Disney Customer Service Keynote Speaker
Five daily blogs about life's 5 big choices on five different sites.
Live like you mean it.
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This website is about our spiritual health. To leave this site to read today’s post on jeff’s career health website, click here.
On April Fool’s Day 2009, jeff noel began writing five daily, differently-themed blogs (on five different sites). It was to be a 100-day self-imposed “writer’s bootcamp”, in preparation for writing his first book. He hasn’t missed a single day since.
(photo: Next to last day we decided to visit the office… for a few photos)
How’s is that even remotely possible?
After a decade of photographing Jack the Teddy Bear on world wide business trips for Disney Institute, the realization that Jack hadn’t ever been photographed at DI HQ was addressed yesterday.
He’ll go back again today, Halloween, for one final encore.
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Jack – a father, not the traveling bear – would have been 80 yesterday (May 19). He raised a son and daughter in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania.
His only grandson was born eight months before his final breath.
Weird how these moments in life come and go.
What emotions should we focus on?
What was lost?
What could have been?
Grateful we got anything at all?
Make the best of it.
Bonus video of Jack the Bear in Alaska (for real):
Next Blog
What’s your favorite Christmas song of all time?
I mean, if you could only pick one, what would it be?
My wife’s Grammy, who died in my arms at age 93, always said Little Drummer Boy was her favorite. She went to Heaven in September 1989.
It never occurred to me back then to ask her why. Why would it have occurred to me?
Well, all these years later, “Why?” is a fun and purposeful question.
Why do you enjoy your favorite Christmas song? For no reason? Or, for some special or purposeful reason.
Hey, I realize some of you may say, “Jeff, not everything has to have a purpose.”
Right. And this is the fundamental difference between those that drift through life and those that make a difference.
I enjoy listening to “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” as much as anyone. It’s funny, unexpected, and way not serious.
But Little Drummer Boy is not only Grammy’s favorite, but mine as well. Why? because I Look for little ways to help our son understand his family’s history.
His Grandfather, Jack (not the bear), my Dad, was a drummer. He started playing drums from the moment he could hold drumsticks in his hands.
He hitch-hiked 100 miles to Philadelphia, from his row-home in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, just so he could take drum lessons from a particularly talented drummer.
He played drums in the Army band while stationed in Japan, during the Korean War.
He taught 30-minute drum lessons Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 4:00pm – 8:00pm, year round.
He played gigs on Friday and Saturday nights, year round.
As a young man, he had business cards printed. His title – “Drummer”.
From one stupid little Christmas song, a piece of our son’s family history is told, year after year.
But only if I put some thought into it.
And at Christmas, as it is all year round, it’s the thought that counts.