This Memorial Day Consider a Child
// May 25th, 2009 // Comments // History, Military, Music
Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame, and an incredible songwriter, owes much of his fame unfortunately to the death of his dad in World War II. The Wall
It was just before dawn one miserable morning in black ‘forty four.
When the forward commander was told to sit tight when he asked that his men be withdrawn.
And the Generals gave thanks as the other ranks held back the enemy tanks for a while.
And the Anzio bridgehead was held for the price of a few hundred ordinary lives.And kind old King George sent Mother a note when he heard that father was gone.
It was, I recall, in the form of a scroll, with gold leaf and all.
And I found it one day in a drawer of old photographs, hidden away.
And my eyes still grow damp to remember his Majesty signed with his own rubber stamp.It was dark all around.
There was frost in the ground when the tigers broke free.
And no one survived from the Royal Fusiliers Company C.
They were all left behind, most of them dead, the rest of them dying.
And that’s how the High Command took my daddy from me.“When the tigers broke free” - Pink Floyd, The Final Cut
I grew up listening to these albums without really paying attention to the words or the themes. The music was great. “Another Brick in the Wall” caused much angst among teachers I recall. As I look back and listen again today, I can only think that Waters spent much of his youth and most of his adult life angry and confused, if these and other lyrics are any indication. To a child, war doesn’t make sense. Losing a parent to something that doesn’t make sense makes it doubly tough.
When a child loses a parent to war, especially an unpopular one, the risk is substantial that the honor and respect — the legacy — due the parent by all Americans will be forgotten. It’s tough for children to overhear things like “illegal war” and “misguided ideologies” and “torturers” and not come away feeling angry and confused, much like Roger Waters did.
A Soldier’s Child Birthday Foundation was established in an effort to remind children of fallen military personnel that their mom or dad did make a difference and were in fact heroes just by the mere fact that they chose to don a uniform of the United States. It is our hope that you might consider joining us to keep the legacy of dad or mom alive by helping us provide a birthday present to a child each year up to age 19. This Memorial Day, consider a child. Read more HERE.
Mrs. Hawthorne’s secret stash
// May 12th, 2009 // Comments // Books, Daily Life, People
I subscribe to Dan Miller’s 48 Days newsletter. It’s published weekly and provides encouragement to those working through career transition or improving on an existing path. He’s written several great books on finding the job you love either for new employment or for those embarking on the challenging task of beginning a new business.
A recent newsletter had an interesting story about Nathaniel Hawthorne. Several things struck me after reading it. Here is the snippet.
Honey, I got Fired — Nathaniel Hawthorne went home to tell his wife that he had just been fired from his job. “Good,” she said. “Now you can write your book.” “What do we live on meanwhile?” Hawthorne asked. His wife opened a drawer filled with money. “I have always known that you are a man of genius,” she said. “So I saved a little each week, and now I have enough to last for a year.” Hawthorne used the time to write “The Scarlet Letter,” one of the great masterpieces of American literature.
First I noticed that he “failed” by getting fired. At least that’s what most people think of when on the losing end of that dreaded event. To Hawthorne it was a setback (failure). Where will the money come from (failure). How will I provide (failure). Guys have a need to be providers. Losing a job puts a major dent in that armor. But read on… Second thing I noticed was that he had a wife that knew him well and planned for his success. She saw his genius, perhaps even before he did. With that, she put away money, knowing if given an opportunity to write, he would be successful.
Our wives play an important role in helping us guys see our genius. But that too is a choice that must be made on both sides of the equation. For the wife it means having patience and impeccable timing. Knowing what to say and how to say it. For a husband it means being willing to listen and accept that she may actually be right about a few things. That’s a tough one for the male in the species. But one thing is for sure… it’s risky either way. But so worth it.
Mrs. Hawthorne knew the language of her husband. She knew just what he needed to hear. She didn’t focus on the negative. In “The Noticer” (which I would get your hands on as soon as humanly possible), one of the chapters portrays a marriage gone bad and the communication disconnect that caused it. Very simply, you need to understand your mate’s love language, that which speaks life into him or her. If only there were a Rosetta Stone for marriage, you ask. It’s really not that tough once you know what the language is. Why would you learn German while planning a trip to France. Doesn’t make much sense. Get The Noticer. It will change your life.
Back to the job dilemma… Whether it’s losing a job or some other situation that may or may not come up suddenly, we each have the ability to choose how to respond. Don’t give up. Perhaps it’s time to try something different. Take your accumulated experiences and see where they may point you. If you are in that position of having been let go from a company or are considering a change, take a look at some of Dan’s offerings at the 48 Days Website (after you’ve read The Noticer).
Perspective - Simple Advice from a man named Jones
// April 27th, 2009 // Comments // Books, Daily Life
Ever had someone see something great in you and you laughed it off, fearful of being too prideful? Or some destructive habit you enjoy and are too stubborn to let anyone stop you from continuing (it’s your life after all)? It’s so hard to get outside of who we think we are to see us as we were meant to be. It’s like the difference in how you view a cornfield maze depending on whether you are walking amidst the stalks or seeing it from a view high above after getting dropped out an airplane in a tandem skydive. It’s all about perspective. We are our own worst enemy when it comes to seeing things about us in the way they truly are. In fact, without some outside perspective, I would say it’s impossible. We scratch and claw for our own way, staying on a path to limited potential, and in the quiet we wonder if we matter.
Andy Andrews, in a remarkable way, tells a modern day parable about people. People like you and me. Broken, bruised, prone to giving up, occasionally questioning what life’s all about, and then seeing glimmers of hope. In The Noticer, you’ll find at least one of the characters is you. There were several well representing me. You’ll also find yourself wishing you had a Jones to show you who you are. To live out who you were made to be. But I don’t want to give it away…
The writing style flows well and weaves well-developed characters into believable storylines. My wife picked it up as soon as I put it down. I can always tell a great story when I find myself sharing the concepts I learned with others immediately after reading it. This was one of those books. A classic that will be shortlived on your nightstand, but will find its way back there soon enough as you find the need to read it again. Because, after all… Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective.
ShareThis, not that
// April 9th, 2009 // Comments // Fun, Technology
Ahhh, the joys of Facebook. You know, you get all those friends from High School and college wanting to reconnect. You message back and forth a few times and then get busy with life again. Well, I got reconnected with Tim Schigel last fall. He and I were fraternity brothers at Case Western. We used to play in a band we founded called Skydiver because we actually went skydiving during out first couple weeks of college and couldn’t really think of a better name. We played a lot of Rush classics and other party tunes of the day. We opened for cover bands in the Cleveland area. Good times… Good times… 20 years ago.
Tim would go on to create ShareThis, a really cool sharing app that actually has some real usefulness outside of just being a fashionable widget. Me… I would go on to… hmmm… nothing quite so glamorous.
Tim calls me every now and again and tells me that he just met so and so at ESPN or MTV or House of Blues and that they are implementing the ShareThis widget on their site. I saw the widget appear on FoxNews.com one day and realized he’d made it to the big time. Tim is one of those humble guys not just chasing a dream but grabbing it by the horns. He and his family had a nice write up in Family Circle about the trials of running a huge multi-million dollar internet company while trying to keep family a priority. He does both well and because of that Tim is one of my heroes.
So what is ShareThis anyway and why should you care share? ShareThis is more than just an easy way to get social media content from one place to the next. And if there is one thing that is certain: we are bombarded and overwhelmed with managing the information we see on any given day. ShareThis is like a platform for managing this information you find during your travels online. If you’ve seen the ShareThis icon on a website, that site owner has recognized the benefit to its readers by making the article sharing process a one-click event. In the past, you’d see an article you like and you’d have to copy the URL, paste it into an email, find the person or persons you’d like to send to, and then send it on its way. Or you find something useful for yourself and you’d like to save it to read later. You create a word document or notepad for “useful links” or just bookmark it. If you are like me the bookmarks on the browser can get large and unorganized quickly. Or suppose you want to Twitter something useful to your tribe. There’s a better way.
ShareThis comes in and saves the day by making these multiple keystrokes and clicks a thing of the past. First, you create a free account. Next you get the widget for your blog (easy with Wordpress). Next you get the free add-on for your browser of choice. Then you go have some fun with it. With Wordpress, it just shows up below each post by default. The admin area provides customization of location and color themes. A visitor clicks and sees the following:
As you can see, there are a host of options available to you. From facebook to twitter to email to texting. And it takes your page info and passes it along automatically when you Send or Post.
One of the neatest features I really like is the ShareBox. I’m constantly putting articles in there that I want to read later. These can be shared or deleted directly from within your sharebox after you’ve had a chance to review them.
Curious which pages are being shared the most on your site. ShareThis provides reporting capabilities of sharing activity on a per page basis.
So, there you have it. I’m leaving out a whole lot more of what it is capable of. So why not give it a try. Just click ShareThis below and see how much fun sharing can be.
Cut me, Mick
// April 8th, 2009 // Comments // Economy, Success
Rocky couldn’t see anymore. He’s in the corner blinded by the swelling from the beating he was taking from Apollo Creed. He says to Mick, his trainer,
My eye… Cut me, Mick… Cut me… Cut me.
After a bit of hesitation, Mick tells his assistant to do it. This is hollywood of course, but what a great picture of a desire to win. Rocky got his sight back and thus a renewed vision for victory.
We need that sometimes when our focus becomes narrow or when everything just seems dark and hopeless. I had several comments yesterday after posting my short tweet about the availability of work in today’s “weak” economy. My quote was something like “It’s out there if you want it.” I know that is hard to hear when you are losing your home and I”m not suggesting a quick fix. But I believe this particular bit of advice is apropos to our times. I stated five things that help me stay on task as I navigate the economic times in business.
1. Avoid Naysayers - Consider the sources where you get your economic outlook. You’ve probably heard it from some media outlets that subtly or with intention are hoping you’ll buy into the doom and gloom. Or maybe its a “friend” that likes misery in mixed company. This is caustic if listened to regularly because it is a hope killer. You don’t know how many people I talk to who run their own businesses that say “Boy, the economy hasn’t hit my industry yet. I wish things would slow down a bit.” If you look, you’ll find opportunities for beginning a business or employment opportunities if starting a business is not your thing. It’s out there.
2. Stay Hungry - Why are these small business owners, the ones that are having market success, actually having success? I think it is a combination of things. Good products, smart business practices, customers who love them, steady growth, being experts at what they do, balanced life, the list goes on… But I believe there is a deeper desire within each: an unstoppable personal drive. Not sitting back on past successes. Not resting on ones laurels, so to speak.
3. Take Risks - This doesn’t mean throw your brain out the window, blindfold yourself, and play pin the tail on the donkey with your life. It does mean conquer the fear that keeps you from going after something. From experience, I think fear kept me from achieving the dreams I’d visualized earlier in life. It wasn’t until the fear was gone that I could make those cold calls and build those relationships, required for success in building a business.
4. Don’t go it alone - When you are an island, you are a target. The bullseye on your back has the crosshairs of a force much greater than you focused on it. And you can’t handle it alone. There is an enemy out there that is willing to let you go it alone and will even provide you all the success you want: at a price! At the expense of your family, your relationship with God, and in some cases at the expense of your own soul. It is a series of turns you make when you come to forks in the road that appear harmless on the outset, but will allow you to be isolated from others over time. It can turn you upside down and in the end make you wish you’d never gone down that road to begin with. I’ve seen it. It is not good. A husband can’t expect to spend every waking minute through a decade of marriage working to grow a business while neglecting his wife and not expect something to break. It’s preventable. Surround yourself with like-minded and successful people.
5. Give Thanks - To whom you might ask? God, your wife, your kids, mentors, pastors, parents, business partners, teachers. More than likely there are many people who have added to or assisted with your success. Either through giving you time to succeed or advice on how to do it. Don’t forget to remember them.
So don’t be afraid to get a little dirty, a little bruised, perhaps even needing to do some minor surgery on your sight. There is victory ahead.
One minute 30 seconds
// April 2nd, 2009 // Comments // time
The average red light time is one minute 30 seconds. At least that’s what I’ve been finding around my neck of the woods (I’ve actually been timing them recently out of curiosity). One minute 30 seconds. When you’re late it seems like an eternity. When you’re angry late, it’s eternity squared. If you consider all the minute and 30 seconds available on any given day, it’s amazing how this one little ole minute and 30 seconds wields so much power and control over us.
A whole new industry has sprouted up almost overnight because one minute and 30 seconds is just too confining for the demanding schedules of us humans. And for all its trappings, beating the red light to the punch, getting your picture taken, and paying a hefty fine pales in comparison to the humiliation of realizing you’ve lost to a machine. You cower in your seat, banging your fist against the steering wheel as the brilliant red globe stares back with a smile, knowing it has your attention for at least another one minute and 30 seconds.
The new and improved TheronHatch.com
// March 29th, 2009 // Comments // Blog
Boy this has been a long time in the making. But I finally finished it. I’d like to know what you think.
Don’t just stare at it, climb it
// March 1st, 2009 // Comments // Beauty, Mind
Ken Davis gave me some good advice recently. He said that many of us look at the mountain summit, admiring it’s beauty, all the while thinking that one day we’ll climb it. Few ever do. I was telling my dad about a new idea I’ve got brewing. He shared with me this quote.
The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night. - - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882)
My dad is pretty smart. It’s funny… he just became smart recently. You see, I was always way smarter growing up. But now I can see that maybe it was the other way around. Anyway, I’m going to take his advice through this quote and toil upward in the night.
Stimulus Watch: Keeping an Eye on Economic Recovery Spending
// February 17th, 2009 // Comments // Blog
Stimulus Watch: Keeping an Eye on Economic Recovery Spending
Posted using ShareThis
Mysterious ways
// February 16th, 2009 // Comments // Art, Beauty, Fun, Mind, Nature
The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed. - Albert Einstein
- Theron said: Thanks Tim. It was good to get the band back toge...
- Tim Schigel said: Theron, I'm honored and so glad to have re-co...
- Michele said: Very nice!...
- Theron said: Thanks Michele. Glad you stopped by....
- Jim Miller said: Theron, There are 2 trips to Russia. I am not...
- Michele said: Sweet wisdom ... both Ken's and Longfellow's....
- How not to start off the New Year.
- Sandy from Walgreens
- Stars - Something Constant
- The expense of time
- Missing demo track found
