South Of Someplace

Friday, July 19, 2019

Extra Mile

Sometimes, we go the extra mile. Sometimes, we need the extra rest.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Cooking Competition Wisdom

Televised cooking competitions offer an inspiring metaphor for life.

On some days, we get to cook with filet mignon, corn on the cob, and fresh strawberries. On other days, all we have is kale, bologna, and lima beans.

Nobody cares. They expect us to make dinner, and they expect it to be nourishing and delicious.

Whether you are blessed with an abundance of fine ingredients or a collection of odds and ends, you have to deliver. Put your head down, do your best, and make it work, or the family will go hungry.

Monday, July 15, 2019

What Matters

What matters is not where people come from but whether they are kind.

Sunday, July 14, 2019

Real Problems

I have real problems

Sorry, but your hurt feelings

Don’t rank among them

Saturday, July 13, 2019

New York Minute 150 - World Cup Champions

On Tuesday of this past week, New York City honored the US Women’s Soccer Team, champions of the 2019 World Cup. The parade wasn’t far from my office, but I was not able to get out to see it, as I was required to attend concurrent meetings.

When the meetings were over, I stepped out for a coffee break. As I walked up the street, I was delighted to see several parents and families with young girls holding American flags proudly.

By chance, I saw the US Women’s soccer team walking through Los Angeles International Airport in 1999. This was the World Cup Championship team of Mia Hamm and Brandy Chastain. I thought back to that chance encounter this week. It made me wonder how many of the women on the 2019 team were inspired by that great team from twenty years ago. It made me wonder how many girls and young women across the country and around the world will be inspired by today’s bold, enthusiastic champions. One generation inspires another.

It was a beautiful day for a parade, a wonderful celebration for all of sports, and an inspiring moment for young athletes everywhere, especially the girls of America.

Friday, July 12, 2019

Mea Culpa

It’s hard to admit this now, but I once admired Donald Trump and believed that he was quite a sharp fellow. Way back in the 80’s and 90’s, long before the birth certificate scandal, when “the Donald” was still married to his first wife and putting up impressive projects like the Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, he seemed to have the golden touch.

I bought a copy of ‘The Art Of The Deal’ when it came out. I read it and took it seriously. We didn’t know at the time that the subject wasn’t paying his contractors or that he was racking up debt that would destroy most of his business ventures. His ghost writer left that part out of the book. We didn’t know about the secret deals that he had made with The National Enquirer, the payoffs and the iron-clad contracts to keep the sordid details of his personal life from being reported. They hid his secrets well.

I was fooled. I bought into the mystique of the genius who took a “small loan” from his father and turned it into a real estate empire. I thought of that as an amazing accomplishment by a shrewd and brilliant man. I wasn’t the only one who was fooled. Celebrities who have socialized with Trump over the years have admitted that they don’t recognize this current version of the man, the vindictive, race-baiting politician who offends America’s allies while befriending dictators. They remember him as being a good-natured guy who was fun to talk to.

It’s shocking to realize that you’ve been fooled not just easily, as anyone can perpetrate a myth about themselves, but so thoroughly and for so many years. I wrote a short poem about this a few months ago, the disappointment of looking up to someone, thinking that they are brilliant and inspiring, and finding out later that they weren’t at all who you thought they were, finding instead that they are corrupt and petty and dangerously out of control. It’s disquieting to discover that we can be fooled so effectively by someone’s carefully crafted hype.

What You Can Do Today

Today

You can

Accomplish something

Learn something

Help people

Bring joy to someone’s heart

Waste a day

Of your life

The choice is yours

Thursday, July 11, 2019

Ocean Breeze

Sometimes

When life gets hard

And work seems stressful

You just want a break

So you can get away

Sit back

Put your feet up

And relax all day

On a beautiful beach

In ideal weather

In Hawaii, maybe,

Or Tahiti

Sitting there

In a comfortable chair

Enjoying the sunshine

And sweet, juicy chunks

Of perfectly ripened

Mango and oranges

And watermelon

Soaked in tequila

Delicious tequila

Sitting there peacefully

Enjoying the sea breeze

And holding hands

With a beautiful friend

In cool sunglasses

And a sexy bathing suit

A friend who’s always

Had a crush on you

And wants to spend time together

Helping you relax

Unwind

And maybe make a baby

If you have enough time

Yes

Every now and then

When life is a mess

And work is full of stress

It’s so nice to dream

Of a beach vacation

With mangos

And other delicious

Tropical treats

So pack a light suitcase

Buy some sunscreen

And pass the tequila

There’s nothing quite as perfect

As an ocean breeze

On a secluded beach

Shared with a hot friend

Who adores you

Be Honest With Yourself

It’s unkind to deceive others, but deceiving yourself is worse. You can’t make progress until you accept and understand your own weaknesses. Until then, you’ll blame others for everything that makes you uncomfortable.

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Washing Machine

I need half an hour

In the washing machine

Swish around in those bubbles

To get nice and clean

Hang on while the spin

Sends the dirt down then drain

Then fluff up in the dryer

‘til I feel fresh again