Holiday Survey Results from Last Week's Issue

December 21, 2020

Good morning! This is the penultimate edition for 2020… let’s stay focused for eleven more days; we got this! Determine your horizon wisely — and then don’t worry too much about it, it’s not going to move. Take carefully planned steps toward your horizon each day… you’ll get there.

I was taught at a young age to watch for the person who’s on the front steps of the business early each morning sweeping or tidying-up.
- That will be the owner, I was told.
- I thought of this last week as I was hiking uptown for an early morning meeting with a client — safe distanced, of course.
- The area had received a dusting of snow the night before, enough to be swept or shoveled before it got trampled and converted to treacherous ice.
- There he was, my friend Charles, clearing the snow — and he’s the CEO of the place.
“The world need not be passive in the face of calamity.” (Moyo)

Just take it one town at a time.

Our adult daughter, a starving but dedicated environmental scientist, has been surviving and working in Duluth.
- Not much there but a lake, a hill, and a few trees; she has been somewhat safely quarantined within the natural environment for the last four months.
- Yesterday she snuck out of town hoping the COVIDs wouldn’t follow her home.
- Forty miles into her journey her car stopped, and then started, and then jerked, and then stopped, and then sputtered, and then coughed, and then lurched itself into a nearby rural village.
- You can imagine the sort of vehicle a nomadic environmental scientist would use, if she were lucky enough to have a vehicle at all.
- Less than a few days ago, need it be said, the Dad had invested more money into repairing this piece of junk than he had ever achieved in his 401 (k).
- Radiator, four new tires, new muffler, new water pump, new struts, new wheel bearings, electrical tune-up… don’t even remember what else.
- While on the dangerous 80 MPH Road #35 the car just stopped running, but at least it had the decency to find the apron of a nondescript, independently owned and operated small town fix-it shop.
- “You need an oil change.” “You need a coolant flush.” You need a new head gasket.” “You might need a new engine.” “You need a new temperature gauge.”
- Okay, give us one of each, please… just get me home… miles to go before I’m there, miles to go before I’m there.
- Phone the Dad, text the Dad, worry the Mom, ask the Dad, “Are these guys on the level?”
- Who knows? I can’t think of any logical reason oil or coolant would be associated with the symptoms the car was having.
- Sounds electrical to me… or a fuel pump.
- But, it’s the only hand you’ve got right now. Play the cards you’ve got and see what happens.
- Just take it one town at a time.
- After two hours of anxiety, the two mechanics now at least have the car running, start driving, just take it one town at a time.
- If the engine fails completely, try to coast to a safe place well off the shoulder. We can always drive to meet you wherever you are, but let’s try to get that vehicle home.
- Just take it one town at a time. Call or text if you need me.
- Two hours later she’s home — as is the vehicle — with no further incidents.
  - Is this Karma?
  - Fifty years ago I was driving my parents’ 1963 Mercury Comet station wagon on a 150-mile journey from Rochester to St. Cloud and the same eggxact thing happened.
  - Stopping, starting, sputtering, coughing, spitting, coasting, stopping (scary!)… it was -20 F and that car didn’t have a floor or a heater.
  - No mobile communication devices in those days.
  - Somehow it hobbled its way to a remote parking spot in St. Cloud — and there it stayed for months. I didn’t have an extra dime to fix it.
  - But, the great frustration, still 50 years later, is I don’t know what was wrong with it.
  - Maybe it was an oil change, or a coolant flush?
  - I never did get that 1963 Mercury Comet returned to my Dad (so sorry!); is this latest experience part of his revenge? Karma? Enough, enough!
- If you’re reading this and if you’re a mechanic or an engineer, please diagnose these two problems, or perhaps it’s ONE problem fifty years apart?
  - Ooops, no mechanics needed; the car’s engine just exploded! But do please tell me what the problem was.

Before We Get to the Holiday Results…

There are 316 homes in our little neighborhood. (Yes, I counted them.)
- Of those 316 homes, 29.1% — 92 — are featuring decorative outdoor lighting during this holy day(s) season.
- One of the homes is clearly the winner and must have had a design engineer involved at some point with both its backyard and front porch and proscenium tastefully lit. I’m guessing this home must have at least 20,000 lights attractively displayed, maybe more.
- The most common display of lights is no design at all, but rather lights on bushes, lights on rooftops, lights on trees, lights on lamp posts.
- One home features a continuously looping contemporary rock concert-esque synchronized psychedelic light show best enjoyed while you’re tuned to a private FM channel.
- Four homes of the ninety-two (4.3%) feature some sort of overt religious or faith tradition display.
- I would like to think our simple home, one among the 92, brings a little bit of hope, joy, and love to the neighborhood. Our ~3,000 crystal clear lights (non-twinkling) follow our roof line and the contours of several trees and bushes in the yard; simple but aesthetically pleasing to me.
- A review of the literature reveals no empirical baselines for decorative outdoor lighting displays.
- Thus, we cannot report whether this is status quo, an increase, or a decrease in decorative outdoor lighting.

Coach Niumatalolo, head coach of the United States Naval Academy football team, is among those in the vocation with his priorities seemingly properly aligned.
- Prior to the Army vs. Navy game (which Navy lost) Niumatalolo kept the game in its proper perspective while speaking of his players in the future tense and the unselfish service each would soon be providing in preserving, protecting, and defending the United States Constitution.

Holiday Survey Results

Last week’s survey prompted dozens of responses, actually the most ever for a survey of this variety.
- Here are the unscientific results:
  - Music, interior decorations, and foods tied for the greatest significant breadth of reasons for being in-the-spirit.
    - (They’re relatively very important factors for a majority, but not typically the single most important factor(s) for any one person.)
  - Number one for depth or strength of reason(s) for being in-the-spirit goes to family gatherings and closely behind is faith/ religious traditions.
    - (Listed as the #1 or #2 response by those who included it — them — at all; i.e.., these choices are really relatively important to those choosing them.)
  - Included as a factor for ALL respondents, but as relatively less important for causing one to be in-the-spirit: snow and outdoor lighting/ decorations.
    - (They’re factors, but relatively minor factors.)
  - There were three write-in votes, one each for Hallmark movies, Reflecting, and from my good friend, Gary, “Sharing… the more you give, the more you live.”
  - Relatively low on the list in the aggregate: Retail experiences, baking, travel, parties, giving/ getting prizes, and friends.
- For a full statistical analysis, you gotta be kidding… but seriously… if you want it, go ahead and ask.
  - While enjoying and documenting your responses I ascertained my own #1 = anticipating and experiencing each child’s safe arrival back home.