My Why

I haven't posted in a long time on this blog. I could make the excuse that I was "busy", but frankly - when was the last time someone told you they were bored in life? Everyone is busy - I just didn't make it a priority to write a blog. 

Something that has been taking more and more of my time, intentionally I assure you, is my involvement with nonprofits in the greater Kalamazoo area. Since the beginning of the year, I've joined 2 new boards (Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kalamazoo and the United Way of Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region), became the secretary of the board for B&GC (thus joining the executive committee), started chairing the Aspiring Leaders United (was vice chair prior), joined the Junior Leadership Committee of the Big Brothers Big Sisters - A Community of Caring (BBBS of Southwest Michigan), working through the process of becoming a Big Brothers through BBBS, and I'm in the process of joining another board in the local area. This is on top of my involvement at my alma mater (GVSU), chairing the Public Relations Committee of Kalamazoo County Ready 4s, sitting on the United Way Kalamazoo Campaign Cabinet and Vicksburg United Way Committee, attending multiple Southwest Michigan First functions a month, and my non-project committees I chair or participate on within the walls of Zoetis. This isn't meant to be a humble brag. I'm sure everyone has things they can replace my items with to make their roster of "keeping busy" items. Oh, and I golf more than a hack like myself cares to admit, and I like to venture to new watering holes to try new & rare craft beer.

The point here is that I don't like hearing that someone is "busy". It's such an arbitrary word. Will I play less golf and sit on less nonprofit boards/committees when I have kids? More than likely, yes. It's about what sacrifices you're willing to make to accomplish what you need to accomplish. I'm lucky that I work for a company that does believe in work-life balance, especially at my level of employment. When someone says they're "busy", I think it's more of space-filling "happy chat" because 1) if they said they were bored people would think less of them, and 2) it's a standard response that everyone can understand.

The next question I get asked a lot is, "why are you involved in the community?", or some form of that question. Frankly, I think it's everyone's civic duty to make sure the world is a better place because of something(s) you did while you walked the earth. My desire to get this involved goes deeper than that though. I had the privilege of growing up a white male in a middle-class to upper-middle-class family in a small town. I haven't had someone tell me I can't do anything because of where I came from, what I look like, what gender I was born with, etc. On the flip side, I did have expectations set of me that I needed to behave a certain way both in public and in private,  as my parents' expectations of how I carried myself were very high and also the town was too damn small to get away with anything anyway. My Dad grew up there, his father and mother grew up there, etc. I did well in school, I was both an athlete and a nerd, popular, and went to a 4-year university that was my first choice to pursue what ended up being my undergraduate and graduate degrees in statistics. 

I don't have the "rags to riches" story you here from inspirational speakers or individuals in non-profits. What I do have is a passion to do my best to make sure the people who come after me can live the same privileges I have. Although I grew up with advantages, I've had to pave my own way in college and in my professional life. I didn't know where to go for financial aid. I didn't know who to talk to if I wanted to change my major. When I entered the professional world (and during college), I didn't have a huge network of professional contacts to build from. I've made my own. This isn't unique - most don't have this. I will provide this to my family, but I have the capacity to provide it to total strangers as well. I've had great mentors throughout my life, and I will be a great mentor to whoever needs me. I knew where my next meal was coming from, and I hope that because of myself and other like-minded people our community isn't food-insecure. I go out of my way to meet the "movers and shakers" of this community and I'm lucky they're humble enough to be accessible. The more people I know, the better I am at connecting the right people to solve issues. I'm not talented as building things, much to the chagrin of the continued efforts of my dad who is the handiest person I know. I am good at making decisions, finding the solutions to problems, and tapping the right resources to move needles. I'm good at leading groups and leading meetings. 

 I give my time because I am made more and more aware of the "haves" and "have not". Part of my journey is making more and more of the "haves" aware of the "have not".

That is my why. This is who I am to my core.  I'm bound and determined to make sure the world is a better place because I was here...

Oh yeah - I also officiate weddings now. I accept payment in adult sodas.