1/14/07
The close of 2006, and fitting for me to close out the storytelling part of my sabbatical-- it won't be fair if I continue to have this much fun so if I do I promise not to write about it!!!!!!
First, any of you who did not click on that link included in update #2 are missing something, so please find 10 minutes and do that!! --
Second, now that the applause has died down from the "last update" news,
Let's Begin-
December can be a stress-filled month--- holiday's, family events, too many parties and usually too much food and drink-- and of course on Wall Street it usually is a time of reckoning--if your bosses like your work as much as you do, or if your firm can stretch to make YOU feel the way YOU want--- hopefully anyone receiving this has had the typical Wall Street outcome--not as much as we wanted but more than most of us dreamed in high school--
I am hopeful that whatever the results the holiday time has served you well and you have/are setting your goals/resolutions all aligned and well thought out-- DO IT-- it's a great exercise and why not spend some time on yourself and focus on what you want out of '07--so you have it written down and can remember when you're running ragged in February.
-- My wish is for the few of you who mentioned it to me to have the sabbatical of your own that you mentioned your ready for!!!!!! For the rest, it’s another year of pushing the ROCK up an even bigger hill--"how are we EVER going to be able to TOP 2006?”????? I don't know, but I've been repeating that question to old colleagues for many years--YOU find a way---
For the Update--
First and foremost, I want to make it clear that mentioning Pope Benedict in this update is not meant to minimize that event in my life or normalize that as another day during my sabbatical---to be clear, in the last three month's I've been with one of the worlds greatest basketball coaches (briefly, sweating, naked), I've met the richest man in the world, and I've heard one of the world's leaders in the war on global poverty sing, and a whole
bunch of other people seen etc---etc, etc,
To see the Pope, and to see people see the Pope, will be the highlight of
my sabbatical, second to none---Ok, so no misinterpretations because my words do not do this event justice---
Now--For my update
Hawaii--
Pearl harbor--Thursday, 12/7/06, the 65th anniversary-- My son, Matt and I get there at
5:45am but we're too late to get on the base, but we are in luck to be able to watch the 65th commemoration of the Japanese attack from across the harbor and on closed circuit-and see and hear the thank you’s to the men and women who fought that day and every day before and since-- there were approximately 400 survivors of the 1941 attack present,.--- you could tell who they were as they were very old and wore the commemorative cap w the name of the boat they were on that day---If you love history it was a great event to be at- If you love America it was the place to be that day!!!
Tom Brokaw, the Commemoration's keynote speaker, gave a tremendous speech. Quote of the speech for me was "you don't have to love the war, but you must always, ALWAYS, love the warrior"-- the most poignant words of the day. His speech has put him in the annals of one of our great historians in addition to him being a great broadcaster---the link to the video of his speech is below-
Friday--
Sunset beach--- Where the amount of body fat on surfers is not visible and 20-foot waves are--not with me in them, mind you--
Friday night--dinner Jim Moonier-- Morgan Stanley salesperson extraordinaire that now
resides w his family on Honolulu!!! Yes, you should really think about living here!!!!!!!
Saturday--12/9/06--U2 concert day-
If you read People magazine than you've seen all the hype about all the celeb's that were at the pool in Honolulu before the show that night. Suffice it to say that Cindy Crawford was easy to see and Kid Rock wasn't. Given everyone was distracted with the celeb setting, everyone missed the guy in glasses having lunch with his wife. So, I humbly re-introduced myself (I can't BELIEVE he doesn't remember me from that time in Seattle!!!) to Bill and Melinda Gates while no one was looking and asked Bill if he would be so gracious as to shake Matt's hand---YES -MATT--That's REALLY Bill Gates!!!! So, sorry Cindy, Kid Rock, Pierce Brosnan, David Spade, Laird Hamilton etc---meeting Bill was tops for our day.
OUR NIGHT--was awesome---great show by U2 shared w fellow Morgan Stanley vet Mike Meade and spouse, among the other 60,000 people. Pearl Jam kicked off and came back for the U2 encore, --Oh, and did I mention that it was a star-filled sky and 73 degrees at 9pm.
The rest of Hawaii was a blur except for the surfing lessons Matt and I took on Maui.
NEXT-
Christmas-
Rome---a great family trip to end an adventurous year!!!! Weather pleasant
food great--wine plentiful--history amazing--and the preservation of so much history owed to the great collectors of many ages, and of course, to the church.
When in Rome!!!!!
Taxi drivers can cite the buildings and basilica's and name the Pope or Ruler that built them---Pope Julius here (founded the Swiss Guard to protect himself), Constantine there--even one by Mussolini!!--The Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and the Coliseum get my "incredible awards", but it was all absolutely beautiful and yes, this was my first trip to Rome.
Roman writers-- the first history we have of Rome is of comedy, unlike the Greeks (tragedy, of course). So, in my comedic effort, I realize this will not stand the test of time that Plautus has--but I can always try.
At the hotel we realize we are sharing our floor w a security detail (armed, mind you)--The Thees Family in 2 rooms and the President of Togo the rest of the floor--nice enough to us, though, as we are as harmless as we look and have no Togo-ian political plans near term!!!---
And then, although the trip was great, the kids are ready to get home for new
years eve--- and we exit Rome and check in for the plane--or THOUGHT we
would--
On our flight out the seats we reserved were given away so I took pains to
make sure we had row 20, A-E and took the Newark Alitalia's name and
employee number as she confirmed the return seats--
Ok, so, no worries, right??? Prego, not quite.
As Paulo (the agent) explained, if you have a reserved seat on Continental, it means
they will hold your seat for you, but, ON "Alitalia", if you hold seats Row
20A-E for flight 644 to Newark from Rome on 12/31/06, and your last name
is Thees, and if 212 people in coach have shown up in front of you well
then you have NOTHING, NADA, un gots---------
So, Paulo tells me we have one alternative because this flight is full and
standing by w the other 25 standby's isn't a high probability trade---we
have to fly thru Milan and arrive 4 hours later--but he would upgrade the
family to business for the Milan-Newark flight!!!!! And, by the way,
stop by the Alitalia desk and get your compensation to make the
flights free for the inconvenience---
Well that is truly how 2006 was for me-and apparently for most who worked
on Wall Street, and for EVERYONE at Goldman Sachs--- I started the year on
a mission for e-trading rationalization, left my job and grabbed a sabbatical and it's been ridiculously, and alternatively, unexpectedly, turning out surprisingly GREAT!!!!!!
I have usually called it being in "the zone". But I'm not even near
zones--so, no telling what can happen--- AND IT DID!!!!!
The Pope
So we are going to the Papal audience on Wednesday!! 12/27/06
-- we get there an hour early, but most everyone else got there 2 hours
early, so disappointingly we get shoveled to the back area, and my wife
informs me they are going to close the curtains that separate the back
area from the rest of this mini-arena, which means my first and
potentially only visit in the presence of a Pope will be me in the room with
4000 other people, but I'll be watching from the very back on the TV
monitor's----
So we sit and wait-- and the Pope enter the same door we did, and, well, I’ve got it all on video but can’t figure out how to get that video into this email---
Words won’t do it justice—suffice it so say that the curtains do close, but that is so the people in the way back (that would be us) get to have a few minutes of saying hello and shaking the Pope’s hand over the barrier before he goes before the rest of the auditorium-
So, I was about 3 feet from the Pope for about 20 seconds w the video camera cranking, and the rest of the two hours the Pope was a blip on a stage, but with a nice flat screen view right in front of us. He spoke in Italian, Spanish, English, German, Polish, Latin, and one other language I didn’t catch. When I figure out how to “shutterfly” video you’ll be welcome to view it.
Like I said, 2006!!!!
Well, I remember the 2006 sabbatical part a lot better than I do the 2006 work part,
but they were all fun-- but clearly this will take a turn, at some point (soon, my wife hopes) and I will uncover or find that "next mountain"--or maybe I'll go back and play on one of the preceding mountains, although recreating forward is more my style--
But clearly work is ahead of me in some form!!! I think!??!!
But, given this, I know that work, life, and all will be awaiting me in
2007---
And what does that mean---and what have I learned during this time off????
Let me digress (Prego, if you please)--
Coach Scotty Glacken
----------
While in Rome I was saddened to learn that my Georgetown college football
head coach, Scotty Glacken---had passed away. I rarely played (but I did play, and yes, we did have a football team too!!!!), but my best times in the fall at college were catching Scotty Glacken's passes Monday through Friday before Saturday's game. I usually played the rabbit, the opposing team's key receiver running opposing team patterns, but unlike most college's my coach was a former Duke All-ACC quarterback and an NFL quarterback w the Broncos.-- so, in my years of college I never saw a quarterback on the field who threw the ball to his receiver's half as good as Scotty threw the ball to me!!!!! And I got to do that an hour a day almost every day, almost every fall week, for my college career. Scotty and his crew of coaches, especially Jay Calabrese for me, made a huge difference in my college experience, and therefore, my life. And they did it for next to nothing (no, G'Town didn't have TV contracts for football) and gave up their family, personal, and career time to do that for their players. They did it for the love of the game and the love they shared with their many players--pure.
I was thinking of Scotty and remembering how much fun it was
to be his receiver while visiting so many amazing churches in Rome.
A little more---
Unlike in the movie, I didn't have Scotty at "hello". When he found out I was going to take two pairs of cleats every year instead of the allotted one, and I happened to be slow instead of fast, it wasn't obvious to him how some slow kid from Toms River found his way on to Scotty's football team. But one day I snagged (caught) a pass in my facemask with no hands (my hands, along with my feet and the rest of my body were on the ground sliding in the mud-drenched practice field) to prove I never take my eye of the ball --This put me into one of his more favored camps. What did that mean??-- Well, if Scotty liked you and you made him smile he had a pretty simple way of showing his affection-- when you did something wrong he'd call you a "knucklehead" in his slightly southern drawl. Once I got my first "knucklehead" I knew it would be fun catching Scotty's passes. And it was.
While a very sad event, it was good to see the coaching staff and Scotty’s family celebrate his life at his funeral. Not surprisingly, I learned Scotty had just commenced a new chapter professionally as he recently become Chairman of the Yellow Ribbon Fund, the DC area charity that helps injured soldiers returning from war.
Thanks Coach.
And once again I'm reminded that TO BE SPECIAL, you have to be special to SOMEONE ELSE.
THE LAST UPDATE
So, for me, this will be my last update of this kind for the near
term-- -"you only get what you give"!!!!!!!!!
And although I certainly don't feel guilty for my recent few months, I feel I've been too blessed not to take some time of however long this
sabbatical will last and dedicate it to doing for others---- and, as you start 2007 w all your responsibilities, associations, and the like, think
back on '06 and ask yourself if you've done enough for others--I know haven't---so, I'd like to ask you to join me on this task for
January---different for me than you, but we can all do something, one thing, one time, in Jan '07-- take one hour a day, or one day a week, or
once a week, or once in January, 2007, and find a local cause, needy person, worthy endeavor that you can touch and feel and volunteer your
time there--DO IT--
So, I've postponed the job hunt till February at least ( I am taking calls, however!!!!!!!) And I know from experience that doing for others will be equally if not more rewarding--
I'm expecting January to be a great month too----
And then........well, normally I'd say who knows, but I do know......
Well, of course, Super Bowl XLI--
Peace
Tt
BROKAW speech video LINK:
http://www.khnl.com/global/video/popup/pop_player.asp?ClipID1=1110453&h1=Tom%20Brokaw%27s%20Speech%20at%20the%20Pearl%20Harbor%20Anniversary&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=1032700&LaunchPageAdTag=News&activePane=info&playerVersion=9&hostPageUrl=http%3A//www.khnl.com/Global/category.asp%3FC%3D89826&rnd=56601014
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