Part II of II
Which One? – During the wrap-up meeting to conclude an engagement with an engineer client, their boss shared a technique his mentor used when someone offered a contrarian viewpoint: “Right now are you using engineering or opinioneering?” I like that.
Quick Change – In October, our son married a wonderful woman that he – wait for it – met in kindergarten. She moved away after fourth grade and they only crossed paths a few times. Fate brought them together again and they quickly fell in love. Best of all, from my seat, she has a two-year-old boy, so we became instant grandparents. Then more good news came this month: there’s a future member of the family arriving in August. Life is filled with surprises.
Bad Picture – Obviously, we were excited to send Christmas cards to share photos with our family and friends. Kathy created them online and the box arrived at our doorstep on December 16, perfectly timed to address envelopes the following day for on-time arrival. When she opened it, I heard a gasp, then: ‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’ Seems the printer mistakenly sent us another family’s order. Which, of course, begs the question, who received our cards? – and – was this a one-time mistake or did many families have a similar ‘WTH’ moment?
Just Believe – After many years wandering the pigskin wilderness, our beloved Texas Longhorns made the College Football Playoff. As we have attended nearly every home game since 2013 – being part of a tailgate team that feeds upward of 150 people – this is a magical time. It is also filled with sadness. Our good friend and tailgate partner Brian passed away in April following a brief illness, then just before the season, retired Texas Sports Information Director Bill Little died at age 81. In 1988, Bill told me I needed to meet the new media person in the Southwest Conference office. I did… the next day. We married 17 months later. I’m unsure what will happen on January 1 in the Sugar Bowl; however, I know we have two friends above who will have their Horns Up.
Easy Approach – I always end this with a suggestion for a worthy charitable cause. Throughout 2023, I took a different approach to giving. While I always believed food servers deserve 20% tips for their hard work, I upped that to 30% and more. Seems a good way to skip the overhead of nonprofits and give directly to those who need it.
Finally, as always, a quote about the importance of the season: “She was so busy doing Christmas, there wasn’t time to experience Christmas.” ~ Lori Copeland
Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. Season’s Greetings. May 2024 be special for your family, may it bring Peace to the world… and continued success in all things.
