Fall 2015 December 3 Thursday

34 degrees this morning,  Walk 38:52 minutes 

Looking at the e-mails I receive each day, what I really need is a means to automatically send much of it to the trash!  In spite of continuously requesting that advertising e-mail (not spam) be stopped, it seems it only continues.

I have learned not to respond to surveys at restaurants etc., (or I use an e-mail address I look at only occasionally and normally don’t use), since it appears to be only a gimmick to get your e-mail address for advertising  rather than an honest attempt at evaluation of the restaurant (or department store etc., whatever). 

Again, the old “sellers” idea that if they only bombard  you with pleas to buy and are “persistent you will buy from them.  Of course all it does is irritate me to the point I will buy from them as little as possible. 

It was about this time two years ago when going to China seemed feasible.  It actually was a Memphis Chamber breakfast where I sat at the same table as a owner of a company who specialized in orienting business persons from other countries  to the United States and vice versa.  

While I didn’t actually make the final decision until late January, I think the idea was already sprouting, since I realized I would have the time to go and it may be my one opportunity. 

Proceeding with my listening to the book about Wilson.  It is at the point that he is starting to realize he may be getting involved in politics.  He has already probably had two small strokes which were not recognized by the medical procedures of that time.  

I think Wilson’s biggest talent appeared to be his ability to communicate a vision and getting people to buy into the vision, including contributing money to his grand visions  

The book mentioned it is easier to get someone to contribute a lot to a new church (or classroom building etc.) than a little to repairing the present facility!  

Thinking about it, that is a major factor in many projects and successes.  

Many years ago, someone mentioned at a meeting that many cities/communities have a visionary leader/leaders once every 20 years or so, so it is important to take action while you have leaders that not only have the Vision, but also the ability to involve people in joining in their Vision, and, perhaps as important, funding the Vision.  

I look at the magnificent buildings, many City Halls, Courthouses, Churches etc. and note that many are old and now functionally obsolete, but the current leaders are unable to convey the needs and Vision (or maybe even to have the Vision) and get it funded to replace, upgrade or rehabilitate the buildings to current needs.  

So the current work is accomplished in substandard facilities with the results you expect from having to work in a substandard environment, led by “leaders” whose only goal is cutting taxes or “maintaining “ and pandering to the public or their members.  

This City had great vision for the downtown area and  made an almost unbelievable resurgence of the downtown and related area and even community spirit in the last 20 years. 

However the vision is lost in the residential areas where there are no community parks, little attention paid to transportation and certainly no consideration of what makes a “great” living environment.   

The leaders don’t seem to realize that that City will never be “great” if there are not facilities and quality living environment for residential areas. 

Instead the city encourages developers to use waste land for “subdivision parks’’  and try to dump public tasks on “Home Owner Associations’.  More later on that, but what a waste!

That’s it for now, Thursday,  December 3, 2015.