Ted Schneider "Improv Leadership" The Life wrlr 98.3 FM

   Brakes enable you to go faster 11/2/24 – At first you might not think this makes sense – how does something that slows you down and eventually stops you help you go faster? Having brakes means you can take advantage of open road or straight-aways by going as fast as you can because you know when the curve approaches you are able to slow down and take it at the appropriate speed. Gravity works against us by constantly pulling our bodies towards the center of the Earth and even when we stand our circulatory system must overcome blood pooling in our lower body.  At the same time, gravity is essential – allowing us to live and move properly on earth (that downward pull is needed for proper physiological processes). Sleep allows you to stay awake – without proper rest and downtime you cannot function – if you are sleep deprived you will struggle to get through your day. Darkness allows you to see light. What? Yes, if you are in a field in the middle of nowhere you can see the sky light up with the beauty of the stars. Lastly, we need to eat food to obtain the necessary nutrients that provide energy for our bodies to grow, repair tissue and maintain vital processes. At the same time, fasting or time restricted eating can improve blood pressure, blood sugar, reduce inflammation and overall improve metabolism (so should I eat or not eat)? 

Autumn 10/26/24 – Officially “the dropping of leaves from the trees as they go into a winter rest.” Does this mean if the trees didn’t need a rest, we wouldn’t have winter? Trees just stand there, and I never see them lying down resting unless a hurricane or tornado rips them from the ground. I wondered if we carefully glued the leaves back on OR sprayed them before they fell with hair spray could we eliminate winter? I realize there are people that make a living from snow plowing and there are Fall festivals but if we gave everyone advance notice that “the leaves were not falling this year” they would hopefully have time to find alternate sources of income and the towns/villages would simply change the events from Fall Festival to They Didn’t Fall Festival. The other fallout from not having Fall, a longer outdoor pickleball season, nicer temperatures and it wouldn’t get dark so early. Lastly, the trees all getting together to rest and drop their leaves sounds like collusion or like they secretly formed a union. The solution as I see it, trees share water and nutrients through their root networks and use them to communicate. We simply need to hack into their network and spread the word “keep the leaves on” and we are set! 

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder 10/19/24 – Definition - beauty doesn’t exist on its own but is created by the observer. I enjoy taking pictures, for example, of sunsets, sunrises, rainbows, the moon, and flowers. If something catches my eye, something I think is pretty, unique, colorful, or out of the ordinary I feel compelled to capture the image. In addition to what I see in nature, there are many times when I look at my girlfriend, I feel compelled to capture what I am seeing although she isn’t fond of having her picture taken. If beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, it makes sense because she doesn’t see what I see. In addition, her beauty runs deep – what she brings emotionally to the relationship along with what’s in her heart is just as beautiful.  

Is it just me? 10/12/24

- I will step on a crack (my mom’s back is just fine) but I won’t step in a handicap parking space (in case it’s somehow contagious).

- Installed new carpet and to avoid wearing a path on it, I zig zag like a sniper has me in his sights.

- When driving and someone is apparently in a big hurry and passes me, I use my psychokinesis powers to make the light turn red ahead of us.

- I never ask for a lemon in my water because there is no way they washed the outside of it (or no way of knowing how many people handled it).

- I don’t sleep much because nature is throttling my energy (when I do sleep well, I am more energetic and even more annoying than usual).

- I am 66 and I get carded when attempting to use a senior discount – they must think I dye my hair gray.

- I love peanut butter and yogurt because I can pretend I am an astronaut and at the same time cut down on the time it takes to eat (no chewing required).

- I don’t drink coffee because if “America runs on Dunkin” I am plenty regular without coffee thank you very much.

- Instead of cold water plunging, I cold water shower (don’t wait for it to warm up first) and for those of you that don’t do cardio, this will get your heart rate up instantly! 

Things have changed 10/5/24  - Funny how things change over time along with your perspective - perhaps it is simply a byproduct of getting older (older not old). Some examples, 1) When one of my friend’s fathers turned 40 (mine was still in his 30’s) that seemed incredibly old - today at 66 I’m not old. 2) I believed what I saw on the news and in newspapers – today I view most of what I observe with skepticism. 3) All my friend’s parents (including mine) worked a job and came home, no one called them after work, there was no email to check after hours – most people I know that are still working never disconnect (including myself). 4) When I was young, I cut two neighbor’s lawns along with ours (with an old-style push mower – we were well ahead of the ‘go green’ movement) – today that has been outsourced – most kids don’t cut lawns. 5) I walked up to Ken’s Pharmacy and could get ten full size candy bars for $1.05 (tax was 5% - it’s 10.25% today) - today you can’t buy one candy bar for that price. 6) We grew up witnessing the ‘War on Drugs’ and last year Illinois sold over a billion dollars at weed dispensaries. 7) My parents didn’t work out, go the gym, or play sports etc. and neither were overweight – today I work out seven days a week, count my steps, play pickleball 2-3 times a week and watch what I eat to maintain my weight. 8 - We brought cupcakes to school for our birthdays and treats for the holidays and no one was allergic to peanuts, had to eat gluten free food or was lactose intolerant – today everything is banned - perhaps we were just tough kids. 9) We were thoroughly entertained by having six channels on TV – today there is almost endless choices for entertainment (and some will tell you there is nothing to watch). Change is constant, technology advances, social norms have morphed, right from wrong has become blurry, what’s ‘right for me’ for many takes precedence, and our world doesn’t look anything like it did growing up. When I think about it, the only thing that hasn’t changed are my memories and I hope to keep them unchanged for as long as I can. 

Perfect storm 9/28/24 -   September 2014 was a perfect storm – several unique events coming together at the same time. I herniated a disc in my back, I was going through a divorce after being married for 30 years, I had to find a new job because my division was being sold and I had to pay alimony for 7 years, I had to decide where I was going to live and I needed a new car (I was driving 110 miles a day to work with 200,000 miles on my car). It was a physically and emotionally trying time. I remember the best advice I received, “Take it one day at a time” and it was true – like putting one foot in front of the other when starting a long journey. I have learned a great deal about myself and have experienced life like I never had before since then. I have grown, matured just a little and understand what is important and what isn’t so important. In the perfect storm of September 2014, I was battered by high winds, hit by some hail, was soaked and cold by the rain, was concerned when I heard the thunder, and was amazed by the lightning but held on until the rain eventually stopped, the clouds dissipated, and the sun came out to tell me it was OK. I am not the same person I was before, but I am comfortable with who I am now. I realize there will be more storms to face on the horizon, but I will take them one day at a time, realizing I may get a little wet and be temporarily rattled but I can dry off, refocus, and move forward. 

Cartoons 9/21/24 - As a follow up to what I learned from TV series, here is what I learned from some cartoons I watched growing up (thanks Tony for the idea).

Jonny Quest – If your father is a scientist, you can be home schooled on the road by a ‘bodyguard/tutor’ named Race Bannon and his father’s ‘adopted’ son Hadji (there was more going on here than we realized).

The Jetson’s – We must have been poor because even middle-class families in the future could afford a maid (we couldn’t).

Casper – Sometimes you must be a nonconformist regardless of what most people think you should do.

Woody Woodpecker – It is OK to be loud, zany, and disruptive.

Bugs Bunny – Rabbits from Brooklyn are smart, and they can outsmart hunters.

Scooby Doo – If your dog can talk you really should listen to what he/she has to say.

Rocky & Bullwinkle – A moose and a flying squirrel were responsible for winning the Cold War against Boris and Natasha.

Roadrunner & Wile E. Coyote – ACME products don’t always work as expected.

Speed Racer – Some race car drivers have unusual pit crews (ex., a monkey called Chim Chim that effectively uses body language, and a girlfriend named Trixie).

Tom & Jerry – Mute adversaries can coexist in the same house.

It is OK to have a speech impediment (ex., Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck and Sylvester the Cat).

Yogi Bear – Bears that wear a hat and tie are above the law (if they steal picnic baskets, they are not charged with a Class A misdemeanor). 

Route 66 - 9/14/24 – As I turn 66 today, I think of that highway in terms of my life. I have traveled many miles, seen many things, met many people and although I am not famous, I think of myself as being historic (the first or only one of its kind)! The road I have traveled to reach 66 has been at times a winding road, uphill, downhill, well-lit, dark, bumpy in a few spots and smooth as a brand-new highway at other times. I have even hit a few speed bumps that I didn’t see. The journey has been an interesting frolic – at times experiencing the liberating feeling of the top down of a convertible, at other times driving a rumbling 60’s muscle machine and still other times feeling like I was traveling in a beat-up old jalopy. The trip to 66 started out with no directions, then a paper map, some directions off the Internet to a GPS but regardless of the methods used all of it has enabled me to reach this spot. When I was much younger 66 seemed like a big number – now 66 is just a number that entitles me to a few discounts with a little bit of wisdom sprinkled in along with a few scars. I hope to continue to travel down the route of life for as long as I can until the final exit (and in between will look for a few rest areas to stretch my legs) and unlike Route 66 I hope to never be decommissioned. 

Then and Now 9/7/24  

Some “Thens” and Nows” to compare the past to current day:
Then – My grandmother would say, “He sleeps with one eye open”
Now – I am up at 4:30am during the week and usually up before 6:30am on the weekends.

Then – My mom would say, “he has ants in his pants, he can’t sit still.”
Now – My girlfriend says, “He has more energy than anyone I know.”

Then – My parents would say, “Everything is a joke to him”
Now – Everything is a joke to me.

Then – When I was a few years old, people thought I was a girl, so my parents had my hair cut.
Now – I am happy to still have hair.

Then – Teachers, relatives and friends would say, “He never shuts up” and I frequently got in trouble in grammar school for talking.
Now – I still love to talk (hence the radio show).

Then – I was frequently getting hurt.
Now – I buy two boxes of band-aids at a time (I am always getting cut).

Then – I never had much of a sense for fashion.
Now – My girlfriend helps me buy clothes.

Then – I was a Boy Scout and followed the rules.
Now – I follow the rules that suit me.

Then - I never did drugs.
Now - People think I should be on drugs. 

Then – I was lousy with directions and on occasion got lost.
Now – I am lousy with directions and on occasion I get lost.

As Popeye used to say holds true for me, “I am what I am, and that’s all that I am.”

Lessons learned from TV shows 8/31/24 - There have been many great TV/cable series. In addition to be entertaining they also taught me lessons.

Here are a few shows I enjoyed and what I took away from each:

•Breaking Bad – if you have a product that stands out from the crowd, you will be financially successful.

•Soprano’s – leadership isn’t as easy as many think it is.

• Better Call Saul – if you change your name, it can dramatically change your life.

•MASH – having fun and sharing laughs regardless of the situation can be key to your survival.

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer – high school can be a scary time.

• X-files – sometimes you can’t find what is right in front of you.

• Simpsons – some people never seem to age.

• Friends – you can go through almost every life experience imaginable with only 5 close friends.

•I Love Lucy – life sometimes is only available in black and white.

• Ted Lasso – being optimistic and seeing the good in others will enable you to form solid relationships

• Gilligan’s Island – overpack regardless of the length of your trip.

• The Walking Dead – you can stockpile as much as you want for the apocalypse, but zombies or your neighbors will eventually get you.

• Game of Thrones – life is a power struggle but if you own dragons, you can shift the balance of power.

• Leave it to Beaver – be careful of the nicknames you give to your children.