Thoughts & Deeds

The other night during a New Communicators event idea discussion group,  I had a conversation with Jerry Ketel and Tyesha Snow about the power of inspiration and the idea that all creative companies should subsidize – in some way — inspirational experiences for employees. … more

I grew up on the Puget Sound, with sea water in view and the sound of gulls in my ears each day. Mine is a coastal folk, whether from Scotland or Ireland or Sweden, always near the water if not on it. The ocean delineates the boundaries of all I know, a comforting velvet rope marking the edges of my life and the adventures that will take place once I get from here to there.

I’ve never lived more than two hours from the Pacific Ocean. Not being near a body of water that large is like sleeping alone in a king size bed – when you’re in the middle of it you can’t stick your foot or arm out and know “ah yes, there’s the edge.” Out here in the Pacific Northwest, the ocean is my main geographical reference point. I know its shape as British Columbia becomes Washington becomes Oregon and moves on through California to become Mexico and South America. It tells me that our borders don’t matter, that the sea endures when these borders change and are washed away by the next tide.

Whether it’s on a sandy beach in Oceanside or the black pahoehoe of Hawai’i, facing the enormity of the ocean is sublime. No matter who or what we are in life, we all came from those briny depths. Oceans contain us and give us form, challenge us to cross them, soothe us to sleep, threaten to unmake us.

Without them, we are nothing.

When Muxtape died at the heavy hands of the RIAA it was a sad day for those of us who enjoyed sharing and discovering new music via old skool mix tapes. Thankfully, OpenTape brings the music back to the masses! I’m relaunching my monthly mixes and hope you’ll share your mixes if you have them. … more

It’s not easy to describe how it felt when California passed Proposition 8 – banning same-sex marriages – last week. The same happened in Oregon four years ago. We search for words to express how it feels to know that secretly (and openly) 52% of people hate us. We rage and we cry and we feel empty. We try to forgive, to keep hope alive, to move forward despite this setback. … more

Mine is a pretty cynical generation. Most of us in our 30s have spent the majority of our lives in a recession, in a war over oil, facing climate change, and enduring political parties that fail to inspire much less to lead us to a better tomorrow. We’ve lacked hope that things will get better, that people are good and decent, and that we can somehow change our situation. … more

Put aside ideas of “real Americans” and “pro-American” parts of the country and the divisive rhetoric from both political parties. Look around you. Take in what you see, and realize that we can’t become a better city, state, or nation without each other — in spite of our differences. … more

One of the wonderful things about running a creative agency is that on the rare 70 degree mid-October day you can play hookey and enjoy the sun. You can’t take a gift like this and stay inside in the Pacific Northwest. No! It’s an imperative to get outside, recharge, enjoy the weather and get some vitamin D. … more

Maybe it’s that I’ve played team sports since I was 5, but I love me a team. Not watching teams, but being part of one. I love the cameraderie, the friendly competition, the way the whole transcends the sum of its parts to become something new, better, more awesome. Nothing brings this home for me like going to the Gay Softball World Series with my amazing Cleats O’ Fire.

We’re not the best team in the world. This year we’re 5th in the nation in the D division, which is the lowest division for women’s teams. We’re kind of like the Bad News Bears at times, throwing wildly and popping the ball up so high that it might hit a plane. Then again, there are the grand slams, the double-plays, the amazing catches, and Wheels O’ Fire around the bases.

Our rules are simple:

1. Have fun.
2. Be safe.
3. Throw to people.

Softball isn’t an individual sport; grand slams can’t happen if the bases aren’t loaded, double-plays require 2-3 people (most of the time), and some of us need the extra help of base coaches and on-deck batters to remind us when to run from third base to home (not that this happened to me, of course). We need each other. We’re better together. In fact, we’re at our best together.

No home run hitter in the world can pull together a crappy team and turn them into winners. A single ringer doesn’t win games. An individual can excel by themselves, or they can help to lift the whole team up. We have some pretty impressive players on the team, but each year we all get a little bit better, become more confident, and play smarter because we all work together regardless of skill or experience.

So, a week with the Cleats reminds me of the transcendent power of being part of a team, taking care of each other, having fun together, and running your butt off when it’s called for. Whether it’s playtime in the pool, board games in the hotel lobby, carpooling to games, or being on the field with our cleats in the grass and sun in our eyes, we’re a team through and through. That’s what I want to bring to my work, my friendships, my marriage, and my life.

Keep up the good work, my Cleats!

* Team pictured above in the photo that won us $500 in sponsorship money from Subaru. Oh yes, we’ve got stuff!

Remember in high school when you had to read Homer’s Odyssey? Your teacher probably bored you with discussions of archetypes, heroes, and a whole lot of crazy Greek gods, goddesses, and weird offspring and creatures like Charybdis. Maybe if you had a really cool teacher and you got to watch Star Wars as a treat, only to be tricked into discussing how it’s just like the Odyssey with all those archetypes and heroes and plot arcs and weird creatures like Jawas. … more

I’m not normally the adventure-seeking type, but when our rafting guide suggested that I “ride the bull” for my birthday this weekend, I couldn’t really find fault with the idea. That’s me on the front of the raft, holding on tightly in case the river consumes me, throwing the f*ck yeah horns high in the air, just moments before I had a few hundred gallons of White Salmon River pumped through my sinuses. See how we’re all smiling, excited, lost in the moment? … more