Category: Personal Reflections

Lessons learned about life; pearls of wisdom I’ve gleaned through pain, failure and honest reflection

A Blog, A Reflection, And A Recommendation

Carl Setzer6 Comments

My friend Bill posted this earlier today: “Where everyone would love to drown“. Seeing the headline in my inbox, and knowing Bill, my brain connected it to the Stevie Nicks song “Sara”. Google, and its scion YouTube, assisted me as I wanted to listen as I read. Here’s what I played:

Hints of youth, of those people who’ve impacted us greatly, but who fade to myth over the decades. That’s what came to mind for me.

In response, a haiku awakened. True to form, I guess. 

Summers of my youth
Tastes of freedom and heartache
Crowds passing me by

I highly recommend you head over to Bill’s blog, the Pink Lightsaber. He’s a talented writer well worth the gift of attention.

Did You Know Keanu Reeve’s Was In Paula Abdul’s “Rush, Rush” Video?

Carl Setzer

I loved this song back in the early 90s (I probably still have this CD somewhere in my “stuff”). I remember the video. I don’t remember Keanu Reeves in it, though. Someone else shared this today, which is when I noticed him.

Who would’ve guessed, looking at Keanu Reeve’s early work (yes, that’s Keanu in this video), that he would become the powerhouse that he is now? I certainly didn’t.

Some Thoughts On The Coffee Industry, and a Book Recommendation

Carl Setzer1 Comment
Starbucks Logo

In the early 2000s (2004-2009, to be specific) I worked at Starbucks, first in Global Communications then on the Corporate Social Responsibility team. I loved my time there and is the one place I would return in a hearbeat.

We former Partners (as Starbucks employees are referred) have an alumni group, the Green Apron Network. It’s a great group of folks whose presence I greatly enjoy and am privileged to be part of. One of the great figures of Starbucks’ corporate history is a man by the name of Major Cohen. If there is anyone who knows coffee better, I am unaware of them. Recently retired, Major has written a book, “Coffee For Dummies“. Though I haven’t read it yet (I have a copy on its way), I know Major well enough to highly recommend it. A few of my friends have already read it, and recommend it. I’ll write more about the book once I have read it.

So, check it out! There’s a Kindle version, so you can start reading it right now. If you read it, leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

This Morning’s Earworm: Kate Bush “Running Up that Hill”

Carl Setzer2 Comments

Pretty much every morning I wake with a song in my mind. Sometimes it’s simply my latest auditory obsession. Sometimes I think it’s my subconscious “telling me something”. This morning I woke with Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” on earworm. I’m not sure if my brain has a message for me or this just a song I’ve long loved popping back into my awareness. But it’s not unwelcome.

Is the move from big cities permanent?

Carl Setzer
Map of the US

My son and a number of my friends have asked what I think about all these people moving out of cities. Well, a Twitter friend, Bernie, posted this to his blog today: Iowa shows why the move from big cities may be only temporary. I agree with his assessment: cities offer more than affordability. I lived for the better part of 10 years in downtown Seattle and loved it. Arts and culture are a part of my soul. Having galleries, coffee shops, restaurants a short walk away delighted me deeply. One my favorite times in my life.

Anyway, Bernie references an article that looks at Iowan politics that might impeded this desire to attract the coastal urban dwellers to the mid-west*: Wood: About that public narrative we’re crafting to attract out-of-state people to move to Des Moines. Summation: the state’s anti-progressive agenda will impede growth. It’s an interesting point of view. For me, personally, politics might be a part, but, ultimately, the whole urban west coast thing is who I am. Even if they had the fastest internet on earth, I doubt I’d be heading east in a U-Haul.

 

*As a life-long west-coaster, I have long loved calling the middle part of the US the middle-east. 

An update on education

Carl Setzer

This is from one of my assignments this week, and it seemed like a great blog post. So, enjoy!

  • What was the most pressing issue(s) you had to deal with during this course?
    • My biggest challenge this quarter was time. All my courses took more time than my past ones. With that, I had a few side-projects that were more time-intensive than I was anticipating. I often was submitting assignments right on the edge of their being due. This, not something I like! I value proactivity and being solidly ahead, exceeding deadlines. With that, I like to have time for an in-depth review of my readings afterward. That was not easy to make happen.
  • How did you overcome it or remedy the issue(s)?
    • I dealt with this mainly by being more thoughtful. I made it a point to slow down as I read and take better notes at that point. I recognized that I might not have the time to re-read every chapter, but I could take the time to review my notes. So it was critical for those notes to be valuable. I also leaned heavily on things like Quizlet, a flashcard app, which I have on my phone and iPad, and I use this on my PC as well. That enabled me to review things at more random moments. A quick flip through flashcards while waiting at the doctor’s office, dentist’s office, bank, etc. In this time of Covid, I have spent a fair amount of time waiting in lines. Being able to squeeze every bit out of my days has been vital.

5 Jobs I’ve Had

Carl Setzer

On Twitter last week someone asked everyone to list “5 Jobs You’ve Had”. This is a random list of jobs, basically just what popped into my head.

  1. Construction permitting coordinator
  2. Media coordinator
  3. Executive assistant
  4. Church office manager
  5. Realtor

Just 5 of many (take a look at my resume if you want to see more). Each one a piece of who I am now.