Better storytelling can be traced to good listening, and as Willa Sibert Cather, the novelist who wrote so vividly about frontier life on the Great Plains tells us, it all begins at an early age. Willa’s belief reminds me of Corey, a toddler who grew into a man at a small nursing home his parents operated in Charlotte. Hillcrest Manor was Corey’s entire world until he started preschool …
Did you celebrate Father’s Day? We did. It was fun. I’m very fortunate to have been loved by a great dad, one who believed in me, and I’ve tried to do the same for my children and grandchildren. So, I’ve been wondering what it takes to be a father, other than, of course, the right plumbing and a partner.
I read the obituaries. Not everyday, but often. Sometimes I know the person and plan to attend their service. Sometimes an obit celebrates a stranger. It doesn’t matter, as a storyteller myself, I enjoy reading about these people and learning something about their lives.
Checking off the steps in a manual is following, not leading. Often, it’s attitude, more than aptitude, that determines altitude. I have learned that only when we are put in a position to fail, can we truly succeed. I didn’t learn those buzz phrases from any sales seminar, but from my years working in sales and sales management …
I want to get to know America better. I often dream of getting in my truck, pulling a small travel trailer, and hitting the road with my wife and dog, all packed up front. But until my grand adventure happens, I am saying, “Hello America” right here – in Charlotte, in North Carolina. I’m making a choice to listen to the stories from people who make different decisions about how to live their lives …
Do you pay your bills on time as they arrive, before they’re even due, or do you wait until the last minute, maybe longer? How about the people who pay you, your clients or employer? Does that money arrive on time, or do you often need to wait – even needing to chase down your pay check? As a small business owner, I lived every emotion. To understand what fast payment can do for a relationship, on both sides, follow me on my Saturday morning routine in the mid 1980’s.
Most faith traditions use confession as a way to acknowledge shortcomings and seek forgiveness. That’s good, but lately I’ve wondered if this group confession, with its community language, isn’t getting in the way of my personal transformation. In short, does the first person plural or “we” language serve as a tweed coat in hiding the problem from my personal, singular, responsibility …
John Pavlish was a friend and co-worker. He was also an accomplished stone mason, building many a wall in his spare time. Building walls was John’s hobby, but building bridges was his day job. He had a disarming way of connecting people, of calming differences, and of reaching consensus when others at the table had walked away. John spoke with quaint sayings so listeners needed to pay attention for any strange gem that might appear. His sayings formed the bridge to many an agreement. I understood most, but I needed help with one of them …
Price’s Chicken Coop already had 17 years of success in Charlotte when I arrived in 1979. It was stuck in the middle of a row of similar old buildings way before the arrival of the looming apartment buildings, trendy shops, or the LYNX Blue Line. The menu was taped in the window. I had been warned to study it before entering so I could be ready to order without hesitation and pay the exact amount in cash, never plastic. The recommendation I had received that day, almost 40 years ago, was 100% correct. It’s still the best chicken in Charlotte …
I smiled as I opened the email from Joshua and Ryan, the title had offered an instant memory jolt: “Love People. Use Things. The Opposite Never Works.” This took me back to the late ’80s when our son was in high school. I had just gotten a new car, a Plymouth Caravelle. It was relatively plain except for one important accessory. It boasted the latest in cutting edge technology. A phone …