Humanity Revisited

Last time I wrote about watching people around you. As I said, I've always found this fascinating, but unlike other things I've shared with you, this topic really stuck with me. It continues to resurface in my mind over and over.

We just spent the week in Maine visiting my sister. My family and I have visited the state many times. The people in Maine - or Mainers - are a fascinating group and I enjoy getting to know them and even watching their interactions with others. This year the depth with which I was already considering this thought of people watching brought a new level of interest. A couple of stories may help you see this through my eyes.

I believe the first time we visited Jaye was in 2000. The kids were relatively young - 10 and 7. Everything was all new to us and we were going to be there for nine days, so packing was far from light. This was also prior to the time airlines discovered they could charge fees for everything. Anyway, we flew into Portland, gathered the untold number of our bags and then drove two hours to Jaye's house. About three hours later, I looked for the camera bag and it was nowhere to be found. In mentally retracing our steps, we determined it had been left sitting on a bench in the airport. I immediately wrote off the bag and all of its contents, knowing it would have been found and removed by this time. I was ready to move on.

Jaye, on the other hand, convinced me that we should drive back to Portland as the bag would still be there. Off the two of us went, with me truly believing we were on a fool's errand. I was wrong. When we got to airport security, our bag as there, and the only issue they had with the situation was that I didn't have information on the bag for them to find me.  They had gone through everything: found my gym pass and had even called them to see if they could help find me.  Of course, who thinks to keep your local gym up to speed on any address changes, so of course they were of no help. The security officer's biggest concern was their inability to locate me so I wouldn't worry.  I was blown away.

Off we went, back to my sister’s house, with me shaking my head about how nice the people were in Maine.  To emphasize the point, just before we got home, Jaye told me to pull over to a roadside stand since we needed tomatoes and strawberries.  I pointed out that the stand was closed, and with an exasperated wave of her hand, she told me to just pull.  After choosing what she wanted, Jaye looked around to find something else - a cash box.  Inside were slips of paper, a small amount of cash and a note that simply stated, “Write down what you got and leave the cash in the box. Thanks.”  As you could expect, I was DONE for the day.  What was this place?

Now fast forward thirteen years.  In that time I think that I have visited eleven times, once in the middle of the winter when there was no thought of tourists or how to treat them.  Last week we were preparing for a friends and family celebration and of course we needed to go to the grocery store.  After coffee at Jaye’s kitchen counter one morning, off we went.  We wandered around the store, gathering the needed items and it struck me that everyone we met in the aisles made really strong eye contact, but unless I said something, they really felt no need to converse at all.  This seemed odd.  In my state, there is little eye contact, but when it occurs, we feel the necessity to speak, if even to just say hello.  Way different.

So, to follow up on my experience I asked Karen about the near encounters in the grocery store.  She explained that by commenting that since there was obviously nothing that needed to be said, why would you speak.  Karen is a Mainer, through and through.

As I wrote last time, look around and be amazed by the unique differences you see in people.  Enjoy them and think about what drives them.  It can really help you to have a stronger insight into another member of the human race.

I need to get back to the Toybox.  I haven't been out there for a couple of weeks and am craving the smell of sawdust.  Sooner rather than later. Maybe this weekend.

Humanity

A couple of weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to help with the YESS Duck Derby.

I call it an opportunity for two reasons.

First, I was able to help an organization I truly believe in.  YESS spends all its energy protecting those in our society that need the most protection, our children. Even more specifically, YESS provides safe housing and food to those who need help the most.  I am always amazed by the fact that the folks there can do their job effectively, day after day, without becoming completely overwhelmed and just giving up.  My hat is off to them every single day.

Second, and even more to the point for my thoughts today was that I was given the chance to people-watch for the day.  This is one of my true joys in life, and if you don’t do this once in a while, you are really missing out.  We live in an amazing melting pot, in our own neighborhoods and across the country. Anytime people meet en masse, the cross section you see is phenomenal.

The Duck Derby was a perfect example.  The day was cold and rainy, but even so, I saw every degree of the clothing spectrum; from those with full rain gear and umbrellas to those who were wearing scanty running shorts and tops.  This is the thing that I love about this people-watching thing.  If you stop and think, or maybe listen, you understand the way people think.  In every case, they got up in the morning and dressed; making decisions they believed were the best for the situation.

Another perfect opportunity to people-watch is at the Iowa State Fair.  It is a venue which begs for the activity.  Part of what you see at the State Fair is the way people fit into groups.  Many times you find that the way people look and act actually seems to bring them together into groups.  At this point you may say “Duh” as I have said something that we all intuitively know, but rarely do we actually get to see this at work.  You can watch it at work at the fair.

I have one more.  If you want to see the reverse of this, but one that still seems to work itself out, go to a hockey game; I would recommend the Des Moines Buccaneers if you can.  If you look closely, you will find the most unlikely people sitting right next to each other and being all sorts of fine with it.  The guy wearing a motorcycle vest having just ridden in from Colorado is seated right next to the lady wearing a $10,000 mink coat, and both are having fun.  In fact, more than likely they will come together and actually find something to talk about.

In the work world, we attempt to artificially create these situations by putting people in the same uniforms or shirts and through work, they have shared experiences.  This works to a point, but falls far short of what the world does all on its own.  So, get out there and watch people.  Go to a ball game, or a mall, or even to the airport.  Watch the interactions that occur and how the groups informally come together and break up.  The experience is fascinating, and can actually be a little humorous.  And, if you see me dressed in black dress socks, sandals, and shorts, don’t laugh because for whatever reason, I thought that this was the thing that was right to wear today.  Celebrate my freedom and independence in making a decision.

One last thing today.  One of the authors that I follow is Seth Godin.  I enjoy his thought process, the manner that he challenges me, and the things his writing causes me to think about.  He had a very good blogpost  last month about competence and possibility.  This one I will keep.  I thought you might like to read it as well.

I get to spend time with family and friends next week and I am certain that I will have a new thoughts and stories to share here.  Stay tuned….

Tactical Blunder

In the last few weeks I talked with some college age students about their future and I was reminded of things I have told young people several times.  I believe that this generation, just like every generation which has come before, has the ability and potential to change the world.  Not just in small stepwise motions, but in big sweeping ways.

Then I asked myself why my generation didn't change the world like that?  What happened with the children of the 70s?  We certainly made changes, but I for one, expected more from us.

You probably won’t be surprised to read that I have spent some time thinking about this and I have a theory.  Since we were born when we were, we watched the 60s happen, but we weren't participants, at least not in big ways.  We were just enough younger to not be part of the marches, the sit-ins, and all that was the 60s.  We watched it passively, and we listened to what others, mostly older people, had to say about things that were happening.  Needless to say, most of what we heard was not positive.  The fascinating thing though in looking back, is that group, for all of their negative comments, really did change the world.  They changed the way people viewed basic concepts such as family, sex, and honesty.  They pushed and asked questions and didn't accept standard answers as good enough.  And my generation watched.

I think that this caused many of us to decide that the right thing to do was to work from within the system rather than outside the system to exact change.  And we got really good at it.  We learned how to climb the ladder within the organizations we belong to; we learned to help through volunteering at church, Scouts, or community.  We did a lot of good.  But, at the same time, I think we missed an opportunity to turn the world on its head and ask hard questions.  If we had, where would we be now?  Would we be free from foreign oil?  Would we have cured many of the big diseases of the day?  I don’t know.

Here is what I do know.  Sometimes it is best to work inside the system, and sometimes it is best to go outside the system, and the trick is in knowing when to do which.  I actually think that with more maturity, I have a better sense today for which approach works and when to apply them.  So, as I continue to interact with younger people, I will continue to encourage them to change the world, and I will talk to them about how to make those changes happen.  We will discuss ideas such as when it is best to network and talk to those whom you know and believe in you, and when it is best to climb on top of a bench in the middle of the public square and scream about something you are passionate about.  Not doing that was a mistake on my part several times in my life, and I think it was a mistake my entire generation made.  We worked so hard to get along and not rock the boat that we only accomplished a fraction of what was possible.  I hope that does not happen to another generation.

Changing gears just a little bit, I wanted to tell you that I appreciate those of you who take the time to read my blog.  I hope it brings a smile to your face sometimes and on other occasions causes you to stop and think for a moment.  It has been fun to write and I look forward to continuing.

In the shop, I am working on the build of a stationary router table.  After my sander, this is a piece of equipment I have needed for a long time.  I also finished reworking my father’s lathe and I am excited that it is still a part of my shop.  If any of you are working on projects, take time to share them with us.  I would love to know what you are doing.

The Long View

Last week, when I was at the shop working on a project, it struck me how time and experience cause us to look differently at things.  I have an old Delta lathe of my father’s that I was considering replacing and moving to a new piece of equipment.  Then the memories set in.  Although Dad passed away when I was only eight, I remember standing on a stool in order to be tall enough to reach the work piece and him teaching me how to sand bowls.  I remember learning that if you pushed too hard on the sandpaper it would get really hot and burn your fingers.  I even remember the smells and splatters that came from using a sock and oil to finish products.   How could I possibly even consider replacing this piece of equipment?

The interesting thing about this lathe is that it was originally set up as a production machine, with very little variability in the speed of the work.  When I was learning to turn in a high school shop class, I learned to do rough work in the 300 rpm which wasn't possible on the lathe that I had at home.  So, what would a teenager to overcome this?  Well, go to the Sears & Roebuck catalog for a solution.  I added another set of pulleys and a shaft to create a way to vary the speed.  It worked great.  In fact, as I rebuild this project, I will do the same thing all over again, only this time I will use much better components; ball bearing pillow blocks and precision ground shafts.  The result will give me the same type of functionality though.

Now that I've talked about my project of the week, let’s get to what it caused me to think about.  As I was dismantling the lathe, I found the installation shown in the photo.  As a kid, I determined I should use lead anchors in the lathe bed to attach everything. When I made the first hole, I chose too large a drill bit and the anchor actually fell through the hole I created.  What was a young woodworker to do?  This young woodworker nailed a bunch of small brads all around the anchor to hold it steady.  At the time it was a perfect solution and I am sure that I stood back and looked at it and congratulated myself on overcoming this problem, but today it is simply unacceptable.

As I looked at what I had done, and of course considered how I would overcome the same problem today, I was struck by how our view of things changes over time, in both directions.  In this case, the quicker, less elegant way had been fine since the results would never be seen … at least not for forty years or so.  In my life, as a younger person, this was often the case.  If the solution fixed the problem, even if it was less than complete or not the “prettiest” way to fix something, that was okay.  Function WAY outweighed form.  Now I feel much differently about things.  I take more of a long view; in my personal and my professional work.  When I do things today, I think about how others might look at my work, possibly after I am no longer around, judging the kind of workman I was by that work product alone.  

In this story, I get to explain why I did what I did and the fact that at this point I would never arrive at that solution again.  But, if you were just to find the work that I had done many years ago, you would question the person who was involved.  I do not ever want that to be the case.  What this has done for me in the last few years is to cause me to strive to do better work.  Things that I cannot do at a high level, I move on and leave to someone else who is more qualified.  I think the long view of the world can push us in one of two ways; do it better than ever or just not care since in the long run it doesn't matter.

I, for one, want the things I have accomplished and created to be appreciated for decades to come, so I continue to learn and hone my skills.

OMG

There have been some big changes around here in the last couple of weeks.  Believe it or not, I am going to be a father in law.  I remember when I got married; my father in law told me that marriage was like rolling a snowball off the top of a mountain.  You kind of think you know where it is going, but there is absolutely no way to tell once it starts moving.  He was so right.  You get married, look forward to what you believe is the direction your life will go, and then bam - off you go in fifteen different directions, each of them with multiple downstream possibilities.  This includes children, job changes, geographical changes, health challenges, or any and all of the above at once.

The week before last, my son announced that he and his girlfriend of four years were going to get married.  First, let me say that we are excited about this.  We like Lyndsey a lot.  No, those words aren’t big enough.  More than a lot.  We are excited that she wants to become a member of our family.  We are excited that she and Andrew have worked together to keep a relationship going through four years of college, which is not easy by any means.

It is still a lot for this guy to think about though, a new member of the family, getting to know her on a completely different level, letting her get to know us.  Sounds like tough work all around.

But the really tough work is what Lyndsey and Andrew will face together.  They will face all of the questions that every generation before them has faced; everything from where to live and worship, to whether or not they will have children and how many there will be.  And hopefully, forty or fifty years from now, they will look back and say that most of the things they planned came out the way they expected.  If so, more power to them.  More likely, however, is that many really big questions will be answered without a great deal of thought; they will just kind of happen.  This is the way the real world seems to work.  By the time you recognize there is a big question to be answered, you have already moved in one direction or another and retracing your steps is almost impossible.  In the middle of all of that, it will be important to have the courage to be honest and open with each other, say what is really in your heart, and work through the challenges together.  If they can do this, starting now, they will build a great life together.

OK, enough of sappiness.  Let’s get to the really important issue here:  Lyndsey, my kids continue to fight over who “has” to take care of me when I get older.  It has been an ongoing battle for some time.  Neither has any issue with Sara, but where I am involved….hum.  So, I am hoping that you will choose to embrace not simply caring for Andrew, but you will also take care of me when I need it.  I am counting on you.

Seriously, I am very proud of both of you and I know you will work together to build a great life.  You have worked to build a solid foundation in the time that you have already spent together and continuing to build on those solid footings should make for a phenomenal life.  Congratulations to both of you.

Now, just in case you are curious - in the shop part of my life, I have blown up parts of the Toybox in order to reorganize.  I am sure you are the same in your workspace. After you work in a shop for a while, you get a much better sense for what will and will not work.  I have finally reached that time and I am taking a pause to get things better organized so I can be more efficient.  I have a kind of a Lean 5S project going on at the Toybox.  I need to get back to work though, as projects are piling up.  I have more to do right now than I can finish before the end of the year, and I really need to start thinking about what the kids could use as a wedding present.  Andrew and Lyndsey, this is your invitation to “hint” as to what would be helpful.

We are having a great time thinking about having a new member in the family.  Have a great week!

Success

The sweet taste of victory.  I am sure that it is different for each of us, but, in my world it was all about turning on a finished Multi Purpose Disc Sander and rounding the first corner on a scrap piece of wood.  It was so cool.  Part of the enjoyment was being able to think back through all of the challenges I had faced and overcome.  In life, I think that is a lot of what savoring success is all about - reliving the obstacles and knowing that we pushed and persevered to overcome them.

Sometimes this basic human equation gets lost in the daily shuffle.  It is forgotten that without struggles, victory can never truly be enjoyed.  Another part that sometimes gets overlooked is that a challenge to one person is never really understood by others.  Two good examples of this are my daughter and her friend.  My daughter has been through so much in the last couple of years: surgery, chemotherapy, physical therapy, all challenges that many people will never face and never understand.  I lived through all of it with Meg and I know that I really only understand it from the fringes.  She has felt it and has struggled and continues to struggle to overcome things that are thrown at her.  With every success comes the opportunity, even if only alone, to celebrate that another hurdle has been vaulted.  I am so proud of her it is impossible to put into words.  She is a phenomenal young lady and will make a difference in her world.

Now, I want to turn for a minute to her friend.  This young lady came to school in the Midwest because she found a good program.  She arrived with an Associate’s degree and needs two years to complete her Bachelor’s.  However, she came from an environment where English is not her primary language and her previous education allowed her to submit work in either English or Spanish.  Of course, this isn’t the case at the University.  Their expectation is that English is understood and will be used for every assignment.  On top of that she is far enough from home that getting back to see family is nearly impossible.  Arriving here may as well have been landing on the moon.  In the midst of all of this, she is doing well in her course work, and will more than likely finish on time.

These young women are already proving to be successful and as such have the drive to overcome things that lie in front of them.  This is what strengthens the soul and helps build young people who will change the world.

As for me, I have completed another project at the Toybox, and I can hardly wait to get started on the next one.  In the meantime though, I have a Plinko board to put together for the folks down at YESS.  This is the time of the year for their Duck Derby which helps to raise funds for the entire year.  I would encourage you to check them out. The work they do is phenomenal.  When they have a success, a child is in a better, safer place with opportunities for a brighter future than they had before.  If you are local to Des Moines, go to the Duck Derby on May 4th.  It is an awesome event.  If you are not local, get on their website and participate that way.

I guarantee getting involved will give you yet another opportunity to feel successful and to feel good about what you just did.  Thanks in advance.

The Chevron

I am taking a break from writing about my latest shop project and hope that I will be able to show you finished pictures VERY soon.

This week I was struck by an idea that I felt the need to share: “We don’t go past the Chevron.”

When we were in Kauai last August, one of the activities was SCUBA diving.  As many of you know, it went phenomenally.  The adventure was booked for us through Seasport Divers, a group I absolutely endorse, but that is not my point here.  When we went for the dive, we journeyed our way around the island and turned at a Chevron gas station down to a cove where our dive masters were located.  We liked these guys immediately.  They were comfortable in their surroundings and very good at what they did.  Each of the four times we dove with them was great and they handled everything expertly.

During the time we weren't in the water, we talked and got to know each other.  We talked about the island and where things were.  However, in the middle of one discussion, we discovered that our guides worked to make sure that they did not have to drive past the Chevron station any more than necessary.  They explained that this small finger of land we were on really had about everything they needed.  They even told us that in their circle of acquaintances it was common to announce if someone was going to Wal-Mart. They got lists together for the unfortunate soul who ended up shopping for the entire group.  It now occurs to me they should investigate online shopping.

Anyway, I remember laughing at the time and thinking how unusual it was to be so incredibly sheltered.  Then last week, Carolyn, the person with whom I work most closely and without whom I would get nothing done, commented about how far away a customer was located. We needed to test a new process and she thought maybe an easier customer to work with would be the one just down the street.  The customer located too far away is a twenty-five minute drive from our door.  The conversation really had an impact on me.

Although few of us use a Chevron station to mark the edge of the territory we are comfortable within, I think we all have a tendency to behave this exact same way.  We work, shop, and live in a small geographical area, which has become “home” to us.  We shop at the same grocery store virtually every time, and probably even go through the aisles in the same order.  We go to work via the same route, eat lunch in the same places, and come to know the same parts of our world intimately.  But in doing this, we miss a lot.  Since I am responsible for my organization’s sales, I am expected to travel and visit customers.  I love this part of the job.  I enjoy getting into shops and onto manufacturing floors to see the multitude of ways that people find to overcome problems.  Each person thinks their solution is the best, but truthfully, most times it is just slightly different than the method the next person has discovered to solve the same type of issue.  Neither is totally right, or totally wrong, they are just different.

So, why am I writing about this?  It is always good to push ourselves out of the boxes which limit us.  When I lived in Omaha, I used to drive my sales manager crazy because I used a different route to drive to work every day and then ask him about things happening along the route.  If I would settle into a routine, that would allow him to finally do the same.  I find that I settled into that routine, years later.

My grandfather prided himself on never going home the same way that he used to drive somewhere.  He always said you could see different territory that way.  That makes sense to me.  I have started changing things up again.  When I took my family to Culvers for ice cream the other night, I returned home using a route I’d never tried before.  Interestingly enough, no one said a word or asked questions about why I was going out of our way.

Go past the Chevron.  Shop in new places.  Drive the road less traveled.  We just might collectively make this big world a little smaller and find ourselves a little more interconnected.  That will make the world a bit better and a little friendlier.

OK, next week, back to work.