The stories are everywhere. Retailers operating on shortened hours, restaurants formerly opened for lunch and dinner are now open only for dinner, factories are unable to find production line workers, shippers cannot have their ships unloaded because of too few dock workers, and not enough truck drivers to deliver goods, airlines cannot find sufficient crew members after reducing their labor force in recent years, shortages everywhere and prices rising.

Where did all the workers go?

There is so much economic data available, it is not difficult to connect the dots and understand where those workers went. Before the onset of Covid, there were about 152 million workers in the labor force, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. During Covid, in 2020, employment dropped to as low as 130 million with high levels of unemployment as businesses shut down. But in December 2021, with only 3.9% unemployment, employment reached only about 148 million.[1] What happened to the 4 million workers employed in 2019 but not unemployed or employed in 2021?

Where did they go?

Worker Retirement

First, many older workers retired. According to a Goldman Sachs report using government data, about 3.4 million workers 55 years or older left the workforce, meaning they were not employed or looking for work. 2.5 million are new retirements. In a normal year, about one million workers retire; apparently, another 1.5 million retired above normal last year, mostly taking early retirement.[2]

The reasons for early retirement are several. Many families actually made money during the pandemic, with enhanced government payments, a rising stock market, and months of saving and not spending out of concern for the future. They have a newly acquired nest egg to commence a life of retirement.

Many employees decided work during a time of Covid was just not worth it. Does $10 an hour and long workdays adequately compensate for risking illness and even death? Many clearly sad ‘no.’

 Some older employees were laid off during the bad times and may have felt their ability to find another job was limited. Robbed of familiar tasks and procedures in a known and comfortable environment, some of these workers likely were unwilling to start a new one, especially at an advanced age. Rather than claim unemployment, socially, it may have been easier to claim retirement.

Some preliminary indications indicate that some of these early retirees are returning to the labor force.[3]  The “un-retirement” rate was 2.6% in October 2021 compared to 2.4% in August 2021 and 2.1% in June 2020, during the height of the pandemic.[4] Evidently, inflation fears and stock market volatility are causing some to reconsider whether they have sufficient retirement savings. Thus far, the number of early retirees returning to the labor market does not appear sufficient to solve the labor shortage, but if inflation and stock market woes continue, more early retirees will likely return to work, easing the worker shortage.

Other Worker Shortage Reasons

While retirement appears to be the largest cause of a reduced workforce, there are other reasons. Recently the government reported a disappointing new jobs creation of 200,000 jobs compared to an expected 600,000 new jobs. At the same time, a separate household survey reported an unemployment rate decline to about 3.9%.[5] How can new jobs be lacking but unemployment be declining?

Most likely, many employees left the corporate workforce to form new companies, work from home, and start new businesses. Companies report employment statistics, but households report if members have jobs. Many people clearly found jobs in non-traditional places that some statistical data unreported.

With schools closed in many areas, moms (and sometimes dads) face the challenge of supervising children and cannot work productively. Pre-school and daycare are often hard to secure, and labor shortages in daycare exacerbate the lack of available daycare slots. According to a study at the University of California at Berkley, there are 111,000 fewer daycare workers now compared to February 2020.[6]

Parents who have children at home are more likely to drop out of the workforce until the schools are not subject to closing. This may explain why more women left the workforce during Covid (Feb. 2020 to Feb. 2021) than men, even though women make up less than half the U.S. workforce.[7]

Less Immigration = Fewer Workers

And then there is the issue of immigration. Total immigration (legal and illegal) has dropped dramatically since President Trump took office. In 2016 total immigration to the U.S., including legal and illegal, was about 1.2 million. By 2020, the last year of the Trump administration, total immigration had fallen to about 700,000. Similarly, the number of refugees admitted to the U.S, fell from about 85,000 in 2016 to around 11,500 in 2020.

Many factors influence immigration, but the administration’s immigrant policies clearly depressed the number of admitted immigrants. Typically, newly arriving immigrants take many lower-paid, less desirable jobs such as restaurant kitchen help, which are now in such short supply.

Germany, which is also suffering labor shortages, recently announced a need to admit 400,000 more immigrants annually if they are to fill the gap.[8] Immigration is so politicized in the U.S. that high levels of new authorized immigration seem unlikely.

With a diminished workforce, the demand for goods has increased dramatically. Pent-up demand and household spending responding to expectations of a better future have driven economic recovery. Goods from overseas, including China, have been delayed by Covid-related factory and port closures. American firms have struggled to meet the demand, but without workers or imported parts, they cannot move forward.

So, what can be done to replenish the labor pool?

• Older Americans must be given greater incentives to un-retire, including more pay and better working conditions.
• Schools must remain open and be sufficiently staffed so parents can resume work.
• Immigration must be increased quickly, especially to fill less desired jobs, and policies expanding daycare and pre-school and attracting workers back to these fields must be pursued. It’s not that complicated.

Without incentives and policies to restock the labor pool, expect continued shortages, increased prices and inflation, unfilled jobs, and limited future growth.

________________________________________

Scott MacDonald is a retired CEO and author of award-winning books, including Education Without Debt, Giving back and paying it forward. More information about Scott is available at authorscottmacdonald.com.

[1] St. Louis Federal Reserve, Current Employment Statistics, January 7, 2022, https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PAYEMS accessed January 15, 2022

[2] Juliana Kaplan and Madison Huff, Goldman just figured out why the labor shortage will last for a long time… Businessinsider.com November 12, 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-millions-retired-early-pandemic-not-going-back-2021-11 accessed January 15, 2022

[3] Greg Iacurci,  Retirees are ‘unretiring’ – and that’s good for the labor market, CNBC.com  November 17, 2021, https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/17/retirees-are-unretiring-and-thats-good-for-the-labor-market.html  accessed May 23, 2022

[4] Ibid.

[5] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics News Release, The Employment Situation – December 2021, https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf accessed January 15, 2022

[6] Center for the Study of Childcare Employment, Child Care Sector Jobs; BLS Analysis, January 11, 2022, https://cscce.berkeley.edu/child-care-sector-jobs-bls-analysis/  accessed January 15, 2022

[7] Rakesh Kochhar and Jesse Bennett, Pew Research Center, U.S.labor market inches back from the COVID-19 shock… April 14, 2021, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/14/u-s-labor-market-inches-back-from-the-covid-19-shock-but-recovery-is-far-from-complete/ accessed January 15, 2022

[8] The Economist, Espresso Morning Briefing, January 21, 2022

***

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College Costs Through The Years

I was raised by a single mother, and my family did not have the resources to pay for my college education. We didn’t consider ourselves poor; we just didn’t have much money. Like many of my baby boomer brethren, I worked my way through school. I graduated in 1970 with a small amount of student debt. 

Today, 70% of students graduate from college burdened by student debt. Many have excessive levels of debt that will inhibit life choices, like buying a home or starting a family, for many years after graduation. There is about $1.6 trillion in outstanding student debt currently. That is more than credit card debt, auto loan debt, or any other kind of debt except home mortgages.

Why don’t members of the current generation of work their way through school like I and many of my colleagues did? 

Realistic Cost For An Education Today 

There are different situations for different students, but one fact is clear upon review; it is simply no longer possible to work one’s way through school while working without going into debt (more below). The math no longer supports such a supposition. When I attended Indiana University, tuition was about $450 a semester, and room and board was about $500 a semester, as I recall. That translates to about $1,900 a year. Add some miscellaneous expenses and I needed to earn $2,000 to $2,200 a year to pay for college.

I had a job at a local factory that paid me an average of $2.00 an hour. With some overtime, I could make $100 a week; over 20 weeks I made about $2,000 a year. At school, I waited tables and made expense money, so I was pretty self-sufficient. 

The factory where I worked in Cicero, Illinois, closed long ago as did other nearby factories. Students today are more likely to find jobs at retail stores which often pay $10 to $15 an hour. Most stores offer part-time positions with less than forty hours of work per week to avoid needing to pay benefits. A student who does secure a forty-hour-a-week job can expect a gross income of $400 to $600 a week. Over twenty weeks, that translates to $8,000 to $12,000, which is considerably more than I earned at $2,000.

College costs more now, too. My alma mater, Indiana University, calculates an entering freshman in-state student will need about $27,000 a year. Other public schools are similar, and many are more expensive.

The University of Michigan indicates an entering freshman will need $31,000 a year. Ohio State University requires a total cost of about $28,000.

In my community of San Diego, the University of California San Diego estimates a total annual cost of $33,000 for in-state residents. Across town, California State University at San Diego is less expensive at about $30,000. And private schools and out-of-state tuition at public schools are much higher. If someone wants to attend the private University of San Diego with smaller class sizes, plan to spend about $71,000 a year.

Let’s return to the student with a part-time job at the shoe store in the mall. He or she might make $10,000 from their work if they are fortunate to secure sufficient hours. That amount does not come close to paying the cost of college attendance. 

College Tuition Options In Today’s World

There are options to reducing the gap between the cost of attending school and how much a student can earn. All schools have scholarships; if you’re a talented basketball player, for example, an athletic scholarship may be possible. If one is an exceptional student and leader, there are usually some funds available. And if someone is from a particularly poor family, better-endowed schools will provide support. When I went to school, my family was not impoverished, I was not very athletic, and while smart, I certainly wasn’t brilliant. I suspect most current students fall into a similar description.

The federal government and some state governments provide scholarship funds to students from families below certain income thresholds. The biggest program is Federal Pell Grants. These grants are designed to help close the affordability gap. The maximum grant, however, is just $6,495. It helps but does not close the gap for most students.

What does the college student do when confronted with an attendance cost of $25,000 to $30,000 and an income of $10,000? He or she seeks financial grants, but for most, there will still be a considerable affordability gap. There are options including less expensive community college for a few years, and there is borrowing money to go to school.

Within society, we can debate what to do about the rising levels of unsustainable student debt and the relative unaffordability of a college education, but we cannot pretend that the old methods, including rolling up one’s sleeves and paying for college by waiting tables, are realistic in today.

We need systemic change to ensure that the students of today and the would-be leaders of tomorrow get a fair shot.

This post originally appeared on Thrive Global in 2021.

***

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The post Why Systemic Change Is Needed Now to Pay For College appeared first on Scott MacDonald.

In more recent years, I have been CEO or President of multiple companies. I have witnessed life from the bottom to the top of the ladder of life and have worked and enjoyed companionship with people from all walks of life including new immigrants and high profile investment bankers. My observations are reflected in the books I have written.

I share 25 lessons learned in my first book, Saving Investa, How an ex-factory worker helped save one of Australia’s iconic companies including:

• Family is first
• Don’t expect anyone to give you anything
• You make your own luck
• Players score points but teams win games
• Never be satisfied with what you know.
• Recognize change and get ahead of the curve

In my book, Think Like a Dog, How dogs teach us to be happy in life and successful at work, my dog Sadie and I translate canine behavior to desired human characteristics including:

• Being Persistent
• Living in the Moment
• Avoiding Certain Dogs
• Knowing when to bark
• Being loyal
• Leaving your mark

In my book, Education Without Debt, Giving back and paying it forward, my philosophy of giving back and helping those who follow and expecting all to pay it forward comes through. My MacDonald Scholarship programs have been implemented at six universities and about 100 students who could otherwise not afford college are receiving financial grants while participating in community service programs while in school.

The San Diego Union Tribune has written about me and my desire to help students receive an education on multiple occasions including more recently

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/lifestyle/people/story/2021-02-13/philanthropist-tackles-the-issue-of-student-loan-debt-in-new-book-education-without-debt

The post Observations and Priorities in Life appeared first on Scott MacDonald.

But I accept aging and the changes that accompany growing older. I know that one’s life is fleeting; everyone is born, and everyone dies. In my ancestry research, every ancestor has a birth date and a date of death, as will I. 

But it is also a good time of life. The pressures of work are past. My blood pressure has dropped so much since retiring that I no longer need or use medication to lower it.  

My children provide me much pride. So much time and effort goes into raising children, it is nice to see such good results. Andrew and Ross are wonderful people and successful in their chosen careers. Andrew and his wife Davida are foreign service officers representing America in their varied State Department posts. He was the youngest foreign service officer in the State Department when he first joined. And he and Davida are exemplary parents to my three grandchildren.  

Ross is a partner at the prestigious law firm of Gibbs and Bruns in Houston. He recently married Kaylen Burke, whom is a terrific partner. My children’s values and success makes me think the years of family time and engagement were well worth it. 

After thirty years of marriage and late in life, I was divorced, which was a particularly painful process. Now several years later, I am fortunate to have Patti Kurtz in my life. She and I went to college together but did not know each other while at Indiana University. She is a retired teacher and school principal. The second time around for me has been a blessing. 

Relieved of the need to work and having achieved financial success, I can pursue interests I have always had but no time to spend. My ancestry research over the past decade has uncovered my history and the complex human connections which led to me and who I am. My writing has blossomed with award winning books on both fun and serious topics.  

 I have been able to give back and help others through my scholarship programs. And I have been able to keep in touch with the newest generation of students, which helps keep me young in attitude despite chronological progression. I have served on several public committees helping government and my fellow citizens. I never had the time and resources for these activities in the past. 

I have a most fortunate lifestyle, owning a condominium in downtown San Diego overlooking the San Diego Bay and the constant parade of passing ships. I sold my large home in Del Mar which had appreciated greatly, and the funds allowed me to retire debt and buy a second condominium home in Montecito in Santa Barbara near the ocean. What a nice life. 

It is hard to fathom that this kid from Berwyn, Illinois, raised by a single mother, always lacking funds, could now be living such a comfortable life and helping others access opportunities. I have much to be thankful for. I feel blessed.  

The post Enjoying Life as I Age appeared first on Scott MacDonald.

So David and I decided we need to start a company to make and sell Jewish laser beams from space. No one else is making these potentially highly useful tools, and David is Jewish so we should be good to go. 

Fund raising should not be a problem. Private investors no longer require profits or even an existing product. Many of the recent IPO’s are richly valued based on a concept; few seem to actually make money. And financial gurus on Wall Street have developed SPACs – Special Purpose Acquisition Companies – that do not own any underlying business. They are highly popular with investors. This is perfect for our Laser Beam business. 

Government funding should complement private investment. The Government has been funding fission research for years including at least $2 billion of Department of Energy grants with no discernible success or even progress. But a couple billion dollars seems like small change compared to our laser beam potentials. When the Department of Defense finds out Iran is working on a Muslim space-based laser beam, DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) will certainly be moving fast to fund our version. And when the Government finds out the Chinese have hacked our website looking for our product specifications, the whole Government will be alerted as to the importance of our efforts. Sorry, China but our specs remain inaccessible until we develop them. 

We probably need a prestigious Board of Directors to give us credibility. Board members do not need to know anything about technology or laser beams, and knowing less is probably helpful. Theranos, the blood testing company that faked results, was worth billions partly because of their distinguished Board who knew nothing about the product including Henry Kissinger, George Schultz, Gen. James Mattis, former Senator Sam Nunn, and many others. Possible Board members for the laser beam company could include Hunter Biden and Donald Trump Jr, who seem to enjoy positions in which they have little knowledge. 

We need a production facility and can likely trigger a bidding contest between states desiring to be the location of the only space-based laser beam company in the world. Wisconsin and South Carolina would be good candidates from which to solicit free land, building subsidies, and tax relief. Wisconsin gave Foxconn $3 billion to build a factory in Racine County. South Carolina has provided car manufacturers, aviation industry companies, and others billions of dollars of subsidies. 

Speaking of Donald Trump, we believe we can gain the former President’s support and fund-raising help if we suggest the laser beams would be potentially effective at eliminating Republicans who voted to impeach Mr. Trump. His former lawyer apparently convinced millions of supporters that Hugo Chavez was behind the effort to steal the election even though Chavez had been dead for many years. Even Fox News widely reported this accusation. Trump appears to believe whatever reinforces his ideas and getting rid of Republican opponents may be too good to pass up.  

Similarly, anti-abortion advocates may be attracted if they thought the laser beams could eliminate family planning clinics. There is almost no limit to potential uses of these laser beams after the technology is perfected.  

If we can move quickly, we think our laser beams are definitely considered infrastructure and could be part of President Biden’s four trillion dollar packages to Congress. If 5G and electric car chargers and even senior care givers are infrastructure, why not laser beams?   

As far as product distribution, we do not need a sales force or even much of a workforce. We intend to distribute through Amazon. Amazon will even permit pre-orders before the device is developed as long as they can guarantee buyers will be charged no more than the pre-order price and any price reduction will be passed through to early buyers. We are okay with this.  

So that’s the concept. We take a product that has already been reviewed favorably on the Internet, raise lots of money from multiple sources following well-traveled and documented paths, obtain Government support and related credibility, cut a deal with a state to subsidize any future facility, acquire political support and maybe even become a cause, and began an investigation into the feasibility of developing a product while becoming rich. Maybe we should add Hugo Chavez to our Board? 

The post The Next Big Thing: A Can’t Miss Product appeared first on Scott MacDonald.

I have been CEO of several companies, and accusations of sexual harassment or sexual misconduct are not uncommon in organizations today. So how do you determine what is real and what is false? 

Every company I have led or even worked for as an executive had clear company policies against harassment and improper sexual conduct. We had training and sensitivity sessions with all employees required to attend. We could not afford the litigation and the diminished productivity associated with hostile workplaces. I am guessing politicians and entertainment executives may not have such required training. The lack of required sensitivity training and clear policies usually reflects a lax attitude and contributes to a potentially hostile environment.  

Leadership comes from the top. Unless the CEO, organizational leader, or managing supervisor embraces clear policies and enforcement of rules against sexual misconduct, poor behavior will often occur. Unless the leader’s personal conduct is above reproach, others will also feel free to engage in unacceptable behavior.  

Powerful men have opportunities to transgress, whether they are CEOs, high ranking politicians, or people in the news. Women in powerful positions may have the same opportunities; but I don’t know because I have never been in that role. Often, young women are attracted to power, but a true leader resists opportunities to exploit such situations. 

The claims of sexual misconduct can generally be divided into three categories. First, some claims are easily confirmed, the perpetrator can be quickly terminated, and the organization moves forward. Once I had a secretary claim her boss hired her only because he wanted to have sex with her, which he did on multiple occasions. I fired the guy as soon as I determined he was having an affair with someone who reported to him. The fact his secretary had none of the usual administrative skills reinforced the premise that her utility was not related to her time at work. That was an easy decision. Unfortunately, the terminated employee had been an otherwise exceptional manager and high level producer, but I could not let him continue. Morals and ethical behavior are more important to any organization over time than short term profits or success.  

Secondly, allegations are sometimes completely false. An employee, for example, receives a bad review and responds with an accusation that the poor review was due to her unwillingness to perform sexual favors. It is always easier to blame others for one’s own shortcomings. Some employees want attention, and some may not like a fellow employee and seek to taint that employee’s record.  The accusing employee may even believe his or her accusation even if it is untrue. Employees who make false acquisitions are usually not that good about performing other tasks and have a record of poor performance. There is also usually no supportive evidence or other witnesses in such situations. I try to dismiss false accusers as quickly as possible but am sensitive to making sure the dismissal is not and cannot be characterized as retribution for allegations they made concerning sexual misconduct. Documenting and communicating poor performance is the antidote to false accusations.  

Thirdly, and most of the time in my experience, claims of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, or hostile work environment are more complicated and not quickly resolved. Often, individual perceptions differ.  In one case, a woman accused a male colleague of sexual harassment and produced a serious of supportive emails. But when we confronted the accused male employee, he produced a series of highly suggestive emails from the accuser.  They were both responsible for the problem, and we counselled both and warned them to desist from any further suggestive comments or emails. It is always important to gather both sides of the story, before making a decision. 

The most complicated accusation I ever needed to resolve was an accusation that a male supervisor was showing favoritism to a female subordinate because he was sleeping with her.  The accuser provided specific accusations regarding time and place of romantic liaisons. Our investigation ultimately showed the accuser was lying about the specifics and was jealous of the coworker, but the supervisor was indeed having an affair with someone else and using company funds to continue the relationship. So, the accusation of an affair with a subordinate and favoritism was correct but for the wrong reasons. Other company members participated in a cover up to protect one or the other involved in the dispute. It took a while to straighten the situation out and resolve the differences.   

My conclusion of having worked through many accusations (note I have never been personally accused of any related issue), is that it is important to take time and investigate the accusation. When multiple accusers come forward, there is a likelihood of at least some truth. Flat denials by the accused and the refusal to answer questions is typically the conduct of someone who has things to hide rather than someone who welcomes an investigation to clear his or her name. People who are innocent of accusations seem to welcome an investigation and are cooperative because they have nothing to hide.  

Scott MacDonald has been CEO, President, or Managing Director of several companies. His book, Saving Invest; How an ex-factory worker helped save one of Australia’s iconic companies, has won numerous awards. 

The post A Perspective on the Increasing Level of Sexual Harassment Allegations appeared first on Scott MacDonald.

While universally popular, specific holidays vary from country to country.  Many holidays celebrate the birth and life of a famous patriot or leader.  Other holidays celebrate a specific event such as a national military victory or declaration of freedom and independence; some holidays celebrate a religious event or occasion; and other holidays recognize a calendar event such as the start of a new year. But I continue to wonder if the historical event or occasion is what is celebrated or is a holiday just an excuse to party. So, let’s look at the evidence. 

Recently I was invited to attend a Cinco de Mayo party in San Diego. “Cinco de Mayo” means “May 5” in Spanish. Ostensibly Cinco de Mayo celebrates the victory of Mexican troops over the French soldiers of Napoleon III on May 5, 1862. This battle is otherwise called the Battle of Puebla, where it was fought. The result of the Mexican victory was short lived, however, because the French defeated the Mexicans a year later, took over Mexico City, and installed their own ruler, Emperor Maximilian 1.  Today Cinco de Mayo is typically not celebrated in Mexico except in Puebla, but it is widely celebrated in the U.S., especially in the southwestern states which border Mexico. The holiday has become an excuse to have a party, eat Mexican food, and drink beer and margaritas. When asked why Cinco de Mayo is being celebrated, most have no clue but some evidently claim it is Mexican Independence Day (wrong, that’s in September). So why is the holiday marking the victory of Mexican troops over the French celebrated in the U.S. and not Mexico? It must be an excuse to party.  

I lived in England in 2006 and Australia for several years beginning in 2008. Great Britain and all the Commonwealth countries including Australia celebrate the Queen’s birthday.  Queen Elizabeth II has been the Queen of England and the commonwealth countries since 1952; she was born April 21, 1926. One would think by now the responsible officials would be able to put her birthday on the calendar correctly. 

In Australia, we celebrated the Queen’s Birthday on the second Monday in June.  Apparently, the Aussies like 3-day weekends and there are already other holidays in April so June seemed like a logical month. Great Britain decided to celebrate her birthday the second Saturday in June apparently because it is a big tourist event and is now accompanied by formal parades and pageantry.  Tourists are not likely to watch the parade in cold, rainy April weather so June seemed like a good choice. Other countries like New Zealand celebrate the Queen’s birthday at other times. So, celebrating the Queen’s birthday apparently has nothing to do with the Queen’s actual birthday but represents an opportunity to have a holiday, take time off, and sell tourists lots of trinkets. 

In the U.S., our first President, George Washington was born February 22, 1732. Celebrating his birthday seems like something we should do, and some states celebrate his birthday specifically. Abraham Lincoln, another great U.S. President, was born February 12, 1809, and some states celebrate Lincoln’s birthday.  But all states and the Federal Government celebrate our President’s Day National Holiday on the third Monday in February. This year, that was February 19, which is neither Washington’s or Lincoln’s birthday, but it did provide a three-day weekend to celebrate the late stages of winter and the approaching springtime.  

Some holidays are specific to the calendar.  January 1 is always New Year’s Day unless you live in Asia and celebrate Chinese or any of the Lunar New Year’s which typically commence with the first new moon of the new year. Jews celebrate the new year of Rosh Hashanah which relates to a Hebrew Calendar and is typically in September or October.  

May Day is May 1 each year but it’s origins are also complicated.  Generally, May Day seems to be a holiday that celebrates the approaching springtime.  Long ago, Romans celebrated the arrival of spring on April 27; other countries celebrated April 30. Originally, May Day was a pagan holiday; then it was a religious holiday including the Catholic celebration of the Virgin Mary. When religious holidays become less popular, it became a secular holiday. Holidays can change in purpose but never go away; they are just recharacterized. The Communists adopted May Day as a day to celebrate International Workers (aka Communists). It seems people all over the world celebrate May Day but for lots of different reasons and history.  Recently I was in Morocco, a predominately Arab country, and it is a national holiday there. I did not ask why because I did not think the reason mattered. 

There are lots or religious holidays, but many such holidays often appear to have gained popularity as counter programming to holidays of competitive religions or beliefs. Christians celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25 each year, but historians have no clue what day Jesus was actually born. So why December 25? Apparently, there was a pagan festival every year to celebrate winter solstice and the god of agriculture, Saturn. The festival generally ended on or about December 25. After the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in the year 312, church leaders decided to celebrate Christ’s birth in a holiday each December 25. Without Christmas, the church would not have an attractive alternative to the pagan festival. 

Similarly, Jews, especially in the U.S., celebrate Hanukkah with festivities and significant gift giving. Hanukkah is around the same time as Christmas each year. Hanukkah in Israel and other places of Jewish focus, is a minor holiday and not widely celebrated, but it provides an alternative holiday with presents for all to celebrate when Christian neighbors celebrate Christmas with its extensive commercial overtones. 

Sometimes holidays evolve and are enhanced. Easter celebrates the resurrection of Christ, but it was unlikely Christ was resurrected on the first Sunday after the full moon that appears on or after the vernal equinox, as most U.S. Christian churches follow. Easter has evolved through the centuries to include colored Easter eggs, the Easter Bunny, an Easter egg hunt, and lots of candy.  

Some holidays represent an important milestone for part of the population but not all. Columbus Day celebrates the European discovery of the new world which ultimately led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands Native Americans through disease. Native Americans typically do not celebrate Columbus Day. 

Similarly, Australians celebrate Australia Day to commemorate when the English landed on the continent’s shores.  Aboriginal residents do not celebrate the arrival of the Europeans but they do enjoy having a national holiday in Australia’s summertime.  

After considerable thought and some research, it appears to me holidays are an excuse to celebrate, to spend time with family and friends, to take time off from the rigors of everyday life and acknowledge and recommit to personal religious beliefs. The actual dates to be celebrated and the details of history are just not that important.  

I am looking forward to tacos and Mexican beer at the neighborhood get-together next year when we celebrate Cinco de Mayo in southern California.  

The post Party Time appeared first on Scott MacDonald.

He stopped at the trash can and begin digging through the piles of discarded refuse. I thought he was looking for refundable soda cans or plastic bottles that could be exchanged for cash in California. But he seemed to pass over these items in search of something else. Not cigarette butts or newspapers or anything I would think could have value to someone less fortunate and possibly desperate. 

Then he found it. With a tight smile borne of a successfully concluded search, he extracted a used Starbucks paper coffee cup. What could he possibly want with a used paper coffee cup? I continued to watch with interest and curiosity. 

The man straightened his posture and with cup in hand marched into the neighborhood Starbucks store. I followed; I was going to Starbucks anyway for my morning caffeine when I first encountered the man in the plaid shirt, and now I was curious how this mysterious sequence to which I was a witness would conclude.  

 I thought perhaps he was going to request a refill, which was less expensive than a new order, but I was wrong.  The man sat down in a comfortable chair, put his newly acquired cup on the table in front of him, and relaxed. He made no move to order anything or engage with anyone. He sat contentedly and observed his new world around him.  

I am unsure how long he remained amidst other Starbucks customers in the pleasing upscale environs, but I realized that the paper cup was his key to comfort, acceptance, and belonging. Perhaps it was his way of recalling past experiences before he was homeless; maybe he just wanted to be included in the scene the typically characterizes a Starbucks environment:  comfortable seats, background music, and busy people peering into their Smart Phones, talking with friends, or typing hurriedly on their laptop computers looking busy and important.   

I started to reflect on how everyone has desires for inclusion and recognition. Each person searches for their key to realizing these goals. Maybe the key for someone is a college education to access a better career and job; maybe it is securing a job at a well-respected company or organization, which could convey respect and professional achievement. Perhaps, the key is moving to a nice neighborhood with good schools.  Or maybe the key is as simple as a used Starbucks coffee cup. Everyone needs to define what his or her key is to access what they seek, and the keys will be different for different people.  

The post Finding the Right Key appeared first on Scott MacDonald.

Recently my general practitioner doctor retired. As we age, our long-term service providers also grow old and retire. I now have an internist doctor who will probably retire in a couple years too. But when I had a new facial blemish emerge, I went to a specialist dermatologist to check for skin cancer. It was Basel Cell cancer, so my dermatologist referred me to a surgeon who specializes in skin cancer removal. He removed the cancer and then referred me to another surgeon to sew up the hole in my head the first surgeon made. I think there must be a surgeon who specializes in making sure my brain matter does not fall out, which is important since I seem to be losing brain matter regularly. The second surgeon sewed me up and then referred me to another doctor for follow up. 

Recently my ear doctor retired. He remarried a woman who was younger and wanted to travel and have fun before my ear doc became senile. I can’t blame them. Sometimes I think I am becoming senile when I cannot remember someone’s name. My now retired ear doc  referred me to a group which specializes in otolaryngology (e.g. ears, noses and throats). I went to the new doctor and was treated by a young woman who seemed younger than my children – I assumed she recently received her MD. At least she is not about to retire.  She cleaned out my ear and then suggested I see an ear specialist.  “Aren’t you an ear specialist?” I asked. “No,” she replied, “I specialize in vocal chords. 

When I moved back to California, I needed a dentist and my friend Tom referred me to a local dentist.  Tom had had some gum disease and was very complementary toward this guy. The new dentist examined me and gave me advice; then he referred me to another dentist. “Aren’t you a dentist?” I asked perplexed. “Yes,” he replied. “But I am a gum specialist and do not do general dentistry;  you also need to see a regular dentist.” At least the regular dentist was nearby. Now I have two dentists, if I don’t count the dentist I went to who specializes in snoring and sleep apnea. 

Next week, I am going to see my lawyer, Rick. I need to update my will. Rick is a lawyer who specializes in wills and trusts; he does not do contracts or anything else. If I need a lawyer for anything else, I will call Gene or Mike or my son, Ross. Ross is a litigator so I don’t use him even though he is free (for me) because no one ever sues me and I haven’t sued anyone else. My neighbor Rick (no relation to my lawyer) just hired a lawyer who specializes in construction defects; I don’t think that guy could help me with my will.  

I like watching baseball, and everything in baseball is now specialized, even with my pathetic hometown Padres. Baseball has always been somewhat specialized: third basemen don’t play catcher; shortstops do not pitch, and center fielders generally do not even play right field or left field. If you’re not a specialist in baseball, you are a utility player; I am unsure why more versatile baseball players are named after someone who fixes telephone and electrical lines. 

If a player is a pitcher, he is likely a specialist within specialists. Now pitchers are starters, closers, set up men, long relievers, short relievers, left handed specialists, right handed specialists, etc. Pitchers must be more esteemed than non-pitchers because a more versatile pitcher would never be called a utility pitcher.  

Specialization has even come to the field of gardening and lawn maintenance. Juan, my yard guy, is very good and keeping the yard looking good, but he does not catch critters.  So, I hired Aaron, whose specialty is catching gophers, which really like my front yard. I think the first gopher so enjoyed my yard, he invited his friends and relatives. The volume of trapped gophers in my yard went up significantly after I put Aaron on a “pay for performance” compensation plan now popular with corporations. Instead of a monthly charge, I paid Aaron a bounty for each gopher he trapped. My neighbors think Aaron brings the gophers with him, recaptures them, and then rotates the critters to another setting. It doesn’t matter now, because Aaron got a full-time job and no longer battles my gophers.  

The other day a gopher poked his head out of the latest dirt pile and looked at me. I was angry at the intruder’s obvious affront and sense of entitlement. I quickly called a commercial extermination service I had used to kill termites that were eating my house last year. This is a fairly big company. The answering machine offered a menu, “for termites. Press 1, for insects, press 2” etc. They didn’t offer a “gopher” choice, but I was able to navigate to the correct place. They took my order and said their gopher specialist, Alex, would be out in a couple of days. I asked if Alex did rabbits because they have established residence too. They seem particularly fond of my rose bushes and tomato plants, “No,” he replied, “Alex is a gopher specialist and you will need to talk to a rabbit specialist.”  

I am glad I grew up when there weren’t so many specialists; when I was sick, I went to a doctor; when I had a toothache, I went to a dentist; if the grass was too tall, I cut it with a lawnmower; and if pests attacked, I applied poison that is probably now banned but effectively took care of the problem.  Life used to be so much simpler – not better but easier to navigate – and with more generalists and fewer specialists.

The post A World of Specialists appeared first on Scott MacDonald.

Three decades earlier, a leasing agent came into my office with the news that Dairy Queen had acquired Orange Julius and had launched a new store concept for our food courts that combined Dairy Queen and Orange Julius.  They called it a “treat center.” Since then, so much has changed in the retail mall business, but not evidently the DQ Orange Julius store we visited in Colorado.  

The big soft serve ice cream machine stood in its stainless-steel majesty behind the counter. Next to it, was the pot of rich brown chocolate liquid waiting to surround and envelop a cone of vanilla soft serve and miraculously create a hardened chocolate cover over the cold, white ice cream. I was anxious in anticipation.  

In a fit of nostalgia, I insisted on buying soft serve cones for all of my colleagues that day. Two of us ordered a soft serve cone and the others ordered chocolate dipped cones. There were two women working behind the counter. The woman behind the cash register was clearly the more experienced one, possibly the “supervisor,” although she just looked old enough to be my granddaughter. I remember when I was that young.  She took our order and passed the information to her associate, who was also very young but not so experienced. I guess the second woman may have been experiencing her first day of work and was likely a “trainee.”  

The first order was for a regular soft serve cone. The trainee placed the cone under the soft serve machine and pulled the lever to insert the ice cream. Unfortunately, the ice cream was not sufficiently centered in the cone, resulting in a configuration that looked more like the leaning tower of Pisa but probably more likely to fall over than the famous Italian building. The more experienced woman discarded the defective ice cream cone, and the trainee tried again but without success to produce a cone with a well-positioned and straight cone of ice cream. There must be a technique to keeping a tower of ice cream centered in a cone; it is a skill I had never recognized or appreciated.  

The Supervisor took over the task of inserting the ice cream into the cone and relegated the trainee to dipping the ice cream cone into the vat of chocolate. I recalled the old adage, “if you want something done correctly, do it yourself.” The Supervisor centered each cone with the expertise that clearly came from practice and experience. But I was watching with interest the travails of a new employee learning on the job.  

As unemployment drops to record low levels in the U.S., more companies will need to hire inexperienced workers and train them on the job. Maybe, this small food court tenant was an example of what to expect.  

The trainee, given a new responsibility and determined to succeed, stood before the vat of chocolate and hesitated briefly while she planned her approach. Determination showed in her face. She then pushed the ice cream laden cone into the chocolate with force, carefully turned the cone to assure uniform chocolate covering as she had been told, and then extracted the cone with great anticipation of success. Suddenly, she appeared perplexed; where was the ice cream in the cone? She peered into the dark chocolate vat wondering what happened to the white ice cream. She was unsure how to proceed because what happened was not supposed to happen.   

At that point, I moved away. I did not want to laugh at a new employee’s challenges, but I could not contain my chuckle of someone losing her ice cream. I realize everyone has his or her challenges, even someone serving ice cream. And it’s important to remember that everyone has a bad day now and then. I am just thankful that I received my perfectly centered soft serve cone, and it tasted just like I remembered.  I had a good day. 

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