The America I Love

In recent weeks... as an American, I'm reminded once again that there is good in everyone.  Hurricane Harvey showed us his power and strength as he barreled on shore in South Texas as a huge category 4 hurricane.... making sure to leave an impression.... and not only did he make one landfall, but 3 total before he headed inland creating more destruction along the way.   The truth is... we are 7 days in from his initial impact and in the last 7 days, as Americans we should have all learned a few things along the way.   For me.... I live in Mississippi, which as you all know, borders Louisiana.   Yesterday, we felt the fury of a weakened Tropical Depression Harvey, but the reminder was there of what our neighboring state and Texas had endured on a much magnified scale.  

I have many friends and colleagues and family who reside in the Lone Star state.  I was worried from the beginning, but once the initial reports came in... began to quickly realize that this storm was much more than any of us could possibly imagine.  Seeing interstates completely flooded, neighborhoods, and the fact that Harvey wasn't going away too quickly.   He stalled and kept pouring insult on all of the good people of Southern Texas.   I had many friends who had to be evacuated out of their homes.  Sharing their stories and their extreme positivity of how they felt lucky... they were alive and safe.   The news began broadcasting, not the bad but the good.  Yes... the picture of the first responder saving the lady and her baby.  You didn't look at their race, nationality or gender.  What you looked at was humanity in its finest hour.  Another person helping another person.   The boats lined up behind trucks trying to get into the area to help rescue.   The industry that we all love coming together to make donations, pull together make shift food halls, kitchens and help prepare warm meals for those in shelters.   The days have Harvey's initial impact have shown me the America I love... and yet... I'm left to ponder why it takes a disaster to show the good in people.  We are the home of the free and the brave.  There's constantly criticism for the President.  Regardless of what he says... or does... there's always something negative.  The biggest thing that truly came out during all of this was the fact that if the media chooses.... they can indeed find the good in everything.  They don't have to dwell or focus on the bad.  

The America I love showed that the President was willing to commit personal money to help rebuild Houston.   Vice President Mike Pence and his wife were helping to clear debris.  The first responders, national guard and so many volunteers were out from dawn to dusk, looking for people who needed help.  Pets were being saved.  Things and material items... were gone and while many lost everything... in their hearts... they had their families.  

In times of crisis, we all come together to lean.  Houston and South Texas needed a shoulder to lean on and there were so many there to offer it.  Why can we not simply do this every single day?   Is it that hard?   We wake up and we all have a choice.  Be Kind.  Be an Example.   I continue to pray for those affected by the storm, those who lost everything and those who are there every day helping them to recover.   I felt helpless with being able to only donate money to various organizations, but I quickly realized every single thing matters.  No amount is too small.  No amount is too big.  The recovery will last for months, even years... but in my heart I know that Houston and Texas will be back... better than ever and for all of us... you showed me the America I love and am proud to call home.  

God Bless Texas and the United States of America.  #houstonstrong #hurricaneharvey 

Cast Your Stone

Every day we wake up, breathe and hopefully say a prayer of thanks to be able to share another day on this glorious Earth.  Every day, we have a chance to strive to be better than we were the day before and to work on ourselves in the pursuit of happiness.  Every day.... most of us fail at one thing or another.  Every day.... we all sin... in one way or another.  There is no sin, that is worse than others.  They aren't measured, weighed or put in order from bad to worse.  We are all human.  Last week, the head coach of Ole Miss football resigned over a mistake... a sin... he made.  Yes, he quoted Bible verses.  Yes, he was a Christian.  Yes, he had a family.  Yes... he tried to build people up.  And yes... he was battling some internal demons apparently.... which led to his ultimate resignation.  The reality is this man.... like many of us... made a mistake.  The problem... his mistake was on a bigger stage... for the world to view and judge.  As the news broke... I found myself pondering... the question.... what if your life was placed under a microscope for the world to see.... to judge your decisions... your mistakes.... how many people would stand beside you knowing your flaws?  How many people would cast stones... without knowing the full details?  No, I don't feel empathy for the coach... and I don't believe that the mistake he made should be without consequence, but the truth is.... there will be a judgement day and none of us will be the judge.  So why are we so quick to do it now?   Is it just the power of negativity to try and bring someone further down... when they've been hit?  Is it because we felt a connection to this person and we feel disappointed by his behavior or finding out that he might actually be human?   Or.... is is because we thought he was a Christian man, with high morals and we find out that he sins like all of us.  I am certain that it's probably one, two or all of them.  For me... I won't judge the behavior... and I won't condone it.   He was wrong.  He knows it and if the mistakes he made, cost him a job he appeared to love, then I am sure the consequences will be there regardless.  At the end of the day.... God forgives those of us who ask for forgiveness.  

I have been a life long Oxonian.  I was born in this small town.  I have lived here my entire life.  My blood is red and blue.  I've been with Ole Miss through good, bad and yes, ugly.  I am not a fair weather fan.  I get upset.  I get mad.  I get depressed.  Those of us who have been around awhile know, that the road to Ole Miss is always filled with highs, lows and many in betweens.  We have survived.  We have been through a lot.  We've watched our university make many changes.  We may not always agree, but we've stood beside her every day.  We've been through countless head football coaches, and we will survive this.  We all wondered when Coach Freeze was hired, why?  How could this man elevate our program and bring it to a new level.   The reality is.... he did.  He brought a lot to Ole Miss.  He gave us some highs.  He gave us some lows.  At the end of every day, our visions of a national championship under the Freeze reign seemed like a reachable task at times.  We were thrilled.  Now... there are many who are eager to bury him... because he made a mistake.  No... I am not condoning the mistake.  It was huge.  It was costly, but again... it is not my place to judge his sin.  What I can do... is pray for him, his family, our university, our football team and know that regardless of this low.... we will survive and we will rise again.   

Our interim coach is a good person.  He's an Ole Miss alum.  He bleeds red and blue.  His son played baseball with my grandson and they are a good family.   He needs our support.  He needs our faith that he can bring this team and our fans through a turbelant time.  It's not the first time, and it won't be the last.  

I pray that when I make mistakes that I will have friends there to pick me up.  I will have friends who won't judge me, but will be there when I need them.  I pray that my sins are not placed on a national stage to be played out in front of thousands of people.  Every day.... we all sin.  We are not perfect.  We wake up and we try to be better than we were the day before, but we are far from perfect.  Think twice before you cast your stone.... Your own garden is probably full of them.  

We are Ole Miss.  We bleed red and blue.  We will survive.  

In the Blink of an Eye

In the blink of an eye.  

In the blink of an eye... The score of a baseball game can change sides.  In the blink of an eye.. Rain can come down even though the sun is shining.  In the blink of an eye... Baby birds that were in the nest, can suddenly soar.  In the blink of an eye... Life can happen... And for better or worse... Change your course or path.  

Today... In the blink of an eye.... 11 children... lost their parents in a plane crash.  In the blink of an eye... A small town in Northen Mississippi, my beloved Oxford, lost 3 incredible dentists and community members.  In the blink of an eye.... Life changed courses.  

Tragedies often remind us of how fragile life is and that we are not promised tomorrow.  Things are placed into perspective whenever something like this happens and we are left to wonder why and how... Yet... Through our faith, we know that His grace and comfort will provide the healing to allow us all to grieve and to get through the dark days ahead.  We know that our prayers to lift up these children will be answered and we know that somehow ... In the blink of an eye... He will wrap His warm embrace around each of them and heal them as only He can.  

In the blink of an eye.... We should all stop... And tell our children how much we love them.  In the blink of an eye...we should cherish our loved ones and show them every possible way how much they mean to us.  We should hug them and love them and never allow any doubt that love is in your heart.  In the blink of an eye... We should help one another, be kind and give thanks.   In the blink of an eye... We should work every to be the best person we can be and live every moment of our lives.  

In the blink of an eye... We grieve.  Oxford mourns and Oxford prays.  

"SEE" people.

My heart breaks for our country.   My heart breaks for the city of Dallas.   The officers, their families and the civilians.  My heart breaks for not only the loss of life, but our loss of love for each other.  Why does it feel that we have many individuals who have become so consumed with "upping" each other, it seems that we have forgotten what the term UNITED, WE STAND, actually means.  We have become a nation that is divided.    We need leadership that unites ALL Americans.   

We need to stop looking at race.  We need to stop separating each other as this group or that group.  We need to stop these various campaigns... THEY ARE dividing our country.   

WE should not see color... We should SEE PEOPLE.   Let's understand this... ALL LIVES MATTER.  Whether you are black, white, purple, pink, blue, or polka dotted....every human life matters.  Your color should not matter.  Your status should not matter.  Your age should not matter.  Your ethnicity should not matter.  Stop placing separation with these campaigns.   ALL LIVES MATTER.   I won't pretend to know what it's like to be African American and I do understand the premise of the Black Lives Matter campaign.... But we are all God's children.  Every life should matter.   With that said... I don't think we need to shove these issues under the rug or ignore them.   We need to work together, united.... To find solutions and resolve the issues we face as a country.  We need to improve the relationships between our law enforcement.     I understand that people want to advocate and protest the wrong-doings of a few and they want to take those instances and blow them up for the better good, but.... What we are doing is making the problem bigger, it seems.   There is fear on both sides of the aisle and we are not helping it.   We are becoming more and more divided because we are setting ourselves back 60 years.   The great Martin Luther King worked tirelessly to erase the division.   We need to find a way to build a bridge.  

Police officers have a very tough job.  There's a fine line where the actions of a few are questionable.   I don't condone these actions.   I don't agree with these actions.  But we cannot take these few instances and allow them to divide us as a country.  The media plays a HUGE role in sensationalism and in creating a lot of division and we allow it.  

We all know that not every person should be a police officer or that we need to make sure that these officers are trained to handle situations.  Loss of life should never just occur.   It should never just be the answer.   All other avenues should be exhausted before taking another human life.   Men and women who are in law enforcement take these jobs to protect and serve.  Last night... A pre-meditated act of terrorism meant to destroy police lives was accomplished.  These individuals have hatred in their heart.   These individuals took it upon themselves to become vigilantes because they felt hatred after the recent shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota.  

Friends.... Love is love.  Hatred is hatred.   As a nation.... We are falling because we are divided.  We need to support one another in times of peril, not continue to break each other down further.   We cannot judge a country as a whole based on the acts of a few.  Last night, in Dallas, the police were simply doing their job.   They were there to keep the citizens of their city safe during a peaceful protest. Protesting is a constitutional right.  It should be peaceful, respectful and organized.  The police were there to keep those who were protesting safe.  Do you think those 5 police officers woke up yesterday knowing it would be their last day on this earth?  And the same goes for the 2 shootings earlier this week?  Police have a tough job, but we need them.   We need to find a better way.... To resolve these issues and to build a better world.   We should see people, not color, gender, religion or anything in between.   My heart breaks for all of these families.  My heart breaks for our country.   We live in troubled times and this is not the America that I want my children, grandchildren or future generations to believe is normal.   It's up to each of us..... Take a look inside and ask yourself.... What can I do to make the world a better place?   

As you go about your day today... Look around...SEE people.   We are all different.  We are all creations of God and within our heart, there should be love for our fellow man.  

Disclaimer:  

    I write this blog for therapy -- to share my thoughts, feelings and honestly to get things off of my chest that are bothering me.... So please ... Note... THESE are my thoughts and feelings and not intended for any other purpose.  

Love is Love is Love.

Love is Love is Love.  

What is love?   If you were to ask 100 different people what their definition of the word love is... You'd get 100 different answers... But somewhere in each answer, there would be a connection among all the answers.   

This past week-end, another senseless tragedy and mass shooting where innocent people lost their lives and countless others wounded.   This time... The city was Orlando.  The location, a nightclub called Pulse.      The news outlets have reported that Pulse was having "Latin night" and there were about 320 people in the club when the lone shooter walked in and began his rampage.  He killed 49 people, injured 53 more and then he was fatally shot by police.  Why is this suddenly the norm in society?   Why are there no answers?   Why are we not demanding them?   Through all of the frustration and unanswered questions.... The one thing that has become crystal clear --- LOVE.  

Across the US and internationally, there has been an out-pouring of love and support being shown to the families of those lives that were lost,  those victims that are still in the hospital, the first responders, law enforcement and the entire Orlando community.  

 Residents lined up early on Sunday to donate blood.   Restaurants offered food, drink and rest-rooms.  JetBlue offered free flights to the families.  A fund was set up (OneOrlando) to help the families and numerous pledges and donations have been made.   

Cities around the world.... Lit their landmarks as a show of solidarity, support and love.   This tragedy caused great hurt and pain, but it did not take away the love.   It did not remove it.  

As a country,  It will take a while before we recover.  It will take awhile before we feel safe again, if we ever, truly feel it -- but through all of the emotions... One thing will remain.  

Love is love is love.  

Toastin' Teddy

Every now and then, someone comes along and makes a difference.  They give love, laughter and lessons in life without you even realizing it.  Teddy was a giver.  He loved life.  He gave to others as easily as we blink our eyes.  He was full of love and laughter.   Over the years, Teddy and I became really great friends... he was supposed to be a work colleague, but somewhere along the way we actually became friends and he became part of my family.  

In the hospitality industry, we all travel a lot.   The wonderful thing is when you travel a lot and are around the same people a lot, you get to know them.  You become friends and they become part of your life.  When I decided to leave my former company so many years ago, Teddy was one of the first people to call me and say, whatever you need... I'll be there.  He was true to his word.  I started my own company and from the first day.... he was supportive, full of ideas and never looked back.  

When I decided to launch my own conference, Teddy jumped in with both feet and asked, "What can I do?  What do you need?".  He was there from the beginning and never missed a beat.  He was the Chairman of my Advisory Board and he was involved and invested in every project that we worked on together.  Teddy was a light that shined brightly.   A beacon of light that touched so many different people.   

My heart has a huge hole in it.   I talked to Teddy a lot.   We talked work, we talked family, we talked sports, we talked wine, we talked ideas.... Basically, we talked about anything.  One of his favorite topics was his beautiful daughter, Ella.   He loved her so much.   He was so proud and it was so obvious how much he adored her.  I felt so honored that Teddy shared his family stories with me. Most of us in the industry, are somewhat private when it comes to our personal lives.   We keep that close to heart, so you know that you are really good friends, when you are comfortable enough and close enough friends to share your family.   Teddy would start telling a story that involved Ella or his wife, Gabriella and just light up.  It was a special bond he had with his family and it always touched me to see such a different side of him from the one the industry knew.  Teddy loved his family.  He loved his friends.  He loved life.  He lived it.  He's one of those people who lived it every day... and based on all of the posts, tributes and toasts I have seen over the past several days.... he has every friend that he ever made... still on his side.  

Teddy was a kind, generous soul who gave willingly and smiled and laughed.  Teddy stressed but he was one of those that as he stressed he talked to himself and if you were stressed, he talked to you.   I am so lucky to have known him.  I am so lucky that we became such great friends and that he was such a huge part of my circle.   

We will honor his legacy and we will forever hold the memories in our hearts.   The number 11 will constantly remind us that he felt a strong connection to that number and now, we all cling to it as well.  

Teddy, thank you for being my friend.  Thank you for sharing your laughs and love with the entire industry.   Thank you for having a heart of gold and so big that it enveloped anyone that ever crossed your path.   Thank you for your support and for always being there to listen.   I will miss our state of the industry calls ... Where we solved the world's problems...and came up with crazy ideas that we knew somehow would always work.  Thank you for the Buttercup song which will forever be one of my fondest memories.  I will always raise my glass to toast you... And I will never replace the Chairman's seat.   Toastin' Teddy -- Today, Tomorrow and Always.  We love you, my friend.   You will forever be in our hearts and you will truly be missed.   #toastinteddy #chairmanoftheboard #hee #pineapplegroup #teddymac #teddymcaleer 

Lessons from Cinderella

Have Courage and Be Kind.  Strong message, right?  

Walt Disney has created yet another hit with their "grown-up" version of Cinderella.  The beloved animated classic has come to life on the big screen at theatres nationwide with a powerful message.  Yes... I went to see the movie and not a child in tow.  In fact, 4 grown women... and we loved every moment.  I almost wondered if Disney were not reaching out to our teens and young adults with this version.... in a way that maybe... just maybe... they might get it.  The beloved classic stayed true to the Brother Grimm story... but in the adult version... what shines the most is the spirit of kindness within the heart of Cinderella.   Her ailing mother ... beckons her... to "have courage and be kind" and that message is repeated through-out the movie even though Cinderella is put through many tests... by her wicked stepmother.  

True to the classic, Cinderella's heart wins in the end and she stays true to herself with one lasting shot at her stepmother.  "I forgive you".  What a refreshing change for the movies... and uplifting message for our children and teens, as well as ourselves. 

As I sat watching the movie... I could only hope that somehow... parents everywhere were taking note. Disney once again proved that they have the magic.