Friendly Conections

On this last day of the first month of 2015 (1/31/2015), I enjoyed watching my daughter hang with her best friend in a vacant gym and shoot baskets.  The 31st day of 2015 was filled with a LOT of basketball as there were two Rec games and two Travel games for which we assisted in running the clock.  But after all was said and done, these two shot baskets, and talked, and the connection that my daughter has with this friend (and with MANY of her friends, for that matter), makes me smile.

Connected to the PTA

The 30th Day of 2015 ended with multiple PTA activities.  And, on 1/30/2015, I thought to myself how lucky I am and how appreciative as well that my kids' school has such an active PTA.  From yesterday's Book Fair, to today's Bingo Night and Jalapeno's Fundraiser, it is good to feel connected to a bunch of parents and teachers who care so much about the students of OPS.  And whether I am volunteering, or partaking, or even hearing about the events and fun, the connections are rich and meaningful.

Connections By the Book

1/29/15 and the 29th Day of 2015 found me doing something I love to do - I worked the Book Fair, as a PTA Volunteer, in Alexa and Anna's School.  I love watching these young people shop for books and get excited about reading.  Literacy and Education are so important in this world today and watching these kids connect with these books, with each other, and with the subjects of the books, is inspiring.  I am so glad the PTA sets it up for us to volunteer here.

High School Connections - almost 30 years later

Although it has not been 30 years (yet), it is close to that distance of time from when I and my classmates graduated from High School.  And, on the 28th day of 2014, I felt close to my classmates once again only because one of my classmates posted pictures of our yearbook on Facebook.  And I am appreciative, on 1/28/15, of the connectivity of FB and my connections with my classmates, mostly on FB, that are sustaining.  No matter where in the country (or, in some cases, the world), I can hear about births, successess, trials. and tribulations.  And, although we have not had a reunion in a while, I feel like I know how most of my classmates are doing.  It's good to be connected to that part of my life and, again, thankful for social media which enables it for me.

More Family Connections

January is a big birthday month for our extended family, there seems to be one every other day or so. There is a stretch, and we're in it now, where EVERY day is a birthday.  And, on the 27th day of 2015, on 1/27/15. as we were singing Happy Birthday on the phone to our fantastic niece Ashley, I thought to myself how awesome it is to have such a close family, even when the family is spread out across the country. Whether in State College, or Northern Virginia, or California, or just around the corner here in Oaklyn, or in York, or Tom's River, or Texas, or Oregon, it is nice to feel connected all across our family and I am glad technology such as social media, and phones, and the like help us with those connections.

Mom and Me

The 26th day of the year is always the birthday of my mom.  Happy Birthday, Bonnie Sherr, on this fine 1/26/15.  I do not think I have to wax on about the connections that exist between me and my mom, but I am thankful for the many ways in which we can connect even though she is on the West Coast and I on the East.  From Facetime singing of Happy Birthday, to the constant connections provided on Facebook by TBT posts (and more), I am glad to be connected with my mom, even if not always in person (although I cherish those times too).  LOVE YOU MOM!!!

(and, PS, Happy Birthday to my pal, George Schafer, poor George always has to share my love on his birthday since he was born the same day as my mom - but I love him too!)

Key Connections

One thing I am beginning to realize about myself is how important connections are to me and how difficult it is for me to let go of them.  And, today, 1/25/2015, was no exception.  On this 25th day of 2015, the Annual Meeting for Old First Reformed UCC occurred.  And, as I have for MANY of the past 10+ years, I delivered the Financial Report to the Congregation (as per my role as the Treasurer) and I also presented the 2015 Budget for approval.  Why is this significant, you ask?  Because these were the last times I will be doing this.  And I also realized that my key-ring tells a lot about the connections I have.  If you looked at my key-ring, this time last year, you would find keys to my home, my car, the Oaklyn Snack Stand, the Nursing School, the Penn Band, and Old First.  Basically, family, community, working at Penn, the Band, and Church.  All things that mean a lot to me.  And, since last year, my work keys have changed (and are fewer) and, as of today, my church keys are gone.  And I took them off my ring after my budget presentation and, after the meeting was over, I handed them over to my successor.  And I looked at my key-ring and it is a LOT less than it was this time last year.  Change is hard for me, but change is inevitable.  And I look at my key-ring now and I still see family, community, Penn, and the Band.  And I will have to cherish (previous day's post, I know) those connections, while establishing what my new, keyless, connections will be at OFR in the future.

Connect with Laughter

Today was the 24th day of 2015.  And 1/24/15 was a Saturday, which means I am finishing off the night by watching Saturday Night Live.  SNL is 40 this year, and I am 45, which means, for my experience, it has been on almost every Saturday evening with its combination of laughter and commentary and musical guests.  And this has me thinking about how laughter can connect us together.  Somewhere on Facebook, people are debating the humor of the opening sketch, in a blog somewhere, an SNL fan is writing a review, and, at work on Monday, people will talk about the jokes from the SNL episode the weekend before.  Shared humor, or even disagreements about what is funny is a way we can be connected to each other in this human experience.  Frankly, the show has not been that funny (in my opinion) tonight, so I am hoping it gets better before I give up and go to bed :-).  LAUGH ON.

Cherishing Connections

Today was a tough day in many ways.  On 1/23/15, the 23rd day of 2015, I learned of the death of a beloved neighbor, and a cherished colleague from work is in the hospital......and I thought of the word cherish.  We have many connections in this world, and sometimes we can take them for granted.  But today snapped me to realize that we should honor and cherish as many of these connections as we can each and every day as the world is rapidly changing.  So I thanked many people today, even for basic little things, and I smiled at my friends, and I held my family a little closer this evening.  And I will hope and pray that my connections continue to grow and stay strong so that I can continue to cherish them as well as I am able.

Canine Connections

The 22nd Day of 2015 (1/22/15) was a tiring day.  Not a bad day, but tiring nontheless.  And, when I got home, I laid on the couch.  And, the amazing thing about my dog, Skylar, is she KNEW I was tired and she came over to hang out with me.  Pets are amazing in the connections they can foster with their owners.  I obviously cannot converse with the dog, by Skylar still connected with me, comforted me, made me laugh.  So, I will remember when she frustrates me with muddy paws and an inability to listen, that, in many other times, she connects with and comforts us.

Getting Well

Day #21 of 2015 (1/21/15) PROBABLY should have been a sick day at home.  My seasonal lung and throat issues have been persisting since before Chirstmas, but I had important meetings this week, so I went to work.  And instead of mercilessly mocking me for my lack of voice (OK, there was a little mocking, but it was not that bad), my co-workers set forth to help me get better.  One made a lemon/honey concoction (an elixir if you will) that is supposed to help me, one got me cough drops, on gave me zinc tablets he had in his desk, and the list goes on and on.  When I got home, I had soup and tea and Vitamin C.  We will kick this to the curb soon!  And I felt connected (both at work and at home) to the folks trying to help me get better and I appreciate their efforts and hope I can return the favor someday (not that I want them to get sick)....maybe I can help in a different realm!

Musical Connections

Today was Day #20 of 2015 and, on 1/20/15, I had no voice (darn sickness).  And, when you cannot talk, you have to listen more.  So that is not such a bad thing (although I DO want my voice back!), and I listened to a lot of music today and it made me reflect on the connections that music provides to us.  When I hear my kids play the piano, I think back to my own lessons at Settlement Music School, but more-so, to Sarah's mom and my mom who both played and taught (still teach) students how to play.  When I get to sit in with the Oaklyn Public School Band, I remember my own fun times at Masterman and when I play on the stage with Sarah and Alexa and Anna, I feel the connections that music provides for our family.  When I play in the stands with the Marching Band, I remember connections back to my years in the Band as a student, graduate student, and now administrative staff member and all the amazing people I have met (no one more amazing than my wife!)  And when I hear a song come on to 80's on 8 in my van, and remember back to where I was when I first heard it and who I hung out with whether it be in Highschool at a party, or in the Hill House "Pit" on the jukebox, or in 2217 HRS at one of our own festive affairs, I smile....and feel connected to my past. Music is amazing and I am so glad I have it prominently in my family and life.

Connected By Service

The 19th Day of 2015, 1/19/2015, was the observance of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday.  And so many people were involved in Days of Service, it made my heart swell with pride.  From my Church FB friends, to my student FB friends, to my childhood FB friends, and the list goes on and on.  And SERVICE is how we stay connected to society and people who are less fortunate than we are.  And this is a really important connection, a connection I hope and pray that the leaders of this country heed as the partisanship politics has already started in advance of the State of the Union.  And as I ignore the hate and vitriol I see on some others' FB pages, I will focus more on Dr. King's quote above.  And I will continue to do my best to do for others in honor of people like MLK, Jr. and others who have sacrificed so much (including the ultimate sacrifice) for the promotion of equity, tolerance, and love.

I Get So Emotional, Baby

We spent most of the 18th Day of 2015 (1/18/15) inside because of the rain and the black ice which caused hazardous road conditions, especially in the morning.  So, as we usually do when inside as a family, we caught up on DVRed TV.  And, throughout these shows, some dramas, some even reality (American Idol), I really felt an emotional connection with what was going on on the small screen. Why, I do not know.  I know in the Strengths Quest I rank high on Empathy (#2 after my #1, Woo!), so I guess it is easier for me to place myself inside the situations, even on the TV, and feel what they may be feeling (or more likely what _I_ would have been feeling if I were in the situation).  And, yes, I admit it, I cried.  Maybe it's my cold I have been battling, maybe, I do not know, but for whatever reason, I was quite aware of my emotional connections today.  And, although they get me in trouble sometimes, I treasure these emotions, I am glad when I am happy, and, frankly, everyone needs a good cry every now and then.

Pay It Forward

The 17th Day of 2015 (1/17/2015) was the beginning of pay it forward weekend.  I spent a lot of time volunteering to help a few organizations today, only one of which my kids actually participate in. But other kids were there and ensuring that they had a great experience, and helping the adults that were working with them is important to me.  And, as the kids get better at their sports or their tasks, as they get more confidence, hopefully they will move on to helping others younger than them.  How we model our kindness for the children (ours and others that are watching us more than we know) is so important.  The connections we make with these kids will continue to grow in the connections they make with others and, as with the old shampoo commercial, and so on and so on and so on!

My Phillies Phandom

The 16th day of 2015 started at Citizen's Bank Park.  These last two years, as a group ticket leader, I have been invited to the Winter Caravan Breakfast to meet prospects and for Q&A with Phillies management.  1/16/15 was the event this year and it was a really good breakfast and a really nice event and I was glad to be able to bring my good friend along with me.  And, as we took a picture with the two WS trophies and he told me how he was at the clinching game in 1980 and I told him about how I was at the clinching game in 2008 and we shared memories and it got me thinking to all of the games I went to in the 1993 series run and the fun memories even of my first games, at the Vet, with my dad.  And I realized baseball is the ultimate connecting sport, connecting generations across decades.  Connecting superstars that come back to manage or be a GM or be another part of the organization.  As Ken Giles was remembering how just last year he was on the prospect panel and now he is a large part of this team's future, I really enjoyed the connections he was making from last year to this.  I know lots of other sports have history and fandom passed down from generation to generation, but there is something about baseball and watching Charlie Manuel get excited talking about watching "good baseball being played at the High School level," it made me even happier to be such a fan.

Get Amped

On the 15th Day of 2015 (1/15/15), I found myself at one of my favorite places on campus, the HR Learning and Education Center.  Yes, I know, I am a Professional Development geek, but today I (FINALLY) completed the AMP-UP Program (details above).  Yes, it took me a while after the Cohort 1 completion to remediate the missing session, I really enjoyed today's session and glad to be complete.  The AMP-UP program is so excellent in that it not only provides an opportunity for professional development, but also provides the participants with a new network of cross-campus colleagues.  And the CONNECTIONS with my mates from Cohort 1 continue to this day and, as my colleague (who was remediating from Cohort 3 today) stated when she got her certificate, when we remediate, we get the benefit of ANOTHER network (more connections) of colleagues.

Giving is Penn's Way

Today was the 14th day of 2015, and 1/14/15 was a great day in many ways.  Had a great set of meetings at work and completed tasks, had a great conversation with a few former colleagues on my way to the Palestra after work.  And, at the Palestra, got to watch an amazing Women's Basketball game and Penn came out on top!  But, the connecting part of my day was at lunch.  Today was the Thank You Lunch for the Penn's Way campaign where we, as volunteers, were thanked by President Gutmann and many other administrators for being part of a campaign that raised over 1.6 million dollars for local charities.  And that made me feel really connected, not only thinking about those in the area who benefited from the funds, but also connected to the other 600 volunteers and the people who gave (over 16,000) across campus!  I love Penn's Way and I am glad I got to be a part of the volunteer team, even in my new place.  And I love that the Director of one of the funding umbrella agencies is a highschool classmate of mine - CONNECTIONS ABOUND.

GO TEAM!

1/13/15 and I have always liked the number 13 so I knew the 13th day of 2015 was going to be a good day, and it was.  And the workday ended with me watching Alexa in her Middle School Basketball game.  And that got me to thinking about the amazing connections that my kids have made on their teams.  Alexa and Anna have played soccer and softball with some of the most amazing kids in Oaklyn and have had some amazing coaches.  And Alexa has continued with Travel Soccer, and School Field Hockey, Basketball, and Softball.  Team sports make excellent connections with friends and these are the kids Alexa and Anna will be going to school with all through High School.  I love the friends they are making and I love to watch the product of these excellent connections which is watching a well coached team play on a field, court, diamond, etc..... GO TEAM!

Back to School

Well, it was bound to happen, on the 12th day of 2015 (1/12/15), I finally returned to work :-).  And the kids returned to School.  And they were actually excited to go back, excited to get back into their classes, excited to see their friends, and Alexa was excited to play in a Middle School Basketball game this evening (and Sarah and I were excited to get to see her play!)  I am glad my kids like their School and I am glad for all that the school provides them.  And, frankly, I am glad to be back in a routine.  The connections I see my kids making, in the classroom, with their friends, and, for Alexa, on the playing fields and the basketball court, make me very happy.

Pet Conections

1/11/15 - Day #11 of connected 2015 and, today, I could not get our pets out of my mind.  Not sure if it is because I get awoken by our cat, Talia, walking across me, asking to be fed.  Or maybe it's the joy with which we are welcomed by Skylar, our dog, when we arrive home (especially after a week in Disney).  Or maybe it is reflecting on those pets that are no longer with us, especially the recently departed Faye and Sprinkle (our hamster who died while we were away).  Pets are definitely a connecting factor in our lives.  Not only the connections they foster between us, as owners, and them as pets, but also the connections between us as a family as we take care of and interact with them.  I have always loved animals and I am glad my family shares my love for them.

Be True to Your School

1/10/15, the 10th day of 2015, was, mostly, spent with the Penn Band, not at Disney, but at the Penn-Princeton Basketball Doubleheader.  Penn-Princeton is a great rivalry, maybe more important on the Penn side, but also important to Princeton too.  And that is another way we stay connected. Connected to our alma mater and rooting them on to conquer our rivalry school, but also connected with the rivalry school in a (hopefully friendly) challenge back and forth.  And, today, it was good.  I mean I am not happy that both teams lost, but I am happy that there was a larger-than-normal crowd in Jadwin (so says informed friends of mine), that the Princeton Band and Penn Band jovially sparred, and that I got to spend more time with my friends in the Band and my family as well.  Now off to bed.

Memories, Like the Corner of My Mind

The 9th day of 2015 was our last day in Disney.  And, on 1/9/15, we returned home to Oaklyn.  And, it is good to be home, I miss Disney, but home is home sweet home!  And it was good to see Skylar again!  And we return home filled with the memories that we made on this trip. And this makes me realize that memories are some of the deepest connections we have,  Whether it is remembering your High School friends every time you go on Space Mountain, or running into former colleagues from work and going on It's a Small World, or enjoying the family memories being created right in front of my eyes, I felt extremely connected today, to my past, to my present, and, yes, even to my future (as Anna and Alexa say we now have family traditions from Disney).  Connecting memories, they are great, and, although not all are about Disney, these are connections we all have in our memories (of good times and bad) that connect us all.

More Bees with Honey

1/8/2014 - Day #8 of 2015 and another day we spent at Disney (so it HAD to be good).  And, it was a good one.  But, as we were in the Magic Kingdom, it was a day spent in line for a lot of time.  Line for the Monorail, line for the Mine Train Ride (which was broken, but fixed in time for us to go on), in line for food, in line for....well....many things.  And, as I am wont to do, in line I talk to people. And I am as friendly and humorous as I can be - and interesting conversations ensue (such as the one we had with the second-degree BSN grad from Michigan who was married to a guy with an MSU sweatshirt!)  And I realized I LOVE to make connections using kindness.  Being Kind, friendly, a little self-effacing and humble at times, has allowed me to connect with people I have never met and may never even see again.  BUT, why not be friendly, kind, and humble?  It makes the connections easier to start and, heck, one never knows where one's connections might take them.  So BE KIND!

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Day #7, I love the number 7, of 2015, 1/7/2015, and we had another great day at Disney.  We actually traveled by car, tram, monorail, bus, ferry boat, and safari truck today.  Add in plane for Monday and Friday (when we have to leave) and we have taken MANY forms of transportation on this trip.  And that connects us in so many ways.  Connects us from place to place, but, as we made friends in line for and riding in the tram to the parking lot, I realized that taking public forms of transportation also connects us with our fellow passengers.  Thinking about my dad and his train community when he commuted to NY, and people I have met and conversed with in plane rides across the country, I really like these connections as well.  Connecting flights, connecting relationships, and, with all the public transit we took today, I felt like a regular Michael Caine here in Disney.

#pennbandnation

1/6/2015 and the 6th Day of 2015 was the day the Penn Band played Disney (again!)  And, once again, the Sherr Family was present - this time on video duty.  And, as I sat there I realized that, without the Penn Band, there would not BE a Sherr Family.  The connections I have made and still have and continue to make are too plentiful to list.  But it goes without saying that meeting Sarah in the Band was the most important connection in my life!  I love my Penn Band Nation, spread out across the country and even the world and I am so grateful for what the Band has done and still does in my life!  FIGHT ON PENN!

I Love Numbers

1/5/15 - the 5th day of 2015 is an awesome number (1515).  And that brings me to numbers, I feel very connected to numbers, I am not sure why, but they are so cool.  I love math, I have been Treasurer of my Church, I love baseball statistics, I love palindromes, I just love how numbers connect it all together in life.  And guess what, today, the Penn Women's Basketball Team is #1 in the Big 5 (1-5 again!) with their defeat of Temple.  They now, for the first time in Penn's history, have a share of the Big 5 title (1st time in the Big 5, 1-5).  A win against 'Nova in a little more than a week will give them the sole possession of the title (fingers crossed!).  Just one small example of how numbers (in this case 1 and 5) can intersect in strange connected ways...Did I mention I love numbers?

Connected at Church, Connected to God

1/4/15 and Day #4 of 2015 was the first Sunday of the year.  And Sundays mean Church.  My Church Community is another place where connections abound.  Old First Reformed UCC is a wonderful place where people from far and wide (I call it a destination location, not an intercept location, as a reference to my previous food service days....) come together in fellowship, song, scripture, and prayers.  The morning started with a long-time friend from OFR finding me on Facebook, and then, at Church, I learned of the passing of another long-time friend.  Eleanor Hopkin was the first person I ever met at OFR.  She was greeting the first day Sarah, her parents, and I attended OFR (11/13/94). Her kind smile and welcoming voice were my first impression of OFR and the welcoming feeling I and others get there since are an extension of her extravagant welcome!  I connected even more with Eleanor when she became the Treasurer (I was on the Finance Committee) and soon I became the Assistant Treasurer and, when she stepped down, I followed in her footsteps.  And she helped me along the way, with every step.  As I prepare, for the LAST time, the Annual Reports and prepare myself to step down as Treasurer after more than a decade, it is fitting that she is in my memories, thoughts and prayers.  I miss speaking with Eleanor, I still will use the files she created, refer to the instructions that she wrote for me, use file folders with tabs she prepared, and I will feel connected to her for as long as I have the wonderful memories of her welcome on that first day, almost 20 years ago.  THANK YOU ELEANOR, and I am grateful that the fates brought me to connect with her and my community at OFR.

Friends (I'll be there for you!)

1/3/2015 - Day #3 of 2015 where I am exploring the connectedness of my life.  Yesterday was a focus on my family, today, the focus is on friends.  The Beatles sang, "I get by with a little help from my friends" and so do I.  And I am not JUST talking about my FB friends (although I love having FB friends), but friends in my community, friends from my church, friends from my childhood, friends from Penn, friends that are a text/call/click away.  Friends that can talk for hours in the rain.  I am not sure where I would be without my network of friends.  And I really am enjoying watching my children building their network of friends as well.  Each has their different style (I think it has to do with their personality types, but we will get that data when they are older), but each's style works for them and their friends are really true and I am glad I really like them.  Here's hoping we can all focus on our friends networks in 2015 and understand how important they are (and even grow them), one can never have too many.

We Are Family

1/2/2015 and the Second (2nd) Day of 2015, for me, was a focus on the family.  We pretty much had a family filled day, and an awesome family dinner with extended family, and the day included family recipes being handed down, familial trips to the mall (thank God for nieces who can drive now), and good family discussion.  No matter what connections we have in this life, the ones that are with family are so, so important.  The family from which we've come, the family with which we live, and the family that may be in the future.  Fun to think about all of those connections today and realize how blessed I am to be a part of an amazing family, on all branches of the tree!

the POWER of Connections

So here we all are, in a new year - 2015 is here.  1/1/2015, DAY NUMBER 1 (#1) of 2015 and that brings us to the need for a new theme.  I thoroughly enjoyed by 2013 Lucky posts so much that I decided to follow it up with positive 2014.  And it really helped.  Helped me, for sure, and I think it may have helped others (given the responses that I have received publicly and privately).  So, at lunch with a friend a dear colleague, I mentioned that I wondered what my there would be in 2015.  She suggested connectivity.  And I like it!  As I wrote in last year's blog at some point, I identify myself as CONNECTOR in Malcolm Gladwell's framework (he writes about in the The Tipping Point).  Gladwell says:

Connectors know lots of people. They are the kinds of people who know everyone. All of us know someone like this. But I don’t think that we spend a lot of time thinking about the importance of these kinds of people. I’m not even sure that most of us really believe that the kind of person who knows everyone really knows everyone. But they do.

And, of COURSE I know I do not know everyone, but I TRY TO!  :-).  So, here we are in 2015 and I will try to focus on the positive power of connections and how they affect me and those I know and love on a daily basis.  And I hope it helps as much as the last two years have.  I look forward to 2015, I know there are some more big changes on the horizon, those I am ready for and those that will surprise me.  And away we go!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!