humor, leadership, life lessons, management, mindfulness, motivation, work life

Goal Setting – A Creative Approach

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After majoring in partying during my first two years of college, I got serious and then decided to double major.  Psychology and Education.  Did I envision being a Chief HR Officer?  Absolutely not.  My path to this profession was remarkably serendipitous (at least in my mind) and as it unfolded seemed to occur with what I perceived as very little input on my part.  Stuff just seemed to happen.  I realize now that this perception was inaccurate and skewed.  It allowed me to react with predictable self-deprecating dismissiveness at my successes, and passionate self-flagellation when absorbing my failures (in case you haven’t noticed, I’ve always had a flair for high drama – I’m particularly good at self-flagellation).  The truth of the matter is that I’ve always had goals.  Yes they were fluid, without question the path to their achievement was often more circuitous than direct and at times these goals were downright misguided.  But as my hopes for the future crystallized, the navigation of my ‘goal map’ became easier to read  – even when I was heading directly off course (have I also mentioned that geography was never my strong suit).

Just as advertisers use story boards when constructing a client pitch, I am a strong believer in using story boards to help determine what our goals are and how they may be achieved.  Think of the success of PinInterest.  Basically, you are ‘pinning’ and ‘repinning’ pictures that resonate with you on a visceral level – be they of places, nature, humor, etc..  Not only does it feel good to look at the compendium of your personal favorites, it’s self-reinforcing.  So…you pin some more – and if you look at your collection closely, you will see certain patterns.  In effect, it becomes a story board about you.  I used to encourage people to build story boards at work when training on the topic of goal setting (Creativity in a law firm?  A bit oxymoronic I suppose).

Try it – cut out pictures that inspire you, print off quotes or thoughts that excite you and tape them onto a piece of oak tag (if that sounds too dated, just stick ’em up on a bulletin board).  See what messages you glean from what may seem like a random display.  Don’t be discomfited by the pieces that don’t seem to fit – if it was all perfect, it wouldn’t be self-reflective.  What you will find though is that there is a pattern in that collage of yours.  And it can help define what it is you want  – in your professional and/or personal life (depending on what your story board is focused on of course).  One quote that appears on my current board, first appeared on the board I created when I left the firm.  Kofi Annan once said, “To live is to choose.  But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to go there.”  It fuels my pictorial narrative.

Once you get a sense of what it is you want and need to do – take a deep breath, have a glass of wine, revel for a moment in the clarity you have found.  Then communicate your thoughts – write them down, tell a colleague, share them with your team.  And this is where it gets a little tricky – remember that a goal is only as achievable as the objectives that support its completion.  Objectives are the discreet, actionable steps that are taken to make a goal attainable.  For big picture people this is definitely the harder of the two steps, for it’s where you break it all down into timelines, responsibilities and commitments.  When you write objectives, use verbs that imply movement – there is no room for the passive voice in the world of achieving goals!  I realize that this is no easy challenge I’m throwing out into cyberspace, but I believe that you can take your dreams, your unspoken hopes and turn them into concrete goals with clear, defined steps.  Perhaps the dreaming part is more romantic; the realization of a dream is more fulfilling and enriching.  And one of the gazillion wonders of life is that we can dream many dreams, understand where our values and life choices intersect and create as many story boards as we want to help chart our path.  And that, is pretty damn terrific

humor, leadership, life lessons, management, Uncategorized, work life

E.T. Management – Part 1

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There’s a lot to be learned about management from going to the movies.  Much of what I needed to know about the basics of working with people, I learned from “E.T’.  To risk an attenuated blog (for a change), I’ll provide you with the abbreviated version.  We can write each other about it as thoughts come to mind…

1.  It’s the things we don’t know that scare us the most.  Once we face an issue head-on, it typically casts a more comfortable shadow.

2.  Don’t discriminate against anyone just because they’re not like you.  They may be better.

3.  The Platinum Rule trumps the Golden Rule – treat others as they wish to be treated, not necessarily in the way in which you think they want to be treated.

4.  M&Ms can improve a bad day.

5.  People communicate differently.  The first step is to figure out whether or not you understand what someone is trying to tell you and where s/he is coming from (ok, pun intended).

6.  Most of us have a Plan A; it’s essential to have a plan B.

7.  If you can’t get past an obstacle, enlist the help of others and try hitting it head on or jumping right over it.

8.  Love and profit can exist in the same sentence.

9.  If you go too far afield from your authentic self, compromise too many values and distance yourself from what you know is right for you, it’s time to get back to an environment where you thrive.

10. Phone home.

leadership, management, mindfulness, motivation, music, work life

The Rhythm Of Leadership (even if you’re tone deaf)

mimijk

“Where you lead/I will follow/Anywhere that you tell me to…”  Ah, Carole…I was a rabid follower – Carole, James, Laura, CSN&Y.  I followed them (and others) because I loved their music, their words, the way I felt when I sang along (some of my fondest memories include sitting in my friend Allie’s house eating Cadbury wafers and singing..she had a pure, clear soprano; I had a rich and sincere baritone, sorta).

I followed a speaker at a peace rally in NY after the Kent State shootings. He spoke Spanish (I didn’t), but the passion and conviction of his words crossed the barrier of my linguistic ignorance (ok, he was cute too).  Following him to the subway to head home, we both got pipe-whipped by some indignant construction workers – the commitment I had to him almost justified the consequences.  I will admit it was embarrassing to have to stop at my pediatrician’s office for some salve before heading to a production of ‘Damn Yankees’ at school that night (the closest I will ever come to being a baseball player).

I followed one of my professors from grad school as avidly as one might a guru.  He was so incredibly smart, funny, intuitive (a good quality for a psychologist) and persistently coaxed me to figure out how I was going to best care for my two splendilicious babies and myself in the face of some very real personal challenges.  He encouraged me to figure out how to re-take control of my life.  How do you thank someone for that?  Live your life well and pay it forward, I guess.

And I followed my boss for 22 years.  I was inspired by his confidence in me, relentless teasing, incredible work ethic, integrity and generous heart.  He wanted results and accountability and expected more of himself than anyone else, which somehow drove me to try and keep pace.  Lucky for me, he is now a dear friend who has also retired from the firm.

There is a nexus between the leadership qualities I learned from those whom I have followed and the music that plays in my mind all the time.  There is a rhythm to the dynamics between and among people, a way that we try to maximize the strengths and talents of our people so that together, the orchestration is full and rich.

If you supervise people and as such are responsible for leading others, do you ever think about those who you once followed?  Why did you follow them?  What were the qualities that you most admired in the people who shaped your professional success and enhanced your development?  What were the deal breakers?  If you strove to emulate any one of them, what elements would be of greatest importance to you?  Imagine holding the conductor’s baton gently and assuredly in your hand as the orchestra warms up.  Your job is to make the music of your work days reflective of the talents of those waiting for your guidance, watching for your timing and interpretation of the notes.  I was once compared to Mr. Holland, the character from “Mr. Holland’s Opus” – a higher compliment could never have been bestowed upon me in the world of work.  At least not for me.  The sections of the orchestra parallel the unique talents of those with whom you work.  Lead them with the qualities and dedication evidenced in those you once followed.  The magic of that music will always remain in your head – and theirs.

anxiety, life lessons, mindfulness

The Art Of Confrontation

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Let me say upfront – I never developed this skill.  Not only don’t I have any talent for confrontation, I have so studiously avoided it that I think I show some real ability in this area.  It’s somewhat ironic that frequent moments in my career required that I confront people, my passionate belief in my professional purpose fueled my provocative challenges at times and it’s hard to get through the adolescences of three boys without having to go toe-to-toe every once in awhile.  But, I have never sought out such exchanges preferring more peaceful resolutions (which admittedly took longer and arguably required more patience).  This wasn’t because I’m such a great person – honestly, it’s because I really can’t stand vitriol and words spoken with such hostility that do-overs are impossible.

But boy oh boy, this weekend I wanted to rush Limbaugh.  Literally.  I wanted to rush the guy and wither him with my superior vocabulary and make him cower in fear of the scorching venom that would drip from my fangs.  Oh, and I wasn’t planning on providing any anti-toxin either.  I am not going to write about my political persuasions – I’ll leave that to people to the left and right of me who write more capably.  I do think the guy should be fired, and in the interest of equity – feel similarly about any shock jock who delights in the extreme denigration of others.  With all the devastation and heartache that is evidenced in the news, my palpable reaction to his idiotic cruelty was off the charts.

The kids were over for brunch yesterday and my son provided the voice of reason.  He’s a very smart guy, and perhaps a little more absolute in his perspective than I. Typically he is more inclined to opine and do so with confidence and bravado.  Although one of us leans more to the left and the other more to the right, we respect each other enough to know where our buttons are and we leave them alone. I was the one who raised the topic, unable to shake my disgust with the Limbaugh narrative.  We agreed that regardless of one’s political beliefs, there’s too much hyperbole, blustering b.s. and not enough substantive discourse for informed decisions to be reached. And for reasons which defy me, if there is nothing sensational to discuss, we will create it.

And I admit – when I’m standing in line at the supermarket I look at the cover of the National Enquirer, though I can’t bear to pick it up (although I was once tempted as a kid, when the cover story was about Martians landing on earth and they had these grainy black and white pictures of extra-terrestrials).  As I’ve written before, I guess I avoid situations and discussions that reflect the worst of our human nature.  It assaults my senses.  But then again, I’m clearly part of a minority. Full disclosure – I’ve never watched reality TV either  – maybe it is more than the real deal…maybe it is sensational.

life lessons, management, mindfulness, motivation, work life

Groundhog Day – Again

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Some may think I get cranky because I’m out of estrogen – oh no my friends, no.  I got cranky long before my hormones became an acceptable excuse.  In fact, it’s entirely possible that my crankiness was the catalyst for my body’s ensuing wackiness.  It got tired of me railing at some of the more inexplicable, passive choices we make on a daily basis in the name of ‘doing our best’.

“Mediocrity is climbing mole hills without sweating” – Icelandic proverb

How much do we do just to get by?  How often do we attach the Velcro to the back of our hand, affix it to our forehead and sigh “I just can’t do one more thing?” (insert a consumptive cough here if you feel it will add to the drama).  How frequently do we invoke the words of some enthusiastic coach (“You can do it!  There’s no ‘I’ in ‘TEAM’!”) and act like an over-burdened pack mule?  And how quickly do we accept the status quo just because it’s easier.

Avidly pursuing LinkedIn chats, lobbing an occasional question on Twitter, reading the articles in journals written by and for business professionals – I see the same thing.  We are challenging ourselves to climb mole hills.  Do we keep re-hashing the same topics because we can’t take one more thing and feel that at the least we’re sharing ‘execu-speak’?  To take a line from Joan Rivers – “can we talk?”

Let’s go with some assumptions already – it’s time.  Everyone, on three – get out of your comfort zone and let’s start feeling a little itchy together.

Assumption 1 – If you don’t know how to effectively listen, engage and collaborate with other people, hear disparate views and opinions and encourage that kind of communication, then go back to square 1, don’t collect $200 and consider yourself very lucky that you’ve gotten this far without developing a critical foundation upon which to grow your career and your relationships.

Assumption 2 – If you are truly of the view that as the leader of your department, company, silo, etc your perspective is the only perspective with any merit – see number 1.  Bill Welch was a bastard and prided himself on being a bully, but when someone had the mettle to challenge him, he gave them a shot.

Assumption 3 – If you’re doing the same thing you did last year, let me remind you that Groundhog Day was a movie, not a lifestyle.  If your people are doing what they did last year, then they are doing less than they did last year – and that’s on you.

Assumption 4 – Not everything is confidential, even though it may be very exciting (and sometimes necessary) to create an ‘inner circle’.  The values of your department need to be shared.  The future career strategies for your people need to be discussed and developed with your people, not in a soliloquy you engage in on your way to work.   If you dig the whole bureaucratic, layer-upon-layer thing – fine.  I’m just saying that the plans need to be disseminated to everyone who has a modicum of responsibility for their disposition.

Assumption 5 – Just because people nod their heads and agree with you, doesn’t mean they agree with you, trust you or even have confidence in the direction you’re heading.  Their B.S. meter may just be registering at the high end, and they don’t trust you enough to respond differently.

Golda Meir said, “Don’t be so humble….you’re not that great”.  The only thing worse than inflated, insincere humility is sincere hubris.  At this point we have a long way to go before we can afford either affectation.  I want us to push past these tired conversations which find us opining in tired clichés and commentary that is becoming trite in its content.  Aren’t you a little itchy for more?  Wouldn’t you like to challenge the endless loop that plays and replays providing us with little more than one more stimulus to ignore as we do elevator music?  When are we going to look in the mirror, greet the image with a rousing ‘how the hell are you?’ and get excited about what we really can become?

anxiety, humor, life lessons, mindfulness, work life

It’s Your Choice

mimijk

Cash or credit; paper or plastic; wheat or sourdough; grande or venti; bootcut or straight-leg; warm or cool; volume or length; matte or gloss; MSNBC or CNBC…It’s not even 8AM and these are just a few of the decisions I’ve had to make just to get in gear.  And I’m retired now – what was my morning like when I was working?

If this is indicative of the ‘new minimalism’, I don’t get it.  I consider it a paradigm for insanity.  I don’t want to make any more decisions, it’s hurting my brain and making me cranky.  Perhaps this is why I find shopping malls so punitive – just parking is an exercise in over-stimulation.  And once you walk inside (choosing one of a hundred different alternatives for egress) there are too many stores, too many people, too many colors…If I go to Nordstrom, am I an ‘individualist’, ‘savvy’, ‘tbd’, ‘petite’?  Do I want firm control or moderate control?  Anklets or tube socks?  Yes.

This is my response going forward.  Yes.  Do with it what you will, but it seems far better to me than just responding negatively to everything and winding up with nothing and never leaving my house.  Yes.  I cede all decision-making authority to the salesperson, grocery store cashier and Starbucks’ barista.  It’s all fine with me.  I just want a cup of coffee, the perfect pair of jeans, a blush that brightens my face so I look naturally healthy and a moisturizer that erases wrinkles.  I want a handbag that holds everything and weighs nothing.  I want to know which is better – counting calories or protein loading.  Are we Lin-ing, Tebow-ing or Winning this week?  Yes.  Just tell me the lexicon-of-the-moment so I can feel like I know what is going on.  It’s fine.  I’m overwhelmed with choices and underwhelmed with the results.  So whatever you choose, it’s fine with me.

No wonder people don’t feel like working once they arrive at the office.  I always thought that the deferral of difficult decisions was a result of a collective abhorrence of provocative dialogue.  Wrong – it’s exhaustion.  It’s easier to have a cabal of ‘yes’ people around.  Ok – it’s exhaustion and ennui, but the latter is a topic for another day.  Of course here we are expending all of this energy just to get to wherever we  need to be, and if one pauses for a moment it’s clear that none of the choices made along the way really matter.  In hindsight, all of these decisions are elevated to a level of importance prompted by the urgency of the moment, not the urgency of the matter.  It’s all a bit embarrassing.  When I consider the offenses I may have caused by being thoughtless, I’m both rueful and redeemed.  I now have an excuse.  I had run out of mental energy.

So I guess this means that when we really need to step up to the plate and connect with the ball, it very well may be a swing and a miss.  I don’t want to miss the next pitch.  From now on it’s ‘yes’ to everything that really isn’t going to matter to me tomorrow.  And in response to the more thought-provoking questions?  I’ll get back to you on that.

anxiety, life lessons, mindfulness

It’s Enough To Make You Crazy

mimijk

“I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once” — Jennifer Yane

Apparently April is National Anxiety Month – I had no idea.  If someone had told me that I had the option of deferring my anxiety, collecting and storing it in one of the many compartments in my head pending one outrageous release from April 1st – 30th, I can’t imagine how much more organized my thought process would be.  I really think this deserves more publicity, which is why I’m telling you in February instead of waiting to celebrate in April.

My brain operates much like an active ball in a pinball machine.  I know this because my husband has a pinball machine from the 70’s (the kind that make a racket), and he is able to keep a ball in play, hitting multiple targets and causing that damn bell to ring for ridiculously long periods of time.  He plays for hours (ok, it feels/sounds like hours).  And that is the perfect metaphor for the processes in my head (which could explain the genesis of migraines, but probably not).  I tried to follow my thoughts this morning for one minute – one flippin’ minute – and here’s just a portion of the cacophony that plays in my crazy little head…

“I wonder how D is feeling/should email her/Did S get home ok…damn, I’m going to be late for the gym/I don’t want to go to the gym/I have to go to the gym/when do I start looking like I even go to the gym…should stop at Whole Foods and pick up some tilapia/it’s 6AM, who the hell wants to think about dinner…look the sun is rising earlier…Good Morning, Good Morning, Good Morning (the Beatles)/Good Morning to you, Good Morning to you, You look kinda drowsy, In fact you look lousy, Is this anyway, to start a new day (who taught me that)…Tragic about Whitney Houston/Enough about Whitney Houston…I haven’t called the kids/should I call the kids/does that mean I’m being too intrusive/don’t be stupid, call the kids…I need to get milk too so that it doesn’t snow tomorrow..I never knew there was a place called Chagrin Falls, Ohio..Tin soldiers and Nixon’s coming, We’re finally on our own, This summer I hear the calling, Four dead in O-h-i-o/Do I have Joni Mitchell’s ‘Blue’ on my iPod?/There’s no way I could exercise to CSN&Y/I look like an idiot on the bike…maybe I should have some more coffee..

You see, this is just a snippet of the free association with musical accompaniment in my head.  I operate at all times on two mental tracks – a song is always playing in my head along with a concurrent blend of disconnected thoughts running on another loop.  Ambidextrous thinking.  My hunch is that I’m not unique in this regard (well, maybe about the music part).  And if that assumption is correct, then it’s no wonder that anxiety gets its own month.  Depending on how much perseverating is going on, it’s entirely reasonable for anxiety to be given its own year.

The funny thing is, I don’t consider myself an anxious person – rather one who has a mind in perpetual overdrive.  This thought alone does make me anxious however, which logically suggests that if I stop thinking I won’t be anxious.  Well, that’s impossible, for I don’t take well to terms like ‘airhead’ or phrases like ‘if you get too close to her you can hear the wind’.  Not that there’s anything wrong with the wind..makes me think of the Joni Mitchell song ‘Twisted’…Bette Midler did a terrific rendition as well..Ah, here I go again.  And my husband wonders why I’m tired.  I think I need a nap…go into the arms of Morpheus…dream a little dream of me/Mama Cass, loved her. Never mind – I’m going to the gym.

Daniel Pink, management, motivation, work life

A Dirty Little Secret – Sort Of

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“There is an enormous number of managers who have retired on the job” – Peter Drucker.  Ah Pete, you’re killin’ me.  I’m not sure if anyone who falls into this category – or anyone supervising people in this category – really wants to be outed.  However, this dirty little secret is becoming more and more apparent.  The good news (if you want to call it that) is that there’s no need to worry – I’m not sure anyone’s going to get called on it.  It requires too much effort.  If you were expecting something more salacious – I’m sorry – but I also wanted to get your attention.

There is an interesting article in The Washington Post today about Daniel Pink, his reincarnation from political speechwriter to successful author and his perspective on the effectiveness of merit pay as an incentive for teachers.  Many jurisdictions are adopting this methodology, despite the data that underscores its ineffectiveness.  The research indicates that extrinsic rewards are successful when the objectives are simple and routinized.  “But for complicated jobs that require judgment and creativity, the evidence shows that it just doesn’t work well”.  Clearly those are expectations that the best educators embrace, and we as parents seek them out  as the teachers-of-choice for our kids.  I am not suggesting that we pay teachers less; I don’t think they’re paid enough.  Presuming equitable compensation though, is this an effective motivator?  Apparently not.

For the sake of this post, can we extrapolate these findings into the world of professional services, C-suites, management, for-profit organizations? As the need for creativity, energy, sound problem-solving and dynamism in management increases, it seems counter-intuitive to me that our tendency is to focus on process-oriented results,  limited provocative dialogue and increased structural layering that renders many positions narrower and more circumspect.  If you are involved in a different organization and structure, no need to read further.  You are in a marvelously unique situation that is not replicated with enough frequency.  Enjoy it and keep thriving.

Let’s get a little risky in our dialogues about what factors will distinguish the adequate-from-the-great companies in the years to come.  It’s just insufficient to nod to those who talk about their commitment to their people and reflect it by offering limited collective opportunities,  provide superficial exercises that are packaged as training and proudly aver that they’re ‘upcycling’ the strong performers when in fact their challenges and objectives have remained the same year over year (or worse, have been marginalized to the point where their talents gradually fade into the background).  What if the tenor of the conversation changed and our responsibility was to engage in and develop substantive strategies with our folks?  What if we didn’t take the easy out and refused to create any more versions of ‘Groundhog Day’ because of its expediency in the face of our other responsibilities?  What’s stopping us?   Have we lost our motivation and/or forgotten one of the most critical components of great leadership?  When was the last time you turned around to see if anyone was following you? I imagine it would be a serious bummer to realize that there may be no ‘there there’.

If you’re out in front then this is your primary objective.  If the goal is to increase employee satisfaction,  realize a greater ROI, build an environment where people are jazzed and engaged, then let’s at least begin the hard work.  Turn around.

life lessons

I’m Blonder Than I Look

mimijk

I was going to write about ethics today – and it was going to be good.  Notes in place, paragraphs in some semblance of order, and then I had one of my many blonde moments.  I couldn’t stop thinking about these random ‘duh’ moments of mine and remain amazed that I am here in spite of myself.  Full disclosure – I’m not a natural blonde, so I use the adjective loosely and more than a little disingenuously.

Anyway, I’ve conducted a completely unscientific study with a myriad of uncontrolled variables to skew the results and I am sure nonetheless that it’s results are correct – my IQ score drops precipitously at completely arbitrary times.  Clearly this suggests that I think at my own risk.  This gives me some pause, for who the hell knows what is going to come into this head of mine – and worse, what may come out of my mouth if the trap door between my brain and mouth is temporarily disengaged?

This morning I was listening to NPR while driving to the gym, thinking that it was far too cold for anyone to commit to this schedule of torture, when I heard the following from Cokie Roberts “…Mitt Romney has to get over the hump…”.  I swear to you, my first thought was ‘How does Mitt Romney even know The Hump?  And, is it really good for him to be associated with the Kardashians?’  Pitiful.  I am really pitiful.

I should be embarrassed to tell you this, but it happens all the time.  Years ago, upon receiving a job offer, I asked whether the salary was ‘negotiable up or down’.  Of the course the prospective employer assured me that they could go lower.  Sigh…My husband tells that story regularly just to ensure that humility is always within reach and my cheeks can be rosy without blush on.

When I was looking for a pair of shoes to go with a dress I bought, I told the salesperson that ‘I don’t want them to be too matchy-matchy, just be the same color’.  You don’t want to know the look I got – though the woman was very patient with me and spoke in a calm, soothing voice.

I talk to the GPS lady.  No, I argue with the GPS lady and still get lost.

Don’t even ask me how long I thought a reference to ‘six pack abs’ was a reference to how much beer a person consumed.  Parenthetically, I have never had six pack abs, so I think this is forgivable.

I recently taught myself how to knit by watching youtube videos over and over again.  I can’t get farther than knitting shawls and blankets because I can’t get what they mean by the ‘wrong side’ of the piece.  Which is the wrong side if I haven’t made a mistake?

Perhaps this is why I have such a great relationship with my dogs.  Admittedly, I anthropomorphize their behaviors, and believe that I have a rare connection with their thoughts.  I get it when Archie relentlessly chases snowflakes and is totally flummoxed when he fails to catch any;  I understand when Teddy looks at me with gratitude when I call him inside, because he’s completely spaced on where he is (despite the fact that he’s in the front yard).

The good news is that none of this has gotten any worse over the years.  I was this ditzy in my teens.  The occasional flashes of intelligence are merely that – brief occurrences in what is usuallya carnival in my head.  The bad news of course is clear – it really is unfortunate that Romney has a thing for The Hump.

life lessons

Big Love – Not The TV Show

mimijk

Well, we’re coming up on Valentine’s Day – and I wonder about the intent of a holiday marketed by Hallmark as an opportunity to speak of love in the most sincere of ways.  I wasn’t going to write about it at all, perhaps in defiance if you will, of whatever societal expectations there may be in plucking on heart strings during this time of year.

But karma is a funny thing.  With my husband off on a business trip, snow falling outside (albeit with little conviction), I decided that today would be a good day to attack my closet.  Okay, perhaps ‘attack’ is the wrong word for I was prepared to be distracted at the slightest opportunity.  After a couple of hours I’d already made bags for AmVets and the Lupus Foundation, filled two trash bags full of hangers and assorted junk and was ready to applaud my diligence, when I decided to brave the top shelves where the really good junk travels (’cause that way I can’t see it when I walk in).  Dry cleaning tags galore, safety pins…and to my surprise a couple of letters, almost twenty years apart, involving two different relationships and markedly different circumstances.  Rather than tell you what I’m giving away to charities, I thought I would share them with you.

“To Didl [my mom’s name was Dee, friends and family called her Didl sometimes] with love – not to be opened until 11AM February 26, 1975

Sweetheart,

It isn’t very often that I write to you now, but after all, twenty five years is a long time and this anniversary should be treated in a special way.  So it is that when I tell you I love you I won’t really have a chance, or maybe the skill, to say everything.  I’ll also say that I want and need you – but that too is only a part.

I know that my love for you has grown richer and deeper through the years. And it is a happy love – one that exhilarates and comforts at the same time.  You are a rare and special person and I’m glad that my heart belongs to you.  To this I can only add my feelings of pleasure when I think of our past love, and my feelings of joy for that of the present.  The troubles we’ve had have bound us together inseparably, and if only for this, they were not too bad.  And it seems to me our present life together is the happiest and most fulfilled that anyone could have…

We shall have glorious years ahead!  The future is sure to be the greatest part of our lives, and I would really like to hasten it if it weren’t for the pleasures of right now.  And so to end this little love note – There’s a poetic line that paraphrased, says it all:  Didl, come love with me, the best is yet to come!  With that eager anticipation I’ll leave you for a few moments – till I see you later on.  I love you.

Your, Jack

In the late spring of 1995, my dad was diagnosed with Lewy body disease – a form of Parkinson’s that lays scourge to the body and the mind.  His behavior had changed, his gate stilted.  The diagnosis confirmed that which we all feared.  We spoke everyday on the phone and said little.

June 1995

“Dear Daddy,

I’m typing this only ’cause it’s late in the day, and my handwriting becomes increasing less legible as the day progresses.  I figured you shouldn’t have to suffer through trying to decipher my hieroglyphics..

So much has gone on lately, so many things that have made me feel like touching base with you once again – like we did when we used to drive into work together, or walk to school, or just hang out.  Those same opportunities don’t present themselves with the same frequency (heck, with the boys clamoring around you, not even remotely :-)), so I’m going to take the writing route and see how I do.

I know we love each other tons, and though it goes without saying, it feels good to repeat.  I love you with all I have.  You are my dearest friend, most exemplary (and only) dad and truly one of the best [people] I have ever known.  There is so much I adore about Andy that is unique to him – and I know how lucky I am that I got it right.  Perhaps we are the prince and princess you said we were in your toast to us – time will tell.  I can say that at times, he reminds me of you.  You have been my caring ear when I’ve needed it, professional adviser when my little cog on this economic wheel begins to creak and groan, a receptive audience to some really lousy jokes, a hand on my back when I have veered off in the wrong direction.  I have been blessed with the feeling of your unconditional love even when you’ve been ticked at me and I know it every day.

These past few weeks have been profoundly tough on you and mom and I know that whatever lies ahead is resting more than a little uneasily on your mind.  Please, please do not resign yourself to any outcome – have hope, have heart, and lean on me if you want to – I will always, always be here.  You are a wonderful man, cherished beyond words – use some of that knowledge to try and lighten your worry a little bit.  Whatever is going on, the core of you is exactly the same and that is who I see every time I see you, that is who I hear whenever we speak – and that is who you are.  That is what matters.

I guess I’ve gone on a little long – [why] does everyone say I don’t share what’s on my mind – look how wordy I’ve gotten!  I just want you to know that I love you, our relationship past, present and future.  Can’t wait to see you next week.  Love, m

Yes, I cried when I read these – I wasn’t prepared.  All the letters are in one place in my office (or so I thought).  All I could think about is that regardless of the calendar – there are big, big loves that provide the narrative for our lives and remain part of our days.  I often read the wonderful blogs posted by besotted parents of hilarious pre-schoolers and can identify with their indescribable feelings of love. I  marvel at authors who skillfully pen classics about unrequited love and love that defies time and space.  I’m not sure I have that kinda talent – I’m the one who cries when watching Amy Adams in ‘Enchanted’.  How does someone like that even begin to write about it?  I’m not going to.  I’m just going to tell you what I know – whatever may happen to love over the course of a lifetime – between spouses, parents and children, friends, family – if it’s big, the kind of love that tightens your throat and renders the most eloquent practically mute –  you should celebrate it all you can, everyday.  It really is all there is.

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I Never Slept With Jack Kennedy

mimijk

So this woman named Mimi has written a book about her affair with Jack Kennedy.  You can imagine my discomfort upon hearing this announcement.  I didn’t get the memo that February was Mimi-Confessionals-Month.  After all, I just started this blog in January.  How exposed do you expect me to be so early in our relationship?  Had I realized that February was going to be our month to tell secrets-of-absolutely-no-consequence-to-anyone, I might have waited until March to start this exercise.  This is gonna be tough.

Advertising secrets is tricky (it’s also an oxymoron, but I digress) –  you have to choose one that is sensational enough for people to consider it titillating, yet innocuous enough that you can melt back into your life within a couple of minutes.  How funny it sounded to me when I heard Mimi say on The Today Show, that she was coming forward now, because “secrets eventually come out”.  Sure – they come out if you open your mouth, sweetheart.  My hunch is that there are more than a few women and men in history who proffered favors upon our Presidents and we will never know who they are or were, and more to the point, who they did.

Anyway, I’m not trying to shirk my responsibility here.  I recognize that as a Mimi I too must stand up in concert with my fellow Mimsters and disclose something really big.  Here we go world…big inhalation of breath, cue the violins, please.

My name is Mimi and I’m an accessory slut.  I have not made a purchase in eleven months.  This is my first public admission of my dalliances with handbag, shoe and jewelry counters from Needless Markup to Nordstrom’s, Louis Vuitton to La Bottega.  I swear I never meant for this to happen.  I suppose there were early signs that I would grab the delicious red suede glove of Satan the Sartorial.  When my mom, sister and I would go shopping at Loehmann’s or Klein’s, I gravitated to the sequins and sparkles, while they would be craving a muted tweed. “Ach, Mimi that’s terrible..come schatzi, look at this classic herringbone..”  Sigh…

I started small when I received my first bonus.  “Get something for yourself”, my husband said. “Reward yourself – you deserve it”.  And so the spiral began with a magnificent ring made for me by my sister-in-law.  I found that every outfit looked better with the right accessory.  In fact, you didn’t need to shop for anything requiring disrobing if you headed straight for the accoutrements.  One handbag a year?  Ha – one handbag per season, easy.  Yes – I confess I own a pair of Laboutins and a pair of Jimmy Choos.  Of course, neither pair can be worn for more than ten minutes without crippling me.  Talk about karma.  Obviously, things were getting out of control.  Why would I buy an accessory that would hurt me?  It’s one thing to buy something you’re going to enjoy.  This was ridiculous.  I had more earrings than I had lobes – or piercings.  I was working like a dog, at least I should outfit myself like a designer one.  Those were desperate times – but I looked good.  And where am I today?  Still trying to clean out my closet.

Why tell you this now?  Honestly, I couldn’t think of anything more exciting in my history for my contribution to February-Tell-All-Month.  And I sure as hell wouldn’t tell you anything that could hurt another person in the process.  Which is why I’m a little annoyed with my fellow Mimi.  I understand the need to unburden one’s soul – that’s why there are best friends, priests, rabbis, swamis, shrinks.  I don’t understand the need to sensationalize a secret in the name of doing the right thing.  Don’t ask me to believe that the only recourse for a haunted adolescent conscience is to write a book detailing events from a lifetime ago.  I’m not judging the events themselves; I’m judging the value of the “sell all”.  And now that I have disclosed my secret to the world, I feel justified to assert the following – “Mimi, don’t tell me, I don’t want to know.”