Leadership Focus

Dear Readers,

Due to the overwhelming response to the leadership articles, I have decided (at the additional prompting of a dear friend) to branch off the leadership content which will serve you as a subscriber base.   Leadership Everywhere can be found here (link).  This will allow me to focus on leadership issues and better serve the level of interest for a wide ranging audience from around the world.

For those not familiar with subscription to blogs I will provide you with detailed steps to make the transition.

The Format
Every ten days, I will produce an article that is based on two elements
1) Business leadership realm
2) Political leadership realm

This is not to focus on politics to any degree but rather focus on decision-making in general.  The reason is simple, many of the biggest decision-makers are in political positions.  What this allows leads to the second focus of the format-- case studies.

Case studies
Both political and business leaders make decisions that set excellent scenarios for case studies.  To be clear, we will not be discussing politics but rather the actions, consequences and attributes related to how effective the decisions are relative to the implications and understanding why.

The bulk of issues should be able to be captured therein.  We will look at examples from around the world that you should be able to apply locally.

Content for discussion

trust, performance, relationship/ performance results; goals; objectives; technical; benchmarks;
milestones; collaborators; targets; VP; direct reports; announce branching off; internal stake-holders; training;
and development; high performers, team development; engagement; alignment; and innovation.


Your input is encouraged.  It is priceless to collect feedback from around the world to better understand the cultural differences in decision-making and decision outcomes.  Living in a global society, being more familiar with cultural implications, better equips us to navigate the highways of organizational behaviors, further increasing our opportunities for success within and without our enterprises.

Kind regards,
Scotland

Defining Our Selves

How?  One of the simplest yet most important approaches to questioning any topic that requires solid reasoning.  How do you define yourself?  A look at one of the subsets of how.

Rest assured that if your career defines you, you have not truly defined yourself.  In fact, if you define yourself through superficial or proper nouns, your self definition likely lacks depth and meaning.  And yes this is a very subjective article.

We are who we are because of all the little pieces, that we have accumulated over the years.  Look back in your personal journals (written or mental records) and you will find a more significant meaning to that self definition.  Our childhood activities, our struggles, endeavors, and successes have helped us to arrive at where we are today.  More over the relationships that we have formed over the years also plays a significant role in our personal identity.  There are those relationships we cherish and others that have taught us the lesson of who we do not want to be- often these gains result from the people we care for and trust the most.

So where do you begin if you do not have the answer; when do you decide to reassess if you already had a definition but find it is time to reinvent yourself?  Two great place to begin.

Approach number one suggests if you have not yet taken time to define yourself, look at what you do best.  This is a valuable place to begin because it takes stock in your personal capacities.  By looking at how you invest your energies you can begin to examine why you think what you do best is a reasonable approach to assessing how you would like to define yourself.  Not to be confused with defining yourself by your career (i.e. if you are a stock broker, or writer, you do not necessarily have to define yourself as such); because you  write does not mean you define yourself that way.  What you might want to do is think of your your self definition as a personal mission or purpose statement.  Why? because defining yourself as a writer also come with parameters that can restrict your personal development.  And while you might want to fully develop as a writer, you can also become defined by others expectations of you as a writer resulting in a personal type-cast, perception-- you become who others see you as.  The same argument can be made for the stock broker example.  There is a type of distention resulting from the exertion of external forces leads to a misaligned self definition.

To truly define ones self, time, experience (of life), and solitude are necessary.  Time is a luxury we are rarely find in the world today.  I intentionally use refer to world because in a global society, we also have a global obligation in many instances.  Without discovering where you can find time to examine yourself, a clearer understanding of the how, will be tremendously difficult to achieve.  Reason being is defining yourself should be a journey, a deeper look at who you do and do not like about your self.  Do not allow yourself to disguise the don't likes, with every step you take towards acknowledging who you approve of, you get closer to answering the how, of defining yourself more accurately- thereby becoming a more effective you.  Time alone is a requisite to answering any critical questions; believe me when I say, there is nothing more critical than you.  You are the nucleus to all of the intricate activity in the web that surrounds you.  Time to write in a journal (which I highly recommend), time to reflect on decision, time to reflect on your actions.  When reflecting on your actions go back in time.  Look at the kids in school who you (even at the youthful age of ten, eleven, twelve...) you might have mistreated.  Consider misdeeds and consider when the decisions you made, made you feel your best.  Understand why. apply those characteristics to the attributes you would like to incorporate column.  Time as a human concept, allows us to truly take advantage of it, past or present.  Our higher order of thinking allows us to make different decisions based on what consequences we see that may have affected us adversely.  We don't have to live with regret, rather we can adapt to move forward differently.

Having looked at time and where to begin (though only scraping the surface), let's take a look at when to begin.

It Is Never Too Late.  Even though we think that there is nothing like being a teenager, then there is nothing like your sixteenth birthday, oh nothing like being twenty-one, thirty, oh shit...I'm about to be forty, you see where we are going with this.  And if you are offended by reading this then you probably should not follow my blog- we are all adults here- right?  Aging is not that serious.  Every day I get older, experience I have (positive or negative) I embrace fully as part of an opportunity to enjoy the human experience overall.  More knowledge about the world, myself, and how I want to define myself.

One recommendation I make to clients (when coaching), is to set a time line to assess the big questions about defining yourself.  If you want to go deeply twenty one consecutive days of planned introspection is a good time frame (this is more like a crash course); it requires great discipline.  Keep in mind this is total immersion.  Not in the sense that you do nothing else during this time but dedicate a significant amount of time to answering important questions.  This time also allows you to integrate what you learn about yourself and internalize it.  If you have a sabbatical coming up, that is a great time to explore this self discovery.  Sabbaticals should not solely be used to get better at your work; by being a better you, you by default will improve your work environment.  I have seen where such self understanding resulted in individuals leaving their existing job.  The when really requires you to take stock of your self and your available time.  Use a weekend, decompress and recalibrate with the intention of determining your when.  By making a schedule with the goal of committing time to this endeavor, you will get significantly closer to success.

The next article will address the steps in defining your self.  There is simply no way to describe it in one article which you will want to read in its entirety.  This article is meant to provide some starting points.  In essence this will be a mini series of perhaps three articles that will provide enough of a frame work for you to get started.

If you have direct question please feel free to comment.  I will respond to any questions submitted.  I want to leave with why defining yourself is important.  Truly knowing how you define yourself will open doors in and out of your life.  You will have different expectations for yourself resulting in you moving through life differently; others will observe, interact and develop different expectation when engaging with you.  A clear self definition can be transformative.

Emerge And Lead

This is not a political article, but rather a chance to looks at politics as an intro to the this article. President Obama of the United States, has successfully emerged as the winner in the presidential elections.   And while there are multiple stories about what is next for President Obama, we cannot  overlook the opportunity to understand what leadership means at such a juncture from a business challenge sense.

This is also an opportunity for us as individuals to assess where we stand as leaders.  Regardless of your position politically, there are multiple lessons we can take away as well as reflect on what is next.  Why?  The response is less complex than the answer.  The President has overcome multiple obstacles, succeeded despite less funding, and set yet another record among a list of his accomplishments, namely only the second two term democratic president since Franklin D. Roosevelt.

From The Economist to WSJ, academic and business entities alike, are pointing fingers, asking questions, questioning answers and drawing conclusions about the entire process.  What better time to ask ourselves about decisions we might make in the wake of our own aftermath-- it is the perfect storm.

Let's start with behaviors.  Within any organization, behaviors impact performance, relationships, and innovation.  While there are multiple other angles to consider, these few offer more than a handful of discussion points.

Performance figures help provide matrices to better understand where we are as individuals, as a team and as an organization.  President Obama had variable performance outputs that left many questioning his ability to secure his re-election.  In business we think a bit differently.  Ones performance can be outstanding from a technical perspective, meaning they have a solid grasp of the building requirements, integration, and deliverables.  Possession of these components makes for a useful individual when considering strategic plans that create a road map for advancement of organizational initiatives.  While there can be a distinct divide between leadership and one with technical expertise, a great leader will likely have technical expertise in many of the areas someone with masterful technical skills has as a specialist.  Most hopefully, their leadership has been an accumulation of their experience that in part, carried them up the ladder.  A leader understands how to use abilities in key members, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of team leaders, thereby helping him or her assemble an effective team-- resulting in a strong department.  What does that leader look for  look in the technical leader?  In the early stages of building a team, they want someone who can create a strong foundation.  A department could be in the process of being rebuilt, in which case they are also looking to create a solid foundation.  In many instances you are working without the infrastructure needed to innovate, but in the beginning, you need to ensure the correct pieces are in place to make the right things happen, otherwise integration will be enormously difficult whether with other departments or businesses/ institutions.  The inability to integrate most often results in isolation which can manifest moderately and grow more extreme depending on the composition of the team.  With strong technical attributes meeting performance expectations becomes a much smaller worry when building this way.

Relationships are a very different creature.  Drucker and Senge both write extensively about behavior and relationships; the reason is simple, behavior is a shape-shifter.  By shape-shifter we mean the way in which (when taken in the root form) we relate, to others.  We should look at relationships in multiple ways; spatial relationship and social relationship.  Where does your organization stand with relation to competitors and stakeholders (anyone who is significantly affected by your operations, determined by your understanding of your network map).  You also need to be able to understand what significance means for your organization; it may vary widely- measured in dollars or equity/  intrinsic value.  From a social perspective, your relationships should be increasing opportunities through new networks, better working relations, healthy departments (where team leaders interact with, communicate, and encourage their team members).   An example is General Electric's practices in information sharing and service-support, to increase loyalty of its corporate partners.  While this is an external relationship example, it speaks to the extent which we should consider key relationships.  When looking for new opportunities, an organic process occurs when one is consistently nurturing this aspect of their work.  Withing your organization members in different departments not only feel comfortable going to different departments for assistance or collaboration, they also understand when might be the best opportunity to turn to a potential collaborator.  This is assuming members understand technical boundaries; not so much because they are limited in their expertise but rather they understand the nature of their own work and enough of the nature of their colleagues work to know that an opportunity exists.

Innovation nearly speaks for itself, which is likely why we deal with it last.  Innovation should be occurring all the time.  Understanding from a performance perspective, when performance in this area is not developing is easy.  That being said, let's look at a couple of angles.  When your organization is stuck in decision-making, it could be lacking innovation.  Decision-making is crucial and often not spoken of, so I decided to mention it here.  Think about this, when we are not clear about what direction to go, who to turn to, what to offer, how to proceed, how do we respond; we lack product innovation, social innovation (how to build new networks) that are most relevant to your mission and objectives-- not just jumping on the next big trend in communication or technology.  And in terms of knowing what direction to go, innovation often comes from exposure that goes beyond company boarders.

Fresh creative ideas backed by technical expertise help us understand when windows of opportunity are open; boroughing deeply because team members are able to sniff out new opportunities.  Innovation if using one relative word might be thought of as clairvoyance.  The cavities in one's mind are open widely sensitive to when the course is lacking certain commodities or when the course is simply not the right one.  More importantly innovation staves off trouble in many instances because of a certain readiness that exists for change.



 

Exceptional words... and unforgettable speech

Please enjoy this amazing video; it is tremendously informative, as well as courageous, wise and heartful.

Video stream featuring Richard Dreyfuss >>> link.  You will want this to be come part of your library.

Hiking the Pinnacles

What is it about the need to get into the mountains and recharge?  The air, the solitude, the achievement; all of these things or something completely different.  Yesterday it was about reengaging.

The Pinnacles National Monument is a beautiful National Park, and yesterday was no exception.  The heat made it an especially quiet and solitary hike.  It was hot as heck which made my hike a bit more intense; it also meant that I would see very few hikers on the trail.

The Pinnacles are pretty awesome.  It begins with straight paths and tree cover that offers nice shading; it quickly progresses well groomed but more aggressive winding paths along the rock formation from times past volcanoes.

While I did not see any rock climbers, there were a couple of other hikers enjoying the serenity of the area despite the 95 degree temperatures.  Bring plenty of water on this hike as the temp at the higher elevation was pretty intense due to the heat radiating from the rocks.  I will say the trail offered plenty of places to rest if needed that provided small shading.

Atop the High Peaks Trail, I got to enjoy the flight of the magnificent condor, with their expansive wings were impressive; circling around me as though I might be their next meal and an alert to other potential predators, or perhaps the flight of the condor was my reward for making it to the top.  Either way it was a pleasant experience and wonderful view of the Salinas Valley and mountain ranges.

As I made my decent, I paused to capture images through the lens that we don't always get to capture with our senses and retain in our memories.  Though the man made tunnels are unique, they are unnatural so I actually prefer the natural arches the trees offer.

I always find a tree to hug and exchange energy to ensure earth knows I appreciate all its diversity and offerings.

Today? Julia Pfeiffer State Park.  It is suppose to be some of the most breath taking views that California hiking has to offer.  I'll keep you posted!

ps I just figured out why I needed this hike... I had to get from in front of this screen that takes up entirely too much of my time; so see ya!  Off to my next hike!

Be happy, have fun, and live every moment of your life Today!

SmW

Leaders, Leading and Leadership

by Scotland Willis

Merriam Webster's definition of the word "lead" is to a: guide on a way especially by going in advance b: to direct on a course or in a direction c: to serve as a channel for.  Derived from Old English visa vi Old German.

Google does a search of 285,000,000 subjects on "lead" in .19 seconds; there are probably as many books written on the subject (though not likely produced in .19 seconds); and just this morning I was watching a woman and her one year old child carrying the keys to reenact his ,mothers actions of opening the door- following her lead.  This is all to say that there are countless facets to leadership, and how people approach the matter, however there are also some expectations that come along with leaders, leading and leadership that are worth of conversation.  And there there are simply times when we forget to remind ourselves of the dynamics of leadership resulting in a misstep.

We will start with what is the most important component that deserves honorable mention, but not spend too much time on.  The reason is because it is all consuming and can easily become a more extensive conversation.

Communication is the portal to all other decisions being made or initiatives being undertaken.  Lets see if we can sum this up in a truncated paragraph.  Effectively communicating what leaders are attempting to accomplish, how things will proceed (intentionally not stating how they will proceed), proper channels for communication, time-lines for execution(when part of a project begins)/ implementation(when a project is fully utilized), and an input/ feedback mechanism, that allow all levels of the organization to be active participants-- are all a priority.  Communication sets the tone for involvement; it either pulls people and turns them on or creates barriers and turns them off.  It is important that leadership thinks through and decides how the initiative or project will roll out.  This process should not occur alone by a single individual; it is in fact important to have dissenting opinions on your team of leaders, to ensure nearly all avenues have been considered. (Recommended reading Time article / book The Presidents Club)

I cannot emphasize enough making an organizational chart relative to the proper channels, available to anyone involved so that everyone is clear about the protocol for feedback and response- it will eliminate wires getting crossed.  This does not mean that every concern or interest will be implemented; nor does it mean leaders will not ultimately make different decisions, but it is more inclusive.  In the long run, it means greater retention of key talent, less investment in training and development and and maintaining institutional and intellectual capital.

Leading is not all together a different matter leadership, but should be thought of differently.  Leading occurs once the well thought out plan begins.  Leading allows point people to be established in the eyes of others and sets the course of their role as liaisons, to open up channels to the broader audience of management and staffers.  Initially an announcement would have gone out about an initiative for larger project under way and the broader audience is prepared to engage and listen.  That should be followed up with an input / feedback session that occurs between the point people and everyone below that chain of command.  References if discovered for interested individuals should also be provided.

Leaders and followers
Critical thinking is indisputably one of the most important skills a person can have.  It prevents errors from occurring, improves productivity and allows disruptive innovation to occur.  But critical thinking takes place in different stratospheres.  Critical thinkers in the lower level of the organization and then critical thinking as leaders.  Critical thinking as leaders (relative to the project) are occupied with what might be red flags that come up in a project and possibly derail the work; they are thinking about existing resources and models that may or may not be applicable; and they are reading all the necessary material so that they can have prepared and valid responses to questions that may arise, which instills a sense of confidence among the remaining members of the institution that the plan is well thought out.  Additionally it reflects that in making adaptations to their own organization(especially true if you are utilizing existing models and references) that the leaders are cognizant of the differences that exist between other organizations or institutions that used the model and their own.  Be confident as a leader about point out that differences were observed and you will gain support.  This also requires that leaders at all levels of an organization are in touch with systems that are in place and whether they are functional or dysfunctional- only then can you make valid call about the accuracy of your assessments.  For your observations and assertions to be both valid and accurate is of the highest regard.

Not everyone is meant to be leader but what is often overlooked is that not everyone is meant to be a follower.  Individuals who feel stymied in their role as an employee will, rest assured, be leaving soon- a significant loss for any organization.  We are not talking about people who are not productive, complain, or require attention for no apparent reason; here we are talking about the employee who is a highly valued contributor to the overall efforts of the organization, its vision and potential.  These people are consistently striving to exceed benchmarks, vested because they are personally driven- these are the high achievers.  If these individuals exist in your organization find a way to make them leaders and put their assets to work more effectively.  Ask yourself what is the organization missing that this person sees;  does the organization have the capacity to utilize their potential.  People who are critical thinkers at a the sublevels of the organization are such in order to ensure that errors don't occur at their level, that the tools they have work effectively and properly, and that the community being served is being serviced in the best possibly way.  In a leadership capacity, you must have your eye on the organization, looking at systems, tools and mechanisms that allow for consistently improved/ functional operations.

Some people will choose to engage in various project or initiatives and others will not.  Those who do not engage, well, that is their problem.  If you choose to be in any role at any workplace, you also choose the responsibilities that go along with that role you fulfill-- not withstanding various emergencies in ones personal life.  Nonetheless, one is obligated to fulfill their responsibilities.  If one chooses to use their voice, they should understand and have a vehicle for when, why and how it can be used-- this will come across in the initial communication from leadership.  Chances are that the high performers will be more actively engaged and have done their research about critical aspects of the project.  If this is true, be mindful of how they can be utilized-- you as a leader may have overlooked something crucial to success.  Others are comfortable in their existing role and will be good or great listeners.

Capacity is the never ending concern for an organization.  You either need more of it or you need more of it.  Organizational capacity in terms of personnel is a priority especially if significant changes are occurring upward because you are working to increase the organizational capacity.  One of the most effective approaches is to always have a mentor/ mentee program in place.  No individual should have dominion in their department in such a way that succession planning is not occurring.  This is not a threat to an individual but a value to the organization.  If only one person has the ability to fully manage any particular division, its projects, etc. replacing that individual in the event of a crisis or lifestyle change for that person, represents  significant risk to the organization leaving it crippled of valuable intellectual capital.
   
Great leaders are also great listeners, they can clearly identify the culture of the organization.  Having a relationship with all levels of the organization is crucial.  It is one of the reasons why the reality television programs have CEO's taking on staff roles to capture a better understanding of what is really happening at levels other than their own.  Operating while only looking at the bottom line (dollars), prevents leaders from being effective- leave that work to comptrollers, finance and others (though those relationship is equally important).  Your point people(identified lower level leaders, including executive teams), should be able to accurately convey the sentiments of voices throughout and enable leaders to be better decision-maker-- this will also come across in the form of gratitude to employees.

 There is no exact science to being a great leader, knowing how to lead and exhibiting superb leadership skills- it is a process.  Great leaders will always be in the learning groove, listening along the way, working to achieve the right balance so that their operations run smoothly.  Great leadership is bold and often bucks the trend when necessary.  U.S. President Barack Obama attempts this within the context of his philosophy about the presidency; Jack Welch did this with General Electric, and Steve Jobs with Apple Inc. was also very successful in this respect.  Great leaders will always ask questions of their organization, others and go to a great length to ask questions of themselves.

* Scotland Willis is a management consultant in Boston focusing on large scale change, strategic planning and professional coaching.  If you have questions or would like to consider his consulting services, you can contact him at 617-283-2755 or via email at scoctlandwillis@gmail.com.

Overwhelmed? Be Happy

Last year there were 12 extreme weather events*; in 2010, there were 14,748 murders in the U.S. (a 4.2 percent decrease over 2009)*; there were 35.9 thousand motor vehicle deaths; heart disease was the leading cause of death in 2010 with 595,444 in the U.S.*  While some of these numbers are down over previous years, the numbers, titles, and subsequent data can easily become overwhelming, as it dominates the headlines in an attempt to capture out attention.

It is becoming more and more difficult to maintain happiness; perhaps a better way to put it is maintaining happiness is and will likely require a greater effort.  More work, that's what we all need- perhaps not, but let's see if we can navigate through some of this and aid ourselves in the process.

Not too many people would argue that happiness is an important component to our overall well being.  I have made recommendation in the past that everyone who follows my blog make a list of 10 things that make you happy; promise yourself every day to do at least one of them; my belief is that you will spend the rest of your life being happy.  So what does that mean?

Balance is probably the single most important word regarding one's well being.  Eat too much and you risk obesity, drink too much and risk liver failure, work to much and risk over stressing yourself or even your family.  Balance ensures that we are conscious about the effect of various lifestyle activities as they affect our wellbeing.  Personal trainers and public health commissions recommend a balance of a healthy diet and exercise.  Psychology experts recommend a good work life balance to maintain personal well being.  While we can't fully pull the reins on all of the factors that throw our lives into a tailspin at times (perhaps we could but that would be counter intuitive to creating the balance in most cases), we can stop from time to time and look at our lifestyle habits or contributing factors that the imbalance that is more destructive in our lives than productive.

With automobile sales on the rise again, that also means more pollutants in the air.  Take some time to visit a national park and hike or walk.  While the immediate impact and reduction to the intake of air pollution may not have a significant difference on your lungs, the psychological benefit is priceless- especially if you are able to do it with family, friends or a social network group that actually meets personally(meetup.com)  who you can enjoy spending time with.  Increasing your heart rate helps to flush out some of those toxins in your body as you increase the rate of exchange of spent air for fresh air.  Now you've done some good for your heart, lungs, muscles and mind.

Happy stone throwing boy (tap image to enlarge)

Understanding how our personal behaviors impact our bodies is critically important.  It is one of the reasons why individuals should have an annual physical, to monitor our body's activity and any abnormalities that may arise.  Such abnormalities are not likely escape the radar if we effectively monitor such patters over time and are able to capture shifts in our biological system.

Cycling is one of my personal favorites, but it is also important to mix in a variety of activities to break up your routine.  Going to a performing arts event; taking sailing lessons, and reading something enjoyable, all offer benefits including the opportunity to socialize in a world that (ahh-hmm) has us in front of a computer screen or on the cell phone way too often.

A recent article in Scientific America examines how scientist are working to create a drug that eliminates the painful memories such as PTSD.  Imagine if you would, the ability to, through your own psychology, technically change your own biological structure to induce happiness from a chemical standpoint.  In some ways that is possible, but what if you could do it on command.  That is what their research conjures up for me.  Time published an article on the effects of happiness in 2008 as it relates to interaction with others.

There are arguments for and against technology for many reasons; without it, we might not be able to fully take advantage of our human potential, yet with it, we (social creatures that we are) often find more reasons to stay at home.  Amazon means we don't have to go out, smart phones mean we don't have to ask other people, laptops mean we can stay glued to television programming; each of these takes a little bit more out of the very value we see in being human beings.

Being human lends itself to a variety of unique opportunities, one of which is the ability to be cognizant of when imbalances are overtaking our life.  The work is recognizing when that is occurring so we can respond and make adjustments when necessary-- which is often not just when we think we are OK.   Happiness is not the struggle, maintaining happiness or even identifying it can be.  Make your happy list  today and be active in maintaining it.  You may see that you are already doing some or all of the 10 things.  Once you get it, you will see how transformational it can be for you.  It is likely that you will begin building your life around being happy and that everything else will follow.



*Extreme weather events NCDC/ NOAA 
*FBI Uniformed Crime Reports
* Leading causes of death (CDC)

FedEx Failure-On-Delivery

Tracking no.: 929884165690490

Every once in a while we experience disappointments in our life.  If we are fortunate enough, we grow from them and improve our performance.  Other times, we experience a complete and utter breakdown in the delivery of service; an experience I had with FedEx recently.

Following FedEx protocol, I was provided with a tracking number for a computer I ordered from Dell ( a computer company in the United States); this tracking number was provided so that I could make plans to receive my new computer.  As one should, I proceeded to visit the FedEx web site and identify where my package was in the shipping process.  In fact, I initially contacted Dell, to get an idea of when I might expect shipment.  While Dell informed me that I may receive my computer on the 4th of the month, I discovered by visiting the Dell site, that my computer shipped out on the 26th and that I should expect delivery on the 28th.

This was great.  I was going to get my computer well ahead of schedule and I could take on the lead in a project I was working on with some partners promising them that I would have power I needed to complete the project and its critical components.  If that was in fact what would occur.

Despite that the tracking information indicated that my package would arrive on the 28th, I returned home only to find out that FedEx attempted to make a delivery on the 27th!  What!  I double checked my notes and the screen that indicated when the delivery was expected.  I printed a copy of the monitor display for certainty.  Sure enough, they completely miscommunicated when my delivery would arrive.

Confused I decided to call FedEx and ask if I could pick up the package.  An agent told me I could and that the facility where my package was being stored was located in Brockton, MA about a 40 minute drive; in Boston traffic, it was more like 1:10 hour/ minutes- and it was late, already 7:00 p.m.   I was not going to be able to get my package that evening.  Actually what I told the representative was that 1) Brocton was way too far for me and 2) I would wait until tomorrow.

The events that ensued after these chains of communication and research online to understand better where my computer might be, became only more frustrating.

Continuing to research exactly where my product is, I use the tracking number on the FedEx web site that Dell provided me with and learned that my package was in transit.  Anxious to pick up the pace of this project, I decided to take time off from work and await delivery.  It never happened!  What did happen is this.

After waiting until 6:00 p.m. I decided to call FedEx.  A representative picked up the phone after several annoying computer prompts.  Now computer prompts should be left for people who do not know what they want or who they need to speak to.  I think the first prompt should go something like this "... if you know what course of action you would like to take state it now and we will place you in direct contact with that department."  They don't and between that and lackluster call centers, customer service at FedEx is quite disappointing.

Having called back three times now, a customer resolution specialist took my case; why this is so bothersome is because he never resolved my problem.  He made an effort to contact the station- that was good.  I actually didn't mind being put on hold, if I would actually get some results.  What aggravated me was that when he returned to my call, he indicated that "...the delivery was in route..."  Even after speaking with the Senior Station Manager, I was assured that the delivery was on the truck and "...it would be delivered tonight..."  Imagine my surprise when I pulled up after going to a colleagues (fellow engineer) house, now 10:34 p.m. and my signed package delivery authorization was still posted on the door.

I waited for another hour and no package; I waited two more hours and not package.  I called back to customer service (again) and spoke with this gentleman again.  Now he began to annoy me because he kept saying to me.1) I've done everything I can... and ; 2) I can't ....I can't ... I can't.  Wrong answer!  He never even attempted to say.  You know what Mr. Willis, We are going to make this right for you.  Let me make a recommendation to the senior manager.

My proposal was to transform the situation and figure out how to make an advertisement out of this scenario by going to an extraordinary length and reenacting the event to work in FedEx's favor.  That clearly is not going to happen.  What else is not likely to happen is that this will go viral and people will consider not using FedEx; heck I will likely still use them, but I will be much more discerning about mailing a package and make more of an effort to send my packages via another carrier.

The entire day has now gone by; it is 11:45 p.m. and I am running out of steam.  Funny thing is I am a happy person.  I don't recall being this bothered by something for some time.  I think what bothered me most is that all the information I was given was wrong: the dates, the times, the delivery; there was no accountability system that made someone behave differently and served my needs.

I don't mind being disappointed, it actually helps to add balance to life; what I have no patience for is complete dysfunction and that is what I experienced with FedEx today.  Nobody knew where the package was nor if it would be delivered.  We'll see what tomorrow delivers.  If I am fortunate, I will receive my package before 10:00 a.m. or at all for that matter- why, because they still do not know where my package is.

A Day in Boston the BLC

Auntie and Mom

by Scotland Willis
(click on photos to enlarge)


Boston is an amazing city.  I tell all my guests and friends  it is the Big Little City, with a population just over 600,000 people.  What Boston lacks in population, it recovers in activity and vibrance.  Today was one of those days.  A look at some photos will tell the story, in less than two hours, I made a choice encounter, explored the wild, enjoyed great music, and observed the wake of an unfortunate fire.

Puddingstone Place

That's just it, there is always something happening here especially when the weather breaks.  People come out of the wood-works like you would not believe; like ants emerging to explore the newness of the landscape, the energy, the voices and sounds of The City are all remarkable.  Boston is full of entertainment, which you'll find in just about every part of the city if you choose to explore.  And that is the key; when you do Boston, you have to open yourself up to explore-- everything.

Today was one of those days.  After an early rise, in anticipation of the great weather Boston was going to have, I began my day with a short workout; listing the things I needed to get done, a quick visit to my moms to see my visiting aunt from Florida, clean house (Puddingstone Place) and I am out-a-here!  And before I could get out the door, a cardinal, posing for me- possibly signaling that this was going to be a brilliant day.

Jackson Station T stop

A short walk to public transportation and my journey begins; the cool, but warming air feels great!  As usual I pack my camera in anticipation of capturing something unusual-- that is exactly what happened.  My arrival at the Orange Line T(Boston's underground subway), and I encountered my second subject for the day, a bird of prey.  Swooping  over my head, it perched itself upon a ledge in the train station, allowing me to capture its stature.  Wow, (thrilled that I brought my camera with me)!  I should have known it was going to be this kind of day.  If this was the only thing I captured it was well worth it.

Mr. C' Jackson Station T platform

A walk down the stairs to the platform and I encounter a young aspiring engineer who also plays the guitar.  I decide to engage in a conversation only to learn that he is attending the same school for under graduate work as my graduate school.  It was an honor to meet young Mr. C'.  We exchanged emails and hopefully will stay in touch.

Berklee Music Students Boylston St.

I disembark at my stop "Back Bay!" the conductor announces, and begin to absorb the life of The City.  You can feel the energy rising.  A simple turn right, and a left two blocks later leads me to the clamor of locals and visitors soaking up the sun and enjoying the outdoors
 on Copley Plaza; this leaves me with high anticipation of what is still to come as Summer is just around the corner.  This time last year we were still flirting with bitterly cold temperatures.

Up a few more blocks to the iPhone store and off again to connect with the city.  It is definitely a walking day.  Half a block up I begin to hear the sound of The City come to life.  It looks like Berklee music students have gotten together to have an outdoor jam session.  Beneficiaries? all onlookers.

Boylston & Mass Ave

Too interesting a day to take underground transportation the whole way so I start to walk to Fenway.  Fire! wow.

So that is a typical day in Boston, perhaps not so typical; but if you take time and put effort into making the best out of Boston, you will not be disappointed.  There is almost unavoidably plenty to do and see in Boston.  Whatever you do, don't just sit around and do nothing.

Female Insecurities

Female insecurities manifest in many ways.  They can result from years of ridicule in school, abusive parents, peer pressure, or the common pressures of societies expectations (you're too fat, ...you're not beautiful enough, ...buy this to look sexy, "...if your not beautiful, you're something else- and that's not important, so be somebody").  Yesterday I had a conversation with someone I truly Love(not romantically).  I was deeply troubled by a statement she made because it was not something that would come up in the basic context of our conversation [embarking upon a new relationship], but rooted in her life experience, impacting her self perception.

It ended up something like this "...I always felt that Latino men weren't attracted to me", no exactly like that.  Ok. Stop!

First of all, I am seriously passionate about Latina culture for many reasons- sex appeal being one major attraction; they maintain a culture that is enduring with passion in their dance, music, dress, and even attitude.

That being said I could never allow my self image to be defined by this culture, nor can it influence whether or not I feel whole as a person.  This is where my warning to(let's just call her Alise) for Alise was anchored.  My suggestion was simple 1) look at how a certain culture manipulates your father and his need to feel accepted 2) "you are both beautiful and sexy".  The issues is more so that most men don't have the courage to communicate what they think about you (as far as attraction goes).  So don't get bent out of shape if a particular type of person is appears to not be attracted to you.

Think of how much of one's life is molded around branding sexuality and beauty.  Then think about equating the amount of time you spend striving to achieve that status.  My question is simple; does the amount of time you invest in clothes, physical appearance( I am specifically omitting health, because maintaining your health is very important- so it can be a fine line), aesthetic appearance, lifestyle facades, really repay itself in the end?  For some perhaps it does, but what is that threshold of return on investment? When do we compromise our self confidence for superficiality and desire for acceptance?

Siem Reap SE Asia

The best return on your investment is to find what makes you feel whole be systematically eliminating the superficial factors that might define who you are.  Who do you end up with?  Can you find peace and confidence in who you see as you look at yourself, without depending on the elements around you to color up who you might not be?  This is not to say that the world we interact with will not influence us, it should to some degree; just be clear on who you are when you embrace something new.  Allow that person, event, thing, culture, activity etc. to enhance your life (by adding character) but not define your life.

Being you is awesome, especially when you take a step back, look at what you appreciate about what you have done in your life, smile at what is good and wholesome about you- then, just enjoy being you.     

Females are not the only ones with insecurities; it just happens that I care about this one more than words can say.

Opposition to Myths About Energy

Opposition to Conservative Reasoning
and Economic Theory

by Scotland Willis

A recent article in a the Atlanta Journal- Constitution(Feb 11, 2012), highlighted "myths about saving energy."  Unfortunately this line of thinking only reinforces the ignorance that much of the world perceives regarding its interpretation of the of the United States and its sense of arrogance.  

While this may seem like a extreme position to take, look at the numbers before I go into explaining why poor reasoning regarding whether or not behaving more consciously about individual usage, is the greatest harm.

The United States uses collectively, 3.7 billion Megawatt Hours/ year (mWh/ year) as per 2009 numbers*. In 2010, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 11,496 kWh, an average of 958 kilowatt hours (kWh) per month. Tennessee had the highest annual consumption at 16,716 kWh and Maine the lowest at 6,252 kWh.

An example of energy usage available via pdf produced by National Grid: Ten 100-watt lamps, when on for one hour, consume 1 kilo-watt-hour (kWh).  A 60 watt bulb running for 4 hours equals about a pound of coal.

Returning to the dispute; one should not be opposed to people understanding the individual economic impact of wasting energy; it is critical however, to be acutely cognizant of the greater collective impact.  One could easily argue that if I lived alone on this earth and randomly threw my waste everywhere and anywhere in my wake, it would have marginal impact in comparison to what the environment could in its decomposition process, but multiply that times 260 million people and we have a real problem.  Economic theory suggest that we hold constant explanatory variables other than the one under consideration, i.e., accept that considering the micro economics of individuals having too small an impact to matter, is irrelevant; this paradigm can no longer hold true.  The value of externalities and the increased rate at which we are decimating the environment is too significant a factor to be dismissed.  Such elements are too intertwined to not consider extrapolating the observations to create a more meaningful understanding of our individual responsibility- even if it seems as minute as $3.00.  If we could get 260 million people to donate $3.00 each day (which could serve as an example of how much energy we waste, thought the number is much higher), what affect would that have on poverty (2.847e+11); you'll want to add some zeros on for that "11"?

We need to be constantly conscious of our individual actions as we risk losing the opportunity to shift the behavior of everyone around us.  This discussion was prompted not only by the article, but by a heated discussion between my father and myself.  For him he argued that I could not quantify the significance of leaving a refrigerator door open for 10 seconds versus 3 seconds- which completely misses the point.  The point is if we collectively close our refrigerator door sooner, we (260,000,000 people) will have the kind of meaningful impact that would not only protect the environment a bit more, but also shift the perception that gluttony is a way of life in the United States.  A simple look at our rate of obesity and the trend therein, should reflect another serious indicator that our behavior needs to shift.    




*Energy Information Administration (EIA)

Sound on the Charles

 Sitting dockside on the Charles River, enjoying the usual sounds of the river currents rushing the docks continuing towards the shoreline, I stop to enjoy the sights, something I would not usually be able to enjoy until late April mid May. The temp is about 50 degrees and the city soundscape of Boston fills the backdrop, reminding me why I enjoy my time here so much.  What should be a cold winter day is substituted for an unseasonably mild 54 degrees as foretasted by local meteorologists.  Apparently it will be like this for the remainder of the week.  Last year this time it was a mere 28 degrees.  It... is... a ...day.  

While in some cities you might enjoy the weather, the beaches, night life or theater; you might even enjoy an abundance of those things; Boston however has just the right balance of all of these amenities.  Compact and filled like nuts in a Snickers bar, Boston is very satisfying. Boston can be viewed as the Little Big City or the big little city- it's true.  All of this in a compact area makes it easy to act as an ambassador to the City.

  Highland Park is my most favorite area in Boston. From here you have access to every one of the most interesting aspects of the City- all within fifteen minutes.  From the Museum of Fine Arts (mfa) to the USS Constitution, from Fenway Park to the theater district- all are nearby.  Perhaps the most charming attribute of Highland Park in Boston, is it's suburban feel. 50-75 year old trees line back yards and streets- a feature found in few other areas in Boston, with such density- though each neighborhood has its uniqueness. But here one can feel as though they can get comfortably lost while remaining in the City- this is the place to be.


 If mild weather glitches have you eagerly anticipating the more permanent warmer days slow your role for just a bit- it's coming.  Before you know it you will find yourself making regular visits to the Charles River.  Whether you like to walk, run, cycle or just sit and observe, the Charles is a great retreat. Do you hear it?  It's calling you.
As this new 2012 season of tourism approaches, visitors be mindful; you won't want to miss Boston this year.  And feel free to visit Puddingstone Place Bed and Breakfast- it is equally beautiful; and of course it is in Highland Park.

An Authority in the Field

Being an authority in sustainability is not as important as being able to lead others to walk a sustainable path.  For example, there are 831 scientist appointed to the 5th climate assessment panel for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).  While that sounds rather impressive, and it is, it does not make the knowledge sharer impressive- this is more to the point.

There is a certain benevolence among the community truly committed to growing the number of people actively participating in climate initiatives and efforts.  It seems sometimes that the real expertise manifests in behavior; it is not necessarily the expert that convinces people, but the persuader that is most successful.  Think about advertising, the woman in the skimpy shirt and panties, the man with the low cut jeans; they are no expert in manufacturing jeans or even health and fitness, but you listen to their message- buy these jeans dammit and you will look good like me.  And what happens, millions of people go out and make their purchase on a most unreliable source.

So with 831 experts in their field, why is it so difficult to move a society closer to climate consciousness?  We are creatures of habit and comfort.  This may be one of the human conditions that plagues us the worst, certainly among the top ten.  In fact when is the last time you watch or responded to the stock market rising or falling.  Heck we have so much belief in the stock market, not a day goes by where we are persuaded to believe that our day is not complete without us determine based on some"one", else's opinion, that the world economy is going to collapse because the some country's market dropped 1%.

Now imagine if we gave that much weight to the environment.  What would happen if we responded to a 1% change in the ecosystem, the way we do when the financial markets shift.  We might think very differently about the Amazon Rain Forest.  Such a shift in our behavior might result in a cataclysmic shift in our decision making.

In a recent article in Time Magazine, Ecuador want to be paid not to destroy the rain forest in their geographic area.  It is a very interesting article, but more importantly it is forces us to take a real hard look at externalities (assessing a value to attributes we over look). I would say that the world could probably come up with $3.6 billion dollars to protect the rain forest for 13 years- seems like a pretty good value.  As a matter of fact, I think I going to reach into my pocket right now and that spare $3 billion I have just sitting around.  All joking aside, why is it we have hordes of people telling us the significance of climate issues and our response is less than admirable?  Comfort is a likely answer.

We have got to work harder to do more to persuade others to act more responsibly.  Maybe it is more time out of our day, more money, better yet, more individual innovation that will help move people's stale thinking about climate extremes.  And whatever you do, don't try to scare people into being more responsible, they will just shut down and that won't do anyone or anything any good.  Let's go back to the sexy women and men of advertising; it is not often that you feel threatened by their ads, they can be down right persuasive.  Employ similar techniques, at least in principle.  No need to start stripping down, though some women in the Ukraine, have been known to take advocacy to such a level somewhat successfully.  Hmmm, perhaps the tides are changing.

Good fortune to all!

Just a brief look into my other life Photography

I am preparing for an art installation.  I look forward to your thought and opinions.

Link to Flicker photos

Enjoy!  And thank you for your support.

Kind regards,
Scotland

Shifting from Climate Change to Climate Extremes

 by Scotland Willis

The discussion over climate change, has been a hotly debated issue since it's inception.  Advocates fiercely reacting to opponents of climate related issues with great fervor to emphasize the seriousness of potential threats.  Now is not the time to add to that flame, but rather clarify- and continue to do so.  Choosing a discourse that is based on observations, reasonable extrapolations, and comparative data year over year, is imperative.  Action is a must.

Yes, it is impossible to predict exactly what is going to happen with the weather patterns around the world, many experts believe the extremes will continue to increase aggressively- a likely scenario.  But if speculation, projections and modeling aren't sufficient (a task carried out by experts in the field of science), then why do we depend so heavily on them with regards to economic market conditions?  Such models are known as market predictability models; hundreds of billions of dollars each day depend on such projections and their outcomes.  Why? Simple, they are a good indicator of human behavior with reference to increasing or decreasing the price of various commodities.

 Why then, are such sophisticated systems dismissed in climate modeling?  Asserting that using probabilities and potentialities is not a reliable source, is a poor argument for non-action by policy makers and the general population for that matter.

It is important to be able to translate this into climate extremes and human behavior; market behavior is of course very different- or is it.

If we think of the environment in an inverse sort of way, we can look at it a bit differently.  While we can't change the weather based on how many people are going to buy a share of sunshine or speculate on rain; we do do this in a sense.  People bid on crops and other agribusiness all the time.  The performance of the weather significantly determines whether the price of wheat will go up or down.  Take the fires that destroyed the wheat crops in Russia.  People who speculated that the price of wheat would go down when those crops matured lost their bet in terms of stock futures.  Why? because the unexpected wildfires that destroyed the crops thus increasing the price of wheat.


And there is evidence that governments have been tampering with, artificially experimenting and manipulating the weather patterns over the years.  But the other and more important point is that we (the human species), can intentionally shift the way we impact the environment.  It is true that if agribusiness could make enough millions they would play war games with other countries crops but that is not the topic of discussion here.

The former discussion is solely to raise awareness of potentialities.  What our human impact is doing is having an accelerated impact on weather conditions.  Climate change will always occur, but climate extremes will significantly impact how we live and what quality of life we can expect.  The other point of the discussion above was to look at the comparison of using predictions and forecasting to influence our decisions about legislative policy related to climate change.  A book written about crowdsourcing (link here), provides some insights to predictive modeling as a powerful source to understanding economic market behavior


In 2011, the United States experienced twelve (12) extreme weather events; the record in 2008 was nine such events.  These are generally events that translate into $1 billion in damage or more.  Two good resources to defer to are both the NOAA (link here) and a Public Broadcasting Service program NewsHour (link hour).  From Snowfall records in January of 2011 that paralyzed the midsection of the United States to the hundreds of people who died from record tornadoes that hit the country; more extreme weather patterns are striking with great force and increasing frequency.  The NOAA estimates $52b in total damage for weather related events in 2011.  These unusual weather events are not solely in the U.S.

This past Fall season, my travels took me to Thailand during flooding that struck the far north and continued southward decimating communities.  And early in 2012, Latin America is experiencing recording flooding, wildfires and droughts (Huffington Post).  Along with the extreme hurricane type winds that battered the U.K., these patters emit a warning signs that should have legislators acting on firm policies to protect the native populations.  Planning is the key.  But when project like Rancho Cielo Solar Farm get canceled one must ask why, and not just point to the DOE-- but ask who is pulling the strings?  How do such project like this get usurped politically?  Start by asking what is at stake for the existing industries that have dominion over energy sources.


Real Solutions
Locating energy sources closer to the populations that use them is an important decision to make.  A tremendous amount of energy is lost when electricity from power generating plants are located long distances from the end user.  But no one wants a coal burning plant in their back yard (unless you live in Washington D.C. [ Capital Power Plant], 60,000 tons of carbon dioxide).  Solution, find a different power source.  Granted that in some areas, certain environments are not hospitable to certain power sources.  The efficiency  is simply a poor trade off.  But in many places geothermal, solar and wind are seriously under utilized.

What to Expect
Expect more extreme storms.  The capacity of the atmosphere to retain more energy and moisture means that the release of such energy will be more extreme.  Can we harness more of that extreme energy and find creative ways to stave off or offset the negative impact? Can't answer that one.  But we can trust what is before us and act accordingly.

Extremeness:

• Snow: January record snowfall in Chicago blizzards that pounded 22 states in the midsection of the US;
• Spring: Tornadoes 3 largest twister outbreaks in 6 wks $25b dmage;
• 300 killed in 3 days
•  Tuscaloosa, Alabama leveled due to tornadoes;
• Joplin Missouri: Late May leveled killed over 150 people200 mph winds
• Hurricane Irene; ravaging the East coastline
• Droughts  TX $10b loss crops, livestock, timber, (hottest Summer in TX
• over 6000 1m acres over labor day weekend.
• Kansas 100 days over 100 temp

Astounding New Year

Amazing, is the best way to describe the first day of 2012.

Waking up early I decided to start my day with a hike.  I had not made plans much past that, because I intended on returning to Boston and watch the Patriots game.  After stopping by a locally owned coffee shop, where I enjoyed a brief conversation with an employee, I continued onward to my destination.

One of the most pleasurable things about living in the Northeastern United States, is the opportunity to enjoy a wide array of activities due to the change in seasons.  Skiing, running, cycling, sailing, hiking are all at one's disposal more or less.  Today my hike would be the first time I started the new year this way.  The pine trees are just one reminder of what makes nature so spectacular- healthy and green all year round.

The day before I called the park rangers office to ensure the area was open and that it was not hunting season, not wanting to be a human target nor wanting to wear special clothing to indicate I am not the desired target for a hunter.  Thankfully hunting season had ended just a couple of weeks earlier.  I was anxious to begin the year this way- my first accomplishment of 2012.  It wasn't about me, it was about doing something for me.

I picked up a trail map outside the office since the offices were closed due to the new year.  I packed away my compass determined not to use it, and began doing some light bushwhacking after starting off on a trail.

What made the hike invigorating is the prospect of getting lost. Perhaps it was because there was no real threat; I had my compass if I needed it, it was early in the day, and I was relatively familiar with the landscape. The hike itself was only rated as a level 6.  I remember feeling slightly frustrated because I had to cross a road during my hike; I paused and realized that was not why I was out here- issue resolved and back to enjoying myself.

The landscape reminded me of Colorado at times.  Because of the vastness of Colorado and the diverse animal and tree life, it provides an overwhelming sense of aloneness.  Aloneness is different than solitude; there is an absence of company.  At times it can be discomforting, not knowing where help might come from if an accident occurred.  There are also times I wonder, what if something in me actually failed-- what would I do, more importantly, what would happen; how long would it take for anyone to discover I was even gone.  I don't think I told anyone where I was going specifically.  All that didn't matter too much, the sense of throwing caution to the wind was of greater importance.

I was lost in a controlled way, for about two hours before I regained my bearings, I headed back to the car. I usually move at a pretty good clip, today was not exception.
After arriving at the car, I already decided towards the end of my hike that I would then drive to the end of Massachusetts (where I have never been), and continue to indulge myself in starting the new year off differently than every before.  I arrived at Provincetown or P-Town to the locals.  It was exactly what I expected.  Exuberance best describes the inner sense of emotions.

High tide was coming in and the sun was on its way down.  Several things ensued that postponed my planned departure.

As I began walking down the beach my first encounter was with a mother and two daughters.  They were writing something in the sand and I asked if they would like me to take a photo of them.  Gleefully they responded "absolutely".  Their happiness turned into communion, and they invited me to join them as we substituted photographers- I was not a subject.  This event immediately raised my enthusiasm about being there.  It that had been my Ted Koppel sign off and I had to head back home, that would have made my day, but it did not end there.

A man who presumably lived in the area, came riding down the beach on a beautiful stallion.  If you don't have a love for horses, this might not seem significant but for me it contributed to a perfect day.  I have always had a passion for horses and committed to owning one some day.  While this may not have been a highlight, it reminded me of when I went horseback riding  on the beach in Costa Rica.

This experience had me feeling like the Universe was placing everything in order, that I was hoping for this day.  Though the day was coming to an end, it felt more like it was just beginning.  What what really happening was my year was just beginning- figuratively and literally.

Another 100 meters from my horse encounter and a group of ten or so women were performing their annual ritual.  Though only four of the women decided to take the bold initiative of stripping charging the Atlantic Ocean as well as seemingly defying the obstacles of the new year.  You could almost hear their karma saying "no obstacle before me will stop me from my....", something.  Honestly there is no way of telling what they might be thinking, yet it was evident that there was a sense of defiance.

Their act was inspirational as the men and women abound cheered them on.  In fact so inspired was I that I followed suit.  OK too much information, but I could not resist the sense of liberation and defiance.  Over the centuries mankind has always challenged his greatest foe, the planet.  Defiance of gravity, defiance of immobility, defiance of penetrating the atmosphere... of the ocean depths, and mountain tops.  This was one of those occasions, perhaps not quite so grandiose-   though for me, it was every bit as fulfilling.  I stayed in the ocean for about five minutes, absorbing the moment; enjoying the unmistakable sensation of the near freezing water.  I recall not wanting to get out.  There was more to this day and I did not want to miss any of what else might be in store.  I feel the Universe has a way of ordering things, this was my moment.  As a deep sea diver I embrace the water, I like to think we share a certain kinship.



Afterwards we all gathered around the ritualistic bonfire.  Having changed into fresh dry clothing and drying off, I simply reflected on the events of the day- pleasant.  I was indifferent to the ride home; neither ready to go nor stay.  I said goodbye to my new friends and promised I would return next year.