Joyful Jubilant Learning

Time to rhyme and learn

While we are celebrating our digital learning here at JJL, April is also being celebrated as National Poetry Month in the United States.

• Did you have a Poem in Your Pocket on April 17th?
• Have you explored your calendar for any poetry events taking place locally?
• Have you read any good poems recently?

Yes, I recognize that there are those who would respond: "by definition, there is no such thing as a good poem". Alas, you do not fully understand what you are missing.

The opportunity to write with some restrictions and focus comes in many forms. One is via a theme. One is via the format.

Hence, a sherku which is my variation, really an extension of haiku.

sherku: defined

focus your writing, say it
all concentrated in just
nineteen syllables

This month I am working on a series of sherku on the stops along the Franklin Line. I ride the rails twice most days, I know the stops by heart but do I know much about what is at each stop? No, hence a little speculation and a little learning ensue on this series, along with a healthy dose of fun.

For the stops I knew very little of, I used Google and Wikipedia for some research. For example, I learned that the land next to Ruggles Station was the site of the South End Grounds where the old Boston Braves baseball team played. These are the Braves that now play in Atlanta.

Franklin Line: Ruggles Station

The old Braves outfield at the
South End Grounds is a
Parking garage at Ruggles

My posting on Steve's 2 Cents about this series got picked up by UniversalHub, a collection of Boston blogs. It inspired commuter-rail limericks. Wow!

I have long admire the work of Limerick Savant so I went back to my trusty companions (Google and Wikipedia) to learn more more about limericks. I read about the story of the limerick challenge that took place amongst some newspapers back in 1924.

This series of limericks first appeared in a June 14, 1924 edition of a Nantucket newspaper. It all began when the Princeton Tiger revived the then well-known limerick printed first below and the Chicago Tribune answered with the second limerick. The New York Exchange went one step further with the third rhyme, and the Pawtucket Times took over from there.

Click through to read the limericks here

As I grew up in Pawtucket (yes, really), I needed no further inspiration:

There once was a lad from Pawtucket
who now had to rhyme with suck it
but he did not dare
as he did not swear
so he found a way to duck it

It's A "Wonder"ful Time Of The Year

Every so often, I become very conscious of how easily I fall into the commercialism that surrounds the Christmas season. I love giving and receiving gifts as much as the next guy (perhaps even more so). I just don't want to lose sight of what's most important and what's most significant about the holiday season.

As I was reading through some of the posts that have already been written this month on Joyful Jubilant Learning, my eyes caught the left hand margin - The Seven Wonders of JJL.

I remember when we created that list. We were looking for a unique way to share our learning when the calendar struck 7-7-07. Each of those seven "L" words helped us organize our ideas and thoughts.

As I looked over the list, I thought, "They'd make a great Christmas list!"

So in your quest to find the most meaningful of gifts this year, I offer the following:

LISTEN — Listening is so much harder than talking. If you listen, REALLY listen to others, you are offering them a gift that will communicate just how much you value them. Give someone your attention.

LAUGH — Laughter is so much fun. It has a way of healing the soul. Learning to laugh at yourself lightens your spirit. Give someone a moment to laugh so hard it brings tears to their eyes.

LEARN — Learning expands your world. Help others become the people they are meant to be by not remaining the people that they are - grow their minds. Give someone a chance to grow in a new direction.

LINK — My network grows as when I connect to the network of another. My own experience and connections might be a tremendous resource for someone else. Give someone an opportunity he or she might not be able to get on their own.

LOVE — The holidays have a way of magnifying the level of intensity we feel in our relationships. Make sure the ones you love know it. Give your love away. It's much more effective when it's shared.

LIVE — I once heard it said that the life you live, just might be your very own. With that in mind, come alongside others and find ways for them to get the absolute most out of life. Give someone a way to appreciate the best gift that each of us have...TODAY.

LEAP — Sometimes, the hardest step in a new direction is the first one. You can be an en"courage"r in the life of someone else. You can help them believe in themselves and to believe in their dream. The most exiting changes in the right direction happen when one jumps in with both feet. Give someone the courage to jump.

Do you remember what you got last year for Christmas? I'm struggling to do it even as I write this.

If you give gifts that flow from the spirit of the list above, you'll be giving something memorable and meaningful. They'll be gifts that last.
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Tim Milburn approaches life a lot like he approaches presents, enthusiastically moving past the surface of things so that he can get to the heart of the matter. He dedicates much of his time to developing student leaders through his blog and resources at www.studentlinc.net.

Special Birthday Greetings

In case you were not aware, today is a special day. Phil Gerbyshak and I share this day as our birthday. How cool is it that two folks, meeting and connecting through the wonderful world of the web, share the same birthday!

He is off making it great as usual. Add to his day with a birthday greeting!

I am off to get in a good run (during which I'll do some leaping),

then cover some family activities (during which I hope to do some laughing),

and then I should be back online later today to provide some updates (during which I'll do some learning).

Make it a great day!

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Steve Sherlock writes his 2 cent views on life from Franklin, MA. He explores the "good experience", "life long learning" and life in general, after handling the "before you blog" list his wonderful wife Dolores  provides him. Together they are enjoying the empty nest while their daughters are away at college. He has also resumed running and he podcasts tips and coaching advice at Passionate Runner.

Teach us your Wild and Wacky Traditions!

As the winter holidays draw near, I invariably find I begin to think about tradition, both old and time-honored, and new ones not yet thought of which may lie in wait for us to celebrate them. Traditions are like family-spun yarns that get knitted together into the most fabulous multi-colored bulky cables; be they for scarves, shawls or sweaters, it’s the cable knit that matters most for the warmth.

Cable sweaters also hide a lot of mischievousness...

I saw these two tradition lists in a magazine called Family Fun as I sat in an office waiting room before an appointment; they were culled from the mag’s readership:

Your top Thanksgiving traditions:

1. Cook a beloved family recipe for the feast
2. Make a gratitude list to display and save
3. Call faraway relatives
4. Add leaf rubbings, handprints or notes to a keepsake tablecloth
5. Play a family touch football game
6. Start decorating for Christmas the day after

Your top Christmas traditions:

1. Set aside a day just for cookie baking, and for decorating a gingerbread house
2. Plan a get-in-the-spirit activity or outing for each day of Advent
3. Buy and hang an ornament for each child that commemorates a special interest or event in the year
4. Drive around and look at the holiday lights
5. Leave snacks for Santa (and often for the reindeer too)
6. Get new pajamas (or lingerie!) on Christmas eve

Now those things are nice, they really are, but am I the only one who thought these lists were pretty blah and way too normal?

Come on JJLers – weigh in and tell us about the weird and wacky traditions you have in your family! If given the choice, and a magic wand that could zap me into your house, why would I choose you and your family if I were looking for the most Joyful-Wacky! and Jubilant-Wild! holiday traditions for my 2007 photo album?

If you have a long story and want to post instead of comment, email me and I’ll publish it for you!

[Flickr photos by Leo Reynolds.]

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Post author Rosa Say writes for Managing with Aloha Coaching, Value your Month, Value your Life. Visit her there, pick up a feed for your reader, and let her know what you think.

Are you brave (or wild, wacky and weird)? Take her up on this challenge!

If I was a life long learner

Our collaborative effort is complete. If you are not familiar with the original song you can view it via YouTube.

And with our sincere apologies to the Barenaked Ladies here is the JJL version:

If I was a life long learner (If I was a life long learner)
I'd write on my blog (I'd write on my blog)
If I was a life long learner (If I was a life long learner)
I'd buy a real new computer (maybe a nice Apple or an HP)
If I was a life long learner (If I was a life long learner)
I'd learn to use del.icio.us (a big fancy link-sharing machine )
If I was a life long learner, I'd link to you

If I was a life long learner
I'd join a group of joyful learners
If I was a life long learner
You could help, it wouldn't be that hard
If I was a life long learner
Maybe we could collaborate on a song
Wouldn't that be wonderful!

If I was a life long learner (If I was a life long learner)
I'd send you an email (but not a spam email, that's cruel)
If I was a life long learner (If I was a life long learner)
I'd invite you to the group (like LinkedIn or FaceBook)
If I was a life long learner (If I was a life long learner)
I'd record a podcast (maybe a video someday)
If I was a life long learner I'd link to you

If I was a life long learner
We wouldn't have to walk to the library
If I was a life long learner
We'd ask the group a question something we didn't know
If I was a life long learner We wouldn't have to go without knowing

If I was a life long learner (If I was a life long learner)
I'd live without watching TV (especially a reality show, that's cruel)
If I was a life long learner (If I was a life long learner)
I'd leap to help someone in need (like a good Samaritan)
If I was a life long learner (If I was a life long learner)
I'd laugh with you at good jokes (maybe tell one myself)
If I was a life long learner I'd love to link to you.

Notes to Make a Difference by (text)

The collaboration and learning here during this month is quite amazing. I was beginning to panic on what I could add to this impressive discussion. Fortunately, the radio was on. Pat Benetar was belting out:

"We are strong, no one can tell us we are wrong."

We are strong and look how much stronger we are getting! Then Neil Diamond chimed in:

"I am," I said
To no one there
And no one heard at all
Not even the chair

Thanks to the read/write web, the days that Neil sang of I think are mostly behind us. We can still be reflective, but someone will hear or read it when we post. And then the conversation will start, and if we take the blog off the blog, who knows what will happen!

How Smiles and Thank Yous Make a Difference

Take a look at the image on the left - how do you feel when you see it?   Better still, how do you feel when you caused that big grin?

In my role as a business leader, I believe I'm making a difference when my teammates smile a lot, and when they use the two most beautiful words in the English language - "Thank You".     That may seem too simple for some, but it's not for me. 

While getting desired business results is a worthy goal and I certainly get a lot of satisfaction from that, I'm looking for something more - a work environment where all involved thrive, truly enjoy their work, and find fulfillment from it.

I measure that by smiles and thank yous. When I'm up in front of a group of teammates and I talk about putting "more cowbell" into the business while showing the absolutely hilarious SNL video, or breaking out into song to praise another group for achieving a milestone, you bet I'm shooting for smiles as well as point making.  Joy is infectious, and can inject a palpable energy into what in other circumstances could be a rote and boring business task or process.

If a teammate goes out of their way to thank me for listening to their concerns, or for praising them, or for offering good advice, I know I've made a difference with that person.

These are little moments that can often be missed, ignored or quickly forgotten because of the  pressures and distractions that can occur in a fast-paced business environment.  But I've really tried to discipline myself to notice and appreciate them, for I've come to rely upon that feedback as to whether or not I'm hitting my target.

That target of teammate job satisfaction has only increased in importance to me as my career has progressed, because I have seen time and time again what it produces - real business success.   This has been a great learning experience for me.

To put it another way, to me those smiles and thank yous have become a true "leading indicator" of those tangible and measurable bottom line results that can be found on a balance sheet or an income statement.

And this difference making is personally rewarding, because I simply love what I do and I would like nothing more to have all my teammates feel the same way.

Try to generate a few of these smiley faces in the workplace and you'll see what I mean.  Oh, and maybe you'll smile a lot more yourself!

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Terry Starbucker is an operations executive for a service company who lives in Connecticut, loves business trips to the Rocky Mountain west, and posts his musings and observations about "the optimistic side of the daily grind" in Ramblings from a Glass Half Full.