Old Friends

One of my college roommates called me yesterday and indicated that he was in town. So today we sat down for a cup of coffee to catch up. It always amazes me that despite the fact that I've not seen this roommate in three or so years, we immediately fall into our typical routine. During college we'd see each other around campus and I would bellow his name, followed by a return bellow from him of mine. As I walked into my office this morning, he was sitting at my desk, and my first inclination was to bellow his name.

This roommate has been a youth minister outside of DC for ten years now. Myself, I've been in my current job for nine. We shared insights of our current tenures. We both have struggled with feeling the need to move on, we have both assessed our effectivenesses (respectively), and we both have explored the ramifications of such decisions on our families. During college we'd often sit on the porch of our house and contemplate our futures. Would their be wives, children, success, failures, happiness, or sorrow? For the last couple of years, I've lingered on the thought of returning to those days when the most pressing demand on my time was the pages of reading due the next day. Don't get me wrong. I thoroughly appreciate and enjoy the family I'm blessed with today, and the opportunities that I've been presented with. However I don't get the opportunity to sit back and reflect, project, or simply enjoy a nice cigar or bowl of tobacco in my pipe.

Without question, I enjoyed the opportunity to share experiences of raising children, being loving husbands, and developing our skills as professionals. Despite the distance that separate us, I find it curious that our similarities out weigh the differences. Maybe this is what bonded us as roommates a decade ago.

I would encourage anyone and everyone to connect with an old friend. It's refreshing to celebrate our younger years, to take note of how the years have faired for each other, and offer blessings and prayers for those years to come. Raise your cup and salute the friendships that have continued to with little maintenance.

What do you listen to?

Each morning, I awake to the clock radio detailing the latest rantings of sports related topics from the national syndicate of ESPNRadio. As I take my children to school, I often continue to listen to the sport scores, latest coaching changes, and on-air jockeys discussing their opinions about anything and everything sports related. Once at the office, I point my web browser to espnradio.com and launch a streaming radio session that lingers for most of the day as background audio. After three in the afternoon, I discontinue the espnradio.com stream and open a streaming audio feed from the Dallas ESPNradio affiliate to listen to a DFW sports radio show hosted by a Fort Worth Star-Telegram sports writer. When I leave the office at 5:30pm, my media intake is mostly local television, except for the half hour I walk. During my walking ritual, I pull out my MP3 player and listen to a business podcast I've downloaded on the topic of effective management.

As one might gather from this diary of my listening habits, I don't listen to much music any more. The reality is that I have phases or fads, when my primary media intake is music versus sports talk. Since the NFL season is drawing to a close, and I'm not the biggest basketball fan (until March Madness begins), I'll start reverting back to actual music sources. Of course since my children are now at the age of developing their own musical tastes (although I'm not convinced bubblegum pop is an actual musical genre), and my wife isn't the biggest fan of sports talk, often times car rides have musical accompaniment.

This discussion about listening habits led me to question what do people listen to. Not so much musical styling, but what devices are preferred to deliver audio content. So after a handful of Google searches, I gathered the following numbers.

• 97% of US Consumers own and listen to traditional AM/FM radios in their vehicles
• 25% of US Consumers own MP3 player equipment for their automobiles
• 1 in 5 Americans over the age of 12 now own a portable MP3 player
• It's estimated that in 2006 13.6 million MP3 units were purchased by Americans
• The average person who downloads music to their MP3 player listens to 12 hours a week
• Forbes Magazine projected that 9 million people would listen to a podcast in 2006
• In March 2006, satellite radio services had an estimated 15 million subscribers
• In January 2007, Steve Jobs said that iTunes sells 5 million songs a day
• In 2002, a third of Americans indicated they'd listen to radio over the Internet, but only 5% said they'd listen within the last week
• Of music stored on the average person's MP3 player, 44% is ripped from the owner's personal CD collection and 25% is from a fee-based music source like iTunes

Here are some conclusions I've drawn from these figures. First, individuals driving are prone to listen to the radio over MP3 devices. Second, individuals that use their computers as an audio source, play locally stored music files over streaming media over the Internet.

I'm curious if or when will podcasts become the preferred source for information distribution in a audio format? When will music CDs stop being manufactured because most folks will download the music rather than purchase a CD? Will personal music devices ever replace the traditional AM/FM radio in vehicles?

Cell Phones

In 1997 I joined an estimated 34 million Americans as a cell phone user. I don't remember the specific model but is was a Motorola analog cell phone that predated the StarTac phone that Motorola touted as the first "wearable" cell phone. The phone had the dimensions of a Windows CE PDA (another reference to an outdated technology). I used the phone occasionally, and when my contract expired I packed it away in drawer.

Today cell phones are no longer just "phones". A quick glance through a cellular provider's website details that you have choices of phones in categories such as "camera phones", "music phones", and "smartphones". Some cellular providers are also touting that users can watch videos on their cell phones. In the February 2007 edition of the magazine FastCompany, it was estimated that in 5 to 10 years cell phones that remote control home lights, garage doors, or the thermostat will be as common as camera phones. The same article speculated that in 4 to 7 years cell phones that work like MasterCard's paypass system will be as prevalent as camera phones.

Over the last year, I've uncovered the convenience of SMS messaging with my cell phone. My little sister has been texting with her phone for several years, and today this is probably the best method to touch base with her. My wife is also uncovered the world of texting. My own experience with texting is only palatable simply because I have an actual keyboard on my Treo. If I had to use the key pad, I'm certain that I would not use SMS messaging to the extent I do today.

Recently my wife decided she wanted a new cell phone and one that was pink. So I began the search for an appropriate replacement for her current phone. With all the options available, I've found that choice of color is less likely than getting one with a camera and MP3 player. The other thing is that best option is to get one in conjunction with a 2 year service plan. Other wise you're forking over $150+ for a phone. Talk about a scam. It's almost as bad as the fact that the cell phones available today will not be available in a year from now.

Employee Tenure

Two weeks ago, my dad announce that he was leaving his current job for a new one. This was a little bite of a shock for me, because my dad has only been in his current position four months shy of two years. Dad historically stays in a position for six to seven years, so less than two is somewhat abnormal. My father-in-law on the other worked for over 30 years for the same employer before he retired.

This change has prompted me to think about my own tenure. In August I will have completed ten years with my current employer. This is a drastic difference from the nine months I spent in my first full-time job. Honestly I figured I'd spend two to three years with this employer, before I would have moved so that my bride could pursue a Master's degree. Ten years later, I'm in my third position with this employer, and my bride hasn't made any noise about wanting t pursue a Master's degree.

According to the Department of Labor, the average wage and salary worker has been with their current employer for 4 years. The same report indicates that older workers (defined as 55 to 64 year olds) have been with their current employer for 9.3 years while younger workers (defined as 25 to 34 year olds) have been with their current employer 2.9 years.

So why all this talk about employment tenure? For me it is an opportunity to stop and take stock in what I have vs what I don't have. About a year ago I realized that I was eleven years away from my oldest attending college. Obviously a lot can happen (or not) in eleven years, but I started contemplating how I might be able to assist my kids in paying for their college. Since I work for a university, I receive a significant discount for my kids to go to college. Now this benefit isn't realized until my kids enroll, however without this discount I'm unsure how I will be able to assist my kids to attend college.

Another thought that comes to mind is that I've become quite accustom to the lifestyle that has developed around my current employment. To change jobs, would mean a significant change to this lifestyle, especially if I have to move to another city. I don't think we could stay a single car family. I'm confident I wouldn't have the luxury of coming home in the middle of the day to stay with my sleeping son so that my wife can take my other kids to speech, and I'm not eager to uproot the family from their friends. About five years ago, I was talking with an organization in another state about a position. In the midst of this conversation, more specifically talking with my wife about the opportunity, my bride made it abundantly clear that she was not in favor of a drastic change like that.

As a father and a husband, I'm committed to ensure that my family is cared for. I'm also in need of being challenged and rewarded in my vocation. When these two statements are mutually exclusive, something will have to changed. For the most part, today I'm fulfilling both in my current employment. I do not look forward to the upheaval that would accompany an employer change. Of course it needs to happen, I'll confront my own apprehension for the betterment of the family and my own career.

MiniVans

A year or so after my beautiful bride and I had our first child, the economies of scale required that we down size the motor pool from a pickup and two-door car (both were less than kid friendly) to a four door family sedan. About a year before our third child was born, the time came to upgrade to a larger vehicle. Of course I figured we should investigate your typical SUV. It was larger, four doors, and offer more cargo capacity than our four door family sedan. However the beautiful bride had her mind set on a minivan. So as in all good marriages, we compromised, and she got her minivan.

Recently I took said minivan into the shop for some warranty work, and received a four door family sedan as a loaner. The evening following receiving the loaner, we gathered our clan of five and headed out for a brief dinner outing. So we have three children in the backseat (one in a car seat), and almost immediately I realized why my beautiful bride prefers her minivan. In less than the five minute drive between our house and a local restaurant, there were complaints from the backseat. These complaints centered around "touching", "closeness", and general "annoyance". The revelation I received is that the one thing the minivan has over your average SUV is that of personal space. With three children, each can have their own seat that isn't necessarily directly adjacent to the other. This means that the arm span of a two year old isn't likely to come into direct contact with physical space of five or eight year old. With an SUV, obviously I'm talking about those without the third seat feature, these characteristics aren't available.

We have been rejoined with our minivan today, and it was never soon enough. I'm curious how my own parents managed my own set of siblings that numbered three for eight years. I can remember family vacations where we were sequestered in the backseat for hours with entertainment consisting only of reading, listening to our headphones, and of course doing those things which annoy each other. How we didn't kill each other or our parents tie us to the roof (yes it was threatened on more than one occasion) is beyond me. Yet we survived with minimal scaring. I'm not sure if this makes me smarter than my parents or less tolerant? Maybe there is truth in both statements.

Yes there is a Santa Claus

As a parent with children under the age of 8, I find myself ever watchful for those hints that might suggest there is no Santa Claus. For me, Santa represents the innocence of youth that we should cherish and protect. It confounds me the constant bombardment that children receive that there isn't a Santa Claus. Mind you, at the ripe age of nine or ten, I myself devouring the innocence of my little brother (5 years younger) with the candid comment that there wasn't a Santa Claus. What I did was cruel, and the lasting scares continue to haunt me to this day.

So now I'm ever watchful for suggestions, and more so amazed at the assaults children take to their innocence. It comes via television, from the pulpit at church, from their friends, from the newspapers and radio, the list continues. In many respects, the suggestions are done without thought or respect to the children that may be in the audience. I'd wish that there was some warning that these truth sayers would give, such as Vince Vaughn's character in the movie "Old School" when he tells his son "ear muffs" when he wants to drop curse words.

Recently I was talking with a co-worker who relayed an account that her grandchildren shared while eating out. Apparently her daughter and her grandchildren were out at a restaurant, when in walks an older couple. The older gentleman had a full white beard that caught the children's eyes. Enchanted with the older gentleman, the children continued to stare, and their mother quickly realized the object of their fascination resembled Ole Saint Nick. As chance would have it, the older gentleman was used to such attention, and after ordering rose from his table and approached the two young girls. He knelt down and began to inquire about whether they had been "good" this year. For several minutes the gentleman engaged the children in brief Q&A session. As the gentleman's food was delivered to his table, he excused himself offering his appreciation to the children and the cookies that they had left him the previous season. The girls were amazed that Santa was vacationing in their city, and the encounter was retold countless times with everyone they saw for weeks on end.

As my co-worker finished the story, we both agreed that this is what we considered appropriate in shielding our children from the cruelties that target our children's innocence. The older gentleman didn't have to play along, but thankfully he did. Thankfully he recognize that these little girls posed an opportunity to reassure parents and children alike, that innocence and belief are things that should be cultivated and nurtured. Our children will know soon enough that this world is filled with things that will hurt and crush them.

In book "The Polar Express" this idea of believing is represented in ability to hear a sleigh bell. I recall the final passage of this book in which the protagonist explains that in time the bell goes silent for some, but even as an older man, the bell continues to ring for him. My hope is that for as long as possible, my children continue to hear the bell. That they continue to hold fast to the innocence of their youth. They grow up fast enough, and I do them and myself a disservice if I expedite the loss of their innocence.

Children with the flu

This week my youngest (23 month old) came down with the flu. This little guy, who is normally a bundle of energy and excitement, woke up early one morning running a fever and just wanting to be held. At "doctor" mom's prompting, we scheduled an appointment with our physician after this scenario didn't subside after 24 hours. After ruling out common childhood illnesses such as ear infections, upper respiratory infection, etc we conducted the flu swab test and confirmed that this was the cause for the little one's problems. We apparently were the first "confirmed" case of the flu of the year for this office. Mind you, by days end, several other cases were identified by our doctor.

What I find curious is how the health care industry is currently focusing on the flu. When I was a child, the flu was just the common reference to the winter time illness where you run a fever and generally feel achy all over. There wasn't a flu vaccine, there was necessarily a "test" you could take to determine you had the flu, and the most common remedy was Tylenol and a couple days of rest. Today there are flu vaccines (at least most years), there is a swab test that doctors can do to confirm cases as the flu, and now there are specific medication that can be given to combat the sickness. Part of me marvels at the extent we've applied science to battle the flu. According to the Center for Disease Control, the seasonal flu impacts between 5 to 20% of the US population each year. The CDC also indicates that a person with the flu are considered contagious a day prior to the presence of symptoms and up to 5 days after becoming sick. Then there's the flu vaccine that takes two weeks before it takes affect.

With the advancements we've made in health care, there still exists much uncertainty related to flu prevention. Although we have flu vaccines, these are only effective when the vaccine is a close "match" to the strain of flu that one is exposed to. So even if a person gets vaccinated, there still exists the potential that they can come down with the flu. So the reality is that the vaccine doesn't necessarily prevent the flu, rather it increases the odds that you will not get the flu.

It's been four days since we've visited the doctor, and my little guy feels better. So far none of my other children have presented flu symptoms, thankfully. However, for myself, I think I've got a mild case. Thankfully I sound worse than I feel. Honestly, I'd prefer to be sick than have my 23 month old sick.