About me. Two fairly short words, but they’re one heck of a demanding title aren’t they? Well, about me starts with childhood I suppose. Anything but conventional, my birth mother went to prison and I was adopted by a set of parents who basically put me through the ringer in terms of “the system”. I made my tour of the juvenile system and once I could get free of them I did, moving out on my own with nothing but the clothes on my back and a bag on my shoulder the second I turned 18.
I hung around on the streets for a while, I had to waste time due to some strange financial aid restrictions. I spent that time goofing off mostly, working in various industries, just experiencing life. I spent time as a cook in restaurants, spent time doing construction, even worked on a farm for about 6 months. I made friends, I wasted time, I did what so few take the time to do any longer-enjoyed life.
During that time I also studied, and I volunteered myself in a capacity that would help me learn about management of each industry. I worked in a ski lodge and analyzed sales and marketing strategies, creating some of my own prior to any college classes whatsoever. I broke down costs for restaurants, as deeply as the cost of each teaspoon of spice, each cup of flour used. I deeply analyzed every business I worked for, whether that was simply in my head as I worked or professionally to save my boss money. The important thing was that the whole time I was learning in a very real world sort of way.
Eventually I went to college, when financial aid could clear me for some assistance. I began learning about business theory, economic theory, and applying my past experience to what I was learning. This left me prepared to really help businesses throughout school and afterwards, as I began to hire myself out as a consultant to put myself through school. The introduction of a child in my life during that time brought new challenges. My son has cerebral palsy, and having him has changed my outlook on the world and on many issues.
Prior to his birth I was admittedly a bit cold-hearted and calculating. I don’t see that as a bad thing to be honest, I think very often one benefits from making decisions void of emotion, however that’s not the way all the time. Jeremy taught me that, and he continues to teach me every day. I like to say sometimes that my son has brought me a Democrat’s heart and introduced it to my Republican mind.
I’ve always said Democrats are the heart and soul of politics while Republicans are the brain, often bailing the heart out of foolish decisions it’s made. The rest of us are the body watching our two most important organs battle for supremacy over the body. What we need is a more efficient way of getting decisions made with both the heart and brain being considered. Today it seems like we live in a society where both groups refuse to accept less than exactly what they want, they would instead rather work elections, trying to achieve numbers of their party that will allow them to shove bills down the throat of the other party. Whatever happened to compromise for the greater good? It’s as if two landscapers caring for the same lawn were standing debating which brand of fertilizer to use and while they were arguing neither watered the grass and it died.
What do I think we need to do? You might be asking this right about now. The best answer I can give you is to tune into the blog daily. Every day I’ll post some thoughts on the economic situation, perhaps a link to something I find interesting or I find accurate. I’ll provide some thoughts on it and look forward to your reactions. I hope you enjoy, I hope you read, and mostly I hope you are motivated to interact and tell me what you think.
