I'm I missing something here ...

Today's Entertainment headline, is boasting of Jamie Foxx's receiving the award for Best Male Muscial Artist, in the 37th Annual NAACP Image Awards. I think he is a very talent actor and well deserving of an award. Hell everyone is getting awards these days. But, what would happen if I started a group that gave awards to just white people? Heck the fact I am evening mentioning this makes some people shake. It's not politically corret. Why is it okay to have awards and groups promoting strickly Black acomplishments, and not strickly white people's acomplishments?

Why do we have a Black Miss America, and yet we can't have a White Miss America? Now I am not advocating the starting fo White Only Award programs. Rather I just think we are missing the point of what Black and White unity should be about. I think if progams that have for many years been "Whites Only" are now including Blacks and other minorities into their ranks that the same should be true on the other side of the fence. Honestly there shouldn't be a fence in the first place.

A couple of years ago I was a part of a Computer Professional's group that had a sub-group of Black Computer Programming Professionals. They had programs to discuss the issues of Black people in the Computer job force etc. I think whether you are Black, White, or Green the issues are the same. We need a job! We want to get paid! We want to advance and grow. There is nothing Black or White about it. But, because humankind has been so unkind, Black humans have traditionally been treated unfairly and these issues still remain. It is the sin of all humans that has caused this.

It is my hope that someday, there will be no need for a "Black Only" or "White Only" awards show. That all people will finally see each other as equal. I think that is what Martin Luther King Jr. meant when he said "I have a dream..."

It's Okay to Strike Out!

When I was in grade school, I played Little League for part of one season, and then later on in High School, I attempted again to get on the school's baseball team, and failed miserably. I wish then I would have known that it is okay to strike out.

Think about times you see a young kid get up to bat and the ball is pitched. Swing, strike one! Swing, strike two! Swing, strike three! You're OUT! That slow walk back to the dugout, feeling very dejected for failing to hit the ball. Well, join the club. You are in great company with some of baseball's finest players.

From the years 1914 to 1935 Babe Ruth was able to rack up 714 home runs. He led the league in home runs for years. We hear that statistic many times when reffering to basball past. But, we don't often hear that in the same time period 'the Babe" also racked up 1,330 strike outs. He also led the league in this category as well. So, for almost every home run Babe Ruth hit and was able to run into the dugout with joy and statisfaction, he also walked back to the dugout 2 times knowing he couldn't even hit the ball. What does that tell us?

The answer is pretty clear. If you are trying to hit home runs, you are going to strike out. Just use the strike out as a lesson, to prepare you to hit the home run. Many times we let the strike out drag us down. That's wrong. The strike out is a step towards the home run. What things can I do differently next time? Also remember, the ball won't be pitched the same way, so maybe the swing that caused a strike today, might cause the home run tomorrow. These are all tought lessons to learn and apply. So, the biggest thing for me today, is to remind myself it is okay to strike out, just keep focusing on hitting the home runs.

When you just don't care.

There are times in our life, when things just don't seem to matter. It might be a Monday morning going back to work. Or the lull of the end of the winter season waiting for Sprintgtime. Or just nothing new is happening to get us all excited about life. That's okay. There is a season for everything. It is what you do with, or how you handle these lulls that will determine the fate of tomorrow.

Don't get depressed when you are in a lull. Rather then allowing a downward spiral to emerge, acknowledge the situtation, and then you can reflect on it as a time to prepare for what is next. Don't worry that you aren't making any big giant steps towards some goal. Rather find a baby step that is easy to reach, and feel good about that. Take out the trash. Clean the bathroom, do the laundry. These are simple things that might need to get and don't require much thought or effort. And while you are knocking off some easy stuff from the list, reflect on waiting for the next big push to come. Breath in some new air and energy to start to fuel your insides. And in time a new season of excitement will arrive.

Be careful how you deal with others during these times of lull. Often times when you are in a funk it is easy to attack those that are close to you. Becareful to not do that. Rather let them know you are out of sorts, and just trying to regroup. You might benefit by spending time away from those folks to just do your own thing. I like going out to my shop in the barn. I clean-up and organize stuff out there. It is mindless work, that helps me feel good about what I got done, and keeps me away from yelling at people that don't deserve it. Or the exact opposite may help you. Take those folks out to a movie or to dinner. Spend sometime with those that are close in a safe event. Do something that you all can enjoy with out getting hot and bothered. It might help you to work out of your funk.

Don't blame others for your funk or lullness. Even when things around us seem to go crazy it is our actions and responses to the situations that can cause our own mood swings. So, you might not be at 100 percent today. It isn't other peoples fault. So, by taking ownership to your own situation you can then take ownership to the steps to getting you to move beyond your current state of mind.

So, it is okay to have a bad day, or a bad week ... but take that time to absorb new energy to get you to the next victory. Because there are many more victorys to achieve.

Define the problem first ....

I am constantly amazed at howw the newest tech buzz word in a corporation is the fix to every new problem we have. Even people who do not understand the technology are offering their 2 cents, they know that the new wize band PRODUCT A can solve the problem.

So it is like saying I have a really big boat. It is a neat boat. It can do everything you would want a boat to do. It is the best boat ever made. Now person B comes along and says I have a problem can you solve it for me. Oh, yes I can! You need my boat.

Later we find out the the problem is trying to get from Boston to Springfield. The big boat just won't work.

Let's define the business problem first. Have clear a understanding of the needed task to be accomplished. Then decide which technology best fits the task. Too often we just want to use the latest greatest technology because we have it. Not because it is the best fit.

When you do bad things ...

... they stay with you FOREVER.

... you WILL get caught.

... bad things happen to YOU.

It was the year, 1966, fifth grade, George St. Martian was one of my buddies. George convinced me to steal a toy from the local "Five and Dime" store in Foxboro, Mass. I got caught and still remember it to this day. And George made his get away out the back door. I don't remember the punishment I had to pay. But, getting caught for stealing that Matchbox toy still haunts me. I just remember it doesn't pay to do bad things.

Yet, since then, I have done other bad things, and been busted. This is not going to be a forum for listing all the past 50 years worth of sin. But, rather a reflection, that I kinda wish I didn't have to have learned the hard way. The words to a Tom Petty song, "Anything is legal in Jersey, as long as you don't get caught," ring true to our desire to do bad things without having to get caught. We like doing bad, but who wants to pay the conscquences for those actions.

Just about 3 weeks ago a racing buddy of mine got himself in a bit of trouble. He is in jail now, for doing some bad things. And it looks like he will be in there for a while. I am sure the crack cocaine he got hooked on helped him make the bad choices that got him in jail. But nevertheless, he did bad things, and has gotten caught and will have to pay. Possible five to ten years of his life, for a couple of days of stupid.

I am torn between knowing the good guy, that was my racing buddy, and seeing the bad guy that I don't know. I want to help him, yet he should pay. I wish most of all he would have learned the lesson, just a bit sooner .... when you do bad things...bad things happen.

There is a positive side to doing bad things. We have all heard the cliche "We learn from our mistakes." Well, I have a bunch of mistakes tallied up over the years, so I must be pretty damn smart. Well, I dont' know how smart I am but, the lessons I have learned have helped me to avoid some of those bad choices a second or third time around.

Part of the maturing process in doing less bad things, is realizing that my actions effect others, and caring about it. I have always known that my actions effect others, but didn't give a damn. I only worried about what impacted me. If I would by my actions, then it was good. But, know I am seeing that hurting others is not a fair price to pay for my own advances.

So, if age 50 is the half way point to reaching age 100. Then I have 50 more years, to make more good choices, and less bad ones.

Oh, whatever happened to my buddy George. I heard he kept making a lot of really bad choices. Went to jail many times, and died before he reached 40. I don't know for sure, but that is what I heard.

Lies, Lies, and more lies

I am ashamed to say but it has taken most of the past 50 years to stop lying. I guess I need to thank first of all my wife for this. She is the most honest person I know. And secondly, the scars of the results of my past lies. As I raise my teenage daughter it is a key hope she will learn this lesson sooner, rather then later.

When I was a kid we didn't have much, and the lies always seemed to be out of a need to impress the other kids. And once you tell them them one lie you have to build upon the story and the lies just keep pileing up. But, at those younger ages we don't see that we have value just in who we are right now. I guess that is one good thing about turning 50, it doesn't matter has much as what others think of who I am. I feel pretty good about me, right now. So, I don't need to lie to impress you.

Lies have also happened to try to save our butt. I may have messed up and done something wrong, so to cover it up lies needed to be told. But, truth always finds away. No matter how much we lie to cover up a bad thing, mom will find the truth. I have watched enough CSI to know that DNA, fingerprints, blood testing ultrviolet lights can't cover-up my sins. So, why bother lieing about it. Hopefully, I am doing less bad things, and more good things. But, if I happen to break that special statue, or put a dent in the wife's truck, it is far better to confess the truth up front and deal with the consquiences up fron then to join the ranks of Watergate.

So, because I am lying less I feel so much better with myself and I think I have gotten the desire outcomes in that others seem to like me more because of my truthfulness. So, today's nugget is be happy with who we are right now. There is no reason to pretend to be something we are not. Life is so much better when you have nothing to hide.

Thinking about it, doesn't get it done.

I am constantly amazed at all the great ideas I come up with. I am preety sure I thought of inventing the internet long before it ever appeared. And the Windows operating system was an idea I also had. But, you know what they say, "Snooze, you lose."

Honestly, I think of many things during the day, and for some reason days turn into weeks, and weeks months ... etc and these ideas never see the light of day. But every once in a while I get off my ass and I just do it. I start those still small steps and implement the idea. What amazes me is that once I get started in most cases the project or idea gets a mind of its own and grows and becomes something more than I ever imagined.

Fear of failure is one of the reasons I often avoid these small steps towards my goal. Or fear that it will cost too much money or take too much time. Or maybe someone else has already done it. Or rejection is a big one. But, what's the worst thing that could happen?

When I was a kid I use to go door-to-door selling American Seeds, Cheerful House Christmas cards, GRIT newspapers, anything that was offered in the back of the latest comic book I was reading. And that experience taught me that many doors will close, and many people will say "No, thank you." Before they say "Yes" But, those rejections aren't ever a good enough reason to not go out and hustle those seeds.

So, today's lesson to myself is to remind myself to start to implement that list. Get off my butt and do it! Do something, start moving in some direction. Because sitting in the easy chair watching the TV doesn't get the job done.

The hardest part of doing something is getting started. But, once the train gets moving, it will have the momentum to get you where you need to go.

So, let's stop thinking about it, let's get'er done!

Welcome to SimplyStreet.com

Hello my name is Paul, and I have owned the domain name simplystreet.com for sometime now. Back in the dot-com days there were dreams, of joining the ranks of Yahoo, Netscape, and Google. But, that never happened. So, this website has pretty much been dead for several years. But, now with a bit of CPR and help from www. blogger.com there may be a chance to give this site a breath of life. It may not be a full recovery, we'll just see what happens.

So, what's the goal with simplystreet.com?

Pretty simple, it is a place for me to write down some thoughts and lessons learned in the past fifty years of my life. Not a diary of things and events, rather a reflection of lessons learned. I think I have a few pearls of wisdom that other might be able to use to reflect on their own journey in life. If so great. If not, then it is an exercise for me to try to put together my thoughts to see if I like where I am right now, and were I am going.