2016 Spring June 3 Friday

67 degrees this morning.  Walk 34;58 miles

Friday.  The cloudy weather and rain continue.  The rain hasn’t been heavy, just always around the corner!  

Looking forward to seeing some friends next week, going to the CMA Fest etc.  

I always wonder what an experience will really be like before I do it and then look at it after it is done to see the difference.  

A great example is going to China.  I tried to image what it would be like before i went, and of course i was completely different from what I expected.  (It was better in this case).  

However, as always, after I saw the actual place, I couldn’t bring back the “before visit” image to compare it.

Seems strange, but that happens so often.  New Orleans was completely different than I imaged it, as was Memphis, Nashville, Pittsburg, Chicago, Detroit etc.  

Probably Detroit and Pittsburg were some of the biggest differences “pre” and “post” visit that I imaged.  

Actually, I really liked Detroit and Pittsburg.  I really liked the people, and I liked what they were doing in the city.  May have been a “work in progress”, but they were moving forward.  Both of them had some unfortunate events after we visited, but based on what I saw of the people, I’m sure they will work through it. 

Registered for the International City Manager’s Conference yesterday.  Excited just reading the program! 

I really like municipal government and the innovative nature of it.  Even though I’m not directly involved right now, I am hoping the conference and general reading will keep me on it.  

One thing that really impressed me about he municipal officials in China (at the conference in China) was the true desire of the Chinese officials to learn and improve their cities.  They had a true desire to learn and improve life for their residents.  

I am always surprised when I read about some official (a Mayor in many cases) who I see at conferences so excited about the development of their city, and then read later they were indicted (or convicted) of corruption or bribery etc. 

I think the desire to serve was certainly there, somewhere something went wrong.  I always wonder why someone who literally has all the money they need, for some reason commit a crime to get a few more dollars.  Happens in the private sector a lot also.

Speaking of dedication, I have noted  the dedication of employees who barely make enough to live on, who are micromanaged, whose job is always in peril, just how hard most of them work.  Good work performance definitely isn’t just a matter of money!

Hopefully the sun will come out soon.  Of course, it will be too hot then, but it will be a lot nicer than the continually cloudy weather.  

That’s it for now, Friday, June 3, 2016.