Random Act of Kindness -- RAK. Such a simple concept. Do something nice for someone with no expectations. Open the door for someone. Pick something up they may have dropped and return it to them. We have opportunities many times every day at RAKs. But I can tell you from personal experience that it is easier said than done for most people.
I have an incredible life. The opportunities I have been given, the people I am surrounded by, the life I lead -- all fantastic!! A random act of kindness is a chance to pay back. I even think it's a chance to pay forward.
When I was in the corporate world I was sent to many management classes. One of the lessons that stuck for me was the "10 to 1" rule. This concept proposed that people will remember a negative comment or reprimand much longer than most positive ones. Therefore you had to do 10 'positive' things to balance each negative. The context this was in pertained more to people management and positive reinforcement but I apply the same theory to RAKs.
I try to do as many RAKs as I can to balance the many negative things that I tend to do -- which will go un-mentioned in this post, but those who know me best -- KNOW. And I believe this works. There certainly is a lot of good stuff going on in my life in spite of my screw-ups so it must work.
Many times a RAK is such a simple, effortless thing for you to do and yet can be a big thing to another. For guys, I think many times testosterone gets in the way. Things become a competition in our unending efforts to be the best. But if we slow down and look at the big picture -- put things in perspective of what is REALLY important in the long run, not 'just this moment' -- I believe better decisions will be made.
Perhaps the one RAK we can all do -- me included -- would be to drive friendly. Pretend we actually KNOW that person in the other car and are going to see them again face-to-face. Be nice. Drive Friendly.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
A Passover 101 Lesson
Tonight, at sunset, Jews celebrate Passover (think: Charlton Heston and the Ten Commandments). The tenth plague that GOD beset on the Egyptians was the slaughter of the first-born. The Israelites were instructed to mark their doorposts with the blood of a lamb and therefore 'passed over' by the plague. Passover is a seven-day festival celebrating our liberation from slavery. Exodus 13:8 instructs us to share this story with our children. What better way than at a dinner table?
The Passover Seder is a feast on the first night with seven symbolic foods, a little wine, readings from the Haggadah (an ancient writing that tells the story of the exodus) and some song. The seven foods include: two bitter herbs (horseradish and romaine lettuce) to symbolize the bitterness and harsh life of a slave; charoset (sweet, brown mixture of honey, ground nuts and cinnamon) to represent the mortar used by the slaves to build; vegetable (usually celery or parsley) dipped in salt water to symbolize the pain the slaves felt (salt water = tears); a lamb shankbone that represents the sacrificial lamb; a hard boiled egg is a symbol of mourning (eggs are the first thing served after a Jewish funeral); and 3 pieces of Matzah or unleavened bread (the Jews didn't have time to bake before Moses led them out).
Of course there is a ritual associated with all this. And prayer. But the main point is to never forget. Many of the customs surrounding the dinner were designed to get the children to ask questions, why is tonite different than all other nites? Why do we only eat unleavened bread? Why are we reclined while eating?
There is also the major house cleaning that goes on -- usually for days -- before Passover. The goal is to remove every last morsel of chametz. Chametz is something made from the five grains and then mixed with water and allowed to ferment, like bread. There is some controversy about exactly what these five grains are but varieties of wheat and barley are accepted by many. But as with religion in general, everyone has an interpretation. Interestingly, the Torah provides a very high level of punishment for even OWNING chametz during Passover -- spiritual excision. Hence the aggressive house cleaning to remove EVERY morsel.
(Since this is my blog, I get to share opinions about things without justification, like this) I feel that many of the Jewish Laws -- like not eating pork, or removing ALL chametz in the Spring -- were a method for the Rabbis of old to motivate healthy lifestyles amongst people. What better way to protect people from poorly cooked pig? Or get them to 'Spring Clean'?
And now I have done my mitvah (a religious duty outlined in the Torah) as well as posted here three days in a row!! Hopefully you learned something today.
The Passover Seder is a feast on the first night with seven symbolic foods, a little wine, readings from the Haggadah (an ancient writing that tells the story of the exodus) and some song. The seven foods include: two bitter herbs (horseradish and romaine lettuce) to symbolize the bitterness and harsh life of a slave; charoset (sweet, brown mixture of honey, ground nuts and cinnamon) to represent the mortar used by the slaves to build; vegetable (usually celery or parsley) dipped in salt water to symbolize the pain the slaves felt (salt water = tears); a lamb shankbone that represents the sacrificial lamb; a hard boiled egg is a symbol of mourning (eggs are the first thing served after a Jewish funeral); and 3 pieces of Matzah or unleavened bread (the Jews didn't have time to bake before Moses led them out).
Of course there is a ritual associated with all this. And prayer. But the main point is to never forget. Many of the customs surrounding the dinner were designed to get the children to ask questions, why is tonite different than all other nites? Why do we only eat unleavened bread? Why are we reclined while eating?
There is also the major house cleaning that goes on -- usually for days -- before Passover. The goal is to remove every last morsel of chametz. Chametz is something made from the five grains and then mixed with water and allowed to ferment, like bread. There is some controversy about exactly what these five grains are but varieties of wheat and barley are accepted by many. But as with religion in general, everyone has an interpretation. Interestingly, the Torah provides a very high level of punishment for even OWNING chametz during Passover -- spiritual excision. Hence the aggressive house cleaning to remove EVERY morsel.
(Since this is my blog, I get to share opinions about things without justification, like this) I feel that many of the Jewish Laws -- like not eating pork, or removing ALL chametz in the Spring -- were a method for the Rabbis of old to motivate healthy lifestyles amongst people. What better way to protect people from poorly cooked pig? Or get them to 'Spring Clean'?
And now I have done my mitvah (a religious duty outlined in the Torah) as well as posted here three days in a row!! Hopefully you learned something today.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
STS Update
How about this! Second post in as many days. WOW! Can he keep it up? Time will tell.
I thought it might be a good idea to update folks about my trucking company, seeing how I've not posted anything in a very long time (yesterday excluded). I'm back down to one driver besides myself. But he has been with me almost from the beginning. George is a horse. He runs hard and is as reliable as the rain on a summer afternoon here in FL, where I have been spending most of my time. Before you give me too much grief about living in FL while my company is based in southern IL (near St. Louis); remember that I can not do a good job with the back-office stuff (dispatch, billing, marketing, etc) when I'm driving down the road. And thanks to the internet, a laptop and a cell phone, my location is not really important.
I do have a couple other guys that are close to coming on with us. The first one maybe my oldest son. That is a business owners dream, I think: to see his son (daughter) take over the company and watch both of them grow. I'm planning on buying a new (to me) truck in the next 30-days or so. Nathan has expressed an interest in driving it.
In case you aren't aware, STS fills a very specialized niche in the trucking industry. We are hot shots. I'm not talking about the personality disorder but the type of freight we haul. We use one-ton, diesel pick-up trucks to pull flatbed, gooseneck trailers. We can handle loads up to 15,000 lbs and 36' long. We offer time-sensitive delivery for those Less Than a Truckload items.
Here's a link to our website with pictures and more details: STS HOT SHOTS.COM
I have another guy, former truck driver, who just bought himself a brand new 2012 Dodge Ram dually and is planning to start with us later this month. He had some personal business to resolve first and expects to be available after the 15th.
Then there is the retired guy from Boeing that worked for us last summer. Boeing called him up and made him an offer he couldn't refuse doing a temporary, contract-labor thing in Macon, GA. He was suppose to be done Jan 1 but they gave him a 90-day extension. Then gave him another 90-days just last month. Apparently he's doing a little too good for them. But I got an email a week ago and he assured me he will be back, eventually. I can't blame the guy. They are paying him very handsomely in addition to an apartment and a car to use.
So the future is bright from that angle. But now I need to get busy growing our customer base. These drivers are going to want to work. And things have slowed down a bit for us over the last couple weeks. Not sure why. But I think there is opportunity. And I need to get drivers available before I start promoting our business. It won't do any good if I start getting phone calls for trucks and my ONE guy is already out.
Can't forget my lady in Indiana. She is a freight broker. She has a few clients that buy and sell cars, usually off the internet. She finds carriers to move the cars for them using my federal Motor Carrier Authority (permission to haul freight interstate for-hire). This is a side of the industry I intend to get much more into, eventually -- Freight Forwarding. I frequently get calls to move freight that is beyond our ability (too big or heavy) or in a place I don't have a truck. I can still help these folks by using my network of connections to find a truck that can do the job for them. That's down the road.
And at some point I'm going to need some office help. The feds are extremely demanding about paperwork and compliance. The trucking industry is second only to the financial industry in federal oversight. You've seen those weigh stations along the interstate? There is a lot of stuff going on in there besides just checking weight.
So now you're up to speed on my biz. I've kept my promise from yesterday, at least for now. And it's beach time. It's 87 degrees and not a cloud in the sky here.
I thought it might be a good idea to update folks about my trucking company, seeing how I've not posted anything in a very long time (yesterday excluded). I'm back down to one driver besides myself. But he has been with me almost from the beginning. George is a horse. He runs hard and is as reliable as the rain on a summer afternoon here in FL, where I have been spending most of my time. Before you give me too much grief about living in FL while my company is based in southern IL (near St. Louis); remember that I can not do a good job with the back-office stuff (dispatch, billing, marketing, etc) when I'm driving down the road. And thanks to the internet, a laptop and a cell phone, my location is not really important.
I do have a couple other guys that are close to coming on with us. The first one maybe my oldest son. That is a business owners dream, I think: to see his son (daughter) take over the company and watch both of them grow. I'm planning on buying a new (to me) truck in the next 30-days or so. Nathan has expressed an interest in driving it.
In case you aren't aware, STS fills a very specialized niche in the trucking industry. We are hot shots. I'm not talking about the personality disorder but the type of freight we haul. We use one-ton, diesel pick-up trucks to pull flatbed, gooseneck trailers. We can handle loads up to 15,000 lbs and 36' long. We offer time-sensitive delivery for those Less Than a Truckload items.
Here's a link to our website with pictures and more details: STS HOT SHOTS.COM
I have another guy, former truck driver, who just bought himself a brand new 2012 Dodge Ram dually and is planning to start with us later this month. He had some personal business to resolve first and expects to be available after the 15th.
Then there is the retired guy from Boeing that worked for us last summer. Boeing called him up and made him an offer he couldn't refuse doing a temporary, contract-labor thing in Macon, GA. He was suppose to be done Jan 1 but they gave him a 90-day extension. Then gave him another 90-days just last month. Apparently he's doing a little too good for them. But I got an email a week ago and he assured me he will be back, eventually. I can't blame the guy. They are paying him very handsomely in addition to an apartment and a car to use.
So the future is bright from that angle. But now I need to get busy growing our customer base. These drivers are going to want to work. And things have slowed down a bit for us over the last couple weeks. Not sure why. But I think there is opportunity. And I need to get drivers available before I start promoting our business. It won't do any good if I start getting phone calls for trucks and my ONE guy is already out.
Can't forget my lady in Indiana. She is a freight broker. She has a few clients that buy and sell cars, usually off the internet. She finds carriers to move the cars for them using my federal Motor Carrier Authority (permission to haul freight interstate for-hire). This is a side of the industry I intend to get much more into, eventually -- Freight Forwarding. I frequently get calls to move freight that is beyond our ability (too big or heavy) or in a place I don't have a truck. I can still help these folks by using my network of connections to find a truck that can do the job for them. That's down the road.
And at some point I'm going to need some office help. The feds are extremely demanding about paperwork and compliance. The trucking industry is second only to the financial industry in federal oversight. You've seen those weigh stations along the interstate? There is a lot of stuff going on in there besides just checking weight.
So now you're up to speed on my biz. I've kept my promise from yesterday, at least for now. And it's beach time. It's 87 degrees and not a cloud in the sky here.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
I'm Saying it AGAIN!
I really do want to be more consistent with my posts here. As much as I may WANT to though, it just seems so difficult to actually make it happen. Perhaps that is just a microcosm of life; so often the reality falls short of our vision. So maybe I should change my vision?
This blog began as a way for me to share my adventures as I traveled the USA as a truck driver. When I got my own federal Motor Carrier Authority (permission from the feds to do this as my own boss), I soon realized that I could make money finding loads for other drivers operating with my name on their door. But I could not do BOTH drive and dispatch. Over time, I opted for the less demanding work of dispatch. If you haven't driven PROFESSIONALLY - you don't get it. OTR truck driving is a lifestyle; not just a job. It takes a special personality. There is a lot more to it than just holding the steering wheel for 10 hours a day.
Now, as 'Office Boy', I do not have the input of new adventures to write about. Or do I? I do not want this blog to be about me. Facebook is about the world knowing every nuance of your personal life. I have too many skeletons for that. I would rather tell stories, preferably true, or at least mostly. I want to entertain with words. So I need a new vision of what this blog is about.
Rather than my travels, which are limited, I am expanding my topics to include current events. Don't worry. This is not a news source. I will be too opinionated for that.
So, I apologize for not providing new content here for almost six months. And I make a promise (again) to be more consistent. This is a start.
This blog began as a way for me to share my adventures as I traveled the USA as a truck driver. When I got my own federal Motor Carrier Authority (permission from the feds to do this as my own boss), I soon realized that I could make money finding loads for other drivers operating with my name on their door. But I could not do BOTH drive and dispatch. Over time, I opted for the less demanding work of dispatch. If you haven't driven PROFESSIONALLY - you don't get it. OTR truck driving is a lifestyle; not just a job. It takes a special personality. There is a lot more to it than just holding the steering wheel for 10 hours a day.
Now, as 'Office Boy', I do not have the input of new adventures to write about. Or do I? I do not want this blog to be about me. Facebook is about the world knowing every nuance of your personal life. I have too many skeletons for that. I would rather tell stories, preferably true, or at least mostly. I want to entertain with words. So I need a new vision of what this blog is about.
Rather than my travels, which are limited, I am expanding my topics to include current events. Don't worry. This is not a news source. I will be too opinionated for that.
So, I apologize for not providing new content here for almost six months. And I make a promise (again) to be more consistent. This is a start.
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