Brainstorming Ideas
Posted in Blog, Conversations on Jan 17th, 2009
Friendly, affordable cooperative diners would anchor a neighborhood by providing a safe, sociable gathering place to get to know your neighbors, share ideas and resources.
Category Archive for 'Conversations'
Loss Expert
Posted in Blog, Conversations on Dec 21st, 2008
As recently as six weeks ago, I considered myself an expert on loss. My mother died suddenly when she was 51 and I was 17.The failure of my marriage to a man I truly loved provided another round in the important, but painful, lessons of loss. And so I thought that I could offer a [...]
Challenge of Staffing Retail Businesses
Posted in Blog, Conversations on Dec 15th, 2008
Shoe Repair Store Lost Income I don’t like to throw anything away-not disposable lighters, razors, or shoes. Cheap shoes cannot be repaired and must be tossed into land fills, so I buy durable ones, knowing that repeated repairs are part of the investment. Cheap, imports have changed the repair business and now repair shops are [...]
Legion of Grandparents
Posted in Blog, Conversations on Dec 7th, 2008
The glamorous commercial property manager had recently given birth to a baby who couldn’t digest its food properly. I don’t recall if it was colicky or something worse. Neither of their families lived nearby so it was just she, her husband, and the wailing baby. Commercial real estate is a demanding job, dressing to the [...]
Time and Talent-precious resources
Posted in Blog, Conversations on Dec 4th, 2008
Time is a resource that we don’t quite know what to do with. The imbalance of time is a curiosity. Entire groups of people-retired, unemployed, disabled, underemployed, seasonally employed-have too much of it. Other groups-working class people holding down two jobs to make ends meet, households where business travel schedules collide with child care, households [...]
Professional Obligations and Your Family
Posted in Blog, Conversations on Dec 1st, 2008
The president of a worthy non-profit organization who works hard to improve lives in a third world country feels overwhelmed by her travel schedule and the 200 e-mails that she receives daily. When we met, I inquired about her family–two children, a 13-year old girl and a 15-year old boy. Her husband travels too and [...]
Emergency-Who Watches the Children?
Posted in Blog, Conversations on Nov 30th, 2008
At midnight in late January, a plumbing emergency prompted a trek to Home Depot, where I was disheartened to see two families with young children on a school night. Obviously, I had no idea what the family situation was, why the parents were in Home Depot at that hour, or why the children weren’t at [...]
Reach Out for Opportunity
Posted in Blog, Conversations on Nov 26th, 2008
A degree in video post-production from Columbia College and all she gets is this lousy photo department job? The young woman at Walgreen’s photo department was discouraged. When I asked her about opportunities, she looked down and shook her head, “No. There are no opportunities.” She had sent out over 300 resumes. A natural beauty, [...]
Overloaded by Yes?
Posted in Blog, Conversations on Nov 17th, 2008
This chronic “yessing” must stop. Yes, I can help your non-profit. Is it money, time or a potluck contribution that you need? Yes, I’ll make ____ for to the potluck. Yes, I can attend the meeting. Yes, I can ______ fill in the blank. Does this sound like your life too? Willingness, a desire to [...]
Hope of the World Rests With Obama
Posted in Blog, Conversations on Nov 16th, 2008
In the first week of Barack Obama’s big win, I talked with bus drivers, passengers and people at the bus stop and many others. During most conversations, I choked up with gratitude and a profound sense of hope for our country. I am grateful to the tireless, dedicated grass roots organization that got this done. [...]