A Strange Week

Sitting in my living room watching the pre-game analysis of the Confederations Cup Final between the US and Brazil National teams and began to think about what a strange week this has been. First we hear of the passing of Ed McMahon. I was a big fan of Johnny Carson, and of course Ed McMahon was a major part of the Tonight Show. Don't know if Ed ever said AAAYOW, but it was a good urban myth anyway.

I love pop culture. I'm 46 years old, so when I heard on Thursday that Farrah Fawcett had died, I couldn't help but think of the poster that I'm guessing that every teenager/college student had hanging in their rooms. I know I did, and Charlie's Angels was must-see tv!

Then, of course the big shocker Thursday afternoon was the death of Michael Jackson. 50 years-old, a pop-music icon. This morning I went to I-Tunes to put some Michael Jackson playlists on my I-Touch and saw that with the exception of the Black-Eyed-Peas new single and album the top ten downloaded singles and albums were Michael Jackson's. I was a fan-and was trying to figure out my favorite songs-Ben, Black or White, Billy Jean, Thriller, Pretty Young Thing. My most vivid memory of a Michael Jackson song was when my wife and I went to Las Vegas with some friends in December of 1988 (she was 5 months pregnant with our daughter) and hearing "The Way You Make Me Feel" over and over again. Michael Jackson became a very troubled individual later in life and his weirdness will be over-analyzed by the media in the coming days, but there is no denying he was one of the greatest and most influential artists of his time.

And then today I found out that Billy Mays has died. Certainly not on the same scale as Ed, Farrah and Michael, but still a surprise!

One quick note: I had an opportunity to travel to a seminar on United Way Community Impact held in Madison, Wisconsin this past week. It was hosted by the Dane County, Wisconsin United Way. I travelled with volunteers and staff from the Butler County, Ohio United Way.

The United Way in Madison, Wisconsin is doing some of the best Community Impact work in the entire country! They have been able to rally the community and it's resources to make a real difference, with results they can track and measure (graduation rates, school preparation, decreasing homelessness, access to health care etc.) They do it through faithful implementation of their process, and it's working. We plan to do the same for Butler County. Check it out http://www.unitedwaydanecounty.org

FYI-CLINT DEMPSEY JUST SCORED FOR THE US AGAINST BRAZIL! 3:45pm EST

Signing off USA USA USA.......Jiresell

What a Great Day!

What does it mean to be a good citizen? Follow the laws? Exercise your right to vote? Be productive in whatever endeavor you choose to pursue?

I had a great day today! Today was the Butler County United Way's (Headquarters in Hamilton, Ohio) Spring day of Caring. Two of my co-workers from Rockwell Automation (Jim Miller and Steve Deitzer) along with David Lippert of Hamilton Caster had the opportunity to volunteer to work with the good folks at Mercy Franciscan at St. Raphael in Hamilton, Ohio. They needed some benches built for their front lobby/foyer. The people who come in to the St. Raphael Social Service Center need a place to sit as they wait to receive services, whether it is access to their emergency food pantry, emergency shelter services or outreach nursing.

We built the benches. A simple task, but the appreciation we received from Carrie Morris, their Executive Director, and the staff was so heartfelt, I couldn't help but feel like I had accomplished something. Not to mention the fact that there is tangible evidence that we produced something of value today. (I am not much of a woodworker.)

The day started with a breakfast in Hamilton, Ohio where the volunteers gathered together with multiple social service agencies who are partners with the Butler County United Way. Leaders from our community were present, and the best part of the event was seeing the United Way honor the volunteers who give so much to the community. It was a tough year for the local United Way giving campaign, but the community rallied in February through a "Campaign of Hope" to come up with the resources that allowed the Butler County United Way to continue to provide grants to the programs in the community that are doing such great work to service those less fortunate.

Why was it a great day? I was able to give my time to help a local social services center. I was able to hear personally from Butler County United Way's partner agencies how appreciative they were for the resources we were able to provide. I am humbled by the work these agencies do. It give me hope!

So here is my definition of a good citizen. A good citizen gives back. They see it as their responsibility to help those less fortunate. They Give! They Advocate! They Volunteer!

The Butler County United Way is my choice for giving, advocating and volunteering. My good friend Maureen Noe, CEO would love to hear from you! www.bc-unitedway.org But the United Way is certainly not the only avenue. Choose a cause, make a difference!

Signing out......Jiresell