Check Diversity at the Door and Look for Shared values First

Shared Values

I guess I just don't see things the same as a lot of people.  I remember those group exercises at work where you were asked to go over questions to determine if you were more like this animal or that animal--or some other metaphor that would determine whether you were a leader, a follower, and this or that. Often when I took those tests my results were mixed. I was seldom a rabbit or a dog, but maybe half rabbit and half dog. It got to be frustrating because I stood out in these training sessions and with my employer you really didn't want to standout. 

Although my test results were always mixed, I have written before that I am not big on diversity. I know that sounds like heresy today, but what I mean is I respect differences in people, but I am pulled towards people of different (diverse) backgrounds who share common values with me. 

Someone who is some kind of witch may value dark spirits and sing songs to the devil. I am not attracted to that, although it is diverse. I used to know some foreign students who hated certain races that represented their neighbors back home. I also knew some foreign students who believed every American was out to steal their money.  I wasn't fond of that diversity either. I remember a person of a certain European extraction who worked for my old company and was in town for a training session. He had decided that he didn't want any part of religion because he didn't want it to weigh his behavior down. I heard his view the day after a late after-meeting cocktail party where he was trying "pick up" one of my colleagues. He demonstrated to all of us that a little religious conviction might have saved him from making a fool of himself. No, I find more and more evidence that valuing diversity for diversity's sake is not a real good quality. 

My son worked with foreign students and still does. He used to bring some of them home for visits. We had a Chinese graduate student with us for several days. Her background, religion, culture, --you name it was far different than ours. But she was here 10 years ago and we are still talking about her. But again, it wasn't the differences that endeared her to us, it was her values and compassion that transcended everything else. She had a lot of the qualities that we valued and she had her own way of expressing them. She had such a wonderful appreciation of my wife and for those days it was like she was another daughter. 

I have this sense that it your own values are in order, you can check diversity at the door and first figure out whether the people in question have their values in order as well. I don't think that should be a problem. 

Sporting Chance Press Work in 2020: Sportsmanship by Patrick McCaskey

 In 2020,  Americans fought hard times. It was an uphill climb and is still going on this month as we are seeing plans to start administering vaccines for the general public to defeat the Coronavirus. It was a pleasure to publish four books at Sporting Chance Press this year and those efforts kept me close to home. 

Our first book this year was Sportsmanship, our fifth book in the Sports and Faith Series. Patrick McCaskey, Vice President of the Chicago Bears, lives a life that is one of sports and faith. Working with the Chicago Bears Football Club, programs that honor exemplary players and coaches, charitable events and programs that give back to the community, and much more are all part of Pat's existence. I can't think of anyone better to write about sports and faith than Pat. 

Besides stories of players, coaches, and contests, Sportsmanship includes a literary portion that features a section on the author's favorite authors, a collection of his Biblical inspires poems, and a collection of speeches he has given over the years. Certainly, those who have seem McCaskey in person these past years will find these works a valuable keepsake.

Who is author Pat McCaskey? McCaskey is a grandson of Papa Bear George Halas, a brother of Chicago Bears Chairman George McCaskey, and son of the guiding spirit of the Bears today, Virginia McCaskey.  McCaskey has been working for the Bears for over 45 years and he is the Chairman of Sports Faith International and Catholic Radio WSFI. 

The Miracle Food Multiplication, Matthew 14:13-21

 

The Miracle Food Multiplication, Matthew 14:13-21

Jesus was quite concerned about the crowd.

He cured the sick and He fed the hungry.

Jesus Christ met the needs of the people.

He was a capable and gracious host.

 

Jesus prefigured Holy Communion.

The Eucharist is an institution.

 

Jesus received great cooperation.

Israel became a well-fed nation.

The Disciples made the distribution.

Multiplication was the solution.

 

Christ said eternal life is a banquet.

Earthly banquets could be heaven previews.

We can do that by serving loaves and fishes.

The men volunteer to do the dishes.

Copyright 2020, Sporting Chance Press

Appearing in:  Poems About the Gospel

Specifications: 

• Paperback : 176 pages
• ISBN-10 : 173458632X
• ISBN-13 : 978-1734586329
• Item Weight : 10.1 ounces
• Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.44 x 8.5 inches
• Publisher : Sporting Chance Press, Inc. (November 10, 2020)
• Price: $20 
• Available on Amazon. 

Bill Gates Reads a Lot of Books

Bill Gates is famous for a lot of things. One of those that publishers like is that Gates is a book reader. Few people are book readers, although it is not unusual for successful people to spend time with books. Bill's tastes run along the lines of fairly technical books. But by reading books, he does Americans a favor because we certainly like to follow our celebrities. 

My public library once had a visual promotion that consisted of large posters of people in our town reading books--these were recognizable people like police officers, the mayor, and others along with come regular library patrons. I give them an A+ for the effort. 

These days we also follow people who are in videos that have gone viral. Rather than reference someone's definition of "gone viral," I just think of it as a video that we are told has gone viral by some television show or media news source. There is the recent video of a man named Nathan Apodaca who is skateboarding while drinking Ocean Spray Cran-raspberry Juice and lip sinking the Fleetwood Mac song Dreams. The TV picked up on this and certainly by now the video is hugely viral. Not only has the video sold some juice, the Fleetwood Mac song was back on the charts. 

You have to wonder about advertising expense is this environment. Sometimes the best ads are 

F R E E! 

I'll keep working my blogs and Facebook pages and hope that something happens. 

Sporting Chance Press published 4 Books this year: 

Baseball's Winning Ways

Papa Bear and the Chicago Bears' Winning Ways

Poems About the Gospel 

Sportsmanship

I've been in publishing/books since I was 16 years old in 1969. I'd love to see America fall in love with books again regardless of who leads the way!