Sharing the Good Stuff on Social Media

by | Feb 1, 2017 | Really? The Personal ScLoHo, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

In 2016 (and probably before), many of my friends noticed that their Facebook Newsfeeds was being filled divisive, argumentative and rude comments.  Some decided to abandon social media or at least attempt to filter out the negative and return to the days of cat videos and food posts.

But despite all the noise, Facebook, (and other social media channels) is still being used to share Good Stuff.  I’ve been following the journey of a friend of mine in Indianapolis that has been through quite a trial.  The story of my friend Chris is really the story of his family and specifically his daughter Emme.

Emme and Chris from 2016

Over the weekend the Indianapolis Star newspaper shared a bit of their story which you can read here. Emme is just 4 years old and…

In her four years of life, Emme Theisen has known few days without pain. The pain exhausts her, nauseates her and all too often sends her to the hospital for stays that stretch days or weeks…. Emme’s family has traveled to Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Minnesota and elsewhere, searching for ways to ease this pain and find the cause behind it.

Turns out it was chronic pancreatitis.  This is rare for someone this young.  Nearly a dozen years ago, I was hospitalized and it was discovered I needed my gall bladder removed but first they needed to take care of my pancreatitis.  I was in my 40’s and miserable, not sure if I was going to survive.  I cannot imagine the life that 4 year old Emme has lived so far.

Tuesday 1/31/17 everything changed.  Emme underwent a surgery that was scheduled to last 18 hours.  I know this because of Facebook and the sharing that Chris and his wife have done on social media. Look for the hashtag #Emmesmiles to see this brave little girl.

Despite some complications during the surgery, recovery is going well as I type these words at 3:30pm on 2/1/17.  Keep them all in your hearts and prayers.

 

How To Be Better This Year

by | Jan 4, 2015 | Really? The Personal ScLoHo

This week is the first full work week for the new year and for many those ideas and resolutions to improve something are about to be challenged as the reality of normal life kicks in.

The holiday time off is over and most of those extra sweets and/or snacks are nearly gone.  Maybe they are replaced in your frig with some strange objects known as fruits and vegetables.

I was toying with the idea of eating a salad as my usual breakfast this year.  I’m still mulling it over.

Some of you may decide to change other habits, like sleep or exercise.  I’ve discovered that sleep is fun.  Most nights my wife and I are asleep by 10:30 and awake 8 hours later.  We sort of fell into this habit a few years ago.  The exercise routine I developed in 2013 when I worked at a place that had an onsite work out room and a personal trainer that would come twice a week.  For a few months I was a regular until I developed an issue with one of my eyes due to over exertion one afternoon.   So now I have to look for other opportunities to improve my health via a combination of exercise and food.

Maybe the “better you”, you want to create this year involves learning.  Expanding your knowledge is one important aspect that we should consciously do no matter how young or old we are.  And just as important is the application.  How will you take what you learn and apply it to your life and the lives of others?

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This weekend, the pastor at our church issued a challenge to us.  It was to simply read and study our bibles.  I admit there have been times in my life that I was more a student of scripture than other times and reflecting back, I know he is right.  If I want wisdom and change in my life, I need to go to the source. Regularly. Not just when I have a question.

Work wise, I can easily measure my progress in black and white, in dollars, the records are there and I have goals set for me and I also have my own goals which exceed those given to me.  Because that’s the way I work.

What if we took the same approach to all these other areas that we want to be better in our lives?  What if instead of setting impossible goals, we set ourselves up for success, not failure? What if we didn’t give up when we missed a goal or didn’t follow through with a resolution and instead we revisited the idea and revised the plan?

The year is upon us.  Every day another 24 hours passes that we live.  Until we don’t anymore.

Each day, week, month is filled with choices and you and I get to decide.  I’ve decided to continue my journey to be better this year, have you?

 

The Irony of It

The Irony of It

by | Dec 29, 2011 | Really? The Personal ScLoHo

from my August 2008 archives:

Why Are Cigarettes Legal?


It’s a question I’ve asked and answered many times. The answer is simple Money. There’s a lot of money in those tobacco leaves, from the farmer, to the health care clean ups costs, it’s all about the flow of cash, legally and under the table.

So with our green push, today I saw a legitimate business person riding his bike to work this morning. He was wearing a tie, had his laptop case slung over his shoulder and was waiting for the light to change at Jefferson and Fairfield when he took a long drag on a smoke.

Isn’t it unhealthy to smoke and pedal?

I did a Google search for the health benefits of smoking and all I could find was the ad you see here.

Healthy, Wealthy and Wise?

Healthy, Wealthy and Wise?

by | Dec 13, 2011 | Really? The Personal ScLoHo

Having recently celebrated my 52nd Birthday, I was talking again with my wife Kathy about our lives.

Kathy and I have a lot of opposites in our lives, I was an only child, she has 6 siblings.

She thinks we are polar opposites politically, I think we are closer than she realizes, but we have different views on how to solve some of the political based problems.

We share a love that overcomes the differences, (which make life less boring), and instead focus on our common bonds including our faith, our sense of humor and our support for each other.

So as far as Wise… Wisdom comes with age only if we keep learning.  Curiosity combined with access to the web can make anyone as wise as they want.

Wealthy?  That’s all a matter of perspective.  I work in the world of marketing and advertising.  My primary responsibility is to sell stuff and get paid to do so. I am in a profession that I can always find work.  I walked away from my last job this year after 8 years to move into the web world. While there has been a bit of a learning curve, which I expected, I am never afraid of being unemployed.  And that is significant in this age we live in.

Kathy also has the opportunity to never be unemployed with her experience and credentials in health care, plus she launched her Life Coaching business a few years ago.  Will we be wealthy?  Not compared to some, but we’re not comparing ourselves to the mega-rich.

Health.  This is a subject that each of us need to take personal responsibility for. You can’t really say, “I’m not as fat as ______”, and ignore your own health.

Ignorace is not bliss.

I know that my family has had a history of early deaths and some have lived long lives.

On my Mom’s side, she passed away in 2001 at the age of 68 from a heart attack.  We discovered afterwards that she had heart disease. Her Mom also died from disease, cancer.

On my Dad’s side, both of his parents passed away before I was born and he died at age 67 from cancer.

But an early death, (before age 70) is not inevitable. I have an Uncle Bill on my Mom’s side who is now around 80. My Dad’s oldest brother Uncle Dean and my Aunt Jean are still going strong.  I’m not sure their exact ages, but I’m guessing they will live to be in their 90’s.

So, I’m not exactly sure which steps I will be taking to improve my health, but eating habits is one I will be taking a close look at and making adjustments.

After all, if you’re not Healthy, all the “Wealthy and Wise” is wasted.

(The featured picture today is my first wedding, when I was 6 and a ring bearer along with my cousin Susie as the flower girl at a family wedding.)