The Irony of the Modern day word X-Mas

I know several people that get pretty upset when they see Christmas written as X-mas.  At first glance, who can blame them.  It seems irreverent. And this irreverence seems to go hand-in-hand with the total commercialization of the holiday.  Today, as well as in the past, the word Christmas is often shortened to save space and, yes, to leave out the word Christ.  But there is some irony in writing X-mas to accomplish those tasks.  Let me explain.

X-mas is hardly a new word or an irreverent one.  The use of the word actually dates back to the Greeks during the Roman Empire.  The Greek name for Christ is Xristos (pronounced Christos).  Therefore, many Greeks used the "X" symbol as a symbol of their faith.  When the Greek Christians were put to death in Rome's Colosseum, other Christians often traced an X at the spot where the martyr had given his life, a symbol of ultimate devotion and sacrifice.

In the mid-1800's, when Christmas started to evolve as a holiday and to have commercial significance, retailers started to use the X as a shortcut to save space and to use a symbol instead of letters due to the fact that several Americans at the time could not read.  It was much easier for them to understand the meaning of X-mas than to grasp a lengthy word such as Christmas.

Today, if an ancient Greek citizen could visit our world and saw the symbol "X" used in the place of the word "Christ" in the word "Christmas", they would instantly understand that the word X-mas was the ultimate symbol for a wonderful and powerful meaning far beyond what is expressed in our current society when we utter the words "Merry Christmas".

Ahh, there is great irony in writing the word X-mas!

Angels

The more time passes, the further removed I am from the wonder and adventure that was the night time in the old campground.  With no one around, and no sounds of human life to break the silence, I learned to love the star-filled nights by a warm fire.  It was my time to reflect, to ponder, and wonder, and think.  And I enjoyed the silence  and solitude that I experienced night after night.

As much as I would like to be tough like Clint Eastwood, I have to admit that there were times that I had restless nights at the campground.  Silly instances such as raccoons passing through the trees above me, or screeches coming from the woods sometimes made my hair stand on end.  There were also serious times that made me concerned such as when cars would pull into the campground in the middle of the night and drugs were exchanged, or the time when an individual threatened me while I was in the shower. 

But I know that nothing could compare to the night that the shepherds had an angel appear to them to announce the birth of Christ.  How do you process something like that?  What goes through your mind?  I don't know how I would react, but I do know that throughout history, angels have touched hearts, caused people to reconsider, caused them to reflect, and caused even the toughest of men to whimper at just the sight of these heavenly creatures.

We are told that angels are always with us, but perhaps some of the wonder and awe of Christmas time is that for some reason, in some way, angels seem most near to us and most real.  At this time of year when the story of the birth of Jesus is brought to life through movies, and scenes at the mall, and through nativity re-enactments, we are reminded that these beautiful creatures were present at the first Christmas and are still with us today.

Tis the Season

The start of the holiday season was not quite what I had expected.  My oldest son wrecked his car, my youngest son broke up with his girlfriend on Thanksgiving, I got a terrible cold and sinus headache that would not end, 90% of the Christmas lights didn't work, we couldn't get the right deal to buy a car, and my oldest son told me he was so looking forward to Thanksgiving break but that it was a total disappointment to him.  Then my wife got sick.  Such is life.  And a little different than the start of the holiday season that I had planned in my mind.

But as I have learned, life goes on and one of my responsibilities as a husband and father is to help provide prospective to my family, to provide stability, and to keep moving forward.  After all, most of what we experienced this weekend were just setbacks.

And then Sunday rolled around, and I realized that what I was "preaching" to my family was something that I was really experiencing.  You see, despite these inconveniences and setbacks, Sunday was a day that added perspective and stability to my world.  Sunday was the first day of Advent, a day of reflection and expectation and tradition.  We also decorated the inside of the house for the Christmas season.  And while we don't have all of the high quality ornaments and decorations that some people do, we have decorations and ornaments that have meaning and a personal history for my family.  It was nice to finish late in the day and sit back to enjoy a few minutes of downtime and have that warm comfortable feeling that being with family and being surrounded by family history and tradition provides.

While it is nice to push forward and embrace change throughout our lives, it is also comforting to be a surrounded by memories of the past and expectations of the future, to slow down and reflect and appreciate the tradition and meaning of the holiday season.

The Crux of the Issue

Almost everything I can think of comes down to two points in regards to success, people and the ability to make the right crucial decisions.  I think this is true for both personal issues and business matters.

For example, do you know anyone that is habitually late?  Have you ever asked yourself why that person is always late or just sat back and observed them?  I have.  I get really cranky if I am going to be late.  I think it is a matter of respecting the other person's time and is also a reflection upon myself if I am late.  I know life happens and there are times that you can't avoid being late, but the people that I have observed that are always late are the people who don't care, get sidetracked easily, or that can't prioritize issues to get the important things done first.  In rare occasions I have seen people that exhibit all three of these characteristics and I try to stay as far away from them as possible.

To help with the issue of how to get "important" things done throughout the day, I often ask myself, "How important is this project in the big scheme of things?" and ultimately, "Does this project have to be done at all?'  A task may be fascinating, it could be very interesting, it may even add value to my life, but whether it warrants an investment of my time, at that particular time, is the overriding issue.

Do you really have to send 7000 text messages in a month (very often during work hours)?  Do you have to reconcile your checkbook before church? Do you have to spend time worrying about a possible office move when there are important jobs to work on before year end? 

Focusing on the crux of an issue isn't really that complicated or hard.  It simply takes a little discipline or giving up the mentality that you have to control everything.  It's obvious, the more time you spend on the unimportant issues, the less time you have for the high-priority issues.

A good way to look at this whole issue is that a successful person differs from an unsuccessful person by having the self-discipline to consistently do the things that need to be done in order to achieve the main, or important, objective, while an unsuccessful person tends to work on lower-priority projects far too much of the time and far too often.

Thankful for Thanksgiving!

It's Thanksgiving.  A wonderful all-American holiday.  I love the holidays and it seems so appropriate to start them with the Thanksgiving holiday, a time to gather as family and to reflect and to give thanks for our past and our future and for all our blessings.

This Thanksgiving feels strangely different to me though.  I guess it starts with the realization that this is our last Thanksgiving in Tennessee.  I am looking forward to moving and to spending more time with family in the Chicago area, but I have to admit that Nashville has been just what I needed for the past eight years.  We haven't had a lot of friends here and it has usually just been our family.  In some ways, I think that is good.  It has helped us to bond and strengthen our family relationships and to help us to count on each other when times got tough.  I will spend my last Thanksgiving in Tennessee with a  gratefulness and fondness of the holidays that we have spent here.

I also am coming to grips with the fact that next Thanksgiving is the first Thanksgiving that our boys will not be living at home and will be coming home (hopefully) to visit Dena and me for the holidays.  This is the last year that the boys are supposed to be home.  From now on, each Thanksgiving will be a blessing that we can spend together.  It makes me even more thankful for this year.

So as we gather around the TV for the traditional Thanksgiving Day parade and we eat our traditional meal and talk about the memories of Thanksgiving past with Grandma Martin's wonderful cooking, I think it will be a bittersweet time for me.

But most of all, I will be thankful for this holiday together as family and hopeful of the possibility of spending more Thanksgivings together in the future.
  

A Thanksgiving Day Prayer 

Lord, so often times, as any other day

When we sit down to our meal and pray

We hurry along and make fast the blessing

Thanks, amen. Now please pass the dressing

We’re slaves to the olfactory overload

We must rush our prayer before the food gets cold

But Lord, I’d like to take a few minute more

To really give thanks to what I’m thankful for

For my family, my health, a nice soft bed

My friends, my freedom, a roof over my head

I’m thankful right now to be surrounded by those

Whose lives touch me more than they’ll ever possibly know

Thankful Lord, that You’ve blessed me beyond measure

Thankful that in my heart lives life’s greatest treasure

That You, dear Jesus, reside in that place

And I’m ever so grateful for Your unending grace

So please, heavenly Father, bless this food You’ve provided

And bless each and every person invited

Amen!

-Scott Wesemann

Happy Thanksgiving!

You will be a Professional

The talk of the NFL right now are the Green Bay Packers.  They are playing exceptional football.  But whenever I think about the Packers, I can't help but think of the legendary coach Vince Lombardi who led his team to five championships, including Superbowls 1 and 2. 

After working as an assistant coach in high school, college, and eventually the pros, in 1959 Lombardi was hired as the head coach of the Pack.  On the evening of September 27th, 1959, he faced the Chicago Bears for his first game and gave this speech.

Gentlemen, were going to have a football team.  We are going to win some games.  Do you know why? Because you are going to have confidence in me and my system.  By being alert you are going to make fewer mistakes than your opponents.  By working harder you are going to outexecute, outblock, outtackle every team that comes your way.

I've never been a losing coach, and I don't intend to start here.  There is nobody big enough to think he's got the team made or can do what he wants.  Trains and planes are coming in and going out of Green Bay every day, and he'll be on one of them.  I wont.  I'm going to find thirty-six men who have the pride to make any sacrifice to win. There are such men.  If they're not here, I'll get them.  If you are not one, if you don't want to play, you might as well leave right now......

I've been up here all year and I've learned a lot.  I know how the townspeople are and what they think of you men and I know that in a small town you need definite rules and regulations.  And anybody who breaks the rules will be taken care of in my own way.....You may not be a tackle.  You may not be a guard.  You may not be a back.  But you will be a professional.

The Packers beat the Bears.

Is it any wonder that Lombardi was  a winner?  I love the honesty, candor, and the pursuit of excellence that he exuded.

I think I can learn a lot from Vince Lombardi.

What Thanksgiving is All About

Tonight I received a call that no parent wants to receive.  I got a call saying that my oldest son had just put his car in a ditch.  Luckily, the call came from my son.  He was shaken up but not seriously hurt.

When I got to the scene of his accident, I had one of those moments that made me realize that we were all fortunate that the situation wasn't worse than it was.  The car had obviously done a full 360 degree spin and ended up in a ditch that was at least four feet deep and at least 10-12 feet high on the backside.  There were pieces of the car laying in the ditch and the car is bent and twisted in ways that it shouldn't be.  Tracks show that Spencer spun out around a corner and traveled sideways through the ditch for at least 50 feet.

The old 1995 Honda Accord has probably seen her last days.  For 290,000+ miles, "LaFawnda" (as Spencer calls her) served us well.  But I have a strange feeling that the black two door that has carried Spencer to and fro since he was five, will no longer take him to work or school.

Spencer is attached to that old car, but I could care less that it is a mess.  Spencer is OK.  Spencer walked away and we have something to be very thankful for this Thanksgiving.  I liked that old car but it can and will be replaced.  Obviously, Spencer can't.

Events like this put everything in perspective.  Some things seem so important until something like this happens and then all those important things seem so insignificant and so trivial.

Thanksgiving is special because of the time that we are able to gather as a family and to count our blessings. While we have so many things to give thanks for, this year we will have a recent blessing that will be at the foremost of my thanksgiving. 

Airport Comedy

For those of you that follow my blog regularly, you know that I lived in a camper for nearly four years.  Quite frankly, there was a lot of humor that took place with that experience.  But, my camper life is now a thing of the past, and the new humor I experience comes largely from the airport experience. 

Brian Regan is a clean comedian that hits the nail on the head for me.  Enjoy the video!



Busy Being Busy

How you ever gotten into the trap of being busy?  I know that today's culture of immediate action and results demands that we are busy, but sometimes I feel like we are busy being busy without a reason for being busy.  It's an easy trap to fall into really.  E-mails fill out computer screens and we feel we have to answer them immediately.  When the phone rings, we switch our attention from whatever we are doing to check who is calling.  I don't think the problem of being busy to be busy is a recent problem though. For as long as I can remember, I have heard the saying, " You can't see the forest for the trees".  I just think the "trees" have gotten bigger nowadays and there are more of them in front of us.

When we are busy being busy, we lose our capacity to focus, we are unable to look at the "big" picture, and we are unable to have a vision for the future. Lately, I wish that I had a dollar for every time I have heard someone say, "We are just too busy to do that right now.  Let's wait until later and then we will do "X"". 

The problem is that if we wait until later to do "X", there might not be an opportunity left to correct "X".  It may be too late.

Focus, dedication, commitment, and the ability to do the important but not urgent things are classic, tried and true principles that are worthy of our energy and pursuit now more than ever.

Sorry the blog is so short, I am busy today.

You Can't Judge a Book by It's Cover

I spent a few hours with Marty tonight.  It was not the kind of night that I thought it would be.  Marty married my niece over a year ago and I had never met him before the wedding and I have never spoken to him since.  I haven't ever really gotten the opportunity to talk to Marty, and quite frankly, didn't think I would have much to talk to Marty about when I did get the chance.  You see, we don't seem to have much in common.

Marty is 24 years old and has an incredible tattoo or one hundred, I can't tell.  They all run together to me.  And Marty is a Slam Poetry champ.  Not something that I have ever tried myself and I have never attended a slam poetry competition.  Marty is also a movie buff. Name a movie and Marty has seen it.  Marty was home schooled, never played sports, and is a pastor's kid.  In other words, Marty and I wouldn't hang in the same circles.

But a strange thing happened as I started to ask Marty questions tonight.  He started to tell me of his love for history, why he loves the movies, and how much he loved his granddad.  He spoke with passion, and was easy to laugh.  He had a kind spirit about him.  And Marty listened to my stories about my granddad and finances and he likes ice cream.

And I found myself really liking Marty.  He was not the guy that I had preconceived in my mind.  He wasn't a punk with a chip on his shoulder.  He was someone who I would like to talk with more often.  He was someone that I had more in common with than I could ever imagine.

And Marty proved to me once again that the old saying really is true......you can't judge a book by it's cover.

I Think That's OK

Honestly, sometimes I get sick of leadership talk.  And honestly, sometimes I get sick of "work" talk.  Sometimes I don't want to lead.  Sometimes I don't want to focus.  And I think that's OK.

Tonight I did the important things.  My beautiful niece came over and we watched old videos together and we looked at her Mom and Dad's wedding album.  I talked to my granddad, my dad and mom, my son, and my wife. 

I played with the new technology that I just received and made a call to my dad's e-mail address on his computer while he watched me on facetime.  I don't understand it but it really is cool.

I listened to my granddad tell me a story about snow in July of 1962 when he vacationed on the Continental Divide.

And my dad told me about the original 1903 Harley Davidson that he has a model of.

Tonight I laughed a lot.  And I just relaxed. And I recharged my "batteries".  And I think that's OK.

Lessons from Southwest Airlines (sort of)

I will fly on Southwest Airlines approximately 50 times over the next six months.  In just four flights, I am starting to figure out when I need to be at a certain place and where I need to be.  I am figuring out what I like and don't like about the flights, the schedule, and the airline.  And I have definitely figured out that having a coke on the plane is not worth having half a can end up in your seat because the guy next to you accidentally bumped you as you were taking a sip.  But that is a story for another blog.

Since I started flying Southwest, I take notice of most things Southwest.  Something that caught my attention lately was a quote by the former CEO, Jim Parker.  He was quoted as saying, "Don’t set artificial goals for yourself. Don’t set goals about the job you want or the amount of money you want to make."

Most people that I know would consider that a strange quote from the CEO of a major airline during one of the most devastating times in our history, September 11th.  But if you dig deeper into the article, you come to understand that Parker understands that company goals are important and help define success, but that his real goal was to focus on the development of people and the contributions that you can make to them.  In reality, our entire life experience is a relational one.  We were created to be relational.  Life and leadership and business are all about people.

Today, I completed a four page "Priority List" for our company to use as a sounding board to help us focus on improvements that our company can implement over the slower winter months.  But, as important as results and goals and focus are, the highest priority has got to be the development of our team and ourselves.

It's time to focus on our people!

What is Your Higher Purpose?

Tonight I fell asleep on my bed exhausted.  Early morning flights and all day meetings can really wear a person down.  But when I wake up in the morning, I will be energized and ready to go,  Why?  Because despite all of the swirling madness and chaos that is going on around me, I am focused instead on a challenging vision, what I consider to be a higher purpose. 

So what are some of the "ingredients" that allow a person to stay focused despite the distractions and issues that could pull a person in a thousand different directions?  For me, I constantly remind myself of the following:

1. Focus on the bigger picture.  Understand the overall vision and mission.
2. Find someone who will stand behind you and challenge you and tell you the truth.
3. Don't let mistakes paralyze you.  Everyone makes mistakes.  It's how you rebound that counts.
4. Don't be a whiner. Focus on the possibilities.
5. Remember that solid foundations take time to build.  Several small steps are generally better than giant jumps forward.

But most of all, I believe it is necessary to understand that while work, or training, or a project can be noble, and satisfying, and purposeful, it should not define who we are. 

Hopefully, in our endeavors  the good days will outweigh the bad.  However, if you let your work or training, or latest project define you alone, your own values and passions can be pushed aside and you risk being defined by them.

What is your higher purpose?

Pruning

A re-post from a few months ago:

I just started reading a book lately that I find very interesting.  Necessary Endings makes the point that endings are necessary for good results to happen in life and to be able to move forward from bad situations, but that we aren't good at ending things and we mostly do whatever we can to avoid them or really mess up ending a situation in a bad kind of way.  One of the chapters talks about how it is necessary to prune. 

My Grandma Martin loved flowers and she was incredible at growing them.  I remember watching her as she worked with them, watering them, feeding them, and pruning them constantly.  It brings back good memories when I pull down the driveway of Granddad's house and Grandma's flowers are still there as a reminder of her and the love that she provided in her care of those lovely plants.  If I close my eyes, I can still see my Grandma gracefully and tenderly working around the house in her flower beds as she pruned her flowers.

Grandma Martin knew that her flowers and plants couldn't reach their full potential without the very systematic process of pruning.  She would cut off the branches and buds to make the flowers healthier and more vibrant.  In Necessary Endings, the author says that a gardener prunes in three different instances:

1. Healthy buds or branches that are not the best ones
2. Sick branches that are not going to get well, and
3. Dead branches that are taking up space needed for the healthy ones to thrive

So in real life, pruning applies when you are achieving average results in your business or personal life as compared to where you are supposed to be.  In other words, if you are are just average when taking inventory of your natural abilities, and opportunities, and resources and you should be way ahead of where you are, you should start pruning. 

Metaphorically speaking, we all have one or all of the three situations listed above in our personal life or in our profession.  So stop being stuck in some area of your life and start pruning.

It may hurt, it may be uncomfortable, and it may be embarrassing.  However, in the end, pruning will help you to be more successful and help you to thrive in a more healthy manner.

Now just if I can find those pruning shears!

Spencer's Birthday

Twenty one years ago today, I was having a hard time grasping the fact I was a new father for the first time.  The feelings and emotions that I experienced that morning are not easy to explain.  But reality hit me hard and became very clear the moment I held Spencer Christian Martin in my arms for the first time.

As I stood there with this sweet little boy in my arms, with tears streaming down my face, - studying his beautiful face and hands and tiny feet, I was struck with an overwhelming sense of humility and responsibility and love.  This was new, and different, and wonderful, and exciting.  I began to think about all of the many things that he would experience in life: walking for the first time; talking; preschool; girlfriends; sports and music; taking a bride; life decisions, and even decisions about eternity.
But life is not perfect and is wasn't long before Spencer started to demonstrate to his mother and me that the stubborn and independent Martin gene had been passed down from me in a strong and powerful way.  I remember, at the tender age of 5, Spencer informed me that he was sick of me and of living at home and was running away.  As a young father, I made the mistake of pretending that I didn't care and helped him pack his little backpack.  All the while I was thinking that he would back out.  Being a Martin, he didn't.

As he left the house, I told him he could come back when he was grateful and appreciative, said "goodbye", and shut the door.  And then my heart started to race terribly.  How far would he go? How close to the main road should I let him get before I run out the door after him?  Why was he breaking my heart like this?

I have never told Spencer this, but as I shut the front door, I raced upstairs to the master bathroom that had a window on the side of the house and faced the direction Spencer was heading as he ran away from home, and I watched his every move.  As Spencer kept walking for what seemed like miles and miles (in reality it was 100 yards), my heart and mind and emotions were racing.  A tear trickled down my cheek.  Why was he doing this?  Why is parenting so hard?  If he is doing this at five, what will he be like as a teenager?  In my inner voice, I was screaming for Spencer to stop and come back.  And then he did stop.  And he sat on the curb, his head down, his backpack still on, and he didn't move.  He was thinking I guess.  Going over his options.  Facing his fears.  And he sat there for over half an hour.  And I stood at the window the entire time waiting for him to turn around and come home.  Waiting to go open the door and welcome him back.

And finally he did.  He stood up, looked at the house for a few minutes, and started walking back home, his shoulders and head drooping low.

As Spencer turns 21 today and "officially" enters adulthood, my hope and prayer is that he will make his own way, follow his passions, and experience life to it's fullest with all of it's ups and downs.

And somewhere in the back of his mind, I hope that he will know that I love him more than I could ever express to him in words or actions, and that I will always be watching him through the "window", from a distance, urging him on, praying that he makes the right decisions.  And that if times get really tough, I will still run to the front door and welcome him in with open arms.  I am still trying to figure out how to be a good father, and often times I fail, but I will always be here to support him, encourage him, and cheer for him through the "window".

Happy 21st birthday Spencer!  Welcome to adulthood!  You're going to do great!

The American Soldier

Some of my favorite memories of when we lived in St. Louis was of the F-18's flying directly over our house.  The boys would rush out into the yard to see them as they flew by and jump up and down with excitement.  The power and speed of these machines were truly amazing and, in some way, it just made me proud of our country.  So when a friend sent me the following e-mail I was perplexed by the complaint, but so proud of the answer that was given.  The true story is as follows:

 Luke  AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being  surrounded by civilization that complains about  the noise from the base and its planes,  forgetting that it was there long before they  were..  A certain lieutenant colonel at  Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back.  Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere  near Luke AFB wrote the local paper complaining  about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/her  day at the mall.
The  complaint: 'Question  of the day for Luke Air Force  Base:
Whom do we thank for the  morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely  9:11 A.M, a tight formation of four F-16 jets  made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing  west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet.  Imagine our good fortune!  Do the Tom  Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call,  or were they trying to impress the cashiers at  Mervyns early bird special?
Any  response would be  appreciated. 
The  response:
Regarding  'A wake-up call from Luke's jets' on June 15, at  precisely 9:12  a.m . , a  perfectly timed four- ship fly by of F-1 6s from  the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base  flew over the grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques.  Capt Fresques was an Air Force officer who was  previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and  was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial  Day.

At 9 a. m. on June 15, his  family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial  Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband,  son and friend. Based on the letter writer's  recount of the fly by, and because of the jet  noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun  salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the  widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave  them their son's flag on behalf of the President  of the United States and all those veterans and  servicemen and women who understand the  sacrifices they have endured..

A  four-ship fly by is a display of respect the Air  Force gives to those who give their lives in  defense of freedom. We are professional aviators  and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what  the letter writer witnessed was four officers  lining up to pay their ultimate  respects.

The letter writer asks,  'Whom do we thank for the morning air show? The  56th Fighter Wing will make the call for you,  and forward your thanks to the widow and parents  of Capt Fresques, and thank them for you, for it  was in their honor that my pilots flew the most  honorable formation of their  lives.

Only two defining forces have  ever offered to die for you....Jesus Christ and  the American Soldier.
One died for your  soul, the other for your  freedom. 
Lt.  Col. Grant L. Rosensteel,  Jr. 


I felt especially compelled to "blog" this e-mail because our family currently has a family member flying with the U.S.A.F. to protect our freedoms.  Thank you Max for putting it on the line for us everyday.  We are proud of you.  Thank you Tamsey for the sacrifices you make also. I read your Facebook posts and know that it is hard for you to keep things together.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you.  Our respect is without limit.  Our gratitude for what you do cant be expressed adequately.  


God Bless!

The Lack of Courage

I have to register in on the Penn State travesty.  My wife grew up in Pennsylvania and was a Nittany Lion fan by birth.  Her neighbor was a good friend to Joe Paterno, and her family still loves PSU to this day.  My brother-in-law even has an app for the game day schedule.  Some say Joe Pa stayed too long.  It is a shame to see him go in this manner.  But I always try to see the other side of the coin to help me better understand a situation.  And I have a strong suspicion that the family of the 10-year-old that was abused doesn't feel too badly about Paterno and Graham Spanier, the President of Penn State, being fired.  Ironically, most people think the two individuals were fired because of a sex scandal.  The truth is that they were fired for having a lack of courage.

It is said that speaking the truth is harder than knowing the truth.  And I agree.

For example, let's say that you knew that an employee was stealing from the company, yet you didn't have the courage to say anything.  Who is guilty? Let's say that someone uses a company credit card for something that is not authorized. maybe putting gasoline in their personal car instead of in the company vehicle.  Let's say someone uses the company petty cash for their own personal meals.  Or maybe someone takes material away from a job site that the owner could have turned in for cash, yet the employee takes it home and sells it himself.  Everyone reading this blog would agree that the person committing these acts is guilty.  But I strongly believe that anyone that knows of these acts and doesn't have the courage to speak up, is just as guilty as the person who actually committed the act.

Lack of courageous candor starts at the top. That’s why the President of Penn State is out.  Nowadays, people don't want to get involved.  It's too messy and people don't have time to deal with issues other than their own.  And for the most part, people don't like confrontation.  But a strange thing usually happens when someone does have the courage to speak.  For example, having the courage to be direct and address an issue:

1. Gets more people involved in the conversation
2. Generates speed and helps resolve an issue sooner than if ignored
3. Cuts waste and costs

I liked Joe Paterno.  In some respects, it is a sad day at Penn State and for all of college football.  But Joe's record will forever be tainted.  And it all could have been avoided if he and Graham Spanier would have had the courage to stand up for a little 10-year-old boy, if they would have put an innocent child's well-being ahead of wins, and X's and O's on the field.  


They both knew the truth but they both lacked the courage to say anything or follow it through.

But I wonder if we all are really any different?