It started out with a simple, but hard fall. I was moving out of an apartment that I had lived in for three years. There was some construction being done on the street in front of the apartment. I stepped onto the side walk from the street. The sidewalk had this coarse, dark sand that was invisible to my eye. My right foot went sliding down the incline to the driveway like it was on ice. I fell with my arm against my ribcage. I hit hard, bouncing over on my side. At first I thought I had broken my ribs, but I had simply knocked the air out of myself.
It took a few minutes, but I soon realized that it was my right arm that hurt so bad. To make a long story short, I needed two stitched in my left leg and I fractured the bone in the end of my right arm. That was towards the beginning of the week and then over the weekend we watched Hurricane Ike destroy Galveston.
We’re coming up on our third anniversary of moving our offices to Mexico from Galveston. We still have a warehouse with inventory and all of our mail goes to Galveston, but all of our operating facilities are in Mexico. We moved our offices three years ago when Hurricane Rita was to have hit Galveston, but at the last minute turned towards Louisiana. After that getting trucks, 18 wheelers, from Mexico to Galveston was impossible due to the back log.
We opened a couple of weeks later in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Five of our original employees are still working for us today. Actually 5 out of 7 are working today. Of course today there are 22 or 23 people working. We’ve added two factories and are still growing.
Back to my arm… It’s better. Not quit so painful. If they had put it in a caste I would have been severely limited in what I could do, so we’re letting it heal naturally. I actually did this before when I was 13. I had a bicycle wreck and hit my arm head on into the curb. I saw the fractures in the x-ray and they’ve healed nicely. This to will heal.
Back to Hurricane Ike… I’ve talked to some of my friends in Galveston. All had damage to things that they owned. All are ok. BUT.. they all sound different than they usually do. It’s that sound of despair, of being over-whelmed. As one friend of mine said, “Remember what we thought Rita was going to be? This was it.” My thought and prayers are with them.
Both of those events happened three weeks ago. And now the last two weeks… They can wait for another entry.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
(71st Entry) Why I do…
Recently I was asked, “Why do you do the things that you’re doing?” I ask myself this question quit often as well. I most often ask on days when things are difficult and seem almost impossible.
Then there are days that surprise me and all my doubts subside and the reason that I do what I do is simply obvious…
We had a birthday party last Friday. We opened our Mexican office three years ago. We started with six employees. In those days the parties were quiet. Not these days… with twenty-four employees, we had someone playing a guitar and lots of folks singing. It was a joyous event… at least for me… and I think for Mary as well.
It’s one of those events where you’re glad you have hot, spicy food, so that people don’t realize that those are tears of joy and elation.
We’ve worked so hard and sometimes lose sight of our true reason for doing what we’re doing. I gave Mary a ride home that night and said to her, “you have to be proud of what happened today.” She readily acknowledged and agreed that we had created something special. Even a week later as I write this, I find myself emotional. We have 24 people, 8 of whom are disabled and yet there were just 24 employees sharing in a party… not 8 and 16… but 24.
Of course a week has gone by and all the stress of work, of running factories and operating in a bad economy weighs heavily so… It's nice to look back
And now a few pictures...
This is Juan... Our Grabado muestro... It was his biurthday this month as well... He a great individual. When Mary and I first approached him about teaching... He said absolutely not. He had good reasons, but today he is as commited to the dream as Mary and I. 
And of course Krispy...
Then there are days that surprise me and all my doubts subside and the reason that I do what I do is simply obvious…
We had a birthday party last Friday. We opened our Mexican office three years ago. We started with six employees. In those days the parties were quiet. Not these days… with twenty-four employees, we had someone playing a guitar and lots of folks singing. It was a joyous event… at least for me… and I think for Mary as well.
It’s one of those events where you’re glad you have hot, spicy food, so that people don’t realize that those are tears of joy and elation.
We’ve worked so hard and sometimes lose sight of our true reason for doing what we’re doing. I gave Mary a ride home that night and said to her, “you have to be proud of what happened today.” She readily acknowledged and agreed that we had created something special. Even a week later as I write this, I find myself emotional. We have 24 people, 8 of whom are disabled and yet there were just 24 employees sharing in a party… not 8 and 16… but 24.
Of course a week has gone by and all the stress of work, of running factories and operating in a bad economy weighs heavily so… It's nice to look back
And now a few pictures...
This is Juan... Our Grabado muestro... It was his biurthday this month as well... He a great individual. When Mary and I first approached him about teaching... He said absolutely not. He had good reasons, but today he is as commited to the dream as Mary and I. 
And of course Krispy...
Sunday, August 24, 2008
(70th Entry) The last several weeks…
I hate it when I go to long without writing. Getting back into the flow seems so difficult.
I just returned from New York! As always… I love New York. There’s just a magic to it.
I attended the New York International Gift Fair where my Mom and I tried to sell our products. Times are tough in the U.S. Buyers are nervous. No one really knows what to expect.
We seem to be a company always in transition… Our old mainstay product was hand-hammered copper. The problem is that copper has become so expensive that it’s prohibitive to sell. Only a select few understand and appreciate it enough to pay the kind of prices that we must charge. Of course the Santa Rosa Candles have been a product… a great product for many years. My Mom started the company with a glass line and that’s where we’re back to today… Glass… Especially the carved glass that is done in our new factory!
I shared with people “our story.” How we’re trying to hire disabled individuals to work, to learn to carve glass. People really responded. I had made a little hand-out that had a few pictures and a few lines about what we’re doing… At the bottom it said… “Be a part of The Story”
As I said, we're a company in transition. We arrived in New York and created the booth with what items we had in our mini-warehouse and some items lent to us by our neighbors who happen to be good friend as well. My Mom hadn’t gone to market in six years. She had to admit that things had changed drastically in that time. We’re located on Pier 94 and since she had been the whole make-up of the pier’s had changed. Not to mention the neighborhood. Pier 94 is located on 52nd and the West Side Highway. This neighborhood has changed dramatically in the last few years. Once what was a rough area has turned into a trendy neighborhood.
It’s good to be back home! There’s lots to do to ensure that the dream survives.
I just returned from New York! As always… I love New York. There’s just a magic to it.
I attended the New York International Gift Fair where my Mom and I tried to sell our products. Times are tough in the U.S. Buyers are nervous. No one really knows what to expect.
We seem to be a company always in transition… Our old mainstay product was hand-hammered copper. The problem is that copper has become so expensive that it’s prohibitive to sell. Only a select few understand and appreciate it enough to pay the kind of prices that we must charge. Of course the Santa Rosa Candles have been a product… a great product for many years. My Mom started the company with a glass line and that’s where we’re back to today… Glass… Especially the carved glass that is done in our new factory!
I shared with people “our story.” How we’re trying to hire disabled individuals to work, to learn to carve glass. People really responded. I had made a little hand-out that had a few pictures and a few lines about what we’re doing… At the bottom it said… “Be a part of The Story”
As I said, we're a company in transition. We arrived in New York and created the booth with what items we had in our mini-warehouse and some items lent to us by our neighbors who happen to be good friend as well. My Mom hadn’t gone to market in six years. She had to admit that things had changed drastically in that time. We’re located on Pier 94 and since she had been the whole make-up of the pier’s had changed. Not to mention the neighborhood. Pier 94 is located on 52nd and the West Side Highway. This neighborhood has changed dramatically in the last few years. Once what was a rough area has turned into a trendy neighborhood.
It’s good to be back home! There’s lots to do to ensure that the dream survives.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
UPDATE...
I've been in New York for the past 12 days. I've just returned home so I'll get back to the writing.
As always there's lots to say!
So hopefully by Sunday I'll start having new entries.
Stay tuned!
As always there's lots to say!
So hopefully by Sunday I'll start having new entries.
Stay tuned!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
(69th Entry) My talk in Irapuato
Last May I went on a meditation retreat. It was a great needed weekend of peace and quiet. During that weekend I met a Doctor by the name of Eugenio. He’s a pediatric orthopedic surgeon for CRIT, Centro de Rehabilitacion Infantil Teleton or just Teleton. Telethon is a clinic for disabled children in Mexico. They now have 11 clinics and aim to have one in every State. At that retreat he casually asked if I would like to come to CRIT and give a talk. I of course answered yes, thinking that the likelihood of it actually materializing would be minimal. Well shortly after that weekend I began hearing from both Eugenio and the Human Resource director of Teleton in Irapauto, Guanajato.
To make a long story a little shorter on Thursday, July 31st, I’m in a car with my two interpreters heading towards Irapauto. Most people only need one interpreter, but I always tend to do things with a little more fanfare… Makari and Nataraj are good friends of mine. Nataraj is the person who has helped with all of the videos and Makari was my Spanish tutor until life just got to hectic. Makari who is from Mexico City understands 90% of everything I say so therefore Nataraj, a Canadian by birth, fills in the 10% gap. Now you understand why I had two translators.
Telethon arranged for us to stay in a hotel for the night. Our friend Eugenio, Dr. Eugenio de Pavia M., picks us up for dinner. We go to the old Sanborn’s in downtown Irapauto and talk for a couple hours. It’s at that time that I discovered that my talk was to be in front of 125 people. I had known that the talk was to take place at 7:00 a.m. which is why I had asked Nataraj to bring a coffee maker. I didn’t realize that I was speaking in front of 125, doctors, nurses, social workers, psychologists… in other words the entire staff of the clinic.
I had brought with me some notes from previous talks. When I returned from dinner I spent a couple hours reviewing the notes. I created my outline… approximately 18 words on a single page of paper… The title of my talk was “HOW TO LIVE WITH, FEEL COMFORTABLE AND BE PRODUCTIVE WITH A DISABILITY”
We arrived at the clinic at 7:00 a.m. where we proceeded to the auditorium. I was introduced and began my talk. It was an incredible experience. I had never given a talk where I had to have it translated. It was an amazing experience. I learned so much. By having it translated I was forced to slow down, say only a couple of sentences at a time. By doing this it forced me to collect my thoughts, think about where I was, think about how it connected to what I had said and where I wanted to go. I realized that I had included just as much or more substance than if I had just been speaking for an hour and ten minutes with no translation. I realized that I was focusing on the audience, watching there reactions. I wasn’t just in my head, talking. There were several times that I paused, looked at my outline and regained my cadence.
It was an incredible experience for me and I hope for those listening as well.
After the talk, several of us had breakfast together at the little café on site. Afterwards two individuals, Angel Zavaleta (HR dirctor) and Dr. Guadalupe Reyes Mail (Chief of Staff) proceeded to give Makari, Nataraj and myself a tour of the clinic. I think we spent two hours touring the clinic. I kept thinking back to my days as a young child going to the old Scottish Rites Hospital in Dallas. What a difference time has made in the ways we deal with the issue of disability.
This clinic was incredible! Not just in the facilities, but also in the philosophy. First, architecturally the building and grounds were open, airy and colorful. Second, the facilities were a good as I had ever seen. State of the art equipment was everywhere. Third, the philosophy was one of treating not only the whole person… body, mind and spirit; but also the whole family. I could go on and on. It was just a moving experience for me… for the three of us from start to finish.
To have a dream means to have desire. To have desire means to want to accomplish something. To want to accomplish something means to have the confidence, the self esteem and drive necessary to make it happen. There’s a line between confidence and arrogance. In my Mission Statement I make clear what my goals are… I started the blog back in November of 2008. While I haven’t accomplished all of my goals, I’ve made tremendous strides. Dreams sometimes seem to be bigger than reality… sometimes they change over time and sometimes they come true or sometimes you just give up! Sometimes you just keep going when all logic says… it’s impossible!
We have 8 out of 24 employees who are disabled. I gave a talk that lived up to my dreams. Not that it was perfect… But it was! I have a few video clips… the beginning of another dream. What more can I ask in eight months?
Sometimes I question my dreams. Am I really capable of doing…? Do I really have what it takes to do all that I say…? At the risk of sounding arrogant… I think I do!
To make a long story a little shorter on Thursday, July 31st, I’m in a car with my two interpreters heading towards Irapauto. Most people only need one interpreter, but I always tend to do things with a little more fanfare… Makari and Nataraj are good friends of mine. Nataraj is the person who has helped with all of the videos and Makari was my Spanish tutor until life just got to hectic. Makari who is from Mexico City understands 90% of everything I say so therefore Nataraj, a Canadian by birth, fills in the 10% gap. Now you understand why I had two translators.
Telethon arranged for us to stay in a hotel for the night. Our friend Eugenio, Dr. Eugenio de Pavia M., picks us up for dinner. We go to the old Sanborn’s in downtown Irapauto and talk for a couple hours. It’s at that time that I discovered that my talk was to be in front of 125 people. I had known that the talk was to take place at 7:00 a.m. which is why I had asked Nataraj to bring a coffee maker. I didn’t realize that I was speaking in front of 125, doctors, nurses, social workers, psychologists… in other words the entire staff of the clinic.
I had brought with me some notes from previous talks. When I returned from dinner I spent a couple hours reviewing the notes. I created my outline… approximately 18 words on a single page of paper… The title of my talk was “HOW TO LIVE WITH, FEEL COMFORTABLE AND BE PRODUCTIVE WITH A DISABILITY”
We arrived at the clinic at 7:00 a.m. where we proceeded to the auditorium. I was introduced and began my talk. It was an incredible experience. I had never given a talk where I had to have it translated. It was an amazing experience. I learned so much. By having it translated I was forced to slow down, say only a couple of sentences at a time. By doing this it forced me to collect my thoughts, think about where I was, think about how it connected to what I had said and where I wanted to go. I realized that I had included just as much or more substance than if I had just been speaking for an hour and ten minutes with no translation. I realized that I was focusing on the audience, watching there reactions. I wasn’t just in my head, talking. There were several times that I paused, looked at my outline and regained my cadence.
It was an incredible experience for me and I hope for those listening as well.
After the talk, several of us had breakfast together at the little café on site. Afterwards two individuals, Angel Zavaleta (HR dirctor) and Dr. Guadalupe Reyes Mail (Chief of Staff) proceeded to give Makari, Nataraj and myself a tour of the clinic. I think we spent two hours touring the clinic. I kept thinking back to my days as a young child going to the old Scottish Rites Hospital in Dallas. What a difference time has made in the ways we deal with the issue of disability.
This clinic was incredible! Not just in the facilities, but also in the philosophy. First, architecturally the building and grounds were open, airy and colorful. Second, the facilities were a good as I had ever seen. State of the art equipment was everywhere. Third, the philosophy was one of treating not only the whole person… body, mind and spirit; but also the whole family. I could go on and on. It was just a moving experience for me… for the three of us from start to finish.
To have a dream means to have desire. To have desire means to want to accomplish something. To want to accomplish something means to have the confidence, the self esteem and drive necessary to make it happen. There’s a line between confidence and arrogance. In my Mission Statement I make clear what my goals are… I started the blog back in November of 2008. While I haven’t accomplished all of my goals, I’ve made tremendous strides. Dreams sometimes seem to be bigger than reality… sometimes they change over time and sometimes they come true or sometimes you just give up! Sometimes you just keep going when all logic says… it’s impossible!
We have 8 out of 24 employees who are disabled. I gave a talk that lived up to my dreams. Not that it was perfect… But it was! I have a few video clips… the beginning of another dream. What more can I ask in eight months?
Sometimes I question my dreams. Am I really capable of doing…? Do I really have what it takes to do all that I say…? At the risk of sounding arrogant… I think I do!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
(68th Entry) A week to remember and a little to forget…
This week started out with the government of the state of Guanajato inaugurating our work of hiring disabled individuals. Read my sister-in-laws, Debra’s, blog entry on this.
Debra's Blog Entry
She does a great job of telling the story.
For me, it was an amazing event. It’s been a dream in the making for over twenty five years. I honestly didn’t think that it would be this monumental of an event for me. But it was. As you read my blog these past eight months we’ve have had our moments… good and bad, highs and lows. The blog can only reveal a small part of the struggles that have actually been taking place in my life. Great things have happened! Yet the struggles continue and give me reason for concern.
Having two factories open in the course of eight months has been very taxing on all of us trying to survive day to day. My parents came for the month of July to help relieve Mary (our office manager) and I of some of the burden. Their help and time was invaluable.
Also this week we had a major catastrophe. No one was hurt… that’s the important thing. A few material items were ruined, but they can be replaced. It’s just part of running a business. Sometimes you have good luck, sometimes not so good.
I always say… “If it was easy, everyone would do it!”
One of the reasons that the inauguration was so powerful for me is not just because it was a dream come true, but a moment when I realized just how far I’ve come, we’ve come. I’m responsible for 24 individuals… making sure they’re paid every week. Some of them could easily get other jobs, but what about the one’s that can’t? We’ve started something that is “catching on”, getting noticed. Bad economy or not… This has to be successful!
In entry 65, I talked about the individuals that came a few weeks ago to interview for jobs. Not only were they inspiring to us, they showed us just how grateful they were to be given the opportunity to work. It was touching, moving. They are all working now for us.
Somewhere in a previous blog or two, I talked about my own struggle to get my first corporate position. It takes a dream… a commitment… help… to get things done.
The week started with an amazing Monday and finished with an amazing Friday… with just one little lousy day in-between.
In my next entry, I’ll talk about Friday… My talk at CRIT, Teleton, located in Irapuato, Guanajato, Mexico. Another very moving day for me…
Debra's Blog Entry
She does a great job of telling the story.
For me, it was an amazing event. It’s been a dream in the making for over twenty five years. I honestly didn’t think that it would be this monumental of an event for me. But it was. As you read my blog these past eight months we’ve have had our moments… good and bad, highs and lows. The blog can only reveal a small part of the struggles that have actually been taking place in my life. Great things have happened! Yet the struggles continue and give me reason for concern.
Having two factories open in the course of eight months has been very taxing on all of us trying to survive day to day. My parents came for the month of July to help relieve Mary (our office manager) and I of some of the burden. Their help and time was invaluable.
Also this week we had a major catastrophe. No one was hurt… that’s the important thing. A few material items were ruined, but they can be replaced. It’s just part of running a business. Sometimes you have good luck, sometimes not so good.
I always say… “If it was easy, everyone would do it!”
One of the reasons that the inauguration was so powerful for me is not just because it was a dream come true, but a moment when I realized just how far I’ve come, we’ve come. I’m responsible for 24 individuals… making sure they’re paid every week. Some of them could easily get other jobs, but what about the one’s that can’t? We’ve started something that is “catching on”, getting noticed. Bad economy or not… This has to be successful!
In entry 65, I talked about the individuals that came a few weeks ago to interview for jobs. Not only were they inspiring to us, they showed us just how grateful they were to be given the opportunity to work. It was touching, moving. They are all working now for us.
Somewhere in a previous blog or two, I talked about my own struggle to get my first corporate position. It takes a dream… a commitment… help… to get things done.
The week started with an amazing Monday and finished with an amazing Friday… with just one little lousy day in-between.
In my next entry, I’ll talk about Friday… My talk at CRIT, Teleton, located in Irapuato, Guanajato, Mexico. Another very moving day for me…
Sunday, July 27, 2008
(67th Entry) “If you build it, they will come…”
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.
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.
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