On Republicans

”In reality, the gravitational center of the Republican Party is white nationalism”

Avik Roy

On Opportunity

”Opportunity is always coming but never knocks on the door. You have to get up and meet him”

Bangambiki Habyarimana

Meaningful Work

Page 1

Meaningful work lies at the heart of every successful economy.”

Creating Value

Pages 2 and 3

Today, most businesses are ‘task centered’ because they see value creation in tasks or jobs being done.

While the task-centered economy says that we need people to do these things … the people-centered economy says we need things that make theses people valuable.

A people-centered economy focuses on creating value around the individual.

Goals For A People Centered Economy

Page 11

“We do meaningful work with people we like
Being valued by people we don’t know
Providing for the people we love

The Convergence Of The Phone And Laptop

“So if this is the future we are heading into, where the user interfaces and applications our computing devices and our phones use start to converge, it suggests that there is a bit of an opening for new applications that are designed from the ground up to work in this way.”

Fred Wilson

The Full Story

I wonder if we should send Fred some links?

On Man

“Every man should pull a boat over a mountain once in his life.”

Werner Herzog

On Creation

”In order to make apple pie from scratch you must first create the universe.”

Carl Sagan

The Epilogue

My deadline had passed.

“If your deadline has passed, call the registrar.”

I did.

“Oh we can’t do that over the phone - you have to come in person.”

Why?

“You need to show us the death certificate.”

But you issued it, I have just proved who I am surely you can just log into the system and reset the expiry date.

“Sorry. No. We have to issue a new number and that can only be in person.”

I am now 200 miles away is that the only way.

“Oh no you can go to any registrar.”

We work out where my nearest registrar is - and I am given their phone number.

I call and am welcomed to the 24 hour hotline. A brief musical interlude after being informed that I am next in line to have my query answered … which immediately cuts across to the recorded message, sorry there is no one available to answer your call.

I try one more time about and hour later. Same result.

I wait another 2 hours and call again. Same result.

Time to try Plan B … edgy … in person visit, with no appointment.

The old town hall now has a brand new red glass and brick structure that is easily ten times the size of the original right beside it. It is here that all public questions and issues are handled.

I walk past the door that is ‘staff only’, around the corner to the front door. The door opens automatically and as I walk into the ‘half house airlock’. A sprightly young man leaps towards me to let me know that the closed door in front of me won’t open and move to the door to the left.

I follow the instructions and am faced with a large reception capable of handling 3 receptionists. There is one on duty dealing with a couple. I wait behind the couple.

Five minutes later, the same sprightly gentleman pops over to inform me that the queue starts there … pointing at a small piece of crumpled paper stuck to the wall to the side of the reception.

I move to ‘the line’ … once again I am first.

As I get there and turn around the couple is animated conversation with the receptionist and around 3 minutes later the receptionist tells the couple … this is the phone number you need. Thanks and pleasantries exchanges and I was duly summoned.

I explained my quandary.

Death … need extension … system reset … told to come here ….

I was met with a blank look

“When was the death?”

Middle of last month.

“Well you should have reported the death at the time.”

I did, but now I need to move the information through the system — but to do that …

“So you have reported the death?”

Yes, I just need to …

“Well if you have reported the death, we can’t do anything else … you now have to …”

Yes, I know, can I speak to somebody in the deaths department

Turns out the deaths department is not in the red glass and brick building … it’s in the other one I walked by. The original town hall …

I moved away - thanking profusely and back to the original building.

The Meaning

Meaning

Is this the story that never ends? What more is there to say after ‘The Eulogy’? Well, let’s just say that I want to close the loop … all the way back to that dream.

This is part seven of my story. It’s the penultimate ‘chapter’.

You can read the story to date through these links; Part One : ‘The Dream’ Part Two : ‘The Calls’ Part Three : ‘The Journey’ Part Four : ‘The Organization’ Part Five : ‘The Music’ Part Six : ‘The Eulogy’

Of course it was a great day, a sad day. A day we celebrated the life of my dad. At Ninety Four Years of age, no one could argue that he had a great run.

He lost his 38 year old daughter when he was he was just 72 and lost his wife of 52 years just 6 years later. But he kept rolling for another 15 years.

The dream that I wrote of at the beginning of this series - it is still in my head. It always will be because I have come to realize that the seemingly random sequence (54, 52, 51, 63, 58, 65, 64, 50, 54) actually represents our family’s milestones. Even the repeat of 54 at the beginning and end …. my call sign?

nineteeen ….

50 … when my father met my mother 51 … when my father and mother got engaged 52 … when my father and mother married 54 … when my mother gave birth to me 58 … when my mother gave birth to my sister 63 … when my father left the Armed Services 64 … when my father graduated as an educator 65 … when my father started his first job and when our family moved into our first real home

That is what those numbers meant in my dream.

Even then he knew.