I am so happy that Scott is getting people on his vlog and we're all getting to hear their opinions.  I love hearing what the kids have to say and what they like/don't like etc. not just because it's interesting, but because lots of feedback will help me develop a better plan.  Some of the kids are really good about giving feedback as we go, but there are some who have a tough time speaking, especially if they're telling me something they don't like.  I have tried to make it clear from the beginning that a criticism of an action or inaction is not personal at all and is simply to make someone aware of  the action/inaction so it doesn't happen again but although they've all heard that message many times, not everyone has internalized it yet.  

Well, Chris Ott and Matt "The Hugger" Pasquinucci definitely do not suffer from an inability to speak up and I really appreciated watching their vlogs and their assessment of the project and the experience.  Chris is actually a late comer to the project, but he's an early morning person which is how I came to get to know him.  I'm an early bird as well and one day I showed up early at the warehouse to pick something up and was surprised to find him and a couple of other people already working.  I found out that's the norm so there's been more than a few days where I showed up in the morning and kept them talking instead of working.  Chris is funny in a very dry way, and he's great at saying stuff while keeping his facial expressions and tone completely neutral which makes it even funnier.  He's also the only kid who played a prank on me which I appreciated although if I had been moving at full speed when I grabbed my pocketbook that he glued/stapled to the desk, I would have taken an arm out.  Jokes aside, he's a very thoughtful person not only in a considerate sense but also meaning that he listens and thinks about things/the bigger picture which is helpful all the way around.  He and Matt share that trait and it comes through in their vlogs.  Chris jokes around more than Matt does in his vlog, but they're both very sincere and I hope readers will appreciate them as much as I do. 

Matt...The Hugger....I gave him that nickname a while ago, because he's very huggable and most days, he needs a hug and gives great hugs.  Matt's been around for a while, and he's another kid who makes it easy because he's so up front about his thoughts and feelings and has never shied away from sharing it all with me.  He's one of the kids I can talk to for hours exchanging ideas about anything and everything not just things related to this project. It is through him and kids like him that I have learned so much about what it's like to be a teenager these days and what they are faced with as they move through their high school years.   I hope and believe that information will allow me to better help my own kids when they get to high school which is just another reason I appreciate the kids' honesty and feedback so much.   What I can learn from the vlogs and videos aside, they’re entertaining to me.   It would be interesting to know if they're as interesting if you don't know the participants but to date, no random emails/comments from people who check out this site.  Feel free to comment anytime J

August 11, 2009

 

This project is a part of my 10 year plan which was written not long before starting out and is appropriately called everest.doc.  Admittedly, it’s pretty ambitious and as a result, I have asked a lot from all the kids on the project, more than anyone would expect of a group of high school kids. During the early months of the project (part 1) I tried to convey how I viewed the project and what I was asking them to do by equating it to climbing up an unexplored face of Mt. Everest.  Not only were we going up, we were going up uncharted territory and although I would make sure they were prepared, get them to base camp and be with them as we started out, ultimately I was asking each team to chart their own course up Mt. Everest with me being responsible for making sure nobody got so far off course that reaching the top became an impossibility or that they died.  It didn’t end there, because I also made it clear that I myself had never climbed Everest or any other mountain for that matter and that they just had to believe me when I said I knew I could do it and I knew I could get them to get up Mt. Everest as well.

I went a lot further with the Everest analogy, because it allowed me to explain that by definition of what we were doing, I had no way to know everything I needed to know until we went on the journey.  I also used it to try and explain how important it was for everyone to speak up as it was likely that others would see things I couldn’t but needed to be aware of.  I tried to get them to imagine being on Everest and not knowing which direction to take next and me picking one that leads to a giant crevasse that I can’t see but someone else does.  I said at best, nobody dies but it’s still a waste of time and energy that could be prevented by speaking up.  Getting everyone to speak up was probably the hardest part of part 1 and as a result, getting them to fully trust me was really the greatest obstacle during the first pass.  The problem with someone not trusting you is that they’re then likely to focus on the messenger instead of the message which makes giving/taking directions more difficult than it should be and can be.

I can understand why it took so long for everyone to become fully aware of all that I was asking them to do, because it is completely out of the norm and an awesome responsibility presented as an opportunity they’re not likely to get ever again.  So, it did take longer to get started than I anticipated, but that’s all behind us as is our first trip up Everest.  It was quite a while ago when I knew that each team made it up Mt. Everest and that although it wasn’t pretty, nobody died along the way.  I also knew then what I had to do differently the 2^nd time around and at the time, I didn’t think I’d be able to apply that knowledge until I got a whole new group of kids.  Back then I thought we weren’t that far off from being done which made trying to fix it pointless.  I wish I had known back then that the dates we were being given for construction ending were not only ridiculous but constant moving targets, because I would have known I had plenty of time to act on what I learned instead of always believing we were going to be done soon making it pointless to stop, fix and re-start.

It was necessary to end part 1 and to start over not just to acknowledge all the changes to the cast of characters and to recognize all those kids who have contributed but have gone/are leaving soon, but so that I can do this right and not limit their potential as I did the first time.  I am really excited about the kids who are on this pass of the project and about it being the 2^nd pass overall and it’s going to be a much better experience all the way around…even for those checking these pages.  Both teams are doing a lot of thinking/planning work while also working on getting this site up to date which you may be seeing for yourselves like I did last night.  And as long as Scott comes in regularly this week, I plan more vlogs instead of more writing because it’s much easier than writing it all downJ

August 7, 2009

 

I didn't write yesterday and instead, I was a guest on Scott & De's vlog along with Brian, Brittany, Chris and Macauley (the doctor) with a guest appearance by Matt "The Hugger" Pasquinucci.  I insisted that we all needed to just get on camera and talk about the project and what we do/don't like etc. so that everyone checking this site not only understands the project but gets a sense of the people on it.  It would be up and you’d be able to see it for yourselves but without sound, it really loses something.  Ugh.  Scott isn’t sure what happened but somehow there was no sound and too many people had gone by the time he realized something was wrong.  So, we’re going to try it again later on today and hopefully that vlog will go up tonight J

So, Scott and De….De was one of Energy’s first hires and was hired along with a bunch of other people and from day 1, she stood out and I’m not surprised that she’s the only left from that first wave of new hires.  I really liked her from the beginning.  She’s always smiling and she’s always working hard and she’s fun to be around so what’s not to like?!  De has been working on the furnishings since day 1 and has created some really great things for the homes which is why it’s really important that she, and others like her, are here for the contest when it happens.  Unfortunately, De and Scott are off to college soon and unlike some of the others who will be close enough to continue, they are going too far to continue working on a regular basis.  These are the kids who have really done all the work that was needed to be done, and I think it’s really important not only that they’re recognized for all their work, but that they’re here on the final day, because it couldn’t have happened without them. 

Her vlog partner in crime, Scott is also on the above list, and I enjoy seeing him as much as De.  Plus, Scott charmed me way back when he told me he actually reads this page and to date, I think he’s still the only one on the project who does.  What can I say? I’m not immune to flattery. He really impressed me recently as he decided that it was ridiculous that Energy’s pages weren’t up and/or updated enough and went about learning how to fix the stuff on our site.  A man after my own heart as it’s been things I’ve deemed stupid that have forced me to figure out how to fix them that have led to a lot of learning over the years.  Clearly, Scott is the kind of kid of who takes initiative and believes that he can even if he doesn’t know enough at the moment, and I’m sure he’ll do well in life as a result.  Actually, I’d bet most of the kids on this project will do well in life, and I would love to hear from them at regular intervals over the years to come to compare how they’re doing vs. people who didn’t participate in the project.

Anyway, we will be trying the vlog again today with whoever is there so that you can get a sense of who we are, what it’s like and what we’re doing in a very straightforward manner that doesn’t require reading J  Scott and De will also be filming guest vloggers today as De is going on vacation next week and someone has to co-host in her absence.  So, they’re going to try everyone out and I hope in doing so, you’ll get to meet more of the kids on their team before they also head off to college.  It should be fun, which is a big focus this week as we re-organize and re-group and get ready for part 2.

August 5, 2009

 

Well, it's been a while since a day that started as optimistically as yesterday turned out as planned and turned out as good as hoped to boot :)  Yesterday thing turned out even better than I expected.  It all started in the morning.  We (board members, head of each of the construction teams, architect and framing contractor) all met at Hamilton to synch up expectations, architectural plans and what was built/to be built as we did at Harristown on Monday.  In both cases, had we not done this, we would have wound up with homes that were not what the board members envisioned.  I personally didn’t have anything to do with their visions but I did ok what they came up with.) I also believe if they had been built to the current plans (for both homes, plans were in part, different from what was already built and in part, different from expectations) they would have been examples of really bad decisions that would likely have led to financial losses if sold. 

I can't really attribute fault to the plans not meeting expectations and believe it just shows our inexperience with visualizing the final product based on plans alone.  Enough was done at both homes that it no longer requires relying on the plans alone and enough for all of us to agree that the homes weren't quite right and not quite what we pictured in our heads.  Fortunately, that is no longer the case, and I'm happy to report that Scott already revised Harristown plans accordingly and is going back to the drawing board for Hamilton to give the kids what they wanted all along and what we thought we were getting in the first place.  I'm sure the neighbors won't be too excited to hear that since it'll add a little more time, but there is no way I could allow it the homes to be built as per the original plans as the business owner, and it would have been doing a disservice to the board members as the homes would not have been representative of their original vision. 

So, that was the ending to the morning which led to an afternoon of some downtime and reflection for me and a lot of hard work for the kids at Harristown, Hamilton and the warehouse.  I could sum it up with one picture of the inside of the warehouse which is now clean, organized and a place where people can actually be productive :)  I know that the kids are as excited as I am and all of us want to do it right this time.  My original plan was to have a couple of months off in between passes of the project so I could analyze the first pass to do it much better the 2nd time so having no time to do so at all really isn't ideal.  But, I also have a lot of the same kids continuing so we're not really starting from day one, and I have seen what they are capable of and I feel confident that all they have learned so far will make up for the lack of time in between passes.   Ultimately, I really just want everyone to have the opportunity to maximize their talents, to make the most out of being handed a business and to get credit for all they have done because all that they’re doing/have done is remarkable …and that’s an understatement if ever there was one J

August 4, 2009

Nothing like a good night's sleep and a sunny morning to start the day off right.  The last week was easily the worst of all the weeks as far as I'm concerned as the extent of the betrayal of so called friends has unfolded. It's also the first time I have really been angry.  The anger has passed as I have made peace with myself...ultimately, I am the one responsible for all of it so I was angry with myself for allowing it to happen and for trusting people I shouldn't have.  But, we now have cohesive Plan 187 (we ran out of letters a long time ago) which will allow the kids to maximize their talents in ways that just weren't possible on the first pass so once again, it's all for the best.  The doctor's take will give you some insight on that end.

Today is moving day, but we're not actually going anywhere, just re-organizing the warehouse, and if you've seen any video and paid attention to the background, you're probably thinking, that's way overdue!  Yesterday afternoon we had a big crew at the warehouse and I got to go on and on about all the things that need to change and that will change for the 2nd pass.  It goes beyond moving furniture and the physical organization of things as we need 2 complete sets of board members plus some new employees in addition to those who will continue on to the end.  The board members who remain really got the short end of the stick the last months as we did not replace those we lost because each time, we thought we were almost done according to the construction information we were given which led to not having enough time to hire someone new, get them up to speed and re-organize.  Well, as it turns out, there was enough time but only in hindsight until last week when we found out definitively that we have months to go.

Hiring new board members is not at all to say that the existing board members are not doing their jobs.  They are, but they're all doing more than one job which is not only ineffective in a business sense but unfair as they have been unable to fully focus on their area of expertise and interest.  Symbolically, everyone but the board members was fired yesterday and hiring for round 2 starts tomorrow.  I say symbolically because fact is that there are still many people working, but most are kids leaving for college soon who won't be a part 2 technically.  Everyone else has to get re-hired.  We need more board members and employees and this time around, all will have enough time to devote to their area of responsibility and to do it right.  Plus, I can teach them effectively this time so that everyone can make the most of all the opportunities and having the additional few months allow them to shine they way they can and should but haven't been able to due to my mistakes/lack of knowledge/info on the first pass.

July 31, 2009

A short recap of where we are and where we were supposed to be...

Basically, a week ago I decided that no matter what I was being told, I just couldn't believe the homes would be done in time for the contest that was supposed to be happening August 8 & 9, and I demanded that serious help was brought in.  It was only on Tuesday this week that I was finally told that that no matter who came to help, there was no way to get it all done by then.  That news came with the realization that a couple of the people I had trusted completely to take care of the construction end of things lied, took advantage and in a sense, sabotaged the success of the project.  I was shocked as not only was I paying them to do that work, but they called themselves friends to me AND the kids.  And so it goes...

As it turns out, although the best case scenario would have been to have the homes done and the contest on August 8 &9, where we are now is actually really good.  I realized not too long ago that the project was a success from the perspective that I knew for sure that I could in fact take a group of people who shouldn't be capable of running a business and getting them to do so with them in charge, defining and directing their businesses and without me ever telling them what to do specifically.  Unfortunately for the kids on this pass of the project, I didn't learn it all in time to allow them to do as well as they could have had the contest not been right around the corner.  Well, since the contest is now months away, I can make use of all the knowledge I gained in the last 8 months and give them a greater chance (and their charities) of actually making some money when they sell everything they have created.  I knew that the first pass of this project was my education and that until I had done it once, I couldn't possibly do it as well as it needs to be done.  The beauty of finding ourselves with months to go is that in some ways, it is the 2nd pass of the project so I can apply what I've learned and do right by the kids :)

The other thing I noticed just recently is that this project is FINALLY the way I envisioned it way back when so having months to go means that the kids on the project now are living how it was always supposed to be....challenging, fun, exciting, creative, always evolving AND productive.   It's not that the kids aren't ready to go. They are.  It's the homes that aren't done so their visions have not been fully executed yet.  This just allows them to create more and to get to all the details.  I guess the only real downside is that some of the original board members who had a lot to do with defining the business and getting their teams to this point are no longer around, BUT they will be here at the end along with everyone else who worked so hard and invested so much of themselves and their time in the last months.  Since everything is being re-0rganized on the construction end, I guess it's fitting that the same is happening with the teams, and on both ends, the re-organization is needed to reflect the reality we were only made aware of on Tuesday.  So as we move into what would have been the last week, we are re-grouping instead and we're also going to have some fun!  Next weekend, instead of a contest, we're having GRP Fun Time and instead of working on home renovations, furnishings and accessories, we're going white water rafting and/or to the trapeze (if I have it my way) among other things to get those who remain together and geared up for all the fun to come.  I hope to have lots of video up of everyone who is around as it'll make talking about them a whole lot easier :)

July 29, 2009

The good news is that I keep getting opportunity after opportunity to practice what I preach, and I'm now sure that at least some of the kids have fully learned the lesson and are applying it themselves.  I am once again referring to the lesson about how easy it is to be happy and successful by accepting reality and acting accordingly.  The only hard part is being sure that perception is in fact the same as reality, and it's that logic that makes me believe news is always good provided it's accurate and complete and wasn't a death blow.

So last Friday when I finally clued into the fact that there was no way we were going to pull off having the public opinion contest on August 8, I accepted that I needed to call in the cavalry to get it all done by then.  I assumed that since it was "bad" news that it was fact and so I did what I needed to do and up until yesterday morning shortly after I posted my entry on here, I believed it would still happen.  Monday I found out that the kids were debating going another week providing a little breathing room for all, and my note from yesterday about having egg on my face yet again because the date was changing was based on us adding one week not months.   I was at Harristown yesterday morning when I found out I really didn't have all the news meaning I had no clue what reality really was until that moment when I was told that no matter the size of the cavalry, it was going to take a miracle to get the work done in time for the kids to be ready for the contest. I don't believe in miracles.

I left Harristown soon after feeling like I just got handed the one problem I couldn't fix and drove home, ranting and raving all the way.  I walked into my house and I saw the painting I bought from the Salvation Army a few months ago that I "had" to have.  Understand I'm not much for stuff and it's not very often that I feel like I "have" to have something that's definitely not a necessity.  It just seemed like it was meant to be mine because at the time, the attacks were coming from all sides and the picture is of a bullfighter, body to body with a bull with nothing but a red cape in between.  I'm a bull by birth sign and although I don't live my life according to the stars, I do appear to have the traits common to a Taurus.  I love the picture not only because of the colors but what it means to me.  I told the kids about it and I said it represented me because just like a bull, you have to kill me to stop me.  Yesterday I thought someone finally did.

Actually, not so much me but the kids on the project and it was the momentary belief that there was no way for us to ever open up the homes to show everyone how amazing the kids truly are that made me feel like that was it.  Contrary to Nick's opinion in the first of the True Files, I am the only one who doesn’t lose if the contest doesn't happen/the kids never get their stage.  They do. I would do a lot better financially if I did this without this project and there'd definitely be less stress, but I'm doing this and not giving up because it's not fair to the kids.  They have worked their butts off and done so much, and they're all ready to go.  I failed them on the construction end, because it all ends with me.  Friday was the first time I had a construction related entry on my list of "mistakes I've made/things I'll do better/differently the next time" and now I have 2 with the 2nd making it to the very top of the list in big bold letters. 

Thankfully, I only stayed home for about 15 minutes and I had a few ideas to get around the latest problem by the time I saw Chris, Brittany and Nick at Hamilton a little while later.  I was just feeling awful because I knew I let the kids down and I had to tell them.  Well, nothing like having the kids come to the rescue.  I got them up to date and their responses put a smile on my face yet again and in the end, we wound up all knowing that it's all for the best.  So, as of right now I have no idea when the contest will be but it will be in the fall and likely on a long weekend when those who are leaving for college soon can come back and be there when the homes get opened up to the public FINALLY!  Hey, better late than never :)

It's much easier for Green Seed as none of the kids on that team graduated this past year so they're not leaving Glen Rock.  Energy, on the other hand, was all graduating seniors with the exception of 2 kids and on top of that, it's their house that is most behind.   Fortunately, Brittany, Brian and Chris are all going to school close enough to Glen Rock to make it possible for them to continue even once they start college.  Chris also thought it was a great opportunity to hire some new kids to introduce them to the project and I agree that that's another upside.  So, I look like an idiot but that's not such a big deal as I'll never make the same mistakes again and we're all a lot less stressed out.  The best news is that on the final day, they'll have the stage they created and deserve which will allow everyone to finally see just how truly remarkable and amazing all the kids are!!!  And so it continues…

July 28, 2009

I had planned to write yesterday, but the power was out when I got up and I had moved on to other things by the time it came back on.  I left the house pretty early and it was 11:00pm before I had the chance to write.  Believe it or not, I thought about it, but only because I had seen Danny's video and wanted to put it up on the site.  I loved the video, just like I love ALL the videos that have been created. Related, the other day I saw that Chris (Energy board member) had put a video over a month ago that I hadn't seen, and it has something in common with Danny's video in that both are kids from the project just being themselves. 

Chris's video is from Homelessness Awareness Night and has nothing to do with the project except that it shows a lot of the kids from the project outside of the project.  The video first made me laugh, because I had forgotten that Green Seed kids really had to suck it up as they were playing in front of Energy's banner!  I also remember that it seemed fair payment at the time though now I can't remember exactly what happened that made Green Seed deserve a little payback.  I think it had something to do with Green Seed managing to get someone from Energy to sell t-shirts for them.  Something like that anyway.  Beyond the laughter, I was feeling very sentimental as I watched both videos.  I guess because we're nearing the end of this first pass, they get me all choked up :)   

Danny's video is everyone being themselves at work...and if you watch long enough there is actually evidence that they work too ;)  I'm pretty sure that when they were rocking Matt's car, they weren't trying to achieve anything related to the project ;)  Fortunately, those moments are far outweighed by everyone working hard and I myself appreciate a little fun at work and even more so now that it's captured on film.  I do hope everyone checks it out and in the opening number, you can see some kids whose older brothers/sisters are now a part of the project.  Yes, we are going to have more siblings and the college crew I just added does indeed have a Flaherty (see May 8 entry if that makes no sense).  Matt (Energy), Danny (Green Seed) and now Sara are all a part of the project.  Green Seed already had 2 sets of siblings, Kristin and Nick Ivory and Terrance and Pat Ward.  Now Dom's sister and Terrance and Pat's brother are joining the craziness. (Dom, Terrance and Pat are all a part of the first 1:14 of Danny's video) as well as a few other kids without siblings on the project.  They don't have a house to do and are there to come up with their own stuff to sell, some of which Energy and/or Green Seed may buy in an effort to finish staging their homes.  One of them, Anthony, will also be helping on the construction end and will be working closely with Brian (Energy) and helping out Chris (head of construction Chris not one of kid Chris’s) and Glen/Glen Rock Construction to get it all done in time for the contest.

Yesterday was a great day mostly because it really ended on a very high note.  Those outside the project couldn't possibly know how crazy it's all been because there's a lot I didn't write about/wasn't captured on video.  It's all too much for here and yet when I finish the retrospective I'm sure that if I didn't tell someone that it was factual that they'd think I made it all up. Some of it is so out there that it's natural to think it's been made up, but that's why truth is stranger than fiction ;)  Anyway, the day was capped off around 4:30 with a last minute "party" at Harristown.  I just wanted to get everyone together to take a collective final deep breath before it all went to yet another level of craziness and to get the new crew introduced to everyone.  I heard from various people later last night and the mood was definitely upbeat with all of us excited about the time that remains and all that needs to be done!  Yes, there's a lot to be done and yes, my fingers are definitely crossed :)

Guess now would be a good a time as any to mention that the date of the contest may change one last time so perhaps I'll be able to uncross my toes later this morning.  As far as I'm concerned, this project has already proven successful so it could end today even if the homes aren't done, but that would completely unfair to the kids...especially to the Energy kids whose house is behind for many reasons that nobody could control.  The 5 board members who made it from start to finish (plus Nick who started later) deserve to have their homes done on the construction end so that everyone can really see what amazing things the kids came up with and I hope they get the additional week because it'll make a big difference.  Oh, and yes, we started with 13 board members back in November and then soon were down to 10 as it was supposed to be. Nick joined the project a month or so later and hasn’t stopped stepping up since.  We then lost a few more board members over the course of the project (as board members but they remained on the project) to other commitments/not enough time.  School let out and things changed again and although Energy didn't lose Julia and Steph, they have not been around much – a few hours here and there - again due to prior commitments/not enough time so we are now down to 6 board members. I had planned to write about them yesterday, but now it'll have to wait for another day as I best get to doing some work! 

I'll keep you posted and will let you know if I have egg on my face yet again ;)

July 22, 2009

I am usually up well before the sun, and I really enjoy the hours I have before the rest of the world comes to life, especially in the summer when I can sit outside as the sun comes up.  It occurred to me this morning that I'm about 6 months late with a written description of the homes and the work that's being done there.  I also know that although most people can easily understand the concepts behind the project, most of those same people can't fully accept that it's a bunch of high school kids who are in charge and behind all the work being done and that this is all THEIR vision.

The homes are similar in that they are both old colonials and both were in need of major updating with regards to insulation (neither home had any) and putting in new, energy efficient windows, appliances and heating/cooling systems.   Those things were going to be done to the homes no matter what else the teams chose to do, and I also presented them with 2 issues that needed to be addressed.  Beyond that, the teams decided the rest.  The first issue was that neither home made use of their great property and there wasn’t even access to the backyards from inside. The second issue was a bathroom issue for each of the homes.  Harristown had a bathroom on the first floor but it could only be accessed through the "useless room" (as it's called by all who saw the house last year but technically it was a bedroom with beautiful doors, nailed shut as they led to nothing but a 3 foot drop into dirt).  Hamilton was missing a first floor powder room completely though we later found out that there used to be one that had been removed to make room for a much bigger kitchen. 

Given that information, they then sat with Frank who had put all the information into AutoCAD and told him what they wanted to do.  He drew it up as they talked about it and ultimately they came up with their final plans for the homes.  Did I mention that I didn't plan for major construction when we started? Best laid plans and all that, because both teams are doing major construction.

So Energy (244 Hamilton) first, because Julia Nygren was the first person to respond to my flier and as a result, she got first dibs on picking the house for her team.  It all worked out because they picked Hamilton and Green Seed had hoped to get 299 Harristown which is how it worked out.  Hamilton was and will remain, the bigger house out of the two though it sits on a smaller lot. Starting out, it had a full, partly finished basement with a bathroom that was straight out of a horror movie.  The main floor had a living room, dining room and kitchen while the 2nd floor had 4 bedrooms and a full bathroom plus an unfinished walk-up attic, a great front porch and a 2 car garage (garages are mandatory in Glen Rock.)  When it's all done, it will have a much bigger, fully finished basement with egress windows (allowing it to technically be called a bedroom) with a full bath and a new staircase going up to the main floor which will have a revised living room, the same dining room, a brand new kitchen with a new layout, a mud room, powder room, family room plus access to the backyard.  The 2nd floor will now only have 3 bedrooms, a new staircase up to the attic, laundry, a new full bath and the 3rd floor attic will be the master suite (bedroom and full bath.)  The existing detached garage and driveway are going away and the new garage will be attached and will be on the other side of the house.

Green Seed's plan is somewhat similar in that they're also knocking down their existing, detached garage (which was already close to falling down), taking out their driveway and relocating both to the other side of the house.  Their house used to have a partially finished basement with stairs that led into the kitchen which was much smaller than the kitchen at Hamilton.  The main floor also had a living room, sitting room, dining room and the useless room and was also lacking a way to get to the backyard.  The 2nd floor was 3 bedrooms and the attic was also unfinished.  It will now have a much bigger, fully finished basement with egress windows, a full bath and new stairs leading to the main floor.  The main floor will have the same living room, dining room and sitting room but it will have a new, bigger kitchen, a new family room, mud room and a new layout for the useless room plus a bathroom that can be accessed through a hallway instead of through the useless room.  The main staircase to the 2nd floor is changing and although the 2nd floor will still only have 3 bedrooms, it will have a new bathroom plus laundry on the 2nd floor.  It was impossible to convert the walk-up attic in this house unless we assumed that only people less than 5' tall would live in the house so it will be insulated and finished off for storage instead.

I'm not sure how much the written description helps everyone "see" the homes before and after so the best thing would be if everyone came and saw the homes for themselves on August 8th and 9th :)

July 20, 2009

I spent a part of the past weekend fighting off a cold which is another way of saying, I was home being lazy for a lot of it.  I spent some time reading my journals from the last year and remembering all the details which I tend to forget quickly.  I only started writing in a journal last spring when I was spending most of my time just trying to figure out what to do with my life, but I filled 3 journals very quickly and am making my way through the 4th,  though at a much slower pace.  It's all that writing plus all the emails I send to the kids that's making writing on here more and more difficult as I have to keep checking what I said and where I said it/who I said it to so I don't repeat myself. 

The other reason writing on this page is becoming more difficult is because what's going through my head is the stuff that's really better suited to my journals.  We have less than 3 weeks to go and the construction crew and both teams are working their butts off to get it all done in time for the public opinion contest and for the sale of all that the kids have created.  It's almost as if my work here is done as they are all past the point where they need my help which means that my head is now focused on all that I have learned and what I'll do differently the next time.  It's the conclusions that I've reached that are better suited for my journals as all the conclusions come courtesy of all the employees on the project, and I wouldn't want anyone to take anything the wrong way. 

The reality is that anything that hasn't gone well is really my fault.  Mistakes were inevitable given that there were things I could only learn by doing and given my desire to just do it, for lack of a better expression.  I had the idea for the project last October, the fliers to get the kids to the website for the hiring information they needed were hung up in early November, the teams picked their homes right after Thanksgiving, and I closed on the last home mid-December.  So, things happened very quickly but I didn't see much point in waiting to think about it more, because the only way to come up with a foolproof plan was to get the information that could only be gathered along the way. 

I made all the board members write down their first impressions of anything related to the project when we first started, and I can't wait to hear their opinions post-project to see how different reality is/was from their original perceptions.  I had planned to have them write their lasting impressions once we were done and then I was going to hand them back their first impressions so they could see what they believed to be true when we first started.  I will still do that, but Julia Hotz has come up with the idea of a book along the lines of a yearbook with all the employees and all that they have learned.  I hope it can get done, because we'll all have that when the details are no longer clear. 

July 16, 2009

Since NJN was supposed to come yesterday to do a story on Green Seed/Harristown house, most of the kids from the team showed up at the house instead of at the warehouse leaving the warehouse free for Energy^2.  I'm sure they appreciated having additional free space at the warehouse as its hard enough to move given all the furniture/supplies that cover almost all of the floor space never mind all the people who are showing up day in and day out.  Despite quite a few people leaving the project because of other commitments, 48 kids are still working very hard every day to get everything done by August 8th, and within a week or two, they will all leave the warehouse and head back into their homes for the final push to get the homes ready for the public opinion contest.  

The homes themselves are looking really good and each of the teams did a great job coming up with the plans for their homes.  Both teams came up with home designs that required major construction and although that wasn't the original plan, it really made sense in the end.  The homes are similar (style, age, characteristics although Hamilton was/is bigger) and both had the same issues in that they were really old and needed complete overhauls/updating and both were lacking a connection to the great pieces of property they sit on.  Understand that in this part of the U.S., lots are measured in feet, not in acres so although the lots they sit on are huge by Glen Rock standards, it's all relative.  Point is that they both have great properties but neither home was taking advantage of all the outdoor living space.  All that has/will change, and I myself can't wait to see the final products!  I know almost NOTHING about the details for the homes and can't wait to see them evolve over the next weeks - or maybe I should just stay away and be as surprised as everyone else on the 8th.  I'm kidding! There's no way I could stay away from now until the 8th!

July 11, 2009

The homes will be open to the public 4 weeks from today....I can't believe it's 4 weeks from today, and I can't figure out if it’s good or bad – actually, nothing is all good or all bad so I guess this is no exception. I'm not sure if everyone realizes that we were originally supposed to be done by the middle of May.  It's just one of many things that didn't go as planned.  The real reason we are ending so late is simply because the original plan did not have major construction factored into it. I hope there'll be more pictures of the homes soon, because words can't do justice to the work that's being done/has been done already.  Overall, I think it's amazing that the homes will be done soon given all the additional work that nobody planned on doing and given that we've lost a lot of people recently because many had prior commitments they made not knowing the project would continue for this long.

We did lose quite a few people, but Green Seed has hired a whole new group of kids to replace those who have had to leave.  I can sum it up by saying, the underclassmen are taking over!  Joey and Mike are both new, and they are in the latest video (video page, "Getting Hired") which I hope everyone has seen, and if not, should see immediately J  I've watched it more than once, and I laugh every single time I watch it.  Ryan and Danny, Danny, Danny filmed it on Monday, and I was there, but I had to stay out of the way so only caught glimpses of what was going on.  I got the see the final product on Tuesday, and I'm really happy I had no idea what they were filming at the time, because it made watching it the first time that much more fun.  I think they all did a great job and I guess someone convinced Joey to come back, because he's now a part of team Green Seed J 

Green Seed also added another Jake who is going into his sophomore year, and like the other Jake from Green Seed, is extremely talented.  Maybe there's something in the water in Glen Rock, because it’s hard to believe that so many talented teenagers are all from one place.  I went to the high school graduation, and although I can't remember their names, two women who were on the podium at once got me thinking.  They were talking about the different grades in high school and what's good about each grade.  They compared being a sophomore to being the middle child, and I thought about it later, and I agree.  It was that combined with the knowledge gained courtesy of seeing it firsthand that the sophomores going into junior year and the freshmen going into sophomore year are all really talented and dedicated (and with more free time than juniors and seniors) that made me realize it should be sophomore class store not the senior class store. 

The seniors - now high school graduates - are just as talented as the underclassmen, but it's been harder for them to get everyone together and working as a team now that school is over.  Energy^2 only has 2 kids who did not graduate this year, and they've paid for that as many of the graduating seniors are already leaving Glen Rock and therefore, the project.  It's a shame that they won't all get to see the fruits of their labor, because as a group, they've done so much. I'm not sure who is left exactly, but I hope to find out sometime today.  I do know that there are a group of them working REALLY hard, because they're always at the warehouse along with all the Green Seed kids.  Yup, both teams are now working out of Broad Street.  Green Seed is nearing the point where they'll be able to get back into their homes, and Energy^2 won't be too far behind, but in the meantime, EVERYONE is working at Broad St., and it's a really fun place to be and the home of some really amazing kids who are creating really amazing home furnishings/accessories.  It's also been really nice to get to know some of the Energy kids better as it's been easier to do with both teams in one location and there A LOT! I'll have to write about some of them in detail, but I'll save that for another day when I'm down there and seeing them while I'm writing. 

It's weird, because I haven't actually done much project related work in the last few weeks, because the kids are completely in charge, and I've taken the opportunity to try and catch up on my life outside the project.  I've basically lived and breathed the project since last October when I came up with the idea, and it's gotten more and more life consuming, so to speak.  It's been great to be able to take a step back and just watch it happen.  They are all on their own, and now that they're out of school, they have stepped it up more than I thought possible.  Every time I go to the warehouse, there is more great stuff to look at and admire.  I guess from that perspective, I wish we had more time.  But, as the saying goes, all good things must end so like it or not, 4 weeks from tomorrow, this pass of the Green & Red Project will come to an end.  It doesn't mean it all ends, but the cast will be changing.

June 29, 2009

It’s been one hell of a week and the easiest way to sum up most of it is to say, the more things change, the more they stay the same!  It wasn’t just having to work around new problems that accounts for me not writing in a while, it was also graduation week!  Congratulations to the Glen Rock High School Class of 2009.  Basically, Energy^2 is all seniors with 2 exceptions so they were busy all of last week with things related to graduation and their last week as high school students.  Fortunately, the construction crew not only kept right on working, but we’re also getting more guys so as long as the rain stays away, there’ll be lots of changes daily J  And who knows, perhaps you’ll actually see some of those changes on the teams’ pages….I’m an optimist J

 

I did see some of the kids yesterday, first at a meeting at my house then at a graduation party for Class Salutatorian, Steph Polak so at least some of the kids know there’s a lot on the agenda in the month ahead and some of the details. I send a lot of emails to the kids with all the latest information, but most of them understand it better through verbal communication.  It’s just not easy to gather 60+ people for a meeting when most of the employees work as they wish vs. on a set schedule.   I wish I could report the new ending date, but as I didn’t come close to getting everyone to my house yesterday morning, as of now I know nothing except that it won’t be July 11 and 12 as originally planned.  As soon as I get the ending date from the kids, I’ll be able to plan all the other things we have to get done before the ending date as those things are driven by the ending date itself.  The road trip to Michigan is on the list of things affected by the date of the public opinion contest as we’ve decided that we’re going to hold off on the road trip until AFTER the, but it is only a question of when because we are definitely going.  We now just have more time to plan the trip and what we’re going to bring with us J

Somewhat unrelated meaning, it has nothing to do with the project itself though it has everything to do with teenagers, I wrote a letter to the editor of the Glen Rock Gazette and since many reading these pages do not have access to the Gazette, I figured I'd post it here.  The reason I'm posting it is because perhaps someone reading the letter has their own ideas about how to stop teen drinking/drug use and will send me some feedback :)

Letter to the editor: 

In response to Ms. Jean Baker-Wunder's letter to the editor asking for ideas to stop teen substance abuse, it is my belief that the only way to stop teen drinking/drug use is to ensure that every teen has at least 1 responsible adult in their lives who understands, accepts and forgives them as do their peers, meaning, 1 adult who is a true friend to them.   Ideally this role is filled by each parent, but it does not have to be a parent as long as it is someone who - like the teen's friends - truly understands them but who - unlike their friends - is also wanting, capable and willing to teach them exactly how to be happy and successful at achieving their goals and realizing their dreams and who always acting in their best interests.    The key is that role is filled so that someone is providing the teens with all they need to know so that the teenagers themselves always make decisions that lead to happiness and success.

Happiness and success are fundamentally simple in that all you have to do is accept and act on reality.  The reason teens do things that only truly hurt themselves is because they do not really know any better.  They do not fully understand that because their perceptions of the behaviors and consequences of the behavior are not in line with reality.  It is our job as parents and as people who are supposedly working to help them to make them aware of reality.  But how can you do that if they won't listen to you and don't trust that you're on their side?

You can try to set up rules and regulations in an effort to keep them safe.  You can also try to set up rules and regulations to prevent situations where they have to make decisions that affect their well being.  That approach relies on hope that they will always accept the rules and regulations and explanations for them (if any are provided) at face value.   This approach definitely works with some kids - at least as long as they're still living at home - but it does not work with all. 

My goal is not to prevent my kids from drinking in and of itself for that's easy to accomplish by always knowing where they are, who they are with and what they are doing.  I would go with the aforementioned if it did not create issues that I cannot resolve or avoid.  First and foremost, that approach fosters a feeling of mistrust and if my kids believe they cannot trust me, as they will since I am clearing showing that I do not trust them , then they will not come to me with the difficulties and challenges they face growing up.  So who will they go to for advice and how are they to make good decisions if their only information comes from their friends who know just as little in the grand scheme?

Secondly, preventing/forcing behavior by specifically telling a teen what not to do/what to do does nothing to help the teen become a good decision maker.  How is that helpful when they leave home and start making decisions on their own?  If we don't teach them HOW to make good decisions, there's a good chance they'll suffer the many consequences that come with making decisions that go against your own best interests and that lead to finding yourself someplace you had no intention of going. 

Lastly, it does nothing to stop those teens who have nobody who understands them unless by some miracle they realize that drinking and drug use only hurts the user.  The teens who are most at risk are the very same ones who find a way around the rules.  I was a prime example of that when I was a teenager, and as result, I hurt myself more than most.  I did it all while appearing to not only accept all the rules but embracing them/agreeing with them.  I was too scared to trust any adult with the truth about me and how I felt and too scared to rebel outright.  I got good grades, I played sports, I was polite, I didn't get in trouble at school and I always made it home by curfew.  The trouble only began once I was home and my parents believed I was safe and sound in my bed allowing my mom to finally fall asleep.  My dad was already asleep as he knew my mom was keeping watch.  It was always what I did when nobody was looking that caused me the greatest harm.  So, in high school, I got home on time, washed my face and brushed my teeth, went into my room, closed the door, allowed for time to get "changed", turned off the lights and climbed out my window to go out until I decided it was time for me to go home.

Where there is a will, there's a way - especially when you're a SMART teenager like the teens in this town.
-End letter to the editor-

June 21, 2009

Coming soon....."The Green & Red Project Road Trip".  Our final destination is in Michigan where we're going to drop off some donations, but we will be making stops along the way to help a few other charities in need.  Yes, that's written on the update page as well, but it's worth saying twice :) Basically, we are going to head out to Michigan where there are lots of people in need who we can help.   It's a last minute kind of a thing as many things on this project tend to be, and typically, the last minute stuff is my way to get around a problem or a way to make things win/win.  This trip is both :)  I'll have more details for you as we get them and in the meantime, if there are any charities between Glen Rock, NJ and Mt. Clements, MI who would like to get a visit from us, send me an email with your charity name and a reason why we should pick your charity over another in any way you choose (meaning, it can be an email or a video or a link to a site or anything else that may sway us to pick one over another) :) 

What I can tell you about the trip is that we'll be on the road within a couple of weeks for roughly a week (work week) :O

June 17, 2009

It’s a good thing I’ve finally learned how easy it is to be happy, because otherwise I’d have fixed Energy^2’s web pages myself which is so not the point. J  Happiness is simple.  All you have to do is accept and act on reality.  I think the problem many people have is that they simply cannot or will not accept the facts and continue to act on their perceptions instead.  Or, they beat their head against the wall attempting to achieve unrealistic goals. I have plenty of experience to draw from as I have spent most of my life doing both.  Fortunately, it seems I have a steel plated skull, because although I’ve beaten my head against many a wall and chased many unrealistic goals, my head never cracked open.  Perhaps doing so is what finally knocked some sense into me, because I no longer waste time trying to achieve unrealistic goals or wishing for realities that could only come true in the dreams I have while I am sleeping.  So, I have just accepted that no matter how many times I ask about their website, I cannot get Energy to fix their web pages or to at least put their old pages back up on the site until the new stuff is truly ready to go. I also know that despite the fact that it hurts the project overall, the whole point is for them to run their business.  I sent one last reminder to them this morning (my Hail Mary), and I hope they’ll get it done today, but I am no longer worrying about it and no longer going to waste my time hounding them to get it done. 

The kids on the project know me well, and they know that when I criticize their actions/inactions, it’s not personal at all.  It is merely me attempting to make them aware of reality so that they can act accordingly.  I’d like to believe that’s a lesson most of them have really learned and that they don’t take my criticisms personally anymore.  The reason for saying all that is that for those people who don’t know me, my writing may come across as something other than happy, and if that is the case, please change your perception and know that everything I write is written with love.  I love everyone on this project and all the wonderful people I have met as a result of starting this last November.  Yes, it is also very stressful since I can’t get in touch with the person who could make the day longer.  And yes, things go wrong all the time and not according to plan, but it is so much fun, and it brings me endless joy.  The only people who make me even more joyful are my two amazing kids who I am lucky enough to have with me at work on the days they are with me. (I’m divorced, and their dad and I share custody.)

 

It’s disheartening to hear that there are people out there who think that I’m dong something bad and that people could read my words and think that I am unhappy or angry, because nothing could be further from the truth.  Fortunately, I know that the good far outweigh the bad just as the benefits of this project have outweighed the costs for me personally (having nothing to do with money.)  Perhaps after reading this, those outside of the project can understand why I am so grateful to the kids on this project.  It is only because of them and what I HAD to teach them (without telling them WHAT to do) that I was able to find the last few pieces of the puzzle I’ve been working on most of my life and am now ABLE to teach them so much more than just business.  Well, that’s my hope anyway, because if I can teach them all the things I only learned in my 40’s then they’ll all be successful at achieving their own dreams much sooner than me J

 

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming….the kids….see them for yourselves on the Local Neighborhood Journal on channel 78 (or 118) for Cablevision customers in our neck of the woods J  Dave Barash from Cablevision did an amazing job.  I love that so many people on the project got the opportunity to be heard and that there is lots of candid footage of everyone just doing what they do.  I finally saw it last night, and it made me happy to see all the kids and to hear what they had to say. The one thing that stood out was that almost all of them used the expression, win/win, which is another way of saying, “Give to get” which, in my opinion, is the one way you can never go wrong. Dave is sending some copies of the DVD, but I haven’t yet asked if I can put it up here or if that’s breaking some kind of law so if you see it here at some point, it’s not against any laws J

 

So, I should mention that there is no way we’re going to be done by mid-July as stated more than once on the update page.  It was realistic not too long ago, but between the weather and problems with the plans, we are now behind.  It doesn’t stress me out at all and I keep reminding everyone that we’re not saving the world so if it takes a little longer, so what?  And as nothing is all good or all bad, the upside for the kids on the project is that everyone has summer jobs and they have longer to generate profits for themselves and their favorite charities.  The upside for those living close enough to be able to see what the kids have created in person is that they’ll not only see some amazing work, but they’ll be able to buy some really cool stuff at affordable prices J  I would be happy to tell everyone what the final date is, but I have no idea although I’d be inclined to say that if you have vacation plans in July, you won’t miss out ;)  I’m waiting for the kids to make a decision and will put it on the update page as soon as I know.

 

I have realized that I have more to do than I have time to do it in, and the good news is that in September, the other me aka Jen and I will be working together (along with a slew of other big kids.)  She would start now, but she’s expecting her 2^nd daughter in July so I figured I could limp along without her until then.  I was wrong (again), but since I can’t get Jen right now, I had to steal one of the Energy kids.  I know, not very nice of me, but I need her J  I’m happy to report that Ms. Shir Michael is now my personal partner in crime (not literally, of course).  I already wrote about her briefly and said she’d need her own entry….I think I’ll save that entry for a little later after she and I have had some fun working on our secret projects J

June 12, 2009

It was a Friday 11 years ago today as well and the only real difference is that it was rainy and cloudier for more of the day, and I was pregnant.  My positively amazing daughter, Emily was born on Saturday, June 13, 1998.  I remember how I was feeling 11 years ago today.  I was nervous and excited and scared and curious and above all, I knew that how I felt really didn't matter, because I was about to become a mom.  I also knew it was never going to be the same again, and I had proof of that the following night when I was alone with my daughter for the very first time - in my hospital room which I had to myself because there was only one other woman in the maternity ward.  I have never felt so much love for anyone, and it continues to grow each day.  My son, Will, who was born not quite 18 months later on November 4, 1999 is no less spectacular, and it is my first moment alone with him (this time with a roommate who I was happy to have around) when I realized what people meant when they said there's something special about a mother and a son.  Sorry, I got off track...the real reason for the post today instead of tomorrow (I am going to be busy celebrating my daughter's birthday with her, my son and some really great friends) is to say that it's the same today, 11 years later.  I am nervous and excited and curious.  I also believe that things will never be the same again and that I am very soon going to get proof of that as well :) :) :)  Oh, and the only other real difference is that this time around, I'm not even remotely scared :) :) :)

June 9, 2009

So much to say, so little time ;)  I realize that a lot of what I write about is not specifically about the kids, but it's really all about the kids in the end.  I have learned that if people do not trust the messenger, they probably won't be able to hear and objectively evaluate the message.  In this case, the message I'm trying to get out is that there's an amazing group of kids (currently 52 kids and at least 3 more W4's on the way) doing something remarkable.  You'd think it would be easy to get the word out about that, right? I did.  Actually, that's the single biggest thing I assumed incorrectly at the outset, and had I known the local (Glen Rock Gazette) paper would refuse to print anything about the kids and the project (despite being owned by the same group that owns The Record which printed an article about the kids) and that most (not all) of the people in charge in town and at the high school as well as our congressman who has a local office on Harristown Rd. wouldn't want to find out more when presented with the opportunities to learn more, I likely would not have started the project here.  The beauty of this project is that it's portable though so if it isn't welcome here, I'm sure it will be welcome someplace else :)  But, right now, all I care about is the kids in this town - including my own - and I am so excited by all that they're doing and all we have in store for everyone. 

The reason for writing so much about me/what I think/believe is so that if any who hear about this project and read my take on the kids have a  perception of me that is different than reality, they can inform themselves and see me as I actually am.  It's the only way people can evaluate this unorthodox approach I've taken to help myself and this town by creating jobs while also providing additional education to the students who live in town.  The best part is that it basically pays for itself.  Actually, the best part is that every day is bring your kids to work day for me :)  But, back to it basically paying for itself...obviously, I make less money than I otherwise would via the home renovations by involving the kids (add'l expense related to extended time to get work done, payroll/payroll expenses for kids' time spent on project itself, cost of education/materials related to project itself, add'l expense for any bad decisions kids make, workman's comp insurance, legal advice and the financial bonus for winning the public opinion contest), but I'm still making enough money to provide for my own family and frankly, I'm happy to invest in real estate and be able to determine the success of my investments.  The piece of their business that deals with staging the home with refurbished, re-purposed or made with their own two hands furniture and home accessories (and add'l items they can think to make and sell) pays for itself assuming people buy all the things the kids have created.  I have no doubt they will, because the stuff they're doing is not only beautiful but affordable (and often, practical) as well.  The reality is that adding this project to my original plan to renovate/flip homes as a way to make a living is worth every penny and a whole lot more, because I have gotten way more than it has cost me.

It was an amazing weekend, and while I was writing, the kids (and big kids) were working their butts off.  I know that because I saw all the results for myself yesterday.   Somewhat related and also related to me trying to teach and show the kids that opportunity is everywhere, I had the most interesting conversation on Sunday.  My phone rang and it was yet again the 800 service that has been calling me non-stop for weeks.  I thought I had solved the problem when I finally broke down and answered a few weeks earlier and gave money for United States Veterans (near and dear to my heart), but no, the phone kept right on ringing.  So I once again picked up, and I started talking before the person on the other line could even say hello.  I don't remember the details but something along the lines of, "I really don't mean to be rude or disrespectful, and I know you're just doing your job, but my phone just keeps ringing, and I have given all I can give and I'm spending my money on a crazy project I came up with that's taking up most of my time, and more than anything right now, I just want the phone to stop ringing so could you please take me off whatever list you have me on so that I don't get anymore calls?"  Something like that.  I can't remember what else I/she said that led to her saying, "It's my first day on the job.", but  that statement made me immediately apologize and then say, "On the bright side, at least I'm being nice about it."  She laughed.  It led to a really great conversation with someone I know is definitely like-minded, and I only wish she (Beth) didn't live in Michigan.  That said, Beth called and left a message last night, and I haven't yet talked to her as she is at work, but I am really looking forward to calling her back, because part of her message was, "I have some really great ideas to help you."  I have no doubt :)

Speaking of amazing females....I have to write about Julia Hotz.  I don't know, maybe it's something about the name, because Julia Hotz, like Julia Nygren (see entry 6/7/09) is a ray of sunshine.  I can remember exactly where she was the first day I met her, how she reacted and how I felt...she was working in the kitchen at Harristown, and as soon as I walked in, she had a gigantic smile on her face and immediately said hi.  Same as with the other Julia, I immediately liked her.  I was also really relieved to see her, because she was the first girl on Green Seed's team, and I remember thinking, "FINALLY. A GIRL. THANK YOU!"  I had really been feeling rather outnumbered up until then every time I was at Green Seed's house (all male board members) plus it was back in the days when they were all still too something to speak up.  Julia spoke up from day one and she had great ideas from day one.  I think she's brilliant, and I mean that sincerely, because it's obvious in her ideas and thinking.  She has been really busy the last few weeks with other commitments but now has more free time, and I can't wait to sit with her and talk more about all the ideas she has.  I'm sure you'll see a lot from Julia personally and be just as impressed as I am.  I also hope you'll see her (and everyone) in more videos, because you just can't help but smile and be happy when you see them just being themselves.

June 7, 2009

It’s a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and the perfect time to tell you more about some of the kids.  I had actually wanted to write about some of them last Sunday but somehow never got to it.  Last Saturday was my daughter, Emily’s final dance recital as a Byrd School elementary student, and as she and my son, Will have been spending a lot of time with the kids, I decided to have a BBQ before the recital for all the people on the project.  I also invited some of the kids to the actual dance recital.  It was, as usual, a last-minute kind of a thing and I thought that an elementary school dance recital on a Saturday night was not likely to be the first choice for most teenagers.  A lot of kids made it to the BBQ even if only to show up in between other commitments to show their support, and I had a crew of “cool” kids (my kids love the teenagers and think they’re really cool) sitting with Will and me.  It would have been awesome just by virtue of getting to watch my beautiful daughter dance, but it was even better because in addition to her dad, 4 grandparents and Will, she had Frank, Ryan, Lucca, Katie, Mike, and Amanda in the audience as well.

 

About the kids at the recital...Ryan...Ryan is a great kid and I’m not even remotely surprised that his parents, who I’ve also had the pleasure of getting to know a bit, turned out to be just as great.  He’s been on this project from the start and he’s a board member whose primary focus is all things video and photography.  I really don’t know much about making a video or really how to judge a good video vs. a bad video, but I know what I like and I know I love Ryan’s videos.  He also created the business cards that I’ve been handing out like candy, and his creativity shows in everything he does.  He’s so talented, and he’s so bright.  He’s one of the kids who always seemed to understand exactly what I was saying and how to apply it.  I actually got to know Ryan a lot better Saturday night after the dance recital when the only people left were Frank, Brian, Shir, Ryan and me and my kids were in bed.  I wish I could share the story that Ryan told about himself, but there is no way I can do it justice with words…it’s another one of those moments that you’d have to see to appreciate, but I can tell you that it made me think that I’d be thrilled if my kids turned out to be a lot like Ryan when they get to be his age.

 

Shir…I may need a single entry just for Shir Michael.  I love her and not just because she forgave me for making her a boy and getting her name, pay check and party invitation wrong. She’s definitely a girl after my own heart and I am amazed by how someone so young can be so wise and confident, because I was nowhere near there at the same age.  Guess I really shouldn’t be that surprised though given that my just about to be 11 yr. old daughter is pretty wise and confident herself.  Shir is not a board member so I haven’t known her as long as that group of kids, but she won my heart on day one by speaking up and by being a wise ass.  I have no doubt you’ll be hearing more from Shir herself J

 

Lucca…Chris Lucca to be specific aka the person who is drawing my next tattoo, and a kid I have a definite soft spot for from team Green Seed.  He is incredibly artistic and I love that Emily and Will are spending time with him and watching him as he creates all sorts of things.  I don’t have an artistic bone in my body unfortunately so it’s hard for me to lead the way for my kids in that department, and I’m happy that they have someone like Lucca who they can learn from.  I really appreciate Lucca, not just for his artistic talents but his honesty and his willingness to talk to me about anything.  He’s sharp, and I noticed that the first day I met him when we were all sitting around strategizing.  He caught on immediately, and he also contributed immediately.  You can see his work on the latest Green Seed t-shirt as well as on the truck and later on when we open up the homes for everyone to see what they’ve all created.

 

Katie….Katie, like Lucca is another Green Seed, non-board member with amazing artistic and creative talents who is sharing her knowledge with my kids.  I remember the first day when Green Seed was working out of Lincoln Ave. and Emily met Katie.  I didn’t see much of Em that afternoon, and when I found her working upstairs with Katie, she was almost done with her first painting.  It’s a really cool painting by the way, and it’ll also be on display.  The first thing Katie made is something I may have to keep for myself, because it’s something cheerful for the back-yard that would put a smile on my face every time I see it as it does now.  Katie is a quiet kid, the way I was in high school so I haven’t gotten to know her really well yet, but what I know, I like a lot. 

 

Mike Vest….He’s doing anything and everything for Green Seed but will be focusing on landscaping shortly.  Mike sat next to me at the dance recital, and I noticed he shares my inability to sit still.  He’s got the coolest Mohawk I have ever seen and he wears it with total confidence which I find impressive.  I’ve told the kids that outwardly, I was a lot like Matt Howard (obviously except the boy thing) meaning, I was quiet, and getting me to open up about anything was like pulling teeth but my feelings were always written all over my face.  I’ll definitely get to Matt – another one on the list of people I am lucky to have gotten to know, but not today.  So outwardly more like Matt, but on the inside, I think I was a whole lot more Mike but without the confidence.  I know that some adults see a kid with a Mohawk and immediately stereotype the person negatively based on their hair alone.  I actually like it, and I guess in some ways I stereotyped Mike as well, but in a positive light.  I have a lot of respect for kids who quite obviously differentiate themselves via their appearance from their peers.  I hope that my kids will be as strong, independent and confident and as willing to show off how truly unique and special they are.  We all are, but some are just too scared to show it. I want them to be independent and to think for themselves, like Mike does.  I doubt I’m much different than most parents in that I want my kids to live their dreams, not mine and not their friends’ dreams etc. I’m only here to help them figure out what they really want if they can’t figure it out on their own and to teach them how exactly to go about achieving any realistic goal they set for themselves.

 

In Mike’s case, his Mohawk is simply because he likes it.  I have had my own version of a Mohawk since about Mike’s age and yes, I do like it, but that’s not the only reason I do it.  I have smoked pretty much my entire life except for 2 pregnancies, an almost 2 yr. stint with a guy I was willing to not smoke around because he hated it and a few weeks sometime in the last months.  I have also been an athlete my entire life and still am.  I even ran the NYC marathon many years ago and I smoked a cigarette right before the start and right after I finished (3:59 and change).  The bigger reason for smoking has nothing to do with my addiction to nicotine and is not because I have a death wish or that I am unaware that it’s killing me.  It’s simply a very effective way to weed out those who judge without knowing all the facts.  Coincidentally, this afternoon I went skating along the really cool path that connects Glen Rock and a bunch of other towns.  It’s one of my favorite things to do, and I prefer to do it alone with my music drowning out any outside noise.  I love to just put my head down and skate fast and enjoy the music and the ride.  A few years ago, I met someone at the park and he wanted to skate with me, because he didn’t like to skate alone and because I was also fast and could keep up.  I had to tell him no, because as I said, I prefer to do it alone while listening to music.  I see him every so often and just wave as we skate by each other, but today, I ran into him because we had both slowed down to check out the rocket that someone launched.  I wound up skating with him after the excitement died down and the first things he asked is if I was still smoking.  I told him that yes, I am again after quitting for a bit.  He said, “You should quit. Just don’t buy them.” I told him that I was well aware that I should quit and that I know the dangers of smoking.  I also told him that there were reasons I smoked in addition to being addicted and that as someone who isn’t a smoker, he had no idea what’s involved with quitting.  I said if anything, he should show some sympathy towards someone who, despite knowing the dangers of smoking is doing it anyway instead of talking to me as if I had just emerged from a time capsule from 1950 and had no idea that smoking is bad. He didn’t let it go so I skated away and turned my music back on.  That’s not to say that’s why everyone who smokes, smokes.  That’s just my reason. I thought I could conquer it by getting a tattoo which draws out the judgmental attitudes quite effectively as well, but unfortunately, not everyone can always see the tattoo.  I then thought that this project would allow me to quit, because I figured that even if people didn’t know anything about me, they’d fill in the blanks in a positive light if they knew of the project.  I figured wrong about that as well so back to the drawing board I go ;)

 

Sorry, got sidetracked…something the kids know a lot about J Green Seed was all boys for very long, and it’s a good thing that’s no longer the case, because they needed some balance.  There are definitely noticeable differences between the boys and girls on this project, and like with my kids, some days I think, “Boys are so much easier.” and on others I think, “Girls are so much easier.”  I’m really happy that Amanda is on board. She’s a really quiet, sweet sophomore who is in charge of the interior design of the house.  What I really love about her besides her creativity is her ability to hold her own and to not take any crap from the boys.  She does it in her own sweet and quiet way, but she never fails to speak up. She’s also one of the kids who speaks up with me as well and never hesitates to share an opinion or ask a question, and I love that and really appreciate that about her. It’s really no surprise she’s Danny, Danny, Danny’s girlfriend J

 

Well, the entry is super long anyway, and although Julia (Board Member/Project Manager for Energy^2) was away last weekend and not at the BBQ or dance recital, I’ve wanted to write about her for a while. Very simply, Julia is a ray of sunshine. She was the very first person to respond to the flyers with an actual application.  Most probably don’t know that the application for a board member position was simply them telling me who they are in any way they wanted and what it was about the project specifically that appealed to them.  It could have been an essay, a video, a poster board, a picture or anything else they choose to provide that information. Julia did that application (an essay) the same way she does everything else…thoroughly, sincerely and earnestly.  I remember reading it and thinking that I couldn’t wait to meet her.  I had no idea what to expect at all and I know she felt the same way.  I made them all write down their first impressions not too long after we got started and I thought they had a sense of what was expected of them.  Julia went all out on that as well, and I loved reading it.  It was such an honest account of our first meeting.  I definitely was not what she expected, and she was even more than I had expected.  The kids didn’t know it then, and won’t know it until we’re almost done unless they read this but I want them to write down their post-project impressions as well.  I definitely want to know what they think after the fact, and I also want to return their first impression summaries so they can compare their perceptions of what they thought to be true then and their impressions of the other people on the project they didn’t know to the reality they now know.  I know that Julia’s first impressions/post-impressions is likely to be the most revealing as she is the one who took the most time to write it all down, and she’ll have the benefit of being able to really compare because she doesn’t have to work off memory alone.  In retrospect, I should have pushed them harder to write down more…I’ll add it to the list of “Things I will do better/differently the next time” J

 

There are obviously a lot more kids than that, but I can only write so much down at once and need to do some other work too J

June 4, 2009 (My first entry from our office J )

I spoke too soon (May 28 entry)....There are lots of reasons why this site hasn’t gotten updated as much as it should have but none are related to anyone being lazy.  It has just been unorganized chaos the last few weeks, and I definitely did not see – or have any way to predict all the hurdles that have gotten thrown in the way.  I do believe updating this site is important, but it was more important to get Green Seed back together as a team, make everyone aware of all the opportunities available to them and to make the final decisions about the last month and a half of the first pass of the Green & Red Project.  I can now say, “Mission Accomplished!” J It’s really my fault that it took this long.  It’s like I’ve been sitting stuck in the mud, spinning my wheels for weeks before finally realizing the obvious solution that was there all along …a bunch of 2x4’s in the backseat and 4 really strong guys on speed dial if that didn’t do it…meaning, I wasted time I definitely did not need to and frustrated myself in the process.  What can I say? Sometimes I miss the obvious.

 Related to all of that, I have been saying to the kids from the beginning, FILM all of this.  This would have been the most interesting reality show ever, because if nothing else, it has certainly been interesting.  The last 3-4 weeks have been especially hectic and that’s one of the problems with this blog…a lot happens EVERY day and EVERY day is some combination of crazy, happy, fun, exciting, frustrating, and I can’t keep up just by writing.  Plus, I would love to have a record of all of it so I can do the post-game analysis and review the play by play to see where I went wrong, because the execution of my ideas related to this project is/has been nowhere near perfect.  Not even close.   But, I knew that it wasn’t going to be before we started and made that clear to everyone up front.  How could I have a perfect plan when all the information I needed to develop the perfect plan was only all available along the journey itself?  I couldn’t, so they had to trust me when I told them that even though I had no real clue about how we were going to pull this off that I could figure it out as I needed to in order for them to succeed.   They did trust me.  And I did figure it out, but boy could I have done it a whole lot better/smarter.  That’s what makes this first pass so unique….there has been no way to predict so much of what has happened, and it’s the unpredictability itself that makes this group so lucky.  It’s their reward (in addition to the obvious financial rewards) for being my guinea pigs (for lack of a better way to put it.)

Last night is when it all came together again so obviously it was a good night, and that’s what makes what happened so funny and perfect for camera.  Since the moment has passed, I can only tell the story.  Yesterday afternoon I spent hours thinking about what to say to everyone.  I knew how to fix it but not exactly what to say.  I left home with it all figured out and then showed up 5 minutes later at our office/warehouse aka “store”  (I use the term loosely because it’s not a store and will not be a complete store with the 1^st GRP  group of kids) and decided to not say any of what I had thought to say.  So, I walked into the office and there were Matt, Nick and Drew from Green Seed and Chris and Brian from Energy and a whole bunch of other kids working but not in the office.  I told them I had planned to say a lot but that I had changed my mind and then I wound up saying everything in the end anyway.  And at one point, I closed the door to the warehouse because I realized I only needed them to hear all that I had to say.  Then I burst into tears unexpectedly – unexpected for me and them – and I took a few steps toward the door and mumbled something about being right back when I regained my composure. I walked back to where I had been standing and let them know I was fine and I wasn’t even upset, it was just all a little overwhelming.  I soon burst into tears again, and I knew I was fine and that I just needed to take a couple of breaths so I put my head down until I could continue instead of walking out and wasting time.  A few hours later, I imagined what that moment must have looked like from the outside looking in…1 sophomore, 2 juniors, 2 seniors – all boys and a 42 yr. old grown woman in tears.  Can you imagine their faces as they looked at each like deer caught in the headlights when I put my head down? I’m sure every one of them looked at each other and communicated in some way, holy crap, I don’t know what to do!  I called a couple of them later to point out the humor in it if they hadn’t yet seen it for themselves, and I got confirmation that yeah, it pretty much went the way I imagined it later. 

Well, Optimum has arrived so I must be going, but it seems a good place to stop anyway.  As stated on the update page, Ryan and Danny are going to be filming more so you’ll see the funny stuff for yourselves.  Story telling is not my strong suit so I can’t do justice to the stuff that goes on daily J

May 28, 2009

May 28 already????? Ok, my head stopped spinning long enough to focus on the screen :)  I can't remember ever having this many things go wrong all at once!  The upside is that great things came out of all the bad things - the greatest being our new store at 487 Broad Street.  Ok, it's not really a store yet, but we've only had the space for a week.   We are all hoping the store will not only get opened soon but that it will stay open for a long time to come.  This project was in part research to see if a store was feasible so if it turns out it is, we're fast-tracking to The GRHS Senior Class Store.  The idea is that the store belongs to the seniors, and they run it/staff it/supply it etc. for one year then close the books, split up the profits (part kids, part charity) and then pass it on to the next class.  No worries for those more interested in home renovation because that's in addition to the annual Green & Red Project.

So a lot happened the last weeks and that's the reason there haven't been a whole lot of updates on this site, but we are now back and better than ever.  If you can't beat 'em - be better!  The site will be getting updated regularly again and that also holds true for Team Green Seed who has had one obstacle after another thrown at them but has gotten by all of them now.  Yesterday afternoon was magic.  I don't really know what happened or why, and it doesn't matter.  I just know that everyone looked genuinely happy and relaxed and really excited about the last couple of months ahead of us.   In the meantime, Team Energy^2 has been solid as a rock and they were going strong and continue to do so but we've all caught up.  It's finally EXACTLY the way I pictured it! :)

I hope you will all get to see the homes, the things the kids have created in addition to what's in the homes and how truly amazing all the kids and BIG kids/contractors on this project are and what a bunch of people who really know nothing (except Frank and all the construction help who do know EXACTLY what they're doing) can do when given the opportunity to let their creativity/uniqueness shine.

Well, I'd love to write more right now, but it's time to go make 487 Broad look as good as possible in advance of Cablevision coming down today to do a story for their Neighborhood Journal program :)

May 16, 2009

Everyone who fully understands the project - the concept, the goals and the benefits it brings to various groups/individuals has been supportive of the project itself and especially of the kids.  Those who have gotten involved in any way at all, have shown time and again through their actions how much they care and want to help– especially (but not limited to) all the subcontractors and construction related employees of the project.  They want to teach the kids as much as possible and love the idea of a hands on, use your own brain education that forces the kids to think and puts them in control.

 

I designed the project so that that everyone benefits and nobody loses, and when I say everyone I mean everyone employed by, through or as a result of the project plus all the residents of Glen Rock themselves.  I figured that was the one way I could start something completely unorthodox and not have anyone complain and be willing to look at it with an open mind.  It’s amazing that I can still be so naïve at this point in my life given past experience, but what can I say? I’m an optimist who believes that overall, people are still good.  I was forewarned, but I was still absolutely shocked by what some people have concluded about me and/or the project itself and even more shocked by their words and actions as a result of completely unjustified/irrational opinions.  I find it horrifying that grown, educated adults in this town can be absolutely sure they know it all when they don’t even have close to all the relevant information.  What’s worse, they then act on it with the mistaken belief that they are right and are now entitled to behave badly.  It’s like a doctor seeing a guy with a crooked arm walking down the street and rushing him into surgery to re-break it and set it in a cast without even asking the guy what’s wrong with his arm.

 

So far this week, I have been informed that I don’t deserve to be made aware of a problem that someone thinks I am responsible for, that I do not deserve to make a living, that the project is environmentally insensitive and that I do not care about kids.  I’ve also been told what not to do by someone who has no authority over me at all yet felt well within his rights to treat me like a child.  The upside of those ignorant statements and actions is that it gives me examples of what not to do to present to the kids. It reinforces everything I’ve been trying to drill into them by giving them an example of what happens when you fail to get all the facts and fail to ask questions and fail to THINK before you act and/or speak. 

 

The first few judgments were courtesy of the people who were going to be my neighbors eventually. The message came via one of them when I went to his house to apologize for my failure to plan for someone to cut the grass which had grown to record heights. I handed him my kid created business card with my cell phone number on it and said he could call anytime if he had a question or problem, a copy of the Record with the article about the project to explain what was going on next door and the statement that I was offended by whoever called the town without talking to me first (I heard 2^nd hand that people were complaining about me a day earlier) Turns out he was the spokesperson and when I asked why he didn’t come and talk to me, he said that I was not around consistently.  Aside from the fact that he could have left a note, I asked him why he did not tell me when I saw him face to face a few days earlier at which point he said, well, it was your responsibility to let me know what’s going on.  At that point, I almost had to laugh since I was standing on his doorstep doing exactly that and yet that still wasn’t good enough, which I pointed out.  It wasn’t soon enough according to him.  Well, I guess the heart of it came when he said that it was wrong because it’s not a not for profit. Guess he thinks I’m a billionaire and that I can continue to spend my own money on educating the kids and don’t have my own family to support.  He thought wrong. It only went downhill from there and I should have walked away right then, but I had to make sure that what I was hearing was right.  He didn’t have the decency to come to me to tell me he was upset. Had he done so, I would have fixed the problems willingly. Instead, he just up and marched off to the town, smug in the knowledge (false as it was) that he was justified in not making me aware there even was a problem because I deserved it.  Well, he stood by what he said so all I can do is stand by the conclusions I reached as a result of his statements.

 

There was the brilliant person who decided that the project couldn’t possibly be environmentally sensitive given that we were cutting down trees at 299 Harristown Rd.  Yup, she saw trees going down and marched right on over to make that declaration to someone from Stinger Tree Service (great guys by the way.)  I would never have let someone get away with such a blatantly stupid statement and would have given her the facts in addition to the obvious that nobody plants new trees before cutting down old ones. The old ones in this case are actually all either dead or dying with the exception of one which, although healthy, was likely to fall on the neighbors house sooner rather than later.

 

I also received a lovely phone call - the 2^nd call of the day from a place I’d never heard from before despite my efforts to inform the administration of the high school about the project months ago.  I felt so special, and I thought, FINALLY someone in charge read the article and wants to know more about the project that has 50+ students working their butts off and excited about it.  Stupid me. There were no questions asked, no requests for information, but I did get an order not to “counsel” the kids.  Excuse me?! I wasn’t sure I heard right, but I did.

 

The kids mean the world to me and I love them more the more I get to know them.  I don’t treat them or talk to them any differently than I would any other person I care about – including my own kids - and offered an ear, a shoulder, a hug or anything else they could think of that might help them feel better even if only for a moment.  People I love were/are hurting as result of losing a friend, and I offered comfort the way any caring human being would.  Yet, I was singled out despite the fact that I am not the only employer of a large group of kids and despite the fact that I never once said in any way shape or form that I planned to “counsel” the kids.   The kids trust me and feel comfortable with me and they are open about what upsets them and hurts them and I don’t need a master’s degree to know how to listen or give a hug.

 

The icing on a very long two days was my encounter at the town council meeting with the 2 charming Glen Rock moms who decided that I do not care about kids based on me saying I wasn’t for the council overturning the majority vote and that I believed we all have to do our share and give up things when times are tough. Those 2 statements I made (paraphrased because I can’t remember exact wording) came after I asked them if they would be willing to go outside with me to explain to me how they arrived at their decision/conclusion because based on all that I knew, I couldn’t understand how they came to such a different conclusion when presented with the same facts.  So basically I wanted to find out if maybe I was missing something but they not only turned down my request for an explanation but decided I was uncaring to boot.  That seems logical…if you’re incapable of rational thought.

 

Notice a trend? All those people couldn’t be bothered to stop and think – to make sure they did in fact have all the relevant facts before proceeding nor did they stop to consider how they would want to be treated/talked to if situations where reversed, and I am positive they would not have liked to be treated/talked to and judged the way they did me.  I still believe the majority of the people are not like that…if I didn’t, what would be the point in getting up every day?!  But, I also believe it won’t be long before people who seem to have organized as the WHINING TO VICTORY party aka the “we don’t care about facts or reality we just want what we want” party takes over. It’s like everyone with good common sense and the ability to listen, understand, think and take common sense action has collectively thrown up their hands and said, just let the baby have its bottle to all those who just want what THEY want and refuse to listen to facts and logic and only whine louder when they don’t get their way.  Did I mention I can’t stand whining? A sad face typically works on me, but whining never does as it only serves to strengthen my resolve and my extremely competitive nature kicks in full force.

 

All that said when someone becomes aware that they made a mistake/was wrong, all it takes is admitting to doing wrong and an apology.  What else can anyone do but that?  I’ve had to do it myself this week, and I have no problem admitting to my mistakes and failings when I am aware I made them.  Of course, if someone chooses to stand by their inappropriate words and actions even after becoming aware of all the facts then I can only assume that meant what they said and did, and all I can do is act on that knowledge going forward.

 

I love the kids and I think they’re wonderful, and I’m pretty sure they all know that.  But, what they probably don’t all know is that part of the love comes from gratitude.  I am so grateful to them because it was only because of them and this project that I finally came to fully understand what it really meant when my parents drilled into me that I can do and be anything I want and that it it’s actually a very simple process.  Now I’d like to return the favor and make them all aware of how simple it really is to achieve any realistic goal you set for yourself.

 

Be careful what you wish for is how the proverb goes, and that sums up the first difficulty in reaching any goal…defining the goals themselves.  It requires thought and typically, time for thought which seems to be in really short supply for most kids due to the demands placed on them in high school to get them off to college.  It’s almost as if the sole goal of a high school education is to get into college which seems unfair all the way around, not just to those who may have plans that do not include going to college right after high school.  My impression of being a kid today is that although many things are the same as when I was a kid, kids today are told what to do and not given enough time to think and decide for themselves.

 

I don’t agree or like that approach, because it doesn’t allow time for big picture thinking.  And how can it be helpful to hand the kids a check list and details of WHAT to do at the beginning of high that covers all 4 years when the expectation is that after high school, they think for themselves, come up with their own goals AND their own plan of action for  achieving those goals. I want the kids to know that they have to fully understand things before they can formulate a decision and/or a plan of action and that they owe it to themselves to be clear about their goals before coming up with a plan to achieve the goals. I constantly tell them to speak up – anytime they have a question or have something on their mind, an opinion and especially when there are hurt feelings.  It’s the only way to find a solution that works for everyone. More than anything, I want them to whole-heartedly believe that they can in fact do ANYTHING and teach them how to do so if they don’t already know.

 

I know that the only people I really answer to on this project are the parents of the kids involved.  It’s one of the reasons we had the giant GRP party – so I could meet all the parents and provide them with an opportunity to ask me anything, because I wanted them to understand me and the goals of the project and all I was going to be telling their kids.  I needed them to understand and to make sure they were comfortable with me spending a lot of time with their kids and teaching them what I thought they needed to know to be able to successfully run a business. I have yet to have a parent complain about me (at least that I know of) and to date, the overall feedback from the parents of the kids who are involved is that this is great for the kids and that they’re learning a lot. That’s all I really need to know. 

Ideally, the public will see the results of what happens when you hand a business to a group of high school kids for themselves so everyone can see that they are ALL amazing, talented and wonderful.  I don’t understand why it’s so difficult to give our kids a great education, but perhaps it’s simply that we don’t all have the same goal in mind. I want to give them all the tools they will need to succeed when they leave home to start down their own path that they have defined on the road to realizing their dreams.  Can we all agree on that? If so, how hard can it be to figure out how to do that? I’d say not that hard if you get a group of thinking individuals to sit down and figure it out.  Guess too many just don’t want to change things too much even if major change is required so that we can honestly say, Glen Rock is light years ahead of any other school system and as a community overall.  It can be done but only if the group that’s organized as the Solution party defeats the Whining to Victory party.

May 13, 2009

I can't find anyone who can tell me that if I say x and do y, I will at least not make it even worse, but I thought it was wrong if I said nothing at all, awkward and inadequate as it may be.  One of the members of the project lost his life last night as a result of a tragic accident, and all of us on the project (including the subcontractors working on the homes now) hope his family knows they have our deepest sympathy.  I  did not know him well personally as he was a later hire but at least well enough that when I saw him at work the other day, I thought to myself,  I'm so happy he's here and finally doing what he wants to do. 

It's awful, and I can't think of anything to offer as comfort or help besides someone to talk to, a shoulder to lean on and a hug.  I extended that offer to the kids, and I hope his family knows that offer is open to them anytime/anyplace as well.  We are all so sorry for your loss.

May 8, 2009

The only thing the two teams have in common besides their business goals is a Flaherty…

 Thanks to last week’s edition of the Glen Rock Gazette featuring Senior Prom pictures, I was saved from another slap myself in the head moment when I realized that I've been interacting with Matt Flaherty for years at the bagel shop and just didn't know his name.  He’s a senior working for Energy^2 (whose board members are all seniors), and I had seen his W4, met his brother but not him personally.  I wonder if he has any idea that he actually knows me too.  It’ll be way more fun if he has that “NO WAY!” moment when he meets me face to face the way I did when I met Macauley under the same circumstances.

 His brother, Danny is working for Green Seed, but will also be working in neutral territory on a documentary that takes a more in-depth look at all the people involved on the project.  You have to be familiar with the Brady Bunch and understand what Jan meant when she said, “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” to appreciate me summing up Danny Flaherty with a quote from Mays that was said in the same tone/with the same meaning, “Danny, Danny, Danny!”  Yes, Mays was joking but I’d bet that there’s a part of him – as is true for me – that looks at Danny and thinks, “I wish I’d been that cool as a sophomore in high school.”  I still think it now sometimes! ;)

 

Fundamentally, success boils down to 2 things: THINK AND ACT (and why Nike’s, Just Do It, is brilliant in my mind.)  Those are not rules on the project as I expect they are self-understood and are the minimum required for anyone to be able to become involved in the first place.  The only specific rules I have which fall under the above umbrella are COMMIT and SPEAK UP!  Those 2 things are mandatory, not optional.  And, if everyone did in fact speak up, there’d be no reason for me to worry about hurt feelings for anyone involved with the project based on what I write.

 

Hurt feelings are a potential downside (nothing is all good or all bad) of going public with what goes through my head.  Perhaps someone wonders why they haven’t been singled out, or worse, mistakes constructive criticism of an action/inaction as a personal attack.  The simple fact is that I don’t know all of them well enough to be able to form an accurate opinion about what kind of person they are so to write about them personally would likely result in an unfair portrayal.  I also believe it is in our individual and collective best interests - in addition to seeing it as a personal obligation/responsibility - to be 100% honest and forthright with ourselves/each other and that it’s the only way to prevent/fix hurt feelings.  The whole point was for the board members to make the rules, but it has to be in-line with the only rules I’ve made. They now all know that those are the rules and that I will not change the rules and I will not be the one who leaves if the rules aren’t followed.  It has to be that way because in my opinion, they cannot be successful if they do not follow them and FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION! :)

 

Guess you could view that as a very long disclaimer. I view it as necessary explanation so that everyone understands that my occasionally clumsy bluntness is tough love not dislike or worse.  I love all the kids I’ve gotten to know, and I hope and am trying to get to know all of them before this is over.  All that said, I think they’re all amazing, smart, talented and creative even if I don’t know them well personally, and I have plenty of evidence to back that up.

 

…The only thing the two teams have in common besides their business goals is a Flaherty...

The difference was obvious from day one last November when I met the 2 team leaders and only became more pronounced when the group evolved into 2 teams of board members.  There are the obvious differences as it relates to gender and age, but how different they really are as teams is something that hits me like a ton of bricks every single time I walk through the door of one of their homes.  I expected that both teams would come up with different ways to accomplish the same goals – that’s the whole point and what really makes it fun/makes it a competition.  I didn’t really expect that the atmosphere would be as different as the paths they chose. One team (board members & employees) is comfortable around me and with each other and constantly speak up.  Nothing changes when I show up and it’s always a high energy/high volume environment.  It’s made getting the work done very easy, because I quickly find out if I need to fill them in on something they need to know/be aware of but don’t.  As importantly, it makes getting to know each other easier which makes all of it easier overall.  For some reason, I haven’t yet (although I think I may be able to change that to “I finally have”) been able to get the other team of board members to do the same.  It’s been driving me crazy, because I don’t know why they won’t speak up with me even though I have made it mandatory, done it myself, encouraged them to do so and have made it clear that there is no negative consequence to anything they say honestly, no matter what it is. 

 

Yesterday I sort of wondered out loud if maybe they’re just scared of me….Danny heard me, looked at me and laughed as he said, “You? You’re not scary at all.”  I think I’ll find out the real answer sometime soon, because I think I finally got them to really understand/be aware of the rules and why they’re necessary, and I’m optimistic that I’ll be able to report that as a result of that understanding and the resulting actions that both teams are now sharing the same atmosphere.  It has to be!

May 1, 2009

I'm not sure if what's on the update page belongs here or there, but since it's part Sue's perspective, please see update page :)

I plan on writing more later, but right now, it's time to go see the kids and see the progress they're making as well as the incredible progress at Harristown related to actual construction.  Also related to construction...there is no way I could pull off this project without Frank (see big kid page if you don't know who Frank is.)  He has lived 4 doors down from me since I moved here almost 11 years ago, but I didn't get to meet him until a couple of years ago.  Fast forward to last fall when I had the semblance of an idea related to real estate; I took it for granted he'd help me.  Lucky for me, he agreed to do so and had also already taken it for granted.  He's the one who listened to me ramble as the idea evolved in my head, and he's been with me and with the kids from the very beginning. 

He knows all when it comes to building, and he's a thinker and a doer so what more could I ask for?  I definitely didn't know enough about construction (any piece of it) to do this without someone like Frank.  As I have gotten to know him better and seen all that he is doing, I can only thank my lucky stars that he lived right down the street and that I had the good sense to seek an ally when I needed one.  He's not only the final word on all things construction, but he's also a really good friend and someone I can always talk to about the project and anything else that may have me fired up that day. 

Off to see the kids :)

April 30, 2009

Have you ever walked into a place where a large group of teenagers are employed and seen them hard at work AND lit up like Christmas trees and excited to be working hard?  I have, and I highly recommend it if you're having a bad day or just want to be inspired and impressed.  The kids are amazing, and I am so proud of them and impressed by all they have already accomplished.  The best part is that I know that the best is yet to come.  The board members, Frank and I have been at this since the end of November, and we've finally gotten to the point where the focus is on what I think of as the fun stuff and what all the prep work has been about.

I remember when my kids first learned to walk. I did what most do...held their hands and walked behind/above them as they practiced their steps.  It didn't take long before they no longer needed to hold my hands and quickly graduated to running.  I'm not implying the kids are like babies (in fact, the opposite is true), but since I asked them to do something they have never done before, I think it's a fitting analogy.  I think it also makes it easy for everyone to understand when I say that I suddenly realized last night that the kids not only let go of my hands but that they're off and running.  It's beautiful to watch....and yet, in the same way as when my kids starting running, it's bittersweet.

It's been a really busy week, because there is a lot more going on than usual since construction has started and the kids are off for spring break.  They have been working their butts off, and the updates on their pages don't do justice to everything they're getting done/working on this week while most are taking advantage of having time off from school.  Fortunately, it's just a matter of time before you'll be able to see proof of all of it for yourselves.

April 23, 2009 - Day One (and much harder than I anticipated)

I love going to work every day, because every day is different and most days bring an unforeseen challenge and/or reward.  Both are good, but I’m happy to say that there are at least as many rewards as there are challenges/problems.  Late November of last year, I handed out/hung up a bunch of flyers introducing The Green & Red Project - Green Real Estate Projects developed by Glen Rock’s Youth and offering "5 Board Members…4 Profit…3 Goals…2 Homes…1 Winning Team".  The website it advertised (this one) explained it in greater detail.  I should have been more direct on the flyer which instead should have simply said, “Create and Run Your Own Business” followed by “Must be thinking/self-directed/creative and able to handle never being told what to do.”  Perhaps then more people would have put in applications to become board members. 

But despite it not being the catchiest flyer of all time even after it was changed to “Flip This House meets Trading Spaces (since changed to “Design on a Dime”) meets The Apprentice, a few brave souls signed on and a few weeks post the 1^st flyer being hung up, we had our first project meeting.  I recently asked the kids who are now the board members of Green Seed and Energy^2 if, in retrospect, they really understood what the opportunity  was/what the responsibilities were that I presented to them back then when we first met. They all answered, “No!” 

I believe they had the same problem (plus additional challenges as a result of being a group of people who – by definition – do not know enough/don’t have enough experience to be able to do it) that most people who hear about this have, believing I was actually handing them the keys to 2 homes, 3 goals, directions to speak up if they needed help with how to do something and a couple of big kids, a lawyer, an accountant and a realtor as resources to start with and walking away until I got a sign that I needed to teach them something they didn’t and COULD NOT  yet know but needed to know and understand in order to continue on/have the potential to be successful.

I believe that this project can be applied in different settings with different groups of participants and can be successful with any group of people who do not have enough knowledge and/or experience to be able to successfully create and run a business as long as the participants can think and be creative.  I can teach them HOW to achieve any/all of their goals, and they have unlimited access to any resource they need who can teach them HOW to anything else they don’t yet know HOW to do already– again, by definition.  The key is only teaching them how vs. telling them WHAT to do specifically.  Along the lines of, give a man a fish, feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.

In this case, the participants are all teenagers from Glen Rock who are responsible for successfully achieving the 3 goals set for them in any way they choose/can think of with the help of subcontractors, big kids and anyone they want to hire from the pool of kids from Glen Rock.  I did have to make an assumption/take a leap of faith in order to actually start this project, because I had no proof/no way to get proof in advance.  I believed/had to believe that there was huge pool of talented, smart, creative teenagers in the town of Glen Rock.    I now have proof of that, meaning it’s a fact vs. theory.   All of the kids are amazing and doing something remarkable.  You can see some evidence of that already if you look at their pages on this site or if you go by the homes or talk to them. I'm also going to do my best to try and tell you more about them/what they're doing, but it'll be really hard for anyone outside the project to fully comprehend just how remarkable they are until July 11/12.