THANKS!!!

I can't tell you how thankful I am for your generosity for the Eagle/St. Jude Country Cares Radiothon. The economy is in the tubes but yet you still found the time and the money to help the kids at St. Jude. What a great way to start a weekend and a year, for that matter. I will bet that, when I go back to visit the hospital in Memphis next year, I will see some new piece of equipment or protocol or addition in a building that was, most probably, due to you becoming an Eagle/St. Jude Partner in Hope. Thank you again!

The Best Two days Of The Year

And so we begin the Eagle's annual (#18 to be exact)St. Jude/Country Cares radiothon. Every year, you come through for the kids of St. Jude and I know this year will be no exception. After visiting the hospital again a few weeks ago, I am even more determined to get that survival rate up above 96%. Let's get it to 100%!!! The one child I described in my last blog is still etched in my mind. I want to help him and others like him and prevent others from getting to be like him. That little fellow is my inspiration this year plus my little, HEALTHY ten-year old daughter and my three VERY healthy grandchildren. Join me, please, in becoming an Eagle/St.Jude Partner in Hope. 1-888-270-HOPE. Thank you again for your help!

Hug Your Child EVERYDAY

I am here in Memphis, Tennessee for the annual Country Cares, St. Jude Radiothon Seminar. Every year I come to see what new things have been developed at the hospital and, of course, to exchange radiothon ideas with other radio folk. The first day of the seminar always includes a tour of the hospital facilities. This year was no exception. Also, no exception, was the fact that, once again, as I walked through the main hospital, I saw child after child, family after family, with the look of hope. Every year, without exception, one child always strikes my heart harder than any other. This year it was a boy, I would say about 9 or 10, whom I noticed coming into the hospital lobby in crutches. He had the shaved head from radiation and/or chemotherapy. He was on crutches because it appeared the bottom portion of his right leg had been amputated. His parents were right behind him with that look of hope on their face. His eyes met mine just for about 2 or 3 seconds, when he walked by, but long enough for me to notice his look. From that look, I could see that he wanted help...he wanted some assurance tha he would be okay. I could tell that this amputation was fairly recent. Who knows what caused it or what is wrong with him (confidentiality keeps us from asking and the hospital from telling). All I know is that little fellow is confused about his future which strengthened my resolve, more than ever, to ask for your help again this year during our St. Jude Country Cares Radiothon later this month. It also, once again, made me so thankful for two healthy daughters and three healthy, strong grandchildren. If I could hug my grown daughter and those 3 grandchildren right now, I would and would never let go. If I could hug my 10-year old daughter right now, I would and would never let go. I'm in Memphis right now and I plan to do that the minute I see all of them. Do me a favor...if your children are near you right now, just give them a hug for me and thank God for their health and happiness every day.

A Lesson in Salesmanship

I bet you thought this blog would be about my Philadelphia Eagles beating the New York Giants. Well, even though I am ecstatic about that, I have to share something you concerning my always-surprising 10-year old. Last Saturday was the first official day she was permitted to sell Girl Scout Cookies. So, she got her mother going at around 9am and was ready to hit the neighborhood and go door-to-door. No nervousness, no qualms....and a goal, that she set, of 100 boxes sold by the end of the day. Now, understand that she only knows, maybe 5 or 6 of the neighbors in this very large neighborhood. After the first hour, she hadn't done much and was a bit disappointed but pressed on. (Through all of this, she would not let her mother approach any door. Mom had to stay at the end of each driveaway or sidewalk. She was doing the "cold calling" all by herself.) The two of them came back to eat lunch a little after noon and then went out again for another two and a half hours. After it was all said and done, she had sold 101 boxes. 101 BOXES!!! Two people, who had turned her down earlier in the day, actually went out looking for her (and found her) because they were so impressed by her politeness and knowledge of the products. Think about that - 101 boxes in 5 hours. I'm not just being a proud father. This little one showed me that we each should always set higher expectations for our own accomplishments. She did and SHE DID!
Should be a lesson to all of us.

Let's Look Forward

Every day now, I hear from more than several folks how bad it is "out there". I think we all know how bad this economy is these days without being reminded on a daily basis. What I'd like all of us to do is look forward. That's right - LOOK FORWARD!!!! Some of us are not working...some of us are. If you're not working, look at it as an opportunity to find a change of scenery or a different skill. If you are working, go in each day eager to make it all work and rip up any personal agenda you may have.
We all are holding on to our money a bit more. Not going out as much...not spending as much. The opportunity? More family time at home. More time with friends just talking in a living room or on a patio, etc. More time getting to know who we are!
I really believe this is the beginning of something extraordinary in our society and it won't happen until we actually believe it will. So - let's believe....let's LOOK FORWARD. You with me?

Ringing In The New Year

We usually stay in (or very close) for New Year's Eve and this year was no exception. Went to a neighbor's house to enjoy some good food, conversation and another year of Dick Clark's Rockin New Years' Eve. Did you get a chance to watch any of that? Were you feeling as bad as I was about Dick Clark? I grew up with American Bandstand and Dick Clark as the music icon of my generation. You have to cheer him on for getting on TV and doing the best he can considering his condition following his stroke. It still gets to me, though. I'd like to remember him in his younger days when we all thought he was ageless.
The strangest part of the show occurred when Ryan Seacrest had some folks on stage in Times Square for a countdown to Midnight. There were the Jonas Brothers and, then, just two people away, there she was - Taylor Swift - just a few feet from the Jonas brother who so, unceremoniously, dumped her on the telephone. Would have loved to see how that all ended.
The weirdest part of the night happened during our 50-yard walk home. We arrived at our house to find a very old, beat-up, 70's-or-so, Plymouth station wagon parked in front of the house. Talk about giving you the creeps!! Of course, my wife's first thought was that someone was in the house so I did my best "James Bond" and snuck in and checked the place out. All was clear. After looking closer at the car, I could see that this was thing was a literal clunker and now it's parked at my house. I called the police and they finally got out there around 6 in the morning to tow it away. Turns out that the car died and the driver decided that was it so he'd just leave it. Happy New Year to the Shomby's.
Would love your thoughts on all of this. That being said, I do hope the best for you in 2009. No matter how gloomy it may seem, stay positive and we can all knock this out together.

OUT WITH "THE GIRLS" ALREADY

I have to share this with you - another classic involving my, now, 10-year old daughter.
Yesterday, she, and her neighborhood friend, asked if they could go out and ride bikes around the neighborhood. Sounded pretty harmless to us (and to the neighbor's parents) so we all said okay. The neighborhood child's mom gave her little girl a cell phone so they could "check in" with us, periodically.
First call came in and they were in another part of the neighborhood - about a half mile away - and acquired two more of their "girlfriend" companions on bicycle. Second call and they were over one of the companion's houses. Third call - over at another companion's house. Now here comes the 4th call - the one from our daughter - and I quote - "Just wanted to let you know we are at the Mexican restaurant at the end of the neighborhood having lunch". WHAT?????.....Do you have money? Yes.....Are there any adults with you? "NO". Now the restaurant is about, maybe a half mile away. We, then, come to find out that our neighbor child called her house and told her Dad that she was out "with the girls having a few drinks" at the Mexican restaurant. ("Drinks" being a Shirley Temple, Iced Tea, Sprite and water). Then, maybe about 10 minutes after that, our daughter and the neighborhood child show up at our house as if nothing special had happened. My daughter told me that it was just the 4 girls and the employees at the Mexican restaurant thought nothing of it. My daughter always has some money with her, just in case. Turns out - the big order was cheese dip, chips and a couple of cheese quesadillas. I did ask her if she left a tip and the answer was "What's that?". That was a whole other conversation about that.
We all had a good laugh about the little "adventure" and, of course, told the kids to check with us BEFORE they do something like that again (chuckling under our breath the whole time). Fun story.
The moral of this is that this was business as usual when I was ten years old. Gone from 8am to dinner time, with my friends on my bike. No fear of anything from mom or dad or me, for that matter. Yesterday, after it was all over, we wished those days were here again but realized they never will be. Sadly that is probably the last adventure of that kind for my daughter and her friend until they grow up.