5:40 A.M., Virtual vs. Face to Face, Leaving California, Two Sides of the Story, What’s Your Dog’s Name? Parker City Richmond Indiana

“When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser.”

— Socrates

Thursday, 5:40 A.M., my coffee is made, my laptop is the only light beside the fireplace, the city is illuminated over my right shoulder, and soon the sun will begin making her appearance.

So how are you? How are you doing during this pandemic? Are you better today than back in March, or have you lost a step? We may have gained a step; we have reworked our life to something manageable.  We wasted a lot of time before the pandemic; we have learned a new way of living. Our experience today is one of engagement and connection, albeit mostly virtually.

I do have a confession to make, I’ve been touting the benefits of virtual meetings lately, but comparing a virtual workday (yesterday) with a face to face day (Tuesday), I glean far more from the face to face interactions.  I thought I would go 100% virtual, but I think an 80% virtual world will fit my needs. I need the human connection, the smiles in person, the handshake, and the enjoyment of food and beverage.

I got word another friend in California is leaving. Ben is one of many that is fleeing the state. They are not going due to the wildfires. They are leaving due to the leadership in government at a local, state, and federal level.  Ben has a large company; he is taking his fortune and all the jobs he created. They have locked down the state and refuse any commerce unless you are an elite, then you can break the rules. Joe went to Texas, as did Elon. Joey went to New Jersey.

Both my home states, Indiana and Colorado, are run very similarly. In Indiana, we have a Republican governor, in Colorado, we have a Democrat, but both are moderate.  They seem to have the right balance for the needs of the citizens, businesses, and nonprofits.  We are free to move around as we see fit; we might even trick or treat.  Something already banned in California. If you live in CA, get your moving van ready, it’s going to get way worse before it gets better.

I’ve lived most of my life in a rural area, I have spent about ten years in a large city, and for us, living “rustic” is our preferred way of life. The city is fair, we have a couple of homes in two cities, but between downtown city life and rural life, we have decided to spend our time far away from the urban centers. The civil unrest seems to be growing in the city; it’s not evident in the rural areas.  Come election time; we will be hosting our city dwellers here for safety.

We had our all hands on deck meeting yesterday. Once a week, we have all staff jump on a Zoom call, and we check in on each other, talk about a few agency issues, but we mostly are there just for the health and wellbeing of our team.  I know it’s weird, but we care about those that give us their time to help us achieve our goals.  Thank you, team, we love you all.

We added a new check-in scale for personal and business, one is horrible, and ten is terrific. As of yesterday, we averaged a 9 for all staff; most are in a great place both personally and professionally.  As business owners, are you checking in with your team, how are they doing, does anyone need assistance?

My Queen is busy ordering lighting and fixtures for our home. The “gut” starts in December. We will time our construction with our visits back east; we will stay out of the war zone as much as possible.  We have confidence in our contractor; he makes this project fun and easy; thank you, Matt.

I’ve got a face to face meeting with 14 men tomorrow. It’s my monthly meeting that is like a Thanksgiving dinner, meaning I leave full of not food but thought and ideas about how to be a better man. I do a lot of self-work these days, listening, sharing, learning from others how to live my best life. I’m an imperfect person trying to improve a little each day, so far, so good; I’ve got another 63 years to go before leaving this spaceship, looking for self-actualization at 113.

I’m working on my next book; it’s fun to reread some of my older work; for those that think my ideas are bunk, I share your sentiment. Rereading some of my older work, I have evolved my thoughts and views; I think it natural to bend and grow one’s mind; if you are still of the same mindset you were five years ago, you might want to do some work on yourself, we are a species that was born to evolve.

But how does one evolve their mind? Through conversation, listening, reading, and silently mulling the inputs received daily. Making sure one does not lean too far into one news source creates a balanced consumption of the news. If you only watch MSNBC, you are doing it wrong. Likewise, if FOX news is your only tool for media, change the channel for another perspective.  

Wisdom does not come from an echo chamber, and I see many people sitting in their little sections, not acknowledging or even knowing the counter-narrative. To have an understanding of an issue, you need to hear all sides. Every problem has a point and counterpoint; most grab onto their chosen topic and won’t let go. They refuse to listen to the counter, but that is where the honey lies; the other side is golden to help you understand and explain your position. 

You know someone is flawed when they begin resorting to calling people names for their beliefs. I think my man Socrates hit the nail on the head! If you like person A, you are a bigot, racist, homophobe. If you follow person B, you are against freedom, commerce, and religion. The only problem is there is so much nuance in life; you can’t lump a person into a group based on one man or woman; you need to understand their entirety of thought. Today, many make assumptions based on a collection of words or the framing of a story from a third party, and they consume what is given, not looking at the other side.

The sun is coming up; the light is now just a red-tinged glow, but soon the sun will slowly creep up and show the beauty of this mountain top retreat.  You are reading these words and probably should get another take from someone on the other side of the mountain; my view is not the truth, it is my interpretation of the facts, make sure you are getting balanced reporting in all areas of life.

We get to meet Parker City Richmond, Indiana today, that is the name of our dog. We will call her Parker; she will hike with us, she will be our furbaby for the next few years. I think we will travel with her, and if not, the kids and our dog nanny Greg will manage her when we are gone.  I think it right to name our dog from where we are from; it’s an excellent way to share our story when meeting new people. “What’s your dog’s name?”

Time to clean up some email and get ready for my 7:30 leadership group. I’ve had three meetings at 7:30 this week; it makes for an early morning, but I love this time; it’s my time; the early bird gets the worm, and the early cat gets the bird. I feel sorry for the early worm, but something has to perish! Think circle of life or the Lion King. I hope this message did not offend you; I have a way of doing that these days. I don’t think any word grouping should trigger any of my social justice warrior friends; if so, I apologize for upfront, just sharing my silly morning views with the world. I often wonder why some read my work and then am reminded they are coming here for the other side of the story, and for that, I will always be grateful.

“When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser.”

— Socrates