Author: Paul (Chip) Harris

When I was in high school I had a teacher named Sheena who was an incredible influence on me. Many of us are blessed with great teachers, they are a real gift to us. We probably don’t think to look them up later and then tell them how important they have been to us. I’m fortunate enough to keep in touch with my friend Sheena all these years later. Thanks Sheena.

Here’s something that happened in grade 11, I recall.

I was quite active in the arts in High School and took every art course that I could from Sheena. It was a way for me to express myself during that very awkward time of growing up — 6’5″ and 170 lbs — need I say more. During those years I was found at one of two ‘safe’ places, either the bowling alley or in the art studio.

I had taken an interest in ceramics and was becoming quite creative in the use of clay. Some of my pieces are in my office today, if you ask next time you are in I’ll show you. Sometime at the start of a new semester a new group of ceramics students arrived. I may have been the teacher’s assistant, or just a senior ceramics student — not senior by much — this was high school after all.

Out of the blue Sheena asked me to teach these students how to wedge clay. Wedging is a process that removes the air bubbles from the clay so when the piece has dried it won’t explode during a kiln firing. I was terrified of having to teach these students. I’d been picked on and bullied all the way through school, but that is a story for another time.

There were about five students gathered around the 4′ x 8′ wedging table, with me at the end. Each of them had a freshly cut piece of clay to work with. I just couldn’t speak so with trembling hands I slowly began to work the clay, pulling it up from the back of the slab with my fingers and then pushing it down with my weight on the palms of my hands. Not entirely different than kneading dough. It’s probably called wedging because if done right it creates a piece of clay that resembles a wedge shape.

One-by-one the students watched and slowly started to follow my hand movements and wedge their own clay. I watched them, I watched their eyes, I watched their hands. Over the course of 10-15 minutes everyone learned to wedge clay. I said nothing. I recall relaxing at the end and making a few suggestions but even that I’m not sure about now.

It’s likely that I taught others later but I don’t remember anything other than this first time.

As I think about this today I think about how this style might reflect my personality. Where words often fail me, I can show by example. I can prove that something can be done by demonstrating it. There have been times and continue to be times when I simply can’t explain something with my brain but that I feel to be right elsewhere in my body. The building of Sunworks has largely been like that.

Perhaps this is why I think that experimenting — giving things a try — is so important for community development. For example, how can we be certain of what we’ve been told by traffic engineers that blocking two lanes of traffic on Ross Street by City Hall would cause traffic to back up? Then, lucky for us, the lanes get blocked from construction for two years, and we make a discovery which we can demonstrate, and that leads us to the creation of a park (see Creating Cenotaph Plaza entry). Showing not telling is perhaps an underutilized form of teaching and learning.

This newsletter is devoted to news and events.  First we have three cultural events to tell you about.   Here they are in date order.

Fertile Choices – March 25, 2010 to March 27, 2010

My friend and colleague, Glynis Wilson-Boultbee has written and directed a new play called Fertile Choices.  I know her and her work.  I highly recommend you get tickets and go to this production at the Matchbox.  It starts next Thursday and runs only until Sunday.  We have tickets at the store.

Fertile Choices explores myriad reasons why women choose not to have children and the implications of those choices. The story is told with unflinching honestly and electrifying wit. Fertile Choices is based on the provocative poetry/ceramic show of the same name by Glynis Wilson Boultbee and Michele Dupas.

Fertile Choices launches Ignition Theatre’s inaugural ORIGINAL VOICES series. Each season, Ignition Theatre will accept new scripts from Alberta playwrights, will develop and workshop one, then produce a full limited engagement run. This will assist Ignition Theatre in expanding its mandate to include the support of emerging playwrights.

Robyn Dell ‘Unto and Sean Pinchin – March 28th

On Sunday, March 28th Sunworks will host an intimate acoustic show, featuring Robyn Dell ‘Unto and Sean Pinchin. Gather around 5:00 — the show will start at 6:00. Tickets are $10. Cash wine bar.  We appreciate when you buy your tickets in advance at Sunworks, however tickets will also be available at the door.  The seating is limited.

ROBYN DELL’UNTO spent new year’s eve 2009 in Niagara Falls, sharing the stage with Styx and Glass Tiger in front of a crowd of over 60,000 people. Robyn is at home on stage, and easily relates to, and wins over, any crowd…she’s just signed a deal with The Orange Lounge label, and her songs have been featured on both CBC and CMT. Melissa Mcclelland & Justin Hines are also with The Orange Label.

The story-telling, Folklore artist, SEAN PINCHIN, is best known for crafting warm and soulful sounds with nothing but his voice, harmonica and slide guitar. Using his music as therapy, every performance has an emotional delivery that any audience can feel and relate to.

Paul Headrick – April 16, 2010

Our next literary event is a reading by author Paul Headrick.  His new book is called The Doctrine of Affections and is a collection of eleven stories. Paul Headrick takes us on a fascinating journey into the heart of music. From the perfectly honed decrescendo of a symphony’s string section to the down-home chord progressions at a late-night kitchen party, Headrick’s stories question the subtle differences between hearing and listening, and communicating and understanding. The subjects of this collection are soloists, ensemble players, scholars, collectors, and lovers of music, but their experiences with risk, religion, relief, and often regret make their stories resonate for readers who are hearing their songs for the first time.

A poverty-stricken guitar virtuoso navigates the political landscape of nineteenth-century Parisian society as he comes out of retirement for one final concert. A sessional instructor competing for the prestigious Interdisciplinary Chair in Aretha Franklin studies gets sidetracked by her obsession with a mysterious student in a yellow hat. A dying doo-wop DJ and his wife try to bridge the estrangement wrought by illness as they travel in search of the horns, drums, and vocals of highlife.

It’s going to be a fun and entertaining evening.  No tickets are necessary and we have room for 30.  Come for wine and cheese and enjoy another excellent writer.

Facebook

For those of you ‘on Facebook’, and I know there are many, please join our Sunworks group.

What’s new?

It is so hard to say what is new and what has changed.  We’ve been enhancing Sunworks for years and since Christmas 2009 we’ve done some major changes that have once again taken the store to the next level.  We all are very pleased — come down for a visit soon.  See the ever growing music section in the store, the upgrades to the book room, the kitchen product, cards, pottery, glass, and garden statuary.  You can always visit through our webcam, sadly you can’t buy through it yet.

Idea Market Moves to Red Deer

We are pleased to announce that the Idea Market team will be moving into the Sunworks Building for May 1.  Their new office is #205, 4926 Ross Street.  We are so thrilled to be associated with this dynamic and talented group of people.  To learn a little more about Idea Market visit their website.

Conscious Evolution

Last month I mentioned my blog and invited you to visit it.  Then in an editing faux pas, I neglected to put in the URL…. so here it is.  www.paulharris.ca

Conscious Evolution — observations and insights through living on earth in the company of solitary travellers — is my personal website.  I’ve been quite active building this site to share my thoughts and insights about life.  As a community facilitator, writer, and artist I believe that I’m discovering ideas and ways of thinking that are helping me to make sense of the world and highlight what I think are useful questions to help us create an inspired future.  You may find it interesting to read and follow (OR you may not).  I share ideas, encourage thinking, promote collaboration and questioning, as well as post simple things like great recipes.  I link my site to sites of other thinkers and organizations that I find interesting and thought-provoking.  Mostly I have fun.

City Council

I’ve been asked many times to consider running for City Council.  I’ve considered it for years and now the time is right.  So it’s official, I will run in the next election. The outpouring of support and encouragement has been tremendous.  During the next six months I’ll be actively listening to the community.  If you have something that you would like to share with me, an idea, a challenge, an insight, please do not hesitate to call me, email me, or drop by.  I plan to run this campaign and do my potential work with City Council in a strength-based way.  I believe that we will do better if we work from a perspective of what can be rather than what isn’t.  We do have areas that need improvement there is no doubt, but we also have great examples and strength in this community to build something amazing for all of us.

Store Hours

Sunworks is opened Friday nights until 8 p.m., and Sundays Noon – 5 p.m.  The rest of the week it opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m.  Please drop by and explore — enjoy a complimentary Illy coffee and customer service that truly independent retailers can deliver.

If there is something that you would like read about in future issues please email me back.  In fact all feedback is welcomed, we actually like to hear back from you and we’ll share your comments with all of the Sunworkers.

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve written and it has been a busy time. I wrote last about the City’s plan to build Cenotaph Plaza at the end of our street. Each day that the weather warms, the snow melts away, and the construction zone where the plaza will be slowly is being cleaned up. It’s a matter of weeks before crews will begin the transformation of the street. It’s a very exciting time for us.

We’ve completed most of the major changes to the store and begin to prep for the Spring and Summer seasons. It feels great. The Sunworkers are doing a great job and the proof is evident when you come into the store.

As I contemplate the upcoming seasons, I feel relatively confident that the store will continue to improve and finally beat this recession. Shoppers are slowly returning and there seems evidence of a turn around. Still I’m surprised daily by the number of people that come into the store that say they’ve never been in. We started in 1997 and still people are discovering us. We’ve never had such a strong team of people as we do right now. It’s fun every day to be there and play.

Much has changed for me since 1997. After eight years on the board of directors of the Red Deer and District Community Foundation, I’ve only a few months left. During my time there I’ve learned important things but I’ve also grown in my professional life as I’ve grappled with the complexity that exists in the relationship between business and community work. I’ve learned much about community change, and about facilitating creativity and collaboration among diverse groups of people. I’ve faced some of my greatest inner fears and I’ve grown tremendously as a person, particularly in the past two years. Which brings me to what I’m thinking about for the stage of my life.

I had lunch with my colleague Cindy several days ago and she encouraged me to think about running for City Council. I had been thinking about it yet this conversation stirred serious thought. I’ve since spoken to my most trusted friends about it and everyone is in favour and supportive. It is time for me to run, to be elected, and to work from the inside (if there is such a thing). I have a different perspective, one that is reflective of many others in this community. I believe that I can help this community achieve its vision for itself in a way that will help it rise to meet the rapidly evolving world. Changes are quick in their coming and we must adapt quickly to both the challenges and opportunities.

Over the next five months there is a lot to be done to prepare. I want to hear from you to help me craft the right platform and clarify the things that are important. I’ll need your support. Please feel free to call or write, or comment here.

Creating Cenotaph Plaza will transform the sunny side of Ross Street on the block that is home to Sunworks.  Two years ago the community was invited to imagine together what the downtown could be and suggest possible projects and initiatives that would create community and be perhaps transformational.  So many great ideas were heard from those that attended.  Ideas found a home in the planning documents that the City now uses to guide their work in transforming and creating a vibrant and cultural-rich atmosphere.  These plans will improve economic activity, create safer streets, and re-energize the work that downtown merchants have been working towards for years.

Cenotaph Plaza is one such idea that is becoming reality quickly.  It may be the single most important thing to happen in the downtown in years and certainly is the most important enhancement to Ross Street since the installation of the lighting and paving stones 20 years ago.  Citizens noticed how the two lanes to the south of the new Executive Place didn’t cause a backlog of traffic moving west along Ross Street in spite of being blocked off at the corner of 49th Avenue.  They wondered “what would happen if the City kept these lanes (which is now a staging area for construction) and created a park-like cultural space?”  Essentially an unintentional experiment had occurred, and  in noticing what was happening an opportunity emerged for consideration.

Over the past 18 months the City has explored the idea thoroughly and agreed on its feasibility and potential.  This project is one of the first to be developed and has been approved and funded through City Council.  This is a smart investment in the downtown which will result in an increase in property values and hence the tax base for the City.  It will increase the number of people on the street by attracting new visitors downtown, which will in turn help businesses to thrive, and create safer streets.  It provides a space for cultural and community programming.    It will help attract leases to the new Executive Place which will be home to the most attractive city streetscape and the busiest pedestrian street in the city.

The proposed plan incorporates the recently restored Cenotaph in its existing historical and symbolic location.  The plan includes suitable lighting, benches, landscaping, and streetscaping all of which are based on the principles of Crime Preventions through Environmental Design (CPTED).    The Plaza fits with the City’s Municipal Development Plan and Strategic Plan, and the Greater Downtown Action Plan (GDAP).  The GDAP concepts stem from the community visioning efforts done two summers ago which also suggested a plaza that would be a distinct feature in Red Deer’s historic downtown, and help balance the need to slow vehicle traffic and create a safer pedestrian-friendly environment.

Here is the original concept by artist Dave More, as well as the proposed plan.  They are yet exploring, mid-street crossings, scattered crossing at either end of the street, passenger drop off and pick up, signage, and other details.

The most exciting part is that in days it will begin.  Executive Place took their crane away and is starting to tidy up the construction site.  City crews are schedule to begin work on the project in the Spring and have it completed by the end of 2010.  Retailers and restaurant owners along this block are very hopeful the street will be the place to visit and enjoy both in the summer and in the winter.

In many ways this project feels like a culmination of the work that store-owners and restaurateurs have been doing along this block for a while.  I feel a celebration coming on.

Here’s the story that ran in the Red Deer Advocate this week.  Notice the comments at the bottom by anonymous bloggers.  Most of the comments are favourable but of course there are those that just don’t understand why this is important at all.  What people will say when they are anonymous disappoints me.  I’m in favour of people adding their voices to the discussion if you can bear it.

It’s Sunday morning and I’m sitting quietly at home thinking about all of has happened last week.  This week, on the how-alive-was-I scale I give myself a solid 95/100.  On the how-much-joy scale I give myself a 70/100.  There were some amazing and interesting things that happened.  That’s a very linear way to look at something that is fluid and feeling-based.  Here are a few joys from the week.

Last Sunday Terry and I had discovered the power of the Bissell floor steam cleaner.  How nerdy is that?  Let me say though this this thing is the best cleaning tool we’ve ever owned for floors.  No chemicals, no soap, it’s light weight, and it gets floors much cleaner that anything we’ve used before — yes mom it’s even better than hands, knees and a scrub brush.  I’m such a convert.  The floors are sparkling again.  So sold on the ease of use, we bought one for the store with the high hopes that it would be easier to keep the store clean.  I’m happy to report that the Sunworkers took to it and the floors look almost like new again.  To add to the quirkiness of this entry, here is a review link for the steam mop.  May your future hold one of these gadgets in it soon.

Monday was marked by a great board meeting of the Red Deer and District Community Foundation Board.  In my last year as chair of the Foundation I’m continually impressed and proud of the work of the individuals associated with the organization, from the board, to the committees, to the staff and CEO.  Well done to all of them for their tireless and passionate efforts to make Red Deer an even better place to live.   Fund development efforts are increasing with the goal to increase our permanent endowments funds by six million over the next couple of years.  The Red Deer and District Community Foundation continues to be a leader in the nation for its creativity, clear thinking, and policy.  The organization took a loss in its funds during the 2008 year with the onslaught of the recession, but the decrease was only 8% compared to many other organizations across this country that lost much more, some even as much as 40%.

As 2009 ended the funds had fully recovered and gained ground; we achieved at 13.5% return in 2009 and 2010 looks strong in the first quarter.  The organization will once again be running a full grants program in 2010.  The Board of Directors and the Finance Committee did extremely well in thinking through the dark times which enabled us to come out so quickly and well.  This organization continues to have strong, knowledgeable, and thoughtful leadership at the board table and in the office.  It’s such a joy to be part of an organization that does great things.

For information about making donations or about grants please don’t hesitate to contact the office, or call me and I’ll put you in touch with the right person.  Red Deer and District Community Foundation – all for community.

Tuesday morning I had measurements done at the gym.  When I compared last year this time to this year, I discover that I’ve grown in muscle mass and size, and reduced in body fat.  Last year I even got 1 inch taller, as strange at that may sound.  I may be thinking of myself as a big man, finally.

Thursday felt like I crammed three days into one.  It was a race from here to there to here again all day but each activity was so worthwhile.  I started the day with the great workout.  Then had lunch with three great community builders, Janice, Brian & Lynn.  It’s always nice to spend time with people who are passionate and do great things.

After lunch, I drove to Lacombe for some mentoring from the men with Idea Market. On the way I was stopped for several minutes at a train crossing and I thought about my grandfather who was an engineer.

At Idea Market,  for two hours I soaked up new things and made connections between things I knew, and clarified things that I thought I knew.  I was so pleased with the time I spent with Graeme and Carson.  I’ll put what I’ve learned to good use before I visit next Thursday.  I guess I should think of it as homework.   I’m a bit competitive in a learning situation and in this case as I learn with the help of a mentor I will need to meet my high standard of an A and decide whether I deserve it.  Intense student, demanding grader.

Back in Red Deer I met my friend Dale, who read my tarot cards.  This was a first.  I found it interesting and fun, and love playing and thinking about the symbols.  I was bit alarmed and curious to see the first card appear with an image of a man lying face-down with seven or so swords in his back.  We had a great philosophical discussion about life and change.  It reminded me never to become stuck by thinking that one way is right and another is wrong, which is really not my default position anyway, but as things continue to go well I shouldn’t assume that I have it figured out.  I’ve grown to appreciate uncertainty and paradox.

On Friday, I experienced great joy in my work during the morning as I meet with Town Council and Administrators in Innisfail.  I trust myself in this work, as I’ve been encouraged to by another great man in my life.  Lunch together afterward was wonderful as we shared stories and food.  It is so much fun to be Canadians together and talk about all that is happening at the Olympics.  Although my trip back on the highway was tiring it was joyful to watch the winter being pushed back by the strong sun.  I reflected on how great it is to be having fun doing work that I really enjoy.  Innisfail is an amazing community of people.

At the store we finished once again rearranging to accommodate new products and to create a wall for fine art.  By the end of the day we were all very thrilled with the results.  Next week the painting begins again.  The store keeps getting better and better.  Also, next week we will have an oven installed and will be finishing the long over due kitchen on the main floor.  Then I’m hopeful that Terry or others will do mini cooking demonstrations.  I myself am looking forward to taking breaks occasionally to mix up a batch of cookies for our customers.  Don’t think I’ll be anything like Vince from Slapchop… but then again I’ve never done demos before.  Should be fun.

Saturday was calm and quiet as I worked at my desk, visited with friends, and helped customers.  Occasionally I saw the Bissell go by, the quiet hum of grim being removed, and I smile.  I’ve got no doubt that they store will continue to grow in a healthy and creative way… and now in a clean way.  Such a difference from when we were battling construction dust and chaos constantly.  Making pizza with friends in the evening and laughing are faces off made the end of the week absolutely complete.

In the evenings last week Terry and I watched the Olympics and felt great pride with Canada’s athletes, and yes we even watched hockey — and took great ribbing for it. The Canadian values of being polite, grateful, kind and happy people are alive and well.  That brings me the greatest joy this week.

Email Etiquette

Email has been the bane of my existence for a long time, but today I got one that really burnt my cookies. So I’ve decided that it’s time to change the entire world with a rant — as if!  Email had its start as real physical mail, in messages we wrote to one another on real paper, made of real trees.  We wrote with proper courtesy and respect and then carefully sealled our message on paper in envelopes, sometimes with wax, and paid to have them delivered by horse and rider, steamship and train, to whomever we wrote.  Now cynical people call it snail mail.  Sure it comes slowly but let me remind you what a delight it is to receive a real handwritten letter or card from someone far away or just across the city delivered to your home by a real person, often wearing shorts and featuring nice legs and a smile.

Now, with bytes and fiber optics we can have our thoughts and feelings delivered in microseconds. No human hands actually touch our message.  No one holds it up to a candle and tries to decipher its contents.  No one crumples it, or drops it in a mud puddle. Email is becoming devoid of humanity. It’s delivered instantly, only passing through email scanning software looking for security secrets and moral misconduct.  While technology changed, why is it that the ethics and ritual of message writing disappeared? Why don’t we take time to think carefully through what we will say, review it to make sure that we aren’t misunderstood, and that we are respectful, kind, and courteous.  What’s happened?  Is it that the world has reached such speed that now we feel that the fine art of message writing can be dispensed with in lieu of the schlock that is sent around today?   Sadly many people have done away with even common courtesy in letter writing.  As Dave Barry says, ‘people have become too rude to even give you the finger.’

There should be some kind of licensing body that revokes people’s privilege to email if they can’t uphold certain standards of politeness and respect.  Recently I opened a email to discovered enough bad manners and thoughtlessness to make a pedestrian being splashed with mud from a passing car in spring seem  like they were receiving the citizen of the year award.  Let’s go over some of my do’s and don’ts of email etiquette.

Filling out the little boxes

The TO Box

The ‘To’ line is there to list people for whom the message is addressed and from whom you would like a response.  Do not list everyone and their dog in the ‘To’ line unless you do want a response from everyone and their dog.  The dog may not actually write, and neither will most of the people you list.  It’s like crying wolf now.  “Just another email from blah blah.  Probably doesn’t need a response but it’s hard to tell.”  Appropriate examples: Invitations to a party requesting RSVP, working with a group and needing feedback.  Inappropriate examples: chain letters, announcements to which you expect no reply, chain letters, telling people something for information only, chain letters.  Not that chain letters were ever a good idea.  From when I was 10, I’m still waiting for my free car and quickly delivered large sum of money ; I followed those instructions carefully so that an asteroid wouldn’t land on me out of nowhere.  Remember the more you use the ‘To’ line incorrectly, the more people will think of your messages as chain letters… DELETE, or worse yet they’ll just slowly slip down to the bottom of the list until it isn’t even worth consideration.

The CC Box

The ‘CC’ line is there to list people to whom you want to send your message FOR INFORMATION ONLY, numb nuts.  Don’t put them in the ‘TO’ line.  Get it?  Just like a real letter when you use to list the cc’s at the bottom of the page.  The message is NOT to them, it is for their information.  They may or may not respond.  Don’t expect them to if you put their name in the CC line and for god’s sake don’t phone them up and berate them out for not responding.  Yes this has happened to me.  It’s like being called up and yelled at by a credit card  company whom you don’t deal with because you threw away there offer for an instant $10,000 debt.

The BCC box

This line is here so that you can send your well-crafted notes to others without anyone knowing except the receiver.  This didn’t exist before unless you consider making a copy of your message and then sending it along to someone else without the original recipient knowing.  Today this is very useful if you are sending out one message to a bunch of people but you don’t want them to know who else you sent it to.  Get it?  DON’T share people’s email addresses with a bunch of people they don’t know, use the BCC line to protect everyone.

The message

The Greeting

Put the person’s name or names that you’re writing at the top of the message, just like before with paper.  It’s really easy, for example if you are writing me, you would type the letters P a u l then put a comma.  Isn’t that nice?  Now when I get it I’ll know that it is for me and not for … say…  J o h n.  Get it?  The greeting, what great way to start your message, and you can even embellish it by using nice words like Dear, as in Dear Paul. You can even use informal greetings like Dearest sweetheart, or Heya Stud, or Lovely Friend.  See how this works?  Simple.  You’re almost there.

The Message Body

I could and well may go on at great length about the message body.  Here are my suggestions.  Don’t assume that the reader will know what you mean.  Don’t assume they will be neutral when they read your message.  You have no idea what they had for breakfast or what mood your message will find them in.  You really don’t want your message open to interpretation.   You can’t afford to dispense with tone.  The tone of your message is actually 50 percent of the message itself, if not more.  If you are feeling good about what you are writing, SAY SO.  If you are not happy, or confused, or puzzled, or over joyed make it clear.  Be very clear and polite,  otherwise the reader will impose their mood on your note and presto, you WILL be misinterpreted, and you may even create anger, resentment, or hostility.  Which means that in spite of modern electronics and speed, your message actually will not get delivered, instead you will have created a pile of beetle dung that you will have to clean up, unless you can get the dung beetles themselves to roll it away. So be clear, don’t assume, and be polite. If you are not sure you’ve got it right then sleep on it.  Don’t send because the send button is right in front of you, seeming drawing you to it, flashing and jumping up and down.  That exhilarating feeling of completion you get from pushing the send button will be overcome by the stench of the dung pile you may create by sending prematurely.

The Sign Off

For heaven’s sake, when did emaillers start to think that it was okay and even favourable to SKIP saying goodbye or even tell you who they are.  It won’t kill you to be polite and sign your name, most likely first name.  For example if your name were Kate, you would type the letters K a t e.  Easy peasy.  You can embellish this by adding a little something in front of it, like ‘sincerely’, ‘yours truly’, ‘respectfully’, ‘cheers’, or even ‘kiss my ass’, depending on the tone of the note.  Makes sure the tone of your note and your sign off are congruent.   Get it?

The Signature Line

I suppose that this is where my rant continues and ends.  I recently received an email that contained, in giant 36 point font, the person’s first and last name, followed by their position with the organization, their address, phone number, and fax number.  Remember letter writing 101.  The typewriter’s font size is the SAME… all the way through.  What does it say about you if you write a message in 10 point black font, and then have your name dumped in at the end without a sign off in 36 point font in fire engine RED.  Duh!  Not rocket science.  It says… incompetent twit, with a self esteem problems which may stem from either a giant ego or an inferiority complex. ‘Inferior about what?’  you ask yourself, even though you’ve long suspected.  If you really want to think of this as your signature, look at your signature on a real letter as an example and decide how much bigger it is than the font the letter’s written in. In your email, if it is too much bigger than your letter example it will appear like you have absolutely no idea what you are doing but just want people to think that you are important.

The Marketing Line

At the very bottom of many messages you’ll find a little marketing phrase, or a quote or some other message that has nothing at all to do with the message.  A few weeks back I received a note that broke all of my rules and then in addition to that, at the very bottom, right after the ginormous electronic signature in orange Palomino, was an itsy-bitsy, tiny-weeny, four-point font reminder to be kind to the planet, to think before you print.  What about being kind to the people you send the message to I asked myself, aren’t they at least as important as the environment?  How come this marketing line tagged on at the end was one kazillion times smaller then the name and title? How come it isn’t congruent to the tone of the message.  Ridiculous.  Don’t do it unless it is meaningful.

That’s it.  Those are my rules… but wait, there is one more thing. Please never say… ever ever ever… “please contact myself.”  It just plain makes me nauseous.

My challenge today is to write a real note, on real paper, to someone that you were recently thinking about.  If you get really fancy seal it with wax.  Send your note or hand deliver it yourself.  Let me know how it goes.

I am a bundle of insecurity today — old luggage that occasionally resurfaces.  It is one of those days that I read too much into things people say, and don’t say.  Creating monsters where none exist.  I begin my day at my home office writing quietly and in spite of my discarded luggage making an appearance I manage to do some good writing.  I had to remind myself to trust my skills and abilities — to give myself space to think slowly and carefully, to not jump to familiar ways of thinking to readily.  I have to let it be messy and unstructured as I search for connections between ideas, instincts, and thoughts.

My colleagues and I are writing the draft report for a lovely community planning their future.  The process of understanding a vast amount of data collected from hundreds and people, and the making sense of it can be daunting.  What is the difference between and theme and a value and a vision and an action step?  When does an often repeated desire become an action,  or should it be a theme?  How can I be true to the voices I heard without imposing a structure that forces a specific way of thinking?  Over and over and around and around I went, getting closer with each minute and every discussion with colleagues.  In the end I think I’ve arrived at something useful.  Whether I’m convinced it’s the right balance is another matter.  It is another step.   Tomorrow I’ll reopen the documents and discover if sense is less illusive. I need to be sure that I’m not imposing a structure that doesn’t exist.  My caution is absolutely imperative.

To craft a brief document that assists the community in their own change process, and reflects back to them their thoughts in a clear and helpful way, is to say the least an interesting task.  Change is complex, but we do know that we move, each of us, in the direction of our dialogue, internal or otherwise, as do communities and organizations.  So the question then becomes how can a community create the kind of dialogue that would help to move themselves into a future that they desire?  What they talk about (the themes) will lead to their reality.  Themes in that sense become the epicentre of dialogue, and dialogue becomes the epicentre of change.  From this understanding of change spills the actions.  Values chose what the dialogue is about to be;  we talk about the things that we value.  Seems simple enough.

First thing this morning my friend Janice calls and within seconds we are talking about the nature of complexity and change.  How change is happening so fast around us that we barely have time to adapt before the next thing is upon us.  It seems I’ve spent the whole day thinking about change and I like the discoveries of the day.  It’s no less complicated but at the same time it reminds me that we can determine our futures by participating in honest and open dialogue with ourselves and those around us.

This morning I dialogue with myself and discover that the monsters aren’t really there, I’m loved by others, and can trust myself.  My insecurity wanes.

What will happen in the community we are working for as they continue their great community dialogue with themselves?

I’m nestled in bed, nice fresh clean sheets… mmmmmm.  It’s laundry day.  I realize that I haven’t written anything for over a week which isn’t like me.  It has been a busy week, marked with completion of so many small things.   Getting into the corners literally and figuratively.  Just ask anyone who’s been around me.  I like all of the psychologically decluttering that is going on.  It’s solidifying my world before I move on again.

This morning I wake this morning feeling a bit grumpy and can remember a dream I was having that wasn’t pleasant.  I was behaving badly, stemming from my frustration with slow progress at Sunworks, and I was scaring the people around me.  I was like Gordon Ramsey.  Perhaps I shouldn’t have watched Hell’s Kitchen before bed.  Nonetheless it reminded me to be kind with others today and to be more aware of my feelings.  Kind and cautious was my theme for the day. Several times I had to remind myself to be patient with my colleagues, with my clients, and with myself.

It’s days like this that perhaps I should spend working quietly at home, for planning, for catching up on phone calls, and paperwork.  Nonetheless I worked at the shop.  As a team we made significant upgrades to the store.  The electrician came around to finish up a bunch of loose ends that we’ve been waiting for for some time.  The lighting in the reading room is finally going in, along with some fans for cooling.  An old light fixture that I’ve hauled around for nearly 15 years is being rewired and will hang smartly above a new seating area that we are having built.  In fact the reading room itself is getting a bit of a facelift this summer. I met with the cabinet makers to discuss the next projects with include some new fixtures in the reading room and hopefully a ladder on a track to reach the tops shelves.

We will soon have the proper lighting in the reading room and this makes me quite quite happy.  It’s been a growing part of the business for the past five years and now is becoming a major part of the store.

Also they will build for us the cabinets so that we can get the oven in the front of the store and finish up the kitchen demo space.   This all marks progress.  The wiring is in on the second floor of the garden room and so we can finally close in the wall which will make it look a lot better.  Where the money will come from I have no idea.  I’m hoping that sales will pick up again soon.  Valentine’s was a bit slower that we anticipated.  Perhaps love wasn’t yet in the air.

It seems that the reason that I haven’t written for the past several days is because I have been sorting out a number of projects.  There is a lot of concluding that is happening.  It feels great to be making this type of progress, even though it often feels invisible to me at the end of each day.  With the help of close friends, I’ve been to overhaul the content of the Swerve Living website and although there is more to do the majority is now there.  I’ve helped several people with their websites and made important decisions around the direction of the store.  Started a few new balls rolling.  This past weekend, I waded deeply into my manuscript and began to clarify and sort out the sections.  This has been incredibly satisfying. Yesterday I even began to tackle a box of things that has been sitting in the corner of my office for nearly 5 years.  Really there is not going to be much left to sort and soon I can feel the growing will start again. I’ve booked some tutourial time to improve my design and website development skills.  I’ve made future plans for growth.  New clients are appearing regularly.

My friend Glynis suggests that personal development takes place in stages.  Expanding and learning, followed by a period of consolidation and becoming comfortable in the newness of the learning.  Then expanding again.  I feel that I’m at end of a consolidation period and that I’m beginning again to press outwards.  It’s time for me to pack up my tent and journey on to new territory.  It’s really exciting.  Want to travel with me?