Happy Birthday Emily Diehm

March first was my mother in-laws birthday. She died a few years ago at the age of 69. Yes, that’s way too early for us. Life has not been the same without Emily Diehm. When She passed onto the next life she left a huge hole in the heart of my wife Kathy. It’s a void that will never be replaced. In a lot of ways that’s a good thing. Sure it hurts and the pain turns up in Kathy’s eyes as a wet spot when a memory surfaces. But wouldn’t it be nice to know that when you leave this earth to be with God that you leave a mark. So many people do things to be remembered. They want their names left behind on a building or to have a street named after them. I think what’s more telling is to leave your life imprinted on the hearts of your children so they never forget who you were. I hope my kids someday feel about me, the way my wife feels about the loss of her mother.

This past week I was in Portland on business and stopped by with some flowers to put on Emily’s grave. I took a picture to show my wife. That wet spot showed up in the corner of her eye as she hugged me and said, “thanks for remembering”.

The Music used in the video up top is by David Nevue. Check him out he’s from Eugene, Oregon. http://www.rainmusic.com

Unemployed: Too Close for Comfort

For 23 years I reported on unemployment and talked about the statistics but they never really meant that much to me. Not that I didn’t care it’s just that I hadn’t experienced unemployment.

Now I pick up my shrinking Register Guard Newspaper and find the headlines are talking about me. I am one of the unemployed. Today’s headline read Oregon hits 9.9% unemployment in January. Technically that number doesn’t reflect me or many other Oregonians because we don’t qualify for unemployment. Before you climb all over me I’m not complaining. I quit my job knowing I wouldn’t get unemployment. But when you read a headline like that you must understand it’s not accurate.

It’s ironic really. I’ve tried to stay up on the latest trends and movements so I could be a better member of my community. When you understand people you do a better job serving. But this time I’ve gone too far. (I’m still smiling) Rather than staying a safe distance from the fire, I’m in it with many of you. Wow, it’s hot in here isn’t it? I had a guy ask me the other day what I was doing and I told him I’m unemployed. He thought that was great because he and many of his friends don’t have jobs either. I think he felt more connected to me because we had something in common.

The article also said state economists didn’t expect us to be out of this slump until maybe 2012. That’s a long time. So if you are one of us, one of the unemployed what do you do? Advice is the last thing we need. We don’t need to hear people tell us it will get better. You can’t say that unless you’re in the same line.

I’m going to just keep digging. I’ll look under any rock that seems moveable. I will ignore the headlines because waking up to that does me absolutely no good. I won’t depend on the government to help me or change my situation. I honestly don’t think the government (either party) knows what it’s doing. I will continue to hope “it” works but won’t bet my future on it. I refuse to be part of the problem and hope for failure. We can’t afford partisanship right now. I remind those in charge, those holding the purse strings, that when you are unemployed you don’t care who wins. You only care that people look for real solutions and leave their selfish desires for power out of the picture.

It’s Been One Year Tonight

One year ago tonight I took the biggest risk of my life and left my career behind to run or Oregon Secretary of State. Wow, so much has changed in a year. I think many of us get locked into thinking that we are what we do. You don’t find out until you are willing to give it up that you are so much more. There is not a day goes by that I don’t thank God that I listened, walked away, and gave up the comfort and control of KEZI. For all those who ask “will you go back?” The answer is I have no regrets and don’t need that anymore. KEZI filled a void for me but that is no longer a need. I had some great years in the news industry and I’m still doing news but now I’m not constrained by those who can’t think outside the box\ Making money is not my goal it’s telling stories and getting people involved in the process. Freedom is a funny thing. Yes, it is costly and it means leaving comfortable things behind. (salary) But it also means you no longer have a string attached and that means you can do what you truly think is right. Risk: the best thing I have ever done….leaving.

Personal Ads

I have a friend in Bend, Oregon who loves to read the personal adds. She has a website called Pebblechaser. It’s listed on my blogroll below. She posted this the other day and I can’t stop laughing. Some of you may be offended so be warned.

It goes like this:

Barry: The New Normal

I just met a guy named Barry. I’m sure he has a last name but for simplicity sake we’re just going to stick to first names. He came into Full City Coffee Shop off 13^th and High. He looked very familiar. You see, when Barry smiles the whole room lights up. It’s not just his smile it’s his eyes. They are those eyes that sparkle and get all scrunched up in the corners as if they are attached to his mouth and can’t help but shine when his face lights up.

Barry is hearing impaired. I know that because I asked a young woman (caregiver) who was with him. And I noticed that Barry’s language was less about noise and more about graceful, simple, understandable movements that reminded me of art rather than chatter. I recognized Barry from a banquet we went to the other night for the Oregon Supported Living Program. It’s a program you will be hearing much more about in the future. OSLP works with folks who have disabilities.

There is something amazing about Barry and people like him. The world looks at them and says they are not normal. But who can really say that. What is normal? Is it normal to be happy? Is it normal to take the rest of us at face value? Is it normal to trust, to smile and to say exactly what’s on your mind no matter what the consequences may bring?

What if we were to talk with Barry (sign) and ask him if living with a hearing issue is normal for him? He’d probably answer “yes”. I think the rest of us, who think we have the right to define normal, just don’t get it. We look at Barry and those like him and think less-than when in all truth there’s something inside us that wishes we were that free.

Perhaps it’s time to redefine Normal. But when we sit down to do it, let’s put Barry and some of his friends on the redefinition committee.

Silent Treatment