Conference Week

This is the week I am hosting the annual conference at work. We had over 170 people sign up and that is a huge logistical effort trying to keep the agenda moving and ensure the support for all of the attendees.

Tomorrow--Friday is the last day. Yay.

I have had a lot of help again this year and I really understand how much teamwork is necessary to pull a three-day conference off.

The agenda was pretty well constructed--but as always--there are last minute changes and adjustments.

I dread conference week every year. It is a lot of work and planning and the execution requires a lot of team work. But mostly it is a lot of work and a lot to keep straight and make sure it looks effortless even though it is a lot of effort.

It is good to reconnect with old friends though.

I guess I should embrace the opportunity to plan and execute the conference--but all I see is the mountain of work--which is now almost over!

YaY!

Weddings and Stuff - Mature Subject Matter

Weddings!


Wow! They are really an event.


I have been to a few, including my own, over time. This past weekend I was honored to be able to attend the wedding of my niece Andrea to a seemingly nice man, Brian. I never really met Brian, nor did I get to know Brian. Chris and I had a good time though, reconnecting with family and friends--mostly family. We remembered how much fun we all have when we get together.

Weddings are a celebration. A really important celebration in the lives of not only those getting married, but those witnesses assembled as well. It is all about the future and the life that two people will forge together.

But I know something about Brian and Andrea that, in retrospect, I really don't need to know nor do I or did I care to know. But it was everywhere at the wedding. I had never thought about it before--although I guess it is at every wedding. But I think our myopic focus on it really misses the importance of the wedding day as it forges forward into the married life.


From statements made about the color of the wedding gown by the pastor to some of the statements made about the couple--it seems everything hinges on (shhh!) sex! Really! I mean, some people were really preoccupied with it.

It dawns on me the level of focus on the the activity of the wedding night is misplaced. I mean--are we celebrating an orgy or the union of two individuals into a new being? Are we all frustrated adults longing for the longings of our youth? Or are we genuinely concerned about the ability of two people we love and care about to succeed as a married couple in a world where the cards are stacked against them.

When does a marriage begin? At the moment of "I do?" Or did it begin when words were spoken and accepted asking to get married? The foundations of a strong marriage are laid well before the walk down the aisle. Already, by the wedding day, the couple has had to learn to deal with stress, and nerves, and things not going right as well as the joys and highs of life. From these beginnings, marriages are forged.

I guess I never really thought about it before, but we are concerned about the wrong things.

It would have been better to focus on their compatibility and willingness to work together in the future as a couple, the process of becoming one; rather than on activities which did or did not occur in the past! Did I really need to know that they couldn't sit closer together that the width of a bible? (It's not that thick standing on edge!) Come on--I hug a lot of people, but I don't marry them. I sit closer than that to perfect strangers when I am sandwiched into an airplane seat.


As long as we continue to be solely focused on the peripheral trappings we will continue to miss the bigger picture: how do we help ensure marriages are full of long-term happiness and team work. Today's world requires married couples to be a team. To be willing to pick up the slack for one of the couple when times are tough and to be able to celebrate victories--beginning with the small ones, when they happen. To focus on the joy of life and not the shortcomings of material possessions.

Congratulations Brian and Andrea. To quote a line from an old science fiction TV show: "Live long and prosper!"

Niagara Falls Day Trip

The majesty and magnificence of some of the natural wonders of the world continue to awe me--even though I've seen them and enjoyed them before.

Who cannot be awed by the sheer volume of water rushing over the falls of Niagara?

Although I experienced the falls from the base aboard the Maid of the Mist on other occasions, it never ceases to remind me of how insignificant I am when compared to the grandeur of the planet and its natural raw power. And beauty. And trust me--I'm no beauty!

The day, however, was idyllic. The sky was generally clear and while cool--it was not cold. We were able to enjoy the first hints of autumn colors on the leaves along the falls with the other visitors.

And consider for a moment the Maid of the Mist--the boats that take visitors close to the base of the falls to enjoy the sheer power and magnitude of the rushing water. Standing on the deck of these small ships in the middle of the falls. It can only be imagined. Although the whole trip lasts only about 20 minutes--start to finish, it seems much longer when you are actually at the falls admiring them.

So take time--admire the beauty around you--in your own backyard or where ever you travel. Get off the beaten path (a/k/a interstate) and checkout the sights. There is a lot to see and to enjoy.

I was struck by our conversation in the car--which went something like:

"I cant believe we are going so slow"
"Don't they drive faster?"

"Aren't these old stately homes beautiful?"

"Are we there yet?"

"Does it matter how fast we drive--we are just going to get to the airport and wait!"

We have all become victims of the hurry up and get there philosophy. So what if a 90 mile trip took over two hours with no stops?

The sights along the way were well worth the price of admission.

Monday Musings - October 19, 2009

1. What a season of celebration this is. Birthdays and weddings and anniversaries. Happy Birthday today to Jeremy.

2. Eight hour drive vs one hour flight--you do the math. Who knew that Rochester, NY was so close? Even so, why was I so tired when I got home? All I did was ride in the back like a the self-loading cargo that I am.

3. When traveling, make sure to take time to see the area--and we did yesterday doing a return trip to Niagara Falls, NY. It was a beautiful day.

4. Weddings are one way that families reconnect. It allows everyone to get back together for a while and remember how much we used to see everyone and how busy and separate our lives are now.

5. One more time--why are weekends only two days long? I usually need three or more days to get it all in.

6. Thanks to Patrick and Tina for driving us to and from the airport and retrieving Makayla for us.

7. Two lane roads in Upstate NY are pretty to drive along on a sunny autumn Sunday--but don't plan on getting anywhere in a hurry! The proportion of police to miles traveled is higher in NY than anywhere else I have been in a while. I also noticed a huge driving philosophical difference--in Maryland, drivers drive the speed limit plus five (or ten) MPH. In Upstate NY--they drive the speed limit minus five, UGH!

8. And for my political comment of the week: I meet a lot of people who think the President enacts laws--actually it is the Congress. If we are unhappy about what's happening in Washington--let's change Congress--they pass the laws, raise taxes, and develop flawed health care proposals. BTW--2010 is an election year. Just remember who had control of the Congress (both Houses) when the economic decline started and decided to do nothing to ensure that a Democrat would get elected President! Now they blame the other guys for their intentional lack of action.

Maryland Driving: Stories From the Rain Swept Highway

I wonder why Maryland drivers cannot drive in the rain.

It seems that as the little drops of precipitation fall from the sky, the skills of Maryland drivers drops to a negative number.

Examples:

1. Ignore the wet road and continue to drive aggressively to facilitate redecorating your car with an oak tree hood ornament. The flowers in the headlights add a nice touch as well.

2. Become paralyzed with fear and slow to 15 MPH to allow traffic to congregate around you as other, more rational drivers contemplate how to get by with or without causing an accident. Many are contemplating how to force you off the road.

3. Tailgate so that when the driver in front taps their brakes you have no choice but to veer off the roadway into the manicured median strip.

4. While driving a pick-up truck, attempt to rapidly accelerate while going up a clover leaf onto I-95 to facilitate doing a 360 degree turn in the roadway and hoping not to involve any other unsuspecting driver(s) in the ensuing situation as you careen off the road surface--backwards. Is that what they call putting the cart before the horse?

5. While attempting to merge onto the controlled access highway in the rain during rush hour, come to a complete stop at the end of the on ramp to wait for a gap in traffic sufficient to allow entry from a standing start. Wait for a really large gap because the road is wet and you don't want to spin your tires as you accelerate. Wonder why there are so many cars in line behind you. Look confused when other drivers give you animated gestures as they pass you.

The World is Watching-- World Cup Qualifying

I had a really new experience last evening.

Jeremy and I traveled to RFK Stadium in D.C. (and it was a travel--the usual 30 min trip took over 2 hours because of traffic!) to watch the U.S. Soccer Team play against Costa Rica in the final World Cup qualifying match. I had never watched a U.S. team play in international competition before.

Good news--the U.S. already clinched a World Cup berth by beating Honduras in Honduras on Saturday. So we didn't even need a win to get to South Africa.

Ok--here is the fun part. How many times have you watched a U.S. Team or individual play or participate in a sport on television and heard the chant U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A?

I know I have a whole lot.

Better than watching on TV, is to be in the crowd doing the chanting and believing that the louder the crowd chants, the better the U.S. team plays.

Down at field level was Sam's Army decked out in red-white, and blue cheering and when goals were scored celebrating enthusiastically with the best of all banners--the U.S. Flag! How can you not love being there.

And it seemed true last night as the U.S. Soccer Team overcame a two goal deficit to tie Costa Rica 2-2 in the final. The last goal being scored with just about 30 seconds of playing time left and the U.S. Team down a man due to a late injury and no substitutions left. It is the stuff movies are made of.

The rain was falling, the lights burned bright into the night and on the stage rabid supporters of two countries cheered their teams. Sam's Army was a sight to behold. After the game, the members of the U.S. team came over and celebrated with Sam's Army and that was another of the coolest things--they thanked the fans for their support, right on the field after the game.

It was fun! And somehow, we never doubted that the U.S. team would not lose! And they did not lose even when down by a man and with a lot less to play for than the Costa Ricans who needed a win to advance to the World Cup next year in South Africa! The Costa Ricans (a/k/a Ticos) are now playing a two-game playoff (or play-in) against Uruguay for the last spot.

So if you get a chance--go someplace with a lot of other Americans yelling
U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A

Enjoy yourself. It surely doesn't happen enough.