God! I hope so. Remember this line from the film FIELD OF DREAMS? People thought Kevin Costner’s role was crazy for building a baseball field in the middle of a
corn field. This is how I feel right now building two new factories in tough economic times and trying to hire disabled individuals to work in them. I feel a little crazy, a little over-whelmed!
I’ve said on many occasions that this is a dream. What I’m trying to do is a dream… a way to give back. Do something different.
What are dreams? Why do we follow our dreams? Why do some people never follow their dreams?
Dreams aren’t always rational. Sometimes they’re something that we’re being called to do. Doing what I’m doing in San Miguel probably was not the best or most rational business decision to be making at this time… or at least at the speed at which I’m doing it.
Motivation, Dreams, Desires!!! What causes us to want to fight for something, fight to be able to do something? Why do some people just give up when faced with adversity?
This week is looking like a busy, fun filled, exciting week. On Monday, July 28th, the State government of Guanjato Mexico is coming out to inaugurate a joint program that makes it possible for us to hire more disabled individuals. Then on Friday, August 1st, I’m giving a talk at a national clinic in Mexico called, Teleton. It’s a system of clinics that work with disabled children. The title of my talk is… “Learning to live with, feel comfortable and be productive with a disability”. And… in between keep working with employees, factories, customers and more.
What motivated me to get to this point in my life? How did I learn to live with a disability? What were the steps to feeling comfortable with my disability? Why is there a desire to be productive when in reality I could get by with being less than productive?
Adversity in life seems to cause some to do more and others to do nothing.
I think it starts very early in life.
I think I said this many entries ago… I’ve been asked many times what I consider to be the difference between the issues of having congenital disability and having an accident. And then.. one step further… why do some that have accidents do well in their recovery and others do nothing at all. Simple answer… Those individuals who had happy, healthy, productive lives prior to their accident learn to have happy, healthy, productive lives after their accident. And for many… that had unhappy lives prior to their accident continue that pattern. There are always exceptions! This is not absolute… just a general observation from my own experience.
Once we establish a pattern… Patterns are difficult to break, but they can be broken. Patterns start for many different reasons. Sometimes they start because it’s just easier for people to let us do what we’re doing than to try to motivate us to do something different. If you remember back to my entries 45 to 49 talking about the original grabado maestro and the negative effects he had on several of my employees, then it’ll be no surprise that these employees are again acting out those negative patterns.
We didn’t stay on top of the problem. We became involved in other issues around the company and didn’t keep our focus on the originals problem. How do you motivate people to change? The two girls know right from wrong. They know what they’re doing. The problem is that they have no respect for themselves, for the company, for their co-workers or me.
Another whole dimension of motivation is respect… for ourselves and for those around us. Until we have respect, all other issues are mute. Why should I do something for myself when I can ask someone else to do it for me? Why should I work hard if no one penalizes me when I don’t?
In so many ways bad habits of any sort boil down to respect.
Showing posts with label Disability. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Disability. Show all posts
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
(66th Entry) Feeling sorry for ourselves…
We all do at times!!! For some reason this title has been on my mind for a few days. I have no idea exactly why or… maybe deep down inside I do...
It’s easy at times for anyone to feel sorry for themselves. Who hasn’t? The question is… what do we do about it? How do we react to it? How do we “get out of it”? Or… At times does it serve a purpose?
It seems to me that there’s so much written about subjects like attitude, positive thinking, motivation, etc. and yet this what am I doing? Why?
People who know me now probably would have a difficult time believing that I used to be extremely shy and self conscious… I might not have acted like it at times on the “outside”, but on the “inside” I had this sense that something was wrong… that I was different. After all, everywhere I went/go people stare at me, make comments. It didn’t matter if the comments were positive or negative… they were still comments, looks, reactions...
The interesting thing about being or feeling “different” is that it doesn’t matter what others say. Even the positive comments are interpreted as negative, because you don’t understand the context.
I mentioned before that all of my life I’ve heard the comments… “You’re such an inspiration.” What does that mean? The other comment is… “God has BIG plans for you.” These statements are a tremendous amount of responsibility for someone to bear when they’re extremely shy and self conscious.
What did I do to be an inspiration? What big plans? Is it about me? Or is it about the person saying it? Or possibly… it’s a little about both.
When I was younger, more self conscious and much angrier about life... My answer to the questions above would have been… It’s a way for people to not have to feel or understand their feelings… to not be responsible for their feelings and place them back on me. In other words, when I look at you I feel something. I don’t know exactly what it is or why I do, but I do. So I say something to you so I can feel better.
The irony is I too was that other person and as I changed, my perception of myself changed.. so did the comments… and definitely the way that I interpreted the comments.
Why do telethons raise so much money? It’s because they bring out the emotion, the compassion, and the empathy in people… FEELINGS! Is this bad?
One of my many goals is to create a healthier environment for disabled and non-disabled individuals… To challenge the status quo… to challenge both disabled and non-disabled individuals and to begin to look at the issue of disability in a different form…
One of the things that I’ve learned in my life and it’s taken a long time… is that the dynamics of the issue of disability is a complicated one. It’s about understanding feelings and taking responsibility for our feelings.
Feeling sorry for myself, having a good attitude, getting motivated all have to do with the way that I view my self and my world.
As I said above… there are a lot of people writing about motivation, attitude, positive thinking, etc. When you have a disability or any problem that is “real” to you or you live or take care of someone… there are no simple one, two, three fixes.
For me… in my life… changes have occurred slowly. As I look back there’s always a story. The problem is that I didn’t always understand how to put the story together, to utilize the story. It seems to me that if I had understood the story better, understood the dynamics of the issue of disability better as it was happening… I might have been better able, better equipped to deal with the feelings.
For me… this is where motivation comes from… understanding the story… taking the story and giving it meaning. When I understand my story I have a choice… Do I want to be angry and bitter or do I want something greater?
The question is… How do we express our feelings? Where do we expend our energy?
Do we feel sorry for ourselves or do we take another step?
It’s easy at times for anyone to feel sorry for themselves. Who hasn’t? The question is… what do we do about it? How do we react to it? How do we “get out of it”? Or… At times does it serve a purpose?
It seems to me that there’s so much written about subjects like attitude, positive thinking, motivation, etc. and yet this what am I doing? Why?
People who know me now probably would have a difficult time believing that I used to be extremely shy and self conscious… I might not have acted like it at times on the “outside”, but on the “inside” I had this sense that something was wrong… that I was different. After all, everywhere I went/go people stare at me, make comments. It didn’t matter if the comments were positive or negative… they were still comments, looks, reactions...
The interesting thing about being or feeling “different” is that it doesn’t matter what others say. Even the positive comments are interpreted as negative, because you don’t understand the context.
I mentioned before that all of my life I’ve heard the comments… “You’re such an inspiration.” What does that mean? The other comment is… “God has BIG plans for you.” These statements are a tremendous amount of responsibility for someone to bear when they’re extremely shy and self conscious.
What did I do to be an inspiration? What big plans? Is it about me? Or is it about the person saying it? Or possibly… it’s a little about both.
When I was younger, more self conscious and much angrier about life... My answer to the questions above would have been… It’s a way for people to not have to feel or understand their feelings… to not be responsible for their feelings and place them back on me. In other words, when I look at you I feel something. I don’t know exactly what it is or why I do, but I do. So I say something to you so I can feel better.
The irony is I too was that other person and as I changed, my perception of myself changed.. so did the comments… and definitely the way that I interpreted the comments.
Why do telethons raise so much money? It’s because they bring out the emotion, the compassion, and the empathy in people… FEELINGS! Is this bad?
One of my many goals is to create a healthier environment for disabled and non-disabled individuals… To challenge the status quo… to challenge both disabled and non-disabled individuals and to begin to look at the issue of disability in a different form…
One of the things that I’ve learned in my life and it’s taken a long time… is that the dynamics of the issue of disability is a complicated one. It’s about understanding feelings and taking responsibility for our feelings.
Feeling sorry for myself, having a good attitude, getting motivated all have to do with the way that I view my self and my world.
As I said above… there are a lot of people writing about motivation, attitude, positive thinking, etc. When you have a disability or any problem that is “real” to you or you live or take care of someone… there are no simple one, two, three fixes.
For me… in my life… changes have occurred slowly. As I look back there’s always a story. The problem is that I didn’t always understand how to put the story together, to utilize the story. It seems to me that if I had understood the story better, understood the dynamics of the issue of disability better as it was happening… I might have been better able, better equipped to deal with the feelings.
For me… this is where motivation comes from… understanding the story… taking the story and giving it meaning. When I understand my story I have a choice… Do I want to be angry and bitter or do I want something greater?
The question is… How do we express our feelings? Where do we expend our energy?
Do we feel sorry for ourselves or do we take another step?
Sunday, July 13, 2008
(65th Entry) This week…
This week has been another exciting week. We’ve made tremendous strides in our new candle facility. We’ve seem to have worked out the kinks of opening a new factory. In addition, we’re finishing our prototypes for our new Grabado machines… glass carving. These machines are being made locally and two (four workstations) are being made for wheelchairs.
On Friday we had four individuals come to our office to interview for positions in Grabado that begin on Monday, July 28th. The four individuals were disabled. These four plus two other individuals (disabled as well) will begin working in two weeks.
As I’ve said numerous times… Life in interesting! I feel as if I’m in a strange position. I have this desire to hire disabled individuals… give people an opportunity to work. This is great! It’s what I want to do. It feels like the right thing to do based on my past and my interests… and the need. All of the individuals on Friday seemed to be very excited about having this opportunity.
In one way this is strange because it’s very touching to watch people as they’re given an opportunity to do… It’s strange because I remember how difficult at times it was for me to have a job… to get a job.
It’s strange because this company that my family has is a business. It’s not a non profit organization trying to do good. It’s a “real” company offering “real” jobs and sells “real” products.
The employees are “value-add”. They produce and truly earn their pay.
We’re in the midst of a severe retail slowdown. Yet, I’ve made commitments to hire and give an opportunity to a number of individuals.
If I had been asked a year ago if I wanted to publicize what I’m doing to the level that I am… I would have unequivocally said… “No Way!!!” “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
Sometimes I ask myself "Why"... Why am I doing this? Questioning is good. It’s good to know where you’re coming from and why you’re doing what you’re doing. What is my motivation? What are my reasons for doing what I'm doing?
I didn’t want to have to be so public. I worry about exploiting the people I have working for us. However the bottom line is… either we sell our products… and our products are great!!! Or we don’t. The consequences of not selling means… no jobs or at least fewer jobs.
If you had been at my office on Friday, seen the people, seen their eyes, their excitement… and their gratitude… If I was just doing this for business… there are much easier ways.
As I said… I always question my motives. Sure… I want my family’s company to be successful… who wouldn’t?
I walked away Friday frightened… because I have made these commitments… I’ve seen for myself the people. It’s real.
And by the way… selling more means more jobs!
Currently I have four disabled individuals working in our grabado facility… 4 out of 7. By the end of the month we should have six more disabled individuals… 10 out of 13 doing grabado.
Two other blogs to read about what I’m doing…
Jennifer Rose... Staring at Strangers: When Disability is a Metaphor
John Woods... A Life in Mexico: Employing the Handicapped
Plus my sister-in-law will be writing an article about what we’re doing soon as well…
In addition... she has a great blog on Mexico: Zocalo de Mexican folk Art If you have an interest in Mexico... It's a must read!
The response and support that I've received has been amazing.
My Mother and Father are here helping out after four years of retirement from the business.
My brother and sister-in-law are always an integral part of all of this. They are involved in everything from production to marketing to whatever needs to be done!!!
This is truly a family affair and none of this would be possible without them!
Plus friends... more than willing to lend their expertise, guidance and advice to help this project, the products and the company to succeed.
One more person that has contributed so much to this project is our office manger... Mary Gonzales. My brother hired her two and a half years ago when the company moved it's offices to Mexico. She had no idea what she was getting in to. I just walked in one day a year ago and said... this is what I want to do.
On Friday we had four individuals come to our office to interview for positions in Grabado that begin on Monday, July 28th. The four individuals were disabled. These four plus two other individuals (disabled as well) will begin working in two weeks.
As I’ve said numerous times… Life in interesting! I feel as if I’m in a strange position. I have this desire to hire disabled individuals… give people an opportunity to work. This is great! It’s what I want to do. It feels like the right thing to do based on my past and my interests… and the need. All of the individuals on Friday seemed to be very excited about having this opportunity.
In one way this is strange because it’s very touching to watch people as they’re given an opportunity to do… It’s strange because I remember how difficult at times it was for me to have a job… to get a job.
It’s strange because this company that my family has is a business. It’s not a non profit organization trying to do good. It’s a “real” company offering “real” jobs and sells “real” products.
The employees are “value-add”. They produce and truly earn their pay.
We’re in the midst of a severe retail slowdown. Yet, I’ve made commitments to hire and give an opportunity to a number of individuals.
If I had been asked a year ago if I wanted to publicize what I’m doing to the level that I am… I would have unequivocally said… “No Way!!!” “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
Sometimes I ask myself "Why"... Why am I doing this? Questioning is good. It’s good to know where you’re coming from and why you’re doing what you’re doing. What is my motivation? What are my reasons for doing what I'm doing?
I didn’t want to have to be so public. I worry about exploiting the people I have working for us. However the bottom line is… either we sell our products… and our products are great!!! Or we don’t. The consequences of not selling means… no jobs or at least fewer jobs.
If you had been at my office on Friday, seen the people, seen their eyes, their excitement… and their gratitude… If I was just doing this for business… there are much easier ways.
As I said… I always question my motives. Sure… I want my family’s company to be successful… who wouldn’t?
I walked away Friday frightened… because I have made these commitments… I’ve seen for myself the people. It’s real.
And by the way… selling more means more jobs!
Currently I have four disabled individuals working in our grabado facility… 4 out of 7. By the end of the month we should have six more disabled individuals… 10 out of 13 doing grabado.
Two other blogs to read about what I’m doing…
Jennifer Rose... Staring at Strangers: When Disability is a Metaphor
John Woods... A Life in Mexico: Employing the Handicapped
Plus my sister-in-law will be writing an article about what we’re doing soon as well…
In addition... she has a great blog on Mexico: Zocalo de Mexican folk Art If you have an interest in Mexico... It's a must read!
The response and support that I've received has been amazing.
My Mother and Father are here helping out after four years of retirement from the business.
My brother and sister-in-law are always an integral part of all of this. They are involved in everything from production to marketing to whatever needs to be done!!!
This is truly a family affair and none of this would be possible without them!
Plus friends... more than willing to lend their expertise, guidance and advice to help this project, the products and the company to succeed.
One more person that has contributed so much to this project is our office manger... Mary Gonzales. My brother hired her two and a half years ago when the company moved it's offices to Mexico. She had no idea what she was getting in to. I just walked in one day a year ago and said... this is what I want to do.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
(64th Entry) More to talk about…
Another adventurous week in factory life! We now have 18 employees, two factories and our warehouse where we pack and distribute our products. We also wholesale items made by others in Mexico. All of the products we sell are hand made which means there’s always room for human error, inconsistencies, etc.
So this week we discover in our new candle factory that we’ve had open for five weeks that we’ve had a little learning lesson again in what it means to make our own products and what it means to make hand made products.
Mary (my office manager) and I thought that we had learned good lessons from our experience of opening the Grabado factory (glass carving) and wouldn’t make the same mistakes twice. Fortunately I don’t think we have… we just have made new mistakes in a new factory.
You always hear… “If it doesn’t kill you; it’ll make you stronger.” I’m still waiting for the outcome.
Our candle making process is much more complicated than I ever imagined. I hope to have short video clips soon to show the process. This week I discovered that the color of the candle is different than what I thought. Every batch of candles is hand-mixed; hand poured and thus is truly hand made. They always vary slightly in color. The question is… to what degree of difference is acceptable?
OTHER ISSUES…
In the grabado factory we’re in the process of making additional equipment that people in wheelchairs can roll under so that we can continue our quest of hiring disabled individuals. As of now all of our disabled individuals are capable of walking and work on the original equipment.
I have seven employees carving glass at this time. Three of them are physically disabled and one is mildly mentally challenged. There seems to be a little prejudice from some of the physically disabled individuals and non-disabled individuals towards our one person who is mentally challenged. They don’t seem to want to help her.
This isn’t a surprise… Often there tends to be prejudice even within the disabled community towards other disabilities. After all we’re all only human at the end of the day. I’ll have to help everyone work through these issues.
I think it again illustrates just how difficult it is to bring together individuals through what we have in common as opposed to what we have in differences. It’s not just the issue of disability that can’t pull together… just look at the world of politics within the U.S.
It’s so much easier to focus on our differences… say your different than me… than it is to look for the things that we have in common… the things that might bring us together. As long as we focus on our differences… we don’t have to connect with others. We don’t have to be vulnerable. As long as I’m different… I don’t have to be responsible for anything. I don’t have to get involved.
If I recognize my “same-ness”… I have to get involved, be a part of…
Where and how do I want to spend my energy? How do I want to come across? Who do I want to be? Where do I want to go?
So this week we discover in our new candle factory that we’ve had open for five weeks that we’ve had a little learning lesson again in what it means to make our own products and what it means to make hand made products.
Mary (my office manager) and I thought that we had learned good lessons from our experience of opening the Grabado factory (glass carving) and wouldn’t make the same mistakes twice. Fortunately I don’t think we have… we just have made new mistakes in a new factory.
You always hear… “If it doesn’t kill you; it’ll make you stronger.” I’m still waiting for the outcome.
Our candle making process is much more complicated than I ever imagined. I hope to have short video clips soon to show the process. This week I discovered that the color of the candle is different than what I thought. Every batch of candles is hand-mixed; hand poured and thus is truly hand made. They always vary slightly in color. The question is… to what degree of difference is acceptable?
OTHER ISSUES…
In the grabado factory we’re in the process of making additional equipment that people in wheelchairs can roll under so that we can continue our quest of hiring disabled individuals. As of now all of our disabled individuals are capable of walking and work on the original equipment.
I have seven employees carving glass at this time. Three of them are physically disabled and one is mildly mentally challenged. There seems to be a little prejudice from some of the physically disabled individuals and non-disabled individuals towards our one person who is mentally challenged. They don’t seem to want to help her.
This isn’t a surprise… Often there tends to be prejudice even within the disabled community towards other disabilities. After all we’re all only human at the end of the day. I’ll have to help everyone work through these issues.
I think it again illustrates just how difficult it is to bring together individuals through what we have in common as opposed to what we have in differences. It’s not just the issue of disability that can’t pull together… just look at the world of politics within the U.S.
It’s so much easier to focus on our differences… say your different than me… than it is to look for the things that we have in common… the things that might bring us together. As long as we focus on our differences… we don’t have to connect with others. We don’t have to be vulnerable. As long as I’m different… I don’t have to be responsible for anything. I don’t have to get involved.
If I recognize my “same-ness”… I have to get involved, be a part of…
Where and how do I want to spend my energy? How do I want to come across? Who do I want to be? Where do I want to go?
Sunday, June 29, 2008
(63rd Entry) Continuation of Entry 62…
In reference to the comments on Entry 62, the conclusion of the doctors that I worked with back in 1984 was that my problems were not caused by thalidomide. In addition, my mother was not prescribed thalidomide during her pregnancy or had access. Question for another time... but what if... ? (Referred to at the end of this entry... )
Also, I’m 48 years old and have exhibited none of the symptoms which you describe for those in middle age. Also I have none of the internal symptoms that were associated with thalidomide which was one of the factors that led to the conclusion above.
As stated in the previous entry the professional’s conclusion was that I fit into a category called Moebius Syndrome…
I find your comments intriguing and appreciate you putting them out for others to read.
I have always been one that thinks we spend too much time changing words to change attitudes. For instance, the word crippled was used which eventually changed to handicapped which eventually became physically challenged… However I am struck by the phrase “Thalidomide Monster”
I think it’s very important for us to understand who we are and what problems we have or will have, however in earlier blog articles I talk about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. One of the things that I am trying to focus on in my blog are those things which bring us together, unite disabled individuals. These are the things that I think can bring us as a group to a point where we might find it easier to accomplish our goals. While I think it’s important that people unite with a common issue as the Moebius Syndrome foundation has or groups focusing on thalidomide… I also think it’s important that we unite at a higher level. A level that brings together all types of disabilities in that we might see what we have in common as opposed to our differences. Read entry 53/52… for more info.
I don’t want to ever minimize anyone’s reality, what they’re experiencing, but at the same time I want to maximize what we have in common… that we’re all struggling, dealing with the issue of disability. Once we go beyond the physical, we have much more in common that what separates us… both as a group of individuals and in the world at large.
Again a question... what if I am a thalidomide baby? Other than answering cause and effect and giving me information about my body as I age... What are the broader implications in how I would live my life today?
Once we know what our condition is and we’ve begun to deal with the reality of our condition… what’s next? What kind of life do we want to live? What do we want to do with our lives? Do we want to go forward… ? Do we want to live in anger and blame? These are the questions that I want to address. I think there are those who go forward with life and those who “surrender to hopelessness”.
What do I want to spend my energy on today? This seems to me to be my question. Once I've done those physical tasks, met those physical needs each day... What then?
Life is a duality… I find it sad when I read some of the information that you mentioned about the problems that individuals are having as they age with thalidomide… it’s tragic! I also find it a strange irony that thalidomide is being used again today to treat certain diseases and problems… AIDS being one of them.
I would really like to know more about you and continue a dialogue.
I have a feeling I’ll be writing more about this issue. I think this might be a good time to begin talking about causes, blame, guilt, anger, responsibility, questioning why... All of the things that go along with being involved in the issue of disability... whether one is born with one, becomes disabled, has a family member who is...
Keep the comments coming….
Also, I’m 48 years old and have exhibited none of the symptoms which you describe for those in middle age. Also I have none of the internal symptoms that were associated with thalidomide which was one of the factors that led to the conclusion above.
As stated in the previous entry the professional’s conclusion was that I fit into a category called Moebius Syndrome…
I find your comments intriguing and appreciate you putting them out for others to read.
I have always been one that thinks we spend too much time changing words to change attitudes. For instance, the word crippled was used which eventually changed to handicapped which eventually became physically challenged… However I am struck by the phrase “Thalidomide Monster”
I think it’s very important for us to understand who we are and what problems we have or will have, however in earlier blog articles I talk about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. One of the things that I am trying to focus on in my blog are those things which bring us together, unite disabled individuals. These are the things that I think can bring us as a group to a point where we might find it easier to accomplish our goals. While I think it’s important that people unite with a common issue as the Moebius Syndrome foundation has or groups focusing on thalidomide… I also think it’s important that we unite at a higher level. A level that brings together all types of disabilities in that we might see what we have in common as opposed to our differences. Read entry 53/52… for more info.
I don’t want to ever minimize anyone’s reality, what they’re experiencing, but at the same time I want to maximize what we have in common… that we’re all struggling, dealing with the issue of disability. Once we go beyond the physical, we have much more in common that what separates us… both as a group of individuals and in the world at large.
Again a question... what if I am a thalidomide baby? Other than answering cause and effect and giving me information about my body as I age... What are the broader implications in how I would live my life today?
Once we know what our condition is and we’ve begun to deal with the reality of our condition… what’s next? What kind of life do we want to live? What do we want to do with our lives? Do we want to go forward… ? Do we want to live in anger and blame? These are the questions that I want to address. I think there are those who go forward with life and those who “surrender to hopelessness”.
What do I want to spend my energy on today? This seems to me to be my question. Once I've done those physical tasks, met those physical needs each day... What then?
Life is a duality… I find it sad when I read some of the information that you mentioned about the problems that individuals are having as they age with thalidomide… it’s tragic! I also find it a strange irony that thalidomide is being used again today to treat certain diseases and problems… AIDS being one of them.
I would really like to know more about you and continue a dialogue.
I have a feeling I’ll be writing more about this issue. I think this might be a good time to begin talking about causes, blame, guilt, anger, responsibility, questioning why... All of the things that go along with being involved in the issue of disability... whether one is born with one, becomes disabled, has a family member who is...
Keep the comments coming….
Saturday, June 28, 2008
(62nd Entry) What a week!
My 61st Entry still strikes a cord within me.
First, the idea of fundamentalism… the need to have an answer. People ask me quite often… “What happened? Why were you born the way that you were born?” It seems that Canadians ask me most often if I was a thalidomide baby. Thalidomide was a drug developed in Germany and sold between 1957 and 1961. It was prescribed mostly to pregnant women for morning sickness. Estimates vary but it believed that there were 10,000 to 15,000 babies affected by thalidomide.
In 1984 I went to the University of Texas Health Science Center Dallas… a place I had spent much time during the early 80’s having had two major surgeries in 1981 and 1982. I consulted with two individuals in the Division of Clinical Genetics. They concluded, “After reviewing your medical history and examining you carefully, we feel that your symptoms fit most closely with the Moebius Syndrome. This would account for your limb anomalies, facial nerve palsy, tongue anomalies, small mouth and facial asymmetry.” The report went on to say that the cause of Moebius Syndrome is not clearly known…
OK… the internet is so cool. I’ve had this report for 24 years and it has never occurred to me to go out to the internet and type in Moebius Syndrome. Well… I just did… You know… There’s a Moebius Syndrome Foundation.
I think there’s a time in all of our lives that we seek to find answers… and hopefully a time that we seek possibilities…
First, the idea of fundamentalism… the need to have an answer. People ask me quite often… “What happened? Why were you born the way that you were born?” It seems that Canadians ask me most often if I was a thalidomide baby. Thalidomide was a drug developed in Germany and sold between 1957 and 1961. It was prescribed mostly to pregnant women for morning sickness. Estimates vary but it believed that there were 10,000 to 15,000 babies affected by thalidomide.
In 1984 I went to the University of Texas Health Science Center Dallas… a place I had spent much time during the early 80’s having had two major surgeries in 1981 and 1982. I consulted with two individuals in the Division of Clinical Genetics. They concluded, “After reviewing your medical history and examining you carefully, we feel that your symptoms fit most closely with the Moebius Syndrome. This would account for your limb anomalies, facial nerve palsy, tongue anomalies, small mouth and facial asymmetry.” The report went on to say that the cause of Moebius Syndrome is not clearly known…
OK… the internet is so cool. I’ve had this report for 24 years and it has never occurred to me to go out to the internet and type in Moebius Syndrome. Well… I just did… You know… There’s a Moebius Syndrome Foundation.
I think there’s a time in all of our lives that we seek to find answers… and hopefully a time that we seek possibilities…
Sunday, June 8, 2008
(61st Entry) Political Correctness… not me!
The other day I had two people visit my factory to check on working conditions. They are part of a major corporation in the U.S. I believe they were very impressed with our facilities. I know that I feel very good about them.
BUT… It started me thinking… Always a dangerous thing! About art imitating life, about going to far, about imposing our will on others, about many things including political correctness…
Before in my blog I’ve alluded to how we’ve gone so far in corporate culture and our society in terms of political correctness that we can’t even ask questions to another person in order that we might be able to understand them better. If we understand them better then it seems reasonable that we can work with them better. But we’re taught, told and insisted not to ask questions.
I also began thinking about the apprentice system. A system of teaching which a student studied with a master for a number of years in order to learn a trade. Knowledge was handed down from one person to another… Parent’s to their children often starting at a young age. It is a system of learning that has all but disappeared from the U.S. culture.
As I said above I was thinking about art imitating life. I’ve often said that the movie RAINMAN with Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise struck a cord in the U.S. because it personified what many people felt at the time and still do… that the world is changing so rapidly and that there’s just a limited amount that we can comprehend. Our senses are overwhelmed.
My good friend Mike used to quote a line… “I would rather live in the greater world of confusion than the smaller worlds of certainty.” Or would you rather live in the greater world of certainty than the smaller world of confusion? To me… The latter is the definition of FUNDAMENTALIST! The problem is that when we live in that larger world of certainty and we have a crisis… the crisis is magnified thousands of times! (Quote unknown and might not be exact…)
Last night I had a dream… it dawned on me that the show… THE APPRENTICE, produced by Donald Trump and Mark Burnett was again capturing a sentiment that had been lost in the U. S. culture. This desire to be mentored by someone… in this case Donald Trump… the opportunity to learn and have career… to be passed the secrets to success… to feel secure. THEN… in my dream it dawned on me that Donald Trump should do an Apprentice show with all disabled individuals. I have no idea if this is happening, if I might have heard it or… Can you imagine Donald Trump doing a season with only disabled individuals? Can you imagine what kind of impact that this could have for the disabled community? I say do it just like any other Apprentice Season… Let The Donald be The Donald!
BUT… It started me thinking… Always a dangerous thing! About art imitating life, about going to far, about imposing our will on others, about many things including political correctness…
Before in my blog I’ve alluded to how we’ve gone so far in corporate culture and our society in terms of political correctness that we can’t even ask questions to another person in order that we might be able to understand them better. If we understand them better then it seems reasonable that we can work with them better. But we’re taught, told and insisted not to ask questions.
I also began thinking about the apprentice system. A system of teaching which a student studied with a master for a number of years in order to learn a trade. Knowledge was handed down from one person to another… Parent’s to their children often starting at a young age. It is a system of learning that has all but disappeared from the U.S. culture.
As I said above I was thinking about art imitating life. I’ve often said that the movie RAINMAN with Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise struck a cord in the U.S. because it personified what many people felt at the time and still do… that the world is changing so rapidly and that there’s just a limited amount that we can comprehend. Our senses are overwhelmed.
My good friend Mike used to quote a line… “I would rather live in the greater world of confusion than the smaller worlds of certainty.” Or would you rather live in the greater world of certainty than the smaller world of confusion? To me… The latter is the definition of FUNDAMENTALIST! The problem is that when we live in that larger world of certainty and we have a crisis… the crisis is magnified thousands of times! (Quote unknown and might not be exact…)
Last night I had a dream… it dawned on me that the show… THE APPRENTICE, produced by Donald Trump and Mark Burnett was again capturing a sentiment that had been lost in the U. S. culture. This desire to be mentored by someone… in this case Donald Trump… the opportunity to learn and have career… to be passed the secrets to success… to feel secure. THEN… in my dream it dawned on me that Donald Trump should do an Apprentice show with all disabled individuals. I have no idea if this is happening, if I might have heard it or… Can you imagine Donald Trump doing a season with only disabled individuals? Can you imagine what kind of impact that this could have for the disabled community? I say do it just like any other Apprentice Season… Let The Donald be The Donald!
Friday, June 6, 2008
(60th Entry) Adventures in San Miguel
On Monday we did indeed open our candle factory. We spent the day doing the final touches, installing and testing the actual equipment. And then… on Tuesday morning we melted paraffin for the very first time. A very exciting moment!!!
My family sells and now makes “in house” the Santa Rosa Mexican Church Candle… They’re made the traditional way… the paraffin is poured over and over the wick to make a candle that flows… to see examples… go to www.roseannhalldesigns.net
I worked in the corporate world for 11 years and ran a non-profit organization for approximately five years prior to that. The experience of helping and watching my family open a business in Mexico 2 ½ years ago has been the most amazing learning experience in my life. I wish that I could have had this experience prior to going into the corporate world. I have learned more about people, business, factories, production, motivation and most of all I have learned an incredible amount about myself. I hope that I’ve been changed by this experience. I think I have.
My life in San Miguel de Allende Mexico over the past two years has been an incredible adventure. It started because of hurricane Rita in September of 2005 which was coming towards Galveston, TX… but missed and of course we all know the out-come… more devastation to Louisiana. The family business couldn’t get the 18 wheeler full of inventory to Galveston, so over-night practically we moved the business to Mexico.
Our first two years in the business were spent just as they were in Galveston. We bought items and then wholesaled through out the U.S. Six months ago we opened our first factory and this week our second.
Mexico… is a very interesting place! Doing business can be not only interesting, but sometimes very frustrating. When you’re raised in one culture and have learned what to expect… coming to a new culture to do business can be definitely interesting.
For those who have read the blog before, my goals in the Mission Statement are apparent. In our two new factories, I’m making progress on hiring disabled individuals. Of course there are obstacles, but nothing impossible. It just takes time.
I’ve come so far in fulfilling my dreams in the Mission Statement. We’re so close. Times are tough right now and it’s taking everything we have to survive through these economic times. They too shall pass… We’ve invested a lot in the hope, dreams and future of all of our lives. Life is a gamble!
The interesting thing about dreams is that sometimes you do things that might seem impossible, irrational… things that you might never do if it was just for business. I think about Martin Luther King’s speech… “I have a Dream!” How important are your dreams? How far are willing to go to fulfill them?
What I’ve learned these past two and a half years are the things that are important to me… in my life. What do I value? What do I believe in? Who and what are important in my life?
I think I’ve talked in my blog before about my life changing during my adolescent years. I’m beginning to have those qualities back that I had as a child, the one’s that I lost along the way in life.
I talk often about this desire for us to “just go on with life”, not searching or asking questions. I’m beginning to see that for me… I lost “the dream” and I see what happens when we do that. It’s so easy for us to get “hardened” by life… to just go on!
The irony… I’m back in Mexico! I grew up coming to Mexico every summer until the age of 12… adolescents! I came back 2 ½ years ago… there’s something magical for me in Mexico. It goes back to when I was young. There are only two places I go that I have the feeling that I’m at home… Mexico and New York City.
So much more to express…
My family sells and now makes “in house” the Santa Rosa Mexican Church Candle… They’re made the traditional way… the paraffin is poured over and over the wick to make a candle that flows… to see examples… go to www.roseannhalldesigns.net
I worked in the corporate world for 11 years and ran a non-profit organization for approximately five years prior to that. The experience of helping and watching my family open a business in Mexico 2 ½ years ago has been the most amazing learning experience in my life. I wish that I could have had this experience prior to going into the corporate world. I have learned more about people, business, factories, production, motivation and most of all I have learned an incredible amount about myself. I hope that I’ve been changed by this experience. I think I have.
My life in San Miguel de Allende Mexico over the past two years has been an incredible adventure. It started because of hurricane Rita in September of 2005 which was coming towards Galveston, TX… but missed and of course we all know the out-come… more devastation to Louisiana. The family business couldn’t get the 18 wheeler full of inventory to Galveston, so over-night practically we moved the business to Mexico.
Our first two years in the business were spent just as they were in Galveston. We bought items and then wholesaled through out the U.S. Six months ago we opened our first factory and this week our second.
Mexico… is a very interesting place! Doing business can be not only interesting, but sometimes very frustrating. When you’re raised in one culture and have learned what to expect… coming to a new culture to do business can be definitely interesting.
For those who have read the blog before, my goals in the Mission Statement are apparent. In our two new factories, I’m making progress on hiring disabled individuals. Of course there are obstacles, but nothing impossible. It just takes time.
I’ve come so far in fulfilling my dreams in the Mission Statement. We’re so close. Times are tough right now and it’s taking everything we have to survive through these economic times. They too shall pass… We’ve invested a lot in the hope, dreams and future of all of our lives. Life is a gamble!
The interesting thing about dreams is that sometimes you do things that might seem impossible, irrational… things that you might never do if it was just for business. I think about Martin Luther King’s speech… “I have a Dream!” How important are your dreams? How far are willing to go to fulfill them?
What I’ve learned these past two and a half years are the things that are important to me… in my life. What do I value? What do I believe in? Who and what are important in my life?
I think I’ve talked in my blog before about my life changing during my adolescent years. I’m beginning to have those qualities back that I had as a child, the one’s that I lost along the way in life.
I talk often about this desire for us to “just go on with life”, not searching or asking questions. I’m beginning to see that for me… I lost “the dream” and I see what happens when we do that. It’s so easy for us to get “hardened” by life… to just go on!
The irony… I’m back in Mexico! I grew up coming to Mexico every summer until the age of 12… adolescents! I came back 2 ½ years ago… there’s something magical for me in Mexico. It goes back to when I was young. There are only two places I go that I have the feeling that I’m at home… Mexico and New York City.
So much more to express…
Monday, June 2, 2008
(59th Entry) The hiatus is over…
Things have been crazy, but then when isn’t it? If you’re doing things, taking chances, trying to do new things… then life is always going to be crazy.
We open our new candle factory today! OK… the maestro is here along with his wife and two employees. I have four new house guests. If you recall from earlier blog entries this is my second maestro to move to my life. The first was… the grabado maestro, glass carving. Victorio is the candle maestro and is a great person. I have a much better feeling about this experience as opposed to the last.
My family makes the Santa Rosa Mexican Church candle. It’s made by hand… by pouring paraffin over and over the wick, building up layers. The candles are wonderful. They’re kind of like my family and me. You either love them or hate them… but you definitely have an opinion on them.
Also you probably recall from earlier entries my struggle with the factory… the problems, etc. Well… for better or worse I finished it and we’re starting to actually make candles tomorrow.
I’ve missed my blog writing. Things got pretty overwhelming with two factories coming on line within six months of each other… not to mention the U.S. economy… sales are slow… tough! Fortunately we have a loyal following which helps.
If you read the Mission Statement you can see it’s ambitious. It involves every aspect of my life. I wish all of this was happening at an easier time, but it is what it is! Things are beginning to come together… the factories, products, website, employees, etc. We’re hoping to hire 12 more employees in the next month. Some are for the candle factory and others will be for the grabado. Of course my game plan is to follow my Mission Statement… We’re working with some government organizations that are very interested in what we’re trying to accomplish... as with all governmental organizations it takes time and lots of patience.
So… as I said the hiatus is over. My goal is to write several entries a week…
We open our new candle factory today! OK… the maestro is here along with his wife and two employees. I have four new house guests. If you recall from earlier blog entries this is my second maestro to move to my life. The first was… the grabado maestro, glass carving. Victorio is the candle maestro and is a great person. I have a much better feeling about this experience as opposed to the last.
My family makes the Santa Rosa Mexican Church candle. It’s made by hand… by pouring paraffin over and over the wick, building up layers. The candles are wonderful. They’re kind of like my family and me. You either love them or hate them… but you definitely have an opinion on them.
Also you probably recall from earlier entries my struggle with the factory… the problems, etc. Well… for better or worse I finished it and we’re starting to actually make candles tomorrow.
I’ve missed my blog writing. Things got pretty overwhelming with two factories coming on line within six months of each other… not to mention the U.S. economy… sales are slow… tough! Fortunately we have a loyal following which helps.
If you read the Mission Statement you can see it’s ambitious. It involves every aspect of my life. I wish all of this was happening at an easier time, but it is what it is! Things are beginning to come together… the factories, products, website, employees, etc. We’re hoping to hire 12 more employees in the next month. Some are for the candle factory and others will be for the grabado. Of course my game plan is to follow my Mission Statement… We’re working with some government organizations that are very interested in what we’re trying to accomplish... as with all governmental organizations it takes time and lots of patience.
So… as I said the hiatus is over. My goal is to write several entries a week…
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
(58th Entry) Disability and Motivation
OK… This video clip is a little long… sorry… but… They really are extemporaneous. Except for the quote... that was planned.
I think the thing that surprises me in this video is how the issue of asking for help and coming across as demanding plays into the issue of motivation as an issue of taking responsibility.
I do think about these things ahead of time, but they're not scripted. As I watch them, I'm often surprised at the things that come out and the things that I thought I would say and didn't.
I think the thing that surprises me in this video is how the issue of asking for help and coming across as demanding plays into the issue of motivation as an issue of taking responsibility.
I do think about these things ahead of time, but they're not scripted. As I watch them, I'm often surprised at the things that come out and the things that I thought I would say and didn't.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
(57th Entry) Crap in, Crap out… Good Luck, Bad Luck!
Things happen in life. We’ve experienced many unexpected problems… potential problems, interruptions, etc. in our attempt to do the things we’re trying to accomplish. We used to have a saying in corporate life… crap in crap out… if you have bad input you get bad output. You make decisions based on the information that you’re given. When you’re given bad information you make bad decisions. It’s that simple.
We’re in the middle of building a new factory. I was given some very bad information and I made some very important decisions based in this information in regards to building the factory or moving to a new location. There’s no reason to go into all of the details. Needless to say it’s frustrating!
It’s always easy to blame everyone else when things happen to us in life. In this case I could and sometimes do, but this is business. Business is business. I should have had several quotes before making any decision, but I didn’t. I trusted one person. I made a bad decision. I have to live with the consequences.
Building a building is much like dealing with a disability. You get the best advice, consultation and then you have to make your own decisions. You then live with those decisions… the consequences.
Almost twenty years ago some very good friends of mine called to ask me questions about a decision that they were about to make regarding their daughter. They were making a decision to have an operation that could have life long consequences. There were no clear cut answers and the results were not completely known. It seemed… this is the clue… What seemed logical, intuitively correct… is! Sometimes this is what you have to go on,, all you have to go on.
We make decisions in life based on the information that we have. Sometimes we have to make decisions for others. In those cases we and they must live with the consequences. Twenty years later everyone looks back at that operation and concludes it was a great decision. But what if it wasn’t? Everything has consequences… positive or negative.
I’ve had to make decisions that I’ve had to live with that those close to me didn’t necessarily agree with or even really understand why I was making them. Sometimes we make decisions and things happen that we didn’t imagine would happen. Sometimes there are good unexpected results.
I haven’t found the good unexpected results in the factory debacle yet… but I’m looking.
We’re in the middle of building a new factory. I was given some very bad information and I made some very important decisions based in this information in regards to building the factory or moving to a new location. There’s no reason to go into all of the details. Needless to say it’s frustrating!
It’s always easy to blame everyone else when things happen to us in life. In this case I could and sometimes do, but this is business. Business is business. I should have had several quotes before making any decision, but I didn’t. I trusted one person. I made a bad decision. I have to live with the consequences.
Building a building is much like dealing with a disability. You get the best advice, consultation and then you have to make your own decisions. You then live with those decisions… the consequences.
Almost twenty years ago some very good friends of mine called to ask me questions about a decision that they were about to make regarding their daughter. They were making a decision to have an operation that could have life long consequences. There were no clear cut answers and the results were not completely known. It seemed… this is the clue… What seemed logical, intuitively correct… is! Sometimes this is what you have to go on,, all you have to go on.
We make decisions in life based on the information that we have. Sometimes we have to make decisions for others. In those cases we and they must live with the consequences. Twenty years later everyone looks back at that operation and concludes it was a great decision. But what if it wasn’t? Everything has consequences… positive or negative.
I’ve had to make decisions that I’ve had to live with that those close to me didn’t necessarily agree with or even really understand why I was making them. Sometimes we make decisions and things happen that we didn’t imagine would happen. Sometimes there are good unexpected results.
I haven’t found the good unexpected results in the factory debacle yet… but I’m looking.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
(56th Entry) Time flies…
March and April were sparse months for entries into my blog. It was the beginning of March when things became difficult with the grabado factory (glass carving). Our maestro decided to leave on a whim. We wondered what we would do to survive.
Well time has passed and we’ve managed to keep on going. Things seem to work out…
In our grabado factory we have four workers. Two of whom are disabled. Things have settled down since I last wrote about this and we’re producing glass. We also have a new maestro teaching several times a week who really seems to be a positive influence on the employees. (Entries 45 to 49 talk about the maestro from Hell who left)
We’re also in the process of building a candle factory as well. And of course this is a whole other source of issues and repercussions… to be discussed later.
Where am I in terms of “My Dream”, my goals and my Mission Statement? And of course Reality!
Hiring disabled individuals… We’ve found 3 to 5 individuals in wheel chairs that Mary (my office manager) and I are going to interview next week. I’m really excited about this. Of course this brings new issues that will have to be resolved. We’re going to have to make new grabado equipment that will accommodate wheel chairs. We need more machines anyway. We currently have six stations and are looking to add 4 to 6 people.
The real problem is transportation… and then some issues with accessibility of our buildings. So far I’ve found only one van in town that has a lift. This belongs to one of the local government agencies. We’re working with several government organizations that have an interest in helping us. They’re visiting next week and hopefully will help us address this issue. If not, I’ve thought of several other possibilities.
Last week our four grabado individuals produced 425 pieces of carved glass. The week that the maestro from Hell left we produced 300 pieces. Now the maestro was full time and was producing glass as well during the week. Our new maestro comes only to teach, not to produce and is there approximately 8 hours a week.
It’s funny about having dreams, goals! When they’re laudable people tend to be enthusiastic, say how wonderful it is, etc. You enter into new endeavors full of energy, thinking that you can accomplish them.
Life is full of surprises… first, when you have a dream you’re really on your own no matter what. This should be obvious, because it’s your dream. However… It’s so easy to think and feel that others will jump on board, because of the comments that you hear. And because it’s your dream! Why wouldn’t everyone want to jump on board? It’s a good cause.
Second… people do jump on board… just sometimes not the people you ever really imagined or in ways that you would have thought. But it’s still your dream!
One of the things I mention in my Mission Statement is that I want to work in the area of motivation… so I’ve been thinking a lot about this subject lately.
One of the bottom lines about motivation is that it’s about responsibility. This is my dream… I am responsible. An inevitable result of motivation is responsibility. Once you start, and especially if you involve others and other’s lives, you’re responsible for finishing.
When I started all of this I had no idea how it would unfold. In the middle of this I have no idea where it will lead. The amazing thing is that with every hurdle that we’ve encountered we’ve survived.
Well time has passed and we’ve managed to keep on going. Things seem to work out…
In our grabado factory we have four workers. Two of whom are disabled. Things have settled down since I last wrote about this and we’re producing glass. We also have a new maestro teaching several times a week who really seems to be a positive influence on the employees. (Entries 45 to 49 talk about the maestro from Hell who left)
We’re also in the process of building a candle factory as well. And of course this is a whole other source of issues and repercussions… to be discussed later.
Where am I in terms of “My Dream”, my goals and my Mission Statement? And of course Reality!
Hiring disabled individuals… We’ve found 3 to 5 individuals in wheel chairs that Mary (my office manager) and I are going to interview next week. I’m really excited about this. Of course this brings new issues that will have to be resolved. We’re going to have to make new grabado equipment that will accommodate wheel chairs. We need more machines anyway. We currently have six stations and are looking to add 4 to 6 people.
The real problem is transportation… and then some issues with accessibility of our buildings. So far I’ve found only one van in town that has a lift. This belongs to one of the local government agencies. We’re working with several government organizations that have an interest in helping us. They’re visiting next week and hopefully will help us address this issue. If not, I’ve thought of several other possibilities.
Last week our four grabado individuals produced 425 pieces of carved glass. The week that the maestro from Hell left we produced 300 pieces. Now the maestro was full time and was producing glass as well during the week. Our new maestro comes only to teach, not to produce and is there approximately 8 hours a week.
It’s funny about having dreams, goals! When they’re laudable people tend to be enthusiastic, say how wonderful it is, etc. You enter into new endeavors full of energy, thinking that you can accomplish them.
Life is full of surprises… first, when you have a dream you’re really on your own no matter what. This should be obvious, because it’s your dream. However… It’s so easy to think and feel that others will jump on board, because of the comments that you hear. And because it’s your dream! Why wouldn’t everyone want to jump on board? It’s a good cause.
Second… people do jump on board… just sometimes not the people you ever really imagined or in ways that you would have thought. But it’s still your dream!
One of the things I mention in my Mission Statement is that I want to work in the area of motivation… so I’ve been thinking a lot about this subject lately.
One of the bottom lines about motivation is that it’s about responsibility. This is my dream… I am responsible. An inevitable result of motivation is responsibility. Once you start, and especially if you involve others and other’s lives, you’re responsible for finishing.
When I started all of this I had no idea how it would unfold. In the middle of this I have no idea where it will lead. The amazing thing is that with every hurdle that we’ve encountered we’ve survived.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
(55th Entry) When is a disability a good thing?
It’s funny… sometimes I listen to what I say on these short video clips and they make me laugh. Sometimes they come across differently than I’m thinking at the time I’m doing them. After all they’re done extemporaneously.
For instance… when I’m talking in this clip about “When is a disability a good thing?” In the beginning of the clip, I’m really making fun of what we can get away with. The title is ironic. Because I can get by and have gotten by with things my entire life I probably haven’t been as independent or “accomplished” as much as maybe I could have. I haven’t had to be as responsible for my life as I might otherwise have been. Many of us want to get by with things instead of having to take responsibility. All you have to do is walk around any bookstore and see the number of books written about motivation, attitude, etc. The title is ironic because it implies that getting by or out of “things’ is a good thing. Sometimes it is… Sometimes it’s not…
A disability is neither a “good” nor a “bad” thing… It’s what we bring to it, give back to it that gives it meaning. (5th Entry)
My challenge… Basically it’s the definition of disability that I use…. It’s going beyond… what keeps us from doing or trying or felling good about ourselves. It’s going beyond our basic needs…to begin to go after those higher needs that give life meaning… that give ourselves and our own lives meaning.
It’s so easy to look back and say to ourselves… “Why didn’t I do things differently?” Then again… There’s an option to do things differently today. It’s up to each of us to decide.
For instance… when I’m talking in this clip about “When is a disability a good thing?” In the beginning of the clip, I’m really making fun of what we can get away with. The title is ironic. Because I can get by and have gotten by with things my entire life I probably haven’t been as independent or “accomplished” as much as maybe I could have. I haven’t had to be as responsible for my life as I might otherwise have been. Many of us want to get by with things instead of having to take responsibility. All you have to do is walk around any bookstore and see the number of books written about motivation, attitude, etc. The title is ironic because it implies that getting by or out of “things’ is a good thing. Sometimes it is… Sometimes it’s not…
A disability is neither a “good” nor a “bad” thing… It’s what we bring to it, give back to it that gives it meaning. (5th Entry)
My challenge… Basically it’s the definition of disability that I use…. It’s going beyond… what keeps us from doing or trying or felling good about ourselves. It’s going beyond our basic needs…to begin to go after those higher needs that give life meaning… that give ourselves and our own lives meaning.
It’s so easy to look back and say to ourselves… “Why didn’t I do things differently?” Then again… There’s an option to do things differently today. It’s up to each of us to decide.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
(54th Entry) Tying my shoe!
Every once in a while I get in front of the video camera and just play. I’m trying to get used to being on camera and work on speaking extemporaneously. Plus we’re still trying to learn how to operate the camera. So when I do it… It’s not a scripted. In fact I really have no idea what I’m going to say at all. When I did the video… “What is a Disability?” (Between entries 51 and 52) I did use my definition of disability which is included in the Mission Statement and I had written it down so that I wouldn’t forget it in case I wanted to use it.
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One of the things I left out of this video was… almost always after the teacher introduced me they would walk to the back of the classroom to observe. After writing my name on the board and turning around introducing myself as, “Hi! My names Charlie and I was born this way. Do you have any questions?”… It became obvious that there were two types of teachers… The first and most common would react with a look of fright on their face. These were the control freaks. The other type would lean back against the wall and smile. This reaction was much less common however.
In the classrooms where the teacher leaned back and smiled, the kids almost immediately began raising their hands with questions. In the classrooms where the teacher reacted with a look of fear or worry of losing control, the kids would be less likely to ask questions in the beginning. I would have to coax them by telling a little more about myself and then asking them tell if they new anyone with a disability. Then they would begin to open up.
This to me is a great metaphor for the issue of disability. Anyone who works in Corporate America has undoubtedly been through some type of sensitivity, harassment or diversity training class. We’re basically taught not to ask questions and thus not be able to truly understand those around us. It’s basically the “Don’t ask. Don’t tell” scenario.
I remember in my last corporate position, a manager from the Malaysian plant met me in person for the first time. He was a good person who I enjoyed working. After talking for quit some time, he did something quite extraordinary for this company. He just looked at me and said something to the effect… Why didn’t someone just tell us about you so that we would have a better understanding of…?
The teachers who smiled as I introduced myself created an environment in their classrooms that fostered creativity, an environment that created inclusion rather than exclusion. When you’re not allowed to talk about, discuss issues… How can you be a part of…
The issue of disability is a metaphor for life. It’s just one of the reasons I say that everyone has a disability and yet it is more!
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One of the things I left out of this video was… almost always after the teacher introduced me they would walk to the back of the classroom to observe. After writing my name on the board and turning around introducing myself as, “Hi! My names Charlie and I was born this way. Do you have any questions?”… It became obvious that there were two types of teachers… The first and most common would react with a look of fright on their face. These were the control freaks. The other type would lean back against the wall and smile. This reaction was much less common however.
In the classrooms where the teacher leaned back and smiled, the kids almost immediately began raising their hands with questions. In the classrooms where the teacher reacted with a look of fear or worry of losing control, the kids would be less likely to ask questions in the beginning. I would have to coax them by telling a little more about myself and then asking them tell if they new anyone with a disability. Then they would begin to open up.
This to me is a great metaphor for the issue of disability. Anyone who works in Corporate America has undoubtedly been through some type of sensitivity, harassment or diversity training class. We’re basically taught not to ask questions and thus not be able to truly understand those around us. It’s basically the “Don’t ask. Don’t tell” scenario.
I remember in my last corporate position, a manager from the Malaysian plant met me in person for the first time. He was a good person who I enjoyed working. After talking for quit some time, he did something quite extraordinary for this company. He just looked at me and said something to the effect… Why didn’t someone just tell us about you so that we would have a better understanding of…?
The teachers who smiled as I introduced myself created an environment in their classrooms that fostered creativity, an environment that created inclusion rather than exclusion. When you’re not allowed to talk about, discuss issues… How can you be a part of…
The issue of disability is a metaphor for life. It’s just one of the reasons I say that everyone has a disability and yet it is more!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
(53rd Entry) Twenty years ago I wrote…
“Because of modern medicine and advances in technologies disabled individuals are “coming-out” for the first time in history.”
I wrote this in the late 80’s. The push for disability rights began to gain momentum in the early 1970’s with the first major piece of legislation called the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Part of this was probably a result of the Vietnam War and the number of Disabled Veterans returning during this time period. Disability rights took much of its early forms from the civil rights movement. Legislation focused on education, mainstreaming, accommodations, independent living, etc. The Americans with disabilities Act signed in 1990 was undoubtedly the most ambitious piece of legislation in terms of the issue of disability. All of these laws have helped disabled individuals by bringing attention to the issue of disability, opening doors and opportunities that might not have been otherwise available.
While legislation can open doors by removing barriers, providing education and independent living, etc. It doesn’t necessarily change people’s attitudes… disabled or non-disabled. It can be the beginning for disabled individuals to live a more fulfilling life. It is a first step.
Again, using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs… It seems to me that legislation is most effective for those lower needs… the “biological and physical needs”, “safety needs” and even “belongingness and love needs”. What about the higher needs… Esteem Needs and Self Actualization? You can’t legislate these needs either for disabled individuals or non-disabled individuals.
Ironically, shortly after the Americans with Disability Act was passed companies actually hired less disabled individuals. This can be interpreted in many different ways…
Disabled individuals are “coming-out” in greater numbers. What does this mean? Disabled individuals are a minority group in every sense of the term, but what does that mean and how are we different from other minority groups? First, anyone can “join this group” at any time via accident, injury, illness… (I just read something close to this, so I wanted to mention this and not be accused of plagiarizing.) It crosses all ethnic, cultural, economic, etc. groups. It can happen at any time.
Second, in many ways we’re a “new” group of individuals. What I mean by this is that many of us that are considered disabled would have died prior to “modern” medicine, technology. I also wrote twenty years ago… that disabled individuals are coming out and we have no conscious path to follow. There’s not a long history of individuals for us to pattern our lives after… role models. After all, FDR hid his disability from the American people.
It seems to me as we “mature” as a group, a minority… we’re responsible for taking ourselves to those higher needs… Self Esteem and Self Actualization! If we’ve learned anything from the civil rights movement… no one is going to do it for you. Doors might open, but how you respond to that door opening is totally dependent on you. Understanding how the issue of disability affects us as well as those around us I believe is the key to our future.
Over time I hope to explain this belief in more and more detail!
I wrote this in the late 80’s. The push for disability rights began to gain momentum in the early 1970’s with the first major piece of legislation called the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Part of this was probably a result of the Vietnam War and the number of Disabled Veterans returning during this time period. Disability rights took much of its early forms from the civil rights movement. Legislation focused on education, mainstreaming, accommodations, independent living, etc. The Americans with disabilities Act signed in 1990 was undoubtedly the most ambitious piece of legislation in terms of the issue of disability. All of these laws have helped disabled individuals by bringing attention to the issue of disability, opening doors and opportunities that might not have been otherwise available.
While legislation can open doors by removing barriers, providing education and independent living, etc. It doesn’t necessarily change people’s attitudes… disabled or non-disabled. It can be the beginning for disabled individuals to live a more fulfilling life. It is a first step.
Again, using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs… It seems to me that legislation is most effective for those lower needs… the “biological and physical needs”, “safety needs” and even “belongingness and love needs”. What about the higher needs… Esteem Needs and Self Actualization? You can’t legislate these needs either for disabled individuals or non-disabled individuals.
Ironically, shortly after the Americans with Disability Act was passed companies actually hired less disabled individuals. This can be interpreted in many different ways…
Disabled individuals are “coming-out” in greater numbers. What does this mean? Disabled individuals are a minority group in every sense of the term, but what does that mean and how are we different from other minority groups? First, anyone can “join this group” at any time via accident, injury, illness… (I just read something close to this, so I wanted to mention this and not be accused of plagiarizing.) It crosses all ethnic, cultural, economic, etc. groups. It can happen at any time.
Second, in many ways we’re a “new” group of individuals. What I mean by this is that many of us that are considered disabled would have died prior to “modern” medicine, technology. I also wrote twenty years ago… that disabled individuals are coming out and we have no conscious path to follow. There’s not a long history of individuals for us to pattern our lives after… role models. After all, FDR hid his disability from the American people.
It seems to me as we “mature” as a group, a minority… we’re responsible for taking ourselves to those higher needs… Self Esteem and Self Actualization! If we’ve learned anything from the civil rights movement… no one is going to do it for you. Doors might open, but how you respond to that door opening is totally dependent on you. Understanding how the issue of disability affects us as well as those around us I believe is the key to our future.
Over time I hope to explain this belief in more and more detail!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
(52nd Entry) What is a disability? In words…
Once while sitting in an all night coffee shop in East Texas during my college years… a man handed me a note. It was written on a paper napkin and simply said, “Personally I consider myself as a strong adaptable human being. However when I look at you I am humbled.” I don’t have the napkin with me so this might not be completely accurate, but the idea is there…
It seems to me… All of us think of ourselves, perceive ourselves, and limit ourselves by our own beliefs about ourselves and the beliefs of those around us. I don’t want to minimize anyone that has a physical, mental, emotional or any other type of disability, but I want to challenge all of us think beyond our own current beliefs about ourselves, our own perceived reality.
Why is someone humbled by the sight of me? I actually don’t think it was the sight of me that he was speaking of… The town was small. I’m sure he had seen me many times before. It was that I was “out there, doing things” that made him think about himself. I think he might have been saying to himself… I have all of my body “strong adaptable” and this guy… well?
I think back to my realization on the subway in New York City (described earlier in a blog entry) and my entry about “all we know is our own reality” and realize how easy it is to limit ourselves. We think of ourselves as “who we are” in our minds, our perception of ourselves. After all… we are who we are. Then all of a sudden… we’re confronted by someone or an event, maybe something that was done or said or by someone’s appearance. We’re taken out of our own reality, our own comfort zone and must reflect back upon ourselves… asking ourselves… what if? What if I were that person? What would I be like? What would I or could I…?
People bring out emotions in others. A compelling story of someone’s accomplishment or a person who has overcome adversity always inspires, brings out in people certain emotions, energy. I used this line several times since beginning this blog… “When we forget who we are, we forget how to act.” Or possibly… When we forget who we are, we forget how to feel… as well.
This applies to both disabled individuals and non-disabled individuals. In talking about the subject of disability one difficulty is that I say that everyone has a disability, yet I just categorized people into disabled and non-disabled. Maybe it would be better to say that everyone has a “wound”… and then there are those who are disabled in terms of the world… still a label. It’s this “wound” that causes all of us to empathize, to have sympathy and to have compassion.
I’ve talked before about Abraham Maslow and his hierarchy of needs. Once we begin to take care of those basic needs… food, clothing, security… What’s next? Those higher needs… belongingness/love… self esteem… and ultimately self actualization.
What does it mean to be disabled… to have a disability? As Maslow said… you have to have the basic needs, those needs at the base of the pyramid met before moving up to the higher needs. I’ve always felt that there were many good people and many good organizations working with, helping with the basic needs, the physical needs.
My goal, my focus is to ask the question… What happens after I meet these basic needs? How do I go into the world, live my life and be successful? My belief is that in order to be successful in the world as a disabled individual, it’s a combination of understanding ourselves, our needs… as well as the effects that we have on those around us. It’s about learning to be an individual, independent of others… yet being able to accept any help that we might need and any feelings that we bring out in others.
It seems to me… All of us think of ourselves, perceive ourselves, and limit ourselves by our own beliefs about ourselves and the beliefs of those around us. I don’t want to minimize anyone that has a physical, mental, emotional or any other type of disability, but I want to challenge all of us think beyond our own current beliefs about ourselves, our own perceived reality.
Why is someone humbled by the sight of me? I actually don’t think it was the sight of me that he was speaking of… The town was small. I’m sure he had seen me many times before. It was that I was “out there, doing things” that made him think about himself. I think he might have been saying to himself… I have all of my body “strong adaptable” and this guy… well?
I think back to my realization on the subway in New York City (described earlier in a blog entry) and my entry about “all we know is our own reality” and realize how easy it is to limit ourselves. We think of ourselves as “who we are” in our minds, our perception of ourselves. After all… we are who we are. Then all of a sudden… we’re confronted by someone or an event, maybe something that was done or said or by someone’s appearance. We’re taken out of our own reality, our own comfort zone and must reflect back upon ourselves… asking ourselves… what if? What if I were that person? What would I be like? What would I or could I…?
People bring out emotions in others. A compelling story of someone’s accomplishment or a person who has overcome adversity always inspires, brings out in people certain emotions, energy. I used this line several times since beginning this blog… “When we forget who we are, we forget how to act.” Or possibly… When we forget who we are, we forget how to feel… as well.
This applies to both disabled individuals and non-disabled individuals. In talking about the subject of disability one difficulty is that I say that everyone has a disability, yet I just categorized people into disabled and non-disabled. Maybe it would be better to say that everyone has a “wound”… and then there are those who are disabled in terms of the world… still a label. It’s this “wound” that causes all of us to empathize, to have sympathy and to have compassion.
I’ve talked before about Abraham Maslow and his hierarchy of needs. Once we begin to take care of those basic needs… food, clothing, security… What’s next? Those higher needs… belongingness/love… self esteem… and ultimately self actualization.
What does it mean to be disabled… to have a disability? As Maslow said… you have to have the basic needs, those needs at the base of the pyramid met before moving up to the higher needs. I’ve always felt that there were many good people and many good organizations working with, helping with the basic needs, the physical needs.
My goal, my focus is to ask the question… What happens after I meet these basic needs? How do I go into the world, live my life and be successful? My belief is that in order to be successful in the world as a disabled individual, it’s a combination of understanding ourselves, our needs… as well as the effects that we have on those around us. It’s about learning to be an individual, independent of others… yet being able to accept any help that we might need and any feelings that we bring out in others.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
What is a disability?
Since I haven't written in a while I'm putting out a short video clip. I'm still learning, but having fun with it!
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Saturday, March 29, 2008
(51st Entry) Two weeks since the maestro left…
This was our first full week of work since the maestro left town. Two weeks ago tonight I wondered what we were going to do. Were we going to keep going? Were we going to survive? What was going to happen?
I still have a lot of questions and concerns about how we’re going to continue for the long-term, but… As for the short term… the group did 20% more in production this week than the last week that the maestro was here.
Wow! I don’t even know what to say to this feat!
People amaze me! Entry 48 titled “People… the worst, the best, the hopeful!” says it all.
Mary, Juan and the rest of the gang did an incredible job.
In the midst of our first endeavor into producing our own products, we begin construction next week of our second factory. We will begin to make the family’s famous Santa Rosa Candles at the company’s home office.
On Thursday of next week the State of Guanajato Mexico is coming to visit our grabado plant to see what we’re doing in terms of hiring disabled individuals and possibly helping us use our facility for vocational rehabilitation, long-term employment.
Tonight we meet with one of the local maestros of grabado and next week another. These are on-going meetings. We’re proceeding with caution. We don’t want to make the same mistake over with another maestro. We’re looking for the best fit for our people, goals and dreams.
For now the future looks promising.
I still have a lot of questions and concerns about how we’re going to continue for the long-term, but… As for the short term… the group did 20% more in production this week than the last week that the maestro was here.
Wow! I don’t even know what to say to this feat!
People amaze me! Entry 48 titled “People… the worst, the best, the hopeful!” says it all.
Mary, Juan and the rest of the gang did an incredible job.
In the midst of our first endeavor into producing our own products, we begin construction next week of our second factory. We will begin to make the family’s famous Santa Rosa Candles at the company’s home office.
On Thursday of next week the State of Guanajato Mexico is coming to visit our grabado plant to see what we’re doing in terms of hiring disabled individuals and possibly helping us use our facility for vocational rehabilitation, long-term employment.
Tonight we meet with one of the local maestros of grabado and next week another. These are on-going meetings. We’re proceeding with caution. We don’t want to make the same mistake over with another maestro. We’re looking for the best fit for our people, goals and dreams.
For now the future looks promising.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
(50th Entry) A milestone…
Wow! My 50th entry… For someone who has had so many in-completed projects in life, this is indeed a milestone. I use the word in-completed because in school when you didn’t quite finish the curriculum you were given an incomplete. So… in-completed seems to me to be a good word to use.
So… in case you didn’t notice… this was going to be entry #49 except when I was going back through my earlier entries I found that I had two entries labeled… 38th Entry… so! Now this becomes number 50….
After all of the turmoil of the last couple of weeks I feel a little lost. We’re still trying to recover from not having a maestro on site, but we have found a couple of possibilities. Hopefully one will work out.
It seems as if I’ve taken a little vacation from the blog. Now it’s time to get back on track. There’s still so much to write about.
It’s easy to stay motivated when things are going good and even possible to stay motivated during times of crisis like the previous couple of weeks… however sometimes when the crisis is over there seems to be a lull for me. This past weekend I took the time to examine all of my projects and try to get organized… again. It was a time for me to re-examine my priorities which seem to change as life changes.
Trying to create jobs for disabled individuals at the two factories still remains a priority at the top of the list. All of the items on the Mission Statement are priorities… some will just take a little longer to realize than others.
So…on Saturday I’ll post my next entry and I’ll make a concerted effort to write four new postings per week at a minimum. I hope to also add video clips within the next two weeks as well. This will definitely add another dimension to the blog…
So hopefully you’ll hang in there and keep reading. Also pass it along to others that you know as well.
As well as being the 50th Entry I also believe that the blog is celebrating the end of its fourth month… 1/3 of a year…
So… in case you didn’t notice… this was going to be entry #49 except when I was going back through my earlier entries I found that I had two entries labeled… 38th Entry… so! Now this becomes number 50….
After all of the turmoil of the last couple of weeks I feel a little lost. We’re still trying to recover from not having a maestro on site, but we have found a couple of possibilities. Hopefully one will work out.
It seems as if I’ve taken a little vacation from the blog. Now it’s time to get back on track. There’s still so much to write about.
It’s easy to stay motivated when things are going good and even possible to stay motivated during times of crisis like the previous couple of weeks… however sometimes when the crisis is over there seems to be a lull for me. This past weekend I took the time to examine all of my projects and try to get organized… again. It was a time for me to re-examine my priorities which seem to change as life changes.
Trying to create jobs for disabled individuals at the two factories still remains a priority at the top of the list. All of the items on the Mission Statement are priorities… some will just take a little longer to realize than others.
So…on Saturday I’ll post my next entry and I’ll make a concerted effort to write four new postings per week at a minimum. I hope to also add video clips within the next two weeks as well. This will definitely add another dimension to the blog…
So hopefully you’ll hang in there and keep reading. Also pass it along to others that you know as well.
As well as being the 50th Entry I also believe that the blog is celebrating the end of its fourth month… 1/3 of a year…
Monday, March 24, 2008
(49th Entry) Life, issues and going on…
I’ve taken a few days to recharge my batteries. Things have been hectic for the past several weeks with lots of issues, problems, ups and downs. The other night I went to bed at 5:30 in the evening and slept until 6:00 a.m. the next morning. Of course after that I was tired to two days but I’m now ready to begin another week. Last night I reviewed my calendar, computer and note cards to begin to get re-organized for the upcoming week.
I have many projects going on simultaneously. In fact some people that know might tell you I have way too many projects. The problem is… life is short and I have a lot I want to accomplish.
Today I have to focus on… to many things to mention! But I have my list and priorities.
A few days ago Mary, Juan and I took another maestro of grabado to the factory to visit. He seemed very interested and in fact talked of wanting a full time job. Mary and I left Juan and him out there “to play” on the equipment. I’m anxious to hear from Juan his impression. I expressed to Mary that I want Juan to have some time with his current employees to make sure that we’ve actually resolved some problems or are at least heading in the right direction before introducing any other individuals.
I wanted to at least get a short entry out this morning.
More to follow soon…
I have many projects going on simultaneously. In fact some people that know might tell you I have way too many projects. The problem is… life is short and I have a lot I want to accomplish.
Today I have to focus on… to many things to mention! But I have my list and priorities.
A few days ago Mary, Juan and I took another maestro of grabado to the factory to visit. He seemed very interested and in fact talked of wanting a full time job. Mary and I left Juan and him out there “to play” on the equipment. I’m anxious to hear from Juan his impression. I expressed to Mary that I want Juan to have some time with his current employees to make sure that we’ve actually resolved some problems or are at least heading in the right direction before introducing any other individuals.
I wanted to at least get a short entry out this morning.
More to follow soon…
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