Homecoming Feels Like Coming Home

Homecoming at Ole Miss this weekend felt like coming home, though my only official tie to the state is my son, Gar, who is a student.  What a remarkable student body and alumni group!  Ten acres of  side by side open air tents were most hospitable to friends, strangers and opposing team fans.

What a great tribute to the whole community, that Oxford demonstrated in so many ways, what true Southern Hospitality means.  I'm grateful to have experienced graciousness above competitiveness, enthusiastic friends by association, and thousands of genteel, fun-loving Southerners who made me feel at home.

Connecting Willing Volunteers with Fulfilling Opportunities

Comerica Bank hosted an event today, featuring a stellar panel of community leaders, who shared their reasons for volunteer engagement and practical ways to maximize impact.   My aha moment occurred when one of the panelists I'd invited, shared that his community engagement prior to 9/11 had been two-fold: supporting his wife's volunteer leadership and writing checks/attending nonprofit events.  I've only become friends with this successful lawyer and incredible community leader since his immersion into board service.

My assumption, prior to today, was that successful folks included board service or other significant volunteer commitments in their way of being/doing/operating.  My aha discovery was that the "engagement gene" may well evolve as an individual has more control over her/his schedule.  Sometimes it is inherited - and sometimes it evolves.  

Regardless of how an individual invests time, talent and/or treasure, passion is the key.  Excitement about the organization's mission will ideally inspire engagement and commitment.

Now and Next

Regardless of our passions, age or experience -  we owe it to ourselves, families, communities and careers to consciously consider what we are doing now that excites us, or brings us joy, or makes a difference.  (Ideally these things will converge.) And with those answers, we must consider how we will invest our time, talent and treasure to insure that what we do next will continue to make a difference to us, those we love and those we aspire to help.

Lacrosse has Multiple Successes

It's exciting that in Gar's senior year of lacrosse competition, the team has achieved a school conference record, winning each conference game and emerging as the #1 team in the south conference.  As we proceed into the conference playoffs (state-wide private school conference) this weekend and city playoffs next week, we have celebrated many individual and team successes and lamented some non-conference losses. 

In addition to the scores, there are multiple additional successes including:

• this team has embraced each player as a contributor in given situations, regardless of class rank or varsity experience. 
• informal mentoring has encouraged younger players to embrace the players who will be underclassmen to them in subsequent years
• the coach has allowed some player coaching - the ultimate way to do what is best for the team, rather than the individual player
• parents are fully onboard with the players and other parents, with social opportunities for each group to positively engage off the field or stands

There are multiple ways to create community.  And we've loved our opportunity to embrace the lacrosse community.