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You have probably read or seen video on the news of the events of the last few days in the Atlanta Metro area. Here is how it happened in my life. Tuesday started like any other day. I woke up at 5:30 AM and was on the road for my 42 mile commute just before 6. It was fairly cold, and I had dressed according. The National Weather Service had issued a Severe Winter Weather Watch for our area and a Severe Winter Weather Warning for areas South of Atlanta. When I checked things before I headed out on my commute, I noticed they had revised their forecasts to include snow further North including Atlanta. Around 11 AM I noticed light snow flakes falling outside my office window. At Noon, I went downstairs to the food court area for lunch and sat and watched it snow. It was cold enough that the snow was sticking on canopies on the outside face of the building and the wind was picking up. I remembered in 1986 when I had first moved to Atlanta from college that my coworkers told me about a wi

video link: http://youtu.be/x54Md1puim4 First the disclaimer. I am not calling any organization out directly, and I will not reveal where this happened so do not bother asking. K? Everywhere we turn these days we hear people talking about building community. Churches, fraternities, sororities, civic clubs, even subdivisions. Sometimes I wonder if we really know what it means. I attended a large meeting the other day. When the doors to the meeting room opened,  I was one of the first through the door. The door holder said to me, "How about going over to the other side of the room." I understood the request as people tend to plop down at the table closest to the door and late comers have to wiggle to the far side of the room to find an open table. So I graciously complied. People continued to file into the room filling tables passing by me and occasionally greeting me as they passed. After a few minutes,  I noticed that no one was sitting down at the table wh

I never really thought I would write on this topic, but for some reason it keeps bubbling up so I give. I owned and operated a computer consulting firm for several years in the 1990s. It literally was launched in the living room of our rural farmhouse and before all was said and done grew into a computer store with three employees. There were a lot of lessons learned through that experience. Yes, there are some people you will encounter that you cannot afford to have as customers. People that no matter what you do, you will never be able to please.  It is their problem not yours. Despite that issue, I continue to run into entrepreneurs who have no value for their customers - any of them. It reminds me of a friend who her and her husband operated an ice maker sales and service business and a story she shared. She walked into a local store and after a few minutes of browsing, a sales associate practically knocked her down in his haste. Her response? "Young man, you need to

With all of speeches and writings on global warming,  I did not think we would see this happen. Last winter was mild for the Atlanta metro area.  Mild enough in fact that our small raised garden bed was overcome with bugs. I am pretty sure they ate more green beans than we did. But nonetheless,  we woke up Tuesday morning to 6F in the "Sunny South" and a windchill of -11F. As I bundled up and prepared to begin my commute into the city, my mind went to those homeless souls that live under the overpasses and congregate outside Chick-fil-a in the city waiting for a cup of coffee. I often get caught up in my own problems and struggles and overlook how blessed I am.  I spent the night in a warm bed under a roof and sheltered from the howling wind. But many do not enjoy that luxury. Whether a product of their own bad decisions or misfortunate situations,  I do not believe that anyone deserves to sleep under a bridge in 6 degree weather. As I scanned the AJC headlines

Let me just go ahead and admit that I would rather have my fingernails ripped of with rusty tweezers than go grocery shopping. The wrestling in the parking lot,  the people parked on the fire lane clearly marked "no parking anytime", the congestion in the driveway, the crowded isles, someone pushing a buggy into your back while your trying to locate something on the shelf, it all gets to me. But I caved in and agreed to go to the grocery store the weekend before Christmas. What on earth came over me I am unsure. As we pulled in there were four cars in the fire lane snarling traffic as they tried to manuever around them and dodge the pedestrians. Please poke my eyes out with a pencil. We manage to secure a parking spot eight miles from the front door and head for the mouth of the beast. We enter and it begins. It is like demolition derby with shopping carts. I pity the defenseless shoppers who did not have the foresight to grab a buggy. I proceed down an isle an