This morning I took the usual stroll around my neighborhood. As I walked, I thought about the changes this blue collar neighborhood of 230 duplex units had experienced during the nearly 31 years I have lived here. For many of the residents who had moved in when these homes were built in 1979, this would be their "starter home" They would endure life here surrounded by struggling tradesmen and service workers until they could afford that dream house. My home was only 2 years old when I bought it from the original owner. He had made a killing in the emerging Industrial Cleaning business and he and his wife were moving to a Resort Area to open a Real Estate Management service. It would provide cleaning, maintenance, and security services to wealthy people who owned vacation homes that they rarely visited. As far as I know, he did quite well at that and likely bought his own "vacation" home where he lived year round. His story was not unique in the 1980's and 1990's. And I am sure it was repeated many times by former residents of my neighborhood.
Part of me was sad that I had not been able to capture that same dream. But part of me was happy I did not go for it. I raised three hard-working children here. They all went to college and two of them are now married with children of their own. Thanks to a low mortgage and a professional salary, my wife was able to stay home with the kids when they needed her most. She returned to her service job as a teacher assistant when our youngest child started school. Even then it was only part time until he was old enough to be home alone. We are both retired now and our home is an empty nest. Although it is small by "dream home" standards, the 1200 square feet of living space it provides now seems too much for just the two of us. Some of our friends sold their large colonials and moved to these new 55+ communities in our area. My wife and I considered that too but when we looked at the hidden value this home now holds for us, we decided to stay here until we are both too decrepit or too poor to take care of it.
Part of the hidden value we have here are the neighbors on our street. We don't get into each others business as I've seen in some of the 55+ communities. There are no restrictions on how we landscape, or what color our vinyl siding must be. We can park our cars in our driveway or on the street as long as they don't block mail delivery. Each home has its own rural-type mailbox at the end of the driveway. If you park too close to it the mailman will not deliver the mail. Some families have four cars and only three parking spaces but we work it out. No rules or police enforcement...we just work it out among ourselves. My next door neighbor has a rusty old pick-up truck with a snow plow parked in his driveway year round. It is a bit unsightly but I know from past years that when that big snowfall hits us, he will plow my drive way and clear our street parking spaces without my asking. My other neighbor has a snow blower. I don't. Two years ago when we had a snow storm, he plowed the sidewalk for our whole block. His reason? "I just got it and wanted to give it a workout." He continued to give it the same workout the rest of that season and last year too.
The other hidden value here lies in the newest neighbors who are chasing the American Dream. Just on my block we have an Egyptian family, a Korean family, an Indian family, and an Afro-American Family. We all get along but we do not get in each others business. There is a ball field and walking trail adjacent to our neighborhood. On any Summer Sunday there is a Cricket game on the field. In
Fall the Regional Rugby match is held there, Most other times there is either a youth Soccer game or Legion Baseball game going on. If you notice the hidden value here you we realize that while we are a diverse community, we are not a divisive community.
Picked from the knowledge artifacts found in the people, places, things, and events of the last 100 years. Submit your email address to get latest Picks...
Pick 31 - My Word
He needed a hand up and I happened to be the only one willing to provide it. I am not wealthy and there were times in my life when I was the one needing the hand up. But on this day I had the amount of money in my wallet that he needed and on this day I did not need it. So I explained the terms. This was not a hand out. I expected him to pay me back on the day I needed that money to be back in my wallet. He agreed and we shook hands on our agreement. I did not expect him to sign a note or give me any collateral. I am not a Pawn Broker or a Loan Shark. I just wanted his word and handshake that he would pay me back and that was enough.
On the agreed payback day, he met me at the agreed place and handed me the money. He wanted to add interest to the amount but, I assured him I did not expect that. Instead, I suggested he pay that forward. Give it to charity or use it to give someone else a hand up when the opportunity came along. I do not know if he did so or not. But I do know that I can trust him to keep his word.
That was not the case for some other people that I had helped this way. Despite the sincere handshake and promises, I received only excuses and delays. That would not have bothered me if the offending person really did have a run of bad luck and was willing but unable to pay me back. That was not the case. This person clearly decided to take advantage of me. His gain came at my loss. But from many years of experience with these things I know that my loss will be covered in some other way. It always seems to work out that way. I cannot say the same for the person who took advantage of me. The time will come when he will need a hand up again. But this time his word will have no value and his open hand will be seen as no better than a pickpocket. That is the hidden value in a sincere person's word and handshake. I know that same hand will be there for me if I need a hand up.
On the agreed payback day, he met me at the agreed place and handed me the money. He wanted to add interest to the amount but, I assured him I did not expect that. Instead, I suggested he pay that forward. Give it to charity or use it to give someone else a hand up when the opportunity came along. I do not know if he did so or not. But I do know that I can trust him to keep his word.
That was not the case for some other people that I had helped this way. Despite the sincere handshake and promises, I received only excuses and delays. That would not have bothered me if the offending person really did have a run of bad luck and was willing but unable to pay me back. That was not the case. This person clearly decided to take advantage of me. His gain came at my loss. But from many years of experience with these things I know that my loss will be covered in some other way. It always seems to work out that way. I cannot say the same for the person who took advantage of me. The time will come when he will need a hand up again. But this time his word will have no value and his open hand will be seen as no better than a pickpocket. That is the hidden value in a sincere person's word and handshake. I know that same hand will be there for me if I need a hand up.
$tokens to Tip the Pickers
Pick 30 - Heat Wave
For the past few days it has been in the 90's here in the North East. Many folks here consider that a heat wave and long for cooler weather. But I like to think there is hidden value in this heat wave. It is the beginning of August. In this part of the country we have grown up with the perception that it is always too warm and humid in August. So we usually complain and look forward to the cooler weather that Fall will soon bring us. However, what if we were to convince ourselves that it is not August but February--usually the coldest month in the North East. But we have been fortunate enough to afford a two-week stay at a luxury hotel on a Florida beach. Now we would begin to feel sorry for our friends and relatives stuck back in the cold North East. The temperature has not changed but our mental attitude has. Attitude is the hidden value lurking in our own mind and under our control alone.
$tokens to Tip the Pickers
Pick 29 - Pennies From Heaven
Today as I stooped down to pick up the Morning Newspaper in our driveway I noticed a shiny new penny about a foot from the paper. Its newly minted glow so contrasted the black driveway that I could hardly miss it. I went to pick it up but hesitated when I recalled what a dear friend had told my wife and me about such pennies.
We were discussing the "pennies from heaven" stories that appear in the Dear Abby column from time to time. Most of the spotters of these pennies claim that finding such a coin had profound significance for them because the penny had some feature that connected it to a deceased loved one. Sometimes the mint year matched the birth date of the loved one. In other cases, the penny may have been a collectable that matched one in the coin collection of the deceased but the circumstances under which it was found may have been extraordinary--like it was in the bottom of a vase bought at a yard sale hundreds of miles from where the deceased loved one last lived. Whatever the significance, the penny was thought to be a sign from the deceased loved one--usually a positive sign. So the name "pennies from heaven" was coined into the English language.
In our discussion this dear friend noted that in her family, which was rooted in Eastern European traditions, when one spots a single coin on the ground it should not be picked up before determining if it is lying heads up or heads down. If it was lying heads down you'd best let it be because it is the purveyor of bad luck. The shiny penny I found was thankfully heads up. But the hidden value was not in the coin. It was in the fact that within the hour, my wife and I would be heading to the funeral of that dear friend. She had passed away a just few days earlier.
We were discussing the "pennies from heaven" stories that appear in the Dear Abby column from time to time. Most of the spotters of these pennies claim that finding such a coin had profound significance for them because the penny had some feature that connected it to a deceased loved one. Sometimes the mint year matched the birth date of the loved one. In other cases, the penny may have been a collectable that matched one in the coin collection of the deceased but the circumstances under which it was found may have been extraordinary--like it was in the bottom of a vase bought at a yard sale hundreds of miles from where the deceased loved one last lived. Whatever the significance, the penny was thought to be a sign from the deceased loved one--usually a positive sign. So the name "pennies from heaven" was coined into the English language.
In our discussion this dear friend noted that in her family, which was rooted in Eastern European traditions, when one spots a single coin on the ground it should not be picked up before determining if it is lying heads up or heads down. If it was lying heads down you'd best let it be because it is the purveyor of bad luck. The shiny penny I found was thankfully heads up. But the hidden value was not in the coin. It was in the fact that within the hour, my wife and I would be heading to the funeral of that dear friend. She had passed away a just few days earlier.
$tokens to Tip the Pickers
Pick 28 - Bending Rules
Today I waited at a red light for at least 5 minuets. I was the fifth car in the line. I had gone through this intersection before so I knew something was wrong with the light. This is one of those smart traffic lights. It senses when no cars are coming through on one street and if there are cars waiting on the crossing street it bypasses the normal wait time and turns green for the crossing street. So either something was wrong with the light control or the timer reset itself incorrectly after a power outage. Whatever the cause, 5 minutes is a long time to wait for a traffic light to change. The person at the front of the line must have been an inexperienced driver or visitor from some foreign land. I say this because any experienced American driver would have waited the customary time and if the light remained red with no opposing traffic in sight, would have proceeded cautiously through the intersection against the red light. The fact that the driver behind the lead person did not lean on his/her horn indicates the driver at the head of the line would probably freeze up if horns were blown. So all five drivers waited in patience. Finally the light turned green and we proceeded through.
As I mulled over this experience, I realized the hidden value here. American drivers are likely the only drivers who, when faced with this kind of decision, would give the light its due respect and proceed through the intersection. It is part of our nature. We do not serve our technology. It serves us. So we are not afraid to defy a rule when it serves no purpose. I don't believe this is true in other parts of the world. In Germany, if faced with the same situation, the driver might wait all day or until a person in authority came by and waived them through. In Italy, the red light would probably be ignored most of the time so the driver would not even notice how long it remained red. In England, the driver would likely turn around then register a proper complaint with the Ministry of Traffic Control. But in America, there is hidden somewhere in our inner being the ability to distinguish between deference to a rule for the common good vs.a rule for the sake of having a rule. Traffic lights provide a prime example of this principle. We know we need traffic lights to maintain safety and manage access to public roads. But we also know that traffic lights are mere fallible machines. When they fail we are able to do the right thing without hesitation or the approval of a higher authority.
As I mulled over this experience, I realized the hidden value here. American drivers are likely the only drivers who, when faced with this kind of decision, would give the light its due respect and proceed through the intersection. It is part of our nature. We do not serve our technology. It serves us. So we are not afraid to defy a rule when it serves no purpose. I don't believe this is true in other parts of the world. In Germany, if faced with the same situation, the driver might wait all day or until a person in authority came by and waived them through. In Italy, the red light would probably be ignored most of the time so the driver would not even notice how long it remained red. In England, the driver would likely turn around then register a proper complaint with the Ministry of Traffic Control. But in America, there is hidden somewhere in our inner being the ability to distinguish between deference to a rule for the common good vs.a rule for the sake of having a rule. Traffic lights provide a prime example of this principle. We know we need traffic lights to maintain safety and manage access to public roads. But we also know that traffic lights are mere fallible machines. When they fail we are able to do the right thing without hesitation or the approval of a higher authority.
$tokens to Tip the Pickers
Pick 27 - Middle Class
Yesterday I was driving past our local Little League field. I had to go extra slow because there was a Round Robin play-off game going on. The AA, AAA, and Major League fields surround an elementary school. Both have been pretty quiet since school let out and the regular Little League season ended in early June. But today the fields were crowded with players and spectators. The school parking lot, which doubles as the parking lot for Little League, was also full. There was no hidden value here. It was all quite open and obvious. And I am sure this scene is repeated in just about every town in the country. Unfortunately, such events may become unsustainable within a few years. No. They are not government-funded. They make do with volunteer help and funds raised through annual candy sales and advertising on their fields and on the uniforms provided by various sponsors. But like parks and public playgrounds, Little League is a Middle Class institution. It endures year after year because hard working parents are willing to pool their resources and donate their spare time to the benefit of the community. This, in turn, benefits their children far more than anything they could provide as an individual. And that is the hidden value, not just of the Little League, but of public libraries, community bands, walking and biking trails, even public beaches at the Shore. It is a Middle Class value that is uniquely American. But it is a value that may disappear if we fail to notice it before it gives way to private property, and privileged membership.
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Lesson 26 - Telemarketer
I absolutely despise Telemarketers. They steal my time and they use the telephone service I pay for to do so. I cannot think of another "nuisance activity" that requires me to register on a list to avoid it. Our local municipality has several ordinances on the books to protect me from noise, unwanted peddlers, and unsafe construction practices. I don't have to register to benefit from these protections. Just the opposite. The contractor, sales person, or party organizer must get a permit to do their thing in my neighborhood. And I can even protest the permit without cost, if I chose to do so. But, for some reason known only to the US Congress and my telecommunications provider, I am the one who has to register to get a waiver from the Telemarketer's right to steal my time and abuse my telephone service. It is called the DO NOT CALL list.
My land line telephone number has been on that list for the past 5 years and I still get these calls. Only difference now is the calls are made by machines. No sweet-talking human voice, just a pre-recorded sales pitch that informs me I am "entitled" to a very special discount price on something I never knew I needed. At the end of the pitch I am politely told to "Press 1 for more details, Press 2 to be removed from our call list" The first time I got such a call, I pressed 2 and the line went dead. A few weeks later I got a call from the same telemarketer so I knew pressing 2 was a waste of time.
Figuring I was a bit smarter this time, I pressed 1 and waited to see where that led me. Sure enough a human voice responded. The person on the other end seemed very happy that I had responded and in very broken English informed me that by signing up today I could get a 10% discount on whatever it was he was pitching. If I weren't so dang angry, this would have been a funny scene. It reminded me of that TV series last season called "Outsourced" It was based on a movie by the same name and it was hilarious. But I had a serious message to convey so I composed myself and asked if our conversation was being recorded for quality control. He responded yes. So I said I wanted my phone number removed from their Call List immediately. I noted that I had kept a record of the days and times they had called me and was meeting with my Attorney to sue the company he represented for violation of my DO NOT Call rights. Then I concluded with an apology to the sales person to recognize his humanity and assure him that this was not personal and that we both were victims of corporate greed. I told him I would pray that he got a better job and would not have to resort to such deceit to make a living. And that is where the hidden value lies in this incident.
Both of us were victims of a business model we did not create and would not accept if we had a choice. Yet when we remind ourselves that we are both human beings trying to make our way in these difficult times, then we can turn bad karma to good and that has more power than any ordinance or corporation.
My land line telephone number has been on that list for the past 5 years and I still get these calls. Only difference now is the calls are made by machines. No sweet-talking human voice, just a pre-recorded sales pitch that informs me I am "entitled" to a very special discount price on something I never knew I needed. At the end of the pitch I am politely told to "Press 1 for more details, Press 2 to be removed from our call list" The first time I got such a call, I pressed 2 and the line went dead. A few weeks later I got a call from the same telemarketer so I knew pressing 2 was a waste of time.
Figuring I was a bit smarter this time, I pressed 1 and waited to see where that led me. Sure enough a human voice responded. The person on the other end seemed very happy that I had responded and in very broken English informed me that by signing up today I could get a 10% discount on whatever it was he was pitching. If I weren't so dang angry, this would have been a funny scene. It reminded me of that TV series last season called "Outsourced" It was based on a movie by the same name and it was hilarious. But I had a serious message to convey so I composed myself and asked if our conversation was being recorded for quality control. He responded yes. So I said I wanted my phone number removed from their Call List immediately. I noted that I had kept a record of the days and times they had called me and was meeting with my Attorney to sue the company he represented for violation of my DO NOT Call rights. Then I concluded with an apology to the sales person to recognize his humanity and assure him that this was not personal and that we both were victims of corporate greed. I told him I would pray that he got a better job and would not have to resort to such deceit to make a living. And that is where the hidden value lies in this incident.
Both of us were victims of a business model we did not create and would not accept if we had a choice. Yet when we remind ourselves that we are both human beings trying to make our way in these difficult times, then we can turn bad karma to good and that has more power than any ordinance or corporation.
$tokens to Tip the Pickers
Pick 25 - Little Shop on Main Street
He has a tiny shop and storefront that he shares with a Chinese Take-Out on Main Street. I only met him a few years year ago when my desktop PC decided to crash its hard disk just when I was in the middle of a writing assignment. I have lived in this area over 30 years and I am sure I passed by his shop hundreds of times. There is an old sign in the small show window that proclaims "Custom Built Systems" and "Servicing All Major Brands" I normally would have taken my store-bought PC back to the big box store for repair but that would be expensive, take at least a week, and open my personal information to total strangers. So I took a chance and brought it into Larry's shop. I was amazed to see how many used PCs and spare parts he had stuffed in that little shop. It reminded me of a salvage yard like they used to have for junked cars back in the day. I brought my PC in and set it on the large wooden desk that served as office desk and work bench. Larry is not big on conversation. We exchanged information and almost before I finished telling him about the hard disk crash he had the case off and was inspecting the hard drive. Then he rattled off a price (quite reasonable) and said I could pick it up the next day if he was able to load Windows on the new drive and apply my license to get all the updates. "Call me before you come in." he cautioned. "I may run into trouble getting Windows up the way your PC likes to see it" So the next afternoon I called and he told me that he was having a problem with one of the loader applications and would need a few more hours. I came back at 5 PM and it was ready to go. After a few tips on how to restore the business applications I had lost in the crash he gave me the bill--just as quoted, and I took the PC home.
Tomorrow I am taking my PC back to Larry for another repair. this time it is the Power Supply. More than likely he will have a replacement immediately available and will repair it while I wait. But besides the quick service, I will again be happy with the cost. Both of these important details would have remained hidden inside the little shop on Main Street if I had not taken a chance and checked it out.
Tomorrow I am taking my PC back to Larry for another repair. this time it is the Power Supply. More than likely he will have a replacement immediately available and will repair it while I wait. But besides the quick service, I will again be happy with the cost. Both of these important details would have remained hidden inside the little shop on Main Street if I had not taken a chance and checked it out.
$tokens to Tip the Pickers
Pick 24 - Political Parties
Today I am wondering if there is any hidden value in our current two-party political system. Most of my friends contend that neither party represents their interests anymore. Even worse, the differences between the platforms of the two parties is determined by the special interests of the large corporations who fund political campaigns. They say: follow the money trail--if you can find it--and it is easy to understand why Party A supports a national health insurance plan while Party B totally opposes it. Or understand why Party B opposes any environmental regulations on gas, oil, and coal extraction under the guise of cheap energy and more jobs.
But this blog is not a forum for political discussion. I want to point out the value of limiting our selection to two major camps even tough third-party candidates are free to enter the race and get on the ballot if they qualify. One hidden value of TWO is that it is natural. Think of all the expressions that support this:
"It takes two to Tango."
"Two is company--three is a crowd."
"Three strikes and you're out! (never two strikes )"
Even the US Treasury prints $2 bills but not $3 bills.
Every SW developer knows there are only two expressions that count "0" and "1"
Then there is the old "one, two, punch" If you got to "three" it was the other guy's punch knocking you out.
In the British Parliamentary system, elected Representatives sit on one side of the chamber if their party has the majority and on the other side if not. While relegated to the minority side, one is expected to oppose everything the ruling side does or wants to do. I think the objective is to proclaim "I told you so!" every time the majority makes a blunder that could have been averted if they had listened to "the loyal opposition" After enough "I told you so's" the opposition can call for a vote of "no confidence" in the ruling party. If enough voters agree, then a general election is held. If the string of blunders was so bad, the voters might elevate the loyal opposition into the ruling majority and they would switch sides with the losers. It is all fun to watch and costs the public little or nothing because it is part of the established political process and is telecast without charge to the political candidates. This does not preclude special interest groups or influence peddlers from large corporations. Unlike America, the British had the foresight to give these high-rollers a place of their own in Government. Its is no secret that the House of Lords represents big money, large corporations, and even the will of the Monarchy. That is what the Lords have been appointed to do. And that leaves the elected Representatives free to exercise their primary responsibility to the Crown: looking after the needs of the common people. After all, if there are no common people, then there is no need for a Monarch.
So the hidden value of our two-party system might be it's throwback to our British roots. Perhaps if the Democratic Party was to declare openly that it represents only those people who depend on a paycheck for their livelihood. And if the Republican Party declared openly that it represents only corporate, big money constituents--like those named in the Citizens United decision of the Supreme Court--then the hidden value of our two-party system could be reasserted and we the people could fill the Senate with Republicans and the House with Democrats. It would not be long before a "loyal opposition" evolved in both chambers and that would make C-span the most watched cable network. Moreover, the politicians would not need to raise millions of dollars for re-election campaigns. They would just have to accumulate enough "I told you so's" to win control of their chamber.
But this blog is not a forum for political discussion. I want to point out the value of limiting our selection to two major camps even tough third-party candidates are free to enter the race and get on the ballot if they qualify. One hidden value of TWO is that it is natural. Think of all the expressions that support this:
"It takes two to Tango."
"Two is company--three is a crowd."
"Three strikes and you're out! (never two strikes )"
Even the US Treasury prints $2 bills but not $3 bills.
Every SW developer knows there are only two expressions that count "0" and "1"
Then there is the old "one, two, punch" If you got to "three" it was the other guy's punch knocking you out.
In the British Parliamentary system, elected Representatives sit on one side of the chamber if their party has the majority and on the other side if not. While relegated to the minority side, one is expected to oppose everything the ruling side does or wants to do. I think the objective is to proclaim "I told you so!" every time the majority makes a blunder that could have been averted if they had listened to "the loyal opposition" After enough "I told you so's" the opposition can call for a vote of "no confidence" in the ruling party. If enough voters agree, then a general election is held. If the string of blunders was so bad, the voters might elevate the loyal opposition into the ruling majority and they would switch sides with the losers. It is all fun to watch and costs the public little or nothing because it is part of the established political process and is telecast without charge to the political candidates. This does not preclude special interest groups or influence peddlers from large corporations. Unlike America, the British had the foresight to give these high-rollers a place of their own in Government. Its is no secret that the House of Lords represents big money, large corporations, and even the will of the Monarchy. That is what the Lords have been appointed to do. And that leaves the elected Representatives free to exercise their primary responsibility to the Crown: looking after the needs of the common people. After all, if there are no common people, then there is no need for a Monarch.
So the hidden value of our two-party system might be it's throwback to our British roots. Perhaps if the Democratic Party was to declare openly that it represents only those people who depend on a paycheck for their livelihood. And if the Republican Party declared openly that it represents only corporate, big money constituents--like those named in the Citizens United decision of the Supreme Court--then the hidden value of our two-party system could be reasserted and we the people could fill the Senate with Republicans and the House with Democrats. It would not be long before a "loyal opposition" evolved in both chambers and that would make C-span the most watched cable network. Moreover, the politicians would not need to raise millions of dollars for re-election campaigns. They would just have to accumulate enough "I told you so's" to win control of their chamber.
$tokens to Tip the Pickers
Pick 23 - Coincidences
Today is Sunday. I state this in advance because the hidden value I personally encountered today may sound like a testimonial and I want to assure you that I am not trying to impart spiritual wisdom in this blog. The fact that I chose to write on this today is purely coincidental. And it is the hidden value in the coincidences of our life that I want to address.
My whole life has been a series of coincidences. For most of my youth I gave them no thought. They just occurred. I shrugged and moved on. In middle age, I may have paid closer attention because coincidental events began to hold more meaning. For example, I made a major career change at the age of 35. Today such changes are all too common. But in that era few sane people did that--especially when they were well-established in their career paths and had a growing family to support. Looking back on it now I realize that what I thought was a coincidence may have been the conscious work of some Higher Power.
I did not have any intention of changing careers at that time. Oh yes...like most restless 30-somethings I dreamed of bigger and better things. However, I never projected those dreams into any action. One day out of the blue I found myself taking my brother-in-law around to different business sites in our area. He had been unemployed for nearly two years thanks to a consolidation of his employer with another company. Although he was a specialist in the work he did, he did not have the seniority required to hold onto his job and his counterpart in the other company replaced him. There were no equivalent jobs where he lived which is why he was unable to find work with an income capable of supporting his family. So we spent a Tuesday in March driving from company to company inquiring about potential openings in his specialty. Rather than just sit in the car and wait for him, I decided to engage in my own fantasy about changing careers. At one Blue Chip company, the HR people took the time to interview both of us and explain in detail how our skills matched their current needs. It was like a personal job fair.
In my case they picked up on my background in teaching and my love of writing. That was the first time I heard the term "technical writer" along with the encouragement that a new military contract had just been awarded that would create job openings for many technical writers. My brother-in-law was also encouraged. They expected immediate openings in his field.
So you may be wondering where the coincidence is here because most people get jobs this way. Except in our case, the next business office we visited happened to be the new headquarters for the start-up project. They had just moved in the furniture that day. Since they planned to start hiring immediately the HR person there asked us if "they had sent us over from the main building" Not realizing that this was the very military program or even the same company we had just heard about, we nodded an affirmative. My brother-in-law was hired on the spot and I was given a tentative invite because technical writers would not be required for a few months. I interviewed with the head of the new Technical Support department in late May and started my 28 year career there in July. For me it was like a fantasy come true. There were days when I could not wait to get to work.
Similar coincidences occurred in my 50's and 60's but by then I was ready to admit to myself that there are no coincidences in life. There is only hidden value that can be ignored or explored. If I chose to explore them, I realize that they are not the result of random chaos but are more like signposts showing the way. I don't have to go that way. But if I do, I am now sure that the place they guide me to will be the right place for me.
My whole life has been a series of coincidences. For most of my youth I gave them no thought. They just occurred. I shrugged and moved on. In middle age, I may have paid closer attention because coincidental events began to hold more meaning. For example, I made a major career change at the age of 35. Today such changes are all too common. But in that era few sane people did that--especially when they were well-established in their career paths and had a growing family to support. Looking back on it now I realize that what I thought was a coincidence may have been the conscious work of some Higher Power.
I did not have any intention of changing careers at that time. Oh yes...like most restless 30-somethings I dreamed of bigger and better things. However, I never projected those dreams into any action. One day out of the blue I found myself taking my brother-in-law around to different business sites in our area. He had been unemployed for nearly two years thanks to a consolidation of his employer with another company. Although he was a specialist in the work he did, he did not have the seniority required to hold onto his job and his counterpart in the other company replaced him. There were no equivalent jobs where he lived which is why he was unable to find work with an income capable of supporting his family. So we spent a Tuesday in March driving from company to company inquiring about potential openings in his specialty. Rather than just sit in the car and wait for him, I decided to engage in my own fantasy about changing careers. At one Blue Chip company, the HR people took the time to interview both of us and explain in detail how our skills matched their current needs. It was like a personal job fair.
In my case they picked up on my background in teaching and my love of writing. That was the first time I heard the term "technical writer" along with the encouragement that a new military contract had just been awarded that would create job openings for many technical writers. My brother-in-law was also encouraged. They expected immediate openings in his field.
So you may be wondering where the coincidence is here because most people get jobs this way. Except in our case, the next business office we visited happened to be the new headquarters for the start-up project. They had just moved in the furniture that day. Since they planned to start hiring immediately the HR person there asked us if "they had sent us over from the main building" Not realizing that this was the very military program or even the same company we had just heard about, we nodded an affirmative. My brother-in-law was hired on the spot and I was given a tentative invite because technical writers would not be required for a few months. I interviewed with the head of the new Technical Support department in late May and started my 28 year career there in July. For me it was like a fantasy come true. There were days when I could not wait to get to work.
Similar coincidences occurred in my 50's and 60's but by then I was ready to admit to myself that there are no coincidences in life. There is only hidden value that can be ignored or explored. If I chose to explore them, I realize that they are not the result of random chaos but are more like signposts showing the way. I don't have to go that way. But if I do, I am now sure that the place they guide me to will be the right place for me.
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Pick 22 - Friends
Everyone has friends and acquaintances. That is an essential part of human nature. Social media works because of this. Otherwise, why would so many of us spend so much time on-line following the Facebook and Twitter posts from friends and even celebrities who are total strangers to us. No hidden value there. But a closer look at the people I have friended over the years--some before the Internet age--reveals a hidden value in some of them. My best friend from childhood is like that. From grade 7 to high school graduation we did everything together. This included good pursuits like prepping each other for final exams and some mischief I won't disclose here. (My kids may be reading this.) When we each went away to different colleges then different career tracks, years went by with no contact except for a few letter exchanges. But when we both decided to attend our 10th high school reunion, we connected immediately. It was like the playbook of our lives had been Paused for a few seconds and then the Play button was hit. Neither of us had changed our political views. He was always Liberal and I was Conservative both in life and at the voting booth. We were in high school when JFK became President and we spent hours arguing about social vs. responsibility. We picked up the same discussion at our recent get-together. "Same tree--different monkeys" is the way he summed up the current political battles. I had to agree. Not with the assessment but with him. Even though he is actually a year younger, his Irish-German heritage makes it extremely difficult for him to concede any argument with me. That may very well be the hidden value in our friendship. The special connection we had in childhood is still there and ready to reactivate at the press of a button.
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Pick 21 - Search Engines
As a professional writer, I must spend a few hours each day doing on-line research. Although I sometimes find this tedious, I take comfort in knowing that the depth and scope of research I can do in minutes using tools like Google would have taken me weeks back in the days when the printed page was the only way to get information. But the hidden value I want to share today lies in the reach we gain by having a simple Internet connection and a Browser. Prior to the Internet, I had only one reliable source of information: the nearest library. It may have been the school library, a public library, or a professional library maintained by my employer. On rare occasions when the need for special information justified the expense, I could subscribe to a research service that would locate information in a distant or foreign library, photocopy the pages and mail them to me. This was an expensive process and still could take a few days. The FAX machine made this process faster but no less expensive. Today, as I am writing this blog, I can enter a keyword or phrase in my Google search tool and within the blink of an eye, have a plethora of leads to the information I want. Of course, it takes some skill to find the right stuff but, for me, that is more fun than having to read hundreds of pages in books to get to the pay dirt. And that is the hidden value for me.
$tokens to Tip the Pickers
Pick 20 -A Smile
Today I found hidden value in a simple smile. No it was not the smile as in "smile you were just caught on camera going through a red light" It was not even a human smile. I was walking in the local park when I was approached by a furry dog sans human owner. This dog approached me very carefully as if she knew she was not supposed to be there alone. She had a collar but no tag or other ID. Perhaps she was an illegal dog who had wondered across some imaginary border without detection. At any rate she smiled as she approached me. If you are a dog owner you know what I mean. If not, you will have to take my word for it. She smiled in that universal way we all manage to express "hello!" when we don't speak the language. Babies do it. Apes do it. And I am telling you here that dogs do it too. This is the hidden value I share today. In some universal way a smile conveys kind thoughts, brings good karma, and probably promotes a healthy outlook on life. So please smile when you read this. Oh! and just to reassure you, I did not turn in the smiling stray dog. We just exchanged smiles and each of us continued along our way.
$tokens to Tip the Pickers
Pick 19 - Cataracts
Next week I have an appointment with my Ophthalmologist. Many people my age see their Ophthalmologist because they have developed cataracts but that is not my situation. I was fortunate enough to develop cataracts in both eyes when I was 50 something. I say fortunate because my father was 60 something when he had his cataract surgery. Unlike many of his older contemporaries, he was able to take advantage of a new surgery process developed in 1960 by Svyatoslav Fyodorov who
performed the first intraocular lens replacement operation. The key word in this operation is replacement. Before Fyodorov, the lens was just cut out forcing the patient to wear thick lenses or be declared legally blind. Even with the special glasses, driving a car was out of the question and reading the daily newspaper was a struggle. Lens replacement was not just an aid for cataract victims. It was a cure. My father claimed that with his lens implants he could actually see better than he had most of his life. Even though the operation was considered risky and not fully covered by Health Insurance in those days, my father said he would not hesitate to have the operation again if needed. He encouraged all of his friends to consider it too although at that time most Ophthalmologists were still performing the older surgery because they had not been trained in the new procedure. Like him, they would have to travel a good distance from home to get it done. Those who listened to him were never disappointed with the results. Neither was I.
For me there was also hidden value that I discovered almost by accident thanks to my Optometrist. I had worn glasses for near-sightedness since 7th grade. At the time I developed a cataract in my left eye I was a regular patient of an Optometrist attached to a Discount Eye Care store at the local mall. He would give me the basic test for Glaucoma then determine if I needed any change to my prescription using the time-honored method of changing movable lenses while asking me if each change made my vision better or worse. If a change were in order, he wrote a prescription and I went over the the Eye Care Store and got new glasses. Simple as that. But this one time none of the lenses he tried improved my vision. That triggered a closer look into my eye with a special instrument. The result was a referral to an Ophthalmologist. The first time in my life that happened. It was a cataract. Within a few weeks I was prepped for surgery and left with the latest, much improved replacement lens. A few years later I had my right eye done. Now my Optometrist informed me that I had 20/20 vision but that, unlike my natural lenses, these were fixed at one setting like an old fashioned Box Camera. He could have continued giving me prescriptions for reading glasses but soft contact lens were coming on the scene and he had become an expert helping his patients learn to use them. It was then he suggested something that, in my mind, was both crazy yet laden with hidden value. He called it monovision. Since I had 20/20 vision in both eyes, if he corrected one eye for close vision using a contact lens, I would be able to read and drive without glasses. It worked! For the past 20 years I had what amounted to near perfect vision. No glasses to fog up. No reading glasses to lose. Initially I had to soak my lens every night. Now with extended wear lenses I simply put in a new lens every couple of weeks.
This hidden value was driven home to me a few weeks ago when I learned that a film was growing over my implanted lens. Before the advent of lazier surgery, my Ophthalmologist would have had to replace the old lens. Now all he has to do is zap the film with the lazier--a five minute procedure--and I will be able to lose my reading glasses again. I can't wait.
For me there was also hidden value that I discovered almost by accident thanks to my Optometrist. I had worn glasses for near-sightedness since 7th grade. At the time I developed a cataract in my left eye I was a regular patient of an Optometrist attached to a Discount Eye Care store at the local mall. He would give me the basic test for Glaucoma then determine if I needed any change to my prescription using the time-honored method of changing movable lenses while asking me if each change made my vision better or worse. If a change were in order, he wrote a prescription and I went over the the Eye Care Store and got new glasses. Simple as that. But this one time none of the lenses he tried improved my vision. That triggered a closer look into my eye with a special instrument. The result was a referral to an Ophthalmologist. The first time in my life that happened. It was a cataract. Within a few weeks I was prepped for surgery and left with the latest, much improved replacement lens. A few years later I had my right eye done. Now my Optometrist informed me that I had 20/20 vision but that, unlike my natural lenses, these were fixed at one setting like an old fashioned Box Camera. He could have continued giving me prescriptions for reading glasses but soft contact lens were coming on the scene and he had become an expert helping his patients learn to use them. It was then he suggested something that, in my mind, was both crazy yet laden with hidden value. He called it monovision. Since I had 20/20 vision in both eyes, if he corrected one eye for close vision using a contact lens, I would be able to read and drive without glasses. It worked! For the past 20 years I had what amounted to near perfect vision. No glasses to fog up. No reading glasses to lose. Initially I had to soak my lens every night. Now with extended wear lenses I simply put in a new lens every couple of weeks.
This hidden value was driven home to me a few weeks ago when I learned that a film was growing over my implanted lens. Before the advent of lazier surgery, my Ophthalmologist would have had to replace the old lens. Now all he has to do is zap the film with the lazier--a five minute procedure--and I will be able to lose my reading glasses again. I can't wait.
$tokens to Tip the Pickers
Pick 18 - Medicare Card
I got this little card a few years ago and it has been in my wallet ever since. I really did not want to get this card. I had no choice. It was mandated and that brought back memories of another mandated card I got when I was much younger. I had just turned 18 and was told to report to the local Selective Service office in my town to "register for the draft" The elder gentleman I met there was very reassuring and the procedure was painless. He asked a few questions, gave me some documents to sign and in short order I was "registered" It did not mean much to me until a few years later when America drifted into the Viet Nam War. Then it became a constant reminder of how my country viewed young men like me. That card had no hidden value. The only value it later attained came when our leaders realized that having a large pool of young men ready to be pressed into military service was not an open invitation to send us into action just because we were available and generally ready to serve our country. But that is another story and is not suited to this blog. I want to focus on the other mandated card...my Medicare Card.
In 1965, Congress created Medicare under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide health insurance to people age 65 and older, regardless of income or medical history. Before Medicare's creation, only half of older adults had health insurance, with coverage either unavailable or unaffordable to the other half. Older adults had half as much income as younger people and paid nearly three times as much for health insurance. Medicare also spurred the integration of thousands of waiting rooms, hospital floors, and physician practices by making payments to health care providers conditional on desegregation.
In 1972, Congress expanded Medicare eligibility to younger people who have permanent disabilities and receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments and those who have end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
Congress further expanded Medicare in 2001 to cover younger people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease).
Initially Medicare consisted exclusively of Part A, which covers hospital and other inpatient services, and Part B, which covers outpatient care, physician visits, and other “medically necessary services.” Congress then added Medicare Part C (originally called Medicare+Choice, then later changed to Medicare Advantage), which allows enrollees to receive their Medicare benefits through a private plan, under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, while Medicare Part D was created under the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003.
My Medicare card has abundant hidden value. I am not talking about the health care benefits. With my Medicare Card in hand I can purchase train tickets and bus tokens at a substantial discount in most cities that have a public transportation system. This card can also be used to obtain those Senior Discounts at movie theaters. restaurants, theme parks, and just about any business that caters to seniors.So although I hate to admit these days that I am "well qualified" to have this mandated card, I must admit that age has its privileges.
In 1965, Congress created Medicare under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide health insurance to people age 65 and older, regardless of income or medical history. Before Medicare's creation, only half of older adults had health insurance, with coverage either unavailable or unaffordable to the other half. Older adults had half as much income as younger people and paid nearly three times as much for health insurance. Medicare also spurred the integration of thousands of waiting rooms, hospital floors, and physician practices by making payments to health care providers conditional on desegregation.
In 1972, Congress expanded Medicare eligibility to younger people who have permanent disabilities and receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments and those who have end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
Congress further expanded Medicare in 2001 to cover younger people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease).
Initially Medicare consisted exclusively of Part A, which covers hospital and other inpatient services, and Part B, which covers outpatient care, physician visits, and other “medically necessary services.” Congress then added Medicare Part C (originally called Medicare+Choice, then later changed to Medicare Advantage), which allows enrollees to receive their Medicare benefits through a private plan, under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, while Medicare Part D was created under the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003.
My Medicare card has abundant hidden value. I am not talking about the health care benefits. With my Medicare Card in hand I can purchase train tickets and bus tokens at a substantial discount in most cities that have a public transportation system. This card can also be used to obtain those Senior Discounts at movie theaters. restaurants, theme parks, and just about any business that caters to seniors.So although I hate to admit these days that I am "well qualified" to have this mandated card, I must admit that age has its privileges.
$tokens to Tip the Pickers
Pick 17 - Hall of Fame
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is packed with hidden value. I spent a half day yesterday taking in the various displays and got back home too late to file this report. So today I am going to double up by relating the two most important hidden values I uncovered while I was there:
First, I found it surprising how many visitors this modest museum attracts during these financially challenged times. Adult admission is $19.50 unless you are an AAA Member [$17.50]; 65+ or Member of a Veterans Organization [$12]; or Active and Retired Military [Free]. The $19.50 may seem expensive to lukewarm fans of the game, but avid followers will pay that and more for a standing room only ticket to a high profile MLB game.
I am from the former group but now that I understand the hidden value lurking within the walls of this museum, I not only would pay the full price to return again this Summer, but I would drive the 460 mile round trip from my house to do so. Why? Because I discovered that unlike other major league sports, baseball both reflects and projects the hidden value within the spirit of America. While American politics often turn sarcastic and, at times, even fatalistic; Baseball is like politics without sarcasm and fatalism. Players contend against other players; teams contend against other teams; and like our two political parties, the American League contends against the National League. But unlike the contention between our two political parties where money talks and nobody walks...it takes the right mix of talent, skill, and luck to win the game. And instead of turning to a Supreme group that has no skin in the game to decide close calls, an Umpire's call is respected based on his track record of generally good calls. Both he and his organization have skin in the game. And that is only one hidden value I uncovered at the Baseball Hall of Fame. I plan to uncover more hidden values of baseball as we get closer to the General Election err...I mean the World Series.
The secondary value I found lie hidden in the village of Cooperstown, where the museum is located. For the baseball fans who visit the Hall of Fame there is likely little interest in the origins of this quaint little town beyond the many fine eateries located near the museum. However, I found the town to be just as interesting as the museum for pickers of hidden value.
Here's just a little wiki insight: During the early 1780s town founder William Cooper became a storekeeper in Burlington, New Jersey, and by the end of the decade he was a successful land speculator and wealthy frontier developer in what is now Otsego County, New York. Soon after the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, he acquired a tract of land several thousand acres in extent within the borders of New York state and lying along the head waters of the Susquehanna River. He founded the Village of Otsego at the foot of Otsego Lake in 1786, and moved his family there, arriving on 10 November 1790. After Cooper's death, the village was renamed Cooperstown in his honor. William Cooper was the father of writer James Fenimore Cooper, who apparently used his father as the pattern for the Judge Marmaduke Temple character in his book The Pioneers. The story begins with an argument between the Judge and Leatherstocking over who killed a buck, and as Cooper reviews many of the changes to New York's Lake Otsego, questions of environmental stewardship, conservation, and use prevail. So readers are left to ponder how many 18th Century values are still dormant in politics of the 21st Century.
First, I found it surprising how many visitors this modest museum attracts during these financially challenged times. Adult admission is $19.50 unless you are an AAA Member [$17.50]; 65+ or Member of a Veterans Organization [$12]; or Active and Retired Military [Free]. The $19.50 may seem expensive to lukewarm fans of the game, but avid followers will pay that and more for a standing room only ticket to a high profile MLB game.
I am from the former group but now that I understand the hidden value lurking within the walls of this museum, I not only would pay the full price to return again this Summer, but I would drive the 460 mile round trip from my house to do so. Why? Because I discovered that unlike other major league sports, baseball both reflects and projects the hidden value within the spirit of America. While American politics often turn sarcastic and, at times, even fatalistic; Baseball is like politics without sarcasm and fatalism. Players contend against other players; teams contend against other teams; and like our two political parties, the American League contends against the National League. But unlike the contention between our two political parties where money talks and nobody walks...it takes the right mix of talent, skill, and luck to win the game. And instead of turning to a Supreme group that has no skin in the game to decide close calls, an Umpire's call is respected based on his track record of generally good calls. Both he and his organization have skin in the game. And that is only one hidden value I uncovered at the Baseball Hall of Fame. I plan to uncover more hidden values of baseball as we get closer to the General Election err...I mean the World Series.
The secondary value I found lie hidden in the village of Cooperstown, where the museum is located. For the baseball fans who visit the Hall of Fame there is likely little interest in the origins of this quaint little town beyond the many fine eateries located near the museum. However, I found the town to be just as interesting as the museum for pickers of hidden value.
Here's just a little wiki insight: During the early 1780s town founder William Cooper became a storekeeper in Burlington, New Jersey, and by the end of the decade he was a successful land speculator and wealthy frontier developer in what is now Otsego County, New York. Soon after the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, he acquired a tract of land several thousand acres in extent within the borders of New York state and lying along the head waters of the Susquehanna River. He founded the Village of Otsego at the foot of Otsego Lake in 1786, and moved his family there, arriving on 10 November 1790. After Cooper's death, the village was renamed Cooperstown in his honor. William Cooper was the father of writer James Fenimore Cooper, who apparently used his father as the pattern for the Judge Marmaduke Temple character in his book The Pioneers. The story begins with an argument between the Judge and Leatherstocking over who killed a buck, and as Cooper reviews many of the changes to New York's Lake Otsego, questions of environmental stewardship, conservation, and use prevail. So readers are left to ponder how many 18th Century values are still dormant in politics of the 21st Century.
$tokens to Tip the Pickers
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