Right now I am watching a mother play with her little girl. I am on a plane flying someplace I’ve already been and leaving behind the people with whom I’d rather be. Right now. The little girl is tired. She has been drinking her bottle in spurts. She alternates with a soggy wafer. Her first bites of solid food. She is restless, but she has smiles for everyone around her. Mom wipes away the soggy crumbs from baby’s chubby pink cheeks. They are enjoying the opportunity to play. Right now.
Posts tagged Quality Time
Face time with the C.E.O. (the list continues)
No, I have not been hiding away in a treatment facility trying to heal and recover from an undisclosed condition. The past several weeks have just been beyond hectic. We had a few personal transitions to navigate; work has been chaotic with increasing travel; I’m training for a 26 mile mountain bike event (which I’m still not certain I’ll survive); and I’ve embarked on the biggest writing endeavor of my life. I mentioned in the little things that “time” was a blessing and something I counted myself grateful for having. Well, time had turned into my enemy. It grabbed me by the shirt collar and pulled me into a back alley for a private conversation. Fortunately, I was able to gain some control, and have once again emerged with a little more time on my hands. In order to make the most of my new-found schedule flexibility, I took the opportunity to hang out with a few movers and shakers that I know. These guys are difference makers, and I end up learning something new every time I hang out with them. They are sharp, innovative, creative, and have been extremely influential in my life. It’s great to have this kind of insider access to them… the Dye family C.E.O. – Chief Executive Offspring. READ MORE »
good help is hard to keep
Dillon resigned as my illustrator the other day. He said he was retiring, getting out of the game… or something like that. He’d gone through about 5 pages of illustrations, and the mood suddenly left him. He was tired of carrying the weight of the team…now I’ll have to farm it out somehow. It’s a shame, because they were good pictures too… he translated the activities in the story perfectly and caught the main focus in each section with his renderings. Where am I going to find another illustrator that can bring my words to life like he did? and one who will work for snickerdoodles and pez? Dang child labor laws. Alas, another talent burnt out at an early age.
speed bumps
One of Kendra’s favorite movies is the Shawshank Redemption. It is a great story… well written and laid out, and the fraternal themes within the film make it all the more compelling to me. There are several memorable lines from that movie, but one in particular comes to mind when I find myself caught up in the frantic pace of things. The character Brooks made an observation in a letter to his friends at Shawshank that “The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry.” His period of reference was Maine, in the 1940’s. If Brooks thought the string of automobiles up and down main street signified haste, he would surely agree that the speed of life has increased exponentially since then. Better technology brought quicker and easier access to information and people. Transcontinental and international travel is rapid and readily available to the general public. One can accomplish more in a day and from multiple locations than ever before. Since more can be done in less time, more must be done to fill the time. We continue to push the envelope. The quality and speed of information and access has increased. But as we hurry along to the beat of the world, I am not sure quality of life necessarily has. READ MORE »
The best laid plans…
It was a Tuesday, and the routine was in full swing. Ethan had been running and playing all morning, and it was time to make him presentable for mom when she came to pick him up. Ethan had other plans, as Ethan is known to do.
