So, as many of you know (as I’ve shared repeatedly in class), I’m turning 47 on Friday, along with Dr. Carlson. It’s still a bit odd that two gingers born on the same day and year would end up randomly in a class together. But I digress, as I was saying ,I’ve shared my age and subsequently, all my pseudo old-fashioned points of view. I’m still not confident I will ever be a fan of social media, to be honest. That said, I have learned a great deal during these crammed, six full weeks of Summer Session. Not the least of which is when a PhD tells you the class is tough but even tougher in the Summer, BELIEVE them. In all the rush and reading and stress, I can say I’ve really enjoyed the discussions in class and hearing from you all. So much so that I feel like I can share something with you.
All posts by jacknwillasmum
Enough Already; NOW is THE Time
Once again.
Sadly, once again, the hearts of the nation and many around the world are broken for loss of life and injury and fear wrought upon everyday citizens of the United States like you and I.
I’m speaking, of course, of the senseless acts of violence committed against folks just out to have a good time in Orlando early this past Sunday morning. I know of no other legitimate way to describe this act. I know many are saying “Hate Crime,” and yes it certainly appears that the individual responsible was filled with that. Many are saying “home grown terrorist” and blaming a faith for the acts of one of their members. Many are crying foul as the shooter apparently was in the throes of a mental crisis, and I’m sure we’ll hear more on that as well as all the other possible reasons he did what he did. I frankly don’t care. I don’t care what label we put on this, or what name or association the press shares with us. I simply call him what he is: a murderer. He will go down in the current history books as the perpetrator of the largest act of gun violence in U.S. history for his actions.
Bad choices are not choices
I have had the duty and privilege of voting in 7 Presidential Elections since turning 18.
I can honestly say in each and every one I’ve voted what my conscience and research lead me to as the best possible choice for the country.
In some cases my choices have won the elections, in others they have not. I’ve voted for Republicans 4 times and Democrats 3 times.
My allegiance is to the person whom I believe can best lead the nation; sometimes that is due to internal issues going on within the US and, at others, in the larger world around the globe.
Clutter = Weight Gain, Who Knew??
OK I’ll admit it; I’m a bit of a control freak.
I like rules and order they give me balance and a sense of place to exist within. 
Generally this translates to multiple areas of my life but since starting school I was finding myself just feeling out of control.
Within the last few years my grandmother passed away and while it wasn’t unexpected the sheer volume of stuff we as a family had to go through and make sense of was voluminous.
Bullying has gone WAY too far
I think it’s safe to say that most of us have been bullied at one point or another in our lives.
As a result, I’m fairly confident that the majority of you reading this are now recalling the face of that person who made you feel so small, so insignificant and so afraid that a moment is indelibly burned into your memory. If you didn’t have one then my guess is you’ll recognize a few iconic ones out of Hollywood included herein.
2016 Military Appreciation Month and Memorial Day
Hey there MDST 485 folks past and present, did you know that May is Military Appreciation Month? Fitting as the big holiday in May is what we now know as Memorial Day.
The origins of this day date all the way back to just three short years after the end of the Civil War, on May 5, 1868 to be precise. Decoration Day, as known back then, was intended to decorate the graves of those who gave their lives during that war with flowers. It was determined that the day would be observed on May 30th as the flora and fauna was in full regalia. Even dating back to that first year of honoring those who’d given the full measure, the first significant observance was held at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
While there are many cities who celebrated through the years, in 1966 Congress under President Lyndon Johnson declared the official birthplace of this holiday to be Waterloo, N.Y. Many cities across the country continued to celebrate those who lost their lives in service to the nation along with some best practices for observance. After the close of WWI the day also included all American wars. Finally in 1971 Congress declared Memorial Day as national holiday to take place on the last Monday in May.
(Thank you to the Department of the VA site for this info! –
Take a look for yourselves and learn more HERE.) 
What does this all mean to you? Well I thought maybe I’d share with you what this coming Memorial Day means to me in the context of my work at U.S. Bank, as well as, my service on the U.S. Bank’s Proud to Serve Twin Cities Business Resource Group
(Click HERE to learn more about USB’s focus on hiring Veterans.)
and the Armed Forces Service Center (AFSC) out at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport (Think something similar to a USO).
This year U.S. Bank is hosting a special internal company wide conference call that everyone is encouraged to attend regardless of whether or not they or a member of theirs is currently serving….served in the past….have a long proud family tradition of service to the U.S. or are simply someone who supports the less than 1% of the United States population who voluntarily serve.
While I know there are many of you out there thinking, “I don’t support the “war” or “military action” so I’m not interested in this post,” and I completely respect that but I implore you to notice if you will, that I didn’t say it was to support either of those. This is simply to honor the people who serve. I love the picture our internal site chose to advertise this event. A female soldier was key for this campaign, as the event is being hosted the Proud to Serve team and the U.S. Bank Women Business Resource Group. The following is my little tale of why this is important to me personally.
As some of you may be aware, family history on my Dad’s side in service to the United States goes quite a long way back in time. What you might not know is that my Step-Mom, who retired last year from U.S. Bank, also has a long family history of service and that she also served in the Army. Keep in mind that I was born in 1969, so the draft was in play during my lifetime but neither my dad nor step-mom was drafted; both volunteered as has been the case for service to the nation in the majority of my lifetime. I grew up with my dad serving on Active Duty here and there, but primarily in the Reserves. So it was no big deal that they were gone a weekend a month and a couple of weeks in the summer and winter due to their rank and years of service. No big deal right?….Yes that was true until I was in my early 20s and attending college and working.
I remember all too well the night of January 16, 1991 as I got a call from my Dad to come home from my night class immediately. When you get that call from your dad and he’s clearly using that “commander” voice; you don’t ask questions you just do as you are told. I vividly recall watching with the two of them as President George H.W. Bush addressed the Nation from the Oval Office announcing the Allied Military Action in the Persian Gulf. At the close of the President’s announcement, I knew better than to ask my Dad or Step-Mom too many questions. That said, I do remember thinking the world was going to change in our little White Bear Lake, MN household and beyond. (Here’s the link to the address on YouTube if you care to see it.)
In the days after the address, the house phone (Remember, mobile phones were still huge back then and very expensive) rang many, Many, MANY times; nearly every time resulting in hushed conversations between my Dad and Step Mom. I knew it was serious, especially as I was being given some limited authorities over the house etc. in writing on actual legal papers.
Eventually, the call we all sort of knew was coming, came, but it seemed so very unreal at the time as the call was not that my dad was being called to Active Duty but instead that it was my Step-Mom who was being called up. It’s not like we didn’t know it could happen, but it just wasn’t what had happened historically before; so it was a bit of a new mind set. After that single moment of mind shift, we all quickly switched gears and prepared for her departure to Arizona. What came next remained unknown and not a priority for discussion.
Back when the first Gulf War began she was a Reservist called to Active Duty in the Intelligence Analysis field and she was called to go teach folks on their way to the Gulf. I should be clear that she didn’t do combat duty at all but lost an awful lot of her students in the short time of the offensive. At that time in her normal life, she was in what was called “Personal Trust” for First Bank Systems in Minneapolis. (The easiest way to describe what that means is to think about long standing family money in MN and Lots of it. She was working directly with those families.)
While it seems impossible now; back then the bank didn’t even have a process for what should happen when an employee was called to Active Duty, just the normal Annual Training time stuff for Reservists. So she was quite literally the person they used to begin to develop a process for how to handle the situation going forward. I remember her saying how amazing HR, her Management team, and her co-workers were and how she was proud to work for a company that would work with her during this time. Not that it wasn’t without its fear and concerns or bumps in the road but on the whole they were supportive in all the ways they could be, knowing this was totally new territory for them.
Fast forward a number of years to 2011, that same role model in my life, my Step-Mom (the one holding the plaque at her retirement and her (second from the left) with U.S. Bank’s CEO accepting the Freedom award in 2013), ends up being selected to serve on the very first Proud to Serve Committee for what’s now known as U.S. Bank.
My, oh my, how so much has changed since she was the first person called to Active Duty and a female at that. She would again be the one helping to create policy and process for those who serve and their families.
I’m so proud to work for the same company and see all the amazing things we do in support of those who serve. I also am especially pleased to see the U.S. Bank Women Business Resource Group collaborating with the Proud to Serve BRG hosting this special event as it highlights many of the advances of women in service to our nation in the last few years. Those changes will be highlighted by the special guest speaker Colonel Jenny Holbert, USMC. Col. Holbert will share her perspective on diversity and leadership. The U.S. now has women in leadership on the front lines and as the first of the elite Navy Seals and many of the ceilings are being shattered. It’s just amazing to me that in my lifetime we’ve come so very far!
Yet the road has not ended and there are many more miles to go in so many areas.
So, if you are at all like me and are looking for a way to give back on Memorial Day that doesn’t just mean a picnic with family or a day off from work.
I offer you two options to get involved and share your thanks for those who serve.
First take a look at Flags for Fort Snelling in the long proud tradition of Decoration Day and join me in planting flags early Memorial Day morning. Second, if you are looking for a regular volunteer gig; please consider taking a look at AFSC and helping service men and women past and present as they travel thru MSP with a smile and quiet place to rest.
Finally, to any and all of you who have served, are serving or are support of those who make up the less than 1% of the nation that signs up to serve, you have my utmost and deepest thanks.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and stories on this topic so please feel free to build on this blog and share.
Hey it’s Karen – Jack n Willa are my Aussies one is a Therapy Dog and in training to be my Service Dog.
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