Sunday, February 28, 2016

CLOVER!!!!!



Ahhhhh....... what a great puppy dog Clover is. She's becoming a spectacular companion. A few months ago, I wasn't saying this, as she was running me ragged being a "PUPPY"!!

People warned me......  DON'T DO IT!!  DON'T get a PUPPY.  A full-grown dog YES, but NOT a PUPPY.  I didn't listen and have really had my hands full with CLOVER!!!

Yes, her name is no longer "Clover", but has been changed to "CLOVER!!!". Can you hear that high pitched note from my mouth when calling her name?  I'll give you a few examples why..........


ACCIDENTS HAPPEN..........







MY READING GLASSES.  BOTH PAIR!!





MUDDY DOG PAWS...... 







BIG ENOUGH NOW TO SNATCH THINGS OFF THE COUNTER WITH EASE........





Naturally always looking for the positive in situations, I've decided that CLOVER!!! has come into my life to reinforce me some important lessons that I know I need to perfect:
  • Lose weight so I can bend down and clean muddy dogs paws, etc. with less back/knee pain
  • No more candy on the counter (or elsewhere)
  • Minimize the clutter and clear off all counter tops
  • File papers neatly away
  • Less time spent on the computer (more time with CLOVER!!!)

THANK YOU CLOVER!!!


Oh, and our FIRST SELFIE..........



JOAN





Thursday, February 25, 2016

GOING THROUGH SOME PAPERS

There's a PILE of papers that I've been meaning to go through one last time before I toss them. Papers from my father's files. He died 16 years ago and I have yet to throw them away. It's time.

I started a career working for my father as a salesperson in 1980 and just retired last year. Dad had a way with words and was an enthusiastic, encouraging and positive Manager.  Ok, sometimes he could be a bit harsh, but looking back, we each realized that there was often wisdom in his words, despite his "delivery". 

He gave many inspiring speeches thru the years and had a couple of favorite quotes and stories that he repeated. As I was going through his papers, I found TWO "nuggets" that I'd like to share with you. Perhaps you too will be "inspired".

WHAT YOU CAN DO, OR DREAM YOU CAN, BEGIN IT
FOR COURAGE HAS POWER AND MAGIC IN IT.
ONLY ENGAGE, AND THEN THE MIND GROWS HEATED:
BEGIN IT, AND THE TASK IS HALF COMPLETED.

---By Wolfgang Von Geothe via Woody Woodson

Ok, for full disclosure, I looked up this quote to confirm it, and the quote I found reads:
WHATEVER YOU CAN DO, OR DREAM YOU CAN, BEGIN IT
BOLDNESS HAS GENIUS, POWER AND MAGIC IN IT!
BEGIN IT NOW!
AND, there is controversy about whether or not this is truly a Goethe quote. Obviously Woody Woodson is to blame for using and changing the quote, not my dad. Hahaha. 

"MY ROBOT"

I have a little robot,
That goes around with me.
I tell him what I'm thinking, 
I tell him what I see.
I tell my little robot,
All my hopes and fears.
He listens and remembers 
All my joys and tears.
At first my little robot,
Followed my command,
But after years of training, 
He's gotten out of hand.
He doesn't care what's right or wrong
Or what is false or true.
No matter what I try now, 
He tells me what to do.

"You are a slave to your subconscious robot, which houses your all-important self-image."

Dad was big on psychology. I remember him reciting this poem at home when I was in high school, so when I found it in one of his speeches, I was excited to share it. It has a nice "lilt" to it, doesn't it? And the words are soooo true!!  Think about it.........

JOAN





Thursday, February 11, 2016

A SCARY MEMORY CAME TO ME TODAY

In 1986, I was in my early 30's and fairly new in the business of advising Business Owners about the succession of their business to the next generation. But, I was going on calls by myself at this point. 

One afternoon I was in Wilmington, DE having difficulty finding the business where I had an appointment. I accidentally turned up a ONE-WAY street to an opposing car (large Cadillac) coming right toward me. I made an immediate right into the parking lot of a deserted strip mall, to compose myself and look more carefully at the address on my 3x5 card.

Within a moment I realized, that pulled up next to me was the opposing car with an IRATE, VERY LARGE and IMPOSING black man behind the wheel, shouting at me to "GET OUT OF THE CAR!!". Stunned, I just looked at him and gently shook my head "No". He held up a BADGE and continued to SCREAM at me, "GET OUT OF THE CAR!!". I shook my head "No" again and pulled out of the parking lot to get away from him and hopefully to a more public place with plenty of people around. Thankfully it was still daylight.

He pulled up beside me AGAIN (on my right), and while driving was shouting and still shaking his BADGE at me. It was an unmarked car and at this point I was actually getting quite angry that a Police Officer would be treating me this way. I slowed down enough to read and write down his license plate number and decided I would march myself right into the closest Police Dept and make a complaint!

The entrance to a major highway was just ahead on the right (RT 95 going South). When he continued to go straight, I slowed down, got behind him and veered off onto that exit for RT 95. I felt a lot safer being on a major road and having left him back in the city, where I was unfamiliar.

I got off at the next exit and took myself towards the center of the city. As luck would have it there was a Police car pulled over and parked not too far in front of me. I stopped and asked if I could speak with him. I proceeded to tell him that I wasn't very happy with the way one of the Wilmington Police Officers had just treated me and wanted to make a complaint. He asked for the make and color of the unmarked car and the license plate if I had it, which I gladly handed over to him. He asked me to follow him into the center of the city to the Central Station.

Although I didn't know about GPS back then, I did have a cell phone (a HUGE one installed in my car console, if you can believe it) and while following him into town, I called the appointment to let them know that I had gotten lost and wouldn't be able to make it there that day.  We rescheduled.

When we pulled up in front of the WILMINGTON POLICE STATION, the Officer got out of his car and told me that on the way, he had run the plates on the car and that car didn't belong to a Police Officer. He asked if I had time to come in and look at some photos to identify the man in the car.

NOW, I got frightened and wondered where this was going to lead. He showed me about 10 MUG SHOTS and I quickly pointed to the man I had encountered. In the back of my mind I'm thinking, if this man has a MUG SHOT, he must have been arrested before. OMG!! 

He asked if I wanted to "PRESS CHARGES" and all I could think of was how LUCKY I had been to escape harm, how smart I was NOT to get out of my car when he flashed his badge, and then my imagination started going and I got SCARED and MAD - not only for myself but for my girlfriends who could have been in the very same situation.

YES, I wanted to PRESS CHARGES, with the hopes of stopping him from ever doing this again to a woman driving alone. 

YES, I wanted to PRESS CHARGES because who KNOWS what would have happened if I had responded to his demands. This man needed to be STOPPED!

YES, I wanted to PRESS CHARGES as an example to all of my girlfriends, of how they too should respond in a similar situation.

SoI TOOK HIM TO COURT.

Shaking while waiting to see his face again, I was semi-relieved when he didn't show up the first time. The trial was rescheduled.

I had even more time to think and let my imagination run wild and was even more scared to see him in person the second time. I asked my FIANCE to come with me for support, but "he had other plans that day at the shooting range" (er... at his old girlfriend's place was more like it, although I was just starting to put two + two together at this point).  His lack of support was one more reason why I would be DONE WITH HIM in the very near future!!  That's another story......

So, I arrived at the Courthouse alone.  I'm a big girl, I can do this....... I saw the guy come in and knew "this was it".  When he was called to the stand, he LIED and LIED and LIED. He said that when I drove up the ONE-WAY street, I was screaming profanities at him (he said all of them in Court too) and was giving him "the finger". He went on and on. When I took the stand, I told the TRUTH. I hadn't said one word to him, but only shook my head "NO".

I didn't find out that day, but he was found GUILTY and was charged. I never found out the full details of his sentencing, but I did find out that the BADGE he was carrying was to be used when he helped the Fire Police re-direct traffic when there was a fire. His BADGE was taken away. He also had been previously arrested for DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, which is why there were MUG SHOTS of him at the Station.

SOOOOO........ all of my friends learned from this situation that you DO NOT STOP FOR AN UNMARKED CAR, no matter how loud you are being yelled at to do so. You don't even have to stop for an unmarked car with a flashing bubble on top of the car. Instead, I hope you all know now that you should go to the nearest police station (if you KNOW where one is) or go to a lighted parking lot filled with people (like a WAWA or major store) and then contact the Police.

Today, with cell phones and GPS, we aren't as likely to find ourselves lost in a city where we aren't familiar AND we can now call 911 for help while driving. In 1986 less than 50% of the U.S. population had 911 service.


JOAN








Monday, February 1, 2016

DONALD TRUMP (a personal encounter/memory)





A little "background" before "the story"........

In 1980 I joined my father's business, which provided advice to owners of privately-held businesses. Having been a HIGH SCHOOL ART TEACHER for 4 years, I didn't know ANYTHING about finance or business (I was truly surprised to get the job - so, THANK YOU DAD!!), but I DID have a MASTERS in COUNSELING, which gave me listening skills.

In 1987 I was asked to join management - training new sales guys (yes, "guys", since it was a rarity to find a female in this business back then). My background in teaching made it a natural transition from my 7 years in sales.

Also in 1987 DONALD TRUMP published his book, "TRUMP - THE ART OF THE DEAL" - written by and about a very successful BUSINESS OWNER - our client profile. I read it with complete enthusiasm and shared it with "my guys" to help give them inspiration, a sense of confidence and drive. Ours was a "self-made-man" kind of business, and you needed mentors and BIG aspirations in order to succeed.

I was so impressed by DONALD and his book that I got up before the crack of dawn to drive to Atlantic City by myself for his book-signing - to stand in line for an hour or so, to have him sign my book and shake my hand. He looked me straight in the eyes. Yes, I was a bit (!!) STARSTRUCK and must admit that I've felt that way ever since the handshake and eye contact.

He dedicated the book to his parents. I liked that.  

The inside jacket cover starts with his quote, "I like thinking big. I always have. To me it's very simple: if you're going to be thinking anyway, you might as well think big."  I liked that too. It fit right into the attitude I wanted "my guys" to have.

The opening paragraph of the book says: "I don't do it for the money.  I've got enough, much more than I'll ever need. I do it to do it. Deals are my my art form. Other people paint beautifully on canvas or write wonderful poetry. I like making deals, preferably big deals. That's how I get my kicks."

And if you want to know how I got MY kicks, after I shook his hand, I handed him my business card and said that I would love to have the time to share some thoughts about business with him. No, he never called. But I called him! No, he didn't take the call, nor did he return it.  Ok, so I tried!!

With DONALD TRUMP in the news daily, running for President, I can't help but reflect on those days back in 1987.

JOAN