Just Plain Bill

“525,600 minutes,

how do you measure a year?”

I love this song from the musical Rent because it asks and answers such a powerful question that is understandable to everyone: How do I measure a year?

The most public accomplishment in my 75^th year was to write a weekly entry on this blog site Just Plain Bill. Over the past 52 weeks, I’ve been writing on a variety of personal experiences and observations, fulfilling a commitment I made a year ago, both driving and allowing me to follow through with the discipline that’s been lacking in my life in far too many areas over the years.

David Girard, attorney and owner of David Girard Vineyards, is a friend I’ve known for 40 years. As good friends will do for each other, he candidly shared a perception and some constructive criticism. He once said that I have a wealth of good, creative ideas – but I’ve not followed up on enough of them. At last, I can finally say to David that I have followed up on two major quests. One is my commitment to writing this weekly blog. The other was working with two serial entrepreneurs, David Chan and Alex Tran, writing and publishing an eBook titled The Virtual Office: Success Tools for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses. I also believe my writing ability has improved, which is significant at my age when competencies do not grow willingly, and therefore is certainly worthy of sharing as a minor quest!

An associated enhancement to my past year included benefiting from the awesome support of my dear friend and editor, Allyn Geer, who, while living in Florida, has proved that a virtual relationship can work exceptionally well. I feel truly blessed!

My latest 525,600 minutes has also included the return of my health after more than three years of dealing with maladies (including two bouts of pneumonia) resulting from the stress from staying in a toxic work environment.  All the warnings I have given to others – and occasionally not heeded myself – came to a long overdue conclusion as I finally left an unhealthy work life…an environment exacerbated by a world-class micromanager.

Future blogs during my next 525,600 minutes will be addressing types of management, the comparison of leadership with management, and many steps in-between. The role of unions in the survival of either subject will also be addressed, leading to the question –  “Is the right-to-work truly a right, and is it time to eliminate collective bargaining?” as I believe that collective bargaining is an oxymoron and has outlived its usefulness. Just a tad controversial, eh?

I’d love to hear how you “measure a year”?

Just Plain Bill

Is that a real Coogi sweater?

One day last year, I was attending one of my oldest granddaughter’s high school music programs. As I was walking through the entrance of the auditorium, a young man came up to me and asked, “Is that a real Coogi?” to which I answered, “Yes, it is.”

He said he had seen knock-offs, but had never seen a real Coogi… especially a real one being worn by a parent. As he walked away, I noticed that he had a patch of the Coogi pattern sewn onto the back pocket of his jeans.

I believe that’s the first time I’ve been called out as a fashion mogul, and I must admit it felt good – and I believe it impressed my granddaughter as well! 

Just Plain Bill

If a tree falls…

Perhaps you’ve heard the question, “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” That question came to mind recently when a very large tree growing by the lake where I live, Lake Merritt, fell late one windy evening.

This was a very large tree and I imagine that anyone within a half mile of that tree must have heard it fall. But that’s about how far I live from that tree – and I didn’t hear it, so I guess it didn’t make a sound.

Logic tells me though that it must have made a sound as it fell in the darkest of night when absolutely no one was around. It probably not only made a loud noise, but probably shook the ground as well.

You may ask why I am bringing this up, especially as a new year is just beginning. Well, as I start this new year as I’ve started 75 others in the past, I’m going to endeavor to make sure that what I do in the coming year is not only meaningful, but makes a truly great sound – one that will resonate throughout the universe.

Bold? Audacious? Hairy? Yes! And maybe some folks will recognize the phrase “BHAG” as coined by the award-winning consultant and author, Jim Collins. I had the privilege of working with him when the company where I worked, E-Loan, had a building session with him. Our start-up was moving from IPO status to where we’d be “built to last”, to use another of Collins’ terms.

·     Bold – doing more with both what I’ve dreamed about all my life or on to new stuff

·     Hairy –  doing more in areas where I’ve been either too scared or reticent

·     Audacious – taking more chances of possibly failing, especially as I pursue and give life to my in-progress website “Thrive at 65”

·     Goals – to make truly great sounds as each of mine is achieved

So, as Max so eloquently stated in Maurice Sendak’s award-winning book Where the Wild Things Are –

“Let the wild rumpus begin!”

Just Plain Bill

Why I Dislike my Doctor’s Nurse

Maybe the term dislike is a little harsh. In fact, I really like my doctor’s nurse very much, so why would I even consider a pejorative term?

The comment above has to do with the times my doctor’s nurse measures my weight and my height as a part of my doctor visits – specifically when she notes that my height is becoming somewhat less over time. In other words – I’m shrinking!

Most people would label my response to my shrinking as an overreaction - and it most likely is. It may not make much sense to them that someone would be so bothered by experiencing the natural tendency to get smaller as vertebrae compress, along with other body parts tending to sag as a result of gravity.

I can remember like it was yesterday when I finally reached 5’ 6” at age 16, the year I played third string JV quarterback and a year or so before I graduated from high school. As I was growing to this height, I was able to reach the pedals in my car a little better – but still was never fully comfortable as I learned quite young that I was “tall sitting down.” (The topic of a blog earlier this year.)

So, my doctor’s nurse is just telling me like it is when she measures my height. Unfortunately, my weight has not been going in the same direction as my height, but that is the subject of a future blog.

Deal with it, Bill, deal with it!