On loss and leaving

Life goes on. That should be the lesson from this week.

After 11 years with the Roanoke Regional Partnership, my good friend and colleague has jumped ship for a job in the City of Roanoke's Department of Economic Development. I wish him well and rejoice that we'll still be able to work with him. But, starting Thursday, life here will not ever be the same. In time it may even be better, but the days of walking into his office and bouncing ideas around are gone. And so are our road trip adventures. Good hotels, bad hotels, great meals, bad flights, shared experiences with a co-worker I was lucky enough to call friend.

The "loss" in my headline could refer to the stunning loss by the entire Virginia Democratic party on Tuesday. And things had been going so well! I hadn't voted in a losing election since 2004. As the state tinges a little more purple, maybe this can be a wake up call.

But no, that wasn't the loss. I learned this week that another friend has lost a parent. We're at the age when that is going to happen more frequently. This week it was Betty Allin, mom of Nancy. At one time in my life, her presence was writ large. She was our girl scout leader in a small town where girl scouting was still fairly cool. She let us on camping trips and community projects and helped -- as a village must -- raise some really neat women. I some small measure we're all who we are in part because of her. RIP Mrs. Allin. And thanks!

The last victim of the summer of 2009

To the list that includes Ted Kennedy, Walter Cronkite, Patrick Swazye, Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, add Mr. Kitty. He was a beautiful, huge, plush gray cat who weighed somewhere near 25 pounds. He tried to be mean and snarly, but ended up a purring lap cat (assuming you had a big lap!). He went over the Rainbow Bridge yesterday due to kidney failure. He will be missed by Oscar and Miss Kitten, as well as his human family: my brother John, Tanya, Keegan and Garrett.

Yesterday (Sept. 21, 2009) also marked the first day in my adult life without Guiding Light. Yes, I watched that 72-year-old soap. In some ways it was a constant in my life. From the summer of unemployment, living at home in 1981, to Danville, Columbus and back to Roanoke, I've followed Josh and Reva, the Spauldings, the Bauers and the Coopers. Beta, VHS and finally DVR kept me in touch with the people of Springfield. I rolled my eyes at the stupider story lines, but cried real tears when characters died. I think of the actors and actresses who have now lost jobs they've had for nearly 30 years.

RIP Guilding Light. And Mr. Kitty.

Eight years ago today

I was leaving a breakfast meeting at the Roanoker on a beautiful, warm September morning. I had the top down and was listening to the radio as I drove out of the parking lot to Colonial Ave. I remember thinking what a great day it was. But, like the soap opera character who voices a similar sentiment -- only to be stalked and killed by an evil twin within the month -- I was to be proven wrong by a newsbreak on Q-99. A plane had hit the World Trade Center. How awful! Must have been a small plane.

As the morning unfolded and got worse and worse, work was forgotten. Colleagues gathered in the conference room to watch TV. Our pre-cable set required the antenna to be taped to the set, then draped over a chair. All we could get was NBC.

I remember the day -- and many days afterward -- were disproportionately beautiful. It is hard to recall a longer stretch of beautiful weather. I tried not to watch the coverage, but that was all there was. For days. What a relief it was for reruns and soaps to come back on the following week.

The attack happened on a Tuesday. Wednesday morning I took my trash and recycling to the curb. Life went on. And still does, but we're forever changed.

09-09-09

I made it through September 8. It's been four years since my Dad died on that date. And in some ways it isn't any easier. I really try to focus on his birthday as a better way to honor him, but Sept. 8 is still pretty difficult. I have to just get through it and know that the calendar page will turn.

And it has. Today is 09/09/09 - supposedly a magical day. But if not, it's still a pretty cool date. It's akso the birthday of my pretty cool niece, Claire. Her birthday is always the bright spot on the horizon during the bad day. The reminder that life triumphs over death. Happy birthday, Claire!

Miss you, Dad!

Now I know what I'm going to write about today

I was going to write about the sorry state of public discourse these days. Who thinks it's right to scream at people in public? What's wrong with these people??

Then I was going to go much lighter and -- after a discussion this morning with similar-aged co-workers -- write about the great nighttime soaps of the 1980s. Dallas, Falcon Crest, Knots Landing and Dynasty. It was a simpler time when you could get back at an enemy just by ruining his grape crop.

But, after a drive over to Riverside Center to take a new photo of the medical school construction, I decided to write about the joys of living in the Roanoke Valley. This really is a great place. And those who don't appreciate it need to look around. We have a fabulous new art museum downtown -- and a fabulous downtown itself. Too many restaurants to get to in a month's worth of lunches. Too much to see and do in the region in an average weekend.

Complain about air service, but then spend more than an hour trying to make your plane in Atlanta or Chicago, and you'll appreciate the convenience of Roanoke Regional. Complain about local government and civic leaders, but they've given us the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, Center in the Square, the Higher Education Center and Riverside Center.

To bring this discuss back to where I started it, it is quite impressive to drive back behind the office buildings and the new Carilion Clinic to the parking lot. That's where it dawned on me that the dreams of many are coming true. Where there wasn't much of anything for years, now there are attractive buildings, employing people, finding cures, soon to be training new doctors.

Happy Labor Day

And now, a few words about Social Media

I love it.

I love Facebook. I love the fact that I can keep up with lots of people at the same time. Dear friends that I might have only e-mailed occasionally, or caught up with if I was traveling near them. I have made new friendships, strengthened some and renewed many more. I don't understand people who think it is too much work or too trivial. Friendships are never too much work. Trivial? Sure, but there's a value in the day to day trivia that puts a smile on your face.

I'm fascinated by Twitter. I don't think I've truly "gotten" it yet. I tweet for my company, not as myself, so I don't think I get the full benefits. But I do like following interesting people and organizations -- in additions to the ones important to our organization. If you want to follow us, we're at http://www.twiter.com/roanoke_region.

I've been slow to warm up to LinkedIn, but am seeing the value of broader networks and various groups.

That brings me to blogging. This blog was created by a friend and colleague (Chris, if you see this, jump on in!) in 2007. He posted a few times, but I was too intimidated. I'd actually forgotten I even had this blog until recently -- when I went to create a blog and found I already had.

So I'm just figuring this out. I have big plans to customize my blog -- add photos, etc. I hope someone sees it and comments.

Where's my global warming?

Just for the record, it was 87 degrees here on Sept. 2, 2008. We will be lucky to make it to 77 today. Where the heck is my global warming? Why does my grass still need to be mowed so often?

I really shouldn't complain about this little preview of fall. Other parts of the country are sweltering and coping with droughts. And we've had our share of crappy weather in past years. This summer, however, has been wonderful. I used the air conditioning only once in July -- and that was the night of the fire, to keep the smoke and noise out.

Fall is one of the nicest seasons in Southwest Virginia, but it carries with it the melancholy of autumn that keeps it from being my favorite. I think that's what's my problem with this cool snap. I like summer to hang on as long as possible.

R.I.P. Summer of 2009

I think we were lucky to survive the Summer of 2009. So many left us: Ted Kennedy, Walter Cronkite, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, BILLY MAYES (I always refer to him in CAPS to honor his shouting infomercials).

It also was the 40 anniversary of Woodstock and Apollo 11. Looking back from four decades away, it seems like, of the two, Woodstock had the more profound impact on America. We quit going to the moon, but we're still rocking. Although the moon landing did give us the great cliche: "they can land a man on the moon, but they can't [fill in the blank]."

Here in Roanoke, VA, the skyline has changed over the summer. The Roanoke City Mill on Jefferson Street finally surrendered to the wrecking ball, while across the street the new clinic building and medical school are rising out of formerly underused or vacant lots. A graphic, living example of a changing economy. And the promise of good things on the horizon.