Category Archives: achievements

A New Strategy

A headline recently caught my eye. The New England Patriots football team was making a “comeback” after a few years of struggle. The pundits praised the miraculous turn around, but it wasn’t a secret sauce that made the difference. All the Patriots did was drop the old strategy and try something new. 

Bill Belichick won six Superbowls with the Patriots and two Superbowl rings as assistant coach for the New York Giants. Belichick is a legend, no doubt. He executed a game plan and it worked, until it didn’t. His relationship with the Patriots ended after a 4-13 season in 2023. 

A year later, under the leadership of former Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel, the team has turned the losing streak around. All they needed was a fresh set of eyes.

The Democratic Party should look at the ways other people are succeeding

Imagine Obama as Tom Brady and Nancy Pelosi as Bill Belichick. The Democrats experienced a lot of wins from Bill Clinton (1992-2000) to Obama (2008-2016), but over more than twenty-five years, the game has changed. It’s time for a fresh set of eyes. Progressives need to retire their old coaches and promote a version of Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel because doing the same old thing isn’t working.

To prove my point, look at the NYC mayoral election. Mamdani ran a successful campaign despite (or perhaps because of) prominent democrats distancing from him. The victory wasn’t simply due to a bandwagon of corrupt politicians backing his morally questionable opponent.  In late summer/early fall, plenty of NYC friends questioned whether they could vote for Mamdani because he was different, untested. Mandami represented the change everyone fears, until it happens. And after his victory, these same voters celebrated the future wondering why they ever hesitated to take the leap.  

The one true thing Trump has showed us is that change is here, and the old ways no longer work. It is time to trust a young fresh set of leaders to make the bold moves the American people need. 

Recognize the Possibilities

Recently, a lot of annoying things have been happening. Not life or death, and not this is going to change my entire existence, but little things that irritate, annoy, frustrate. Things that pile up and weigh me down.

Some are recurring nuisances. For example, our phone line needs to be replaced. It is currently buried underneath a dirt road. Torrential rains cause the road to rut and wash away. Additional rock and dirt are added several times per year, and each time the road is “fixed” our buried land line is disturbed and damaged. Verizon patches the line, and a few weeks later the process is repeated. Frustrating. Except this time, the damaged line somehow self-dialed 911 and three police cars showed up. Annoying. The very next day, my dog encountered a skunk. Then, I discovered inconsistencies in my property tax bill requiring a meeting with the tax assessor. By this point, the aggravation usually feels crushing, but I must have been wearing rose colored glasses this week because every irritation turned into an opportunity.

My displeasure became a sign that something I’d put off was calling me to act.

During the police search, the lead officer suggested I unplug all the phones until the line was repaired, but that telephone line we never use cost $30 per month, and I’d been thinking about disconnecting it for months. Since I had to call Verizon anyway, I exercised my option to cancel the service.

Picking up my stinky dog, carrying her to the bathtub, and scrubbing her clean reminded me that my towel was still wet from my own shower 90 minutes earlier. I looked in the mirror and frowned. Then, I remembered my legs hadn’t been shaved for weeks. I always tell myself I’ll shave next time, but I needed a second shower now, so why not? Thanks to that skunk, I have smooth legs.

I delegated the issues with the tax bill and suddenly all my grievances became achievements. Maybe they stack up together to get my attention? I simply need to recognize the possibility presented when something unexpected occurs rather than judging it negatively.

This morning my back went bad which initially incites panic because my to do list won’t get done, but it’s Sunday, so I’m going to plug in the heating pad and watch football. A well deserved day of rest. Go Team!