Monday June 29, 2009 
Monday June 29, 2009 Blogging, networking and sneezing in Amsterdam
I had the opportunity to chair the Marcus Evans Social Media conference a couple of weeks ago, albeit with a particularly nasty cold that caused me to occasionally lose my voice. The session was located in Amsterdam, convenient because I was visiting my daughter in London for the month of June. This is the fourth time I've chaired or participated in European communication conferences, and I always walk away smarter for the experience.
It's far too easy to end up U.S.-centric when working for a California-based company, even a global one like Sun. Spending three days with new colleagues from other countries helps me to reshape my perspective and learn new ideas.
What I found really interesting at this particular conference was that participants ranged from those involved in very sophisticated social media to those who were contemplating taking their first baby steps. And because participants came from different industries, we could have really meaningful conversations about how networking plays out in one culture versus another.
I admit it - just when I think there's not much more to say on the subject, I find there is.
So the tipping point is rapidly approaching on a global scale, where employees around the world, regardless of what their company is doing in social media, will be using these technologies to connect. Case in point: a company who has blocked Facebook from work has employees actively and enthusiastically engaged in that social networking site - they are simply using their smart phones instead of their company laptops or workstations (and duh, yes, during business hours). In other words, the revolution has happened already, so it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of how companies will adapt to this brave new world.
I started off on Facebook and LinkedIn maybe two or three years ago, just as an experiment. I've been shocked at how much a part of my life these networks have become, for both work and personal connections. And how much of a drag email is by comparison.
So consider this: Instead of buying CDs, I pay for and download music to my laptop and iPod. Instead of buying physical books, I pay for and download e-books to my Kindle. Instead of paying the phone company an outrageous amount of money to stay in touch with my friends and relatives outside of the U.S., I pay for and use Skype (so I can make "free" international calls as well as connect via laptops) to do as much talking as I want.
And I'm not a youngster (much as I hate to admit it). But the value these technologies represent is high enough that it's well worth the learning curve - which fortunately is really pretty darn low.
The icing of the cake for me is being featured on a new blog - Shoe's Talk, written by the witty and quite charming Medard Schoenmaeckers in Basel, Switzerland. (By the way, the URL is http://shoestalk.mypodcast.com/2009/06/Is_your_company_blogging-215791.html, in case my link isn't working - so much for low learning curves!) Medard also spoke at the Amsterdam conference and I was flattered to be interviewed by him for his first podcast. I think we both sound brilliant, don't you??
Posted by terrymckenzie ( Jun 29 2009, 08:00:00 AM PDT ) Permalink Comments [1]
Wednesday June 24, 2009 I have new mommy brain – and I’m not even the mommy, I’m the grandmother. I can’t focus, I find myself staring into space, I jump when I hear the baby make a sound. A fly buzzing across the room can occupy me for mindless minutes. In fact, finding the energy to sit down and write this post has required Herculean strength. Sleep deprivation will do that to you…
This is week three in London for me, helping Carolyn and Lucas out while Juan Carlos is in Asia on business. It’s been a wonderful time for me – and I hope for Carolyn, too, bonding over this child together.
But it does remind me that there’s a reason women go through menopause – this is work for the young, not the old. And I’ve already lost enough brain cells to martinis and age without sleep deprivation yanking away a few more.
True confessions. Compounding mommy brain is Bejeweled Blitz addiction. This is a really stupid game on Facebook that I have become obsessed with – and it’s not a pretty sight. It was bad enough when I was hooked on Scramble or Pathwords – I could at least pretend that I was sort of using my brain. But Bejeweled Blitz truly has no redeeming intellectual properties. I’m a monkey staring at the screen, desperately trying to beat my last score in the 60-second play window. NOT a good use of time. And I suspect it’s giving me carpal tunnel syndrome, to boot…. I find it utterly irresistible.
I am trying to redeem myself by reading about English history and visiting the big historic spots while I’m here – Windsor Castle (fabulous), Stonehenge ( we managed to miss the huge crowds on the day of summer solstice – thank God), Hampton Court….But even so… I don’t feel like the sharpest knife in the drawer these days, because my edge is a bit dulled.
Next week, I return at last to Los Angeles. I can’t wait to see Scott, hug the Boo, catch up with friends and colleagues and sleep in my own bed. But I have to tell you, this I’m going to miss a ton:
Posted by terrymckenzie ( Jun 24 2009, 07:45:53 AM PDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
Monday June 15, 2009 When I was in Cleveland last week, my mom gave me her gold cuff bracelet. For a bracelet that is easily 50 years old, its elegant clean lines make it as contemporary a piece as you could hope to find in the stores today. But it’s the bracelet’s lineage that makes it precious to me.
First and foremost, I watched my mom wear this bracelet as I was growing up. It’s not so fancy that it can only go to grand occasions – rather, its classic lines made it appropriate for dinner out, bridge with the girls, and our school functions. And she wore it to all of those plus more.
Second, my grandparents gave it to her as a gift when she was a young woman. My grandfather had an eye for beautiful things and I see his hand in selecting this particular piece.
Third, the bracelet is not perfect. Although my mom tried to get the bracelet repaired, there’s no hiding the tooth marks of a certain poorly behaved miniature schnauzer who shared our home for 15 years – and who had a penchant for getting in trouble. Big trouble.
Finally, my mom gave it to me because she can no longer wear it. Her illness has cost her a lot of weight, and the bracelet just hangs on her thin wrist. She passed it onto me so that I could enjoy it next.
Mother, grandparents, childhood dog – this bracelet is irreplaceable because of all the memories it contains.
My family is in a period of great transition these days. The joy of our first grandchild, the sadness of my mom’s cancer returning, and Thursday night, the passing of my husband’s mother. I’m in the UK now, and I find spending this time with my daughter and grandson to be a great comfort.
I’m more aware than ever of the importance of building memories, of making deep connections. As I rose at 5:30 this morning to pick up a restless Lucas so his mom could grab some sleep, I thought how fortunate I am to have this opportunity. Watching him kick his little legs, changing his diaper, cuddling him close to my chest and rocking him back to sleep – these are memories I’ll always have.
Before I left for London, Scott and I were enjoying our Sunday afternoon ritual of doing the crossword puzzle in the hot tub, having a glass of wine and just getting caught up with each other. I mused out loud about how painful it was for us both to be losing our mothers, and Scott quietly reminded me that this is how the circle of life works – the old pass on so that the Lucas’s have a place in this world and in our hearts.
Posted by terrymckenzie ( Jun 15 2009, 08:00:00 AM PDT ) Permalink Comments [2]
Monday June 08, 2009 Life moving fast enough for you these days? Enough news to keep you going? I feel as though I’ve been riding in a blender set on “puree”… I’m ecstatic! I’m deeply sad… I’m excited! I’m nervous and depressed…
Good heavens. One thing I’m not is bored.
One of the oddities of this time is the same for me as for many of my colleagues – will I be offered a job should the Oracle acquisition close as planned? As a corporate resources type, I doubt that I will be, but one never knows. So aside from doing my day job as usual (to whatever extent that is possible), how do I think about the future? And how do I plan for it?
I’m not alone.
I’ve been spending a lot of time these days reviewing resumes for friends and colleagues. I’ve also been contacting all my old headhunter buddies, seeing what’s going on out there. Been writing a ton of references on LinkedIn. Putting people in contact with each other. Practicing interviews with colleagues, playing the hiring manager. Urging colleagues to submit articles to our professional communication journals; volunteer to give speeches. Get their names out there.
One thing I’m so grateful for is that we got involved with social media over two years ago. For many folks on my former team, this will be a lifesaver when it comes to landing another job. When we got started, we knew this work was critical for Sun - and for our own careers – we just didn’t figure the self-interest piece would come into play so soon. So although my CEO and I haven’t always seen eye-to-eye on communication, I give full credit and gratitude to Jonathan for his insistence that we take a leading role in social networking.
The future is here, sooner than expected. Take a deep breath and go for it full speed.
Posted by terrymckenzie ( Jun 08 2009, 08:50:35 AM PDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
Thursday May 28, 2009 My mom had a good year. When she was initially diagnosed in March of 2008 with metastatic breast cancer, we wouldn’t have dared to hope for the 12 months of relative good health she enjoyed following her radiation treatment. In fact, my sister and I had gotten a bit blasé about it – yeah, yeah, yeah, mom’s doing great. How are the kids?
So it was a shock to get the call on Thursday – her cancer is back, and with a vengeance, it appears. Her lymph nodes are now invaded, and her right arm is essentially crippled with pain from the tumor pressing on a nerve. Our good year, it seems, is over.
She’s going through a zillion tests – multiple MRIs, X-rays, scans. I’m flying to Cleveland next week so I can be with her and my sister when the oncologist interprets the results for us and gives us options for moving forward.
You, of course, don’t know my mom. So let me tell you a little bit about her. She was a depression baby – didn’t get to go to college because she needed to work and contribute to her family’s income. The lack of a college degree, though, is absolutely no indication of how bright and capable my mom is. A killer Scrabble and bridge player, she combines raw intelligence with common sense, a lively personality and sharp humor. I like to think I got her common sense and humor genes. Unfortunately, her social skills and ability to attract and keep large numbers of friends seems to have skipped me – and gone directly to our son, who shares his grandmother’s charm.
My mom is … such a mom. She knew her diagnosis a month ago, but chose not to tell us or anyone else until after Carolyn had the baby. She didn’t want to ruin the joy of that moment for us with bad news. So she held onto the secret and dealt with it alone. I can barely even write about this without tearing up.
I don’t know what’s going to happen. A year ago, I didn’t think she had a chance of making it for this long. But I also know that she lives life on her terms, and she could well surprise us again. So I send up a quiet little prayer asking that her pain can be managed and she maintains the quality of life that is so important to her.
Because she’s my mom. And I love her.
Posted by terrymckenzie ( May 28 2009, 03:48:39 PM PDT ) Permalink Comments [5]
Tuesday May 19, 2009 Yeah, I Know.. But I Still Love LA
A not-uncommon conversation, when heading to Los Angeles on a flight, goes something like this:
(Passenger 1) “So, where are you from?”
(Victim, uh, Passenger 2 – me) “Los Angeles.”
(Passenger 1) “Oh, that’s too bad. It’s such a terrible city. The smog, the traffic, the crime…”
(My outside voice) “Hmmm.” (My inside voice) “Gee, buddy. What Shangri La do you live in that’s so fabulous? Please just stay there….”
(Passenger 1) “No, seriously. How do you stand it? What an awful place to live.”
(My outside voice) “Guess it’s not for everyone.” (My inside voice) “May a plague of 1 million grasshoppers be feasting on your luggage as we speak…”
So why is that perfect strangers seem to feel that it’s fine to knock your hometown? I just don’t get it – to me, it’s the height of rudeness. I fervently pray that they will go away and never visit my city again – rude people are not needed here.
I’m going to share with you just a few FABULOUS things about Los Angeles. And if you don’t agree, no problem. Just don’t come here to live and then complain.
December through May: The weather. It’s sunny, cool and glorious. Our rainstorms are very well behaved – they come at night and clear out the next day, leaving the skies dazzling bright.
Disney Center, Dorothy Chandler Music Center, Pasadena Playhouse, Groundlings Theater…: Boredom only comes when you have no imagination. There is so much entertainment in this town that it’s crazy. And as my son will point out to you, there’s a huge club nightlife here, where you can go to a little hole-in-the-wall bar and catch a performance of the Hold Steady, only to find out later that they’ve been named best band of the year by NPR’s “All Songs Considered.”
People leave you alone: No, seriously. No one cares about your personal business. Jewish married to a Catholic? No one cares. Asian married to a Latino? Your business. Gay or straight? Don’t care. My husband comes from a small town and he constantly exclaims over how wonderful this is. Oh stop - I can hear tongues clucking. If you want that small sense of community and invite it into your life, you can be talked about if you like. After all, what would the starlet magazine business do without gossip?
The Art Scene: By the ton. For example, Saturday night we were invited to the Folly Bowl in Altadena. This is held in a private home where the artist owners carved an amphitheater into their hillside and created an intimate place for musicians to play. We sat there, with perhaps 80 other people, sipping our wine and eating our picnic dinner, while listening to great jazz up close and personal. For $10 each. As for galleries and art studios, don't get me started... so many that you could spend all your time wandering from one to the next...
As I think about it, I’m going to adjust my airplane conversation as such:
(Passenger 1) “So, where are you from?”
(Victim, uh, Passenger 2 – me) “Los Angeles.”
(Passenger 1) “Oh, that’s too bad. It’s such a terrible city. The smog, the traffic, the crime…”
(My outside voice) “Are you kidding? You don’t know the half of it! Mudslides! Earthquakes! No public transportation! Social unrest! Horrible people! Believe me, you DON’T want to live here!” (My inside voice): “Now go away and leave Los Angeles to those who can appreciate it!”
Posted by terrymckenzie ( May 19 2009, 03:51:24 PM PDT ) Permalink Comments [2]
Friday May 15, 2009 I’ve done more reading in the past four months that I’ve done in the past four years. This is thanks to a combination of factors, largely my part-time status and my Kindle, which makes reading a true pleasure and provides endless material without the burden of carrying heavy books around.
I’ve read about politics, world affairs, and science. I’ve consumed memoirs, novels, short story collections, works of nonfiction. The good books I relish and hate to finish; the poorly written ones are abandoned with little regret.
So as we in the northern hemisphere move into summer, I want to make a deal – I’ll share my best reads with you if you share your best reads with me! And I’ll tell you at the start that I’ve been having problems with links on this blog site so I apologize for not being able to link you directly to more information on the books. Suffice it to say you can find them all at amazon.com (or amazon.com/kindle if you want them electronically).
I just finished The Lost City of Z, A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon (David Grann). This well-written book traces explorers in South America, focusing on Colonel Fawcett’s adventures in the early 20th century. Like the very best writing does, it takes you to a different world. In fact, The Lost City of Z does more than that – it takes you to Victorian England to learn about the Royal Geographic Society, dedicating to filling in “blank spots on the map.” It takes you to Brazil, and brings the deepest forest to life. It takes you to different societies of Amazon aboriginal people. This is a wonderful read – I hated to see it end.
On to short story collections. High on my list is Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri. What a great book. Eight short stories focusing on Bengali parents living in America. I found myself disappointed to reach the end of each of these stories because I was so absorbed in the characters’ lives and I wanted to know more. (BTW, these days I only read books available on my Kindle, so I’m hoping Amazon will make Lahiri’s other collections available electronically).
For fiction, the gentle, funny Breakfast with Buddha; A Novel (Roland Merullo) was another book I lingered over, regretting that each page turn moved me closer to the end. The story of an unlikely executive moving to self-discovery is not the kind of book that would ordinarily attract me, but the writing was superb and the story engaging. I’d reread this one, a rare compliment.
So there you go. Now it’s your turn – what are your favorite books? I’m always looking for recommendations!
Posted by terrymckenzie ( May 15 2009, 10:44:10 AM PDT ) Permalink Comments [1]
Thursday May 07, 2009 Back in 1982, I was thrilled to have our first baby, but felt utterly incompetent to do the job properly. And when our second came along two years later, I still felt clumsy, juggling an infant with a toddler. So in trying to pin down what it is about being a grandmother that makes me incredibly happy, I’ve decided it’s at least partly because I can actually enjoy the baby instead of worrying and over-analyzing every minute of the day. This time, it’s sheer joy – the joy of impossibly soft skin, of how his little head cradles in my hand, of having him stare at me intently. The joy of seeing part of our daughter and son-in-law reflected in his little face. The joy of seeing the cycle of life go on. So go ahead – ask me how I feel about our new grandson, Lucas:
And ask Scott how he feels:
Holding a newborn feels like cradling a combination of the earthy and the sacred – such a raw little scrap of humanity, and such a miracle that he was born so whole and perfect. I can’t get over how good he smells, and sweet he is to cuddle.
All the joy, none of the work. We thank our daughter and son-in-law for giving us the gift of a grandchild, and we promise to do our very best to be the best grandparents we can possibly be.
Carolyn holding an hours-old Lucas
Carolyn and Juan Carlos with their new son
Posted by terrymckenzie ( May 07 2009, 08:21:45 AM PDT ) Permalink Comments [3]
Monday April 27, 2009 A couple of weeks ago, I joined some friends to attend the preview party for what was to be the famous Michael Jackson auction. I usually don’t hang out with the rich and famous, so I was eagerly anticipating the evening. Plus, come on… aren’t you just a little curious about what stuff Michael Jackson blew his entire fortune on (lawyer fees and payoffs to children aside, of course)?
Well. It was eye-opening, to say the least. The auction showing was held in a now defunct department store in Beverly Hills – the perfect setting. Walking up from the parking lot, you passed through the old gates from his Neverland estate (estimated price of “you-don’t-want-to-know”). After picking up our VIP passes, beautifully embossed with a four-color rendition of the King of Pop, we got some Jesus Juice (what you and I think of as “wine”) and started to wander around the exhibit.
First, the sheer volume of stuff was overwhelming. This is a man who never saw a trinket he didn’t need to have. If it was Baroque and covered with gold scrolls, he had to have it. Endless sets of china, glassware, silver. Hideous table decorations. Room after room filled with…stuff.
About one-third of the exhibit was devoted to his collection of toys. An almost life-sized robotic case with puppets of Pinocchio and his fairy godmother played the transformation from puppet to child at the touch of a button. Castles, tricycles, more Disney toys, hundreds of life-sized dolls, including Shirley Temple in ringlets and a starched crinoline skirt, curtseying. A huge castle.
And then there were the life-sized mannequins, so realistic that when I bumped into one, I turned to say, “Excuse me.” The mannequins were in a variety of poses, from playing the piano to doing paperwork at a desk. I asked someone what the heck was with the pretend people, and he told me that Michael got so lonesome at Neverland that he had these mannequins placed throughout his mansion so he wouldn’t be there all by himself.
Instead of being funny and a kick in the pants, the exhibit made us profoundly sad. Think of the good that money could do in this world. Think of how Bill and Melissa Gates use their vast fortune. Think of how Bono works to better mankind’s lot in life. And then see how Michael Jackson plundered his own fortune on piles of crap that are just plain creepy.
Money can buy you stuff. Money can allow you to surround yourself with huge portraits of yourself depicted as a king, magician or knight. Money can buy you a big estate filled with toys. Money can buy you companionship. But it can’t buy you love. Or friendship. Or meaning in life.
Go home and hug those you love. And be grateful that you have a life of friendship, love and meaning instead of a castle filled with emptiness and lost opportunity.
Posted by terrymckenzie ( Apr 27 2009, 08:00:00 AM PDT ) Permalink Comments [3]
Thursday April 23, 2009 There's Gotta be a Pony in There Somewhere
I've sat down to write this post a number of times, just to find myself staring at the screen with nothing to say. While out walking my lovely dog today, however, I finally figured out how I was feeling.
Some years back, I did some volunteer work with the Guide Dogs for the Blind organization. As I'm sure you know, the organization looks for good families to foster their puppies for the first two years of the dogs' lives, during which time the dog is trained and tested and trained some more. For those pups who have passed all their tests, there comes a time to meet their adoptive parents, blind people who are eagerly anticipating working with and getting to know their new guide dogs. The annual graduation day celebration is bittersweet. There's joy on the faces of the recipients, and both tears and pride on the faces of the foster parents who must say goodbye.
So what on earth does this have to do with the Oracle announcement this week?
That change is hard. That some of us are changing surroundings, colleagues, homes. That skills and knowledge learned in one environment will now be tested in another. That new opportunities await all of us, whether we are going to be part of the new organization, or if like me and many of my colleagues, we likely shall not. That saying goodbye to something that is so dear to you is very, very painful, but that life moves.
I've used this quote here before, and I'm going to use it again. In a famous Pogo cartoon, the great philosopher possum said,
“The misery of uncertainty is far worse than certainty of misery.” (Walt Kelly)
What we have been through as a company over the past month has been just plain dreadful. Rumors, innuendos, nastiness that has been devastating to our employee morale. Well, we're just about at graduation day, and at least we know where we're going and why. That's so much better than where we were just a week ago. When I talk to friends and colleagues, there's huge relief in their voices – although a job search may await in a tough market, as least the guessing games are over.
Posted by terrymckenzie ( Apr 23 2009, 08:00:00 AM PDT ) Permalink Comments [1]
Thursday April 16, 2009 Admittedly, I've come a long way in the past year. Since my second cataract surgery, I have not fallen down once. Given that the year before my surgery, I took two serious tumbles – one that resulted in several cracked ribs, a cracked clavicle and a blown-out knee, and the other that left me with a broken arm and dislocated elbow (want to feel the plate in my arm??).
I had come to the conclusion that I have the grace of an ox on a tightrope.
But now that I can see, it's amazing! I'm not falling, tripping, stumbling – well, at least nowhere near as much as I did in the past. So when I saw this fabulous shoe from Cole Hahn, I had dreams of wearing it and, well, looking fabulous.
And then I had a moment of sad reality – this shoe was designed for twisted ankles and lurching falls into thin air, at least as worn by me. The mental picture I had of myself dressed to kill was accurate – except that the person I would be killing would be ... me!
So go ahead, all you graceful gazelles out there who can trip the light fantastic, not the body clumsy - indulge yourselves. You won't mind if I stare at your feet, will you? Be assured that it's just jealousy, not a foot fetish. I swear.
Posted by terrymckenzie ( Apr 16 2009, 01:12:51 PM PDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
Wednesday April 08, 2009 I've heard from a number of you about who actually had the big mouth – was it a Sunnie or an IBM'er? The consensus seems to be that the leaks did not come from us.
In the end, what difference does it make? Whoever talked – whoever had the big mouth – hurt us. Distracted us, damaged our morale. Made a hard job harder. I hope like hell it wasn't someone from IBM, a company for whom I've always had the highest respect. And I hope like hell it wasn't someone from Sun, because this company represents so much that is goodness to me. It's not you, it's not me, it must be the man behind the tree...
A secret, the saying goes, can be kept by three men, but only if two of them are dead. And when jobs and careers are on the line, what a shame that someone spread rumors – be it cynically to manipulate the situation, selfishly for personal gain and glory, or naively, not calculating the harm that could done. A lesson to all of us, then, on the consequences of breaking trust.
And for those who wonder why companies don't comment on rumors, consider this your case study in why saying nothing can be in the best interest of all.
Posted by terrymckenzie ( Apr 08 2009, 08:00:00 AM PDT ) Permalink Comments [1]
Tuesday April 07, 2009 And this time, it wasn't Ralph Kramden. The person with the big mouth and total lack of integrity is he or she who felt compelled to leak the IBM story to the press. And I'd like to say to that person, “Why don't you go work somewhere else? Like for the competition?”
Consider the grief we've had since the story hit the Wall Street Journal. Employees have been distracted. Angst has soared. Productivity has taken a hit. As if we didn't have enough to deal with, laying off 1,500 employees last week. And for what? Nothing. The talks have ended, if you believe the papers (although that doesn't necessarily mean anything). So we're back to where we were before, but ... different. There's an uneasiness in the air that wasn't present before. We've had dirty laundry aired in public, and we've had to come to terms with our attachment to Sun, should we actually be acquired by another firm.
Employee communication 101 teaches us that to help employees through a transition of this size, you need to answer two basic questions:
Why is there better than here?
What will happen to me?
Neither question is possible to answer when you're in a state of limbo. Which puts managers in an impossible situation – not knowing anymore than the employees do, completely unable to answer questions and not able to paint a picture of the future. So the faster a company can move to a decision point, the healthier it is for employees.
But we had the worst of all worlds – unsubstantiated rumors everywhere we turned. Respectable journalists reporting the story. And enough details to the rumor to make it hard to believe someone wasn't just making this stuff up.
Which brings me back to our own Ralph Kramden with the BIG mouth. You're not the greatest, pal. And you're no friend of Sun's. “To the moon,” buddy, to the moon...
Posted by terrymckenzie ( Apr 07 2009, 08:34:24 AM PDT ) Permalink Comments [15]
Tuesday March 31, 2009 I admit it - my original blog today was a rant:
“It stinks. It never gets easier. The fact it's necessary is small comfort. No comfort, in fact, to those who are losing their jobs today.”
But as I read emails from my departing colleagues, I realized that a rant was not appropriate. Because it didn't do honor to the dignity and classiness of the people we said goodbye to today. To give you a taste of what I mean, here are some sample lines from farewell emails I read today:
“Every day I've been at Sun has been a privilege.”
“It's been an honor to work with such an amazing group of people.”
“There have been a multitude of people at Sun who have touched my life and I wish and pray the best for you all.”
These comments are a reflection of our culture of caring. As is the vibrant online community that is hard at work helping each other find jobs, get support, know they're not alone. You'll find us on LinkedIn, on Facebook. You'll find us blogging. You'll find us emailing. Gone but by no means forgotten. We keep in touch with each other. I'm so impressed by the number of us willing to share that most precious of commodities today – job openings. That speaks to a generosity of the spirit that you just don't find everywhere.
When our founders started Sun almost 30 years ago, I know they envisioned a company of extraordinary people creating extraordinary innovation. And of that they – and we – should be proud. But I'm even prouder of the kind of person that Sun has bred. High in integrity, loyal to each other.
Even as we go through these tough times, we all have many reasons to hold our heads up high. I salute my colleagues and thank them for the lesson in professionalism and generosity they've taught me today.
Posted by terrymckenzie ( Mar 31 2009, 03:38:19 PM PDT ) Permalink Comments [1]
Monday March 23, 2009 Although in work-related situations, I have (ahem) a rather big personality, in my personal time, I'm somewhat introverted. Hate big parties. Don't like crowds. Don't like meeting strangers. Don't like asking personal questions. That kind of thing really stresses me out.
And yet, there I was on Saturday morning at All Saints Church in Pasadena, going through training on how to canvass a neighborhood and find out why people voted as they did on last November's Proposition 8. I was nervous and jittery. Not only was I doing something completely outside my comfort zone, but I was doing it with strangers. Nice strangers, mind you. Extremely appreciative and supportive strangers, in fact. But strangers.
During the training, we were taught both key messages and methodologies. We learned how to make sure there wasn't a vicious dog behind the fence, waiting to lunch on our leg. We were reminded that we had three objectives: to identify why people object to gay marriage and try to soften their view, and to entice those who support gay marriage to volunteer. The best weapon, we were told, is our personal story – why we are doing what we're doing.
Mine was easy: I'm a mom with two children, one has the right to marry because she's straight, and the other doesn't, because he's gay. As a mom, I can't live with that.
I was assigned a canvassing partner – we would work the same block on opposite sides of the street (damn... I would have been so much more comfortable if we could have worked the houses together, but we were told that was intimidating). But at least my partner had done this before...
Rob was great – in fact, spending two hours with him was the best part of the experience (you can get to know Rob at his blog, wakingupnow.com). On the ride to our district, Rob told me how hurt he was after the election, and that for awhile, he hated all straight people. That he was so angry at conservative Christians. And that he was canvassing because it was at least something he could do to make a difference. I was inspired - but still scared pea green.
We arrived at our target community (which was in the foothills, so there was lots of huffing and puffing accompanying our efforts), and I rang my first doorbell. A man came out. He became very, very angry when I told him I was there to learn about voters' views on gay marriage. He became intimidatingly angry, in fact. I was polite but got the heck out of there. They told us what to do about mad dogs, but not what to do with frothingly angry voters.
The day got better after that (how could it have gotten worse??). My high point was talking with a 75-year old grandmother who just didn't understand why people cared about gay marriage – why do they want to tell other people how to live? Don't we all deserve love and happiness? I wanted to hug her. My most puzzling conversation was with a mom like me – she also has one straight and one gay child. She raved on and on about her lesbian daughter, how responsible she was, how lovely. But no, she could not support gay marriage. Civil unions? You bet. But marriage brings in a religious piece that she feels is sacred. And, she assured me, her daughter felt the same way. Hmmm, I don't believe that for a minute, but I understood her perspective. She voted for Prop 8 last time, and would do it again.
I was shaking my head when I walked away from the door. But part of me thinks she has a point. As soon as religion enters the picture, toxins join it, and emotions get very high.
So let's do this a different way, and make ALL marriages civil unions. Mine, yours. Make sure we all have the same rights under the law. Then, if you want to be married in God's eyes, do it separately in the church of your choosing. If your church doesn't perform same sex marriages, leave it and go find a church that loves and respects you for who you are.
Live and let live. Love and let love. Equal protection under the law. I don't care much about equal protection under the church – that's not my right nor my problem as a U.S. citizen, where separation of church and state is the law of the land.
Will I canvass again? I don't know. It was a highly emotional experience, and one of the more difficult things I've done in my life. I can't promise I'll be up for it again. But on March 21, 2009, I stood up for my son, my niece, my family, my friends, my colleagues, my fellow human beings. And for that, at least, I can be proud.
Posted by terrymckenzie ( Mar 23 2009, 10:24:20 AM PDT ) Permalink Comments [3]
