Teddy's Legacy

Regardless of your political persuasions, the sentiment here is worth repeating:

"We cannot know for certain how long we have here. We cannot foresee the trials or misfortunes that will test us along the way. We cannot know what God's plan is for us.

What we can do is to live out our lives as best we can with purpose, and with love, and with joy. We can use each day to show those who are closest to us how much we care about them, and treat others with the kindness and respect that we wish for ourselves. We can learn from our mistakes and grow from our failures. And we can strive at all costs to make a better world, so that someday, if we are blessed with the chance to look back on our time here, we know that we spent it well; that we made a difference; that our fleeting presence had a lasting impact on the lives of others."

-President Barack Obama, during the eulogy of Senator Ted Kennedy, August 29, 2009

The Color of the Past

"The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you can see." - Winston Churchill

Recently, I sang in church. I have a couple of buddies who play guitar and we did a lovely rendition of "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing." We even got a "whoop!" of appreciation afterwards, a real feat for a sedate Moravian church.

As we waited for church to begin, my friends and I discussed possible names for our little acoustic, folksy group. I've been doing some genealogical research and mentioned I had a great picture of a couple of my ancestors, the Rev. Cole Brothers. The brothers were Methodist Episcopal circuit preachers up in the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina in the early 1800's. "Hmm," my friend said, "Do you have any interesting female ancestors?" My great-great-great grandmother's name was Temperance - Tempy for short. So, we're now "Sister Tempy and the Rev. Cole Brothers!"

I don't know much about "Sister Tempy," but I do know about my great-great grandmother, Carolyn Neumeyer. While working as a hatmaker, she was knocked over by Teddy Roosevelt's carriage in the streets of D.C. The President was mortified and offered her a ride home (she was unharmed). She refused, on the grounds that it was improper for a single woman such as herself to accept a ride from a gentleman not part of her family, even if he was the PRESIDENT of the United States!! Another ancestor served in the NC legislature, riding horseback from his home near Boone, NC all the way to Raleigh (probably an 8-day ride). Family legend has it that Lorenzo Dow Cole, my great-great grandfather, was spared certain death during the Civil War when the musket ball heading for his heart was stopped by the bedroll he carried on his chest. And of course, I can't resist throwing in my 7th great uncle, the pioneer Daniel Boone. Now that's an exciting life!

Ah, the color of our history. Our ancestors seem so much more interesting and brave than we are or think we could ever be. And yet, day after day, week after week, we persevere, even if it is just through the mundane aspects of our own suburban lives. Life is as dull as we make it.

Carolyn, Tempy, Daniel Boone, and the Cole brothers inspire me as I trudge through my own daily living. I may not be riding horseback through the rugged NC mountains or straightening my bustle after a brush with greatness, but I'm blazing my own trail. What will my descendants say about my life?

What will yours say about you?

Getting Things Done

"Things rarely get stuck because of lack of time. They get stuck because the doing of them has not been defined." – David Allen, Getting Things Done

If you, like me, have issues with getting started, I highly recommend David Allen's classic book on productivity, Getting Things Done. In the book, David breaks down into a detailed system the art of productivity. Even if you are not a detail person, there is some nugget of wisdom in this book.

And if you intend to get and read the book, but know you never will, here is what I divined from the reading of it: if you do nothing else in your quest to get things done, simpy take the next step. Every project, from your next complex work assignment to getting the oil changed in your car, can be broken down into the next step. Don't want to worry about developing a timeline or production schedule? Skip that part and just do the next thing. Call Mary to schedule a meeting. Google local Jiffy Lubes. If that next step takes less than two minutes, do it now.

That's it. But I do recommend the book too - it's a real easy investment in self-improvement.