Heirloom; Hybrid... Let's Call the Whole Thing Off...

Every May, I plant tomatoes. My goal is to one day have a huge garden like my Dad did, but for now, I stick with tomatoes in pots since they're easy to grow, maintain, and provide fabulous fruit.

This year, I chose three different varieties that I purchased from the local big box hardware store. In late July, I brought some of my fresh, home grown tomatoes to a family function. I brought a mixture of hybrid Big Boys and an heirloom German queen variety. I was very excited about both of them, regardless of their small stature because of this year's drought. Even with watering everyday, plus fertilizer, this has been my smallest tomato crop (by actual size) in five years of growing tomatoes in planter boxes.

Despite size, I was happy to bring my bounty... until the genetically-modified organism versus hybrid versus heirloom discussion came up... three times. Every time, I felt under fire. So here's what I brought to the table. 

BASIC DEFINITIONS
Heirloom - According to the Vegetable Garden Guru, heirlooms are "a variety that is at least 40 to 50 years old, that is no longer available in the commercial seed trade, and that has been preserved and kept true in a particular region.... The classic examples are heirloom tomatoes, which often have superior flavor, color, or texture, but lack the holding ability, disease resistance, early maturity, or other characteristics that would make them commercially viable."



F1 Hybrid - According to the Vegetable Garden Guru, it "means the first filial generation made by crossing two different parent varieties, the offspring of which produce a new, uniform seed variety with specific characteristics from both parents.... For example, breeders may choose to cross two tomato varieties to make an F1 hybrid that exhibits the early maturity of one parent and a specific disease resistance of the other. The unique characteristics of an F1 hybrid are very uniform only in the first generation of seed, so seed saved from F1 plants will not come true if replanted and may exhibit many distinct types in the second generation, often reverting to various ancestral forms."

I often hear people talking about the down-side of hybrids, almost even a fear of hybrids as if they don't reproduce or you can't save the seed. This isn't 100% true. There is a definite misunderstanding of the word "hybrid". What it comes down to is understanding the difference between selective cross-pollination, open-pollination, and genetic modification.

When you realize that cross-pollination is a natural process that takes place when one plant variety's pollen is introduced to another plant variety's pollen of the same species, you begin to realize, unless you're a plant purist, that it's okay to have a hybrid.  

Open-pollinated - According to he Vegetable Garden Guru, "open-pollinated seeds are a result of either natural or human selection for specific traits which are then re-selected in every crop. The seed is kept true to type through selection and isolation; the flowers of open-pollinated seed varieties are pollinated by bees or wind. Their traits are relatively fixed within a range of variability.... All heirloom varieties are open-pollinated, but not all open-pollinated varieties can be considered heirlooms."

Hybrid - 

A hybrid seed, per Biology-online.com, is:

noun
Any of mixed origin or composition, or the combination of two or more different things.
(biology) An offspring resulting from the cross between parents of different species or sub-species.
(molecular biology) A complex formed by joining two complementary strands of nucleic acids.

adjective
Of or pertaining to the offspring produced from crossbreeding.

The University of Missouri Extension has a great site on "Growing Home Garden Tomatoes" with an article in their Garden Spade newsletter, entitled "Saving and Storing Vegetable Seeds" by Katie Kammler, that explains, "If you were to save the seed from any of these hybrid varieties, you would still get viable seed that would produce plants and tomatoes but they will not be like the parent plant. They will be a completely new combination of the good and bad traits that were initially crossed. There is no way to predict what the outcome of the seed will be that is saved from hybrid plant."

What does this mean? This means that in most cases, your hybrid tomato seed will reseed, but it won't be what you're expecting.

Genetically Modified Tomatoes - As of 2012, there are no genetically modified organism(GMO) tomatoes on the market. If a GMO tomato existed, it would be a tomato that may have genes introduced into it's DNA that come from a different species (meaning, not a tomato). 

There is LOTS of confusion out there between a hybrid seed versus a GMO seed. GMO seed, per About.com Gardening, "can be any plant, animal or microorganism which have been genetically altered using molecular genetics techniques such as gene cloning and protein engineering. Plants like corn that has the pesticide Bt engineered into its genetic makeup to make it resistant to certain pests are GMO crops. Bt is a natural pesticide, but it would never naturally find its way into corn seed."

So what is "Bt"? The University of California - San Diego explains that Bt is a "natural insecticide" that is "produced by the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (called "Bt") that has been used for decades by organic farmers to control crop-eating insects and by the World Health Organization to kill mosquitoes without using dangerous chemical pesticides."

Companies that create GMO seed utilize Bt and introduce it's traits into the genes of other plants in order to make the plant withstand pressure from unwanted insects that can damage an entire field, or worse, an entire state's crop if not treated manually (sprayed). 

HOT-HOUSE VERSUS HOME GROWN

I love this debate. Does your tomato taste better if it was grown in a room full of tomatoes, babied from seedling stage to fruit producing stage? Or does your tomato taste better growing naturally in a field full of tomatoes with no special help, except whatever love the farmer provides (potentially fertilizer, water, etc.)?

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

Personal preference. That's what it comes down to. You can debate taste, cost, availability all you want. When it comes to picking tomatoes, purists will choose heirloom because of their perceived benefits. Everyone else will pick a variety of heirloom or hybrids. 

• PERCEIVED HEIRLOOM BENEFITS - taste, texture, juiciness, can save the seed to reproduce, more varieties available
• PERCEIVED HYBRID BENEFITS - better at withstanding diseases because of breeding techniques/introduction to new genetics, highly productive, consistent performance, dependable, early maturity, specific plant size, taste 

This brings to question reproduction and hybrids ability to produce offspring. Can it happen? The answer is yes. Yes, you can save certain hybrid seed and it can reproduce. Not all hybrid seed will reproduce.

IS ONE BETTER THAN THE OTHER?

It depends on your taste, opinion, pocket book, and land available to play with.... Not everyone grows tomatoes. Not everyone cares how juicy or tasty a tomato is.... Not everyone has the ability to pay for fruits and vegetables, which we could consider a "first-world problem".

I look at it this way. My dad planted both. I plant both. Dad didn't save seed. I don't save seed. Saving seed is for the expert gardeners who don't purchase at Big Box stores like me. I appreciate, admire, and commend farmers who produce and save heirloom seed to ensure genetic integrity and strong lines. However, I'll always think of heirlooms as the royal family of inbreeding when I consider them. Good or bad, take it or leave it, I'll buy my hybrids and heirlooms at the Big Box. 

Do you have a favorite? Can you tell the difference?

Pigskin: My Current Fantasy

Yesterday, I took a major step in my fun-time to mommy to work ratio. I am happy that I'm going BIG with it. I created a Fantasy Football League for the first time. Have I ever played Fantasy Football? No. Have I played Fantasy Pick'em? Yes. My goal is to learn the game and kick some arse.

BE A PART OF THE TRIBE
Two of the great things about joining a group is connecting with new people and having a fun time with a shared interest. Not only that, you earn recognition and have a great sense of belonging to others. I've always wanted to play Fantasy Football. As the non-athletic kid in the family, I wanted to play sports in general, but sucking got in the way. Yes - it's true. I sucked at sports. I'll give myself some credit. I tried volleyball (decent), soccer (decent fullback), softball (sucked), and basketball (what the hell was my mom thinking when she signed me up for that one?).

That doesn't mean, though, that I didn't like sports growing up. I loved football and soccer. I can be entertained by baseball - or at minimum the people watching. Basketball - ugh. No thanks.

What draws me to Fantasy Football is the creation process, the ownership of a team and making them successful, the decision making process and strategy behind putting the right player in at the right time, and the business/leadership aspect of building a team.  I also want to have fun during a dreary time of year, and I want to connect and interact with other people.

LEARN SOMETHING
Lately, I've been stuck in a personal rut. I'm still adjusting to motherhood which in turn makes me confused about what "fun" is supposed to be now. I am BORED and not challenged at home. I have a TON going on at work and at home. I learn at work. I don't learn at home. So when I get home, I go through motions. Feed the baby, feed yourself, change the baby, play with the baby, do laundry, vacuum, change baby, play with baby, wash kitchen floor, do the dishes, feed the baby.... Don't get me wrong - I love being a mom, which has it's own greatness and challenges. But at the same time, I want to learn something new.

Here are my lonely hobbies. I read. I take photography classes and take lots of photos. I watch movies and documentaries. I garden. I listen to music. I walk and workout.

Here are my people-interactive hobbies... golf, corn hole, swing dancing, blogging.

Here are my aspiration hobbies... crochet/knitting, guitar, piano, FANTASY FOOTBALL.

The point is: I need to learn, absorb, grow as a person, and the best way that I do that is by interacting with people.

FEED MY COMPETITIVE NATURE
I've taken lots of personality tests - no, not just the ones on Facebook.Clifton's StrengthFinders and Myers-Briggs both say I'm a driven analytic, with a futuristic, over-achiever mind set mixed with a responsible nature that has lots of WOO, extraversion, and judging. Yes - I judge. Not gonna lie.

That cocktail leads to competition. GAME ON! Bring it. Let's go head to head.   

CONCERNS
I'm now commissioner of a league. Even before I started a Fantasy Football league, I was concerned about the time commitment involved, which is why I only did Pick'em last year - which was the first time. I'm also concerned about ignoring family, not being a great mom and wife, and potentially not keeping up with my home responsibilities. But then the other part of me says that I need an outlet to grow, learn, and have fun. that must be the devil

What are your current hobbies that take a lot of time commitment? Do you feel guilty? I know I have an issue with that. 

However, Fantasy Football wins this year. We'll reevaluate this project in February 2013. Must be the devil. Stay tuned. 

Learning for Life Balance

My day job is to work with sales professionals and their distribution network in order to grow and strengthen their skill set and knowledge base with the long-term goal to change and better behaviors. Each time I meet with customers, I'm amazed at how small to mid-sized business owners get it all done. I know I struggle with work life balance. When you add personal development, hobbies, and down time to my equation, it's a surprise that I sleep.

Besides having standardized go-to topics on sales, business acumen, technical information, etc., I do occasionally have one off requests for specialized topics such as SMART goal planning, creating customer touch points, and social media in agriculture. The interest in the last one is amazing to me.

Social media, as a connection to family and friends, is incredibly easy. However, many small to mid-sized companies haven't tapped into this touch point as a tool to connect with customers. I can understand as a business owner with several horses in the race, it's difficult to effectively designate your time on topics you're interested in but may not have enough time to "master" the skill needed to make the experience effective. But then what? Do you not connect at all? That would be a big fat FAIL.

One of my favorite experts on the topic of "agvocating" for agriculture through social media is Michele Payn-Knoper. I have never met Michele or attended any of her sessions, however her web site and blog, Cause Matters, are incredibly thorough on the topics on creating customer touch points through social media. I refer to them quite often.

In one of Michele's more recent articles, "Is social media dead in the food & farming discussion," she talks about a headline she came across, "Why Social Media is Dead." No one wants to use old technology or mediums - well, unless you'll always love a printing press and an actual book in your hand like me... (ah, Anchorman... "I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.) I digress.

Michele links to Logic+Emotion: Social Business: Where It's Been & Where It's Going, and an article written by David Armano, EVP of Edelman Digital. Armano provides an excellent essay and image (Edelman is known for their amazing visual thinking graphs/charts/imagery) of how social media started as a digital/interactive realm and is evolving into a social business: connected, adaptive, intelligent. 

Image Credit - Edelman Digital

This is absolutely the way we're headed, so there is no question as to "why" you shouldn't be connected with social media as a business owner. Yet, in an era of super connectivity, this is where it gets tricky. Many areas still struggle with any connectivity. Not all of rural America has a great connection (unless you're South Dakota - you over-achiever, you! That place is wired.)

So how does a small business owner manage? How do you stay engaged and connected with customers who can instantly "Like" or "Dislike" you and share their opinion of your products and services to masses in seconds? My customers ask this question daily as they only have so much time dedicated to training and growing their existing knowledge and skill set.

This can only mean that - at least for now - I have job security. I will keep training individuals in agriculture how to advocate on behalf of our industry.

What are your thoughts on how to manage professional and personal time, training, development, and life in general? How are you learning about new ideas and topics? What are some tips and tricks I can share with my customers that you recommend?

A Lonely Omaha Night

Here I am in Omaha, Nebraska. I have a meeting for two days in your typical hotel conference room. My plane landed around 7ish, so once I arrived at the hotel, the front desk clerk recommended dinner at Upstream Brewing Company located in Omaha's Old Market District, which is basically what I would like to see St. Louis' Soulard Market and Laclede's Landing to become eventually. Soulard Market is closer to getting there than Laclede's Landing - which seems to be crumbling more and more: but I digress. 


Dinner For One, Please
Eating in a restaurant alone has never been something I'm comfortable with, probably from the sheer aspect of I don't want people to think that I don't have any friends. Yes - I know that's crazy. Anywho...


My beer of the evening was the Firehouse Red Lager, and it was excellent! I almost bought the Firehouse Red Lager t-shirt, but I held back. Dinner consisted of fish and chips, one of Upstream's classic meals. I thought it was just "eh", "okay". I didn't even finish the fries.


The Shady Dude Across the Bar
As I ate dinner, enjoying the great atmosphere, absorbing the sounds of people talking and laughing, humming along to some classic rock, and watching the U.S. gymnasts win gold in the London Olympics, I felt a presence. No - this wasn't Ghost Hunters. This was the shady dude across the bar staring at me. At one point, I turned around to see if anything interesting was going on that I was just missing out on. Nope. I was the eye candy. Not sure how I felt about that. Kinds of weird. So, I changed my eye placement and started watching the gymnasts on another television. My avoidance strategy made me feel better.

No Phoning Home
It's nice every now and then to go without my cell phone. It's almost daring and impulsive. You're out of reach, untouchable, no satellite dish tracking your moves. However, as I sat alone at the bar, I wanted to catch up on email, text, and check in on my social webs. No go. It was a very odd feeling. My "WOO" strength kicked in and I started chatting up the guy next to me. We both agreed that the female gymnasts give fake hugs. Not cool.

Remembering The Original Plan

I had brunch with a close friend of mine today. We were in deep conversation about our lives as new moms and our busy careers when I randomly changed the subject to how I am no where what I set out to become after I finished high school.


Even after college, my singing/entertainment management plan didn't come to fruition. Yes, I wanted to work in the hotel industry - but it wasn't so I could stay in St. Louis forever. Alas, my six year stint in hotels taught me a lot about sales, service, people - good and bad, noble and shady. More shady than anything.


That started my mind wandering into the once upon a time jobs I dreamed of that would take me away, make me famous, or allow me to move quickly up the ladder of significance.


I've had roughly 16 jobs since I was 19. Maybe three of them were close to getting in a path of reaching one of my dream jobs. I started college with the plan to sing and get into entertainment management. What happened? Ugh - a boy. That happened a lot.

Singing on the Jumbo-tron at the TWA Dome (Edward Jones Dome) - 1997

JOBS I WANTED TO DO...
NOT SO RANDOM OR FAR OFF FROM ORIGINAL PLAN

1. Voice-over and jingle writer
2. Singer - Combination of Sara Bareillis, Adele, Melissa Etheridge, Billie Holliday, Black Crowes, The Black Keys, Pink Floyd back-up singer
3. Stage Manager -> Director -> Producer -> Big Cheese
4. Personal Assistant for a Cool Person
5. Comedy writer (think Tina Fey)

WHO'DA THOUGHT

1. Race Car Driver
2. Sniper/Sharp Shooter
3. FBI Agent
4. Espionage/CIA Ops

Hunting in South Dakota

Training with the FBI

I'd be interested to hear from those who started on the path of their dream and kept with it, along with those who changed courses and came back to their dream. 

Do More, Be Better, Give Back, and Stop Drinking Bottled Water

The weekend of July 14, 2012 was one of the most emotional weekends I've had in a long while. A true roller coaster. Filled with love, laughter, thanks and gratitude, the entire weekend was also filled with sadness and regret.

Yes, July 14th is Bastille Day. It is also the day we celebrate Walt's (my favorite father-in-law and favorite insurance agent) heart transplant anniversary. This year was the BIG 20th celebration: a monumental feat for not only a transplant recipient, but one who received a transplant when he was fifty (not a young whipper snapper).

A luncheon, family and friends from far and wide, and Walt with a microphone can only lead to good times. I was reminded, this day, how wonderful it is to have a family that loves each other, doesn't fight over petty issues, stays strong when faced with challenges, and remembers to laugh and enjoy the time we are given. Walt's strength and health, in the face of adversity, is challenged regularly. But with his faith, the strength and love of Suz (my favorite mom-in-law), his children and family, he has endured through many physical issues. Walt has lived an amazing, long life thanks to a very special individual who became an organ donor. We are incredibly lucky to have Walt and treasure each moment he has during his time with us.

This was a happy day.

July 15th I said goodbye to someone I called my cousin and my friend, Katie Moritz. Katie died of leukemia at the age of 31. She was surrounded by her dear family and friends. Her wake was in the same room as my dad's wake, so I could barely make it to the stairs leading into the room without losing it. Katie's dad, Bob, was in my parent's wedding. Bob was also one of my dad's pall-bearers. When my dad's parents died while he was in high school, Bob, his best friend, and Bob's family took him in. He had no family within 700 miles and no one to take care of him. The Moritz family stepped up.

While I wasn't close to Katie - in fact I was distant, I recalled many of our shared moments when we were children playing at Rombachs Farm, swimming in a kiddie pool and slip n' sliding in our backyard, taking a walk after our Grandma Helen Moritz's funeral.... Once we moved away from Ballwin and my parents divorced, we no longer saw each other. 

I regret that I didn't have more time with her. Katie was the same age as my sister, Erika. I am the same age as Katie's sister, Sarah. She was too young. Life is not fair and it never will be, so how can we change this?

This was a sad day.

These are the thoughts that reverberated through me the past few weeks...

1. Be an organ donor. Sign up today if you haven't already done so.

2. We need more science and math education. Come on parents, 99.9% of kids will not be a movie star, a rock star, or president. Teach them to do more, be better, and give back.

3. Many types of cancer research exists. We all have different diseases we support. Here is why we should support cancer research and stem cell research above all other medical research. (I'm not saying we should stop supporting other research. It is all invaluable).

4. $49.5 Billion was spent in 2011 on research and development in the U.S. We spent almost half that much on bottled water in the U.S. in 2011, coming in at $21.7 Billion. The unfortunate truth is that science and politics go hand in hand. Take action. Write your policy/law makers today and ask for more funding. The fact is, most research is short-term. We need more long-term, big idea grants awarded to those who are willing to take risks and discover new possibilities. 

5. Take time to be with family and friends. Remember birthdays. Be generous with your time and your listening. Show up. Reach out.

Do more, be better, give back, and stop drinking bottled water.

Minutes Before I Present... Killing the Crazy

I'm sitting in a hotel meeting room in Kansas City. In about one hour, my 600 closest friends in the seed industry will make their way through my breakout session to learn about media planning. I am their teacher over the next 2 days.

Anxiety has been an unfriendly monkey on my back since I can remember, and it's times like this - right before I present - in fact about 2 days before I present - my entire persona changes. I agonize, I stress, I pace, I talk fast, my tone gets higher in everyday conversations. I sweat. It's ugly. Not attractive at all.

So how am I trying to get over this? Well, here are some of the things I do in order to stop being nervous and start being confident, energetic, positive, and poised, and professional. After all... I need to kill the crazy so my mind focuses on the present and the task at hand.

MY PRESENTATION

I practice, practice, practice. I finished my presentation about one month ago. But I've been tweaking it in my head every minute since then. Last night, I practiced my presentation from about 5 to 6:30pm, threw out some slides, moved some stuff around, went to dinner and met customers, had two vodka gimlets, then was back up in my room my 9pm. I chilled out for about an hour, practiced for another hour, then chilled out for another hour. Asleep by 11:30pm. Now it's game day. I know my slides. I feel confident. I'm jamming to The Black Keys, The Whites Stripes, and  R.L. Burnside. My people.

MY ROOM

I visited my breakout room last night so I could get the lay of the land. Our customers picked out which breakout sessions they were going to attend in advance. Given that I have 5 breakouts, the max capacity of my room is 40 people, but my room is set for 60.... this means that 50% of the attendees think media planning is important, they need help with it or need a refresher, or they just really love Greta. I'll go with "they need help and think it's important" to their businesses.

My projector and screen are good to go. The temperature of the room is great, nice and cool. Surroundings are in check. Having everything ready to go, my handouts ready, my feedback forms ready, my AV equipment in check is fabulous. Everything is in it's place.

KILL THE CRAZY

Breathing is very important. I sometimes forget that. First impressions count too. I never forget that. My problem is, if I forget to breathe, then the first impression that I sometimes make is the wrong one. So here's what I did to prep and other things I'm working on: 

• Belly Breaths - Yes, I need to breathe. You do as well. Let's do it together. It calms you, focuses you, and helps you center yourself and your surroundings.

• Being Grateful - I am grateful for this great opportunity to work with so many wonderful, smart, amazing people. I am grateful that I get to speak about a topic I enjoy doing - media planning. I don't do it anymore, but I did it in an old job and I was very good at it. I am grateful for that opportunity because it has led me here today.

• Accept My Feelings Right Now - I'm in the moment. I am presently in the present. I've stopped thinking about home life, the fact that the siding guy just called to tell me he's putting siding on only one side of our house, the fact that I have a lump in my throat. I'm not going to think about that. I'm going to think about providing my customers with an awesome presentation. I'm only drinking water - no more caffeine. I accept that in 45 minutes I will start to present to great people who want my help.

• Take It Easy - It's all about one thing at a time and being chill. The Rolling Stones are playing. I'm going to a baseball game tonight. I'll get to have a beer with some awesome people. One thing at a time focusing on the now.

• Sleep - It's funny when people ask me "Do you miss your husband and baby when you travel so much?" The answer is of course I do. However, I welcome the sleep. I sometimes sleep better on the road. Could be the hard/firm beds, which I like, or it could be that I'm just exhausted. It's not always like this on the road, but for the most part, I make sure that I get plenty of sleep so I can function successfully.

So here we go. I'm gonna roll in 30 minutes. I think the crazy is under control. My feedback needs to be positive and I already can't wait for my ratings to come back from customers. Wish me luck!

Diamonds Are Our New Best Friend

When I was 15, I knew that someday I would own a company, doing what, I didn't know. The responsibility, independence, and challenge of being a business owner intrigued me. Yes, I was an adult child and a nerd.


Recently Drew and I started tip-toeing into this idea. If I am going to own my own company one day, that means Drew will be co-owner, so whatever I get into, he needs to be into it just as much. I've toyed with starting a creative or communications agency, being a weekend photographer, or having "Greta's Gardening & Gift Shoppe". It would be so cool to have an organizational company to help people with my organizational awesomeness.... But, we need to think about this a little more. 


I'm very touchy about the future with benefits, getting a small business loan, learning the ropes of what others have done. Making mistakes isn't my thing (I'm a perfectionist - which sucks), so taking risks is sometimes hard for me. This is not the case when it comes to randomly jumping off cliffs, going sky diving, or choosing to run onto a baseball field in a swim suit while it's raining and go slip n' sliding on the field tarp down the first base line into home plate. Yes, that was illegal, but it was fun. I digress.


As I think about our future, I want to be able to provide for our child(ren), which includes paying for college. I'll be paying for school until 2026. One life goal is to lessen the debt burden for our kids, so how do Drew and I make a successful go of this business-ownership plan so we may provide a profitable future for the family?


Enter Mid-America Diamonds. Drew and I are now proud Wholesale Manufacturer Representatives for a company that has an amazing reputation. Mid-America is a small, successful, family-owned business that specializes in providing wholesale diamonds, precious stones, and custom designed jewelry with unique mountings and settings to jewelry stores and private individual clients throughout the Midwest. 


Need jewelry for Mother's Day, a birthday, an anniversary, Hanukkah, Christmas, or graduation? We can do that. Need a stone remounted? We can do that. Need to upgrade your wedding ring? We can do that. Want to make Grandma's old necklace into some new earrings? Yep - can do. How about some cuff links? Yes, we can do that too. Want to get rid of a diamond or sell some gold? Just say the word. We can do that for you.


We're not quitting our day jobs, we're just learning the business from two of the most talented, lovable, professional people in this world, Karen and Wayne Sullivan, owners of Mid-America. Drew and I have purchased our jewelry from the Sullivan's since 2005. Drew has known the family since 1995, and I inherited their amazingness in 2005 when Drew proposed to me. I don't think there are two better people to learn business ownership 101 from (minus Walt Walton, the best insurance salesman ever).


So if you're in the market for jewelry, Drew and I will happily meet with you. We've made 5 happy clients in the month of April! And who wants to pay retail when you can come to us for wholesale? It seems pretty simple! We're happy to serve.

STATUS UPDATE #1: I RESOLVE...

I made it a point to share my resolutions this year in the hopes that it would make me accountable to people I don't know along with those who are rooting for me. My SMART GOALS consisted of losing baby weight, being more positive and less judgmental, working on my photography hobby, helping others with projects, and potentially following my voice over dream


Here's the status update:


LOSE BABY WEIGHT
Since January, I'm down about 20 pounds. I'm very happy with this result. My method is Weight Watchers. I do need to exercise more. Working on that, but I'm having issues managing my time. I'm about 20 pounds away from my pre-baby weight, but hey, I can fit in my pre-baby jeans, so I'm feeling good. I CAN DO IT!


POSITIVITY
Since starting a new job in April, I think my positivity level has increased based on the excitement and newness of the role. Working with a new team helps me focus on breaking bad habits and starting new ones. Leading by example and taking a fresh perspective on new projects and people makes me feel inspired, challenged, and energized. I just need more time in the day! I'm a lover of change. IT IS ALL GOOD! 


PHOTOGRAPHY
In March, I signed up for an online class, Discovering Digital Photography, and I just successfully took my final. It was a little too remedial for me, but I had to start somewhere. The next class planned is Adobe Photoshop Elements 10, which I'll start at the end of June. My prime subject continues to be Cate, who will be eight months this week. 


PEOPLE PROJECTS
This is a work in progress. So far, I've assisted in multiple projects for family and friends from gardening, cleaning out rooms and closets, and organizing. I also decided to incorporate more volunteerism and community involvement in to this goal, so I recently added my name to the "available volunteer" list for the United Way.


VOICE OVER WORK
Still working on this. I have some leads, but need to make a demo tape. I am free labor at this point. Hopefully I'll have a chance to do some work for my actual job. I need to get rid of this St. Louis/Chicago accent!

OMG - We're Canceling Our Cable and Home Phone

Never thought this day would come. We're canceling our home phone and cable this week. We had some friends and family do this over the past few years, and the benefits kept adding up - at least for me. It took awhile for Drew to get there, a good six months at minimum. The decision was made easier once we received our bill this week which shot up $45 to $237 for cable, internet, and home phone. RIDICULOUS.

THINGS WE CAN DO WITH $237 PER MONTH
- Hire a cleaning person to visit 4 times
- Stop eating Ramen (doubt this will change)
- Save it (12 months is more than $2,800)


BENEFITS OF CANCELING
- Save money
- House is filled with music
- Hopefully become more active
- Reduction in energy consumption
- More family interaction
- More time to read, do chores, and exercise (not sure Drew will agree with the last two)


DOWNSIDE TO CANCELING
- Drew is making a new television tuner from a Dell computer
- No land line in case of an emergency
- Potential cell phone issues/dropped calls - although this isn't a major issue
- Football season is going to be rough


What does this mean? This means that my tinkering husband is creating a machine that will allow us to watch shows on our awesome television via Hulu, Netflix, etc. So we're not completely unplugging from television, we're just watching less of it in a different way and a MUCH more affordable price. Super excited!

Agonizing for Super People...

This evening, I finally had a chance to watch a documentary that I've been wanting to see since it came out, Waiting for "Superman". Within my personal circle, those who've seen this film have ultimately raved about the subject matter covered, including:

1. Importance of Community Engagement in School Improvement
2. Importance of Collaboration in School Improvement
3. Teachers, Unions and School Improvement
4. Charter Schools and Systemic Reform
5. Successful Traditional Public Schools

Every documentary has it's emotional side. Yes, these films are there to tug at your heart, make you think, and potentially act for the producer and director's cause. Are you surprised at this? A subjective approach to documenting life is what draws in box office numbers.

However, this film did make me keep questioning two critical pointsthat should have been touched on more. It was obvious, in most cases, that each student the film followed had a single parent supporting them, and in most cases they did make sure to identify that they were highly involved in their education, finding them tutors or personally working with their child. This hits me very close to home. Hold that thought.

Here's what I am "for" in regards to education. I am for collaboration - parents, teachers, public, private, corporate, non-profit. We are all in this together, let's support our children. I am for teacher and institutional accountability. I think this is an ethical, moral obligation to our future and to ourselves. I am for merit pay increases for teachers. Tenure should be a privilege, not a given. I believe in addressing and correcting inequalities in all systems for the betterment of society, supporting public schools with resources, and community involvement, which involves us actually acting, with schools, outside of our homes, away from laptops and televisions, with actual people.... So, if you're just talking about the problems, but not acting, then please get a clue.

A great person who is making a difference is my brother-in-law, Geoff. He started a tutoring program at his local church. You don't have to go to the church. You don't have to believe in God. You don't have to pay for the services. You just have to bring your child in, and in return, give back. Geoff isn't getting paid. In fact, he's recruited our nephew, Max, who will be 10 this year, to also start tutoring younger children. Not only has this helped other kids, it has taught Max about being a role model, about giving back, and it has also helped his grades and self-confidence.

This is where I circle back to the single parent thought. I am the product of a single parent. I am the product of my mom's choices. Under her roof, I lived by her rules and respected her wishes. She was my pillar of support. My parents did not go to college. My parents did not pay for my college. They both chose a different path during different times under different circumstances. Unfortunately, that only made it harder for their children.

While my mom pushed me as much as she could, and that didn't take much given my drive and ambition, I would have failed if it weren't for the amazing teachers that I admired, Mrs. Whitenack - my math teacher, Mr. Blaha - my honors history teacher, Mrs. Singer - my honors English teacher, Mrs. Rothermich - my theater teacher, and Mr. Reeves - my choir teacher. Without these pillars, I wouldn't have gone to college. They were all guides, resources, sages pointing me in hopefully a positive direction.

But what about those kids who don't have the personal drive and ambition? What about the kids who have ADD and no support from their parent(s)? Is it The Catcher in the Rye in me that wants to save people? How do we provide structure, support, and super people to help those who need help helping themselves?

One of the most agonizing pains that keeps me awake at night is knowing that without a college education or an accredited trade school certification in today's world, you are automatically at a disadvantage. The statistics that paint a horrible future for those who don't invest in an education is painful to say the least,, both for the individual and for the everyday tax payer. What stresses me out more than anything is seeing those closest to me, who for whatever reason, not start and finish a trade school or college career. 

Today, one of my customers shared a video montage narrated by Henry Rollins called "Young Person".

It's about coming from meager beginnings, picking yourself up, and driving with as much passion and gusto as you have inside you to survive and succeed. What if someone from a single parent household - say between the ages of 21 and 35 - still needs more structure and support, both emotionally and financially, but you can't step in anymore? I am agonizing over this. 

While Waiting for "Superman" hardly covered the topics of parents as educators and being from a single parent situation, there needs to be another chapter covered on young adults who fell out of the system, didn't do well in the system, or can't keep up with the system. I know there are resources out there for adults who are trying to get ahead. I know it's a personal choice for many who choose not to go to school. But I also know that as a society, if you choose to do less than best or even nothing, then inevitably it just hurts us all, most importantly, our future children.

We need more Geoffs. We need more pillars. We need more super people wanting to coach, lead, inspire, and teach. Inspire the drive in someone, and maybe it will inspire you. I just signed up to volunteer through the United Way in St. Louis. You can too!