50 counties in Tennessee requested disaster recovery relief from the US government. 21 people died. According to Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, damage estimates in Davidson county alone were well over 1.5 billion dollars.  Countless homes and businesses were flooded with many completely submerged.  Interstate 40 was closed for several days in spots because water from the Harpeth river flooded the road.

Then on May 3rd, the Army Corps of Engineers began releasing water from the many dams on the Harpeth and Cumberland rivers in order to protect the dam infrastructure.  This is when the water rose in Nashville, causing the lower part of the city and many neighborhoods in the area on the rivers banks to be flooded.  The Grand Ole Opry, Bridgestone Arena (where the Nashville Predators play hockey) and Titans Stadium were partly flooded among the many tourist and buildings of interest in the area.

One result of this release of water meant that the Cumberland, which flows northeast would flood even worse downstream from Nashville.  One of the hardest hit counties was the neighboring county of Cheatham as the Cumberland flowed out of its banks and flooded vast regions of the county for several days.  This is where my story begins.

You see, Nashville has the biggest spirit of volunteerism I’ve ever seen.  It is common to see folks show up when people have tornado damage, from cities and counties in the area, just because “people need help”.  There are several online volunteer organizations including Hands On Nashville, that help coordinate when people need help.  I went to the website during the week and looked at what volunteer opportunities existed.  I picked a listing for a family in Cheatham county that needed help with “flood cleanup”, saved the directions and planned my Saturday.

I had seen all of the flood coverage on TV.  I had friends on Twitter and at work who had sustained flood damage and I had their first hand accounts of dealing with both the actual flood and the aftermath.  What I saw, however, as I drove thru the rural part of Cheatham county didn’t prepare me for what I found at this family’s home.

First, the road was still covered in 4-6 inches of mud and it was still wet.  If you looked thru the treeline along the road to the treeline across a hay field of several hundred acres, the mud IN the treeline was as clear as day and clearly meant the water was 5-10 feet above ground level and covered the whole neighborhood.  I later found out that the trailer home where I was had water up to the top of the trailer.  And, it wasn’t until the end of the day that I realized the street ran parallel to the Cumberland and the water was only 20-30 feet below the yard down the bank.  In otherwords, the Cumberland was 30-40 feet above where it was that day and had covered a square mile or more of land!

The family and the few volunteers that arrived were stripping the contents of the house out into the yard and carrying all of the unsalvageable stuff to the other side of the road for flood debris removal by the county.  Clothing and dishes and such were set aside to dry.   There was a small garden shed that had floated up over a small picket fence, turned upside down and was wedged between a chainlink fence and a small tree.

Shortly after I arrived, we turned to the garage/workshed that was next to the trailer.  It hadn’t been opened yet.  When we first tried to enter, the stench from sodden and rotting paper, wood and other materials was such that without a face mask, being in the room was not possible.  It was an odor of mildew, mud, and rot.  The floor was covered in mud and a strange muck and white bits.  I finally realized that the muck was the insulation from the ceiling that had the flood waters had flooded past, causing the drywall to pull away from the drywall nails and the white bits were actually the white texture beads in the “popcorn” ceiling paint.  It was as if a room sized snowglobe had been shaken violently and the glass broken, letting the white beads and such to simply settle on the floor.

And, that wasn’t all that was on the floor.  The building had been filled with furniture, boxes of all kinds of “stuff”, tools, toys, etc.  All of this stuff was now in a giant jumble, again, as if the room had been shaken violently.  We set about emptying the room.  It was a mess.  The muck and detritus from the flood made the task almost impossible.  With only a single door to move thru, it meant one person at a time coming and going.  Because of the nature of the doorway floor, wheelbarrows were not easy to use.

Slowly, in the humid heat of the afternoon, we emptied the room and eventually got to where we were shoveling the muck into the one wheelbarrow we had to dump it outside.  Aside from the members of the family and their friends, we didn’t talk much.  We just worked and worked.  The goal was to get as much of the muck and mess out of the interior to allow the building to dry out.  Mold is a huge problem in this situation.  In fact, if you drove around many of the areas hit by the flood, you’d be struck by the mounds of drywall and such on the curb awaiting pickup.  This was the best way to fight the mold that was quickly growing EVERYWHERE.

Finally, I was able to see that most of the heavy work was done and I was able to say my goodbye and wish the family the best, given the situation.  The father hugged me and thanked me for coming to their aid.  We were both almost in tears.  I was honored to have come out to help a total stranger.  It is a day I will never forget.

And, this is quite easy for me.  In a nutshell, I don’t write every day and never really have.  The closest I’ve come was during the Best of 09 Blog Challenge by Gwen Bell and now this month long exercise.  For me, writing is not my passion, so it’s not something I work to explore.  But, I used to have a way with words, and ended up with a degree in History because I was fascinated by the past.

Could I write more if I pushed myself? Yes. I spend too much time on the computer playing games. I also tend to avoid anything that isn’t “fun” out a lack of focus.  So, for me to write more, I’d need to find something I could be passionate about and focus on and it would have to be something I was keen to explore and share with the world.

I’ve had this kind of focus before.  Two years ago, I spent 7 months working out and watching my food intake both for quantity and quality and lost a bunch of weight.  This actually took me away from the computer some and the positive results kept me motivated to keep at it.  Thus, for me to do any amount of writing, there would need to be positive results – feedback and encouragement from others.  I tend to get into my own head so my own feedback wouldn’t be the right kind.

Perhaps this month long challenge will get me moving in the “write” direction!

If you have any suggestions or feedback, I’m quite receptive.  What do YOU do to eliminate writing roadblocks?

That is my word that encapsulates this year.  It started slowly, but the year has been, generally, a year of positive steps for me.  I didn’t meet all of my personal goals.  But, the year has been a good one for me.

Responsibility – Work has been good.  I have a new position with new responsibilities and challenges.

Friendship – my circle of friends has exploded and I’ve realized how lucky I am to have such a large group of caring friends.  (Proof of this manifested itself today, my birthday, by the flood of Twitter and Facebook “Happy Birthday” messages I’ve received.)

Family – My daughter was accepted at and is attending Wellesley College outside of Boston.

These three themes are the pillers of the POSITIVITY I feel after looking back at this year.

Rewards

This is the word that encapsulates where I hope to be in a year.  I am gearing my life to take some risks.  I want to reach out and make a difference.  I want to be my own boss.  I want to be in a place where, after 46 years, I can take the time to see the world.  All of this requires risk taking but it also means being rewarded.  Yes, these are lofty goals and, in all reality, not attainable in 12 months.  BUT, certainly, with some risk and planning, I will be on the road to attaining these goals and THAT is the Reward.

Time will tell.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my life and my current situation.  I’ve worked at the same company for 17 years.  I’ve lived in the same house for 7 and half years.  If it weren’t for a mechanical failure, I might have driven the same car for almost 9 years.  To say that I’ve “settled” is an understatement.  And yet, if you look at some of my past posts, you know that I’m eager to move into something different, somewhere different.  And, today, this song came on and I immediately recognized in the lyrics how I’ve felt for some time now.  Time is ticking.  Staying comfortable and “settled” ignores the sand as it slowly slips from the top chamber into the bottom chamber of the hourglass.  In fact, staying comfortable is akin to knocking the hourglass over so time stands still. And before you know it, you’re laying in a bed, looking back over a long, boring life and wondering why you let time stand still.

So, this post is my wake up alarm.  I’m standing the hourglass back up.  Looking time square in the face and telling it, “Bring it, I’m ready!”  What am I saying, exactly?  Well, I’m not going to be complacent any longer. I’m standing up and taking charge. I may move slowly at first, but I pledge to make progress.  Each post will be a marker on the road for me.  Why?  Because creating content, finding my voice and, hopefully, building an audience will be one way I fight the march of time.  So, I’m now “out there” and hopefully, you’ll come along.  Encourage me.  Bitchslap me.  Laugh with me.  Whatever, just know your attention helps me keep going.  What will you get in return?  Things to ponder.  Things that make you smile or laugh.  Good advice and bad advice.  As I like to say, “I’m not a doctor and I DIDN’T stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!” but that doesn’t mean you won’t find things to amuse or inform.

So, dear reader, do you know what time it is for you?  I’d love to know.  Share with me?  Cool.

If you have followed my blog recently, you know I participated in Gwen Bell’s Best of Blog Challenge 2009 in December. I tried to recap my year thru the 31 topics she laid out for the monthlong blogging challenge.

The highlights of my year include:

• Watching Barack Obama be sworn in as President of the United States and knowing my daughter was in attendance.
• Learning to kayak and joining my friends on 6 different rivers in Middle Tennessee and taking the rope swing of my life.
• Going to Barcamp Nashville 2009 and attending some mind-blowing sessions.
• Really starting to use Twitter and understand the utility and reach of it.
• Making new friends based on my attendance at Barcamp.
• Discovering new blogs that are changing my life: Zen Habits, My Wife Quit Her Job, Gwen Bell.
• Learned about Kiva.org and even used my 45th birthday as a catalyst for helping others have a better life.
• Created a website dedicated to helping other people achieve their dreams: The Dream Shepherd
• Joined Postcrossing and sent 68 postcards around the world and received back 64 postcards for a combined travel distance of almost 1 million miles!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnsGZHoAImY

These are the highlights of 2009 for me.  2010 will see these things continue and expand.  My goals for 2010 include:

• Meeting many of my Twitter friends so that I can make them real life friends, including: Lauren, Nikki, Joi, Mirjam and Gail.
• Expand on my Kiva activities with a year long birthday celebration.  I want to turn up the giving by a factor of ten.
• Expand my new website and create a “store” to start  secondary income stream.
• Keep control of my weight.  I lost 50 lbs in 08 and it’s starting to come back.
• Do better to stay in touch with friends and family.
• Mostly, just try to stay positive and work to make life better for others.

So, stay tuned to my blog.  You’ll not only see my progress, but you will also help me stay focused on my goals.  I’ve learned that doing things completely alone isn’t the best way to succeed.  Your support and well wishes do much to keep me motivated.

Peace!

Will you consider loaning or donating to my cause?? My cause is to provide no interest loans to one or more entrepreneurs worldwide so that they can start or continue to operate their business or livelihood. I’m donig this thru Kiva.org, the pioneering web based micro-lending organization. I posted the original details on November 26 and updated them on November 28.

But, in case you’re new to my site, let me give you a little background on Kiva.  Kiva, in 4 years has loaned over 100 million dollars to approximately 250,000 entrepreneurs worldwide with a 98% loan repayment rate!  Don’t believe me, then read for yourself here.

Kivas loans directly impact families and even whole villages by providing the capital for these folks to lead productive, successful lives. Twenty five dollars can mean the difference between a business staying afloat or going under. And, by staying afloat, it keeps the owner and any workers employed and earning the money necessary to put food on the table or perhaps allowing their children to attend school.

So, would you consider making a donation on my Team Forty Five page or joining my Kiva Lending Team – Team Forty Five and making your donation directly to Kiva thru my team?  If you choose to donate via my page, please rest assured that 100% of your donation will go to Kiva and that I will make a determination as to which entrepreneur(s) the money is directed towards.  However, if you join Kiva and make a loan to an entrepreneur directly then you retain full control over who gets the money.  Keep in mind, if you wish to donate less than $25.00 then donating the money via my PayPal link is the way to go.

Lastly, let me suggest that whether you can or can’t help out with money you can also help spread the word by tweeting this post or emailing it to your friends and family.  The more people that see this means a better chance that I will achieve my goal of raising $450.00 for Kiva by December 31, 2009.  And, if you are wondering, please know that I will be including my own amount in the $450.00.  I’m not asking everyone to help and not giving myself.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

I also created a Kiva loaning “cause” via Facebook. Thru this Facebook Cause, you can join me in creating loans thru Kiva. My goal via this cause is to generate $200.00 in loans to Kiva entrepreneurs. I will have more details about this effort within a few days.

Lastly, I hope to have a third method of helping with my “birthday” celebration. I am exploring Paypal or other financial sites where you can donate in smaller increments than $25.00. My plan is to receive these donations and then apply them in the appropriate amounts thru Kiva at the end of December or in early January.

So, stay tuned. There will be more to come in the next few days.

Peace!

Les

It is with this in mind that I started feeling that I could give so that others could share in the “wealth” in which this country practically wallows.  But, what do do?  Who to give to? I don’t have limitless funds.  And then, a couple things came to my attention:

Via Twitter, I found an extraordinary young woman named Sloane Berrent and her equally extraordinary friend Doug Campbell.  They had the idea to tie their thirtieth birthdays (2 days apart) to a cause close to their hearts: helping procure malaria nets for orphanages and refugee camps in Northern Ghana.

The goal was to raise $20,000 for malaria nets for orphanages and refugee camps in Northern Ghana. This will be accomplish in conjunction with Netting Nations, a registered 501c3 organization.

Thus, the seven day, seven city “birthday party” event was born.  And, they managed to not only reach their goal of enough money for 4000 nets, but thru generous donations from the netting manufacturer, they actually were able to procure an additional 2000 nets at no additional cost.  One hundred percent of the money raised went into the cause and the netting manufacturer, Vestergaard-Frandsen even donated all of their time and logistics so that no monies donated would benefit Sloane, Doug or Vestergaard-Frandsen.  Inspiring, certainly.  Wait, there’s more.

Thru Twitter again I found  a local Nashville social media specialist and all around cool guy, Dave Delaney, who decided to participate in a cause to gather donations for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Prostate Cancer Foundation during the month of November when it is renamed Movember. Dave created a local Nashville “Team Nash Stashe” to collectively raise the money.  To date, the team has raised over $2300.00!

Lastly, thru Twitter AGAIN, I became of a non-profit micro-lending organization called Kiva.  Kiva basically creates a means for people with money to loan it, at 0% interest) to people needing money for their business.  How do they do this?  Well, they use a vast network of local lenders and other organizations (churches, outreach groups, etc) that have connections in communities all over the world.  Thru these connections, local business owners and entrepreneurs seek loans, often in amounts that are almost trivial to us here in the USA.  They seek loans to provide materials or equipment to start or grow their businesses.  Kiva collects all of the information about these folks and provides a website where people like you and me can fund all or part of any loan request, in $25.00 increments.  The business owner or entrepreneur gets their loan funded and we get the satisfaction of knowing we helped someone a world away.  After four years of operation, Kiva loans have seen a remarkable 98% repayment rate!!

All of this finally pushed me into action.  I have decided to raise $450.00 for Kiva loan funding during the month of December.  I am simply hoping that upto 45 of my friends and family or anyone else that would like to donate, would provide $10.00 towards my goal.  Please know that I will also be contributing to this effort in a significant way so that the final total might not need to be 45 of you.  Rest assured that 100% of any money you donate WILL go to Kiva.  And, I am working out a means where you will be able to pick which Kiva loanee you would like to receive your loan.  Remember this IS a loan.  Except in some extreme cases, you WILL receive your loaned amount back in the future.  You would then be free to receive your money back or turn it around and fund another business loan.  It’s completely up to you.

So, please stay tuned.  I will have the details and linkage for donating up in the next few days.  And, whether you choose to participate, or not, I would also ask that you help spread the word.  Please forward this on Facebook and/or Twitter.  Just remember that I don’t wish to “spam” anyone so be mindful of how you spread the word.

Peace and love,

Les

I have a lot to be thankful for.  I have good health, generally.  I have a good job.  I have a home.  I have friends.  And, I have my family.  However, the thing I am MOST thankful for, the thing that means the most in my life is my daughter, Stephanie.  I have posted about her before.  But, it can’t be overstated how much this young lady means to me.

She has a heart of pure gold and a soul that desires to make a mark in this world.  She does not seek or need fame to thrive.  She thrives on giving to others and on doing things that bring joy, happiness, and comfort to others.  Her compassion is boundless.  She has a “can do” spirit that lets her see the possible instead of the impossible.

Here’s what I mean.

When she was in the 2nd or 3rd grade, she was supposed to go trick-or-treating with a few friends.  However, one of her friends was sick and missed school that day.  Stephanie announced after we’d been out trick-or-treating, that she wanted to give her friend 1/3 of her candy because she couldn’t get her own.

During the last Presidential election cycle she was only 15 and unable to vote.  But, she still wanted to be “heard” and to help her friends be “heard” by the candidates on what she felt was an important issue.  She decided, on her own and not as part of a school assignment or anything school related, to create a web campaign to get the candidates to pledge to get the US troops out of Iraq before the end of their first term once they were elected.  She set up a MySpace account and linked to all the major candidates. She wrote a pledge letter and asked any of the kids “friending” her to copy/paste the pledge letter into an email and then email it to each candidate.  The idea being that if enough kids said, “Will you pledge this?  If you do, and are elected, and don’t hold to your pledge, we’ll be old enough to vote and remember this next time.”  She did all of this on her own.  She even managed to get noticed by the Myspace coordinator for Ron Paul and her support ballooned from 40 or so friends to almost 700 in about a weeks time.  Pretty good, for a HS sophomore with no marketing skills!!!
Lastly, she is now a senior in HS and looking to the future.  She has become passionate about protecting the environment.  She wants to pursue a career dealing with public policy as it pertains to the environment and environmental issues.  She believes that what we do has a direct impact on the health of the planet.  Her goal is to help society understand the importance of keeping the environment clean and healthy.

All of this sums up who Stephanie is and what she means to me.  She recently told me that she feels like she’s unaffected by the bombardment of messages in the media about fashion and appearance and material things.  To say that I’m proud of her would be simplifying my feelings about her.  She’s a beautiful, hard working, intelligent and humble young lady.

I am thankful for all of that.  Most of all, I am thankful that God saw fit to make me her dad.  That he felt I was the right guy to guide her through her childhood and help her be the adult she was destined to become.  I am also extremely thankful that her mom was chosen to be the other half of the team to coach her from childhood to adulthood.  I’m grateful for this opportunity.  I know that what Michelle and I have done as parents is the foundation on which Stephanie’s success will be built.   She is my legacy and my shining Angel.  And, most importantly, she is my daughter.

What I DO think is that we DO need to act. Whether it’s simply keeping our cars running cleanly, using nothing but flourescent light bulbs, or urging our elected officials to create a unified energy policy that requires businesses to lower their “carbon footprint” by 25 to 50%.

But, what about you? Watch this and then let me know what you think.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF_anaVcCXg