Tag Archives: Diversity

Party Talk

Posted on by

I’m going to a party tonight. The only reason I got invited is because of Miss Mary. I don’t get asked out much at all these days. More often than not, I’m just “Mary’s husband,” or possibly “Mr. B.” I’m okay with that.

With old acquaintances disappeared, I realize it’s probably as good a time as any to add some new names to my black book of contacts. Yeah, let’s make that a goal for the fall and winter—meeting some new people.

Meeting new people inevitably means getting the “what do you do?” treatment. It’s that age-old question all Americans have been socialized to ask. Work and job type still serve as a kind of societal litmus test. Or maybe, it’s just that way with people over a certain age. Do millennials care about anything other than their smartphones and Tinder-type apps? Oh, right—Tinder is so yesterday with these whiz kids and hooking up. Continue reading →

Destroying Words

Posted on by

There was once a book, one that I learned about in school. Granted, when I first went to school back in the 1960s, the world was a different place. While it was beginning to shift and change, language was still fairly static. That’s no longer the case.

George Orwell wrote Nineteen Eighty-Four, or 1984 in 1949, which compared to when I began school could be considered the Dark Ages. The name he was given at birth (in 1903) was Eric Blair. I bet you didn’t know that.

Big Brother is watching!

Big Brother is watching!

I used to have a blog called Words Matter. I named it that because when I was learning words and how to write them, they really did matter.

Orwell’s book had a profound effect on me when I first read it during my high school years, during the first term of a president named Reagan.  I’ve subsequently read 1984 at least 15 times since then. Continue reading →

How Diverse Are We? (day 2)

Posted on by
Mt. Battie just after sunrise.

Mt. Battie just after sunrise, shrouded in fog.

Day #2 began early, very early, with blogging and then a run into Camden at sunrise. It ended much later, visiting and old friend in Rockland. In-between, my second day at the Samoset for the #MEHRC2013 convention brought the following:

  •  Cy Wakeman and reality-based rules for the workplace and leadership

  • Diversity and HR’s role facilitating that journey, with Shilpa Pherwani (my favorite workshop)

  • Networking with old friends

  • Pamela Green unleashing HR’s power

  • Networking with new friends

  • A late afternoon swim

  • Visiting with an old friend in Rockland Continue reading →

Open to new ideas (USBLN2012)

Posted on by

[a “snapshot” of first full day at USBLN national conference–jb]

What happens when you are open to possibilities and selecting a pathway less traveled? You continue to learn new things, meet new people, and connect with others infused with passion.

I’m at USBLN’s 15th annual conference in Orlando. This year’s theme is “Disability Inclusion: Driving Success in a Competitive Business Environment.” As a new director for a brand new BLN affiliate up in Maine, I’m overwhelmed by everything there is to know and do.  This being my first conference related to disability issues, there are also so many new faces and interesting people that I want to have time to talk with and tap into their knowledge and expertise. I worry that I’ll run out of time. Continue reading →