Processing

I just had a lovely phone conversation with West Coast Twitter connection Maia Berens. You might know her as @LifeCoachMaia. We connected accidentally, as people often do in the world of social media, and felt a certain kinship over the course of several months, so decided a chat on the phone was in order. We talked about our lives: husbands, kids, various jobs, and life philosophies. Part of the conversation had to do with the philosophy of being in the moment, how the challenges of life force us (or allow us) each to be a work in progress. We agreed that it's crucial to relish the details as we go about the process of life.

After Maia said goodbye and I returned to the sink to finish washing the dinner dishes, I recalled having heard that 20th century painter Norman Rockwell was eternally reluctant to let go of his artworks, even when they would have been deemed complete by anyone else. I'm not sure why that popped into my head, but I think there is a connection here. Even works that were commissioned by patrons of Rockwell with a large paycheck pending at the finish line were unwillingly released. I understand that there may have been issues with depression, and perhaps other things going on, but I'd offer that Mr. Rockwell seemed to truly cherish the process of creating art. At least that's what it looks like to me.

Intentions and goals are worthy and necessary, no doubt, but the road is so much sweeter if you savor the process.

"When I go to farms or little towns, I am always surprised at the discontent I find. And New York, too often, has looked across the sea toward Europe. And all of us who turn our eyes away from what we have are missing life." ~Norman Rockwell

Hibernation Consideration

In grade school we learned that chipmunks, bears, and other warm-blooded animals hibernate in winter, which allows them to survive the colder temperatures. I've been thinking a lot about this: perhaps New Englanders should strongly consider hibernation. A good time to begin may be as soon as the Thanksgiving dishes are washed and put away. We'd snuggle into our caves with full bellies, our body temperatures would drop and we'd survive on our stored body fat until Spring, to awaken just in time for the Boston Marathon. The long-suffering residents of Hopkinton would need to emerge early to get ready for the onslaught of racers, but at least they'd be well-rested. The remainder of us would be content to lie drowsily on the sofa watching the race on TV while replenishing our body fat stores with whatever snack foods we'd squirreled away. Halloween candy?

Perhaps you'd rather a modified hibernation; staying inside, but not sleeping the winter away. Technology lets us perform most of the tasks of living in society without ever leaving our homes. Work, chatting with family and friends, purchasing shoes from Zappos, choosing furniture or groceries for delivery, sending flowers to Mom or paying bills - all can be accomplished online while ensconced in a comfortable chair. We'd save on dry cleaning by dressing in our cozy, machine washable, sweatpants. Wii Fit games and yoga on DVD would help us stay in shape. Unlimited music, movies, Sporcle, and Seinfeld repeats would keep us entertained and if we wanted to learn, online courses for credit or otherwise are plentiful.

There'd be a Facebook fan page for hibernation where we'd compare notes and upload photos from our Blackberries, and #hibernate would trend on Twitter. New iPhone apps would abound.

It's a little late in the season to start now, but let's talk about it after your summer vacation and work out the details for next winter. And if you'd rather not participate, would you please shovel my front walk while I hibernate?


The gorgeous photo of the bear came from:

Native Americans

First People is a child friendly site about Native Americans and members of the First Nations. 1400+ legends, 400+ agreements and treaties, 10,000+ pictures, free clipart, Pueblo pottery, American Indian jewelry, Native American Flutes and more.

Bell Labs: John Franey on its low-static, eco-friendly packaging technology

Intercept Technology Xtend Pkg Shot Show 2010 Vegas

Intercept Technology Xtend Pkg Shot Show 2010 Vegas
Originally uploaded by laineyd7

Plenty to see at the Xtend/Intercept Packaging Booth at Day 3 of Shot Show 2010 in Las Vegas. Intercept is important material for evidence protection and we have some intelligent new products on view at Booth L-124.

Short or long-term storage, clean, no corrosion or degradation of evidence, no outgas or particle shed, so no chemical compounds introduced to the evidence. Intercept materials meet stringent environmental and packaging regulations of Europe and the US.

Intercept see-through evidence bags mean easy content verification during audits, so no opening and resealing.

Say hello to Ken (seen here in Terminator pose) and Chris if you stop in.

Liberty Packaging and Xtend Packaging Announce New Product for Evidence Protection

Liberty Packaging Co and Xtend Packaging Announce New Product for Evidence Preservation and Weapons

Breaking the Rubber Band

As I walked through the local park a few weeks ago, the sun was shining, the breeze warm, and Umphrey's McGee's "Mantis" was blasting on my iPod. I've taken to listening to that album pretty exclusively while at the gym or outside walking, because it lifts my spirits like no other music. A bit of an obsession, you may think, but I always feel refreshed and full of ideas following an Umphrey's workout session.

One of the lines in the Umphrey's song "Mantis", "Turmoil stands like old rubber bands, unbreaking" started me thinking. The fact is, rubber bands eventually do degrade and break - it has probably happened to you and it stings if one snaps on you while you're trying to wrap it around a pile of books or tuck your hair into a ponytail.

There's no denying that there is turmoil of all types in our world. The smaller stuff (spilling your coffee, or a dead battery in your car) to the more weighty (a sick child or parent, or worse) - it can often feel like pretty big trouble while it's happening to you. Terrorism, war, economic crises and pandemic illnesses loom large, touching some directly and all by our connection to each other.

If rubber bands can and do break, I propose that the chain of turmoil can be broken as well. It will mean breaking the habit of focusing on the negative, talking about only the bad news, the problems, the annoyances, the illnesses, the terrorists. I don't suggest we bury our heads in the sand, but each in our own way concentrate on spreading positivity and good. Support one another. Laugh when we can. Acknowledge the challenges, then begin the plan to change our individual lives and the world, bit by bit, one rubber band at a time.

The Coach

I think of him as a coach, but he's really our accountant. Alan Dennis is sensible and logical, conscientious, soft-spoken and intelligent. Exactly the attributes you want in an accountant. Or a coach.

Alan's first business is Dennis & Co accounting services, which he has owned and run for 18 years. He also has a newer business selling police badges and related products. Alan admitted, when pressed, that his ePoliceSupply business grew about 47% in 2009, a year in which many small companies let people go or closed their doors altogether. Clearly there is a market for these products and he knows how to reach it. His success in his businesses allows his clients to trust him without reservation, because he's right in there working hard with the rest of us, showing us how it's done.

Using the measuring stick of job satisfaction, business growth and long-time clients in two companies, Alan the businessman/coach is a terrific role model for the rest of us.