Musings
All Hands On Deck
We built a deck at my son’s house last week. Of course, we chose the hottest week of the year so far to be outside lifting 2×10’s into place and running an overheating screw gun. It was brutal, but it was also fun and very satisfying. You will have to take my word for it…
Read MoreColorful Expectations
It disturbs me when I open a package of M&M’s and there are significant differences in the quantity of each color. When I was about six, I sorted an entire box of Fruit Loops by color, only to be terribly disappointed that there were vastly different amounts of red, orange, and yellow (the only three…
Read MoreCloser To The Heart
I have a friend who shares my love of music. We play a game where we use song lyrics and titles to carry on a conversation. The game often begins with one of us texting an obscure lyric and then waiting for a response. Most of the time, this leads to both of us listening…
Read MoreThe Best-Laid Grass
While spending two days discussing high beam planning with the officer team, we had a second-floor overview of an intriguing process. In the center of the grass courtyard below us, workers began removing sod from a carefully measured circle about 50 feet in diameter. We learned from one of the workers that they were raising…
Read MoreLet Freedom Ring
Popular use of the phrase “let freedom ring” comes from its use in the song “America” (My Country, ‘Tis of Thee), written by Samuel Francis Smith in 1831. Dr. Martin Luther King referenced both the song and the phrase in his famous speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August…
Read MoreMy Watch Loves Me
I was in Grand Rapids to visit Steelcase and decided to walk to breakfast at a place called Little Bird. I had eaten there a few years ago and was excited to experience their creative breakfast menu again. In the same area, one can also find the Grand Rapids Art Museum and a store named Kilwins, where you can purchase handmade…
Read MoreWater And Trees
One of the enjoyable things I get to do as a CEO is work with a wonderful board of directors. During a recent board retreat, we had a facilitator join us to help work through some difficult decisions. This person happens to be a good friend of mine. During our day, he said something that…
Read MoreUrgent Optimism
I filled up my car with gas a couple days ago, and the total was over $100. I avoid most news outlets and completely ignore social media, but you cannot escape the stories about tragic shootings happening one after another. We are being told daily that environmental shifts are going to make much of our…
Read MoreBack Pain
I suffer from lower back pain. Thankfully it is not constant and is often tied to my controllable behaviors. The better I take care of myself, the less pain I experience. Today is one of the days where I hurt, and I have been thinking about how that affects me. While pain is necessary as…
Read MoreMemorial Days
Today is Memorial Day in the United States—a day set aside to remember those who have died in the service of our country. Originally called Decoration Day, the tradition of visiting the graves of fallen soldiers likely began before the Civil War was even over. In 1971, Congress standardized the holiday as “Memorial Day” and…
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