Category Archives: Life

Risky business

Family, Life

My granddaughters get on to me all the time for being overly protective. It is because when you get older (like I am) you have visions of all the things that could go wrong. Mostly these concerns are based on things that happened to me (ha) as a kid. I probably had more stitches than a sewing machine and more mishaps than the All State commercial.

It amazes me sometimes that any of us lived through the 60’s and 70’s. No seat belts, no bike helmets, no anti-lock brakes, no airbags, toys that could kill or maim you, no cell phones to stay in contact and the list could go for pages etc. In the summer I would leave home in the morning on my bike (riding on the main roads) be building a tree house five miles from home 20 feet in the air with three 2×4’s and five nails. We played full contact football with no pads or helmets, rode skateboards backwards down steep hills and felt good if there was a little blood on our shirts. Went swimming in the river (wide and fast flowing) with no supervision. It’s just amazing we did not break our neck, have brain injuries or drown. We simply did not know the risks that everyone understands today. As long as I came home for dinner, my mom had no idea what we were doing. ha

I could tell you some pf the dumb things I did as a boy but and teenager, but it might make you think less of me. We just lived life in the most simple and innocent way you could. There wasn’t video games. social media and the internet, yet we lived life rather than sharing it on Facebook. Sometimes the best “likes” are analog, meaning we were there in the moment not watching other people’s moments. We lived it and somehow lived through it.

Much to my granddaughters’ chagrin, I will always be overly protective when they are with me to keep them from harms way as much as I can. Maybe when they are grown, they won’t have as many healed body injuries as me. Ha. KT

It’s not my fault

Career, Life

I have watched and lived the last 100 days as the real estate world has changed (possibly long term) due to the COVID crisis. For the lodging, leisure and travel industry, it has been devastating. It has been devastating because as my friend Dave Akridge likes to say, it is unprecedented.

The one thing I have yet to see or hear is anyone standing up and admitting they were possibly at fault for poor decisions. Everyone it seems wants to blame someone else or something else and nowhere (so far) is the person who simply says, “I was wrong, and it is my fault.”

I remember when I was starting out in the restaurant business and was the director over seven Mrs. Winners that were converting to Wendy’s. I oversaw all operations and the entire construction process. As a young man, it was a little daunting.

I remember once we converted the Ga Tech location to a Wendy’s and the very first month, our cost and expenses were way out of line, and we lost money. The investors I worked for were all sitting around the table and ready to hand me my hat. They expected me (like most people) to blame the situation on this or that event etc. as the reason for the loss. They were so mad they were red faced. I looked at them and told them it was all my fault and if they wanted to fire me, I would understand.

Their steam and anger just went poof and they didn’t know what to say. I told them in detail where I needed to make changes and what the plan was. I left the meeting and they were satisfied on the plan. Had I refused to take blame; it probably would have ended very differently.

The point is, it is ok to take the blame if the mistake was in truth, your fault. It is really the only right answer. In life you will find that people will respect you more and put more confidence in you if they know you are honest. There are so many passages in the bible about this very subject it would take three pages to list them all. In psalms it is referenced as being upright with integrity. The fact is we all make mistakes and not admitting it, generally makes the mistake worse.

Whatever the situation, financial, business, family, relationships, jobs etc. people will think more you if you admit to being at fault. It makes you real, trustworthy, approachable and memorable. In short it tells them who you really are. The world needs more of this. KT

When things happen

Career, Life

Sometimes things just happen in life. They weren’t planned but just showed up.

Years ago, I was flying to a meeting with a guy and got to the airport and the flight was delayed several hours. I was frustrated and anxious about missing the meeting and he said something to me that I have adopted as my own ever since. He said, “when things happen like this, I choose to see it as God protecting me from being in the wrong place at the wrong time.” From then on, when something unexpected happened, I just whispered a silent prayer of thanks for God making me take a pause.

A vehicle GPS is an amazing thing. God’s spiritual GPS is even more amazing. They both have one thing in common. When you miss a turn, they will (if you will listen) try to redirect you to the same planned destination. You will get there but just a little later than expected. KT

Your last day

Family, Life

What would you do if you were told you had only a few weeks to live? Sounds morbid I know. Here is the thing, whatever your answer is to that hypothetical question, is the to-do-list that you hold most dear. They are the most important things you need to do.

I am just spit balling here, but I bet one of your answers was not to spend more time at work. Your answers were probably much more personal in nature regarding your family and the ones you love. You may have answered something about getting your finances in order so the ones you love will have an easier time after you are gone.

Here is a thought, why not do those things now before you are forced to. Why not sit your family down and have that conversation you have been putting off? Why not take a few hours and organize your life and your financial affairs? Why not do the things that are the most important things you need to do. Who knows, maybe the peace that comes from doing those things now will help you rest better, feel stronger, have more hope and maybe even live longer. Just a thought. KT

Health questionnaire

Life

If you need a little reality check, just go any doctor and fill out the required paperwork and you will see what I mean.

I just got back from the dermatologist and had to fill out the updated questionnaire. The first page is the basic name, address etc. but along about page three, you start in with your medical history. On those pages you are supposed to circle all the medical issues you currently have or ever had. I took a picture of the three pages of diseases or conditions and counted 92. They cover everything from a sore throat to the worst health conditions possible. As you read those conditions and hopefully don’t have to circle many of them, you quickly realize how much suffering there is in the world and if you didn’t have to circle half the page, possible how blessed you are.

Very often we take our health for granted and don’t realize how blessed we are until something changes. So, if you can fill out the doctor’s questionnaire without too many circles, take a minute and count your blessings and give yourself a reality check. KT