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Be kind. Be thoughtful. You never know what tomorrow will bring. The people in Florida who were flooded out by hurricane Debbie didn’t expect it. The fires in Colorado were indiscriminate. The fire tore through whole communities destroying homes, and rearranging lives. It takes a strong individual to survive such devastation. Life isn’t supposed to be like that.

Floods and fires are called acts of God. Other things happen when we blame God or call on God for help. Heart attacks, strokes, vehicle accidents, shootings, animal attacks can all be devastating.

When the smoke clears, the victim is faced with the challenge of survival. Even if they have physical help and support, they alone have to have the strength, the courage, the will to continue living.

After one has made the physiological decision to face life and continue living, the physical part of life has to be faced. Some people are totally bedridden. Some people are blessed to be partially mobile with the help of a wheel chair.

Although wheel chairs work well, they don’t go up and down stairs efficiently. As a matter of fact, they have quite a few limitations, especially when there is a person seated in the wheel chair.

The Americans With Disabilities Act, which took effect on January 26, 1992, is a federal law aimed at providing “a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities” (42 USC § 12101(b)(1)). It prohibits discrimination in several areas against people with disabilities. Title III states that:

No individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of a disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation (42 USC § 12182(a)).

That means that people in wheel chairs should be able to go to restaurants. The truth of the matter is that the law isn’t exactly followed. What can make a difference is how the restaurant staff treats the person in the wheel chair.

This morning I read a blog post that broke my heart: “when people make me feel crappy”

I started following Anissa Mayhew on Twitter a couple of years ago when I saw her speak at the #140conf in Detroit. She has a great sense of humor, is upbeat, and inspiring. I was thrilled when I learned that she and I would be speaking at the #140conf in New York last week. I would get to meet her “in real life.” Not only that, I got to have dinner with her.

Anissa, Julia Roberts and I went to dinner at a great little Italian restaurant. The entrance wasn’t perfect, but the staff helped us and it made all the difference. We had a nice dinner and then the staff helped us out. Other restaurant patrons were asked to move so we could leave. The hostess graciously smiled and everyone was happy to accommodate our needs. We had a pleasant experience.

When I read Anissa’a blog post this morning “when people make me feel crappy” tears came to my eyes. Why are people so insensitive? Why don’t people realize that a little kindness goes a long way.
Read Anissa’s story and find out what happened after the restaurant owner learned about this horrible injustice. Learn what is going to happen next. There is hope.

Remember – Be kind. Be thoughtful. You never know what tomorrow will bring.

Mom Pop Pow – Where You Can Do It If You Try

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Health care in America is a big topic of conversation and rightfully so. Everyone is trying to figure out why the prices keep going up. Maybe I can shed a little light on that subject and how frustrating it is to people like me.

Several years ago I had a Carotid endarterectomy due to blockages in my carotid arteries. Now once a year I have to do a followup to ensure there are no blockages. Let me give you a run down of the people I encountered to complete this task.

1. Technician who took the ultrasound
2. Receptionist who checked me in a doctor’s office. The receptionist asked me to fill out a form listing any changes to my medications since last year. The form said to take it with me. At 10:15 I asked how much longer I had to wait as I had another appointment at 11AM. Oh, you didn’t return the questionnaire. No, because it said to take it with me. Well, you were supposed to give it to me, she said. I handed it over and was soon called to the inner sanctum.
3. Person who took my blood pressure. She asked if any of my medications had changed in the past year. Yes, as indicated on the paper you have in your hand I replied as sweetly as I could possibly say. When was your carotid endarterectomy she asked as she started typing on her laptop. I don’t remember I replied. You should have that information in your computer. We spent two and one half hours last year updating your records, I said, as I reached for my smart phone with all my medical records. She found the information said all was well and the Physician’s Assistant would be in to see me shortly.
4. The PA came in all bright and cherry and asked how I was doing. Fine I said. Everything is fine. She did her normal body scan of me, gave me my numbers, and that was that. Was there anything I wanted to talk about. No thank you I said, I have another appointment at 11AM. Everything is fine. Yes, I see my primary care physician regularly. Everything is fine thank you. Fine, we will reschedule you for another ultrasound in a year. Should we mail you the date? No, I’ll just get it now while I am here.
5. Booking assistant. She can’t make the appointment for 15 or 20 minutes because she has to wait for the orders to be written. If I am in a hurry, she can mail them to me. I smiled and said thank you. She was only doing her job and she did not deserve to hear what was going on in my mind – You with your fancy computers can’t even book an appointment…..

There is a missing person here that we will call 1a. That is the person who read the ultra sound and sent the results to the doctor. In my humble opinion, we could eliminate the jobs of persons 2 through 5. Person 1a could send the results to my primary care physician and a great deal of time and money would be saved.

The Right Way

Let me tell you about my Primary Care Physician, Dr. Marney Roemmelt. Her assistant Barbara greets me when I come in and offers me refreshment. I usually refuse because I don’t wait a long time for the doctor to see me. They respect their patient’s time.

The doctor herself welcomes me to the inner sanctum. She reviews the results from any tests that may be outstanding. We talk about what is happening and how I am feeling. We discuss my health. She types out my health plan.

When I leave her office, she follows me to the reception area. Barbara hands Dr. Roemmelt my printed health care plan and any lab work or prescriptions I need. Barbara then books my next appointment.

They are two people working in harmony. They provide excellent health care and my blood pressure isn’t sky high when I leave their office.

Mom Pop Pow – Where You Can Do If If You Try

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The mother pig in the picture lives on a rural road in New Hampshire. The speed limit on the road is 25 MPH. Going so slow and because she was close to the road, was probably why I happened to notice her. She was showing off her new babies.

This is a very large pig. I think she is made of concrete. She moves around the large orchard fields where she lives. Today was the closest I have ever seen her.

It may seem a bit unusual for a caretaker to move a giant pig around a field. I imagine it must be quite a job, although I have never seen the pig moved. But just think about the whole story for a minute.

As local folks drive by, they get to check out where the pig is located. People who are strangers to the area have a pleasant surprise. It is a nice gift to the community.

It is true. I am nosey by nature. I am also a wee bit timid. Today I was alone and did not have my protective husband with me. He probably would not have helped me anyway or he would have said it was none of my business. He does that sometimes when he thinks I am too nosey. He tells me to just enjoy the gift and don’t question it to death.

Some day if I have the chance, I will ask the caretaker about the pig. I will also ask about the old airplane in the corner of the field and the ancient old pickup. There might just be a great story you would like to hear.

Have a great day.

Mom Pop Pow – Where You Can Do It If You Try

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The conference starts early. Before you get there, all the helpers are in place to greet you, sign you in and get you registered. Special thanks to all the great people who make the conference work so well.

To start the excitement of the day, I saw Ric Dragon. I saw him and Liz Strauss last night. I learned that he had written a book “Social Marketology.” I asked for a copy and offered to pay for it. He brought me a copy. He said I couldn’t pay for it because was defaced – He dedicated it to Steve and me. Ric Dragon is so awesome.

Thanks to the people who opened and closed the doors all day. That must be the most boring job, but they did it so graciously. In case you didn’t notice them, they are the people who help make the conference a success.

Noni Cavaliere

I fell in love with Noni Cavaliere. She escorted speakers from the front desk to the green room when it was time for them to speak. She is full of life, perky and had a beautiful smile every time I had the pleasure to of seeing her.

REVOLUTION MacInnes

Another great person I met was Revolution MacInnes. He is a Secular Monk. Founder of @SmallThingsMttr. Director of Development @TheHelpInst and Chief Philanthropic Officer at @GiftedDreams. Our mutual friend, Mark Horvath, introduced us.

Revolution, his legal name, said he has lived through some pretty tough times. He has learned that he is amazing. He tells himself every day that he is AMAZING. He told me I am AMAZING. He told Steve he is AMAZING. Revolution made me feel AMAZiNG.

Talk about Amazing – great things continued to happen. I met @debworks whose other name is Deb Brown. She is super awesome. She is kind, friendly, genuine, shy, humble, fun and many other superlative words. Add to all that, she has met @Miss_Dazey in real life.

Colton Foote, Deb Brown, Janice Person, Jerry Hirsch, Becky McCray, Michael Dougherty

The fabulous people in this picture are Colton Foote, Deb Brown, Janice Person, Jerry Hirsch, Becky McCray, Michael Dougherty. A great way to start the day.

My social media friends are just the best. The night before the event, I met up with my friend Marilyn Hight, the blond, who I had met at #SOBCon12. She introduced me to her friend Tiffany LeBanca, the brunette. We became a seated foursome.

Tiffany was also a speaker: “The Social Soul Is Transparent.” Her story was picked up by TechNews Daily.

The great part about the #140conference is that you can relive it if you missed a part by going to UStream.tv. That is the miracle of the wonderful age we live in.

The background music is played by the fabulously amazing Matthew Ebel. Steve has been checking out his music on iTunes. I think my favorite song is “Twitter Me Gently” or at least that is my favorite so far. He sings it at the beginning of Day 1.

KEVIN HONEYCUTT

Another uber great musical artist is Kevin Honeycutt. He is a school teacher. I can’t even begin to tell you what he showed us in a few short minutes. He is truly one of the greats of this century. I was so enthralled, I didn’t take a single picture. Check out his work at http://kevinhoneycutt.org/

We were told to be at the front desk a half hour before our speech. On the way there I was stopped by my Twitter friend Ellen Cagnassola, @SweetSoaps. After a hug, she gave me some #BA75 soap.

Steve, Diane, Chris Brogan & Jacq Carly
Photo by Andrea Cook

Steve and I talked about our son Chris Brogan and how he has influenced us in the world of Social Media. I got to hold up my #BA75 soap. I was so impressed Ellen had gone out of her way to be kind to me. It is the only one in existence at this time.Later she thanked me profusely for being kind to her and mentioning her name on a world wide broadcast. Life is good. Social Media has so many connections.

Chris and Jacqueline Carly came to the conference just for our speech. For the rest of the day, people were looking for them. Someone asked me if they were actually there or just holograms. We are truly blessed to be so loved.

Chris Brogan is GREAT! I know that, but I also know he has other places to go and people to see. So we say good bye to Chris and Jacq and go collect hugs from other folks at the conference.

One hug that was a HUGE hug and a long time coming in person was from AJ Leon. We got to meet the now world famous AJ and Melissa Leon. They are traveling the world spreading goodness. When he hugged me he said he could now cross that off his bucket list. I was so touched, I nearly cried.

I was sitting behind a lady who was very intent on each speaker. She took pictures, video, and wrote notes. She was really into this conference. Then I had the pleasure of meeting her. Her name is Andrea Cook. She is an event correspondent. I think she has an exciting job. Check out her work at Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/pin/230668812134956382/

Towards the end of the day, my Twitter friend, Anissa Mayhew, gave her talk, “Owning Your 140 Characters.” Everyone has the same 140 characters, it is up to you how you will use it. To me it was a very powerful speech because some people think that Twitter should only be used for driving content. Like Anissa, I believe that everyone has 140 characters to use as you want.

While Steve went to explore the adventures of Twittamentary, Annisa and I went to dinner with her friend Julia Roberts.

Julia Roberts

To be continued….

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Steve and I attended the #140 conference in New York curated by Jeff Pulver. It is called the State of NOW. Speakers have ten minutes to tell their story. In a few rare cases the ten minute limit had to be exceeded because we needed to hear the rest of the story.

Jeff Pulver – Founder of #140conf

The speakers came from all walks of life. Everyone has a story to tell. I learned a lot about Jeff Pulver that is not in Wikipedia. He is exceedingly kind, caring, supportive, both emotionally and financially. He loves the color purple. He is a proud father. He is a music lover and music supporter. The list goes on and on. You get the idea. He is a great guy. Most importantly, he gives hugs. He knows how supportive a hug can be.

Hank Wasiak and Mark Horvath

Another great man who gives hugs is Mark Horvath. You may know him as @hardlynormal of invisiblepeople.tv. Once homeless himself, he has become a tireless advocate for the homeless. Mark has trouble raising money for the cause. People don’t want to talk about it. In today’s economy there is also a fear that they too may be homeless.

Mark is a genuine individual. He cares. Steve and I had the honor of having dinner with him on Monday evening. Then we went to the VIP Speakers reception. The weather was perfect. Everyone was in a good mood. It was a perfect way to get ready for the conference.

Steve, Hank Wasiak, Diane

Hank Wasiak wrote “The Concept Farm,” a brilliant book I highly recommend. I talked with Hank on the phone a couple of times when making connections for him to meet Chris Brogan. Then we talked about “The Concept Farm.” Hank became a celebrity I wanted to meet. On Monday Steve and I met Hank Wasiak. He is awesome AND he gives great hugs.

Geo Geller

Another guy on my list was Geo Geller. He is described as an Insultant for hire. He is a photographer, a humanitarian and a storyteller. I asked a few people “What is Geo like?” The answer is always the same. A smile and then Geo is Geo.

Geo is Geo. He is kind, witty, fun, an innovative photographer and a great story teller. I am honored to have shared a few minutes with him. And that’s not just my opinion.
Gina Stark ‏@SuuperG
((( @geogeller ))) Thanks, Geo, for being such a gentleman and fun chaperone when I missed the late train! #TimesSquarePhotoShoot

Monday night I met an incredible individual with a camera. We exchanged names. The part that I remembered was that he was very serious about the pictures he was taking and that he was Jeff Pulver’s uncle. From Monday evening until Tuesday afternoon when I had the opportunity to speak with him, he was “Uncle Pulver” in my mind. Names are very important, I wanted to make sure I knew his name. Glad I asked, I had it all wrong. His name is Jerry Hirsch @unclejerrynevada.

Jerry Hirsch

When I told him that I had been calling him “uncle” he told me a beautiful story about how to remember names. Everyone has a story to tell and everyone is important.

To be continued …..

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