruction (much to the newscasts disappointment no doubt).

Like all sports superstars and celebrities that capture fame, time will tell how these people conduct themselves when they no longer win, fame subsides or they are out of the spotlight.  The Winter Olympics have begun and we already see obscure Americans being thrust into the media spotlight as they win a medal.  Will it be too much?  Will they become the next Mike Eruzione who made the Choice to not turn to professional hockey after winning gold with his hockey brothers in 1980 and has had a great post Olympic life and career?  Or will these current stars take the path of Michael Phelps or Bode Miller where their Olympic fame lead them to the celebrity party scene and pictures being worth a thousand words as well as some embarrassment?   

The other key word I used above to describe Brees (humble) should be an indicator to where he goes from here.  Among other things in his life, Brees got hurt early in his NFL career and was not wanted by the team that drafted him; which led to him landing in New Orleans.  Add to this, his mother, who he did not have a great relationship with, committed suicide a few years ago.  Through all of this, Brees seems grounded and probably realizes the same thing I do every day I wake up and look at my fantastic wife and kids – I have a great life with everything I need!

Our opening quote from NFL legend (and Super Bowl winner and Hall of Famer) Tony Dorsett seems to apply to Drew Brees don’t you think?

For the record, I think Valentine’s Day is way too commercialized these days with marketers preying on those poor souls looking to impress others with signs of affection.  But then again, I am lucky as every day is Valentine’s Day with the love of my life, my wife Tracy.  I could send her flowers but I get her flowers all the time for no reason except that I love her.  We could go to dinner but we usually eat or order out 3 nights a week so that would not be anything new.  So to my beautiful wife who still wows me like the first day I saw her in English class freshman year of college – Happy Valentine’s Day and thank you for all you do for me and the boys.

Love,

Lou

“Oh, you only fight the fights you can win? You fight the fights that need fighting!”

I love the political process; I just can’t stand many politicians.  I would not want other type of government than the one we currently have – democracy – a government by the people.  Sadly, democracy at the state and national level has become big business with much money at stake for those who we elect as well as those doing the electing (the constituents) as evidenced by the millions spent on campaigns.  Whenever money and power are introduced to any situation, you always run the risk of corruption and abuse of power.  That is the reality of the world we live in and not to simplify it, it still comes down to Choices that those in these roles make.

(Click Here) for a story in Lawrence, Massachusetts where the city’s mayor is also a state representative.  Many critics are calling this a conflict of interest but as Mayor/State Representative William Lantigua will tell you; this is what the people want based on their votes.  But as you will read in the article, Lawrence has some serious financial problems and other leaders want Lantigua to focus on one job or the other.  Hence the balancing act.

I appreciate Lantigua not taking the often used approach of so many politicians of ignoring the pink elephant or not commenting on it and just smiling and giving clichés.  This is the defensive approach and hoping it too shall pass.  Heck no! Lantigua appears to be going on the offensive and telling his critics and other leaders to basically (fill in your own phrase here – such as “bite me”, “go shit in your hat”, “do something to yourselves”, etc.).  Part of me appreciates this approach as the best way to deal with snipers or attacks is to expose them or hit back.   But will this ultimately allow for the best results for him as a leader and more importantly for his town and his constituents?

I am witnessing this first hand in my town as I have written about a huge vote coming in March to get among other things a new high school and fire station with price tags of about $40 million and $3.5 million respectively.  This will result in higher taxes for residents and there are loud positive voices for the passing of both these warrant articles (how are town government form of democracy works) as well as loud negative voices trying to convince people to vote against them.  Just like we see in so many other elections, campaigns can get nasty with name calling, mudslinging, accusations, rumors and dissemination of inaccurate information either by accident or strategically placed.

The balancing act is all about making the Choice on which battles to fight and which ones not to.  I do not know enough about the dynamics involving William Lantigua but respect the fact he is taking a stand.  Will his stand result him being more like the Colonials or Custer?  When it comes to battles, I go with my gut and our opening quote from the movie “The American President”.     

“I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's ass, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it.”

As I was thinking about today’s entry, there were many topics that ran through my mind, especially since I missed yesterday after being out most of the day.  So instead of focusing on one topic, I decided to throw a bunch out there that have me scratching my head, laughing or wondering what people are thinking at times.  Here we go in no particular order:

I admit I am no fan of Sarah Palin but come on, crib notes on the palm of your hand?  Can we cease and desist all this 2012 Presidential talk immediately?

My 4th grade son Tyler has just verbally committed to Florida, please direct all press inquiries, talk show invites and endorsements to his agent – me.

Where is all the footage and stories of all the burning, looting and destruction in New Orleans after the Saints won the Super Bowl?  Call it perspective, humbleness or anything you want after Katrina, all these people showed the world how to celebrate after your team wins the big game.

Bullying is a scary reality in and out of the classroom these days and is happening as early as elementary school.  This is everyone’s issue and will take a united effort to stop future tragedies.

How do colleges and universities like Dartmouth cry poverty?   So your endowment has dropped to something like $2 billion, therefore you raise tuition and lay blue collar people off?

Does anybody hate, I mean despise, reality shows as much as me?  I watched a few minutes of “The Bachelor” the other night (my wife made me as a trade-off for me watching 5 minutes of poker) and I almost puked.

Finally, with potentially a foot (only 1 foot) of snow projected to hit parts of New England today, why was it treated like the Blizzard of 78?  Schools starting closing yesterday for today.  The only thing missing were the Home Depot shots of people buying generators and shovels.

Today’s opening quote was from the movie “Tommy Boy” starring the late Chris Farley.  My town of Pelham, New Hampshire is preparing for one of our biggest votes in March as we try to get a new high school built.  I hope more people listen to facts than they do opinions and get this passed.

“I'd run over my mother to win the Super Bowl.”

That was a pretty exciting Super Bowl yesterday as the New Orleans Saints beat Peyton Manning and The Indianapolis Colts in what some will call an upset as the Colts were predicted by many to win, mainly because of Manning.  I guess many did not realize that Saints quarterback Drew Brees also had a great year and based on all I read and watch, is also one heck of a leader.

I truly believe that attitude, on both ends of the attitude spectrum, plays a huge role in life, especially in sports during the games.  A positive attitude keeps players up and creates great momentum that can lead you to victory.  A negative attitude can be infectious amongst teammates (or co-workers) and instead of focusing on the positive results you can accomplish, people spend more time on what did, is or can go wrong.  A team with a positive attitude, especially amongst its leaders, also allows you to overcome adversity that may come your way and allow you to reach your goals.  The Saints seemed to have this yesterday based on some of the Choices made by their head coach, Sean Payton.

Towards the end of the first half, with the Saints down 10-3 and on the Colts 3 yard-line, Payton went for the touchdown from 2 yards out on 4^th down.  The Colts stopped them and, keyboards, critics and fans all went crazy with typing and chatter.  The Saints then held the Colts to 4 plays and out, got the ball back and hit a field goal as time expired to go into halftime trailing 10-6.  Not sure what transpired in each locker room but despite the Colts leading, I think the Saints were the more confident team.  They reinforced that as the 2^nd half opened and they attempted one of the gutsiest plays ever in the biggest game – an onside kick.

After a nasty scrum where it comes down to who wants it more, the Saints recovered and momentum stayed on their side.  The lead changed a few times but in the end, Manning was not able to lead his team to a comeback and Brees was named MVP, bringing the first Super Bowl Championship to a city in desperate need of something positive to embrace after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.   After the game, Coach Payton said the question was not if they would try an on-side kick but when?  Now that’s confidence as well as a positive attitude that becomes infectious to the people you lead.

In the end, the Saints appeared to want it more maybe since only one player had a Super Bowl ring prior to this game.  I would hope they would not run over their own mother to get one like our opening quote from newly elected Hall of Famer, Russ Grim, but they did just about everything else needed for it.

“If I miss coaching that much, I could go to some little school where they didn't recruit, where all the kids wanted to go. I believe I could find somewhere to coach.”

I love sports and am active in youth sports (those familiar with this space just said to themselves, “no shat, Sherlock!”).  Now that my children are getting older (ages 12 & 10), I am watching and learning more about high school sports and the pressures that everyone associated with them is facing.  Growing up, my friends and I wanted to be like Michael Jordan, Bobby Orr or Joe Montana based on how great they were at their game.  Athletes back then were famous but not necessarily celebrities.  These days, we have Lebron and Kobe coming out of high school not old enough to have a beer and barely old enough to vote and they are instant millionaires and celebrities.

Times are different I get that but when I read the attached story, it just felt creepy.  (Click Here) to see what I mean and I wish I could say it shocked me but it didn’t?  The reason is due to the coach that is the driving force behind all this.  Check it out and then come back to finish this entry.

This kid is just about the same age as my oldest son Trevor.  They are growing up in different worlds and I would not have them trade places for anything.  I do not know the Sills family and I am not making any judgment on any of them.  I have seen how local athletes are treated in small towns as well as big cities and the impact it has on those around them.  The social status of being a local star athlete is a huge ego boost not only for the kid, but for the parent(s).  Factor in the dream of a kid becoming the next Lebron, Tom Brady or Sidney Crosby and imaginations can run wild.  But for every wonder-kid like Lebron that we may now know, there are plenty of Todd Marinovich’s. Just Google his name and there are plenty of stories about where Marinovich started, where he is now and all the in between.  And don’t even get me started on Tiger Woods who was on the Merv Griffin show at age 4.

As much as I have a passion for sports, I do not push it on my sons.  I allow them to choose what they want to do but I do encourage them to finish what they start (the season) and always giving their best effort.  I have no aspirations of them going pro and just want them to have a blast being a kid.  I do not need to relive my own childhood through them as mine was awesome and I did not miss out on much athletically or socially.  I had not heard of David Sills before this article and have no doubt he is the top 7^th grade quarterback in the country right now as like George Carlin taught us, it’s a numbers game, somewhere out there is the best in all jobs or roles (and the worst). 

I hope this all turns out well for this kid who will grow up very fast.  But when you look at the track record and trail Lane Kiffin leaves behind, do you wonder why this story creeps me out?   If you had a Choice for your kid to play for a coach, would it be Kiffin or Bear Bryant, who gave us our opening quote?

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

(Editor’s Note – I recommend you read yesterday’s entry first as it gives some background on my town’s voting process.  Today is a continuation of that).

As I predicted in yesterday’s entry, my town’s School Deliberation Session was active last night as twice as many came out to discuss Articles for our schools just as they did the previous night for the Town ones.  The major discussion centers on building a new high school which as you would expect, carries a high cost and thus higher taxes for homeowners.  I am 100% in favor of this as our current high school is over 35 years old, falling apart and based on professional evaluations, it is not a wise or fiscally responsible Choice to renovate or expand it.

We tried in the past to get a new school passed and it has failed.  We are now at a critical point this year as our current high school is on accreditation warning from the state and a school that loses accreditation makes all graduates, past, present and future, lose credibility in their education.  In addition, this could be the last year we receive state funding to build in the form of a grant that could be worth over $13 million of basically free money.  There are still many that oppose this and although I respect their right to have this opinion, I have yet to hear any valid reasons that supports their argument to vote no.

I expected last night’s discussion to be heated but it was anything but.  Many of the opponents who have been quite vocal on the town message board and privately either did not show up or did not speak up.  Of those people who did speak against it, I understood why as their homes abut (next to) the space where the new school would be built.  They asked good questions and one guy, worried about potential future costs and traffic issues even told me he would be voting yes on this Article, he just wanted more answers and clarification.  Valid questions but as I told him privately, there will always be what-ifs and we need to have faith that they will be worked out.

It should be no surprise that I got up to speak in favor of the school.  This event was televised on our local cable channel and it is hard to gauge how many people watched it in addition to the 200 people in attendance.  We have about 9000 registered voters and need a 60% yes vote on those who come out to vote in March.  We average about a 35% voter turnout at elections so if 3500 people come out to vote, we need approximately 2100 of them to vote yes to get this school.  As I said last night, if we want this school, we must let our voices be heard and rally our friends & neighbors to exercise their right to vote.  We must also “Inspire First for Results to Follow” and show them how this investment will pay them back down the road as among other things, good schools raise property values. 

I truly believe that this endeavor is going to happen as it feels similar to what Scott Brown accomplished in Massachusetts last month.  Those that are passionate about this school are working hard and doing it the right way and despite a few rogues, are not engaging in the mudslinging and tactics like those against it.  We have another month to continue the momentum and fulfill the words of Margaret Mead in our opening quote.