This is retro day. I picked up a small yellow book that has been on my bookshelf for more than a few years. The initial read gave us all some big laughs as we reminisced on things from our childhood that we had forgotten about. Perusing it today, many years later, I notice that many of the products are back on shelves. Reminds me of the literal version of the saying " What goes around, comes around." Wondering if this is a commentary on the fact that we are aging. That we have finally reached the point in our lives when these toys, products, songs etc. are being reintroduced to younger generations because they are "classic", which is really another word for just plain "old".See if any of these things spark anything in your memories:
Daisy chains
Black lights
Metal lunchboxes
Lava lamps
Rocky Horror
Pet Rock
Mood Ring
Green stamp books
Leif Garret
Bay City Rollers
The DeFranco Family
Mad Libs
Ouija Boards
Black & White tv sets (not talking about the console here!)
The Marlboro man on tv
When tv channels went off the air at night.
"Hey Mikey, he likes it!" "Ancient Chinese Secret, huh?" "Where's the Beef?" "My dog is better than your dog."'
Thanks for traveling down memory lane with me to a time when there were no worries; a time when we were free to be kids. A time when w were just free to BE! Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009
Original post on NPR's All Tech Considered Blog by Eyder Peralta. Peralta's quotes Nova Spivack's commentary on the "era of the stream" within this post and then expounds upon the issues raised here:
"The transition from a slow Web to a fast-moving Stream is happening quickly. And as this happens we are shifting our attention from the past to the present, and our "now" is getting shorter.
...
The era of the Web was mostly about the past -- pages that were published months, weeks, days or at least hours before we looked for them. Search engines indexed the past for us to make it accessible: On the Web we are all used to searching Google and then looking at pages from the recent past and even farther back in the past. But in the era of the Stream, everything is shifting to the present -- we can see new posts as they appear and conversations emerge around them, live, while we watch." (Spivack)
From past, to present, to NOW- how do we get the future right? Incredibly thought-provoking post, and one that I think people from my generation can really relate to. Wondering how generations X, Y & Millennium will deal with defining future when they have grown up with instant everything. I suppose only time will tell......................
Absolutely outstanding article by Nielsen Researcher, Jessica Hogue about the power that women, specifically, moms wield and how most marketers are missing the boat on reaching them. It's time for companies to stop transmitting and instead enter into a conversation in which listening to the needs, wants and desires of today's tech savvy Mom is key to marketing success. Make sure you read to the end and check out how Nielson is "listening" to on-line conversations of mom bloggers to determine their value propositions.
Here's the summary:
"CI SUMMARY: As any mother will tell you, there is a big difference between hearing and listening. Today’s Power Mom does it all—the house, the kids, the job, the bills, the shopping—and the Internet has become a tremendous enabler, bringing new meaning to multi-tasking. While the ability to connect with moms is easier than ever before with the advent of social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and a growing number of “mom blogs”, are marketers really listening to her value systems? It’s time to move beyond “messaging” to “listening”.
“Making a difference” has always been my mantra, yet age, wisdom and stage in life have united to bring me to the point where I can now take greater action.It is time for me to move beyond my family and community; beyond the individual lives that I have impacted.I have felt a calling, actually a very large magnetic pull towards some type of greater difference for a while now, but had felt limited due to lack of surplus funds.Sure it would be great to have a fully funded foundation to make donations to worthy causes that I believe in, but I think that a lofty plan like that has to have a simple start.The simple start is the major “ah ha” or awakening that I have just experienced.If I silence the call due to thinking that I am limited in doing my heart’s work, then I will live a life unfulfilled, not being able to use the strengths and talents that I have been given to exact change in the world around me.
Two recent events have come together in my life to put me back on the path to realizing the whisper of my dreams.The first occurred Monday night when I participated in the CEO-ACT seminar.After listening to veteran financier Steve Klumb, SVP of National Bank, I realized that there are funds out there for all kinds of endeavors.I look at my friend and fellow XU MBA alum, Brian Siegel, who also is quite passionate about making a difference and I see that beyond his volunteer roles, and positions on foundation boards, he has stepped up to the plate to create his own foundation and to gather a team of people who can help him reach his goals.
The turning point for me was the front page article in today’s 11/19/08 Enquirer with the headline:“This year, Santa needs some Christmas cheer”.The picture of Bill Zapf, Sr. as Santa is the absolutely most realistic picture of Santa I have ever seen in my life and the look on his face of such concern amidst the wonder and magic of Christmas is so clearly evident. Enquirer writer, Cliff Radel, reports that Bill has been “playing” Santa for 37 years, decorating his North College Hill home with a bazillion lights and holiday decorations and donning his “uniform” to stand outside, no matter the weather, to wave at passing cars and hand out candy canes.He said it all began when he was young, and his large family of 8 could not afford to put up lots of decorations and light displays.His father would pile the whole family into their station wagon and drive through the Cincinnati neighborhoods looking at the Christmas magic displayed in other people’s yards.Bill wanted to create that same magic for the families of his neighborhood and thus his display and nearly four decade run as Santa was born.
The Enquirer photo shows Bill with that look of concern because he won’t be out in front of his brightly lit house this Christmas season spreading the cheer that will most certainly be needed more than in any other year.Bill won’t be there, because he has pancreatic cancer, one of the most deadly forms of cancer there is.Bill isn’t concerned about himself or the pain he is going through; he is concerned that he won’t be able to personally make a difference in the lives of the people who will be passing by his house this holiday season.He won’t have the strength to stand outside; to lift his arm in a huge wave; to voice a boisterous “ho, ho, ho”; to hand out small canes of red, and white striped candy.In this time of personal challenge, he cares more about others than himself.The Enquirer quoted Bill as saying, “Tell everybody, my prayers go out to them…and if they can say a prayer, say one for me.”
My prayers are with Bill as he takes this final journey and with his family as they help him through it and work to keep his dream of making a difference alive in North College Hill.
His story has had such a profound effect on me and is the last tiny key that unlocks the restrictions on my ability to give of myself in a greater way.Now I take this knowledge with the solid idea that nothing can stop me from achieving my heart’s work.Nothing.Because in the end, doing what you are called to do is what life is really all about.
No fun in the sun while lying poolside and sipping Pina Coladas was on our agenda for this holiday weekend, traditional precursor to Fall that it is. Nope, our Labor Day was spent in a 3 day CYO Girls' Basketball tournament. While the games were exciting and in some cases very close to the bitter end, I was shocked to find out from my daughter after the championship game that parents on one of the opposing teams were harassing our players as they stepped up to the free-throw line. Calling out our player's name and telling her that she couldn't make the shot as well as other nasty things too distasteful to mention. All done just to throw a 12 year old off her game. Wow, that is really sad when competition has to sink to the level of adults sitting in the stands trying to relive their own glory days and acting like complete idiots. What a wonderful lesson they are teaching their kids- and this is a Catholic School. In fact, it is a very large Catholic school located in Milford.....
Hopefully the rest of the U.S. took some time to honor those who labor. This weekend, we honored a great group of 7th grade girls as they labored on the basketball courts for a 2nd place finish.
I missed Michelle Obabma's speech the other night at the Democratic National Convention, but I did catch the post-event video clips. I was really impressed with what she had to say and one portion in particular really struck a cord with me. Here are her words, as well as a link to the actual speech text:
"...Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you're going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't agree with them."
"And Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values, and pass them on to the next generation. Because we want our children — and all children in this nation — to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them."
Wow. Too bad she isn't running for president. These values:
Working hard
Doing what you say you are going to do (word as bond)
Treat all people with dignity and respect
No limits to your level of achievement
These are values that my parents raised myself and my three siblings with. My parents gave us a tool kit filled with these personal tenets as well as many others and the certainty that we were loved for who we were. There was never a doubt in my mind that I could achieve anything that I set my mind to if I only put forth the maximum effort. I have always led my life with a personal code of integrity. If I say that I am going to do something, I move heaven and hell to the best of my ability to get it done. I treat everyone I meet with dignity and respect and although there are times/situations/personalities that make this very difficult, I try to remind myself that behavior is sometimes the product of things immediately beyond someone's control. For example, that negative person at the next cubicle who doesn't treat others with respect may be harboring a secret life of abuse. There is always a back story for why people are the way they are; especially when it seems outside the norm or outside their usual behavioral patterns.
So to my namesake, Michelle Obama, I salute your effort in naming those things that connected you to your husband, Barak and applaud you for sharing them with the rest of the nation and the world. It is my belief as well, that these values will carry all of our children forward into the future as they continue to dream big and have the willingness to work hard to see their dreams fulfilled.
