Been thinking about end of life lately. Friends and relatives passing tends to do
that to you. So many of my friends have
lost one or both parents, or are having to prepare for the end as health issues
and quality of life issues get more critical for our folks. Lost my dad in 2004 and mom’s memory of the
past is gone now. It’s that whole circle
of life thing, with our kids starting families, parents passing on and us
having health and early aging issues, while still providing help for our
parents now and kids as needed. It’s
always been this way, for our parents, their parents and on back in time. It feels comforting to be a part of this
pattern of life on the planet for me.
Like being part of a flowing river or the wind blowing through the
trees. Each little drop or air molecule
doing its part in a bigger movement that has gone on as long as time. Some think this makes their own life
inconsequential, but I think it makes it that much more beautiful. Beautiful in that we can see and do so much
in the time we are given to touch others, take care of others, see, hear, do
and enjoy life and also in the whole majesty of life. Yes I miss and grieve for family, friends and
even pets passing, but I also want to celebrate their existence and remember
for as long as I can. When it is my
time, I hope to go with a fond regard for what I have lived and no regrets for
what I have not. I have to say, I feel
very grateful at this point in life and believe I am ready when my time
comes. And if that time was tomorrow, I
hope you will remember my crazy ramblings with a degree of fondness as well.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
How old am I?
How old am I? You’ve
probably heard the rhetorical question about how old you would think you are if
you didn’t know (and didn’t have a mirror handy!) Being a person prone to self-reflection, I
wondered how old I would think I am.
Like most men, I do have a bit of a 12 year old that peeks out on
occasion. I am also in decent health, stay fairly active, am open to learning
about new things and observant. Those
traits keep me from being too much of a “grumpy old man”. My dad, when he was still alive often joked
about the “old people” in his church, who he would find later to be the same
age or even younger than he was. So in
his 70 and early 80’s he felt younger than he imagined he should feel at
70+. He also stayed active until his
last year . But I am turning 60 this
year. That is a milestone, for
sure. I retired a few years back,
another milestone. I started wearing
glasses in my late 30’s, was diagnosed with borderline high blood pressure a
few years back and had other aches and issues associated with a person of my
age. I would have said that I feel
younger than my years, or that I am younger at heart than others my age, but
that is making assumptions that are not necessarily true, just a bit self
serving and maybe a bit of self denial as well. No, I feel almost 60. I am bald, grey haired
(what’s left), I have to fight the
various issues of age and am seen as an “old guy” by the majority of people I
run into daily. I’m ok with that, I
earned it. Yes, I will keep watching my
weight, working out, taking vitamins, learning about new things, but I am no
longer young. I will be lucky to have 10
more good years (without serious health issues, loss of some ability I have
now, etc.) I am ok with that too. Sure I could live 20-30 more years, but probably
only about 10 will allow the level of activity and functioning and freedom from
serious medical concerns I have
now. So I plan on making the most of the
next 10 while I can. I will try to enjoy
every day I have and not plan too far in the future for the stuff I really want
to do. Not bad advice at any age.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
My Spiritual Journey
My Spiritual Journey
Or how I went from full-time Baptist to “here” in my life.
One of my
first memories is of standing in a crib in the nursery of Central Baptist
Church in Lawton, OK waiting for my mom to get me to go home and have Sunday
lunch. I grew up in that church, going
Sunday morning and night, Wednesday night, church socials, retreats and camps
and socializing with church friends. I
had friends in the neighborhood that attended other churches, including one
catholic, but got all my religious instruction at the feet of my parents and the
Baptist church. I sang in the choir, had
crushes on the girls in church, played and socialized primarily with church
people much of my life. I knew all the bible stories and had read enough verses
over that time that I had it pretty much down.
But I
remember, things I heard from early in my church life not making sense to
me. When I asked my parents, they tried
to explain why those things were as stated in the bible and Baptist dogma, or
even to tell me that I had to have faith and just believe them. But I was told in school about the scientific
advances that resulted from questioning and looking at different possibilities
to make break thru and wondered why the same rationale did not apply to
religion. I didn’t understand why babies
in Africa had to go to hell, why other religions were wrong, or why Jesus would
allow hell to exist if he truly loved us.
When I was around ten or eleven, I realized all my Sunday School mates
had all gone down front to publicly profess their faith and “be saved”. I wondered why I wasn’t and asked but could
not get beyond the “you will know” or “a feeling of peace/grace will come over
you” or other such platitudes. I felt
like an outsider in my family and my church and saw that I would be left behind
if something did not happen. I prayed, I
tried to mentally get to a state that would feel special. Do you know that feeling you can get when
chills run down your spine, or your hair on your arms stand up, or you feel a
sense of euphoria (OK, it could be like the feeling you get from sexual
excitement, or hearing stirring music, or hearing something that creates that
feeling)? We had a church revival with
some traveling preacher and I was standing with friends down front after some
fun activity and during the invitation I was able to tap into the euphoria and
convinced myself that this was the holy spirit, or Jesus or something that made
it OK for me to say, “I’m saved” but in reality I was unchanged. To my saved family and friends, I hope this
does not bring you sadness about my soul being lost, but it is just the truth.
Or as I told my sister when she shared her religious experience, “it just
didn’t take.”
So from
about 10 to 18 I sang songs, went to sermons (normally bored) listened to
stories and went to Sunday school. I
parroted the right things back at the right times, but I never felt different
nor even connected to the stories or the word.
In my high school years they would bring in things from other religions
and basically use the opportunity to say, “these other religions are different
and wrong, let’s laugh at their funny garments, practices or beliefs”. The point was clear, “we are right, they are
wrong. We are going to heaven, they are going to hell.” It seemed kinda presumptuous to me and my
brain immediately said, “but wouldn’t they think the same about us?” I took a world history class from Ms Watts,
where she talked about other major world religions like Muslims, Hindus and
Buddists. Their beliefs were even more
different and strange, but for them as valid as ours. They are all just different stories of how we
got here and why we are here. I was
attracted to the Hindu belief of “many paths to the mountaintop” as accepting
the validity of all faith, but then the knowledge of all the wars, persecution
and suffering inflicted in the name of religion by all faiths was
disappointing. As I was learning about
other would religious views I never felt a hunger or need for any of them, but
I also never felt a need within myself to have religious views to be complete
and happy. But I didn’t want to insult
my friends and family, so I kept my views to myself with those people. They were, after all, my beliefs.
I also found
that I enjoyed partying with friends, making fun of convention, laughing and
chasing girls (mostly unsuccessfully). I
tried to be a good person and not hurt others and as I went to college I
thought a lot about what it meant to be a good person. Not by some label, religious faith, title or
words I would speak, but by how I acted and felt about others. I guess I am still on that journey of trying
to be a better person and not be hurtful to others. Sometimes I miss, and for that I am
sorry. And for my religious friends, I
am not saying you are wrong, only that your beliefs are wrong for me. I wish you well and for you to have peace for
all your days. That’s what I am working
towards.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Sticks and Stones
You ever noticed how the internet seems to have encouraged people of all
walks to say just dreadful things about others?
I never was a big fan of George W, but I also did not call him anything
like what people I know and otherwise respect, have called Obama. I get on a motorcycle chat line in craigslist
and people can say really nasty things about people they don’t know. I am not religious, but I remember “let he
who is without sin cast the first stone” and “judge not lest ye be judged”. And growing up I was told “if you can’t say
anything nice, don’t say anything” and “don’t criticize until you have walked a
mile in the others shoes”. What happened
to that value? Why are we so quick to
judge and condemn based on what we read, hear or feel, without knowing the
facts or looking for mitigating factors.
I know this sounds a bit naïve but why must we allow ourselves to sink
to the level of name calling when we can just argue our points but respect the
other. My brother-in-law, Dave and I are
just about polar opposites on our politics, but I really enjoy discussing our
view points without anger, respecting each other and at the end I always feel
good about our exchanges and our relationship. So to my friends, know
that I respect your arguments and viewpoints and I appreciate it when you give
your rationale for your beliefs, but understand that others have differing
viewpoints and that does not make us wrong or not your friends.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Money, money, money
How much is enough?
When it comes to wealth, it seems the answer is: it is never
enough. Why is it that the more a person
has the more they want? Greed is a handy
answer and I have probably used it, but I think it is much more complicated
than that. Money/wealth is power, either
real power or the sense of power over ones environment. And maybe that is the real driver. If one has enough money they can control
everything from their own life experiences to laws passed by the
government. Oh yeah, there is lots of
things included in that range, but it all seems to me the objective is the
same. We want to ensure that we never
have to worry about anything material, that our children and their children
will never want for anything, that we can go where we want, how we want and
when we want. We want to protect
ourselves and the ones we love from want, fear and sickness.
But how much money does it take to “control our environment”
like this? In reality, we can never
control everything. People get sick, have
accidents, markets crash, kids run away and things go bad sometimes. And money ends up consuming us with more and
more concern about keeping it and keeping reality and things that want to take
away our wealth at bay. Maslow talked
about the human ”hierarchy of needs” 1.
Physiological, 2. Safety, 3. Love/belonging, 4. Esteem, 5. Self-actualization,
in that order. So many people with
lots of money find themselves stuck in the first two levels and striving for
the third and missing. Their obsession
with what they have and wanting to keep what they have ends up getting between
them and feeling loved and a part of something.
Those that are lucky to have family and friends who really love and
accept them for more than just their wealth are a lucky few who then strive to
be valued for their success or contributions and a very few may reach self-actualization. You could certainly argue that money can buy
the first two and an illusion of the third, but not the last two and may
actually hamper your ability to reach self-actualization. Just giving money to some charity, no matter
how worthy doesn’t get you there, and if the only reason you are doing it is to
be well regarded, as a tax haven or other self interest, then you missed it
from the start.
But money does begat more money. When you reach a certain level of wealth,
things start being free to you, especially if you are well known. Discounts for large purchases, the use of cash
versus credit special offers for favored customers and then there are the tax
laws. The top tax rate from WW II until
the early 60’s was 91%, when it was changed to 70%, then to 50% in 1978 and
kept getting lower until 1986 when it went to 28% for the wealthiest Americans. And as we saw last year, the wealthy have so
many havens and exceptions, they really pay less than 20% in income taxes. I am not going to argue here if that is right
or wrong, but the tax laws are drafted by and for the wealthy. It’s a fact, not an opinion. There are really two sets of rules for the
wealthy and for the rest of Americans in much of the world of commerce. Yes, I know they pay a large percentage of
the taxes taken, but that is because they are so stinking rich that even 15% of
their income is a large number. And
anyone who thinks the “no new taxes” push has anything to do with the middle
class is not paying attention. The rules
favor the rich, they write the rules and they don’t want to pay any more for
bridges, roads, education, technology, etc unless it is for their own
kids. And the shrinking of the middle
class and growth of the lowest economic levels doesn’t bother them a bit. I am not saying they are uncaring or that
they don’t give to charitable entities, quite the contrary, they give more
dollars to churches, charities and non-profits than everyone else. They are giving to things that mean something
to them personally. It might be their
college, the cancer foundation named for their lost loved one or even a local church
they used to attend.
As a matter of fact, they are much more informed of the work of those they contribute to than most of us are. But the stuff that has to be paid for by taxes, not so much.
As a matter of fact, they are much more informed of the work of those they contribute to than most of us are. But the stuff that has to be paid for by taxes, not so much.
I see a fear in the wealthy.
A fear of losing it all. Maybe
that is what drove them to be so successful (unless daddy gave it to
them). Maybe it is the fear of being one
of “us” that drives them to work hard, amass more and more wealth, when they
really have everything they could possibly want. They fear the lack of control of their
environment will result in disaster.
This is level 2 according to Maslow.
They are afraid someone will take it away from them be it the taxman,
the poor, the immigrants, lawyers, whoever.
So, though they are rich in money and things, they are poor in terms of
what we know really is important which is peace. OK, not going to the hippy/no war place, I
mean they have no peace in their lives and minds because worrying about your
net worth is hard. It keeps you up at
nights, gives you ulcers, makes you jumpy.
I think it is a sickness, this desire for more and more wealth. Like an addiction you can never truly feed
and for which there is never enough.
Does that mean, I feel sorry for the wealthy, maybe a little. Do I envy them? Not a bit.
I have my basic needs met, I feel as safe as you can in tornado alley, I
feel loved and valued and I am working on that last level, not there yet. Do I wish I had more money to take care of
emergencies, sure but it doesn’t keep me up at night and I wouldn’t trade where
I am with where the wealthy are. And
regardless of the tax rates, political party in control and government
spending, they will always be wealthy and running the government. So to be at peace, I need to be at peace with
that.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Questioning Assumptions
Don’t let your assumptions stop you from looking
further. It is so easy, natural really,
to look at people and their behaviors and say either to ourselves, or out loud,
“well I wouldn’t have done that, I would have……..” You can finish the sentence. I can hear myself, “I would have made better
choices, or seen that coming, or have been more (or less) …...” But would we have if we had the same life
experiences and resources of that other person.
Please, no responses about liberal relativism or humanistic psycho-babble.
I have looked at both
extremes and I use the example of winning the lottery. (Now I don’t play the
lottery because “I make better choices of how I spend my money”-See how easy it
is). But if I suddenly had millions of
dollars would I make the same choices I do now.
First thing I would have to do is start working with lawyers and
accountants and worrying about all that money.
I would have to start screening calls, mail, emails from people wanting
some of it. I would need more security,
a bigger house in a gated community, private investigators to look into any
scams/claims on the money. Machine guns
on the roof top? The money and how to deal with and protect it
would be my life. Oh no, I am different,
that wouldn’t be me.
I don’t know, I think I would have to give away all of it as
soon as possible, or better yet, don’t play the lottery (done). And I like to think that I am a well-grounded
person with simple tastes with no need to surround myself with things, and
yet…… What would I really do? How would I change, and how could I not
change is some ways? Maybe not my value
system but my behavior and life experiences would and that would change me in
some ways, maybe good as well as bad.
But my point is that there is no way, even at nearly 60 that I can
guarantee that I would make the same choices.
And if you put yourself in a family without money, higher education,
stability or positive role models, the potential difference is even more
extreme between who I am now and who I would be in that life of
limitation. I am not asking you to
excuse the bad behaviors of others who have made choices you don’t approve of,
not at all. But I am asking you to be
less shocked when those behaviors happen and to understand that they may have a
different viewpoint based on their life experiences.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
What really matters?
What really matters? When tragedy strikes, we ask ourselves this question and almost always come up with the same answers; family, friends and the life to enjoy them with. Anyone who says anything material instead of this are sad folks indeed. But when life is going well and everyone we love is well, we tend to put our energy into our work, our things and our future plans. It takes a shock to bring us back to what is really important. All we know for sure is “the now.” Our next vacation, next motorcycle trip, retirement, etc., is not even real until it happens. But we spend a lot of time living in the future, or living in our idealized past. Again, they are illusions, not real. The past is an illusion, as researchers have found that even those with vivid memories of the past are often wrong and their brains have mixed memories or enhanced them with things as we want to remember them. And as great is Facebook for keeping touch, remember to pick up a phone or arrange to meet that friend or family member when possible. Give lots of hugs when you see them, as they can be taken away with no warning, or you could be. Love life and laugh often.
Friday, May 17, 2013
What Ever Happened to Gray?
I remember when I was taught to look into all aspects of
something before coming to a hard conclusion.
That the words “always” and “never” were rarely correct. That we should “walk a mile in another person’s
shoes” before making a judgment about them and remember “judge not, lest ye be
judged from Sunday school? In science
classes we were taught to look behind actions for reasons, not just take what
we were told. I was led to believe this
questioning and striving to understand things was what made our country the
engine of growth and invention.
But things have changed.
Now I am right and you are wrong (or the other way around in your
mind). And I don’t want to read or hear
anything that might change my mind. The
rightees only watch FOX and the lefties only watch MSNBC. Opposing opinions are called names and
shouted down. No one seems to want to
learn something new that may be outside their current world view. And now it is capitalism that is the engine,
unbridled capitalism with no government control and limits. Everyone crows about their freedoms but not
their responsibilities. People on both
sides stand on the Constitution and the intent of the Founding Fathers, but few
do any objective research or even know what the constitution says. And what about that pesky Bill of
Rights? It is part of the Founding Fathers
intent to protect the rights of citizens and was drafted at the same general
time, why don’t we talk about that.
Why is it OK for your government to do things if they are of
your party, then wrong if the other party is in office, even if the behavior is
the same? It used to be that we knew
that few things were black or white, but that there were variables, shades of
gray and possibilities. Now, it seems
many are absolutists that see us who see “gray” as wishy washy or without
principles.
Maybe the problem is social media. Most of my friends know I am a progressive
who normally votes democratic, but until facebook and blogs, I didn’t “rub
their faces in it” so they could just ignore it. Now they seem to get angry, just like the
politicians getting angry at each other for holding beliefs they always
held. We used to disagree, but respect
the opinions of others. Now we consider
them unpatriotic, delusional or brainwashed by their respective media
outlets. Can’t we take a step back from
the edge of total war over; guns, taxes, religion, political party, social
programs, the role of government and on and on?
This is the worst I have seen our government in this regard and our
social interactions with those of differing opinions is escalating as
well. It feels like our country is
coming apart when there is no compromise, no real dialog and no attempt at
understanding each other. We need to
look to the center and come back from the fringes.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Riding Route 66 in 1918
1918 Road Trip
From Ethel Rowe’s Journal
1918 Road
Trip by Walter E. Rowe, his wife Ethel and son, Ivan and friend Oz A. Pierce, his wife Minnie and child, from near Hinton, Oklahoma. On a pair of 1918 Harley Davidson J models
with side cars. Changes From a journal kept by Ethel Rowe while on
the trip. I have tried to transcribe it as best as possible but have made some
minor changes to spelling but have tried to retain as much of the language and
flow as possible from the original.
Looks like the distance was approximately 700 miles traveled by bike.
On Monday August 5th 1918 we left Niles, Oklahoma
and went through Hinton. We stopped in
El Reno and saw Nannie’s baby and then left there around 4:30 pm. The wind and dirt was blowing a perfect gale.
We camped by the bank of the North Canadian River. Slept very
well for the first night. Started the
next day about 8:30, August 6th.
Came through Oklahoma City and Spencer. Ate a very good dinner at a restaurant in Jones City about 21
miles from Oklahoma City. After dinner
we came through Luther, Wellston and then Chandler. About a mile out of Chandler, Walter had tire
trouble. We stopped and he worked on it
until evening. Oz went back to Chandler
to get something for supper. We had
potato soup and watermelon and camped by a school house. It was a lovely camping place. Traveled about 60 miles that day.
On Wednesday, Aug 7th woke to a lovely
morning. We had fried potatoes, gravy,
bread and coffee for breakfast. They worked
on Walter’s motorcycle for about 3 hours before starting. Passed through Stroud, Depew and
Bristow. Roads were in very good
shape. Saw an oil well and in Bristow
nearly all the women we saw were barefooted.
Bought our dinner in Kellyville.
Ate our dinner about 5 miles east.
We had bread, ham, pickles, gravy and cheese. Drove through Sapulpa toward Tulsa. On the outskirts of Tulsa had to stop and
work on Walter’s motorcycle again.
Between Sapulpa and Tulsa were mainly oil fields. Spent the night at a hotel in Tulsa. Walter had to work on his motorcycle all day
Thursday. He had to get a new magneto
and get a valve fixed. Went outside town
about five miles and spent the night in a vacant house. Went back to Tulsa the next morning with the
intent of shipping the motorcycle home and going home. Oz and Minnie went ahead and after fixing the
motorcycle we followed after them.
Caught up with them after about 2 hours.
Arrive at Miami, OK and spent the night at a campground west of Miami on
Friday the 9th.
Saturday Aug 10th morning we had breakfast and started out
again. Oz had to work on his motorcycle
most of forenoon (late morning). We
camped at Spring River in Kansas for dinner.
The boys washed the motorcycles in the river. I did some washing. The children played in the river. Headed on to Joplin, Mo.
Sunday Aug 11th, we came on some awful rocky
roads. Ate our dinner in a shady place
among the hills. The boys shaved each
other. We had potatoes for
breakfast. We ate bacon, lemonade, bread
and coffee for dinner. Camped 8 miles
east of Springfield, Mo. in a Beverage stand.
Slept well and dreamed of home.
Monday Aug 12th we started on our trip before
breakfast. Stopped at a little town to
get gas. I got out to get Ivan and fell
on the sidewalk. Continued on our
way. Some of the awfulest rocky roads
that ever was. We got off the road on a
side road and traveled about 5 miles but had to come back. The roads are all rock and hills. Had a nice camping place. Ivan is sick.
Tuesday the 13th was a lovely morning. Getting ready to start again. Saw crops of red clover, tomatoes, corn and
apples. We traveled about 10 miles when
Oz had wheel trouble. He had to work on
it, so Walter changed his tires. They
worked on the motorcycles about 3 hours.
We went on over more rocks and hills.
In places, the rocks were as large as buckets. It kept the boys busy dodging rocks, hogs and
cattle. We stayed the night at a hotel
in Van Buren, Mo.
Wednesday the 14th we ate breakfast in the
hotel. I washed my bonnet. We started out at about 9:00 AM. We are still traveling over some awful
roads. Ate dinner by a creek. It looks like it is going to rain. The roads are now better, mostly gravel. Camped by a school house and slept on the
porch.
Thursday 15th we started early. Crossed the St Francis river. Came through Greenville. The roads are better. We reached Poplar Bluff, Mo. at about
12:00. Got our dinner and ate it just
this side of the river. Crossed the St
Francis river again after dinner. Sitting
by the roadside fixing tires. We have
traveled among the rocks and hills from Springfield to Poplar Bluff, Mo. It has taken us 4 ½ days, winding around the
hills and over the rocks. We are now in
eastern Missouri. We passed a 64A rice
farm about one mile before Dudley. The
crops are fine. A lovely country. We came on through Dexter and Bloomfield, Mo.
It had rained and the ground was wet so we slept on the porch of a country
home. The people are so sociable. We enjoyed the eve so well.
Friday the 16th we came through Advance, Mo. Ate our breakfast about 3 miles outside of
town. A lovely morning. We are stopped by the roadside. Walter is pumping up his tire. A one mule log wagon passed by us. We have seen several one horse wagons. We are now in Cape Girardeau. It is a large place. We had our dinner and went out of the city to
eat it. We had beef steak, potatoes,
beans and coffee. We are now sitting by
the Mississippi River watching a steamboat pass.
Saturday 17th we left Cape Girardeau and passed across
the Mississippi River. The roads are
good and the crops are very good. We
passed by the National Cemetery, it is a lovely place. Came to Mound City. We went across the Ohio River on the steam
ferry, The Leo. Landed in Kentucky at
about 5:00 PM. Had such a lovely ride over the graveled roads. We see so many tobacco fields. Passed through Paducah , Ky. It is a large place but we went about 3 miles
beyond to camp. Have a nice camping
place. It is our first night in Ky. Some
men came by and gave us tomatoes.
Sunday 18th, another lovely morning. Oz is working on his motorcycle. We had fried potatoes, tomatoes, bacon and
coffee for breakfast. We did not get
started until late. We crossed the
Tennessee River at the Altonis ferry. We
didn’t get to travel more than 30 miles on account of the motorcycle
trouble. It looks like rain. We couldn’t find a house to stay at so we
spent the night in an old barn. Minnie
the children and myself slept in a wagon.
Oz and Walter slept on the ground.
It poured down rain about half the night.
Monday 19th we started at daylight before
breakfast and traveled about 3 miles. We
crossed the Cumberland River. Ate our
breakfast on the banks of the Cumberland.
We didn’t get to travel very far until it was time for dinner. We bought our dinner at a little town called
Salem, Ky and came outside of town about
4 miles to have dinner by a little creek.
Oz’s motorcycle wasn’t working very good so we only came about 3 miles
before it began to rain. We sheltered at
a house until eve and it quit raining so hard, so we came back a little ways to
another house and stayed there the night.
Tuesday 20th it still looks rainy. The boys are working on the motorcycles. We came to a small town called Mexico, Ky. The boys have decided to crate their
motorcycles to ship home and finish the trip by train. Going to start about 10:00 AM next morning.
Wednesday 21st we had slept in a vacant house
about a mile from town. We walked
through a corn field and weeks carrying our bedding and clothes to town where
the boys crated the bikes for shipment home.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Easy Low Carb Diet
Easy Low Carb Diet Format
1 or 2 Point Carb Diet
My daughter was diagnosed with insulin resistance which puts her at high risk for type 2 diabetes. She was getting tired of counting carbs, and was not tracking her diet on a regular basis. I devised a one or two point system with a list of foods in each point range. This simple tool is not an exact measure, but is close and much easier to follow.
Easy Low Carb Diet
Breakfast: 30 carbs max = 2 C. Units
Snack:15 carbs max = 1 C. Unit
Lunch: 30 carbs max = 2 C. Units
Snack: 15 carbs max = 1 C. Unit
Dinner: 30 carbs max = 2 C. Units
Total of 120 carbs daily (8 C. Units). You can use up to 15 carbs (1 C. Unit) saved earlier in the day on later meals/snacks as long as you stay at 120 (8 C. Units) a day or less.
Free Foods (no C. Units) = Green veggies, any meats (lunchmeat, pork, bacon, turkey, ham, chicken, beef, whatever) , small portion of cheese, eggs, pickles, canned veggies, diet sodas, egg beaters, water, coffee or tea
1 C. Unit Foods = Slice of bread, piece of fruit, 1/3 cup of cooked rice, 1/3 cup of pasta, 1 cookie, 1/3 cup of beans, 7 chips, 1 cup of peanuts in the shell, 2 slices of flat bread
2 C. Units Foods = one mini candy bar, one flour tortilla, 2 small corn tortillas, 10 saltine crackers, 1 cup of cereal, 10 small pretzels, ½ cup mashed potatoes, 2/3 cup of cooked rice, 2/3 cup cooked pasta, 2/3 cup of beans, 1 ½ cup of hominy corn, 2 whole wheat eggo waffles, pack of instant oatmeal, 2 slices of bread, 2 slices of thin crust pizza, 7 triscuits, 2 graham crackers, 2/3 cup cooked rice noodles, 2/3 of a cheese burger, 3 or 4 nachos, one small order of French fries, egg mcmuffin, 1 fast food taco, 1 cup of whole almonds, ¾ cup of pistachios, 1 cup roasted sunflower seeds
Easy Low Carb Diet
Breakfast: 30 carbs max = 2 C. Units
Snack:15 carbs max = 1 C. Unit
Lunch: 30 carbs max = 2 C. Units
Snack: 15 carbs max = 1 C. Unit
Dinner: 30 carbs max = 2 C. Units
Total of 120 carbs daily (8 C. Units). You can use up to 15 carbs (1 C. Unit) saved earlier in the day on later meals/snacks as long as you stay at 120 (8 C. Units) a day or less.
Free Foods (no C. Units) = Green veggies, any meats (lunchmeat, pork, bacon, turkey, ham, chicken, beef, whatever) , small portion of cheese, eggs, pickles, canned veggies, diet sodas, egg beaters, water, coffee or tea
1 C. Unit Foods = Slice of bread, piece of fruit, 1/3 cup of cooked rice, 1/3 cup of pasta, 1 cookie, 1/3 cup of beans, 7 chips, 1 cup of peanuts in the shell, 2 slices of flat bread
2 C. Units Foods = one mini candy bar, one flour tortilla, 2 small corn tortillas, 10 saltine crackers, 1 cup of cereal, 10 small pretzels, ½ cup mashed potatoes, 2/3 cup of cooked rice, 2/3 cup cooked pasta, 2/3 cup of beans, 1 ½ cup of hominy corn, 2 whole wheat eggo waffles, pack of instant oatmeal, 2 slices of bread, 2 slices of thin crust pizza, 7 triscuits, 2 graham crackers, 2/3 cup cooked rice noodles, 2/3 of a cheese burger, 3 or 4 nachos, one small order of French fries, egg mcmuffin, 1 fast food taco, 1 cup of whole almonds, ¾ cup of pistachios, 1 cup roasted sunflower seeds
Marketing your Home Business
Same simple marketing plan
Starting a home business? I have started a few and found that establishing a customer base was much harder and time consuming than I thought. It took me months to build a customer base sufficient to make the business self-sustaining. I decided to put together a marketing plan the last time before investing a lot of money in the actual business. This process not only helps you best focus resources where it will do the most good, it also alerts you to some possible pitfalls before starting and may even send you in a different direction.
The first step is to define what you are offering in the way of products/services. This may sound overly simple, but in doing so, you should form the name of your business and identify the specific product or service that you will provide that brings value to your customers and therefore, is worth their money. If you look at your product after capturing it and find it hard to see where it takes you, maybe you need to do some more thinking.
Next, identify your objective. This is not the same as your product/service. You objective is to build a client base. If for example, your product is very specialized with few willing to purchase and no repeat business, establishing a sustainable client base will be difficult.
Next, identify your customer base pool. Again, this may sound obvious or limiting, but unless you have unlimited marketing resources (and even if you do) you will want to target your efforts to where your most likely customers will be reached. Don't put ads for youth services in a retirement magazine since neither the young or their parents will view it.
Develop an outreach plan for your customer base. This is basically a "ok, here is who I want to reach, now how do I get them to see my ad?" step. Look at print, cyber and hard copy advertisements that will go to your pool of possible customers. Obviously, if the pool is broad, so should be the outreach methods. This step will also depend on your budget for advertising. As yourself where these people are, how they shop, where they go to for shopping, etc.
After this last step, you should be ready to focus your ads where these people shop (bulletin boards, ebay/craigslist, newpaper, or free community paper, handbills, door flyers, business cards and personal contacts) Never underestimate the value of word-of-mouth and personal contacts. People see lots of cards, flyers and ads, but a personal contact at a public place or door to door can have more lasting benefits in the right place. Also ask for leads from people who travel in circles of your customers and if you have very happy repeat customers, ask if you can use them as references.
Write your plan is some format that identifies all the areas above and keep it on your computer where your can update and add or subtract from it. Go back to it often and make sure your are following it, especially if your business is not taking off like you had hoped.
Provided below is a sample marketing plan for a college kid who wants to be a soccer coach/tutor:
Soccer Trainer Marketing Plan
Objective: To develop a paying clientele interested in individual soccer training/coaching
Customer Base: Parents of/or soccer players looking to improve their skills (with $ to spend!)
Outreach: Contacting potential customers
a. Develop and use a network of parents and past coaches to develop leads (Make a list of these people and their contact info)
b. Put out media ads to create new customers and leads (newsletter, club bulletin boards, school papers, flyers at the gym)
c. Contact local league reps to determine what assistance they can give and any rules on trainers (use to develop contacts)
Media: -Craigslist and local electronic media posts (include resume), flyers, business cards, articles for ads
-Provide contact info to people in (a) above
-Meet with coaches you know to discuss and get leads (provide contact info as appropriate)
-If you can, post a flier or leave info a local soccer supply stores
-Look for free bulletin boards at community center, grocery stores, libraries, etc. and post flier/info
Strategies:
- Start initial hourly rates either lower or with some incentive but higher rates later (introductory offer)
-Give discounts for referrals
-Attend soccer events and volunteer to work while networking with coaches and parents (have resume/card in car or pocket)
The first step is to define what you are offering in the way of products/services. This may sound overly simple, but in doing so, you should form the name of your business and identify the specific product or service that you will provide that brings value to your customers and therefore, is worth their money. If you look at your product after capturing it and find it hard to see where it takes you, maybe you need to do some more thinking.
Next, identify your objective. This is not the same as your product/service. You objective is to build a client base. If for example, your product is very specialized with few willing to purchase and no repeat business, establishing a sustainable client base will be difficult.
Next, identify your customer base pool. Again, this may sound obvious or limiting, but unless you have unlimited marketing resources (and even if you do) you will want to target your efforts to where your most likely customers will be reached. Don't put ads for youth services in a retirement magazine since neither the young or their parents will view it.
Develop an outreach plan for your customer base. This is basically a "ok, here is who I want to reach, now how do I get them to see my ad?" step. Look at print, cyber and hard copy advertisements that will go to your pool of possible customers. Obviously, if the pool is broad, so should be the outreach methods. This step will also depend on your budget for advertising. As yourself where these people are, how they shop, where they go to for shopping, etc.
After this last step, you should be ready to focus your ads where these people shop (bulletin boards, ebay/craigslist, newpaper, or free community paper, handbills, door flyers, business cards and personal contacts) Never underestimate the value of word-of-mouth and personal contacts. People see lots of cards, flyers and ads, but a personal contact at a public place or door to door can have more lasting benefits in the right place. Also ask for leads from people who travel in circles of your customers and if you have very happy repeat customers, ask if you can use them as references.
Write your plan is some format that identifies all the areas above and keep it on your computer where your can update and add or subtract from it. Go back to it often and make sure your are following it, especially if your business is not taking off like you had hoped.
Provided below is a sample marketing plan for a college kid who wants to be a soccer coach/tutor:
Soccer Trainer Marketing Plan
Objective: To develop a paying clientele interested in individual soccer training/coaching
Customer Base: Parents of/or soccer players looking to improve their skills (with $ to spend!)
Outreach: Contacting potential customers
a. Develop and use a network of parents and past coaches to develop leads (Make a list of these people and their contact info)
b. Put out media ads to create new customers and leads (newsletter, club bulletin boards, school papers, flyers at the gym)
c. Contact local league reps to determine what assistance they can give and any rules on trainers (use to develop contacts)
Media: -Craigslist and local electronic media posts (include resume), flyers, business cards, articles for ads
-Provide contact info to people in (a) above
-Meet with coaches you know to discuss and get leads (provide contact info as appropriate)
-If you can, post a flier or leave info a local soccer supply stores
-Look for free bulletin boards at community center, grocery stores, libraries, etc. and post flier/info
Strategies:
- Start initial hourly rates either lower or with some incentive but higher rates later (introductory offer)
-Give discounts for referrals
-Attend soccer events and volunteer to work while networking with coaches and parents (have resume/card in car or pocket)
A Career in HR?
Careers in Human Resources -- Why, where and what do they do?
Dressed for Success?
Why a Career in Human Resources (HR)?
I have worked over 33 years in the human resources/personnel field. During that time I worked in three different states, two different federal agencies and one not-for-profit private sector organization and also two locations in Europe.
To work in HR as a professional, you normally need a degree in a related field to start as an intern. You can find positions as either interns or in the clerical area of HR. Obviously, the intern/trainee position will have faster salary escalation than a clerical position and will entail more complex tasks. However, it is very common for clerical employees with good problem solving skills to eventually work into an HR specialist or manager position with higher pay.
HR work is a customer service position within a company (sometimes an HR service provider for others) that provides all the products/services required for the workers. These include; recruitment, hiring, in-processing paperwork, providing benefits service (benefits are normally handled by other companies, but you provide local assistance), compensation administration, training and staff development, discipline and work rules advice and service and union interface. Depending on the employer and labor issues these may be expanded and you may find yourself only working in some specialized areas.
Your primary role is to provide these services on behalf of your employer for the employees. The management is the primary customer and has the right and ability to change HR rules, however, your role is to make sure rules are applied consistently in order to ensure fairness for all employees. This role is important in order to defend the employer against possible law suits from disgruntled current or former employees. If the employer did not follow their own rules consistently, they can be sued for discrimination or have to pay unwarranted unemployment claims or workers compensation. You as an HR person are a partner with management to help control HR costs in these area
Employee benefits include; retirement, life insurance, health insurance, personal, work travel, training/education paid for by the employer, workers compensation and unemployment benefits. These benefits are usually only partly provided for temporary or part time employees if provided for them at all.
Typically, an HR person works in an office environment with managers and employees coming to them for help, but it is also important to get out into the workplace and be seen by staff as much as possible to build positive relationships and be more aware of the work of the employer as this information is critical to your HR role.
You will work with a lot with people and their information. So it is critically important to protect private information and ensure others without a specific need for it do not see or overhear personal information. People skills are important as well as communication and problem solving skills. I have found that the variety of issues in HR keep the job very stimulating and keeps you on your toes. You will also have staff members and sometimes managers upset with your actions or decisions, but if you are follow rules and standard practices you will have the high ground and should be supported by your boss.
HR/personnel jobs can be found in virtually every job sector there is. Large companies and governments normally have their own HR offices. Some smaller companies will use an HR service provider for recruitment, paperwork, benefits and compensation administration and only does their own interviewing of candidates and employee direct interactions with all other tasks done by the HR service provider.
So, how does a person get hired in HR? First, make sure you really want to do this type of work. Take some HR courses if possible and find a local HR office (hospital, government or other employer) who will allow you to interview them about the field and give you a tour and overview. HR people are normally extroverts who enjoy talking about their career fields so this may be easier than you think. If you still feel you would like to purse a career in HR, either find an entry level position with a company in the clerical HR area where you will be most involved with paperwork and get paid less. If you want to work in higher levels of HR you can either work your way up or look for intern/trainee vacancies. As said before, these often require degrees in HR or other related area like Public Administration or Personnel Administration but many employers will also accept degrees in psychology, sociology, business management, english, history and may other degrees.
Know how to look up jobs on-line including:
http://www.careerbuilder.com/
http://jobsearch.monster.cohttps:/
/www.usajobs.gov/m/jobs/http://us.jobs/
http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites#US
Also look on your state's employment site and bookmark it! Then be ready for an interview. To do this you should always have a resume handy (electronic version) to use or update for particular jobs. Tailor to the job you are applying for and don’t sell yourself short. Remember to include your interests, hobbies and volunteer experience if it is relavent. Work on your interviewing skills which include: speaking clearly, being self-confident without being cocky (don’t be smug or say you are an expert at anything), dress as those who you see working there would (no, don’t come in a uniform), sit up straight, listen to the questions, ask questions at the end or if you need clarification and show an interest in the type of business they are engaged in.
To work in HR as a professional, you normally need a degree in a related field to start as an intern. You can find positions as either interns or in the clerical area of HR. Obviously, the intern/trainee position will have faster salary escalation than a clerical position and will entail more complex tasks. However, it is very common for clerical employees with good problem solving skills to eventually work into an HR specialist or manager position with higher pay.
HR work is a customer service position within a company (sometimes an HR service provider for others) that provides all the products/services required for the workers. These include; recruitment, hiring, in-processing paperwork, providing benefits service (benefits are normally handled by other companies, but you provide local assistance), compensation administration, training and staff development, discipline and work rules advice and service and union interface. Depending on the employer and labor issues these may be expanded and you may find yourself only working in some specialized areas.
Your primary role is to provide these services on behalf of your employer for the employees. The management is the primary customer and has the right and ability to change HR rules, however, your role is to make sure rules are applied consistently in order to ensure fairness for all employees. This role is important in order to defend the employer against possible law suits from disgruntled current or former employees. If the employer did not follow their own rules consistently, they can be sued for discrimination or have to pay unwarranted unemployment claims or workers compensation. You as an HR person are a partner with management to help control HR costs in these area
Employee benefits include; retirement, life insurance, health insurance, personal, work travel, training/education paid for by the employer, workers compensation and unemployment benefits. These benefits are usually only partly provided for temporary or part time employees if provided for them at all.
Typically, an HR person works in an office environment with managers and employees coming to them for help, but it is also important to get out into the workplace and be seen by staff as much as possible to build positive relationships and be more aware of the work of the employer as this information is critical to your HR role.
You will work with a lot with people and their information. So it is critically important to protect private information and ensure others without a specific need for it do not see or overhear personal information. People skills are important as well as communication and problem solving skills. I have found that the variety of issues in HR keep the job very stimulating and keeps you on your toes. You will also have staff members and sometimes managers upset with your actions or decisions, but if you are follow rules and standard practices you will have the high ground and should be supported by your boss.
HR/personnel jobs can be found in virtually every job sector there is. Large companies and governments normally have their own HR offices. Some smaller companies will use an HR service provider for recruitment, paperwork, benefits and compensation administration and only does their own interviewing of candidates and employee direct interactions with all other tasks done by the HR service provider.
So, how does a person get hired in HR? First, make sure you really want to do this type of work. Take some HR courses if possible and find a local HR office (hospital, government or other employer) who will allow you to interview them about the field and give you a tour and overview. HR people are normally extroverts who enjoy talking about their career fields so this may be easier than you think. If you still feel you would like to purse a career in HR, either find an entry level position with a company in the clerical HR area where you will be most involved with paperwork and get paid less. If you want to work in higher levels of HR you can either work your way up or look for intern/trainee vacancies. As said before, these often require degrees in HR or other related area like Public Administration or Personnel Administration but many employers will also accept degrees in psychology, sociology, business management, english, history and may other degrees.
Know how to look up jobs on-line including:
http://www.careerbuilder.com/
http://jobsearch.monster.cohttps:/
/www.usajobs.gov/m/jobs/http://us.jobs/
http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites#US
Also look on your state's employment site and bookmark it! Then be ready for an interview. To do this you should always have a resume handy (electronic version) to use or update for particular jobs. Tailor to the job you are applying for and don’t sell yourself short. Remember to include your interests, hobbies and volunteer experience if it is relavent. Work on your interviewing skills which include: speaking clearly, being self-confident without being cocky (don’t be smug or say you are an expert at anything), dress as those who you see working there would (no, don’t come in a uniform), sit up straight, listen to the questions, ask questions at the end or if you need clarification and show an interest in the type of business they are engaged in.
Finding a Career
Find Your Career Yourself
For as many years as I can tell that our education system has been in existence, students have found their guideposts to higher education leading to their chosen career laid out for them based on test scores, family input, friends, false equivalency of school to work and other external factors ending in a career they often come to hate.
I worked in the human resources field for over thirty years and engaged in career counseling discussions with engineers, painters, nurses and many other professional and non-professionals. A very large percentage have found themselves in career fields in which their dislike bordered on hatred. They were looking to move into other areas and often had developed an interest in career fields radically different from the one they had been educated and trained in. This usually happened after five to ten years or more of work in these "hated" jobs. But changing careers at this late point when their education and experience is not closely related is very difficult and when it does happen, normally a cut in pay and return to entry level positions is required
When I asked these employees why they had gone into the fields in the first place, they shared many stories of prep-school success with high test scores and grades in these areas. Our young are being pressured to excell and start focusing on a career field at earlier ages when the only idea they have of a career is what they either were told or what they learn in a classroom setting. Often this was added to by parents who looked at successful people in the various fields these scores represented and pushed the student into a specific area.
My old-school answer to these lost workers could be, "shut up and get back to work, at least you have a job that pays well!" But the counselor in me wants people to be as happy in their jobs for their careers as I was in mine. Unfortunately, I did not follow a well examined path to human resources that I am advocating, but through dumb luck I found myself in the right job for me and generally enjoyed the work for most of my professional life. I actually started down the path I mentioned above. I got good grades and SAT scores in math and sciences and found it "interesting" and had family role models that were high paid engineers so my parents said, "that's what you should do" and my school guidance counselor looked at my scores and transcripts and heartily agreed.
However, when I entered college I found the college courses boring, the material hard to follow and uninspiring and the idea of an engineering job increasingly unpleasant and not suited to my real interests and temperment. I also took courses in psychology and sociology as well as philosophy and found these courses fascinating in their lack of black and white answers. I changed my major to psychology and sociology and graduated with a double major. But when I talked to my guidance counselor she said, "now get a masters." Well that was not going to work and I was not very interested in working with the mentally or emotionally disabled. So I worked in a succession of blue collar jobs until I found a federal merit test to take and that got me an interview in a personnnel office. I didn't even know with personnel was, but quickly found it stimulating and worked in the field until my retirement.
So, what do I suggest for our young today to prevent them from ending up in the wrong career they hate that can lead to burnout or worse? A bit more exploration starting early is in order and here is how we should approach it:
1. When your children are young try to expose them to lots of different things in educaitonal and non-educational settings. Almost none of them are going to become famous professional athletes or artists, but expose them to sports, the arts as well as the other skill areas. This can be done to some extent in elementary school and should be done at that age, but also can be done in organized activities outside school, clubs, church and civic activities. But here comes the hard part, don't push them, observe them. Look at the homework, art work and listen to the stories about the various events and outtings. Ask them what they liked and didn't like. See where they excelled, certainly, but also where they may not excell at first, but where they have strong interest as their hard work may make them successful, even if the early results don't look promising.
2.When you do see areas they seem to be interested in, find local places of business or communities of interest that engage in that field and take them on a field trip to where these adults do their thing. And do it more than once looking for variety within the field. To do this right, find places that are open to visits and observations by children and don't just go to one place or one type of place. For example; if the student seems interested in engineering, don't just take them to an office with a bunch of people hunched over drawing or desks. You also need to find an place actually in a plant, out in the field or some other hands on options before you mark it off the list. And, again, talk to them after the visit. Ask them what they liked and what they didn't like. Ask if they could see themselves doing that job. Also check out books with photos in the areas and have them around for them to look at to help them see what is available in the various fields.
3. When they get in middle school and high school, see if they can spend a few hours with individuals in the fields of interest. If they can follow them around, observe, ask questions and otherwise do more exploration (without you present) it with further allow them to see themselves in the career, or not as the case may be. As they focus in, find part-time employment either working with or near those in the field, even of unpaid for a few hours a week. This last step will further expose them to the details of the field and will be invaluable as references, work experience and possibly even job prospects after graduation.
4. Find a college that has a good department in their chosen fields and maybe even interview the guidance counselors as part of the tour to see what the classwork will be like. It may only be 4 years or so that they have in college, but if they find the course work boring and not relevant, you may find their grades and interest falling early on. Also try to get them to not be too focused too soon. They may enter thinking they want to be a research chemist but find they want to teach chemistry in high school as they move on. Sure, a research chemist makes much more money, but if they hate it, problems are sure to ensue.
5. Be prepared for them to change their minds during college and even after they graduate and don't freak out when they do. They may find their chosen field in a down-cycle when they graduate and jobs are hard to come by. This can be temporary and can also lead them to another more enjoyable career.
I write this to help students and parents navigate and help the child find their passion by the time they graduate. I have seen too many experienced and skilled employees lose interest, which lead to lower quaity of work. This then can lead to limited advancement or even discharge by the employer. The new graduate that finds a career field they love, will be more successful, find their income growing faster, their opportunities greater and their life more fullfilling all the way to retirement. And with any luck, that in turn will pay dividends to us when we visit our happy and well off children.
I worked in the human resources field for over thirty years and engaged in career counseling discussions with engineers, painters, nurses and many other professional and non-professionals. A very large percentage have found themselves in career fields in which their dislike bordered on hatred. They were looking to move into other areas and often had developed an interest in career fields radically different from the one they had been educated and trained in. This usually happened after five to ten years or more of work in these "hated" jobs. But changing careers at this late point when their education and experience is not closely related is very difficult and when it does happen, normally a cut in pay and return to entry level positions is required
When I asked these employees why they had gone into the fields in the first place, they shared many stories of prep-school success with high test scores and grades in these areas. Our young are being pressured to excell and start focusing on a career field at earlier ages when the only idea they have of a career is what they either were told or what they learn in a classroom setting. Often this was added to by parents who looked at successful people in the various fields these scores represented and pushed the student into a specific area.
My old-school answer to these lost workers could be, "shut up and get back to work, at least you have a job that pays well!" But the counselor in me wants people to be as happy in their jobs for their careers as I was in mine. Unfortunately, I did not follow a well examined path to human resources that I am advocating, but through dumb luck I found myself in the right job for me and generally enjoyed the work for most of my professional life. I actually started down the path I mentioned above. I got good grades and SAT scores in math and sciences and found it "interesting" and had family role models that were high paid engineers so my parents said, "that's what you should do" and my school guidance counselor looked at my scores and transcripts and heartily agreed.
However, when I entered college I found the college courses boring, the material hard to follow and uninspiring and the idea of an engineering job increasingly unpleasant and not suited to my real interests and temperment. I also took courses in psychology and sociology as well as philosophy and found these courses fascinating in their lack of black and white answers. I changed my major to psychology and sociology and graduated with a double major. But when I talked to my guidance counselor she said, "now get a masters." Well that was not going to work and I was not very interested in working with the mentally or emotionally disabled. So I worked in a succession of blue collar jobs until I found a federal merit test to take and that got me an interview in a personnnel office. I didn't even know with personnel was, but quickly found it stimulating and worked in the field until my retirement.
So, what do I suggest for our young today to prevent them from ending up in the wrong career they hate that can lead to burnout or worse? A bit more exploration starting early is in order and here is how we should approach it:
1. When your children are young try to expose them to lots of different things in educaitonal and non-educational settings. Almost none of them are going to become famous professional athletes or artists, but expose them to sports, the arts as well as the other skill areas. This can be done to some extent in elementary school and should be done at that age, but also can be done in organized activities outside school, clubs, church and civic activities. But here comes the hard part, don't push them, observe them. Look at the homework, art work and listen to the stories about the various events and outtings. Ask them what they liked and didn't like. See where they excelled, certainly, but also where they may not excell at first, but where they have strong interest as their hard work may make them successful, even if the early results don't look promising.
2.When you do see areas they seem to be interested in, find local places of business or communities of interest that engage in that field and take them on a field trip to where these adults do their thing. And do it more than once looking for variety within the field. To do this right, find places that are open to visits and observations by children and don't just go to one place or one type of place. For example; if the student seems interested in engineering, don't just take them to an office with a bunch of people hunched over drawing or desks. You also need to find an place actually in a plant, out in the field or some other hands on options before you mark it off the list. And, again, talk to them after the visit. Ask them what they liked and what they didn't like. Ask if they could see themselves doing that job. Also check out books with photos in the areas and have them around for them to look at to help them see what is available in the various fields.
3. When they get in middle school and high school, see if they can spend a few hours with individuals in the fields of interest. If they can follow them around, observe, ask questions and otherwise do more exploration (without you present) it with further allow them to see themselves in the career, or not as the case may be. As they focus in, find part-time employment either working with or near those in the field, even of unpaid for a few hours a week. This last step will further expose them to the details of the field and will be invaluable as references, work experience and possibly even job prospects after graduation.
4. Find a college that has a good department in their chosen fields and maybe even interview the guidance counselors as part of the tour to see what the classwork will be like. It may only be 4 years or so that they have in college, but if they find the course work boring and not relevant, you may find their grades and interest falling early on. Also try to get them to not be too focused too soon. They may enter thinking they want to be a research chemist but find they want to teach chemistry in high school as they move on. Sure, a research chemist makes much more money, but if they hate it, problems are sure to ensue.
5. Be prepared for them to change their minds during college and even after they graduate and don't freak out when they do. They may find their chosen field in a down-cycle when they graduate and jobs are hard to come by. This can be temporary and can also lead them to another more enjoyable career.
I write this to help students and parents navigate and help the child find their passion by the time they graduate. I have seen too many experienced and skilled employees lose interest, which lead to lower quaity of work. This then can lead to limited advancement or even discharge by the employer. The new graduate that finds a career field they love, will be more successful, find their income growing faster, their opportunities greater and their life more fullfilling all the way to retirement. And with any luck, that in turn will pay dividends to us when we visit our happy and well off children.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Baby Boomers - I smell something burning
What a self-absorbed bunch we
are. I am talking about us late baby boomers in our 50’s and 60’s. We think we are so important in the world, or
at least the nation and that whatever we have or want is the best. And we seem to be driving the nation down
into our own self-absorbed funk. We buy
and take more drugs, attend more self help sessions, go to more lectures and
work on self-improvement programs and insist that everyone else should do so as
well. We are the center of the universe and as soon as everyone else gets on
board, they will all be fine. At the
same time, we are incredibly insecure about what we believe, maybe that is why
we are so loud about it all. We rarely
take time to relax and think about things in a bigger sense without ourselves
and our small circle being the hub of all things. We don’t see that others are very like us now
matter how different they seem. We also
spend too much time letting others tell us what to think, drink, drive, see and
feel. We are a mess. So we buy a self-help book or go to a seminar
to feel better, but it never lasts long.
And if we truly believe, then we are so obnoxious, our friends can’t
stand us. We have become obsessed with
more, bigger and better. Our things own
us and our credit cards are maxed (unless you are one of the rich few). But we are still not happy and keep trying
to buy ourselves to a better place. And
as we buy more, move to more remote or larger places and surround ourselves
with stuff, we lose touch with our neighbors and our friends. Even if we still see them and talk to them,
we spend too much time checking our Blackberries or iphones, texting or looking for the
next big/new thing to really get in touch with ourselves or our friends and
family anymore. We use stuff and
technology as barriers between us not as bridges. We no longer listen well when
others talk, too busy thinking of what to say next. No wonder we are so unhappy.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Aging not so gracefully
50 Something
OK, admit it, I am old (so are we). I know, 50 is the new 30 or 40 or whatever,
but anyone who believes that is still smoking dope (I bet you are). I am one of those who has kept my weight down
(below the belt) and still exercises and all that, but I will also admit that I
am still in a state of denial about being past 55 and on my way to 60. I don’t mind being old, retirement is pretty
good and using my age as an excuse when I need to is pretty cool as well, but I
still don’t see myself as old when I look in the mirror (need new
glasses?) or want to do something that
folks our age probably shouldn’t be doing.
I still listen to new music as well as the old stuff, not sure what that
makes me. I believe I have an open mind for someone of my age and that I relate
to young people well, but I may just be kidding myself. I will tell you, quite honestly, I do not
worry about aging or dying much if any.
Oh sure, I am not looking forward to any more aches or pains and my
health insurance is getting very expensive and nearly worthless (don’t get me
started on that) but I would like to think that I am aging gracefully, not
fighting it kicking and screaming. I
don’t use any medications or surgery to look younger, I don’t take Viagra,
Cialis or Levitra. I drink alcohol and smoke a
cigar now and then and don’t worry about it.
I admit, my back hurts often, but not too badly and I like a nap
whenever I can get one. But I don’t feel
old, and that is good enough for me.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Moving back to Oklahoma has been a trip. After years of allergies, coming back here has been the best thing for them. And the humidity is great for my skin. There is also a sense of the familiar, even in a strange place that I can't explain. On the other hand it is still not quite where I am feeling like I am "home". But then, Idaho is no longer home and never was a place I felt that I belonged. So the jury is out, but we shall see.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)