Category: On The Bricks

My father is 79 years old and can out work most people I know. So, I wouldn’t call him old. And if you were talking to him, I doubt that you would have the nerve to call him that either. He’s a big man. Literally.

When he was in the workforce, he had a pretty important job. People from several attended his retirement party. My kids used to watch him on TV. He never made a big deal out of it, it was just what he did. He didn’t pass around the magazine articles written about him in the trade journals or anything. It was no big deal to him, but he worked hard to be good at his job. All of his life he worked hard.

Then he retired.

And he did some things he loved like volunteering at the Museum of Natural History. He earned his certification in paleontology and was always talking about stones and bones.

Recently he purchased a home in Gruver and he’s about to close on the house and moved from Denver to be nearer to family. It makes me happy. For 10 years I have been trying to get him to see the sense in doing such. But what I want and what he wants don’t always happen to be the same, or at the same time. That’s true of so many things with our parents.

As we visited last time he was here, I told him how happy it made me. He said it made him happy, too. He was glad that he would be living around family and would have the great grandkids games to go to, family BBQs and whatever other reasons we find (almost weekly) to get together.

“You don’t know how bad it is to not feel relevant anymore,” Papa said.

Pondering this statement for many weeks now, I think it is important that I listen to Papa.

If you make your job your definition of yourself, what happens when you retire? You don’t just disappear. Or do you?

If you have not gotten to know your children and grandchildren and built a relationship, what happens when you retire? You may feel like you missed your chance at a relationship. Or can you build one now?

If you have only cultivated friends through work, who do you do things with when stop working?

If your job gives you a feeling of importance, when you retire do you become unimportant?

My conclusion for today because we all know that it might be a different conclusion in a month or two, is that it is important to do a good job. There is self – respect in knowing that you have given value to your employers, to your community. But there is family that needs an equal or more amount of your respect and energy. Know them, work together so that you are a team and friends.

Treasure and treat your life long friends as you would gold. If you don’t have any friends outside of family and work, find some. Join a bridge club. Become a Scout Master. Join the church. Invite a friend to go to a play with you. Or better yet, be in one of the plays.

Find your worth in several places. At work, at home with the family, with your friends, and out in the community.

And while doing this, I think we become more interesting. More fun. More versatile.

It’s never too late to improve ourselves or our lives. Let’s get on it.

See you on the bricks!

There are so many people in Texas County who have served our country in the military, whether it be the Navy or the Army or the Air Force or whatever. And whether they were shot at or not, they were willing to serve and they took that chance. They were willing. They were there. They were ready.

The veterans banners on Main Street are wonderful. They make me proud. I don’t know all those folks and if you consider the one who fought for the Confederacy, we don’t all have the same political beliefs. But it doesn’t matter. I honor them. Every one of them.

Speaking to one friend who served, he said that he was never in danger and didn’t feel like he deserved to be on a banner. In my opinion, he’s wrong. He deserves one. His children deserve to look up as they are driving down our Main Street and seeing their fathers photo up there on a banner.

Jim Norris and the American Legion are offering something very important here. They are giving us a chance to build pride in our community, to honor those who have earned the right to be honored for their service … whether you like them personally or not.

So, if you belong to a church or to an organization or if you have a group of friends. If there is a veteran amongst you (living or dead, doesn’t matter), make a point of getting their banner up. The cost is $150 and it is a pretty simple process.

The veterans need to have lived in Texas County at some point in their lives. Call Jim Norris and let’s see more of our veterans hanging on those light poles. Let’s line the entire Main Street. We have people who deserve this.

The Guymon Daily Newspaper ran a list of veterans for Veterans Day … take a look at those many pages of names and help get them all honored.

We have a strong tradition of patriotism in the Panhandle. Let’s pass that on to our youngsters. The veterans banner program is one way to do so.

Thanks, Jim Norris, for giving our community this chance. We appreciate it.

And if you want to see a map of the banners, who is hanging where, the City of Guymon made one and it is posted on the front window at the Main Street Guymon office, 116 NE 5th Street.

See you on the bricks!

It is time for me to catch up on giving you dates and times of some wonderful things happening in our community. Don’t want you to miss the chance to take part and make new friends!
We have a mob hitting the new health food store at 1001 N. Main. By His Hands is owned by Molly Scott and we’re going to cash mob her at 5:30 on Mon., June 11. We would love to have you join us, if you want. It’s about 30 minutes where we go and say hi, look around, and the mobsters promise to spend at least $20. It’s time to get with friends and to support a new business in town.
Right after you participate in the Cash Mob, you can drive over to the Guymon Public Library and attend the Healthy Life: Positivity lecture from 6 – 7 pm. There is no doubt that we can’t all be reminded to toss those pity part invitations and lighten up. I read a card (they’re at SPC WOW Boutique) that said, “You’re invited to my pity party. I’m registered at the liquor store.” I thought it was hilarious.
Here’s a little quote that speaks truth, “Be impeccable with your word. Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.” Words said by Don Miguel Ruiz. That sort of goes along with the positivity theme.
The noon hour on Tues., June 12, has two options. You can run by the PTCI North location on Main Street for the Coop Connections and partake of some free lunch and a drawing for $100. Yeah, that’s hard to beat.
Or you can spend your lunch hour at the Fire Station listening to Charles White with State Farm Insurance explain a social media application that is available, at no cost, to businesses (whether they have State Farm insurance or not). This is a Lunch and Learn and you get to buy your own meal at this one. You can brown bag it or order from Round Top and we’re going to have it delivered. If you want more information on that, call Melyn at 338-6246.
Still on the 12th, after work you should consider attending the Spaghetti Dinner, a fund raiser for the Guymon Swim Team that takes place at the Methodist Church Enrichment Center at 6th and Quinn. The tickets are $10 each and you can request to-go plates.
“If you want to know how far gossip travels, do this – take a feather pillow up on a roof, slice it open, and let the feathers fly away on the wind. Then go and find every single feather and re – stuff the pillow.” Rebecca Pidgeon made that wise comparison.
There are a couple of things happening on Sat., June 16. Starting at 5 pm is the St. Peter’s Catholic Church Kermess Mexicana event where you can find games and delicious Mexican food on the church parking lot. There’s music, too.
And at the Pub on the Bricks, 5th and Ellison, is the Pub Fest, also starting at 5 pm. They have a Beer Mile Run, a Root Beer Run, games, and free food happening there.
Lots of fun going on in Guymon.
Brian Koslow advised, “Never make negative comments or spread rumors about anyone. It depreciates their reputation and yours.”
Folk Music with Charla Lewis is the topic at the Guymon Public Library on Mon., June 18, at 6 pm.
Then next evening, also at the library, is a free movie (great for teens) called “1 Way Up” that is about BMX racers. That happens from 4 – 5 in the evening and everyone is invited.
“Gossip is a very dangerous tool,” said John Lydon. “We should be more wary of the gossiper, and not the gossip they’re trying to relay to you.”
OK, there is a lot going on at the YMCA. You need to be aware of a Sunday evening Co – Ed Flag Football, Wednesday evening Women’s Volleyball, Teen Nights at the Y on July 13, 20, 27, and Aug. 3.
I have probably gone on for too long … don’t want to run way past everyone’s attention span. Hope June is a blessed month for each and every one of you. And know that we want you to attend any of the above activities that might interest you. Step out and try something new!
See you on the bricks.

On the Bricks, Part One

PTCI Channel 2 video

June 2018

What’s Happening in June with Jada Breeden and Shanda Oden Interview

On the Bricks TV Show

OPSU Aggie Football Families

April 2018

Courtesy PTCI

On the Bricks, Part One
PTCI Channel 2 video
June 2018
What’s Happening in June with Jada Breeden and How to Make a Spring Roll with Darcy

There are some days you just can’t catch a break.

There are days when you just aren’t impressed with yourself.

There are days when you wish you could just send yourself outside to play.

You know what I’m talking about, right?

An article entitled “Dealing with Challenging Personalities” looked pretty interesting to me and I decided to read it. It’s in the May Toastmasters magazine.

It started out, “We all know them: the club members who irritate, agitate, and aggravate others. Maybe it’s their strong personality or annoying behavior…. They are maddening!” And then the article proceeded to talking about the personalities and how to work with them.

1. They named seven type of maddening members.
2. The Over – Talker. This person “talks endlessly, barely stopping to breathe in conversation, unaware that their listener has zoned out and lost interest. They can come across as opinionated, disrespectful, and extremely self – absorbed.
3. The Recruiter. He uses every opportunity for “a personal networking or proselytizing event to market their own business or evangelize their own faith. Every conversation and comment is sprinkled with a thinly veiled attempt to gain more clients or converts.
4. “The Googler is the know it all, the self – proclaimed (and often prideful) keeper of all knowledge. They may know a lot of people. They may be name droppers. They many have memorized every aspect of Robert’s Rules of Order. They protest incorrect procedures, or pontificate about ‘why we must do this.’ They can come across as pretentious and inflexible.”
5. The High Conflict person is toxic. They “exhibit behavior consistent with narcissism and histrionic, borderline and antisocial personality disorders. They argue, debate, even intimidate. They often initiate, escalate, and perpetuate conflict, usually with themselves at the center. They blame others and will not take responsibility for their part in a conflict. They think people are either with them or against them, or 100 percent good or 100 percent bad. If anyone is against them, they’re forever against them. They can be explosive and unpredictable, and will try to gather allies in their conflicts, often creating division in a group.
6. “The Latecomer is consistently late. When on the agenda, their tardiness causes last minute role shuffling. Even if they are not on the agenda, their arrival is disruptive and distracting.
7. “The Gossiper delights in passing along juicy information about someone else. The information may be true, but it’s rarely flattering. Gossips speculate, criticize, and divide.
8. “The Eccentric is unusual, quirky, or peculiar. They just seem out of step with conventional standards. Maybe they dress differently, have an unusual habit, or are hyperfocused on a specific topic. Other may think they are mentally deficient, but they are not. In Eccentrics: A Study of Sanity and Strangeness, psychiatrist David Weeks writes how eccentrics are often physically healthier and significantly happier than ‘normal’ people. He says they typically exhibit five similar characteristics: they are nonconformist, creative, intensely curious, idealistic, and unconcerned with how they contrast with conventional culture. Their presence can be unsettling to some.”

I don’t know about you, but I saw myself in about half of those people. I thought maybe I should read the part on how to deal with them, but then I changed my mind. I think I’m stuck with myself. If I haven’t learned in 58 years how to deal with myself, it doesn’t seem likely.
Lots happening this summer. What are you looking forward to?

I’ll see you on the bricks!

My mother is a beautiful 80 – year – old woman. She’s married to Bob and she is smart as a whip. She is also half a step from being a perfectionist and being raised by her wasn’t easy, although she certainly tried to teach me how to work hard and well and to be socially acceptable. I wasn’t always a good learner.

Mama is different these days than she was when I was young. She is more accepting and more forgiving, more positive and just generally more relaxed. And I like the new Mama.

The last couple of months she has had yet another transformation.

She has fallen in love.

Hard.

Head over heels.

She is crazy about Walter.

She calls me sometimes to tell me the wonderful things that Walter does.

Walter is a rescue Schnauzer who has found the good life. Mama feeds him and waters him, has a backyard that he owns, and he has the run of her immaculately clean house. She buys him toys and any day I’m expecting a collar with jewels. We’ll see. Last night he slept with Mom and Bob … under the blankets. Yes, she called and told me.

Who is this person that used to be my mom? I don’t know, but I really enjoy her. Probably not as much as Walter does, but close.

When we get to retirement age and go on into retirement, it is a life change that we really need to prepare for.

Recently I read an article that a man wrote about his retirement. H decided to devote more time to photography; reread One Hundred Years of Solitude and every mystery written by Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler; and to learn the guitar riff or the first 10 bars of every Beatles song. And he did all that and then said he had a “what now?” moment.

“I had simply spent more time indulging existing talents and interests,” said James Petersen. “And none of those goals took me out of the house, involved other people, or kept me connected. I was no longer taking risks.

“The learning curve, I realized, should lead somewhere.” He explained further. “A friend who took up online dating apparently mixed up his likes and dislikes in his profile. It took him months to notice that the women he was meting were drawing him into activities he had previously avoided – and that he was enjoying himself.

“The learning curve should lead you out of the house.

“I have attended Story Slams … sat in intimate Irish pubs being moved to laughter or tears or heartache by the sound of human voices.

“Find a microphone. Tell your story. This campfire has been burning for millennia. It is human connection in its purest form, the exact opposite of what often happens in social media.

“For most of my life I was inclined toward adrenaline sports, velocity. Then I inherited a garden. Over the past few years I have built a vocabulary and a library of reference books. I’ve started a calendar, photographing the arrival of bluebells, lilies, wood anemones, lobelias, bleeding hearts, astilbes. If this is July, that must be echinacea. I have seen plants change in the course of a day. I have sat in the backyard watching the fireflies rise.

“To be on the learning curve you must be willing to be a beginner again, to wrestle with skills not entirely under your control.”

Facing a challenge ignites the brain. To have full engagement, focus, and enjoyment, you have to tackle challenges that are just beyond your abilities, that are new.

Feeling challenged? Wondering what you can do that is new? Want to visit about volunteering? Would love to talk to you about it!

One of the challenges that might be perfect is to get involved with the Guymon Community Theatre. They have a play this weekend. Go check it out.

You might challenge yourself to expanding your culinary skills. Virgil Gibson is teaching a cooking glass through the All Fired Up Gallery on May 31.

Think on it. This could be great fun.

And I hope I’ll see you on the bricks while you’re pondering!

Last week a busy week and this week is going to be even more fun. Thought I would share some oddball tidbits of information that are floating around in my head and really causing a little havoc in there. Maybe if I share it, then there will be a little more order up there.
One of the Aggie Baseball Families went to Dodge City to see the OPSU baseball players play. Now that’s cool. Just knowing that there are people who care enough to do such nice things makes me happy.
Not sure if I shared these science sayings already. If I did, they’re probably worth being told again. I told a chemistry joke. There was no reaction.
Thank you to those who have brought in vases for us to reuse. We have a couple of small boxes so far. We could sure use some more! So maybe you would consider cleaning out the cupboard with all those glass vases saved from when the old boyfriend would send flowers.
Hey, baby. I got my ion you.
The Pub on the Bricks is one of my favorite Main Street Guymon members. And last week I ordered the chicken fajita wrap. It was delicious! You should try one.
Are you full of beryllium, gold, and titanium? Because you are BeAuTifull!
If you’re wanting to try something new this Pioneer Days, take the kids and visit the Point Rock Riders camp on the evening of May 3. The Chamber of Commerce has all the information on Pioneer Days that you need. But, before you call them, print off the Schedule of Events at www.GuymonRodeo.com.
My teacher threw sodium chloride at me. That’s a salt.
The Rodeo Queen Luncheon is Thur., May 3, at Top Value Market starting at 11:30 am. Meet the queens. They’re friendly and interesting coming from states all across the nation. The Pioneer Day Breakfast is at 5:30 on Sat., May 5, and is one of my favorite events to attend. Go there and then register as an Old Timer at the Methodist Church from 7 – 9 am. You get done just in time to watch the parade that starts at 9:30 am.
I blew up my chemistry experiment. Oxidants happen.
Did you know the Pioneer Day Rodeo is one of the best outdoor professional rodeos in the nation? Right here in our backyard! Even the TV show Criminal Minds knows that and chose to have the rodeo clown episode take place in “the sleepy town of Guymon, Oklahoma.” We’re famous and we owe it all to the volunteers through the Chamber who make it happen. The rodeo takes place Fri., May 4, at 7:30 pm; Sat., May 5, at 2 and 7:30 pm; and Sun., May 6, at 2 pm. It costs $20 at the gate, but if you go by Dizzy B’s or Bank of the Panhandle or PTCI or Farm Credit in Guymon, or TCEC in Hooker, you can get advance tickets at $15. But don’t be ignorant and think the advance tickets continue to be on sale after the rodeo starts. Really. That’s not happening.
Community Clean – Up went on all through April. Have you done your little bit of community cleaning? Hop to! It’s time for a little Spring cleaning. The Guymon High School Business Club under the leadership of Summer Behne helped out. They worked hard and were a friendly group of kids. Awesome kids. I feel lucky to have gotten to meet them. I feel even luckier to have them help with the trash picking up.
Enjoy May! This is usually the busy month that brings in the Spring. A wonderful time of year in the Oklahoma Panhandle!
See you on the bricks … probably at the parade!

There are times when we feel pressured to get results. Whether it’s in our business, with a volunteer organization, or a government department, it is time to get things done, to deliver value and meet some goals.
It happens to most everyone. And so, what do you do to get your team going? Here is some insight presented in the article, “8 Ideas to Revitalize Your Team’s Morale and Productivity” in the April 2018 Toastmaster magazine.
Focusing on results exclusively may improve outcomes for a time, but it also burns out employees and volunteers, increasing apathy and killing morale. The key to sustaining excellent results over time is to combine a focus on achieving results with building healthy professional relationships.
Rock your role. The team’s moral and performance begins with the leader. Can they look at you and see the excellence you’re asking of them? Most effective leaders show to play every day. It’s about progress, not perfection. Hone your craft. Find a mentor. Invest in a leadership development program for you and your team. Keep learning.
Mind the M.I.T. Often the number one cause of poor morale, performance problems, and subpar results is a lack of clarity. You can boost morale and productivity by communicating clean, shared expectations. One way to make sure everyone is on the same page is to “Mind the M.I.T. (Most Important Thing). Be sure to prioritize. What is the most important thing your team can achieve this year? This quarter? This week? What is the most important thing they do today? Does everyone on the team know what winning looks like?
Ditch the Diaper Drama. The team needs direct feedback to help them know what to continue and what to change. Most struggle to give direct feedback in a what that helps their employees. Like stinky diapers wrapped with plastic in the modern – day diaper pail, they wrap their feedback in layers of self – protection so it doesn’t offend anyone. Effective leaders speak the truth. Improve your team’s moral and productivity by having the tough conversations and speak truth with compassion.
Channel Challengers. Effective leaders recognize the value every person on their team contributes. They deliberately surround themselves with people who will challenge their thinking. It’s not enough to have an open – door policy and passively wait for people to tell you what you need to hear. Instead, seek out feedback. Ask “As your leader, what is one thing I could do that would help you be more productive?” Listen, respond, and watch your team’s morale and performance soar.
Own the Ugly. When you make a mistake or hurt someone, apologize and make it right and move on. Your people will be able to trust you more, and they’ll be more likely to take responsibility themselves and morale will improve.
Play the Game, Don’t Game the Score. Keep the team focused on what matters most. Your customer doesn’t care what you get on your scorecard. They care about the value you deliver. Isolate the key behaviors that truly drive the value you contribute to your clients, customers, and members.
Put People Before Projects. Know the unique strengths and perspectives each person brings to the team. Take the time to look at a person’s potential to perform beyond their current role. Build trust with, and between, your people. Listen to what is important to them and encourage their success.
Trust the Trenches. In your team, you have a tremendous source of knowledge, insights, and performance improvements. Listen to what they have to say. Your people are your number one competitive advantage.
Interesting thoughts from the article.
To me, it seems like the article is basically telling you to respect people and their skills, listen to them, and work together. Whether it’s in your work, in your family, or in your church, these are things we should all work on to do better.
So, if the community is my team … what would you like to see happening at Main Street Guymon? Email me your thoughts to Director@MainStreetGuymon.com.