Lions and Tigers and Bears..Oh My....

Dorothy, on the road to Oz, was afraid of the lions, tigers and bears that might be lurking in the woods, preventing her from reaching home.
We all meet our own version of lions, tigers and bears every day, but we don't need to be afraid of them, we just need to be able to recognize them and work with them.
The lions in our life mimic the behavior of their jungle counerparts. They march around the office, parading their superiority (they are the named king after all). Not afraid to roar when things displease them, they can be heard coming down the halls and it can be a knee shaking experience when there is a lion roaring at your desk or in your kitchen. The thing to remember about lions is that they are inactive for about 20 hours a day, getting their roar on for only about two hours daily and they are not as social as their pride. The rest of the time they prefer to spend time patrolling the edges of their territory keeping it safe from intruders. They are not particularly good hunters, leaving that job to the more agile lionesses.
If you have a lion in your life, it helps to remember that the roaring they do may not be directed at you personally. It is in part to keep the fearful things away from those they feel the need to protect and perhaps to hide a bit of their vulnerabilty and inability to hunt as well as the rest of the group.
Work to the lion's strength, accept that a lion will have periods when he is onguard for mistakes that can hurt his pride. If you can co-operatively provide the "kill" for a lion while not backing down from his roar, chances are that the lion will no longer fear your presence and mistrust your judgements and channel his roar so that you are no longer the recipient of it.
Tigers on the other hand might be even more difficult to work or live with. Their method of operation is to slink around stealthily, constantly observing and moving. They do take time to play but can change direction and pounce on their prey in a matter of seconds. Much like their smaller domestic counterparts they may like to play with their prey before demolishing it. Tigers are solitary workers and protective of their territory however, tigers can be good at sharing their kill with others they trust after the most token displays of resistance . If you have tiger creeping around and playing in your aisle, acknowledge their presence with a wave and smile and recognize that they can be a good coopeative partner and will share information for the common good...And take time to play...tigers get their best work done and then like to play, play and play some more.
Bears...ah those warm and fuzzy animals that slept with us at night to keep away the goblins in the closet! What's not to love about these funny, huggable animals? Bears are big, powerful and clumsy. They are also shy and frightened of people and will usually run in the opposite direction when coming face to face with a person. The exception to this is the mama bear who is guarding her cubs from perceived danger. If you work or live with a bear, the best piece of advice is to tread carefully when attacking a person or a project they have invested time and nurturing on. Understand that you don't have to present real danger to the project... perceived danger is enough to cause the most lovable of bears to rear up on their back legs and give warning growls. Bears also love honey and all things sweet so a thoughtful act or deed does much to turn a menacing brown bear into a cooperative, team teddy.
We all have one or more of these creatures in our life, we all can BE one or more of these creatures. A little kindness, psychology and fair play will allow for peaceful co-existence with the wild things in our life and allow us to reach our goals.....now.

What's Your Brand of Loyalty?

Loyalty...a word that maybe gets tossed around passionately in deep conversations, in shouted voice on the sidelines of athletic events and perhaps flirtatiously on barstools in your favorite pub.
Everyone proclaims some kind of loyalty to something, be it their family, work, city, toothpaste or car.
Loyalty differs not only with respect to what or who one is loyal to but also in the scope of it.
Flavor of the Day Loyalty says I think "this" is a terrific person, team, city, product and I will stay true to it...until the next next terrific person, city, product comes along and offers me more bang for my buck or more games in the winning column. With this kind of loyalty I don't want to tattoo your name on my arm... but I might consider a washable henna tattoo.
Because that is the Way it is Loyalty This loyalty says I am loyal to this because MY parents, family, teachers, ministers, coaches are... so therefore I am too. This type of loyalty is rarely questioned, thought about or consciously chosen. You don't see it emblazoned on anyone's arm either..because parents, teachers and ministers are not usually found with tattoos on their arm... be they ink or henna. This loyalty feels good..because it defines not only what we are loyal to but bonds us to a group we are comfortable with.
Floating Loyalty I will be loyal to a person or a thing over the course of many months and years. Our relationship waxes and wanes, according to what or who else I am currently being wooed by at the moment, and how convenient it is to be loyal. Floating loyalty is open to testing other newer and improved products and people but doesn't replace the old with the new..but instead just supercedes it and positions the old faitful brand down a little lower on the loyalty chain...maybe for now..maybe longer.
Until Forever Loyalty This loyalty plays out best between best friends, lovers, combat buddies and parents for their children. It says "no matter what you do, where you go, and whatever new thing supercedes me in your affections, I will always be loyal to you and know I can count on that loyalty in return from you. I don't need to get a tatto, ink or henna on my arm because this tattoo is etched in my heart and on my soul.
There is room within us for all of these kinds of loyalty, and more besides.
Our lives are multi-colored afghans warmed by past, present and yet to be formed loyalties.
I cherish all the ones from my past, sustain the ones that I hold today and anticipate the fun of future ones.
I look at loyalty a whole new way ...now!

Playing on Team Kindness

Pay it forward...random acts of kindness...
I saw one happen today and a smile was reflected on my face for a few minutes, but the one reflected in my heart wil last longer.
I was at the light rail station with my daughter , waiting to get a ticket to go to the Twins game. The line was long, but people were waiting in a "Minnesota Nice" fashion, despite the sound of the nearing train.
A young man ahead of us in line inserted his card into the machine. He tried several times and was obviously having a hard time getting the machine to read his card. He looked over his shoulder and realized tht line was about 10 people long and took his card from the machine and headed to the end of the line, so he could try again but not make so many people wait.
When it was our turn, my daughter bought three tickets instead of two, and went to the end of the line and quietly handed the young man one of them. He was surprised and thanked her in words and with a smile. ( I was not surprised, this is a young woman who has a very big kindness gene, and acts on it often).
She explained to me that this was not the first part of the story, but that a few weeks ago while riding the train in New York City, she had inadvertenly bought a non-rush hour ticket and was riding during rush hour. A gentleman sitting next to her gave the conductor the difference in her ticket price when he overheard her telling the conductor that she did not have cash but only cards, which were not accepted on that train. She said ever since that happened she has been looking for a way to pass on that act of kindness.
It is very rewarding when you see your offspring becoming a player on the world kindess team.
It also is a reminder to me to become a little more aware of what is going on around me so that I can play on that team...now.

Dear Spirit Airlines,

If I carry my lunch onto your plane..but I eat it before we land...do I get a refund..now?

Looks Can Be Deceiving..or Do What You Do Best!

I love cupcakes and it seems like everyone else in the world loves cupcakes these days too.
There are cupcake bakeries and specialty shops popping up all over..a cupcake lovers dream.
I was passing a Cinnabon last night and they had simply amazing looking cupcakes in their display case. Who knew they baked cupcakes?? They looked like cupcakes right out of a glossy magazine advertising a very posh party. As a matter of fact they are on the home page of their website. http://www.cinnabon.com/home.html
They called my name and I bought the vanilla one with the white frosting flower with the blue center on it. And this awesome looking cupcake... tasted like it was made out of glossy paper from my favorite magazines.
Cinnabon makes delightfully delicious cinnamon buns, but if all of their cupcakes taste like this one did, they need to do what they do best...make simply awesome cinnamon buns...and leave the cupcakes to Magnolias and Crumbs...at least for now.

Kicked to the US Curb

If you missed the 60 Minutes story on Nadia Prouty, check it out today.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6341542n
After years of top flight service to the United States does the mistake she made as a 19 year old deserve the huge price she continues to pay...now?

Forget Neiman Marcus, Let Me Loose in Home Depot

I want to bottle and sell whatever is in the air at Home Depot. The minute I cross their threshold I feel like a master contractor. The second I enter the garden section I feel like I can tackle any dry barren piece of earth and turn it into, if not the Garden of Eden at least a lush, green, multi-hued photographers dream backdrop.
One piece of tile, held in my hands, in the aisle of a Home Depot becomes a floor covering, a fireplace wall, a kitchen backdrop, the cover for my picnic table..the list goes on and on. Their color palette makes me believe those tints were personally developed for my walls alone.
I, almost without fail, make a purchase every time I am in the store, but more importantly, even as I exit, I am planning my next visit.
Home Depot lives their tagline, "You can do it...we can help".
Home Depot makes me feel competent and creative.
Home Depot "gets" it!
I wish it were open...now.

Plastic or...gold?

Yesterday I went to about a hundred sporting events...and it only took about two hours, and I never left my kitchen.
On the "we're moving to-do list" was a one liner... it read "pack up trophies."
The trophies represent countless hours of watching my kids and their teammates play games..all kind of games. There were team trophies, individual trophies and even ( I confess)..the first and only trophy that ever was awarded to me!
The trophies were posted to Craigslist under the "free" heading, in the hopes that they could perhaps be recycled for young Twin Cities athletes. Within three hours I had three takers...all coaches. Before I gave them to the softball coach ( he coaches THREE teams) I took them down from the high shelves above the stairs where they have lived since the mid 80's and cleaned off years of dust. While doing this, the plates on the bottom once again became readable..so I read...and in that way re-visited the events where they took place. I could not remember all of them, or even which ones belonged to which child..but there were a few that stood out and those memories totally made my day. These included the very first trophy ever to enter our house..we were all so proud of David's first (4th place:)) Little League trophy..who knew then that plastic trophies multiply faster than rabbits? I laughed out loud when I took one down that was facing the wall, and remembered how Molly insisted that it go that way because it was a trophy for "Double Consolation Winner" in a 6th grade basketball tournament..and she insisted it only meant her team on that day was the best of the worst! The (one and only) academic trophy was from a pre-sixth grade summer reading contest entered by David and three of his classmates. I cannot remember the questions or the score, but I hold in my heart the memory of the teacher who would call them "her" students but not until September..who attended and cheered them on to victory. As I dusted the plates off of the trophies, the memories flooded the kitchen, of past games, teammates, tournament weekend drives, hot dogs eaten on the fly between games (except for the youthful vegetarian who would only eat ketchup on a bun),selfless coaches and fun (and funny) parents who shared parts of their lives with me as we shared the sidelinles of events.
I'm glad that the trophies will get to sit on someone's shelf again instead of ending up in a landfill. I'm proud of my kids for not needing a trophy as proof that they were part of something bigger than themselves and were good at it.
However guys...the mom and family historian in me surfaced at some point during the day..and I pulled out and saved one trophy for each of you... and hopefully if you look at it years from now..it will be a reminder of all those who were part of the village that raised you, and the time they spent enjoying it..and you!
But that is for the future and I am off to find a box for those reminders of times well spent...now.

And in the off season....??

It was a baseball kind of weekend that included a tour of the new Twins stadium and the re-signing of Joe Mauer. The stadium is every bit as wonderful as all the advance hoopla promised and I can't wait to enjoy watching the boys of summer play while the sun warms my face and the skyline of Minneapolis serves as the backdrop.
Really glad that the Joe Mauer will be behind the plate. I think he is a tremendously talented athlete and probably an even nicer person but I have to at least ask it once...is ANYONE worth that much money?? For playing a game?? The good news is that baseball is a relatively short season, so maybe in the off-season Joe can work on finding a cure for cancer or solving world peace.
At least that is what I think...now.

I'm Waiting for the 7th Generation ....

Lately, it takes even longer for me to get out of the house in the morning than it used to. Something rather time consuming has been added to my usual routine of tooth-brushing, dog feeding and making sure my shoes match.
Now before I even begin to search for my car keys and grab my diet Coke from the fridge, I have to find a plain brown wrapper and some tape to wrap my Non-iPhone in so that I can avoid the embarrassment and pain that comes from having a phone that does not have 75,000 apps available to it…(and therefore to me).
I used to love my PDA… I got to play Bubble Breaker while sitting in waiting rooms, standing in elevators and during the change of innings at Twins games.
That was then….This is now…
Everyone sitting around me in those waiting rooms, standing in elevators and during the change of innings at Twins games is breathing into the microphone on their iPhone so they can blow up a virtual balloon (Bal-Loon), virtually doing their book club reading (Classic) or turning their friends into Bobbleheads (Bobble Head)..and as for me….
I am holding something wrapped and taped in a plain brown bag…playing Bubble Breaker.
Who would believe this is still true... now?