Countdown to a New Journey

Photo by Sandy Alpern

I am about to embark on a new journey.  I do not mean that I am uprooting from my home and venturing forth into the big world that we live in.  This is a journey into a new role, one that I have never had the experience before.  I have already been nominated and am about to become the President of my synagogue.  Yes, I have been involved in clubs and groups before.  Yes, I have had management and leadership roles before.  But never as the person for which Harry S Truman famously had the sign on his desk, being the one where “The Buck Stops Here.”

How did I find myself in this position, you ask?  I was standing around minding my own business when I was first approached about becoming a Vice President, to which I quickly responded no.  Some time later, the then President came up to me and we were talking very nicely.  Yes, I was minding my own business, when he casually mentioned that there were some exciting things about to happen.  Somewhere deep inside my body, I heard the click of some switch, a light flickered in my brain.  He had piqued my interest.  Next thing I know, I was having a conversation with my family, then said yes.  Truth is, I was already serving on the Board of Trustees and involved to some extent.

My original decision to become involved was to have an opportunity to give back to my community.  Yes, it is easier to sit out in the congregation, be content to let others do the work and reap the benefits of membership.  However, I felt that maybe I can add insight, a different perspective and potentially a unique opinion to help others and our organization move forward.  As I have come to realize, the people that I have already worked with believe in what they are doing, are passionate about their beliefs and look towards a rosy tomorrow.  As with any group, each individual has their own good ideas.  I will listen to everyone, pay attention to their thoughts and include them in the process.

With a blink of an eye, the five years as a vice president passed.  At that time, it appeared as a daunting task.  They say that if you focus on the big goals, it is like standing at the bottom of the steps seeing only the step all the way at the top.  We all know that when walking up a staircase, we take one step at a time.  I have focused on each step and now find myself on the top step.  It does not seem daunting any more.  As I am about to step over the threshold, I look forward to the adventure ahead, with its challenges, excitement and opportunities. 

Father’s Day 2018

“I will leave it up to you boys.”  That was not the answer I expected from my Dad.  The question, to put his words into context, was “Where do you want to celebrate Father’s Day?”  We had a few options, but the answer was simple. 

I have been a father now for 23+ years.  With the birth of Gab, my status changed and a new journey began.  The truth is, it has been a gratifying experience to be a father and I have been blessed with two wonderful children.  It is funny to have an official day set aside to celebrate all fathers (same goes with Mother’s Day), since I am a grateful Dad every day.  As a parent, I am happy to be remembered by my children and still enjoy when they come to me with questions, insight or accomplishments.  Debbie and I have worked towards being the best parents that we can be and the fact that our girls still love to hang out with is a testament to that.  For me, I still feel like every day is Father’s Day.

As a child, along with my brothers, we have been getting together to celebrate this day every year.  It is interesting to note, that as I have gotten older, the way I approach this day has changed.  No longer do I buy my dad a tie (he no longer wears them), or color a picture for him (I am sure he would still look at it).  Regardless of the day to celebrate, I do not wait until this one day to honor my dad.  And while I age, the time spent together might not be all the time, the time we do spent together is important.   

In thinking about my father’s response, I realize that one of the most precious things that each of us has to give is our time.  My dad’s response reflects this as it does not matter where we are, where we go or what we do, as long as we spend that time together as a family.  In the end, time together is the most precious gift…

Preparedness

I recently had the chance to talk to some people about some future thoughts and heard the comment made, “that is preparedness.”  Sometimes it takes an event, a word or a phrase to send my mind thinking in a different direction.  Preparedness and the future do go hand in hand.  Webster’s Dictionary defines the word preparedness as “the fact of being ready for something: the state of being prepared.”  How well do we in fact take the steps to prepare for the future?  I do not mean set goals and then strive for them, but actually sit down and lay out the possible scenarios that lie before us, such that, we are prepared for whatever direction our path takes us?

There is an exercise I have gone through with planning projects, which is to identify the risks and the hurdles to success.  These were not excuses for failure but the opportunity to take a step back and realistically evaluate the environment the project exists in, the business factors, the resources available and the time requirements by management.  With multiple factors involved, presentation of the plan is always based on the optimal potential outcome.  However, the risk and hurdles do need to be mentioned up front and continuously throughout the project.  New requirements appear, new business practices are desired and change in resource timelines mean that being prepared is always an ongoing process and the ability to communicate the impact of the change in the environment is required so that everyone involved understands the impact to the project. 

While it is easy for me to put this in project management terms, the same holds true for being prepared for activities in our homes (weekend projects do not just happen), volunteer work (time is important) and social events (last minute does not always work).  Even something as simple as a house party requires preparedness, especially in terms of weather, food, number of people, how to occupy children, etc.  We have had a number of parties over time and only once did we have threatening weather.  We knew who to call for tents, modified the music setup (yes, our band is the house band), and food changes.  While this can be mistaken as work, it is important in most areas of our lives to be prepared for whatever comes our way.  As author Peter Benchley put it, “Fascinations breeds preparedness, and preparedness, survival.”  Be fascinated with the life before you and then you will be prepared for most of what comes your way.