All posts by Walter

Communication, Just for Fun

Can You Follow This Logic?

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I’ve recently been getting phone calls from the same unrecognized number 3-4 times daily–some well into the evening. I finally answered one out of sheer frustration. The caller pretended to be my friend, called me by name, and claimed he represented the C.D.C. Since the C.D.C. is not currently on my favorite organization’s list, that was not a move in his favor. If a phone call can be both annoying and funny, this one might qualify. I wish I had recorded it.

ME: I answered the phone only so you’d stop calling.

CDC: (After a hearty laugh) I’d like to ask you some questions.

ME: I’d like you to prove you’re actually from the CDC.

CDC: I can send you a text message.

ME: That won’t prove a thing. I want something in print.

CDC: Okay, if you’ll just give me your email address…

ME: Print means paper and ink. And I’m not giving you my email address.

CDC: I can do that. What’s your name and address?

ME: You must already have that; you’ve been calling me by name.

CDC: No, we only get phone numbers. I’ll need your address to mail you something.

ME: I’ve got a better idea. Put me on your do-not-call list.

CDC: I can do that.

ME: If you don’t, I’ll be reporting this number to the FTC. If you really are associated with the CDC, you’re still not exempt from federal law.

CDC: Okay, have a nice day.

I’ve wasted some time trying to figure this one out. First, if this was some sort of CDC survey, why was my specific input so crucial that he kept calling repeatedly? (Actually, it was obviously robo-dialed.) Second, assuming it was legitimate, was he that ignorant, or did he think I was? He’s going to prove he’s with the CDC by sending a text message from the number he’s calling from? He’s going to send printed information by email? How does that work?

Data has value. We need to be cautious about giving it away too quickly and easily. It makes sense to be a little cautious about who gets ours.

And just occasionally, it’s possible to enjoy the ride.

Learning, Mental Health, Personal Growth, Small People

Just in Case…

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“What makes life worth living? No child asks itself that question. To children life is self-evident. Life goes without saying: whether it is good or bad makes no difference. This is because children don’t see the world, don’t observe the world, don’t contemplate the world, but are so deeply immersed in the world that they don’t distinguish between it and their own selves.”

Karl Ove Knausgard

The holidays are fast approaching! For some, they are an opportunity to be around kids. For all, they are an opportunity to watch kids’ excitement.

Just in case you haven’t been around kids much lately, this is a reminder to watch them and consider joining them.

Just for Fun, Mental Hygiene, Personal Growth

The End Is Always the Beginning

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When I announced my “retirement” from teaching real estate last spring, I introduced the concept of “repotting.” (Spoiler alert: a friend told me to stop saying retirement and switch to repotting. “You’re just going to grow in a different place.”) Bear that in mind as I make yet another announcement.

On November 10, 2023, I inactivated my Maine Real Estate Broker License. It was a bit of a ritual–I’d stopped actively engaging in brokerage some years ago and had no intention of starting again. My joke was, “There are more fun ways not to make money.” That might be a different topic, although, at the time, the market was challenging. Besides, I could broker vicariously through the experiences my students shared.

That’s not to say that real estate–whether brokering or teaching–isn’t fun. I recently had a lot of laughs with my colleagues at my agency of record, the Mallet Agency in Dover Foxcroft. We recounted some of the funny things that have happened over the years. And I’ve often quoted, “The little joys of teaching are without number.” Sometimes I do roll my eyes when I say it, but it really is true.

So, after clicking “submit” on my application to change my license status, what happened? In one sense, not much. No grand chorus rang from the skies; the heavens didn’t open, there was no clap of thunder… In a very real sense, I’d simply officially made a life change that began some years ago. Every end has a beginning, and every beginning has an end.

So I left for Bangor but stopped at the mailbox. In it was a big envelope of thank you notes from some third graders I recently spent some time with. (It’s a long story; you can find the details here.) I also stopped to meet and visit a 94-year-old fellow in hospice. (It’s another long story; you can find the details here.) We had a great visit. I enjoyed his smiles.

As the day progressed, I seemed to have one positive experience after another. I had some canning jars to drop off at my Amish friend’s farm stand. It was another happy visit. I usually bring books for her sons, and their enthusiasm for them is both rewarding and encouraging.

I know that our “worldview” tends to influence what we see and how we interpret it, but I had to admit that a lot of good stuff seemed to be coming my way on this both eventful and uneventful day. We can attribute it to Karma or fate or the planets being aligned, but my last stop on the way home was the grocery store for a gallon of milk. When the fellow ahead of me was given his amount due, he jerked a thumb my way and said, “I want to pay for his milk.”

A day that started with an ending included lots of new beginnings. Or maybe just one. Maybe, for some reason, I started seeing the world a little differently. Today was a great reminder we have a lot of control over how we see ourselves and how we see the world. I may not be an official real estate broker any longer, but new beginnings are more important than endings. I’m just going to thrive and grow and laugh and enjoy in different places. I didn’t retire. I repotted.

Causes and Friends, Just for Fun, Small People

My Sheep!

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I just have to share this story. As many know, I am the program director for Valley Grange of Guilford. One of the projects I get to enjoy is
Words for Thirds–the Dictionary Project. The project involves visiting third-grade classrooms in the area to present students with their very own dictionaries. I’m not always sure who has the most fun–me or the kids!

To appreciate a recent event at SeDoMoCha, it will help to explain that I demonstrate how a shepherd’s hook is used. We then talk about how anyone can become a leader. To achieve the demonstration, I select a student to assist by pretending to be my sheep. Once they’re upfront, I ask them to please try to look fuzzy. This usually results in blank looks from my volunteers, but not so with my sheep at SeDoMoCha.

I suppose this is a “you had to be there” story, but my young volunteer wordlessly reached up and undid her ponytails, then flipped her head from side to side, “fluffing” up her hair with her hands so it covered her neck and shoulders. After serving as my sheep, she put herself “back together,” also without comment. She may have a future as an actress or a hairdresser. She certainly has an ability to “think on her feet!”

The experience reminded me of another one a few years ago–I think it was in Brownville. My selected volunteer had a propensity for accuracy. I brought him upfront and said something like, “So if Johnny here is a sheep…”

He interrupted and said, “I’d actually be a ram.”

Since yesterday’s sheep didn’t say anything, I won’t observe that “Kids say the darnedest things.” But we might all be reminded that it is too easy to underestimate kids. Hang around with them and let yourself be impressed.

Causes and Friends, Maine Life, Mental Health, Suicide Prevention

Resources You Should Know

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These resources came in part from an e-newseltter from Maine Senator Stacy Guerin. All are free and I have “vetted” them.

Anyone affected by the violence in Lewiston is encouraged to reach out and connect with behavioral health support. Incidents of mass violence can lead to a range of emotional reactions, including anxiety, fear, anger, despair and a sense of helplessness that may begin immediately or in the days or weeks following the event.

Seek help immediately if you or someone you know is talking about suicide, feelings of hopelessness or unbearable pain, or about being a burden to others.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911.

For those in need of immediate support:

Call or text 988: This suicide and behavioral health crisis hotline is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week by trained crisis specialists offering free, confidential support for anyone. Specialists also can respond by chat at 988lifeline.org. Information for the deaf and hard of hearing is available here.

Text “Hello” to 741 741. (Actually, any word will do!) The Crisis Text Line is data-driven and has an excellent track record. Highly recommended for teens and youth.

Clinicians, educators and first responders can call (800) 769-9819: The FrontLine WarmLine offers free support services to help these professionals manage the stress of responding to disasters from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.

If you’re unsure, contact 211. It provides general information, including how to access behavioral health and social service resources 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Information can also be found at 211maine.org.

All of these resources provide free, confidential support.

The State of Maine has created a dedicated webpage with these and other resources, including online support and resources for children and families.

Please share this post freely. Be sensitive to your friends and neighbors and if they seem to be troubled, do not hesitate to show that you care and listen. You can even offer to help them contact one of these helpful resources.