Life

Boom Boom’s Life Lessons #7.

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By request from not one, but two readers, we share the previously published article again for your perusal.  It must be sales meeting time for some.  We hope you’ll enjoy it.

 

One of the many gifts that Boom Boom gave us was the torrent of quips about how one leads one’s life.   He could say so much by saying so little.   A statement at just the right moment resonated in my young, eager eardrums.  How I interpreted or applied it was up to me.  No more words were spoken because no more words were needed.

Boom Boom bought a new car when, and only when, the need arose.  He bought American.  And, he bought Oldsmobiles.  Mom would get the new car and hand Boom Boom the keys to the old one.   He included me in the conversations with the car salesmen and management from a very young age.

In the mid-sixties an on and off again negotiation with the local dealership involved us walking out twice and resuming the deal-making the next day and then the day after.  Finally, exhaustively, the terms were agreed to on a new Jetstar 88.  “We’ll clean it up for you and you can pick it up tomorrow Mr. Johnston,” said the exasperated car salesman.

After his work and our dinner the next evening we drove in the old trade-in Olds to pick up the new Olds.  After the final paperwork was signed we joyfully opened the doors to get into the new shiny ride.  One problem.  There were no floor mats.  “Where are the floor mats,” Boom Boom inquired.  “Mr. Johnston, there were none in the car as it was offered to you.  Floor mats will be an extra $36, said the soon-to-be more exasperated car salesman.”  “Keep the car,”  Boom Boom evenly retorted.   “Let’s go,” he said to mom and I.   Silence abounded.  And, off we drove in the old Jetstar 88 back home.  The silence was still plentiful well into the evening.

The next evening our phone rang.  Boom Boom answered.  Boom Boom listened.  Then, Boom Boom spoke.   We could only hear his side of the conversation.   “So, now you want to include the floor mats?”  Pause.  “Ok, well, tell your manager that I now need another $150 off of the car for my inconvenience in addition to the floor mats.”  Long pause.  “Tell him thank you.”

“Let’s get the car,” he said.  Mom decided to drop him and me off and head back home.  She may have had a wee bit of buyer’s fatigue.  As dad and I waited for them to bring the car around to the front he looked at me(all of six or seven years old) and said, “Never be afraid to walk away from a negotiation.  Never.”

The new car smell filled my nostrils on the ride home.  The lesson learned fills my mind to this day.

 

Boom Booms Life Lessons #4

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When we checked in on Boom Booms Life Lessons #2 we learned of his early departures and late returns six days a week to and from his workplace.  We also mentioned the Saturday yard work after that, and house repair after that as needed.  Well, it didn’t stop there actually.

On a couple of weeknights each week he finished dinner and headed to our spare bedroom that housed his desk, his adding machine, my mother’s exercise bike, and most of all an undersized pool table.  Yes, it was crowded.  He needed to do some “book work” he said.  He struck the adding machine keys so quickly that it was not possible to follow.

His one and only son loved playing pool (competition and geometry combined is a tasty combo) and asked for him to”crack em” almost every night that his own homework didn’t get in the way.  Boom Boom would finish his book work first.  Always.  He expressed it as follows.  Always.

“Work before play son, work before play!“

Once the heat generated by his fast fingers on his adding machine cooled, and his pencil entered its last numbers in the ledger, it was time for a game or three of 8 ball, or 9 ball, or…

“Let’s play one more game Dad.”

“Sleep before school son.  Sleep before school!”

And with that, we would leave the spare room and turn out the lights.

If you tend to put the need last to enjoy the want first, try the reverse.  The satisfaction of a job well done first leads to greater joy in the leisurely pursuit of your choice later.

The sound of the crank on the adding machine still echoes.  So does “Work before…………”

 

 

Boom Boom’s Life Lessons #2

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Born into a family with a strong work ethic, Boom Boom learned quickly that working hard didn’t guarantee success, but it went a long way towards providing warm meals and a roof over one’s head.   At 12 years of age The Great Depression brutally started.  At 22 years of age, The Great Depression mercifully ended.  It left a lasting, yet positive mark on him.

He worked for the same company for over 32 years.  His “white-collar” management job started early for him.  He was gone every morning by 6:30 AM for his 15-minute commute.  He rarely returned prior to 6:30 PM.  He worked every Saturday too.  He left by 7:00 AM and returned around noon.  He chose to work on Saturday.  It was far from mandatory.  Then, he worked in the yard meticulously trimming, mowing, or fixing what might be wrong with the house till near dark every Saturday evening.

Boom Boom said it often, “no one can outwork or outthink you.”   “You can work as hard as you want as long as you want.  And, you may not be smarter than some others, but you can think longer and harder if you choose.”

No one outworked or outthought Boom Boom.  Perhaps no one can outwork or out-think you.

Boom Boom’s Life Lessons #17

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One of the many gifts that Boom Boom gave us was the torrent of quips about how one leads one’s life.   He could say so much by saying so little.   A statement at just the right moment resonated in my young, eager eardrums.  How I interpreted or applied it was up to me.  No more words were spoken because no more words were needed.

Today U.S. Government Series EE Savings Bonds as an investment are about as popular as Donald J. Trump is in Portland, Oregon as a president.  But way back in the 1960’s and 1970’s they were backed (and still are) by the full faith and credit of the United States and paid about eight percent interest per year.

And way back in the 1960’s and 1970’s Boom Boom brought one home every other week in his briefcase.   I just didn’t know it.  I didn’t know it, that is, until one evening after supper.

In Lesson #4 we shared that on a couple of weeknights each week he finished dinner and headed to our spare bedroom that housed his desk, his adding machine, my mother’s exercise bike, and most of all an undersized pool table.  Yes, it was crowded.  He needed to do some “book work” he always said.  He struck the adding machine keys so quickly that it was not possible to follow.

His one and only son loved playing pool (competition and geometry combined is a tasty combo) and asked for him to”crack em” almost every night that his own homework didn’t get in the way and after his father’s “book work” was completed.

But this particular evening was different.  Boom Boom asked that I help him with his book work.  At the tender age of eight or nine I had no idea what that meant.  I had no idea until he took the bond out of his briefcase and pulled a short stack of them with a rubber band around them out of his top drawer.

“Son, these bonds are going to pay for your college.”  “College?” I stammered.  You see the dollar amount in the corner of each?”  “Yes.”  That will be how much each is worth when they mature.  And almost all mature seven years after you buy them.”  “Mature?” I asked.  “Yes.  I buy them for half of what their face value is.”  “Face value?”  “It’s the dollar amount in the corner.”

“Where do you get them?”  “Don’t worry about that.”  “Let’s add them up together to see how we are doing.”  “Ok, Dad.”

From then on every two weeks we would add another fifty or sometimes even a hundred dollar one to the growing stack and cross out the total to write down the new total.

“Save your money, Son.”  I heard that refrain every two weeks as the rubber band went “whack” around the stack.  “When you need it for something down the road you will be able to afford it without borrowing.  Save your money, Son.“

Boom Boom’s Life Lessons #15

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One of the many gifts that Boom Boom gave us was the torrent of quips about how one leads one’s life.   He could say so much by saying so little.   A statement at just the right moment resonated in my young, eager eardrums.  How I interpreted or applied it was up to me.  No more words were spoken because no more words were needed.

Out of nowhere (out of wood actually) my friend and neighbor across the street had a great two story fort built in his backyard by his dad.  It was cool!  Everyone wanted to play with Timmy and at Timmy’s house.  I needed a fort too, then.  I wanted everyone to want to play at my house.  One Saturday after work Boom Boom, with reservations, built just that for me.  I proudly announced as much to all of my friends late that afternoon.  Boom Boom went back to his weekend chores usually within earshot of my new play area.

Soon many wanted to play in my fort.  I was the king of my castle.  I was the commander in chief of our neighborhood army. Even Timmy came over.

However, daily, less soldiers followed my commands.  And, then less friends were in my army.  I had to get the remaining ones in line.  Soon my fort was all but abandoned.  Everyone went back to Timmy’s fort.

I sulked.  Boom Boom asked me why I thought everyone had deserted my army despite my commands.  “I don’t know,” I whined.  “I do,” he said.  “Why?”  “Because bosses aren’t bossy, son.”  What do you mean?”  “Leaders ask, they don’t demand.  They show the way.  They don’t force the way.”  I sulked.

“What do I do now, Daddy?”  “Go be a good soldier at Timmy’s fort.  You’ll get another chance another day.”

 

 

I Have Yet Another Story and A Moral Thereof!

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The best way to bump into celebrities is to live in Los Angeles.  The second best way is to travel to and from there frequently.   It was on a return trip from there that this writer very nearly chest bumped an “A lister.”

Another early AM Friday flight from LA  to Houston had boarded.  The week was done for the most part.  Luckily, I was bumped up to first class as a bonus on the bon voyage.  Before taking my seat in 1D I quickly saw that the overhead storage space directly over the row didn’t exist due to the curvature of the fuselage.  Being a bit of an alpha, I seized the opportunity to put my roller bag over row 2 just behind me.  What about the needs of the folks in row 2 you ask?  What about them I ask?

I settled in with The Wall Street Journal in hand; actually in two hands.  This was back when newspapers actually still went to print.  The hubbub, yapping, inefficiency, and general incivility of 250 humans boarding a plane was all around me.  Immersed in the paper, it was all just white noise to me.  It’s far better that way to remain somewhat sane truth be told.

With that as the backdrop I barely heard, and it really didn’t register with me, that a pair of first class flight attendants were at work in the galley as one remarked to the other that “it sounds like we have a VIP on board.”  This could be most anyone including United brass or a dead head trip friend, etc.  I stayed buried in The Journal.

Wheels up, a movie on the tiny screen, a breakfast, some computer work, and wheels down three hours later summarizes my time in the cylindrical 550 mph tin can.  A luggage grab, a stroll to the parking garage, a drive home, and a conference call is all that stood between me and a big time weekend.

That luggage grab would be like threading a needle though as I needed to walk backwards to get it.  The alpha in me said that I should bull rush the oncoming traffic, stifle it, and grab the bag versus waiting for a slow moment in the mad exit dash from the row or rows behind me.

As I took the hard left turn to do just that the person seated directly behind me for the entire flight headed for the aisle in the obviously opposite direction that I was.  And, because of that we both came to a full stop.  Then we met eye to eye for that uncomfortable moment that I created.  Well, it was almost eye to eye.  The gentleman was about a half-foot shorter than I.  Immediately the mind raced.  Yes.  Yes.  I cannot be mistaken.  Yes it is.  It was none other than George Clooney.  Oh yes I did, I flat out stymied George.

It felt like I had a pair of eyes on my back through the Jetway.  Once in the terminal a fellow passenger strode by and asked if I knew that was George Clooney.  I decided to stay alpha and went the humorous route, or so I thought.  I asked him “more importantly do you think that George Clooney knew that it was me?”  It was an odd stare back for sure. It was a bit awkward all around all over again really.

Oh, what’s the moral of the story?  Keep your luggage close and your A List friends closer.  Or, vice versa.

 

No Spring Chicken, But Still Pleased as Punch

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Yesterday one of our esteemed writers turned a, in his mind, very young 59 years of age.  An early morning workout gave way to some reading.  Time of the essence allowed for only 12 holes of golf as a fun dinner with family awaited.  And indeed the day was enjoyable.  When asked about the day he said that he was as pleased as punch with how it went.  However, while pleased as punch sounds good, it comes from a macabre origin.  Its meaning is derived from the bizarre really.

Meaning: To be very happy
History: A 17th century puppet show for adults called Punch and Judy featured a puppet named Punch who almost always hurt people. The act of killing or hitting characters with his stick (know as a slapstick) brought him pleasure, so he felt pleased with himself afterwards.  Later the show morphed into a lighter, more children’s friendly event, and Punch’s character thankfully became a friendly one.

As one ages either gracefully or not so gracefully(like the beast known as Punch) into the fall season of their lives, their existence is sometimes referred to as being “no spring chicken.”  This seems less than flattering.  Savvy New England chicken buyers agree.

Meaning: Someone who is past his prime
History: New England chicken farmers generally sold chickens in the spring, so the chickens born in the springtime yielded better earnings than the chickens that survived the winter. Sometimes, farmers tried to sell old birds for the price of a new spring chicken. Clever buyers complained that the fowl was “no spring chicken,” and the term came to represent anyone past their prime.

While you may not be as pleased as punch to be looked at as no spring chicken, remember, “age is only a number.”  So says some wise owls.

We wonder why the bigger the birthday number the more likely it’s referred to as only a number?  Actually, we don’t wonder.  We know.

The day is young.  It’s time to get after it.

 

 

 

 

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Oh Baby, Utopia is No Where Near.

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We are wondering if we have been too hard on the month of February lately.  After all February makes us appreciate almost all of the other months more.  And, at least its only 28 days long(short).  So, there is that going for it.  Every day cannot be utopia.  Utopia?  Now there is an often spoken word that makes us wonder as well.  What does utopia mean, and what is the origin of its meaning?

Meaning: it’s a great place that doesn’t exist

History:  In 1516 Sir Thomas More wrote the first ‘Utopia‘. He coined the word ‘utopia‘ from the Greek ou-topos meaning ‘no place’ or ‘nowhere’. But this was a pun – the almost identical Greek word eu-topos means a good place. So at the very heart of the word is a vital question: can a perfect world ever be realized?

Can a perfect world ever be realized?  Probably not would be our guess, but we can hope.  But if indeed we fall short it’s no reason to throw the baby out with the bath water is it?

Meaning: Hang on to valuable things when getting rid of unnecessary things

History: During Medieval times most people bathed only once a year. Even when they did bathe, the entire family used the same tub full of water. The man of the house bathed first, followed by other males, then females, and finally the babies. You can imagine how thick and cloudy the water became by that time, so the infants’ mothers had to take care not to throw them out with the bath water when they emptied the tub.

Or so the story goes.

Perhaps we should strive for utopia after all.  Because in a perfect world, or even an imperfect one, we should probably bath more than once a year.  We’ve come a long way.  but, we’ve got a long ways to go.

 

Boom Boom’s Life Lessons #11

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One of the many gifts that Boom Boom gave us was the torrent of quips about how one leads one’s life.   He could say so much by saying so little.   A statement at just the right moment always resonated.  How I interpreted or applied it was up to me.  No more words were spoken because no more words were needed.

In Boom Boom’s later years he drove over to Houston to visit.  After dinner we sat down to one of his very favorite pastimes-watching baseball.  There were pots, pans, and dishes getting cleaned and clanging in the kitchen.  An unnamed five-year old and a determined three-year old were full of energy and buzzing about.  Through it all Boom Boom kept one eye on the Astros game.

When Jeff Bagwell stepped to the plate his interest heightened.  Bagwell was in the middle of a ten-year run that led to his recent Hall of Fame induction.   “Look at his stance, son.”  I had seen it thousands of times before.  “It’s unique son, no one would teach that today.”  “No doubt Dad.”  “He’s in the big leagues for one obvious reason son.  He hits the ball hard every time.”  “No doubt Dad.”

Bagwell hit a missile for a single to centerfield.  He stood on first.  Boom Boom wondered, “Can you imagine if you were his little league or high school coach and tried to change his stance or his swing son?”  Before I could imagine he continued.  “In life you should take what you do best and make it better.”  “Everyone has weaknesses.  Forget about them.  If you are really good at one thing you’ll prosper.”

Suddenly I didn’t hear the background noise.  Lee Trevino popped into my mind as another example.  Self taught he was.  And, he took that banana slice swing and practiced it till he was more accurate than almost anyone else on tour.

I never watched Bagwell in the batter’s box again and didn’t think about that moment.  Because “in life you should take what you do best and make it better.”