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Work-Life – 2's Company – MagnusInsights.com https://magnusinsights.com Wed, 21 Sep 2022 16:39:41 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://magnusinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/cropped-2sCompanyLogov23-32x32.jpg Work-Life – 2's Company – MagnusInsights.com https://magnusinsights.com 32 32 The M’s https://magnusinsights.com/the-ms/ Tue, 27 Sep 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3272 I have a friend named Marilyn Einbinder. We met several years ago at a Passover Seder hosted by her son, Marc, and daughter-in-law, Susan. Marc and Susan are our wonderful Megan’s parents and it was Megan who invited me to attend her family’s Seder. Immediately upon being introduced to Marilyn, I knew we were going to be friends. We just “clicked”! Plus, she exclaimed to everyone in attendance that I look just like Meryl Streep! (This is something I hear often. Strangers approach me and ask, “Has anyone ever told you that you look like Meryl Streep?” to which I reply, “Many times and I sure wish I had her money in addition to her looks!”.) Since our first meeting, Marilyn and I have become good friends. Although we don’t get to see each other as often as I would like, due to living relatively far from one another, we go to lunch as often as possible. We call ourselves “The M’s” for Marilyn and Melissa. We have a lovely appetizer in Marilyn’s gorgeous high rise in Aventura, then we go to whatever restaurant Marilyn has selected for a delightful lunch. Our time together is filled with girl talk; serious discussions about politics, religion, and world affairs; and lots of laughter. I have more fun with Marilyn than almost anyone I know. Recently, I delayed visiting a dying friend for a few hours in order to have the opportunity to have lunch with Marilyn. When I told her about my friend’s expected passing, Marilyn said she would have understood if I needed to postpone our lunch date. I explained that I didn’t want to postpone it because I knew having lunch together, and enjoying the pleasure of her company, would be the only fun thing I would be doing for a long time. I treasure my friend, Marilyn, and our friendship! Here’s to The M’s!

]]> Ziggy’s Birthday Is Still an Event https://magnusinsights.com/ziggys-birthday-is-still-an-event/ Tue, 13 Sep 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3237 I will always and forever miss Ziggy. For those of you who never met Ziggy, he was my cat and my friend for 19 years. I loved Ziggy so much that, after his passing, I wrote a book about him. I fell in love with Ziggy on October 31, 1977. It is the only time I have ever experienced love at first sight! We went through many life changing events together, including numerous moves as I attended college, then graduate school, and embarked on my career. We grew up together, in many ways. Ziggy was big (20 pounds in his prime), fluffy, and most important, mean. He was really, really mean! One of his favorite pastimes was tricking unsuspecting people into thinking he was harmless, then biting them as soon as they tried to pet him. I warned these people to never trust him, but it was usually to no avail. Ziggy was also profoundly entertaining. We had lots of fun experiences together! And, luckily for David, he received Ziggy’s seal of approval when we began dating! When David and I moved to our home in Lighthouse Point in 1992, I knew it would be Ziggy’s final home. By then, he and I had lived in many places, including several that were not too nice, and we were ready to settle down. I informed the real estate agent who helped us find a house that the #1 requirement was a screened porch where Ziggy could enjoy himself. (Luckily, the real estate agent was a cat lover, who understood my #1 desire was to make Ziggy happy!) Ziggy lived a spectacular life, passing away on September 14, 1996. My mom repeatedly said. “There will never be another Ziggy” and she was right. (As a side note, Ziggy never bit Mom!) . Many cats have come and gone in my life since Ziggy, but none will ever have the profound impact he had on my life. Ziggy was born on August 15, 1977 and every year, his birthday is written on my calendar and his life is commemorated. Ziggy lives on in my heart and memories!

]]> 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!

]]> Vacations https://magnusinsights.com/vacations/ Thu, 11 Aug 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3214 At the time of this post, I am likely on vacation. After missing the opportunity to take a vacation for a couple of years, Melissa and I have been looking forward to it. The visit to this destination, Alaska, was delayed from our original plan and thus, we’ve been working on and revising the plans for months. It is difficult, as small business owners, to get away, really away, and be detached from work for any extended period of time. I’m not sure we ever can. I’ve “worked” from vacations in Hawai’i, Greece, Australia, and more, if only to reply to some emails from clients or staff. The purpose of a vacation is, to me, like rebooting a computer. Our brains need rebooting; they need to be cleared. It is a pressure release, and frees up brain cells from the stresses of daily life which recharges my brain for when I get back to work after the vacation. Permanent vacations have appeal, but I haven’t won the lottery yet. Vacations are a reward for hard work and they are good for mental health as well. Over the years, I’ve noticed some people almost apologize for vacations; I’ve felt that, at some level, when I realize how our schedule impacts our ability to work for clients at certain times. But, a vacation should not be a sign of weakness; rather, it is a sign that one is doing something healthy and productive. 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!

]]> The Confounded Bridge https://magnusinsights.com/the-confounded-bridge/ Tue, 19 Jul 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3200 The confounded bridge! This expression appears to have originated in the 1973 song, “The Crunge,” by Led Zeppelin (on the Houses of the Holy album). At the end of the song, either John Bonham or Robert Plant asks, (music historians disagree on whose voice is being heard) “Where’s the confounded bridge?”. This is a reference to James Brown, whose songs usually involved irregular forms, such that he had to say “Take me to the bridge” to inform his band it was time to play the bridge part of the song. The bridge in a song is used to contrast the usual structure of verse/chorus/verse/chorus that is common in many songs. The bridge, or b section, of a song is a transitional section that usually occurs in the middle and is used to prepare for the return of the verse/chorus structure. The bridge often has a different chord and/or rhythmic structure than the rest of the song and can be difficult for musicians to play (thus, Led Zeppelin’s reference to the confounded nature of the bridge). Outside the U.S.A., the bridge of a song is called the “middle 8,” due to the fact that it is usually 4 or 8 musical bars. Many songs by The Beatles contain a bridge, or as they called it, the middle 8, written by the non primary song writer. For example, if a song’s verses and chorus were written by John Lennon, Paul McCartney frequently wrote the middle 8 (and vice versa). The purpose of the bridge is to provide a new angle, advance the story of the song, or introduce a new element. In my life, most situations involve a musical reference. For me, the bridge in life, as in music, can be a different perspective on a familiar situation, a change in ways of doing something, or an entirely new way of looking at the world. In music, I am always listening for the bridge to determine where the song will be taking me. One never knows when that confounded bridge will appear.

]]> An Ode to Mullet https://magnusinsights.com/an-ode-to-mullet/ Tue, 28 Jun 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3163 Recently, my friend, Button, and I were talking about our fondness for fresh fish. We discussed our shared opinion that fish is best prepared fried, not baked, smoked, grilled, blackened, or en papillote. (I enjoy eating fish that has been prepared in all these ways, but in my opinion, there is nothing quite as good as freshly caught fish that has been fried.) Button said he was going to fry some grouper a friend had caught earlier that day, prompting me to ask whether he liked mullet. His eyes opened wide and he said, “Well, I could eat mullet if I was real hungry, but I’d rather not.” Much to his surprise, I explained that mullet is my favorite fish. And, of course, fried mullet is my preferred method of eating it. Fried mullet brings back many great memories of family reunions in Wakulla County, Florida; my days in graduate school, when my cousins Venice and Asa would “fry a mess of mullet” on Saturday afternoons; and my dad, who loved mullet as much or more than I do. Button and I went on to discuss our opinions of the side dishes that must accompany a good fried fish dinner. We agreed that fried fish, whether it’s his grouper or my mullet, should be accompanied by cheese grits (real, stone ground grits, not the instant junk kind), homemade coleslaw, and hush puppies (or, as Venice used to say, dough boys). And, if we get amazingly lucky, after dinner, we would have a slice of key lime pie or a big piece of coconut cake. Now that’s a good dinner! There aren’t too many restaurants that have mullet on the menu, although The Farmers Market Restaurant in Fort Myers still serves it. I told David about my discussion with Button and pretty soon, David surprised me by buying some wonderfully tasty mullet at a fish market. That’s the way to my heart! I happily fried the mullet, we had a fabulous dinner that couldn’t be beat (to quote Arlo Guthrie), and I decided then, and there, to compose this ode to my favorite “Florida Cracker” fish.

]]> 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.

]]> Big Family https://magnusinsights.com/big-family-2/ Wed, 15 Jun 2022 04:30:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3159 I come from a big family. My dad, Park, was 1 of 17 children and my mom, Leola, was 1 of 8 children. As best as I can recall, I have 38 first cousins and an even larger number of first cousins, once removed, second cousins, and more. My dad was the proverbial middle child; he was number 10 in birth order among his siblings. My mom, on the other hand, was the youngest child, with some of her siblings old enough to have been her parent. The Pigott side of my family used to host a lot of family reunions, both in Fort Myers, where my paternal grandmother moved in the 1920s, and in Wakulla County, where numerous Pigotts and their “kin folks” have resided since the 1800s. I can’t begin to count the number of fish fry dinners; foot washing services at the Primitive Baptist Church in Medart, Florida; and birthday parties honoring Grandmother Pigott I have attended! Grandmother’s birthday parties were so well attended that they were held at the fairground! One of the primary benefits of attending graduate school at FSU was living on my cousins’ property in Ivan, Florida, in close proximity to several common locations for family reunions. One of my cousins was waiting for me to register for classes so that she could be sure I would attend a reunion that was being held the following weekend. Lucky me! I always loved attending family reunions, not only to see my relatives, but to eat the delicious food that was a large part of our get togethers. Mom’s family didn’t have reunions, however, when we visited her family in South Carolina, there were always lunches and dinners held in her honor that included as many relatives as possible. I enjoyed the delicious food at these events too! Although many years have passed since the older generation planned and hosted family reunions, I will always have fond memories of the time my family spent together. I have recently reconnected with my cousin, Jody, on my mom’s side of the family, and we are having a great time catching up where we left off as children. With many families experiencing discord and disharmony, I am glad to have many fun times with my big family.

]]> Big Family https://magnusinsights.com/big-family/ Tue, 14 Jun 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/?p=3159 I come from a big family. My dad, Park, was 1 of 17 children and my mom, Leola, was 1 of 8 children. As best as I can recall, I have 38 first cousins and an even larger number of first cousins, once removed, second cousins, and more. My dad was the proverbial middle child; he was number 10 in birth order among his siblings. My mom, on the other hand, was the youngest child, with some of her siblings old enough to have been her parent. The Pigott side of my family used to host a lot of family reunions, both in Fort Myers, where my paternal grandmother moved in the 1920s, and in Wakulla County, where numerous Pigotts and their “kin folks” have resided since the 1800s. I can’t begin to count the number of fish fry dinners; foot washing services at the Primitive Baptist Church in Medart, Florida; and birthday parties honoring Grandmother Pigott I have attended! Grandmother’s birthday parties were so well attended that they were held at the fairground! One of the primary benefits of attending graduate school at FSU was living on my cousins’ property in Ivan, Florida, in close proximity to several common locations for family reunions. One of my cousins was waiting for me to register for classes so that she could be sure I would attend a reunion that was being held the following weekend. Lucky me! I always loved attending family reunions, not only to see my relatives, but to eat the delicious food that was a large part of our get togethers. Mom’s family didn’t have reunions, however, when we visited her family in South Carolina, there were always lunches and dinners held in her honor that included as many relatives as possible. I enjoyed the delicious food at these events too! Although many years have passed since the older generation planned and hosted family reunions, I will always have fond memories of the time my family spent together. I have recently reconnected with my cousin, Jody, on my mom’s side of the family, and we are having a great time catching up where we left off as children. With many families experiencing discord and disharmony, I am glad to have many fun times with my big family.

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