A Matriarch, Remembering One Who Brought Us All Together

Merriam-Webster describes the word as, a woman who rules or dominates a family, group, or state

specifically: a mother who is head and ruler of her family and descendants. Their use of the word in a sentence brought me to tears because it could not be more accurate in my family. Our grandmother was the family's matriarch.

To me, she was the first babysitter I remember. Golfing three times a week. Hotdogs at "the club" and, movie dates on rainy days. She was the first person I truly ever wanted to make proud. She was a role model in everything she did whether she knew it or not. 

To others she was mom. The chaperon, the chauffeur, the team mom, the shoulder to cry on, the advice you didn't want but needed, the rock in your life. Her smile and laugh lit up every room she entered. She made an impression the moment you met or saw her. 

The fact that she got her degree in teaching never surprised anyone as she always wanted to have a positive impact on those she came in contact with. Her home was always open whether you were the youngest sibling or cousin. Having the best day or the worst. She was whatever you needed her to be. She was summers at the beach, holiday meals, miller-lite and always cake behind the paper towel roll. 

Perhaps the most important thing that Marion passed on to so many people was the importance of community. Her family actively involved in swimming. She was very involved with the Greater Tampa Swim Association as well as the Academy of the Holy Names. She was an avid golfer and a  President of the Emerald Greens Woman's Golf Association. Everywhere she went it felt as if a family followed. 

Her fondest moments were surrounded by her community. Her kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, cousins, family, and friends. I still remember to this day the tears that came to her eyes moments when we were all together. Whether it was birthday celebrations, weddings, or holiday gatherings the look in her eyes as a family from across the country came together made it all the more special. 

As my family came together to celebrate the new year, and my uncle's 70th birthday on the sandy beaches of Indian Rocks, we celebrated both my grandmother and grandfather in the only way possible. As a community. 

There were and still are tears, laughs, stories, and memories. About two people and moments that have shaped and continue to shape an entire family. And will for generations to come. 

Marion, Mom, Grandma, GG

Gregor, Dad, Umpah

We love you, and are thinking about you every day. As we welcome in the new year, but never forget those who made not only the last decade but the journey of our lives memorable and brought us together to share it. 

2 Digits and a Decimal

Kanye West, Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Evan Williams the list goes on and on. What do they all have in common? They dropped out of school at one point or another. I understand that the era that most of these stars were making their names is a different era than that of today but the messages and principles you can take from their stories remains the same.

A college campus during dead week or finals week is not the place to boost your morale. In between mental breakdowns, procrastination, studying, power naps, and exams college students are not in the best state. 

Spoiler: I have never, nor will I ever stress about school.

I was recently with a friend who brought up a valid point while doing a last minute homework assignment, she spoke of a tweet she saw (social media strikes again) "why do we pay thousands of dollars to pay someone to teach us things that ultimately we are just going to go back to our dorm room and google to make more sense of!"

Growing up the son of a teacher/administrator I have always had the inside scoop on the education system at least I thought I did throughout elementary school. Fun fact, it's broken. All the way to the top. 

We grow up in a society in which my dad, a Pre-K through 5th grade administrator, has to talk to 3rd grade parents that want to know how their child will be prepared for college!

Why do six letters determine how successful a young powerful mind is going to be. Countless studies show that an overbearing amount of stress can negatively affect grades more than the rigors of an actual curriculum. I can confirm after 10 interviews in my life, NOT A SINGLE ONE HAS ASKED FOR MY GPA AT ANY LEVEL! 

Why do middle school and at certain high schools' kids come home with more busy work than the amount of work that they have done at school the same day? Students need to be challenged they need to learn. Yes, but about what? In all honesty through high school my best learning experiences were opportunities I made myself. Meeting with students from a school from across the country, Setting up and end of the year internship with a small business. 

Why do college students feel that their GPA is going to make or break their success in their lives ahead?  How is a test or exam on a topic that they likely will not use in their real-world job our benchmark as to how successful someone can be? 

The world is changing, but is our education system changing with it? To quote in my eyes a very revolutionary thinker in the world of education, "the world that students are going to go into by the time they graduate is going to be very different than the world today, so why wouldn't we teach them skills that can transcend time." 

The Holiday No One Should Need

I am that guy this year. It is an unwritten rule what things are and are not okay to discuss over Thanksgiving dinner. I was the one this year to break that rule. In my defense Thanksgiving dinner this year was just myself (the only child) and my parents. My family is spread out across the United States with certain portions of it having meals from coast to coast (literally California and Florida).

Our Thanksgiving meal has been quite small since we moved to Michigan, sometimes consisting of friends other times it is just the three of us, and our vacuum otherwise known as Magic our golden retriever. Meal conversations cover a wide array of topics often football/sports related, or random topics that can come up in conversation such as if my mother was going to be in the Olympics what sport would she compete in.

This year, however, I brought up a topic that in most households would fall under the "not okay to discuss" list. I have never been quiet about my opinions and the stronger I feel about certain opinions the louder I tend to get. This year I touched a topic that I feel might reach more tables than just my own.

"Why is Thanksgiving necessary?"

I may have said this 6 pieces of turkey in, and my mom may have first laughed it off, but I was serious. My dad who has gotten quite good at reading when an issue or a topic is something I am serious about, went silent. He looked at me and asked me to elaborate.

Now don't get me wrong I believe that Thanksgiving is a great holiday and it can teach us a lot about the history of this country. I am just not sure why it is required. When you ask people their favorite parts about Thanksgiving the responses are family, food, friends, time off, relaxation, and unfortunately lastly, giving thanks.

My challenge is why is a day needed for this. If you want to be with your family and friends DO IT! Go be with them! Spend a weekend or even just a meal with the people in your life you love. Don't wait for a day once a year to let them know you love them and how blessed you are to have them in your life. If you need to relax then relax. Understand how precious our time on this earth with people we care about truly is.

Give thanks all the time. I am guilty of this probably more than most. In today's society it is so much easier to see the negative side of things, the why nots, the what I don't have. I challenge you to take a step back. Realize what you do have. What you are thankful for. Do not wait for one day a year.

Not every day is guaranteed.

Disney Part 2: The Most Magical Place on Earth

Known around the globe, "The Most Magical place on Earth" lives up to its name. A staple of Disney's universe, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida has become one of the most popular tourist destinations both domestically and internationally. Upwards of 60 million people visit and stay at the Disney World Resort annually making it the most visited resort in the world.

Walt Disney World comprised of 4 theme-parks, 2 waterparks, and 2 eating/shopping destinations. Has revolutionized the vacation experience. Whether it's seeing Mickey Ear's throughout airports or the smiling faces throughout the parks. Disney has created a world and class of its own. 

Famously known are the four major theme parks exclusive to Orlando. The Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios bring together all the worlds, and characters Disney has created over the past 90 years. 

The lesser known attractions on the 39 square mile, 25,000-acre property are; the water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, as well as the newly renovated boardwalk and Disney Springs areas. With 25 resort hotels that reside on property Walt Disney World Resort has blossomed into its own world. Running this world in the most precise fashion is a cast and crew of over 58,000 that work on and around the property daily. 

The resorts infrastructure is a secret known to only said cast and crew. Walt Disney was adamant that the workings and behind the scenes actions of his creation would not be known to the outside world as it would take away from the experience and magic of the stay. 

The thought and emphasis put into the famous mantra "The Most Magical Place on Earth" is what makes Disney so different. The idea was simple, create a new world. Where kids could dream, and adults didn't have to grow up. The implementation is what made it magical. 

Falling in Love

I fell in love at an early age. I was about 4 when I was first introduced to them. Growing up they weren't far away. I was surrounded by things they made. I traveled the 1 hour and 17 minute drive to see them almost every weekend. I grew up with them. For the rest of my life they will have a special place in my heart. They helped shape me into the fun loving, still a kid at heart person I am. They are Disney.

The Walt Disney Company founded by Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney took life in 1920 when a then young Walt Disney began his career as a writer and illustrator. It wasn't until 1927 when Oswald the Lucky Rabbit started what would become the most revolutionizing enterprise the world has seen today.

When Walt's bosses took the rights of Oswald from Disney he modified Oswalds appearance and Mickey Mouse was born! Mickey featured in two short silent films before Steamboat Willie premiered which was the first Mickey Mouse Cartoon. Throughout the 1930's Walt Disney Productions dominated the animation market with additions to Mickey's crew including Donald Duck, Pluto, and Goofy.

Disney was a success but it wasn't until Walt Disney took the biggest risk to date of the company's short history. That the step to becoming the empire it is today came to fruition. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. With the creation of Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Dopey, Bashful, Sneezy, and of course Snow White The Walt Disney Company revolutionized animation. From the 1940's to 1955 Disney created classic after classic including: Pinocchio (1940), Dumbo and Bambi 1941, and 42, and Cinderella and Peter Pan in the early 50's.


Disney then took things to a whole new level. Flexing his muscles in 1955 Walt Disney and his company opened Disneyland in Anaheim, California. About the same time the company came out with Buena Vista Productions creating total control over his films their production and marketing. Walt Disney and his company continued its ascent throughout the 1950's and 60's growing with Television shows, as well as continued dominance with animated movies.
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Even with all his success Walt along with his company were never financially secure even at his death in 1966. He had however put the steps in place beginning in the early 1960s to create the giant that Disney is today. In 1965 under a multitude of names and companies Disney had acquired over 27,000 acres of barren swamp-land in central Florida. His most ambitious and creative idea to date, The Walt Disney World Resort.

To date Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL attracts over 52 million visitors a year from across the globe. Disney has expanded opening up Disney Worlds in Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. Disney on the Film and Television side of things has acquired, ABC, Pixar, and Marvel acquisitions that cost the Company $7.4 and $4 billion dollars respectfully. Disney went on to acquire Lucasfilm from filmmaker George Lucas securing the Starwars series a Disney film. Most recently in a deal finalized this year The Walt Disney Company bought 21st and 20th Century Fox in a deal valued at over $70 billion


Today the place, characters, and people I fell in love with over 15 years ago is valued at over 130 billion dollars.

Media Power

"The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses." Malcolm X might have said it best during the civil rights movement. 50 years ago he predicted power that continues to grow exponentially. In 2019 the power of media and now social media speaks and controls a population motivated by instant gratification.

Instant gratification is the idea the human nature desires instant experience and pleasure or emotion. In short when you want something you want it now. With the 5 to 7-inch black boxes carried in every persons pocket or purse instant gratification is at an all-time high, because it is attainable. At every moment of the day news and communication are available.



In a country built on freedom including speech and press. When that is taken away or the credibility of that freedom is compromised what do we have left? In a survey taken in September of 2019 mass media trust comes in at 41%. In a statement of the hypocrisy in the united states that number actually drops to 30% when you are talking about social media, but 68% of Americans say they still get their news from social media.

Media has been around since the beginning of civilization and it is not going anywhere, and as time progresses its power will continue to grow. The question remains, "with great power comes great responsibility" which will media become. Trust is a hard thing to gain while an easy thing to lose. Once lost it becomes near impossible to regain in the same capacity. In the United States the press and major news outlets have reached a pressing time (no pun intended). As power has been pushed through social media to the forefront of everyone's fingertips. How media will work to regain its status and dependability will determine which impact it will have. Media will remain the most powerful entity on earth, will its power be for good or for evil?

Nothing

I have reached a pivotal moment in my life. I am a sophomore in college a time that is often described as the best time of your life. Yet I have nothing going on. I walked back from a wet and cold practice today and attempted to think of ideas I could write about. I had nothing. So I will write about that nothingness.

I don't have much going on in my life. My weeks repeat themselves. My boredom rises. Every week follows the same schedule (no actually our coaches send out our schedule every Monday). That is the life of a student-athlete. Classes repeat over and over again I struggle to find news and sports articles to read to avoid paying attention in class. Workouts three times a week at various times fill free hours before or after classes. School work falls low on the priority list as you write blogs about how you have nothing going on.


Filling the time left is quite easy for me. I have four options that I keep on a constant cycle. Food is always near the top of the list. Food is double edged sword as you kill more time to both find the food and then eat it. Sleep has become one of my most treasured time killers. The amount of times I wake up in a day can range anywhere from 2-5 times with naps scheduled throughout my entire week. I often hear "all you ever do is sleep" from my friends who know me best. Netflix follows in the cycle and it often is combined with second on this list. As we come up on the anniversary of my best friend Nick and his family allowing me to join their Netflix account I want to reiterate to them my thanks for allowing me to be part of their Netflix family. Lastly is the most boyish of time killers. Video games whether I am playing alone or with friends time seems to slip away as you play video games.

Maybe at some point my life will pick up. I turned 20 in august and maybe my life with take a trip to the roaring 20's it just hasn't started yet. I will enjoy my predictable and scheduled life. As people walk in and out of it maybe certain things will start to change. For now, it is time for a nap.

One Goal, To Be Alone

When I was 13 I came up with my biggest and most challenging life goal to date. It is a dream and goal that my mother will never let me forget. She uses it when she first meets friends of mine I think she likes to show the caring side of me and embarrass me like only mothers should. The dream has evolved and developed over the past seven years but the premise remains the same. I want to own a private island.

I have done more research into this topic than any 20- year old should. I get monthly newsletters from Private Islands Inc. I have looked into the cost and locations of islands across the globe. In the Caribbean you can get a 2-acre developed island for about $400,000. Sounds like a great deal to me. Islands can also go for tens of millions of dollars.

Forgotten however are the details of owning a private island. Purchasing an island is the most unique real-estate purchase possible. Before even buying the island going to a "showing" of an island can have difficulties. Location can determine how accessible the island is along with the weather. When buying an island yes the land is separate and private the mainland is still relied on. Day to day life still requires the amenities of living in a town or city. The infrastructure of the nearby mainland is key.

The benefits of living on vacation are easy to see. The vacation lifestyle most wish to achieve is often difficult to execute. Mainstream power or plumbing being readily available on islands is an added bonus that comes with added cost. The dream island away from all civilization is hard to find and leads to a lonely secluded feeling that some turnout to be unable to handle.

I hope to own an island at some point in my life. I could go off to a secluded island and not have a care in the world. As I write this in my dorm room I wonder how good my writing could be if my writing scenery was a beach and not a dorm. Island lifestyle and island time is not for everyone, but it will always be for me.

The End, or Just the Beginning

I am in no way a gamer, but when a game takes over the world it is hard to miss. My first interactions with the game Fortnite was actually on a football recruiting visit to John Carroll University (who coincidentally we play this weekend). Fortnite took the world by storm no that is not a typo I do not mean the gaming world. I can safely say this because of one thing. My parents knew about it! In recent news around the game of Fortnite it blew up. Unannounced and unexpected keeping with what has made the game so popular, being different.

Fortnite is free. In the world today anything being free is unheard of. That is how the game got its initial take off. Free grabs attention! When a game you can play with all of your friends is free it speaks for itself. Currently around 250 million people play Fortnite. At a single time over 10 million people have played at once. In its most popular month Fortnite had over 80 million active players.

Epic Games the creator of Fortnite sensed a drop in popularity for its once star game. Their fears were confirmed as reports came in showing for the first time since the games creation decrease in popularity in the month of August. How do you respond? You blow up the game of course. 5.5 million people watched as the Fortnite shut down. For two whole days the game wasn't available.

Fortnite had the attention of the world again. Trending on twitter and even becoming the talk of my dinner table this fall break. Perhaps that is the genius behind it all doing things that have never been done before. Creating talk and marketing they don't even have to advertise. So far the perfectly executed end and then beginning has done just what Fortnite needed reawakening the gamers who had let the game slip their mind.

The end, became the new beginning.

New York Times Article

The Most Watched Event This Year

CNN Article

McAda

As I pulled through one of the most hopping dining spots in the bumping town of Ada, OH. I followed the line that crossed out in to main street. To the road that then funneled into the drive through lane. I put in my order as well as for my two friends. We all have usual orders that each of us know by heart.  For myself gourmet chicken nuggets and two steaks with buns. Dom a deluxe chicken sandwich with shredded potatoes. Austin chicken pieces with a honey barbecue side sauce.

When we go for a meal depending on our schedule we will dine in and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere on main street of Ada, OH. Or we will ride through the drive through with great service no matter the line they always get us our food fast.

I looked into the history one of Ada's finest establishments and learned that it opened in 1955. Students are a main source of income at this local eatery with stops throughout the day between classes, as well it being a frequent for late night meals. Serving over 140 items and annually making over 2 million dollars a year this staple of Ada will be here for years to come.


Now for all of you who are just dying to come drive through the small town of Ada and try out all the food stops Ada has to offer there will be a lot of options. With local pizza shops and our very own improved Chipotle (Jalepeno's) there are countless places to indulge your taste buds. The stop you just won't miss however is the fine dining establishment under the golden arches!

There Go the Leaves

As I walked the half a mile from the Dial-Roberson Stadium to my apartment I noticed one little thing had changed in the past day. No it wasn't a crack in the sidewalk or that the ducks were gone. It quickly became a dark and gloomy day when I looked to my left and saw a tree with a leaf turning a shade of yellow.

While fall has never been my favorite time of year. I will always prefer 90 degrees and sunny over 60 and leaves falling. People love this time of year. As spooky season, and the beginning of the holiday season comes near. You can see autumn lovers looking to the trees as the leaves change to reds, oranges, and yellows. For those of you who would consider this your favorite time of year. Here is a list of what might make it your favorite.

1. Staying inside all day as the temperatures drop and the cold rains roll through nothing wrong with a great day inside wrapped up in a blanket.

2. Doing anything involving apples, eating apples, picking apples, drinking apple cider, one way or another apples are a sure fire way to start your fall off right.

3.Doing anything with a pumpkin, going to a pumpkin patch, picking a pumpkin, carving a pumpkin all ideas to get you in the fall state of mind.

4. Anything involving leaves never has anything been more applauded for dying. Every year we celebrate the death of all the leaves around us. Whether we are jumping in them or just admiring them leaves have become a celebrated hero of the fall.

5. In many homes the start of fall is the undocumented permission to start having fireplace fires. In my home as soon as it drops below 70 degrees fires are permitted but that comes down to personal preference.

6. Sweater weather, every where you look it seems everyone has found new sweaters left and right. Somehow people don't have to repeat sweaters for weeks.

7. Another unwritten permission of fall, hot chocolate is now available in all shapes and sizes in all kinds of restaurants and cafes.

8. It is officially L.L. Bean season! To those of you who don't live on a college campus or in the presence of those who own these boots I have attached a link. If you go outside after the first inkling of fall weather I promise you half the people you will see will have these boots on. The crazy part is they are not worn before fall then boom it all happens at once. Besides the leaves changing L.L. Bean season might be the best way to tell when fall is coming.

The best for last.

9. Flannel, plaid, anything that makes you look like a lumberjack is officially fair game once the leaves change colors.

Now you may wonder why this list is only 9 things when most of the time I do top 10s. The answer for that is 9 is a scarier number than 10 and it is officially spooky season and this is how I get in the spirit.

Technology.

Technology makes life easier. Technology makes things possible today that 15-20 years ago were not even thought of. Connecting with friends and family is easier than ever. Communicating across the globe is instantaneous. Technology is easy but is easy always the right way? I recently spoke to 800 middle schoolers. All of which had cell phones, social media accounts, and most likely Ipads or computers.

These kids have grown up with social media and technology. They have never known a time when they did not have a screen around them or in front of them. Parents are now more likely to hand kids and Ipad or mobile device to entertain them, than any other toy.

Over two thirds of the world's population have mobile cellular devices. Half of the world population uses social media. Technology is an ever evolving and changing market with new concepts and products out almost every six months.

Society's ability to balance the ease of technology and the part of the world that makes us human could determine whether or not society continues to grow or we end up like the civilization in Wall-E

Is technology really the future of connectivity?
Or the end of it?

Telling Time

It's 7:55 a.m. in Ada. As I make my nice half a mile walk to my 8 a.m. class something dawns on me. I can tell that we have moved in time. I don't have to look at a clock, I don't have to look at a calendar, and the weather has not changed enough to spark anything. It is the students.

It is a nice 75 degrees out nothing to out of the ordinary for a September morning. I am wearing a sweatshirt and the same sweatpants I slept in the night before. The strategy behind this outfit is to maximize sleep. Not caring what other people think of me or what they think about what I am wearing. As my eyes scan the tundra and then the sidewalks to the Dicke College of Business I realize I am not the only one with this strategy. There are freshman girls you can tell have been up for hours to get ready and do their makeup. Most however have adapted the week four I don't care strategy. 

Walking down the small campus of ONU students have adjusted to college life. No longer do you see these well thought out outfits looking to find their college sweetheart. Now it is how can I roll out of bed the latest and get to class on time. You see more sweatshirts, hoodies, sweatpants, joggers, and leggings than ever before. You see less curled hair and makeup and more hats and messy buns. 

It is the middle weeks of the fall semester at Ohio Northern University. I did not have to look at a calendar to know that. Just look to the sleep deprived students across the campus and what they are wearing to their first classes in the morning. It is amazing how much you can learn not from looking at a clock, or a smartphone, or a watch, but looking at the people around you.

10 Interesting Facts about the World

While I struggle for things to write about this week. I looked at what I would read if it popped up on my screen! I found this article from North South Travel. 

10 Interesting Facts about the World

1. France is the most visited country in the world

2. Surprisingly Australia is the most obese country in the world as of 2012 with a 26 percent obesity rate

3. There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos

4. Honolulu is the only place in the United States that has a royal palace

5. Spain is considered the most mountainous country in Europe and has over 8000 km of beaches

6. The United States has no official language

7. One third of all the airports in the world are located in the US

8. Mexico City is sinking at a rate of 10cm per year, 10 x faster than Venice

9. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world not to have any rivers

10. It has been rumored that the Great Wall can be seen from space, but in actual fact it can not

This is one link that caught my eye. It is crazy how fast the human mind can be focused on one thing to another. The average human attention span is 8 seconds. It is also scientifically proven that subject lines with top lists are shown to draw more attention to their posts. The next time you are scrolling try to keep in mind how often your attention is changing.