The drive in

     The drive to work today was very symbolic of how our world seems to be going. The simple drive (drop off two children at carpools, get gas, drive third carpool then head to work) brought with it direct comparisons to the world around me that I feel compelled to share.

     A simple enough start to the day was getting my two high school aged 'children' to their respective carpools.  Carpools are an absolute must when you make the decision that your child will not attend school with those in the neighborhood. Carpools are also a very direct representation of people with completely different backgrounds and directions coming together to solve for a common need. Dropping my children off was quiet and uneventful. I reminded both of them to make the most of the opportunity before them, to be safe and do their best. There they went - off in completely different directions from me and each other (opposite sides of town, different schools, different sports after school ...) with the faith that we would be together again this evening for dinner.  Eating together as a family is something that is extremely important to each of us in the family - if one is missing ... it just is not the same.

     Following drop off, it was time for a quick stop  at the gas station.  Three things stood out as I pulled in and began the ritual of filling the tank.

• The first was the small economy car that pulled in next to me. I really did not think too much about it until the driver felt compelled to tell me that I was destroying the environment with my SUV (I drive a fairly new Ford Explorer).  I like to stay to myself, so I did not offer a retort. In hindsight - maybe I should have offered to inform the inconsiderate savior of the environment for the reasons for driving such a vehicle.  Simply, that my family participates in three different carpools and the most effective/efficient method for transporting my children, the other children in the carpool and their backpacks, gym bags, instruments and miscellaneous school projects to/from school is to have a vehicle that seats all the children and their gear in a safe manner.  While I appreciate the owner of the SMART car in their efforts to save the world - their world is not mine. I guess, in hindsight it was better not to offer my opinion as the discussion could not possibly turn into a positive experience for either of us.
• Interesting enough, the same individual driving the gas sipping vehicle, had a little more to offer in their opinion of what I was doing wrong. You see, I support my children's schools by placing a school spirit magnet on the back of my car.  Apparently, this is an advertisement that I am one of the rich people who don't pay enough taxes and shelters my children in private institutions.  The comment was made - that to my ears sounded like '... you will get yours soon enough. You are going to have to start paying your fair share next month - then we will see how you treat the rest of us'. I don't know where this person thought it was their place to make such a comment - it was offensive, inaccurate but very telling about them and the world around us.  My children attend private schools - not to separate them from society, but to insure they understand society. I would do everything in my power to provide them the opportunity to learn and experience the world so they can make a difference.  The development of their faith and making it part of every decision they make is my job (as parent) and the schools they attend extend that development. I can only assume that when the individual noticed the private school magnets - they believed that 'private' schools were more expensive than public schools and therefore elitist.The truth is - private school does cost my wife and I more than public school does. However, tuition for my children is less than the state reports to spend on a per student basis - across the state.  Yes, the state of Maryland reports that a per student expense of over $13,700 per year is what tax payers are hampered with for 'free public schools'. And yes, I still pay all my taxes in the state and DO NOT WANT A DISCOUNT FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL.  I think not commenting to the individual on this topic was also the right thing to do - absolutely nothing positive could come from the exchange.
• The third item that stood out during this brief pit-stop is that there are again different prices for paying by cash and credit.  While this used to be the way years ago - we (the citizenry) were incented to use credit for its convenience while reducing the work of the attendant. The argument was that automation was the way to reduce cost for all, so use your plastic and we can keep the price low.  I know this for a fact, as I worked at the local gas station back in the 80's and both heard (from corporate) and shared (with the locals) the plan. I understand the reason for the different prices - the use of credit has never been free (especially to the seller), but I can't help but think that I was promised one thing only to be redirected to another later down the road.

     After picking my youngest son up at the house, I proceeded to meet the third carpool of the day.  No challenges during this leg of the trip - we all talked about upcoming exams, pop music and where the 8th grade students were looking to go to high school.  I dropped the kids off - wished them well and proceeded to head to work.  When not driving a carpool in the morning, I typically leave my house at 3:30 AM and the commute is wonderful. One, maybe two traffic lights and a smooth trip to the office. However, when dropping kids off and then taking a different route to work - the most popular route for many, many daily commuters in the Baltimore suburbs .... well, it takes a little longer.  Much like my politics - I am fairly conservative in my driving habits (only speeding on occasion) and prefer to select and enter the lane that causes me to change the least.  As I safely entered the highway, I found my cruising speed in the proper lane and embarked on the trip.
     All was going fine on the way to work with limited backups along the way. However, when the road I was traveling on merged in to the Baltimore beltway more examples of society's ugliness appeared again.  I was crawling along at 10 miles an hour, sitting in the same lane I had been in for several miles. The lane in question combines with the other lane to the right and creates a new lane on the beltway.  As I was crawling along, I noticed that a car to the left of and behind me changed lanes (from the left of me to the right of me) quickly.  I am very aware of my surroundings while driving but the jerkiness of the cars and trucks behind me as this person made their transition highlighted what was happening. A small SUV was cutting through traffic - without blinkers and without care as to what problems they created along the way. Make note - they did not hit anyone in the process.
     As we continued moving along, I was maintaining pace with the car in front of me, allowing the lane to my right to continue to yield without disturbing the established flow.  The individual in the small SUV decided they had a better approach to yielding and proceeded to attempt to 'push me' into the next lane over by trying to run up the bumper of the car I had allowed to yield in front of me.  I did not move - I simply continued driving forward at the same pace.  This was met with a very angry, middle aged women winding down her window and sharing her thoughts on the situation with me - most of which I can not repeat here as the language is not what I wish anyone to endure.  She followed it up with the universal symbol of displeasure (the flip of the bird) and wound her window up.  She then moved on to the shoulder of the road and slammed the accelerator.  When she thought she had a good opportunity (approximately 3 cars ahead of me), she jerked the wheel to the left and cut off the line.  Sitting high in my SUV, I saw what was happening and covered the brake before she actually jutted in to traffic.  However, when the line of cars all started braking, the cascade went on from three cars in front of me until about 4 cars behind me.  Unfortunately for the 4th car behind me - the 5th car wasn't aware of what was happening.  At this point the accident happened. The offending vehicle never even saw what happened - they were on to the next lane change (to the left, pass three cars, then back to the right lane for 10 seconds then took the exit on the right).

    Why do I bring any of this up? Quite simply - the world is spinning faster and faster.  Individual opinions are the only thing that seem to matter to some people.  SLOW DOWN. Take a look around. You really need to pay attention to what impact you are having on the world. Whether it be insulting someone when you have zero idea how your comments will impact their world or even how they arrived at that moment or causing an accident that you don't even realize happened. What you do matters.  There is a line in a song that was featured in Disney's Pocohontas  - " you cant' step in the same river twice ". From the time I heard the line in the song it has become part of my personal mantra - be careful what you do for you do not know how you will alter it. One persons improvement to a situation may become the demise of the situation to another person.  We are all entitled to our own opinions and beliefs but when those opinions cross a line into changing others - we have overstepped our bounds.

Who moved my cheese?

I have been thinking a lot about the short book "Who moved my cheese?" by Dr. Spencer Johnson. Specifically, I am continuing to evaluate my life and the world around me and I am having difficulty coming to grips with which character represents me the best. At work, I am a very adaptive person - able to adjust to the changes of the business and customer climate (yes, they are different). At home, with my family, I have readily adjusted to the changes that occur when your children reach the teen years. On both accounts, I consider adaptation not only a reality of growth but I have been able to adjust and move prior to many around me. I am the hunter - looking for the next stash of cheese and doing the necessary things to provide for myself and my loved ones.

However, when it comes to the rest of the world we live in - apparently I am the mouse who is left watching, waiting and confused - "Who moved my cheese?". There are but a few cornerstones that I rely on that helps me stay grounded as I move through life. Unfortunately, it seems more than one of those foundations is becoming unmoored . Specifically, the second level of my foundation is crumbling which begins to change the structure above it. This country that I have been blessed to be born in to, and continue to believe is the best country man has been so graciously gifted with, is losing its way.

In the United States, there was a time - not so long ago, that the morals of the masses was the way of the land. The country was comprised of an overwhelming majority that believed we were free to fail or prosper on our own and that the government was there for very specific purposes. Specifically, as the United States Constitution's preamble reads "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America". Now, we live in a time that growing minorities pit 'rich' against 'poor', religions against religions, races against races, and constituents against representatives. I am not so naive to believe this is a new construct - differences have existed long before this great republic. What is disheartening to see is the acceleration and evergrowing conflict between the citizenry.

Many have lost sight of the facts that (this is but a very short list but have been a source of conflict for me in just the past few days) :

• 'Tax cuts' for a given class is nothing more than permission to keep more of what has been earned.
• Freedom of expression is for all to participate in, not just specific classes.
  
• Your rights stop when you impact the rights of your neighbor.
• To whom much is given, much is expected.
• Without a foundation of rights for all, not a single individuals rights are worth the paper they are written on.

Where does this leave us moving forward? Has the cheese been moved? If so, where do you go looking for more? After all, if this country fails - it is my genuine belief that this will be the last experiment of true government by the people. We are slipping away at an ever increasing pace.

I don't have time at this moment to finish my thoughts - but wanted to start the dialog.

Just because you can ... doesn't mean you should.

If you have a radio, or television than you have recently heard of Pastor Terry Jones and his plans for a 'Burn a Koran Day'. There is an argument to be said for his freedom of speech and his ability to make a political statement regarding his views of Islam.

At the same time we are all well aware of the plans to build the Ground Zero Mosque, and the controversy surrounding Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. Comments by our own President clearly state that everyone has a right to worship in their own way, to include the right not to worship at all. Specifically, President Obama stated:

"But let me be clear: as a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country, and will not be treated differently by their government, is essential to who we are. The writ of our Founders must endure."

Indeed freedom of worship and freedom of speech are two cornerstones to the founding of this great nation. In fact, they are both part of the same amendment to the Constitution. So where does this leave us, as Americans? For starters - let us parse the semantics of what is actually in the Constitution. The First Amendment, which to many is considered the most important portion of the Constitution guarantees certain liberties but has also been misused and abused over time by those on both side of the two issues previously mentioned. The amendment very simply reads:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances

So, the amendment is written in a way to preclude the government from 1) 'dictating' a religion, 2) blocking an individual's right to speak freely, 3) blocking the press from publishing and 4) blocking the people of the nation to assemble peaceably. At this point, I could craft an argument to show where the president's comments are not supportable by the First Amendment but the Pastor in Florida is well within his right to perform his intended act. That is not my intention - No, as the first line in this post said ' Just because you can, doesn't mean you should'.

Instead, I am asking everyone who reads this to ask yourself 'Do I agree that Pastor Terry Jones has the right to do what he is planning?', and 'Do I agree that Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf's group has the right to build the mosque they are planning to build?' . I would bet that most people will agree with one half of the question. You either support the burning of the Koran or you support the building of the mosque. Yes, I can make the argument for either half of the controversy because I truly believe that the rights of all Americans must be protected. However, there is something much larger to consider - Just because you can, does it mean you should? .
I believe that both issues are grounded in that very question. Both issues create strong sentiment for and against. Both issues are steeped in 'rights' of individuals and organizations. Both issues, on their own, are capable of further dividing families and this nation as a whole. And, both are absolutely and incredibly insensitive to large portions of this democracy.

Unfortunately, at this time we lack, as a country, the leadership to stand up and do the right thing. Our government officials are ill-equipped to deal with the real problems in this country and set the example for all to see. There was a time when we had great men (and women) who would set the example for all to follow. The time of great leadership has apparently passed us by. There is not solid example of how to act or even govern in this country.

It is up to each and every one of us to just Do the right thing.

Change: Not for everyone

Why do people and organizations move or change their affiliations from something they apparently believe in, only to join a new organization or location and work to change that org/location to match what they left?

There is a mindset that I continue to be confronted with that I just can't understand. Perhaps that is due to my nature of being logical and reasoned and I just can't comprehend this alternate view.

A few years ago, we met our new neighbors who moved 'to the country' from a much more populated area. They said they looked forward to the open fields, safe environment, lower property taxes, well-respected school system and 'easier way of life'. Shortly after they finished un-boxing their earthly possessions they began complaining about the lack of service. The young couple started complaining about trash service - you need to contract for your own service, that we needed sidewalks for strollers, that the police should routinely patrol the area. The neighborhood in question resides on an old horse farm with 20 MPH speed limits and 1-10 acre home sites and I can't remember any crime being committed since I moved in 11 years ago. This same couple were the first to contact the county and complain about the increase in their property assessment and demanded it be reduced as they did not wish to pay any more than what they were already paying. How exactly did they think the county would pay for the existing services - let alone the new ones they were asking for?

On a related note, I have been a part of youth sports in the area for several years. First, as a parent and coach and then on to the administrative side (league coordinator, coaches training, authoring policies ....). On two separate occasions, neighboring sports programs have had difficulty maintaining their programs and deferred families to our programs. As soon as we enrolled the new players and the seasons began to start - the former programs started making demands that 'our' program change to reflect the existing of 'their old' program. From 'adding a patch on the sleeve' to show the heritage from the older program to demanding that we change the guidelines for how teams are formed - WE NEEDED TO CHANGE TO ACCOMMODATE their wants/needs.

A friend of the family moved to a very nice, convenient location in the area. The convenience of the area did have a price and that was it is difficult to get out of the neighborhood at certain times of the day due to the amount of traffic that passes the entry. I recently heard them complaining that a traffic light should be added to ease the flow in and out of the neighborhood.

My children attend private school. Specifically, they attend a Catholic school. We, as a family, made the decision to invest time and treasure to insure the best (in our eyes) for our children. Others have made that same decision and I applaud them for it. There are those (and I have heard them loud and clear) that are offended that their child must attend religion class ... IN A CATHOLIC SCHOOL. I respect that they are not of the catholic faith but they did elect to send their child to that very school.

Lastly, when we moved in to our home we sought out the opinions of our neighbors prior to any projects. There was no law that said we had to do so, and the county I live in is very much a proponent of property rights. We had never had a conflict with any of our ventures until very recently. I hand carried a letter to my neighbor (newly moved in to the area) explaining an upcoming project. I respectfully requested any feedback on our plans and that we would listen to any/all concerns or questions but that the project was on a short timetable due to demand in the market. After a week of no feedback, I contacted the contractor and proceeded to start. Immediately, I received the call requesting a work stoppage until they could verify concerns they had with the county office. We (my family) had been to the county 3 times on permits and restrictions to insure there were no legal issues with what we had planned. Other than informing us that she did not want us to execute the project - there were NO comments regarding what our plans were. Nope, it was 100% about stopping the project and no 'middle ground'. In the end, the county backed us up and said we still have some rights in this country and county.

So, what to do? Why is it that new organizations or people moving in to a functioning society/group/area are free to dictate that the existing functioning group must change to adapt to the new tenants? Why is it that it is wrong to request and/or expect others to conform to the area they are moving to?

Let down by government ... again .

It has taken me some time to get back and put my thoughts on the record. This is not due to my lack of interest or lack of passion on what is on my mind. I have been trying ... trying very hard ... to not post a negative comment regarding our President and the Congress. I still have nothing more positive to say since my last blog - so I will not comment (for now) on what is happening.

Instead, I want to express my deep disappointment with a local matter. As my friends know - I have been volunteering for several years with a local baseball program. This started when my oldest son wanted to play baseball. I started as many parents do - as an assistant coach. My role as assistant lasted until the 2nd week of the season and the head coach stopped showing up. I took over the role of 'Coach' with a passion and to this day - I love that job. The next year I was even more involved - Head Coach from the start and volunteering for anything else that was needed. The following year - I was running the program (for the 4-6 year old age group).
Over the next several years I continued to coach and took on more roles. I was the commissioner for multiple age groups - coaching multiple teams (some that I did not have child participating). I truly love coaching youth sports! The administrative side was a role that I did ... because it needed to be done. I believe we made the programs better by stressing sportsmanship, parental involvement and insuring every child had equal opportunity to share in America's past time. The programs grew every year, other programs around ours were shrinking - this had nothing to do with recruiting.. Word of mouth spreads quicker than any marketing campaign could.
There are a few dedicated individuals that I became very close friends with and it was through their (along with some of mine) efforts, ideas and commitment to the youth of the area , that the program flourished. Those few dedicated people ran and continue to run the program - not because they want to be the only ones behind the program but because no one else will. The local Park and Recreation council are supposed to support the program as it is a county operated organization along with a county run program. Instead, the Rec council is the biggest challenge to running the program. From field allocations (baseball is the largest spring sport but are last to get fields) to conflicts with other area events (baseball always gets bumped) - the Rec council seems to represent everyone in opposition to the program.
For the last several years I , and others on the board, have talked about moving away from paper registrations (where we hand type all the information into a large spreadsheet) to electronic. The Rec Council had been saying they were planning something for all sports programs but nothing ever materialized. So, last year ( June 2008), we decided to execute on our own plans. We looked at a number of options and decided on a solution. We officially opened electronic registrations (along with secure team web sites, team and organization calenders ...) in August of 2008.
This year has gone reasonably well - over 800 registrants. Teams are forming, communication to parents is up and we have reduced a good bit of the administrative overhead of previous years. This last point has allowed those who previously spent their evenings typing data into spreadsheets to more proactively plan for events for the kids. Remember the kids - they are who the program are for (not the administrators, not the coaches, not the Rec Council).

So, Why am I upset? I sat through a Rec Council meeting where the presented (or the vendor presented) what the new registration system would look like from this point forward. While I applaud their efforts and the fact that they have actually done something to help the programs - they appear to have done this for different reasons. In short - the Rec Council has taken ownership of the data and who has access to it. Why do I care? For starters - we, the volunteers, still are responsible for everything else - to include collection of fees. Secondly - a few years ago when we were asking for more fields - we were told to report the demographics of our program. Why? They wanted to limit which zip codes were eligible to register for a program using 'their' fields. In addition - instead of offering the programs (Judo, softball, theatre, baseball, basketball, football, soccer ...) the service - they have mandated the use of 'their' system. How do they do this? They have reported that will not approve budgets for any program who does not subscribe to the new system.

Here it is - the government is stepping in to an area that is already running well and taking over the specific area that does not need assistance. Instead of augmenting in areas that the current organization (or company) needs assistance with - they are taking over the piece that already functions well and by their own insertion will cause a breakdown in the effectiveness of the entirety. Let down by government .... again!

Experts? Who said they were experts?

There are no sour grapes in this post. The election is behind us and the next several years will show us what we just elected. My question, in light of the way the current congressman and women are acting, is who said we elected them to be experts? At anything? The way the 535 congressmen and senators have been acting seems to imply they were elected because of their brilliance and ability to manipulate, I mean manage, health care - financial markets - the automobile industry - energy .... When in fact the majority of them made it to Capitol Hill as lawyers.
I mean no disrespect to lawyers. How does a lawyer know what is best for the economy? How does a lawyer understand health care and what is right for the masses? Quite simple - THEY DON'T! Apparently winning an election is the first step in manipulating the future of the millions.
If this is not the case - please explain Nancy Pelosi to me, and she is one of the few non-lawyers on the hill. What background does she have to carry the influence that she wields? She has no background in health care, energy, manufacturing, finance (other than her own family wealth). In fact - her biography only lists that she graduated college. No specialty - no further study ... But she is directing how her party, and the rest of congress, should be taking on these issues that have huge implications for today and tomorrow. Not to complain to much about Pelosi, she is but an example of the 'I am in - now what can I change' gang known as the legislative branch of government.
I am 100% opposed to term limits as We, the people, should be smart enough to vote those out of office that do not represent us well. I am opposed to un-educated voters being allowed, often hand delivered, to vote. Differences are what makes us strong - so this is not about those that disagree with me being blocked from voting. I just believe that people caught up in the hype are not capable of rational thought. Without rational thought - how qualified are you to even vote?