Forgotten Oldie - Lady Lynda

Today's Forgotten Oldie is based on a musical work written by J. S. Bach in 1716. You can hear what Bach wrote here: http://youtu.be/RdWVfrZ3MeQ.

In 1979, Beach Boy Al Jardine used Bach's composition to write Lady Lynda as a tribute to his wife. A couple of the lines in the lyrics are a little strange, but the music is beautiful - especially the counterpoint towards the end of the song.

Crank up your speakers and enjoy: http://youtu.be/Pzd4D9ndtok.

Flagpole Fracas

April already. End of the first quarter. I've been as far away as Rhode Island, as close as Wisconsin, and everywhere in between. Lots of driving, lots of beautiful country, one interesting situation. Interesting because I sell flagpoles.

Seems that a decorated World War II hero in Richmond, VA, had recently erected a flagpole in front of his home to fly his flag and his homeowners association demanded that he take it down. (http://tinyurl.com/y9ylw6y) He refused, they threatened to sue, and World War III was on. It's good that he didn't display two flags, they probably would have sued him for having a double standard. In any case, the association backed down. But threatened him because he erected a flagpole to display an American flag? What is that all about!?!

Why does this kind of stuff happen? Have we ceded too many of our rights and responsibilities to government bodies? Where has tolerance for others gone? Why is it anyone else's business what we do or don't do, how we think or don't think, how we act or don't act?

To my way of thinking, anytime we allow any governmental body to limit someone else's right to do, think, or act as they choose, we open up the door to having them limit our right to do, think, or act as we choose. It's none of their business. Or it shouldn't be. It's time to say "No!" to this kind of stuff and take back responsibility for our own thoughts and actions and be tolerant of the thoughts and actions of others.

"Government of the people, by the people, for the people."

What do you think?

Name Badge

I wear a name badge. It says "Hello, my name is Tim". I wear it when I'm at the shows, I wear it when I'm not at the shows. I wear it in private, I wear it in public. I wear it all the time. Crazy? Maybe. Amazing? Yes.

You see, it makes people talk to me. To me. It makes them friendlier and more social, and it helps them remember me and remember my name.

As a salesman, that's what I want. As a person, that's what I need.

You see, the world can be a pretty cold and distant place. Nobody looks at or talks to anybody anymore. When we were kids, we were interested in everyone and everything. Always talking, always asking, always looking. But when we grew up, we grew apart - apart from people, apart from feelings, apart from the world.

Wearing this name badge opens the door. People say, "Hi Tim" out of the blue. People that I don't know. People that are yearning for a connection, and a little friendliness in a world gone cold. People call me by my name and it warms my heart. Gives me a chance to say, "Hi, how are you? Isn't this a great day? What are you doing up so early?" Gives them a chance to tell me about their lives and their days. Gives us the chance to share a little warmth and human interaction where typically there isn't any.

Example. Last night I went to the grocery for some milk. When I was checking out, I looked at the name badge of the clerk and said, Hi Joseph." He looked at me, then my name badge, smiled, and said, "Hi Tim." We both got the biggest smiles on our faces, chuckled, and the connection was made. What started out as an impersonal transaction turned into a friendly moment. Made him feel good, made me feel good. Wow!

Wearing this name badge is not my idea. It came from a book I recently read by a fellow named Scott Ginsberg (http://www.hellomynameisscott.com). Scott started wearing a name badge all the time to see what would happen. It changed his life.

It's changing mine too...

There's No Business Like Snow Business

Wow, it's been almost two weeks since my last post! Working on the road eats up time like nothing else I know. Someone once told me that seven days on the road makes one weak. Very true.

I ended up spending eight days at home. Went to breakfast at the Dixie Kitchen And Bait Shop in Evanston, IL, (see http://dixiekitchenevanston.com) with my daughter, Carrie, and my son, Davy, took a class, went to a Valentine's dinner with Betsy, visited with my brother, Andrew, got a haircut, and bought a couple of caps. Talk about time flying...

My next show was in Iowa. On the day I was supposed to leave, there was a major snowstorm and the Iowa DOT warned against any interstate travel. The following day, the roads were dry, travel was good, but the detritus of the storm was evident. Cars, trucks, trailers, suvs (what, pray tell is a suv?) littered the landscape from Chicago to Des Moines. When the Department of Transportation told the drivers to get off the roads, I don't think that's exactly what they had in mind...

My friend, Les (see Jan, 21 post) and I went out to lunch at Jason's Deli after I'd finished the booth set-up. We had pastrami and corned beef sandwiches on rye. So good! Les has the exclusive on a unique advertising concept (see http://www.activetable.com) in Iowa. I've known him for years and it was good to catch up. (His jokes are worse than mine.)

The show in Iowa was good. Lots of people, lots of buyers, lots of fun. Then more snow on the way home...

Yesterday I drove to Richmond, VA. There were snow flurries in Indiana, snow flurries in Ohio, snow flurries in the mountains of West Virginia (scary), snow flurries in the mountains of Virginia (scary and dark). It was snow joking matter if you get my drift!

Set up the show this morning. Met the husband of a woman who fed me samples of soup and snack dips in Philadelphia. Small world.

And now it's looking like snow again...

"Round" Trip?

After a short fourteen hour drive, I'm back home in Illinois for three days so far. What a great trip it was! I made money, sure, but I find what I treasure more is the people I met and the time we shared.

Joe, the unknown friend I wrote about a few posts back, showed up and, even though it was the first time we laid eyes on each other, I felt as though I had known him all my life. He didn't look like I thought he would, and yet he was exactly like I knew he would be. And that he took the time to drive out to meet me and say "hello" speaks more of his character and friendship than I had reason to know or expect.

Joe and Diane (more about her in a later post), founded a "Focus Society of Free Thinkers" called the Million Mind March (http://www.theMillionMindMarch.com) with the motto "Change Your Mind...Change Your Income...Change Your Life." I joined the March and I see the change happening already...

Another friend that I met on Facebook through the March was Jason, the truck driver. He said that he would stop by the show and he did. We spent an hour or so talking and getting to know one another. Like Joe and Diane, he has wonderful ideas and an amazing outlook on life.

I already mentioned Bobby and Tommy in an earlier post from the Philadelphia Home Show. At the Morristown Show, I met Diane and Chris, a husband and wife team, who sell DirecTV. They laughed at my dumb jokes and gave me candy. Bill, the cookware guy down the aisle, and I traded stories of show business on the road and mutual friends. And David, the home theater audio/video guy introduced me to the jazz of Earl Klugh. Mellow.

And here's the nice thing, I've even talked with them on the phone since I've been home.

So I guess what I'm saying here is that life is about love and friendship and caring and taking care of each other; people you know and people you don't know yet, because in the end, the nicest thing about having a circle of friends is that they come 'round...

Morristown

Arrived in Morristown, NJ at 11:43 this morning. According to my GPS, I was supposed to get here at 9:46am. The big disparity between supposed to and actual was that I sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic more than half the way here. No accidents, no hula girls on the side of the road, no cops slowing things down. The only thing I can think of that may have caused the slowdown was maybe three snowflakes. Not twelve, THREE!

It made me think of a nightmare I had a while back that I was in Panama over the holidays during a snowstorm. I was dreaming of a white isthmus. (These puns have taken over my mind. Can you tell?)

Anyway, I set up the flagpole booth in record time, sat down, and had a tuna sub for lunch just for the halibut. And potato chips too. Ummmm, potato chips. (Thank you Homer.)

Looks like it's gonna be a good show. It's a small hall, I don't think I have any competition, but even better, the show is located in a rustic, hilly, beautiful part of New Jersey, that, if you haven't been here, you need to get here as soon as you can. Just gorgeous!

Well, tomorrow it starts. On with the show...

Moving On

Today is my last day in Philadelphia. Tomorrow I'm packing up and rolling to New Jersey for the Morristown Home Show. As it turns out, this is a three day show at the National Guard Armory, and it looks to be a good one.

Morristown is close to where my friend, Joe, lives. Joe's a man after my own heart. He's performed street magic in San Francisco, I think, and also sold steaks and seafood door to door. As you can see, there's more to Joe than meats the eye.

Joe is a cowboy in the best sense of the word. He's his own man, independent, and courageous, and he walks to the beat of his own drum. He makes me laugh, he makes me cry, I like him, I hate him, I respect him, he inspires me, and he pisses me off. Most importantly, he makes me think.

And here's the thing: I've never met him. Maybe this weekend I will. I'll let you know...