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Tuesday, October 25, 2011

A Lesson From Max. . . .

I was watching Max our very old, arthritic, and blind Yorkie this morning when a battle burst through the quiet. Max is sometimes very loving, other times very grouchy. When another dog bumped into him there was no question of fight or flight - Max chose fight.  He reared up on his back legs, growled, snapped at his tormentor, twisted, turned and made his displeasure known.

I reached down gently lifting him up and away from the fray. As soon as Max recognized my touch he settled down. I spoke to him quietly, gave him a few gentle pets and a hug and he sank into my arms and sighed. Nikki, the other dog involved, looked at me and a kind word and gentle ear scratch reassured her that she was still loved. Off she went to play with another dog.

That's when it hit me, the lesson finally clicked. Max is old, sometimes he hurts physically. He lives in a dark world, blind, no visual cues, alone in his darkness. Voices and touch are his clues to what's going on around him. Max calms when he hears my voice or feels my touch. He immediately understands he's safe. There is no question in his mind, he relaxes knowing instinctively that he is loved. A kind touch reaches his soul to let him know someone cares about him. Max gets that who and what he is, is enough.

And it occurs to me that the next time someone snaps at me, the next time they rear up and growl, I hope I'll remember the lesson Max taught today - a kind word, a gentle voice, a soft touch may be exactly what they need.

We can't always know or even see others pain. We don't know their private battles, secret fears, or blind spots. Max reminded me today that often what is needed is a little kindness. For that moment, that instant, it' enough.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

One of the best kept secrets on TV. . . .

We keep the TV on almost all the time, it's good background noise and helps keep the dogs settled down except for the commercials where a door bell rings. Sigh, that's another story we'll tell someday.  Anyway, here it is Sunday morning, the TV is on and I have to say one of the best programs on TV is CBS Sunday Morning.

It's a news magazine that takes the time to tell the story. Last week there was a segment on high tech bionic prosthetics that help paralyzed people walk - it was a simply amazing, well told story. They also did a segment on one of my favorite entertainers of all time - Ellen DeGeneres. Ellen is, in my opinion, the epitome of grace under pressure. She told a truth and was vilified by the public, yet her kindness and gentle spirit won out. The Ellen segment showcased how nice she is and yes, how funny.

I enjoy the variety of information in the program. Today, a segment on Cold Play, the music group whose lead singer Chris Martin is married to Gwyneth Paltrow. . . who knew? (Okay, probably everyone except me.) Another segment dealt with the pill factories in Florida - doctors whose practice exists to push prescription drugs for $$$$. Oh yes, and a nice  presentation about the good things found in New Jersey.

Easy going, useful information presented in a quiet, pleasant format. A nice way to start the week and probably one of the best kept secrets on TV. Turn it on next Sunday, I think you'll like it. . . .

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/sunday/main3445.shtml

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Remembering A Legend . . . .

The world lost an amazing, brilliant, innovative risk taker on Wednesday, October 5 when Steve Jobs passed.  His creative genius made a difference in the lives of millions. Who would have thought two kids putterin' around in a garage would change the world?

I've never met Steve Jobs or his Apple co-founder Steve Wozniack but they both became part of  "my" story. In my early 30's I happened upon computers and purchased my first Apple ][ Plus. What an exhilarating, heady time that was. To my delight, I discovered "I got it" when it came to these personal computers. I embraced the technology, first learning the hardware, then the software. What fun the early years were. A friend used to tell me "In the land of the blind the one eyed man is King." How true!

Over the years folks like Jobs, Woz, Gates, Ellison, Bushnell, McNealy (the list is so long) were followed, quoted and talked about by those of us in the industry. We really didn't know them but we all knew their stories. They became part of our story, they were the guys in the forefront whose innovations were something to understand and master. We weren't the innovators but we were touched by them, we felt a kinship with them. Their creations became part of our world and a whole new industry was created for us to support. We needed their genius and they needed our ability to evangilize their inventions.

October 5, 2011 marks the passing of Steve Jobs.  For many of us, a world without Steve Jobs will be a little less bright, a little less creative, simply a little less. I'm sad he's gone. Good bye Steve. God Speed.