Diary 4/12 - 4/20

Daily thoughts that may or may not be helpful.

Saturday, April 12

I started the day by speaking at a leadership retreat for a company in town. They’re special to me because they were one of my first clients when we moved to Charlottesville. At the time, I was building my own consulting business, and they reached out for help. When you’re building, you want to know if others find value in it too or if it’s just a dream in your head. I ended the day on a date with my Lovely. We’ve had thousands of dinners together, and thousands of dinner conversations. But I must confess that I was only partially listening as we wondered what it will be like growing older together because I was also delighting in how the fading sunlight danced in her eyes.

Tuesday, April 15

I keep getting emails from Tampa Bay Busch Gardens. Don’t they know I live in Virginia and would never buy tickets to that park?

Wednesday, April 16

Today I applied to be a speaker at the next National Automobile Dealers Association conference. My tendency is to keep such news private until I would get accepted. That way should I get rejected, no one will know about it. It can be my little secret, and if I share only the successes, people will think I’m always only successful. But I’m learning that life isn’t about parading only the wins. That isn’t real. Rather, life is about believing in something and trying, and if you fail, trying again. And it’s about growing from the failures. These days, I’d rather be more open and resist my urge to share only the victories. Truth is, I was rejected once already by NADA. I believe in my message, so I’m trying again. I promise to share the outcome, win or lose.

Thursday, April 17

Today kicked off a two-day executive meeting at work. They even gave me a speaking slot. I started off by talking about an AI trend that is going around - creating action figure versions of ourselves. I find it ironic that some people are afraid that AI will make us less human, and all the while the hot trend is asking AI to make a play toy version of ourselves. Whoever would do that? (Did it.) What’s next? Asking AI to create a 14th-century Italian version of your boss to illustrate the point you’re trying to make in your talk? (Oh yeah, I did that, too.)

Saturday, April 19

This is our first spring in the new house. It is glorious. I’m sitting in the back watching the nature unfold around me. A mountain has risen ahead of me. Trees that were bare in winter are growing their dressings. A bird flutters to the top of a young Japanese pine tree, whose delicate branch sways under the weight of the little bird. Other birds chirp cheery songs as they play around the skies. The dachshunds are sitting at my feet, basking in the sun. Clouds move slowly. I feel grateful to be alive. There is nowhere to rush to, no screen to view, no work to be done. Nature is a conversation with the Creator.

Sunday, April 20

Today is Easter, the day Christians celebrate when Jesus was raised from being dead. We planned on hosting 25 people for brunch, and we made all of the arrangements, but due to a health issue in the family, we had to cancel. Now I’m sitting in a quiet room while the family sleeps and I’m looking at the accoutrements for the party that won’t happen. The chairs are all set, the refrigerator is full of food, the extra beverages are ready to be picked up. We changed 25 people’s plans because we needed to take care of the one who was sick. This sounds like an inconvenient thing to do to the 25, but consider being the one, on whose account we changed everything. Easter says that God the Father spared no expense—not even his own Son—to make you right with him. The plan that the Father put in place, which Jesus willingly walked out, was made complete when Jesus walked out of the tomb. He did it for the one.

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