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Sean D – Page 11 – Instant Sean

Author: Sean D

Pride for the North Harrison Marching Cougars

I am so proud of my daughter Shelby. Today her band finished 1/4 of 1 point from making the Indiana State Band Finals with their “Oriental Impressions” show. She called me crying because she wanted to go to state. She thought I would think that she failed.

You are so wrong my dear. I was so proud of her because she made an effort, doing something different that she had never thought of doing before and succeeding in it. She’s been doing band, while helping design sets for the Drama Club play, and taking honors classes.

Her high school band was recognized for being the 11th best division C high school band in all of Indiana. To put it in perspective for you Shelby, there are 382 high schools in Indiana and your band was in the TOP 10% in the state.

You should be proud of yourself Shelby, your 66 fellow band mates should be proud and your school is proud of all of you.

I am proud of you more because you made the effort and fell short. Some bands don’t make the effort. You called me in tears because you wanted to make me proud.

You did. I believe in you and everything that you do.

I love you!

October 26, 2013
Choosing a destination

After years of unhappiness and desperation I finally had to do it. I wouldn’t have told her this years before, not even when we were dating, but it came to the time in my life where I couldn’t deny it anymore.

Sometimes I would just go round and round, waiting for the right time to distract her from the story that she had been telling me about her work or the trip to New York that she was taking when it would happen. She would realize where we were and immediately tell me what I knew all along.

“Do you know where the hell you are?”

My normal response was, “I was just enjoying talking to you, and we really didn’t have a set plan so I thought we’d take a drive.”

Most days, she would nod her head and immediately went back to her story and I would go back to just driving.

But today she wasn’t having it.

“Pull over,” and as I did the interrogation began, “What’s wrong?”

“I’ve been all over this map and I think I’ve seen everything I want to see on this map.”

Her response was enlightening, “Get a new map.”

So I did.

I went out searching for new challenges, goals and expectations.

But the more I tried to find them, the more I realized that those challenges, goals and expectations were on the same damn map I had just been circling around before.

I’m the king of telling people to change their perspective but I was the worst physician of all. I had to do something rash, drastic.

But I hate change.

So I started by 2 years ago by starting a twitter account for a hobby of mine. I dedicated time to this hobby and today I have MANY times the amount of followers that my real account had. But this new account was focused on one topic, something I enjoyed but could never discuss without fights breaking out with friends from around the country. I was anonymous and recently let everyone in that I was running it.

They didn’t care. They just wanted me to continue my content so I did.

But it just was a slight scratch of an itch I was having.

So I joined two groups for Social Media Professionals. I was the guppy in the deep end and some days I have been successful in helping others. Some, not so much.

I was trying, I had gotten to the edge of my map and took the first step to a new map.

Now choosing a new destination was difficult for me, because this map looked like gobbilty gook. Nothing was labelled and I could just as easy get lost in this new map as the old one.

But I , with the encouragement of my wife, forged ahead. I’m looking for the next challenge, goal and expectation.

I finally realized that I have a destination in mind.

Something I should have done long before. But that fear of change got to me.

But I have no fear now. I talk to people who have written major books on Social Media weekly and have yet to be uninvited to their playground. I just move around exploring the world that I have now stepped my foot in.

I’m 43 , and I’m a man, but sometimes asking someone for a map and directions, would have been good for me 10 years ago. But I wouldn’t have known what to do with a map, let alone a new map.

I’ve chosen a destination and a path to get there. The road won’t be paved and I have high goals and expectations.

But once I reach my destination, I’ll turn to my companion and love of my life and say, “I think I’m going to take this road.”

She’ll be by my side, kicking my backside as we wind down the road.

As you reach the end of your map, path, destination, you may find yourself lost, like I was. You might need an encouraging word, someone to help you along your way to your next destination.

If you need a kick in the ass… call me.

If you need an encouraging word… call me.

If you need my phone number… e-mail me.

I believe that without the encouragement of people that I truly love, I would still be driving on the road, filling up with gas when I need it, never arriving at my destination.

How can I help you arrive at your destination?

August 17, 2013
Help…

Father’s Day: a day set aside to celebrate the great patriarchs in our families. A day we set aside to thank them for them helping us grow into well adjusted men and women.

Today I’m not going to talk about them directly but about a circumstance that has happened to me at my work and how my father would be very sad today.

You see, my dad was adopted. Glenn and Mabel were all I know of my dad’s life. While I had a deep and overwhelming family on my mother’s side, I knew Glenn, Mabel and that’s it. There was no depth, no history, no knowledge of the roots of who I was because of my father.

That was their loss. For my father never really knew his father and his adopted parents were, can I say , different. I hated calling Nebraska to talk to them because of their eccentricities and I never appreciated them until they were long gone.

That was on me.

But that’s not the story I want to tell today. I want to tell you a story about greed and just deserts.

I used to work with a charity when I first started in radio, long before my CMN days. This charity (not to be mentioned because they are already being punished), came to my work and asked for my help for an event of theirs. I eagerly accepted and helped in any way that I could. I wasn’t a star but I knew of the charities value and worked with them as their event grew larger and larger, till they stopped calling me.

One year I called after the event was over and asked why I wasn’t given an invitation to this year’s event. Did I do something, or say something to offend them? No.

“The event has grown so big that we didn’t need your help anymore.”

So instead of asking for me to refocus my energies, I was sent away.

I never worked with that charity for over 10 years, until I was recently asked by a friend of the charity to assist them again.

I declined.

They were shocked, because my reputation was one of the most generous people around. A person that I would do anything for a stranger and even more for a friend.

“I was a friend to you when it was convenient for you to need me. I helped you, utilizing my energy, talent and position to grow you to levels that you hadn’t seen before in the past. But when you didn’t need me, you didn’t come to me and find a new way for me to assist you. You tossed me away and napalmed the bridge behind me. Now you come to me because you need my help again. I can’t in good conscience assist you. It was simple for you to utilize my generosity when it benefited you. But then once your event was built to where you felt that it would be ‘too much’ if I helped. I’m sorry. I helped you in the bad times, you threw me away in the good times, why should I help you again?”

They apologized and said, “it would never happen again.”

It was too late.

Actions that were made because of greed and because a board member didn’t want to share the publicity of an event with a radio group saddened me when the event ended but it brought up a story my dad told me when we lived in New York.

He was chopping wood, doing what he called to my mother, “Life’s Work” , and I asked him why he chopped the wood rather than have somebody else do it for him.

“Easy Sean, I know the value that I have in my own work. Never let another person tell you what your value is. If they don’t truly value your effort, then you will never be seen in their eyes as valuable. You are valuable. I love you.”

My dad instilled in me the value of self worth. It took a while for me to recognize it, but I see it now.

I said no to the charity because they didn’t value me.

I wouldn’t have been valuable if I had said yes.

Go out and value the work that you do.

If you need someone to show you the value I will be glad to help

June 16, 2013
My Heart

It’s not about us…

It may not always go my way, I might not understand the road I’m on, but I have to thank everyone who encourages me on the trip. I’m 13 days away from starting an emotional roller coaster that drains every ounce of energy in my body.

I haven’t secret tricks to play, I have nothing that hasn’t been done before by many other teams over the last 15 years. But as the leader of this trailblazing, ass kicking, God fearing, ever loving team of miracle workers even I fall to doubt.

It may be a millisecond that I let fear in my heart, but it is totally destroyed by the love of families that let me into their lives, doctors who share their previous stories and a hospital that has saved my life and the lives of countless others.

So I look to those who have my back now, 5 years ago, 10 years ago and 15 years ago on a ride that I am still on.

Thank you for your love, your support and your determination.

Years ago, I thought I knew what my path was intended to be.

I was wrong.

I wasn’t intended to be a big shot, nor a hero to others. I was merely a man, on a path that to this day confounds me.

I am still not what I want to be, but if you look back on the man I was 15 years ago and now, I have become the man I needed to be for others.

I am not a slave, but a servant.
I am not just a teacher but merely a guide.
I am not the man, but one he counts on.
I am not rich, but I am far from poor.
I don’t live the dream that my father wanted for me but the one that my father help me make.

I am a friend to all and I have never known a stranger.
I am someone that has a smile when you need one.
I am the one who really does care when I ask, “What’s wrong?”

And I have a mission on this Earth.

I won’t be used for others selfish reasons without allowing it.

I will call when you think you are all alone or the one you call when you need someone to listen.

I am ready for challenges, hopes, dreams, ambitions and with my heart open wide I look to you my friends to see what I can do for you. I’ve emptied my heart and my soul to you.

What does your heart tell me?

February 7, 2013
Love will always win!

I am an encourager. I spend my time and energies trying to be positive, sending good vibes out into the world. I will tease but never intentionally be negative because negative words never encourage nor ever achieve the goal that were intended by them.

This weekend I had two people that I know,try to convince someone that the actions he was taking was sinful but failed. They were negative toward him and spoke words that I and some people would consider hate speech. But it wasn’t I was told because they were “leading him to the light”.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” – Ephesians 4:19 NIV

Why were the people I know failures in their attempt to change one persons pattern “leading him to the light”?

Because you can’t lead by just words! You have to lead by actions. You have to realize that it is up to the person to WANT TO CHANGE. You calling them names, will not change them. You can’t make a person stop drinking if they don’t make the first move themselves. You can’t change a person who lies to you straight to your face.

THEY HAVE TO WANT TO CHANGE!!

You also can’t make someone change if you tear them down without building them back up. I know a bunch of people who would rather beat me down, than lift me up.

So the next time you want to tear someone down, come to me first. I have a LOT of faults and I will admit them all.

I will defend my brothers and sisters in the world. I may never be rich, but the love, support and HUMANITY that I HAVE will make me the richest man alive.

Who wants to take the first shot?

Didn’t think so.

January 14, 2013