A Thank You Letter to Mom and Dad

Dear Mom and Dad,

Today marks the end of one of the most embarrassing times in the history of our country. As I've reflected on the last year, I realized that I needed to thank you both for a whole bunch of things. 

Thank you for...

- teaching me that every single person has value

- showing me how to care for those that are less fortunate than us

- demonstrating what it means to respectfully disagree with someone 

- caring enough to let me make mistakes without shaming me

- incorporating a loving way into how you treated me and my sister

- welcoming people into our home who had struggled in wars, were damaged, and had strong opinions that did not match ours, so I could l appreciate all people

- discussing important issues, including the "other side's point of view" so I could learn 

- making sure I didn't treat people unfairly, regardless of my position

- coaching me when I got too full of myself

- teaching me to be an effective parent so my children could grow up to make their own choices

- helping me learn the power of listening

- teaching me to be an advocate for those who don't have a voice

- to have the confidence necessary to stand up to hatred when it is a lonely place to be

You both have give me so much...I can only hope that I do half as well passing on these values to my amazing kids.

Love you,

-Jay

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The Ultimate Internal Transfer

One of the greatest things about the United States is going to happen tomorrow. We're going to go to the polls (if we haven't participated in early voting) and cast our ballot for President. There won't be any militias or secret police on hand...nor will there be any election observers from foreign countries...and the United Nations will not need to deploy a peace keeping force. None of that will be necessary because our leaders, and our nation, take the high road.

But this time around I don't think either party, or their supporters, represented themselves well.

I found myself this election season feeling disappointed not only in each candidate's ability to be honest and forthright about their plans for the future, and their failures from the past (no one is perfect, after all); but I came to lose respect for a still growing number of connections, friends and contacts who have chosen to rant and rave on various social channels about their candidate of choice.

The reality is our country had lost much respect around the world based on the previous administration's lust for war. Don't believe me? Have you seen any weapons of mass destruction since we bombed Iraq back into a third world country?

Another reality is that the promises and guarantees made during the last election have fallen woefully short, and it appears the current President has a "government-regulations-are-best-for-America" philosophy. That is clearly wrong.

So the alternative is someone who has made millions destroying American jobs in the private sector; and implemented universal healthcare as Governor in Massachusetts; both approaches that he now disavows. What?

Add to this mess the non-stop virtual screaming of folks from both sides who seem to believe the world is going to end if the other side wins.

Please people. If you could hear how hysterical you are you would be embarrassed.

Despite the inherited chaos, the failed promises of the President, the now-conservative even though he is at least a moderate at heart challenger, and the tumultuous and slow recovery, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else on the planet.

So beginning tomorrow when we go to the polls and freely vote, I hope that the people on both sides realize that no matter who wins, they still have had the freedom to rant, and raise money, put signs in their yards, and post messages on social media sites without fear of repercussion because they live here.

That freedom, that has cost so many American lives, is worth tolerating a whole lot of election season noise...and is just about the best internal transfer an HR guy like me can imagine.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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