Connection To Others

When it comes to connecting with people, communicating in various methods is a must. My book, "Attitude In Words" is available at many locations such as;

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/
Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
Books Unlimited - http://www.booksunlimited.ie/
Lulu - http://www.lulu.com/)
Eruditor - http://www.eruditor.com/
Libreria Universitaria - http://www.libreriauniversitaria.it/
Target - http://www.target.com/
Blackwell - bookshop.blackwell.com

There are so many other places it is available as well. A shameless plug I realize, but it is only one method of impacting those near and far. There are so many ways we can communicate with each other including the internet. Our church has a great website that allows people to connect with each other. I like to think of it as "MySpace on steroids". This form of communication allows us to reach others across all geographical boundaries and to form closer connections.

I am constantly amazed at how the words of a person can spread so quickly and to such a wide audience of people through these forms of communication. My own blog touches people all over the world and it creates connections to so many.

History has seen so many advances in these various forms of communication. The spoken word, the written word, the recorded word and the various types of medium through which the word is communicated. Think of the advances in communication shown below. The list is only a small record of how humans have advanced our ability to communicate with each other.

3500 BC to 2900 BC - Phoenicians develop an alphabet.
1775 BC - Greeks use phonetic alphabet.
1400 BC - Oldest record of writing in China on bones.
1270 BC - The first encyclopedia is written in Syria.
900 BC - 1st postal service for government use in China.
776 BC - 1st use of homing pigeons to send messages.

500 BC to 170 BC
Papyrus rolls and early parchments made of dried reeds.
They are the first portable and light writing surfaces.

200 BC to 100 BC - Human messengers on foot or horseback.
100 - 1st bound books
305 - 1st wooden printing presses invented in China.
1455 - Printing press with metal movable type invented.
1714 - 1st patent for a typewriter.
1793 - 1st long-distance semaphore telegraph line.
1831 - Joseph Henry invents the first electric telegraph.
1835 - Samuel Morse invents Morse code.
1843 - 1st long distance electric telegraph line.
1861 - U.S.A. starts the Pony Express for mail delivery.
1876 - Alexander Bell patents the electric telephone.
1877 - Thomas Edison patents the phonograph.
1902 - 1st radio signal transmitted across Atlantic Ocean.
1914 - First cross continental telephone call made.
1925 - 1st experimental television signal transmitted.
1930 - Radio popularity spreads, the "Golden Age" of radio.
1939 - Scheduled television broadcasts begin.
1944 - Government owned computers put into public service.

** The age of Information Science begins **

1958 - Photocopier or Xerox machine is invented.
1969 - ARPANET, the first Internet started.
1979 - 1st cell phone network started in Japan.
1981 - 1st laptop computers sold to public.
1983 - 1st cell phone network started in the United States.
1994 - American government releases control of internet

** WWW born, allowing for communication at light speed **

Today, we sit and wonder how we ever got along without all the devices to communicate with each other. All of it is great, it improves our ability to connect with others. We can learn about each other, find out about each other and perform all of this nearly instantaneously. Prior to the popular use of cellular phones, the one question people never asked on the phone was, "where are you?"

The point being, when you called someone on the phone, the phone was tied to a specific location. Today with cell phones you could be almost anywhere in the world.

In the end, when it comes to 'connecting' with people, the best method is 'face-to-face'. To sit down across a table from someone and share a cup of coffee or a meal remains the greatest form of human communication.

By all means, use the various methods of communication to spread your words and ideas; use the various methods to stay in touch with other people. Yet do not forget to take the bold step in communication; communicate one on one with people and find out how much more you can learn.

Peachy Attitude

Today there are many folks - 55,000 to be more accurate - that are recovering from a great morning 10K race. The 39th annual Peachtree 10K Road Race took place on July 4th. Each year, it is a chance to push your physical and mental limits beyond a point where you previously thought you could.

(Laura and I pumped and ready wearing our Pancreatic Cancer Action Network shirts and purple wrist bands. Lots of folks asked about the organization along the way.)

During an event like this, the fellowship of friends known and friends to be found along the way serves as inspiration. There is of course the famed "Peachtree Road Race" t-shirt everyone looks forward to.

Everyone making final plans for the run, wondering down deep just how they would respond to the conditions. Each going through their own thoughts that can allow negative attitudes to seep in; doubt could take hold at this point.

As each of us prepare, having others around us will provide support and encouragement. So much can be gained by having the support of friends. The same can also come from the collective support of 55,000 runners or spectators along the way.

Placing ourselves around like-minded people, the negative attitudes can be squashed under the weight of a "peachy attitude".


Surround yourself with great people and see what you can do. Push yourself past the self-imposed physical, mental and spiritual limits of your life. While doing so, surround yourself with great people; there is no end to what you can accomplish.

(I really don't feel as bad as I might look between mile five and six!)

(Really, I'm doing just fine at this point!)

(After the finish line, a nice walk for cold drinks and that famous

"Peachtree Road Race" t-shirt.)

Running For Fun

Look for my wife and I this Friday - July 4th - during the 39th running of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race. We will be wearing t-shirts promoting the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. That is if you can find us among the 55,000 plus runners.

The Peachtree has remained the world’s largest 10K since the late 1970s until 2008. It takes approximately 3,200 volunteers to handle the race and the 55,000 runners will burn 34 million calories running the 6.2 mile course.

So maybe you won't see us this year, but think about joining the fun next year. Check it out online, enjoy pushing your self just a little bit further. And there have been 80+ year old men and women walk, jog, run in this event. So I'm sure you can make it along with everyone else.

Have an enjoyable 4th of July and remember those serving over seas and their loved ones. Cheers everyone!!

Patience Has An Effect

The American 6th U.S. President, John Quincy Adams, said “patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” A phrase that was true in the early 1800s and is true early on in the 2000s.

Our lives are busy and little things can test even our best days. Someone said that you admire patience of the person behind you, but not necessarily of the person in front of you.

A short one day trip recently was a test for me. When I travel by plane, my belief is accept the inevitability of delays, crowds and other foibles or air travel. This recent trip had all of the earmarks of things to go wrong. The flight was delayed by three hours due to the usual reasons, traffic, weather or something.

So I settled in with patience and awaited our boarding time. A spark of encouragement came when the flight delay was decreased by half an hour. All boarded and nearing the take-off runway, we pull to the side. A mechanical problem with an engine and back to the gate. Further delays and now dealing with a flight crew that was nearing the end of a regulated shift.

There was a lot of gnashing teeth, people getting upset and general displeasure. Yet what would you do, leave the plane and try to start all over. We stuck it out and left finally, arriving at our destination at 1:30am. Certainly not a 'magical effect' but effective none the less.

Patience in life is not always easy, but it certainly can have a calming effect and a lasting effect. Life is full of irritation, but it is also full of great things. Be patient and let the "magical effect take place and allow your difficulties to disappear and the obstacles vanish."