Bowling Alone!

Author Robert Putman makes interesting observations and shares researched insights about the changing nature of our society. If you haven't already noticed, we are not connecting much anymore and the sense of community and interactions we once experienced have all but vanished.

We communicate via email, fax, cell phone, text messages and all sorts of indirect means to get "connected". We eat on the run,cross paths with numerous people each day we choose not to acknowledge. We ignore neighbors at common mail box collection areas, and often sit in work cubicles electing not to know or engage co- workers.

Professionals often attend seminars and decide not to speak or even notice those who they have shared common interests and several hours of time. People both young and old share space and time without noticing or even responding in positive ways to one another.

We once bowled in leagues, hung out with each other, actually knew our neighbors and somehow those connections mattered. We were better for who we knew and we appreciated being known and valued by others.

Although texting and email is connecting, we may not be connected in ways that matter. Bowling Alone might be the symbol for what we have become, it doesn't have to be the way we always are.

Leadership

As the world changes, some things perhaps never change.

We look to others in times of need to navigate through life, it is the way of living, it is the nature of our existance.

Parents, teachers, managers, ministers, friends, neighbors, relatives and so many others play a role in who we are and what we shall become.

Through the years, we have seen the veil of these figures lifted and they are now filtered through a less than kind lens. We now find about flaws, faults, indiscretions, poor choices and less than as advertised skills and backgrounds.

We forgive knowing, perhaps grudgingly that no one is perfect, that we all make mistakes and

with God's grace and the kindness of others, we can all recover and have second chances.

For any leader,there are always tough questions that often have no good answers. But it seems we now think there is a right answer to every question or the right response to every inquiry. And as such many have mastered the art of spinning the response, or attacking the question. Sometimes one can evade the question entirely or respond in a nonsense manner hoping no one really cares or hears the response.

Perhaps we have come to expect too much of others,of those who might lead us. Perhaps we are wanting so badly to be lead we accept theses who simply paint a veneer that implies they are who we hope they will be.

Somehow in all of this we are diminshed, for we are not being lead, but fooled, often misdirected to another level of discussion to another place of false acceptance.

We once knew that "don't do as I do, but do as I say", had some merit, for inherent in this was

wisdom and experience tempered with forgiveness.

Each day, it is getting harder and hard to accept, to understand,to forgive when the start point for many leaders was never that of character or wisdom, or the true intent of really leading.

Is your Thinking Magical?

Do you often think you know something, just because you've heard it before,or seen it, or, "been there, done that"?

Just because you have a plan or a procedure in place, do you think it's being followed or executed?

Do you actually act on your knowledge.

Is your knowledge based, like Uncle Fred, on all talk and no real action or experience, or accomplishment?

How do you know when you don't know something and do you really care?

Pearl Fertal- Missing You

It is hard to say goodbye when you are just getting comfortable with hello.

We loved Pearl, will miss her presence and we will recall those moments and occasions when we shared times together. We reflect with kindness and loving, her life, her legacy and her journey through our lives.

To family, friends, neighbors and acquaintances who join in mourning, we offer our condolences, our prayers and sympathy for her loss. Pearl often said, "you can't go back". If only we could,we would let her know how much she mattered, how much we cared and how we will miss her so. May God Bless and keep her in his grace.

Holy Family Church- All Souls and Sisters of Holy Name, St Catherine, St Margaret

This or That!

Everyday, we face choices. Sort of the this or that paradox.

You are working on a project and the phone rings. Well, this or that?

You are watching television and your wife or kids start talking to you.. Gee, this or that?

You are driving home from work, listening to the radio, drinking coffee and your cell phone rings. Ok, this, that, or this, that and that too.

The question is, which choice. What is important in the moment, in the scheme of things.

Sometimes actually thinking about what we do, or why we do things, offers the best answer.

The Best

The Best process leverages your intuition
The Best boss makes you a better employee
The Best idea make wonder why you hadn't thought of it
The Best friend often goes unappreciated
The Best advice is often no advice at all

Wisdom and Aging

Getting older and getting wiser is one of those concepts that seems to make sense. The longer you live, the more you have done, the more you have experienced, the more you should, in theory, know.

But what is happening today? Does the average person think their grandparents have anything to say that matters. Does the average worker really believe the boss has great insights about work and working. Do we really think that high school and college teachers are offering great wisdom that needs to be remembered after the exam?

Do we read directions, pay attention to signs, warning labels, listen to our doctors, are we rolling our eyes at mom and dad more each day? Do politicians make sense? Can we believe or even hear the minister, priest, rabbi? Is the guy next door and the woman down the street boring you with tales of yesterday?

Guess old information is no longer valid, and listening is not part of leaning anymore. When you know it all, there really isn't much left to learn.