68 degrees this morning.
Looking forward to visiting with friends this weekend. We have been looking forward to it since we knew we would be in the area. We can (somewhatI) replace houses, cities, cars etc., but friends are unique, and we really value and hope we can maintain meeting with our Lakeland friends on a regular basis over the future.
We lived on a farm when I was growing up, so the number of people were limited, especially children our age. Our closes friends were about 3/4 mile away (they were mostly friends of my older brothers and sisters due to age differences) and we would walk over and give the Tarzan yell to see if they could play.
My best friend lived about 2 miles away and we would walk (I don’t recall ever being driven) over to see each other.
We went to a one-room school (I still remember the teachers name, Ms. Porterfield,) and I went there for 4 grades before Kansas consolidated all the one-room schools.
Decision points on our lives are coming up. Either I will start working another job or I am starting my consulting business and “jumping in with all four feet” as I like to say. Maybe some of each if things work out, which is what I actually prefer.
Wherever the Wheel of Fortune may land. And I need to be ready to recognize it when the Wheel of Fortune points to me.
I think my reason for wanting to continue working is my basic desire to make changes for the better, even if it is small changes. One of the most rewarding things about City Manager is the ability (well, power or authority) to resolve problems, especially those little, irritating problems that impact on your life (or the big ones for that matter). If nothing else, I can listen and explain why a problem can’t be resolved.
I really enjoy that aspect of City Manager, especially since I love feeling that I am an important part of the team that makes life better for city residents.
That is a major reason it makes me so angry when I see an arrogant spoiled brat who thinks he knows everything destroy a city. (As an example in Lakeland, the spoiled brat politician was going to “fix” the trash system. He ended up with a much worse program that charges the same rates, doesn’t recycle yard waste any more, doesn’t pick up near as much (before they picked up everything in bags, now just two containers.) However, enough of that, Lakeland residents are going to have to resolve that problem. That isn’t my problem anymore, but it is a good reason for me to keep working and hope I can prevent such stupid arrogant actions in other communities.
Back to my time on the farm, I can remember playing “City Manager” when I was child. I had an entire “city”set up (with sticks, stones and leaves and other items representing vehicles, airplanes, buildings etc), I didn’t have actual vehicles etc. They didn’t make Hot Wheels back then and we just didn’t have toys like that. Perhaps that is the reason (at least I feel) I am especially creative, so it may have been a gift that I had to use my imagination.
Moving has been somewhat of a trip down memory lane as I am forced to look at books, etc. that I purchased because I had read them as a child. I can’t bring myself to throw away the literature books (my brothers and sisters) I read as a child (I purchased them at a library book sale years ago), or many of the early books I liked. Also, I don’t even think about giving away my Hot Wheels collection, although I would like to donate them to children who will enjoy them when I no longer appreciate them for whatever reason.
The next week week may have a lot of decisions points. We will see. We are looking forward to visiting with our friends this weekend. If I”m having “too much fun” the journal entires may be somewhat erratic for the next several days, although I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t be able to jot a few thoughts.
That’s it for today, Saturday, July 26, 2014.
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