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RoadWarrior – 2's Company – MagnusInsights.com https://magnusinsights.com Mon, 29 Aug 2022 14:10:06 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://magnusinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/cropped-2sCompanyLogov23-32x32.jpg RoadWarrior – 2's Company – MagnusInsights.com https://magnusinsights.com 32 32 Expand Your Horizons: Johnny Cash, Jazz… https://magnusinsights.com/expand-your-horizons-johnny-cash-jazz/ Tue, 06 Sep 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3235 Expand your horizons. Exit your comfort zone. Try new things. Visit new places. Meet new people. These are mantras to which I aspire. Many people are too afraid to venture outside things they’ve always done. They go to the same restaurants, then order the same things off the menu. When it comes to music, some of my friends say “Oh, I like all kinds of music” when they really mean they like all kinds of music within a narrow framework, such as 70s “classic” rock. Boring! I like to shake it up once in a while. My dear friend, Bob, who is my best friend from graduate school (not to mention one of the coolest people I know), visited David and me recently. As usual, our conversation turned to our mutual love of music. Bob was a university professor for his entire career and he lived in a small town that didn’t afford many opportunities to see concerts. When he was visiting, he remarked that, although he had gone to lots of concerts while growing up in Texas, he hadn’t seen as many concerts as David and I have seen. This led me to a recitation of some of the many performers David and I have had the pleasure of seeing live, including: B. B. King, Johnny Cash, Barbra Streisand, The Rippingtons, Barry Manilow, Tom Jones, Chick Corea, Waylon Jennings, Englebert Humperdink, The Temptations, The Village People, and so on and so on. Bob was astounded that I, a fan of rock and roll music (including today’s groups, such as Five Finger Death Punch, Disturbed, and Godsmack), would consider, not to mention attend, concerts that are not within the genre of rock and roll. Bob was incredulous, questioning “Barry Manilow?” to which I remarked, “Yes, and he played 20 minutes worth of jingles he wrote for TV commercials during the show!” The point about experiencing things outside of one’s usual practices is, of course, not limited to music. Never had Lebanese food? Try it! The worst thing that could happen is that you won’t like it; if so, you can always go to your favorite fast food place to satisfy your hunger. Never been to Miami? Come to visit David and me. We will take you to many unforgettable places! How about the Grand Canyon? Let’s go! The world awaits us!

]]> Alaskan Cruises https://magnusinsights.com/alaskan-cruises/ Thu, 18 Aug 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3219 Having just returned from Alaska, I am more aware than ever that going to Alaska means, for many people, taking a cruise. But, Melissa and I aren’t cruisers, so we did a land tour. Nonetheless, it is now impossible to be in Alaska without encountering cruisers. From the gift (junk) shops in Anchorage to Denali, cruise passengers are everywhere. The Denali National Park area, that is, outside the national park, even has hotels dedicated to cruisers who are taking side trips there. For better or worse, Alaska has been impacted by cruise ship based tourism. One of our land cruising stops was Seward, and there was a ship docked there for our entire visit. I hear good things about Alaskan cruises and the sights which can be seen, leading to this story. Many years ago, my Dad, Herman, decided to take my Mom, Carole, on an Alaskan cruise. He was excited that this was an auction item at one of the trucking conventions he attended and he aggressively bid on the “Alaskan cruise” and won the prize. However, this was not what one thinks of when cruising to Alaska. It was, instead of a scenic, inside passage tour, a cargo ship taking the most direct route from Seattle to Anchorage, fully loaded. The accommodations were in the guest cabin on a container ship. Dad was excited that he would get to dine with the Captain. Turns out, Mom and Dad were the only passengers on the ship and they had the only, non crew, cabin! There were no buffets, entertainment, or sightseeing opportunities. Just full steam ahead on a working ship. As it turned out, Dad enjoyed it; he was thrilled to see how everything worked. And, the Captain had a model train layout in his cabin, an interest of Dad’s, so he was in “hog heaven.” As for Mom, she brought along several books. There were no nice ship corridors, elevators, balconies, etc.; it was decks, stairs, and portholes. There are Alaskan cruises, and there are Alaskan cruises. Alaskans depend on the cargo transported by sea, and, thankfully, these ships ply the seas daily. But, we’ve often laughed at this situation and how different people’s perspectives can be! Bon voyage.

]]> Live Your Life Like Someone Left the Gate Open https://magnusinsights.com/live-your-life-like-someone-left-the-gate-open/ Tue, 26 Jul 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3202 I don’t remember where I saw this quote for the first time, but I instantly liked it: “Live your life like someone left the gate open.” I guess there are multiple interpretations of this sentence, however, my view of it is that, as David’s late mother used to say, we should try to “have fun” in everything we do. If we are doing a simple chore, we can try to make it more bearable by viewing it as something in which other people would do anything to be able to participate. For example, think about the bright side of the activity instead of focusing on the negatives. David and I were waiting for a simple hot dog lunch to be brought to an outdoor picnic table that is located on a busy, dusty street in Fort Lauderdale when he asked me if I was having fun. I said, “Not right now, but I will be as soon as my hot dog arrives.” Sure enough, as soon as my tasty hot dog was placed on the table, I acted as if someone left the gate open, with my hot dog ready to be devoured before someone remembered to close and lock the gate. It’s all a matter of perspective. I have had several friends and family members who relied on wheelchairs when they went places. Instead of bemoaning the fact that I had to lift the heavy (for me) wheelchair in and out of my car, then push my family member or friend anyplace we wanted to go, I always decided to act like someone left the gate open, by laughingly telling other people to move out of our way because “we’re coming through” or even more fun, making a beeping noise like the noise of the courtesy carts that transport disabled people in the Atlanta airport. (Yes, these tactics not only clear traffic, they often make other people laugh too!) The point of this post is to have as much fun as possible, even when going about routine business or in situations many people would find tiresome. I’m always searching for the next open gate!

]]> Zenobia https://magnusinsights.com/zenobia/ Tue, 21 Jun 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3161 Recently, a long time friend of my family’s, Woody Hanson, posted an old photo on a social media site that brought back fond memories. The photo was of Zenobia King Hill, the owner of a modeling school in my hometown of Fort Myers, Florida. Zenobia was from Alabama; she attended the famous John Robert Powers modeling school in New York City; and later moved to Fort Myers with her husband, who was a photographer for the local newspaper. At the time I met her, Zenobia was in her 60s and just as lovely and vibrant as she was in her younger days. Like many girls “back in the day,” I met Zenobia when my mother forced, prodded, and cajoled me into attending her modeling classes. (Some people call this “charm school,” but whatever it is called, I was a most unwilling attendee!) Mom evidently decided, along with the mother of one of my cousins, that I needed to learn some skills that would help me succeed in life. Zenobia figured out that I was not attending her modeling classes voluntarily and she cleverly chose to ignore my sullen attitude, instead, she took it into stride. Luckily for me, I grew quite fond of Zenobia and, over the course of the modeling classes, I became an eager student. Modeling classes were not limited to learning how to participate in fashion shows, although that was certainly a large part of what was taught. The classes were also not limited to instruction on “table manners,” although that was part of the curriculum. Instead, these classes were more about how to conduct oneself in any situation in which one might find oneself. Thanks to Zenobia, I know many things, including: (1) how to walk with grace and poise, instead of loping along like a cowboy everywhere I go; (2) how to walk up and down a flight of stairs without bobbing my head, thereby avoiding the appearance of a bouncing beach ball; (3) how to sit properly (I admit this skill is not always practiced by me!); (4) how to get into and out of a car without flashing anyone or hitting my head; (5) how to, properly, button and unbutton a blouse or coat (there is, indeed, only one proper way to do this); (6) how to manage a large quantity of plates, glasses, and flatware at a formal dinner; and much more. In the end, I actually enjoyed participating in fashion shows, many of which were part of fund raising for charities. Thanks to Zenobia, I am as comfortable in the boardroom of any Fortune 100 company filled with high level executives as I am in my own home. And, of course, thanks to Mom for ensuring I received the proper education that has allowed me to become who I am today.

]]> If You Won’t Practice, Don’t Bother Learning https://magnusinsights.com/if-you-wont-practice-dont-bother-learning/ Tue, 07 Jun 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3156 As I mentioned in my previous post, “practice makes perfect,” my childhood piano teacher, Corella Johnson, insisted that all her piano and organ students practice their instrument(s) at least 30 minutes a day. The first thing she did at every lesson was ask her students to play the piece of music they were learning, so that she could discern whether we had practiced it. Students who failed to practice, or whose practicing caused no measurable improvement in their playing, were asked by Corella to find another piano teacher. It was her philosophy that the 1 hour per week that her students spent in formal instruction was meaningless absent several more hours per week fine tuning their skill set. In addition to 30 minutes of “hands on” instruction on playing songs, all of Corella’s students were required to attend 30 minute of instruction on music theory. Music theory is not a riveting topic of study, but boy do I appreciate knowing about it! My bass guitar teacher is a professional musician and he credits my piano instruction with my, in his professional opinion, above average ability to play the bass guitar. In fact, he repeatedly tells me (and tells others, when I am not present), that I could become a professional bass guitarist if only I had more time to practice every day! I have transcended my view of learning about the bass guitar from saying “I am going to practice” to “I am going to play” or sometimes, “I am going to slappa’ da bass.” After all these years, I have come to appreciate Corella’s view of music instruction. Unless someone has a Paul McCartney like talent for something, the only way one will improve one’s skill is by repeatedly performing the task. And, if one does not enjoy playing (or doing whatever it is one is trying to learn), this is s good sign that one is unsuited for this avocation and perhaps, should find something else to do.

]]> Practice Makes Perfect https://magnusinsights.com/practice-makes-perfect/ Tue, 31 May 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3154 Practice makes perfect. How many times have we heard this phrase? I have heard it too many times to count! I started playing the piano when I was 6 years old. I started playing the organ when I was 11. My piano and organ teacher was a wonderful friend and neighbor, Corella Johnson, who had a strict requirement for all of her students to “practice the piano” at least 30 minutes every day. My mom, always detail oriented and organized, prepared a daily practice log, where she dutifully wrote the time my daily practice sessions began and ended. So as not to be confused over the exact time I spent practicing, Mom placed a clock on top of my piano, near the dreaded metronome, to allow her to measure my practice sessions with exactness. I was not permitted to join my friends in any after school activities, such as jumping on my trampoline, until my daily practice was finished and logged in. This routine remained in place until the last week of my formal piano training, a few weeks before I moved away from home to attend college. That’s 12 years of daily practice, 7 days a week! Did I learn how to play the piano? Absolutely! Did I ever resent practicing? Not that I can recall. In fact, practicing my musical instrument is now an ingrained part of my life. At the time of this writing, I have been playing the piano for almost 60 years and I have been playing the bass guitar for 22 years (sadly, I no longer have an organ). On every day when it is possible to do so, I either play the bass or the piano for a minimum of 30 minutes. Although I do not keep a log to record my playing time, I write on my calendar “practice” each day at 7:00 p.m. As for whether practice makes perfect, I am living proof that it, in fact, does not. Once in a while, I play a song perfectly, but more often than not, I make a few mistakes, meaning I had better keep practicing until I eventually get it right!

]]> Try it – once https://magnusinsights.com/try-it-once/ Tue, 11 Jan 2022 18:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3016 How does one know if he/she will like something absent trying it, at least once? This isn’t limited to trying new and/or unfamiliar foods, however, that is certainly one area in which people with varying personality types differ greatly. Some people are risk adverse, while others are open to taking risks, to some degree or another. In my line of work as a trial consultant, I know there are numerous activities (based on cases on which I have consulted) that are not for me. These include taking a cruise, parasailing, jet skiing, SCUBA diving, sky diving, and almost anything that pertains to firearms. No thanks. There are other activities that are equally dangerous, I suppose, but the ones I mentioned are “turn offs” for me for reasons I am not able to disclose without my clients’ permission. On the other hand, I am willing to engage in other activities in which many people, who are more risk averse than I, would be unwilling to participate. These include riding in a hot air balloon, being pulled in the snow by horses or sled dogs, riding motorcycles and snow mobiles, walking alone in Central Park, eating exotic food in strange places, such as Morocco, and more. I have traveled by myself, with David, with my late mother, with small groups of co-workers or friends, and twice, with a large group of family members. I am just as comfortable flying on an airplane, renting a car, staying in a hotel, and walking around an unfamiliar city alone as I am with other people. In fact, there have been numerous occasions when I would prefer to travel alone than with the people I got “stuck with” in a faraway location! Some people are skittish about doing things, such as driving a couple of hours in their car to visit a friend. These people would rather stay home, in their comfort cocoon, than drive to an unfamiliar city. They will never know the freedom that results from driving alone, with no “backseat driver,” listening to their favorite music blaring loudly on their vehicle’s sound system, perhaps even singing alone and off key, to a place where they have never been. David and I had a particularly awful and memorable trip to Key West many years ago with someone who was/is quite a rube and who became upset by a sushi menu, to the point of storming out of the restaurant in search of a fast food burger. Oh my! My motto is, with the exceptions noted above, try it-once. One never knows whether it will be a one time experience or the beginning of a new life adventure.

]]> Champagne on 1st https://magnusinsights.com/champagne-on-1st/ Tue, 23 Nov 2021 18:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=2969 David and I celebrate life. If we look around, there is something to celebrate every day. One event David and I have always celebrated is our anniversary. We were married on New Year’s Day, January 1. We selected January 1 because it is a holiday and, therefore, we would never have to work on our anniversary (pretty clever, if I say so myself!). Since then, we have celebrated our anniversary not only on January 1st, but on the first day of every month. Our celebrations always involve champagne. And, although we usually splurge on “the good stuff” on January 1st, our monthly celebrations involve inexpensive champagne. In addition, if we are traveling, our celebrations often involve inexpensive champagne consumed from a plastic cup. For David and me, a celebration does not have to be fancy or expensive to be meaningful. It is more important to us to commemorate our anniversary by drinking inexpensive champagne in a plastic cup in a faraway hotel room than to wait until a perfect moment comes along. And, although I love mathematics, I am not going to calculate the number of bottles of champagne we have enjoyed during our monthly celebrations. The point of this post is make the most out of every day. And, as David’s mom used to instruct us, “Have fun!”.

]]> Things Back to Normal! Water Fountains, Crowded Elevators, Smiling Faces https://magnusinsights.com/things-back-to-normal-water-fountains-crowded-elevators-smiling-faces/ Tue, 12 Oct 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=2939 Hooray! Hooray! I had the privilege of selecting 2 juries, for 2 different clients, in 2 different courthouses, recently. Usually, this would be nothing to write about, however, these jury selections were noteworthy due to the fact that they were the first, and second, jury selections for me since the world shut down in March of 2020 because of the pandemic. I was thrilled, absolutely thrilled, to be back in a courthouse, wearing a dark suit and high heels, carrying a briefcase, and providing help to my clients as they faced challenging lawsuits. Things almost seemed like they were back to normal. The water fountains in 1 courthouse were still turned off, but in the other one, they were working! I love water fountains! Sadly, the elevators were limited to 2 people in the first courthouse and 4 in the second, such that I did not have the experience of being stuffed inside a crowded elevator next to a sheriff’s deputy wearing a big gun on her belt. I look forward to the return of crowded elevators and the demise of social distancing. I don’t want to be socially distant; I enjoy being with people! Although both of the courthouses where I worked required face masks to be worn at all times, it was still great to see people’s smiling faces. I think the judges, attorneys, court personnel, and jurors were just as happy as I was to go someplace, to have important work to do, and to spend time with other human beings. Neither judge allowed the attorneys to approach the bench and 1 of the judges wore heavy rubber gloves while inside the courtroom, but overall, it was a welcome return to business for all of us. Keeping a trial consultant out of the courthouse is awful, particularly in my case as a person who truly loves spending time in courthouses (my dad’s office was located inside a courthouse and it always brings back fond memories when I am in a courthouse). I eagerly await the day when the elevators are crowded, all of the water fountains are dispensing cool water, and people’s smiles can be displayed again. But for now, it’s good to be back in a courthouse, any courthouse!

]]> Was it Worth it? https://magnusinsights.com/was-it-worth-it/ Tue, 05 Oct 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=2916 In October of 2005, David and I were fortunate to attend a concert by the renowned group, Cream. As many people know, Cream were considered the world’s first supergroup because their 3 members, Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker, had been members of other successful groups prior to forming Cream. Although Cream were active from only 1966 to 1968, their popularity has never waned. David and I were thrilled to find out they had reunited for a few performances and we bought tickets to their show at Madison Square Garden as soon as they went on sale. The show was scheduled on October 25, 2005. As fate would have it, the Cream concert occurred the day after Hurricane Wilma devastated South Florida. David and I were absolutely thrilled to see Cream perform (it had been 37 years since they last performed together) and we were already in New York City by the time the hurricane became of concern to our area. As expected, the concert was fantastic! And, as of this writing, it is the only concert I have ever attended in Madison Square Garden. Not only was the show perfect, in every way, but the “Garden” was also amazing! It’s the only concert venue where I have been served strawberries in my champagne! At my seat! Our return trip was delayed by several days, and when we finally got home after a series of delays and mishaps, we found a tree partially blocking our street, lots of spoiled food in the refrigerator and freezer, and a flood inside our house caused by a roof collapse. We were without electricity for quite some time and the repairs to our house took 18 months to complete (all the while, much of our furniture was covered by plastic tarps to protect it when it rained). Was it worth it to see Cream at Madison Square Garden, given what happened while we were gone? Would I do it again if I knew how things would turn out? Yes and yes! I have absolutely no regrets. I got to see Cream in Madison Square Garden! I am grinning a huge grin as I type this!

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