The Things for Which We'll Wait

Okay, I'll admit it: Even I vote in American Idol and Dancing with the Stars every now and then.

This week, spent a good twenty minute on the phone, trying to get through so I could vote for Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough. Unable to get through, I went ahead and voted online.

Yes, I was persistent. And for me and other fans of Jennifer and Derek, our persistence paid off.

But while many of us were willing to wait as long as it took to vote for Jennifer and Derek, or Kyle and Lacey, or That Other Couple, I wonder how many of us would have waited to vote in a 'real-world' election.

One of the few benefits of being unemployed is that if you have things to do and errands to run, you can do them during the day, while other people are at work. I've voted twelve times since I turned 18, for everything from President to School Board. Six of those times have been by absentee ballot, while the other six have been in person at a voting booth on Election Day. During each of those times I have either been unempoloyed or on summer break (and away from the job I had in college) - and what summer jobs I did manage to get, weren't during the day.

This has meant that whenever I have voted in person, I have done so during the afternoon, after the lunchtime rush and before the evening rush. Result? No waiting in line. Even this month, when I voted around 2PM on Election Day, only three of the five booths were in use when I got my ballot. On a general election day, when the weather was nice, I got to choose which of two voting booths I would use.

But here's the thing: While I haven't waited in any lines at the polling place, I would if I had to. Quite happily, in fact.

See, sometims, when we really, really, really want something, we'll be more than happy to wait as long as it takes. This morning, thousands of people lined up at shopping malls and other stores across America to get their hands on great 'doorbuster' deals. Almost a million people will stand for several hours, without food or bathroom breaks, to watch the ball drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve. Many of us wait hours to get their hands on a newly released smartphone or video game, or for the premier of the latest movie in a popular franchise (i.e. Harry Potter or Twilight).

But at other times, when we really, really, really want something, most of us can't seem to wait. It's been nearly seven months since I graduated from college, yet so far, no full-time job - despite applying for countless jobs, making who-knows-how-many follow-up calls, having quite a few interviews. With student loan bills coming due soon, I am not all that patient. But other people are even less patient; I'm speaking of those who wish things would change faster than they have. Never mind that it took eight years for things to get this bad, and that this kind of change takes many years.

But sometimes, someone else can say something much better than I can. I'd like to direct your attention to this op-ed that appeared in the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun. It's by Louise Plachta, whose husband served eight years as president of my alma mater, Central Michigan University.

I am impressed that students would stage an all-night vigil to be the first to purchase "Call of Duty: Black Ops," as reported in Central Michigan University's school newspaper, and with the long lines of moviegoers who waited for hours outside and inside Celebration Cinema's theatre to be among the first to view the latest Harry Potter movie. What fortitude! What stamina! What excitement!

I don't remember ever waiting in line that long for anything and I don't have an issue with those who did and do. I just don't have the patience or desire to do so. I'd be thinking of all the other things I could be doing, i.e., sleeping. It's just that after reading those stories I thought of the long line that I encountered on a recent Saturday when Sacred Heart Church hosted the Compassionate Community Network's "Food Truck."

Hm. On the one hand, you have these people who will do anything to get their hands on a video game or a good seat in a movie theater. Then you have all these other people who will do anything to get their hands on... some food.

Paging Dr. Maslow, Dr. Abraham Maslow.

Hopefully by this time next year, I will have a well-paying job. And maybe I'll be one of those waiting in line at 5AM to get my hands on something.

But for now, I'm just glad I'm not waiting for the basic necessities of life.

Robert C. Byrd, Independence, and Change

(Fourth of July thoughts - sorry they're a few days late!)

Life is change. Life is what? Change. - Judson Laipply, speaking at Leadership Safari at Central Michigan University in 2005

Much has been said about Robert Byrd, his career, his life, and his longevity. There may not be much that I can add to the discussion, except for a few thoughts of my own.

Every life can teach us a lot. Senator Byrd's life is no different. Here's a man who was born into poverty, who lost his mother when he was a year old (and who himself could have easily fallen victim to the same influenza outbreak which killed her), and who transformed himself from leading his Ku Klux Klan chapter to leading the fight to preserve our Constitution.

The most important thing we can learn from Byrd's life and career is that nothing is permanent. People change, things change - change is the law of life.

A Changed Man

If you had told me that a former Ku Klux Klansman who would have rather lost his freedom than fight with blacks was in the US Senate, I would have been appalled. Likewise, I was quite disappointed several years ago to hear that Robert Byrd, whom I had already come to respect at that time, had a rather dark past.

But yes, it was true. Also true is that once in the Senate, he tried to filibuster the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and opposed Thurgood Marshall's nomination to the Supreme Court, among many other things.

Yet who else was there to stand up for the Constitution when it suffered abuse after abuse after abuse in his later years? And what a courageous stand he took in the run-up to the Iraq War - joining just 22 of his colleagues in saying no to one of the worst foreign-policy blunders any President has made. And he did vote to confirm our first Latino justice, Sonia Sotomayor.

It may seem that, in many respects, Byrd changed with the country - as other Americans became more accepting of minorities, Byrd himself shifted. I would agree, though I would also argue that Byrd shifted much more in the direction of liberty and justice for all than most people. Here was a man who went from the Klan to being one of the more liberal members of the Senate. But while blacks are no longer sprayed with firehoses, they still find it more difficult to thrive in our society than whites. And of course, they are not the only group to be denied equality.

A Changed Country

Yet, as hard as it may be to see it, change has happened. Just look at who's in the White House. Or consider that 150 years ago, people who looked like him were enslaved. Or what about the fact that some of the Founding Fathers were themselves slave-owners, including Thomas "All men are created equal" Jefferson.

We can be thankful that participation in our representative government is no longer limited to the aristocratic class - not being a property owner, I probably wouldn't have been allowed to vote in 1810, and even if I could vote, I wouldn't have been able to elect my state's US senators.

Yet I can still remember the chill that ran down my spine the first time I found myself in a voting booth. It was the primary election in 2006. Our fine Governor, Jennifer Granholm, and our smart Senator, Debbie Stabenow, were unopposed for renomination, though both faced potentially tough fall campaigns. I was happy to support them and other Democrats running unopposed, as well as a neighbor of mine who was running for Congress in the only contested Democratic primary on the ballot that year. I also voted for a judicial candidate and in favor of three ballot proposals in Kentwood.

Of course, I also got to vote for myself for the first time. I was one of three people running for three spots as Democratic precinct delegate that year. Needless to say, I won - and I'm glad I took my friend's advice to run in the first place.

Through voting and getting involved, I felt a sense of power - power to help choose our leaders, power to make my voice heard, power to make our community and country better.

Our Republic, Our Power, Our Responsibility

"But ScottyUrb," you might say. "Look at what's going on. Our government is broken. Congress is dysfunctional. Greed and arrogance reign supreme. Since when do we have any sort of power?" Well, I understand that sentiment. I'm ticked off about a lot of things related to government right now. But as the Declaration says:

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

The point? The government gets its power from us. Even the wealthiest, most entrenched politicians depend upon you and me for their continued (mis)use of power. It's up to us to choose whether they can keep that power, or whether it should be lent to someone else.

Change Will Happen - Good or Bad

The lesson of that history is that you must not despair, that if you are right, and you persist, things will change. -Howard Zinn

Zinn was right - except that I believe things will change no matter what. The world simply does not go on without changing. Times change. People change. Leaders change. Heck, even forms of government change. Life is change!

The question is whether or not that change will be for the better.

Just as Senator Byrd changed for the better, America has changed for the better since Mr. Byrd went to Washington. (Incidentally, he was a US Representative when Rosa Parks refused to take a back seat - literally and figuratively.) Yet we are still right to want more change for the better. Freedom to serve, regardless of who we love. Freedom of marriage. Freedom to be paid the same as our colleagues for doing the same work. Freedom of privacy.

How will we get that change? It all starts with believing that we can make that change. That's how we got Obama in the White House. It's how they ended segregation. it's how our Founders successfully broke apart from the Crown. Cynicism and pessimism aren't how we get things done; knowing that we have the ultimate power is how we will accomplish this change.

What kind of change will you help create? What will you do to bring about that change?

Will you sit around and complain that things are rigged, or that we're screwed?

Or will you actually take charge - like our Founding Fathers, and like those who have fought for equality over the years?

What We're Thankful For

President Obama:


So what are you thankful for? I've compiled some reflections from various people; many of these are from emails, so they are not linked. Along the way, enjoy some Thanksgiving music!

Rep. Gary Peters:

Just this month I had the opportunity to serve, along with my family, friends, and other Oakland County residents, at Lighthouse of Oakland County. We sorted food for families having a tough time right now so that they can still enjoy Thanksgiving meals with their families.

Serving all Oakland County residents in Congress is an honor. But serving struggling families face-to-face is a reminder of what it is we're fighting for in Washington--and how much we all have for which to be thankful.

Daily Kos's Bill in Portland Maine:

Barack Obama is our 44th president and John McCain is not
Joe Biden is our vice president and Sarah Palin is not
That somehow we didn't fall into Great Depression II
The hope of semi-significant healthcare reform

(more from Bill here)

Thanksgiving Medley: We Gather Together, For the Beauty of the Earth, Come Ye Thankful People Come


Sen. Claire McCaskill (on Twitter):

Happy Thanksgiving to all. I'm thankful for so much, especially my family and my country.

Dan Seals:

This Thanksgiving season, Mia and I will be teaching our children about Sarah Hale. She was a remarkable woman who, through the power of the pen, convinced President Lincoln to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. This year, Thanksgiving will be on the exact calendar day, November 26, as the first national Thanksgiving proclaimed by Lincoln nearly 150 years ago.

Over the course of thirty-eight years, Sarah undertook, and engaged others to join her, in a massive letter writing campaign in support of this holiday. None of the four Presidents who preceded Lincoln would listen to her. Along the way, she also advocated for better education for girls and playgrounds for children, she raised five children, she was a prolific writer, and she vehemently opposed slavery. Lincoln became President during one of the darkest chapters of this country’s history. Hale knew Thanksgiving would not stop the Civil War, but believed it would help bring this country together. Lincoln agreed. Thanks to Hale’s deep sense of public service and her dogged determination to stand up for her beliefs, we have a holiday focused on gratitude and celebrating the diversity of cultures.

Ellen DeGeneres:

For me, the most important thing about it is to think about what we're grateful for, right? .... Number one, our friends and ourfamily. Number two, our caller IDs so we can avoid our friends and family ... The big things, the elm trees, the oceans, the oversized sunglasses, the mall things, you know, the dandelions, acorns, Danny DeVito...

First verse with refrain:

For the bread and wine we share here,
For the friends that we embrace,
For the peace we find in healing,
For all who gather in this place,
For the faith of those around us,
For the dead and all those here,
For the hope we find in mem’ry
For the love that draws us near;

We give you thanks, we give you thanks,
For the grace to receive, in you we believe
We give you thanks, we give you thanks
With faith and hope and love, we give you thanks.

Sen. Pat Leahy:

Marcelle and I have so much for which to be thankful.

We are thankful for the health and well-being of our daughter, two sons, two daughters-in-law, son-in-law, and five beautiful grandchildren.

We are thankful for the warmth of our neighbors here in Vermont and our friends around the world -- the old friendships that still flourish even as our lives have changed quite a bit over the decades, and all the new friendships we've made through public service.

We are thankful to our men and women in uniform, especially those who can't be with their families today.

We are thankful to those who came before us, emigrating to this great land, fighting for our freedoms, and building a more prosperous, more just world for each successive generation.

We are thankful for the opportunity Vermonters have given us to continue that legacy, so that we may leave our grandchildren -- and their children -- with a nation and a planet better off than those which we inherited.

Oh, and ScottyUrb:

• My life
• My family and friends
• Our dog, Lucy, and our birds
• Food and drink
• Clothing
• A home
• Air
• Water
• Good health
• Electricity
• Humor
• A computer
• The Internet
• A TV
• This awesome country
• All of our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen
• A sweet job
• Attending Central Michigan University
• The many, many people around the world who have dedicated their lives to making our world a better place
• President Barack Obama and progressive Democrats

I'm thankful. How ironic.

I posted a version of this last Thanksgiving, but I think it bears repeating this year.

I am thankful for my family. Which is ironic, because I only have one brother, I don’t have many aunts, uncles, or cousins (not nearly as many as my parents), one of my grandpas died before I was born (as did all of my great-grandparents), and I only have one surviving grandparent (I’m 21). Still, I know that some have never met their families, while others are in very tumultuous family situations.

I am thankful for my health. Which is ironic, because this Thanksgiving, I have a cough. Still, I don’t have cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer’s, or any other life-threatening condition. What’s more, I am pretty able-bodied. Not everyone can say that.

I am thankful for my financial well-being. Which is ironic, because I’m nowhere near wealthy. Still, I am far more fortunate than most people in the world.

I am thankful that I have a job. Which is ironic because it’s only a part-time job that pays $7.40 an hour, and it’s only 8 hours per week. Still, I am more fortunate than the more than 9% of Michiganians on the unemployment rolls. And the many more who are unemployed, but aren’t counted as such. And the many who work more hours and get less in return.

I am thankful for my home. Which is ironic, because it’s no mansion. It has many of the amenities, but no dishwasher, fireplace, or dining room. I live in a suburb (Kentwood, Michigan), but you can’t accuse us of being as extravagant as suburbanites are stereotyped to be. Still, not everyone can even afford an apartment, much less a house. And a vast majority of the world's population lives in substandard housing.

I am thankful for my cell phone, digital camera, DVD player, computer, TV, and other technological gadgets. Which is ironic, since my phone isn’t fancy, my camera doesn’t have very good resolution, and I don’t watch as much TV as I used to. Still, so many in this world go without having a single one of these gadgets.

I am thankful that I am a student at Central Michigan University. Which is ironic, given that it’s no Ivy League school. Still, how many people can say they attend an eco-friendly and gay-friendly college? And that's barely the tip of the iceberg.

I am thankful for those who have consistently fought for racial minorities, women, the GLBT community, the mentally ill, the disabled, and others. Which is ironic, given that I am an able-bodied, white heterosexual male who is not classified as mentally ill. Still, I realize that the fight for equal justice marches on - and all of us have an important role to play in that march.

I am thankful for all the people who have had a positive impact on my life. Which is ironic, since they are too many to name and I have forgotten many of them. Many I have met in real life, some I have known only through the "series of tubes." But they have impacted me all the same. And yes, I am talking about the Daily Kos community and the overall lefty blogosphere, among many others.

I am thankful for him:


Finally, I am thankful that I am alive. Which is ironic, because I’m only 21, and most people expect to live a lot longer than I have. I am definitely younger than most of the people who read this post. Yet countless millions don’t even get the chance to live to half my age. I hope and pray that I will be inspired and encouraged to use the remainder of my life in a way so that, when I die, my family and friends will be able to truthfully and sincerely eulogize me by saying, "The world is a better place because Scott Urbanowski lived in it."

I am thankful for so many other things that I cannot name, lest this post be a several-hour-long read. Which is ironic, seeing as how I take them for granted so often.

You see, folks, so many of us want so much more than we have. And don't get me wrong, there are many things I want that I don't have. Yet I believe that knowing that we are so fortunate is key to contentment and happiness in life.

I bet you're a lot more fortunate than you realize.

Leadership - "truly an amazing concept"

The concept of leadership is truly an amazing concept. It has power beyond all our imaginations.

Dan, a friend of mine who was president of a group I'm in at Central Michigan University, wrote that to me after a leadership conference last year. That was around the time I really started becoming enthusiastic about leadership, and Dan was a big reason why. I signed a minor in leadership last spring, bought a couple of books about leadership, and set some high goals for myself in terms of what kind of leader I want to be.

So why am I - like many others - so enthusiastic about leadership? Well, there are plenty of reasons. For one, many people probably see a personal benefit. It looks good on our resume to have been president, coordinator, manager, director, etc., of something. And of course, those in leadership roles are more well-known than others, so there may be (for some) a popularity factor.

But that doesn't explain it well enough. Many of you might be insulted if I told you that you only care about leadership for your own personal gain.

So why the enthusiasm for leadership? My best hypothesis is: It is through leadership that we can have the greatest impact on our society. Leaving our mark and improving the quality of human life in our community and on this planet - now that's an awesome dream to behold!

Who is a leader?
So then who, exactly, is a leader? How do we determine who a leader and who is not? Is the leader the one who holds the title - president, chair, manager, CEO, captain, director? Is it someone who has followers? Is it the person who works hardest? Is it the smartest person in the room? In many instances, yes, these people happen to be the top leaders.

If you ask me, you are a leader if you are a Homo sapien. Homo sapien is the Latin scientific name for a human being. Yes, folks: EVERYONE is a leader! Notice that I didn't just say that everyone can be a leader, which many would argue. Rather, everyone already IS a leader - just by virtue of being a human!

Here's why I say that. Though we may not always realize it, almost everything we do has an impact (albeit usually small) on our communities, our environment, and maybe our entire world. We give our time, talent, and treasure to certain people, groups, or businesses, thereby helping them to become more profitable or do their jobs more smoothly. We have a certain carbon footprint, which indicates how much of the Earth's precious resources we are using for our own selves. We answer questions people ask of us, leaving them better informed. We anger people by taking the last cookie from the cookie jar (oh come on, who hasn't? :-) ). We turn off lights and water faucets, saving energy and a little money. We influence our friends' music tastes by recommending albums. And on, and on, and on!

So regardless of whatever positions we have (or don't have), we are leaders by our human nature. The trick, then, is to be a great and effective leader. An effective leader is one whose actions spur a lot more change than most of the other 6.7 billion leaders do (so you could say effective leaders are more powerful). But a great leader is one whose actions are worthy of emulating. The great leaders are the ones thanks to whom we are better off.

What makes a great leader?
I'm not going to focus much on how you can be an effective leader. Being effective in one leadership role often isn't the same as being effective in another (i.e. an effective accounts manager doesn't inherently make an effective university president). Instead, over the next few days I will focus on being a great leader.

Everyone has an idea of what it takes to be a great leader. I think Norman Schwarzkopf summed it up best:

To lead in the twenty-first century…you will be required to have both Character and Competence.

I also happened upon this quote from Jim Rohn:

The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.

But what does ScottyUrb have to say? Well, there is no perfect set of attributes common amongst all great leaders. The above quotes by Schwarzkopf and Rohn, as well as The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader by John C. Maxwell, do offer some excellent insights on what kinds of attributes one can find in a top-notch leader. But as for myself, here are just a handful of the most important qualities I attribute to the best of leaders - attributes that I think are often overlooked or maybe should be viewed in a different light:

Great leaders help those who follow them recognize their own self-worth. I happened to be watching Oprah one day when she said something that struck me. To paraphrase her, "Everyone is put on this big, beautiful earth to do something great." You and I have some sort of purpose. What a joy it would be to be able to help someone see what they can do with the limited amount of time they have here.

Great leaders seek to understand the needs of those who follow them. How will people follow your example or do what you ask of them if you don't know where they're coming from? You will want people to understand why you want them to do something, but what if you don't understand their concerns? Many a leader-follower relationship has surely gone sour because the leader and/or follower didn't take the time to understand the other. That's why communication is always essential between leaders and followers.

Great leaders understand that when they lead, they serve. Markos serves the Daily Kos community. Howard Dean serves the Democratic Party. Jennifer Granholm serves the people of Michigan. Hopefully in a few months, Barack Obama will be able to serve the people of this entire country as our President. I'm not saying all of these leaders are or would be great (well, Dr. Dean is :-) ), and other people serve the aforementioned entities besides the people I mentioned (i.e. state lawmakers, campaign staff). But the point is, the best leaders acknowledge that they are to serve the people and organizations they lead before they serve themself.

Great leaders give and receive praise and criticism as appropriate. Let me dissect that a little. You must never tire of praising people to affirm for them that, yes, what they are doing is right. Yet you also have to steer people in the right direction. This will often involve a calm reminder of how to do something right, but of course you can't shy away from calling a spade a spade. When you are criticized - as a leader or otherwise - try to understand why you are being criticized. And when you receive praise, you must do with humility. Be confident, yes, but never rest on your laurels as you can always do better.

Great leaders strive for inclusion. When's the last time you felt alienated from a group? Have you ever felt like the people alienating you were the ones viewed as the top leaders of that group (i.e. a committee chair or team captain)? That has happened to me a couple of times in the last few months. On one occasion, I was treated with little respect while trying to stand up for what I believed was best for the organization. Another time, I was one of just a few people involved in a group who was not invited to a big celebration. When followers don't feel welcome, everyone - leaders as well as followers - will stand to suffer.

Great leaders see themselves as role models. I'll have tons more on this tomorrow or Saturday, but I have seen so many powerful leaders fail at their duties as role models. I once admired Mark McGwire - but is it okay to cheat in sports or in life? Or how about Mark Foley? And don't get me started on the greed, arrogance, and selfishness of certain other politicians, business leaders, entertainers, and athletes right now. Jamie Lynn Spears getting pregnant at 16? The lies we see in campaign ads? Who wants to send young people the message that lying, cheating, underage sex, and breaking the law are good?

I could go on and on about some of the important qualities of good leaders. These, however, are just a few of the ones I feel I need to stress the most. Over the next few days, I will have thoughts on the importance of character and competence in leaders - two topics .

Who Inspires You?

We are all inspired. We all have the power to inspire.

Eric, my professor for my Introduction to Leadership class, mentioned earlier in the semester that we would be doing a powerful activity in class that would help us get a better sense of the true meaning of leadership. The activity was delayed due to a couple of class cancellations (snow days, to be exact), but finally, near the end of the semester, Eric was able to set aside some class time for it.

Our task was to think of someone who has inspired us and think of how and why they have inspired us. We would then write a few sentences about why they inspired us. Afterwards Eric went around the room and offered us the chance to share what we wrote if we wanted to. There was no pressure; if you didn't want to share, you didn't have to share. Still, each of us went ahead and spoke.

Eric started by talking about one of his teachers pushed him to do his best. Some of my classmates followed by sharing how their family members helped them through tough times. One person said that he was motivated when one of his wrestling teammates picked him to win the state championship in his weight class. Another choked up while talking about some of the kids she works with.

I didn't get a chance to write much, simply because it's hard to think of one single person who has shaped my life more than all the others. I thought about many people: my family (including my grandpa), other students, teachers, professors, pastors - even politicians

Yet somehow, on this particular day, in this particular class, one person stood out: Mrs. Nancy Reahm, my principal at Brookwood Elementary School.

In fourth grade, our teacher, Mrs. Johnson, asked us to write a letter to a woman in honor of Mother's Day. I chose Mrs. Reahm. My letter to Mrs. Reahm thanked her for being such a wonderful principal and person.

I credit Mrs. Reahm for building a culture that Brookwood that valued tolerance, kindness, and respect. Values people talk about but don't always live out. Values which, several years later, have led me to being a progressive Democrat.

Much to my surprise, she wrote me back, telling me how much she enjoyed reading my letter. She said that if she ever had a bad day, she would pull it out and re-read it to find comfort.

Think about it: Here was a principal who led a school of roughly 350 students and 25 or so teachers, and had to deal with a host of administrative, curricular, disciplinary, and other issues, taking the time out of her busy schedule to write me back, letting me know how my letter had made her day.

I suppose that I inspired Mrs. Reahm by writing that letter. But that was part of a class assignment. I believe her response inspired me much more. You see, it was then that I began to see the true power of words. I mean, my principal found my words moving - imagine that

I don't know whatever happened to the letter she sent me. If I still have it, then it must be tucked away in a closet or file somewhere. Still, her response is still solid proof that what I do or say to people can have a powerful impact.

Mrs. Reahm and I both left Brookwood ten years ago - I went to middle school, while she retired. But while our days at Brookwood are a distant memory, those values are still ingrained in me to this day - and I hope and pray that they will stay with me forever.

So I wanted to take this opportunity to invite each of you who read this blog post to share a story - long or short - about someone who inspires you.

It can be anyone who has had an impact on your life - from your family and friends, to a coach or colleague, to someone whom you haven't even met It doesn't have to be someone who fills a leadership role; just someone who, through word or deed, has inspired you to become a better person, to do better things, to treat people better... to make the world a better place.

And feel free to share many stories, if you wish; the more tales of inspiration, the merrier

And I'll conclude this diary as Eric concluded the activity in class: by reminding you that, just as others have inspired you, you have the power to inspire others... and you never know when something you say or do for someone turns out to be just what the doctor ordered for them.

Just as Mrs. Reahm has inspired me to expect the best out of myself and others, I am well aware that at amy moment, I may be the one who inspires and motivates others to be the best that they can be.

One of the hardest workers I've ever known

Has it been four years already? Or, perhaps a more appropriate question would be, has it only been four years?

URBANOWSKI EDWARD C
April 29, 2004, age 81 of Kentwood, formerly of Taylor. Beloved husband of Christine. Loving father of Dan (Karen), Tom (Denise) and Sue (Todd) Statetzny. Dearest grandfather of Dereck, Scott, Monica, Ben, April and Morgan. Visitation Saturday 5-9 p.m. and Sunday 2-9 p.m. with Funeral service on Monday 10 a.m. at the Voran Funeral Home (Taylor Chapel), 23750 Goddard Road. Interment Woodmere Cemetery

Seeing that obituary in online or in the paper, one may notice the American flag icon, commemorating my grandfather's Army service in the Asia-Pacific Theater during World War II. Four years after his passing, I though I'd share a little more about one of the hardest workers I've known.

'Poppa' was born March 10, 1923, the second of five sons. He began working at the famous Ford Motor Company plant in Dearborn, Michigan, in the late 1930s. His time there was interrupted by his (aforementioned) service in World War II.

When he retired from Ford in 1987 (right around the time I was born), he had logged 45 years with the company. Forty-five years with the same company! Oh, and did I mention he was a proud member of the UAW?

Aside from that, he liked gardening. I credit his love for gardening and his love of nature for my own passion for this thing we call Planet Earth.

And in case I need to tell you, he was one heck of a Democrat. In 2001 he got a calendar from the DNC featuring pets of famous Presidents. He let his 13-year-old politically astute grandson (me) have it.

But first and foremost, he was a family man. Boy, did he love his wife of 50-some years - whom we affectionately call Nannu - as well as his three kids, and his six grandchildren. In a small way, his love for all of us made up for my never being able to know my other grandfather, who died two years before I was born.

Poppa was often present at Dad's Monday night bowling games with the local Knights of Columbus council league. For several years in a row, he won something in a raffle at Kentwood's Fourth of July Pancake Breakfast. He and Nannu attended as many of my band concerts as they could.

I am certain that if he was alive and his health was good enough health, Poppa would have sat right next to Nannu at my high school graduation in 2005.

However, it was not to be.

April 29, 2004, was the most difficult day of my life.

The night before, my grandpa was taken to the emergency room. As it turned out, he suffered a massive heart attack, likely caused by his laboring to breathe due to his bout with pneumonia.

I knew something was wrong when, shortly after lunch, my English teacher told me that I had an early dismissal (he was hospitalized the night before). As I got into the car, Mom told me that he hadn't died yet, but was in horrible shape. Once I heard my brother Dereck crying in the front seat, I knew it was really bad.

When I got to the hospital, my dad told me it would be just a matter of hours. I cried like a baby, as did Nannu, my parents, and Dereck. I couldn't bear to stay. Mom, Dereck, and I went home just after 1:30.

Just as we walked in the door, Dad called. Poppa had died.

Two days later we went to the funeral home in Taylor for the first day of visitation. His body was in an open casket.

Seeing that lifeless body... that's when it hit me. Never again would I hear him tell his stories about the war, growing up during the Depression, raising three kids. His Fourth of July raffle winning streak was over.

The next day, as we got out of the car at the funeral home, two mallard ducks wandered their way in front of the funeral home door. Coincidence? I don't think so. You see, my other grandma - who had passed away three years earlier - loved mallard ducks. We saw these ducks as a sign from above - that Grandma was watching over us and wanted us to be able to find peace.

At the funeral I managed to give a eulogy of sorts. My aunt wrote a poem that encompassed his love for his family, gardening, and lemon meringue pie.

He was laid to rest on a beautiful, sunny day in early May. (Just a couple days earlier it had been snowing! It's Michigan, after all!)

Four years later, I don't know how he would have handled hearing that Bush was going to be in for another four years. I can tell you that the way workers are being mistreated would not have made that UAW retiree happy. My aunt remarked a couple years ago that if he saw how expensive gas was getting, that would've given him a fatal heart attack.

Still, most of the emotional pain following Poppa's death has been replaced with warm memories. I still miss him, but I am at peace, knowing he has found an even more lasting peace. He went out without much suffering.

Somehow, Nannu is still with us at 84 (we thought she would be the first to go). Here I am, finishing my third year of college, while one of my cousins is five weeks away from graduating high school!

And wouldn't you know it, since Poppa left, I have won something at the Fourth of July breakfast every year!

Coincidence? I don't think so.

Our Country, to Have and to Hold

Before his death three years ago, my grandfather told me a number of stories about his days in the Asia/Pacific Theater during World War II - escaping death, crossing the Equator, the meals they served on the ships. My other grandfather also had war stories of his own, although sadly, he died two years before I was born, so I never had the chance to hear them.

Both of my grandfathers shared something in common, however: Both are among a long list of brave men and women who have served in defense of this nation and the ideals we hold dear - the ones Thomas Jefferson wrote in that Declaration which was signed 231 years ago today: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Jefferson was one of many who, tired of the status quo, decided to take action against tyranny, against the oppression of those at the bottom by those at the top. And so we must follow in Jefferson's lead.

A lot has changed since the Founders rose up and rejected the status quo. Our nation has 37 more states and 100 times as many people. Forty-three men have taken an oath to uphold our nation's Constitution, with some fulfilling their oath better than others. Whereas only free men over 21 who owned property could vote in the early days of our Republic, nowadays virtually everyone over 18 may vote.

Yet even as our freedoms come under attack from within, we can be proud of the fact that so many people - among them my friend Cliff, who recently returned from Iraq - are willing to put their lives on the line for those ideals which Jefferson gave us, and that so many others - Keith Olbermann, Helen Thomas, Al Gore, and John Conyers, among countless others - work day in and day out to hold our leaders accountable for preserving and expanding liberty.

But they cannot do it alone.

In this time when our basic freedoms are being attacked, each of us must take responsibility for doing our part to ensure that the cause of liberty is not destroyed in our great Republic. Because as much as Bush and his cabal try to ruin the Republic, the fact remains, this is still our country.

OUR country.

This country belongs to ALL 300,000,000+ of us. This country belongs to a poor person without health insurance and without a job as much as it does to the wealthy CEO of a Fortune 500 company. It belongs as much to a paralyzed person as it does to a star athlete. It belongs as much to a janitor as it does to his/her company's senior vice president. It belongs just as much to a military recruit on his first day in basic training as it does to a four-star general. It belongs as much to a child entering kindergarten this fall as it does to my school district’s recently retired superintendent and her successor.

And of course, this country belongs to the millions of people who have served their country in uniform: from Washington and the other Founders, to Grant, to TR at San Juan Hill, to my grandfathers, to my father, to Cliff.

This country belongs to us as much as it did to the 56 men who pledged “our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred Honor” to the cause of freedom 231 years ago. Or to the 39 who, eleven summers later, authored the Constitution.

Or the millions of working men and women in this country, without whom America would not be America.

Or the countless men and women who have died protecting us: Armed Forces personnel, firefighters, police officers.

Understanding that this country belongs to each and every one of us is what patriotism is all about. Patriotism doesn’t involve saying you support our troops despite supporting policies that harm them, i.e. an ill-planned war that has led to the loss of nearly 3,600 Americans. Nor does it involve calling people traitors just because they they happen to disagree with you. Nor does it involve ruthlessly attacking patriots such as Max Cleland and John Kerry.

Patriotism involves speaking up. Sharing your opinion. Demanding the truth. Expecting the best for our Republic. Insisting that good spring from bad, that the values we hold dear as a nation are not suppressed by a group of egotists seeking to serve themselves at the expense of others.

Countless Americans have sacrificed so much for this country, from the bitter winter at Valley Forge, through the bloody Civil War, through two World Wars, through numerous other conflicts, right into this one. We can't all serve in the military, but if our nation is to remain free, we must all do the example Jefferson laid out for us and fight for the America we desire.

Carpe Diem

"I'd like to thank Emma Simson, past SGA president, Andrew Friedson, incoming SGA president. You might ask why I thank these people. I just want to show that I respect Presidents." House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), at the commencement for the University of Maryland-College Park

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As I reflect on Dr. Leiker’s retirement, I also reflect on my graduation from East Kentwood High School two years ago today: lining up inside the school (494 graduates made that line quite long and winding!), the Sun setting behind the bleachers, Mr. Beel reading his top-ten list of pieces of advice, the choir and band (the latter of which I was a part) performing, walking across the ‘stage,’ the all-night party, and then coming home to see Swifty lying on the bed waiting to greet me.

High school wasn’t a particularly remarkable time for me. Sure, EK is a Blue Ribbon School, and sure, I did get involved in a few extracurriculars - Band, Quiz Bowl, and American Political Thought. Yes, our bands are pretty good - amazing, I’d say - and Quiz Bowl did go to the state tournament during my junior year. And the American Political Thought team finished third in the state.

Still, one critical element was missing from my life: A strong network of friends.

As I mark two years as an alumnus of East Kentwood, I recall an essay I wrote for my Freshman Composition class at CMU in December of 2005 - my last of the class - noting the changes I had undergone since graduating from EK six months earlier. These changes include schedule changes (i.e. getting up at 10:30 instead of 6:30!), the fact that I don’t have parents there to watch me (and how that can be a double-edged sword), and the many new friends I have made since coming to college.

Since writing and turning in that essay, I have noticed something else that’s much different: I am much more extroverted now than I was in high school, and I have many more friends now than I dreamed I would You see, I came to CMU as just another person, not intent on much more than getting a degree in political science and accounting, then graduating and entering the world of work as ready as one can be.

Yet from the time I entered Leadership Safari, a five-day program for entering freshmen at CMU, I came out of my shell. Gone was the old Scott Urbanowski, introverted and in many ways self-centered; in was the new Scott Urbanowski, maybe not quite ready to take on the world, but sure as heck ready to make this world a better place.

Less than a month after Safari ended, I found myself sitting in Dow Science Complex, representing the biggest residence hall on campus in the Student Government Association. All the while I was beginning my involvement with the College Democrats at CMU, of which I would later become Communications Director and now Blogmaster.

As I look back at the last two years, I reflect on some of the many people I have met at CMU: ICDP leaders; Mark Brewer; numerous political candidates; Bishop Carlson; Dick Enberg (Class of 1957); David McCullough; and Cedar and Kyle, twins who lived down the hall from me in my freshman year. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Not bad for a kid who, just two years ago, seemed intent on just going to college for four years, getting a degree, and moving on into the ‘real world.’

So as I consider the many changes during my life over the last 730 days, I would like to thank those of you who have entered my life - both offline and online. My life is much richer for knowing you. I especially want to congratulate Emily, Coree, Rob, and everyone else I’ve known from CMU who graduated earlier this month.

And to everyone who reads this, I encourage you to take the opportunity every so often to appreciate what you have in life: Friends, family, a blogosphere ;-) . And as any commencement speaker would tell you, seize the day! "Carpe Diem!" Whether through politics or community involvement or business, each of us has a chance to make this world a better place. I hope and pray for the courage to dedicate my life to doing so. Won't you?

Farewell to a Leader

I will love you more than me
And more than yesterday
If you can but prove to me
You are the new day
Send the sun in time for dawn
Let the birds all hail the morning
Love of life will urge me say
You are the new day

That song was sung at my graduation from East Kentwood High School on May 27, 2005.

I sometimes forget, if only for a little while, that I am a student at Central Michigan University, that I served three semesters in SGA, that I am active with St. Mary’s and the College Dems, and reminisce to a time before I heard of Fancher Street, Bill Caul, Anspach Hall, the RFoC, the UC, the ICDP, and the idea that Cedar could be a first name... back to my days as a K-12 student in Kentwood Public Schools.

I recently attended a farewell reception for Kentwood Superintendent Dr. Mary Leiker, who is retiring after 16 years. She took the reins of KPS the year before I entered kindergarten. Here’s an idea of how long she’s been here: When she came to Kentwood, Bush was President, the Democrats controlled Congress, the economy was in the tank, and Iraq was the big story in the news!

Anyway, other than refusing to call many snow days ;-) , Dr. Leiker did a tremendous job with the district. She was a visionary, understanding how our changing world demands adaptation from our schools. I liken her to FDR, Bill Milliken, or Pope John Paul II: Each spent many years in a leadership role and used those years to the fullest, becoming great leaders whose memory will carry on long after their time in leadership has ended.

Under Leiker’s leadership, five of the district’s 16 schools have won prestigious Blue Ribbon Awards. In elementary schools, Spanish is now as common a subject as PE or art were when I was in elementary school! Thanks to a 2003 millage, many schools have seen extensive renovations, the high school has a new football stadium, and the district has new buses. And that’s just for starters.

What’s more, Dr. Leiker and my mom have been close friends for a number of years. Leiker would help out with the Knights of Columbus ‘Tootsie Roll Drive’ to benefit special education, while Mom helped with the nearly year-long preps for KPS’s Celebration of Freedom Week, which was held in March 2003 and culminated in a ceremony that included a speech from Debbie Stabenow. (Ironically, that was the week Bush invaded Iraq.)

At the end of the reception - which, like my commencement, included the above song - I gave Dr. Leiker a hug on behalf of myself and our entire family. I told her that Mom likes to visit her sister in Littleton, Colorado, so they might meet up again out there. Her son, meanwhile - a rabid Democrat - told me to email him if I ever come to the Colorado area (which I just might next year; more on that soon... :-) )

So as Dr. Leiker prepares ready to close out her career, I can't help but to wonder how she, her family, and KPS will adjust to the fact that she will no longer lead the 9,000+ student school system. Her successor (who actually hails from within the district) was named several months ago; she just attended her final commencement as superintendent; her final School Board meeting will be coming up soon; and she will officially step down in five weeks. Nor do I know for sure if I will be able to go out to Colorado and see their family.

I do know, however, that my family and I will miss her, but that her influence with KPS will be felt for many years. I wish Dr. Leiker and her family an enjoyable retirement in Colorado. What's more, I wish that everyone who reads this blog will come to know of leaders who, like Dr. Leiker, go above and beyond, who, whether their leadership lasts for 16 years or 16 weeks, strive for excellence in themselves and in others.

Better yet, may you become such a leader yourself.