It is so important to greet adversity and challenge
with calm. You just have to be in the moment. Problems are a part of life. Recognize
the reality that there will be ups and downs. This week, somehow, God (or
certainly some higher power) has been blessing me through a series of occasions
and events that might have otherwise caused me to dive into a kind of despair.
In the past five days:
Tuesday (12-5) –
I was privileged to be invited to participate in the UMSL Marketing Club speed
networking event at the University of Missouri, Saint Louis. It was so great to offer advice and counsel to
college students considering the future. The dialogues with up to 30 students
had the side effect of causing me to reflect on so many of my career highlights
along my personal journey. I lingered a while because the energy and enthusiasm
and the positive reflection was an unexpected high. (UP)
BUT I got home, only to realize that I misplaced my
cell phone. This is a thing that can result in a kind of panic. (DOWN) By 8:30 p.m. an email: Did you leave your cell phone at the Marketing Club event? I
respond: Yes I did. (UP)
Wednesday (12-6) –
Rebecca Bechtel (MBA student and Dr. Perry Drake’s trusted assistant) and her
brother met me at Sugarfire BBQ for dinner and I was reunited with my cell
phone after a healthy 24 hours without it. (UP)
Thursday (12-7)
– I was excited about an American Marketing Association holiday gathering and networking event at Global Brew
scheduled for 5:30 p.m. But on the treacherous I-70 heading West after work I experienced
the trauma of a flat tire. (DOWN).
I managed to hobble off I-70 onto Lucas and Hunt exit
into the QT. I opened my trunk and began the process of changing to my spare
when a stranger offered to change the tire for a small fee. (UP)
Now I was sure I needed to make plans to replace that
tire. I took I-170 to Olive Boulevard Dobbs Tire & Auto hoping to make an
appointment to get two new rear tires. (They told me 6 months ago I should
replace those two back tires.) I expected bureaucracy at the counter late in
the day, as it was, on a Thursday. But, to the contrary, they were happy so sell me
two new tires and put the spare back into the trunk right away. I was hardly
inconvenienced and I was still on time for the event at Global Brew on Manchester Road in
Rock Hill. (UP)
Friday (12-8)
- My friend professor Perry Drake PhD invited me to dinner at his home in Chesterfield. Perry treated me to salmon, brockely, baked potato and Budweiser. I
was able to share a pleasant meal and conversation with Perry, including a few laughs
over the roller coaster events of my recent few days. (UP)
Saturday (12-10) -
I visited the Saint Louis Art Museum because it has become my happy place. It
did not disappoint as the Sculpture Hall was filled with people and kids enjoying performances of Dances from
India and an interpretation of The Nutcracker. (UP)
Later on Saturday - It’s wonderful to have friends. My friends Dave and
Linda Shogren invited me to join them for a performance at Blue Strawberry in the
Central West End. The event featured Kat Edmonson’s amazing and unique song stylings from the American Songbook and some of her originals. I left
with a copy of a signed CD. (UP)
If you are scoring at home: I have so many more UPs
than DOWNs. Even when bad things happen I seem to have blessed life.
Even the signed CD that says “for Wesley with Love, Kat” makes me smile. And the posing cat at Dave’s house afterwards seemed to observe in judgemnent of my charmed life.
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