Author: Chris Matheus

Political Correctness Madness

it hit me today while talking to members of my family – just how crazily hypersensitive the world, or at least America is becoming over potential slights masquerading as extreme assaults.

While reviewing some to-do lists with my family, I said, “well thank goodness I’m here serving as task master – OOPS!! – I don’t think the word ‘master’ can be used any more because it conjures up the past when there were slaveholders, known as masters, and slaves.”

So I then said, “maybe I should be called the task manager”, OOPS!! i can’t say manager as that could be considered sexist, so perhaps we need a new word ‘personager’ to replace manager.  I guess i’m the taskminder, that seems to be a safe word and shouldn’t upset anyone, right? I sure hope that’s okay, but please tell me if that upsets someone.

A tribute to our Mom

Our mom, Marilyn, the mother of four children: Betsy, Jenny, Chris and Jon passed away on October 11, 2017.  She was 89 years old.  She died 10 years and 4 days after our dad, Charles.

I remember a friend of mine, David Holt saying he and his brothers were now orphans after the second of his parents had passed away.  Adults are not what you typically picture when you hear the word orphan.  There is, at least for me and my siblings a sense of having our lives’ foundations shaken with this feeling, not just of grief, but also that we have lost something and I can’t find the right word for it – a focus, a purpose, a guiding element.  I think the last one is close and it’s that we’ve lost our family leader, our guiding light.  But we know Mom was confident that we would be all right without her.  And in time we will be.

We four kids had fun together while we worked on the obituary, the memorial service arrangements and visits from friends, etc.  Once I got home to NC, I have been feeling a type of loneliness – a bit like I’m drifting without direction.  To now, not have either of the two people in your life that were so important and always there is a shock.

I realize these feelings are part of the grieving process and we (children and grandchildren) are entering a new phase in life.  What I want to share with you is Mom’s unfailingly positive outlook.  For as long as we can remember, we always subscribed to Readers’ Digest and Guideposts magazine.  Guideposts was founded by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale.  He is the author of The Power of Positive Thinking.  We think she read that book and decided that is how she would live her life.

A few months ago, I had an aha moment which showed the impact of her positive messages.  Ever since I was 8 or so Mom repeatedly told me something that I have believed ever since.  If Mom or my sisters had a necklace or other piece of jewelry that was tangled, knotted or unusable in some way, Mom would give it to me and ask me to fix it, saying, “you’re good at fixing jewelry”.  I have always believed that I’m good at that.  Recently, my girlfriend had a necklace that was knotted and I said, “oh give that to me to fix, I’m good at fixing jewelry.”  Right then I realized something – I’m probably not very good at fixing jewelry, because generally, I’m not very handy or mechanical.  But I believed I was, so like with Deb’s necklace or Mom’s jewelry, because i was good at it, i wouldn’t give up until I had it untangled.

All of Mom’s grandchildren and we, her children will miss the great feeling after talking with her.  She made you feel great.  Phrases we could count on hearing in virtually every conversation:

  • Any company would be lucky to have an employee such as you
  • You’re so smart
  • You’re so handsome
  • You’re so pretty
  • I am so proud of you
  • You’re doing so well in your career
  • It just thrills me to hear you talk about your children/work/friends/activities
  • You’re such a good cook
  • How do you know how to do all these amazing things
  • I love you so much
  • You’re such a good father/mother
  • Your children are so smart
  • I love to talk to you
  • I can’t wait to see you
  • that is such a pretty shirt
  • your hair looks so nice

I know that both Jenny (on the phone) and Jon in person when they would talk to her at night or help put her to bed, htey would say: Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite, … We would take turns saying each part.  And she would laugh and laugh.

What a great approach to parenting and to life.  Our ongoing tribute to her will be to live the rest of our lives with the same optimism, positivity and kindness that she showed.

FOCM attends Site Solution Summit

I will be attending Site Solution Summit in Boca Raton, October 6 – 8, 2017.   I am appreciative of being asked to faciliate one of the breakout sessions on Saturday.   More than likely I’ll organize a happy hour for October 7.

Site Solution Summit 2017

Site Solution Summit Break out Session

 

Assist a FOCM member

Cara Cartee (joined FOCM in 2017 in Raleigh) of CMC Events, LLC is gathering information on business travel through the use of the survey at the link below.  Let’s help her get a good response.  If you do any business travel, click on the link and complete the survey.

TribeSpring Travel Survey

Thank you in advance.

FOCM Gathers at SCDM

On Monday morning, September 25, there was a definite buzz of excitement as FOCM members attending #SCDM2017 knew that there would be a networking event that very evening.  The location, chosen by FOCM Member with card number 0001, Brian Langin was Bob Marley – A Tribute to Freedom restaurant at Universal CityWalk in Orlando, FL.

Brian is not in the picture below, possibly due to his past undercover work keeping America safe or maybe because he took the picture.

Attending: Vicky Martin, me, Karen Hicks, Charlene Dark, Tina Pietropaolo, Joby John, Karen McPoyle, Hugh Levaux and Jen Price.  A late (post-pic) arriver was Shae Wilkins.

Here’s how we’re connected: Vicky, Karen, Tina, Karen and I met at ICON; Hugh, Brian and I met at Quintiles, Charlene and I met through Karen Hicks at a past SCDM conference, Jen and I met at conferences, Joby and I met at this year’s conference. Shae and I met at some conference or other.

FOCM at SCDM

Hump day humor

It’s Wednesday – a good time for adding humor to your day:

From Readers Digest May 2017 issue:

My friend, a county public health nurse, was reviewing a student’s medical records when she noticed that the girl and her mother share the same first name.  My friend asked, “doesn’t that ever get confusing?”  To which the girl said, “oh no, I just call her Mom.”
sent in by Beth Nelson from Clear Lake, Wisconsin

I’d recently written an academic book, which  my six year old son asked to see.  I handed him a copy and he carefully examined the pages.  When he was done, he closed the book and, looking perplexed, asked, “Dad, do you understand any of this?”
sent in by Tanni Haas, NY, NY

and next: responses that tenants gave their landlords after not paying the rent on time:

  • I didn’t pay the rent because I’m saving up to move.
  • Oh come on. You’re gonna harass me on Valentine’s Day?
  • My last landlord had no problem with me paying late. This seems to be a real big issue with you.
  • Well, if I wasn’t late with the rent, you’d never come to see me.
  • I’m getting real tired of paying this rent every month. You’ll just have to wait.

FOCM Networking Event in Boston

Crazy, I know, but rather than go back to 2016 and find pictures from a networking back then (which I commit to still doing to get caught up), I decided to go with a more recent event.

On July 27, while in Boston for the 2nd Ophthalmology Drug Development Summit sponsored by Hanson-Wade, a FOCM event was held at the Back Deck, 2 West St., Boston, MA.  This group (pictured) is quite unique in the origin of the connections it represents.  It represents quite a timeline of my life and career.  Attending were:

Christie Schmitt Coombs – we know each other from our home town of Yuma, AZ; having gone to high school together.  Her sister Carolyn and I graduated the same year.  I worked with her sister Linda at a summer camp during college.

John Ketchum – we worked together at Burroughs Wellcome (my first job out of college) and stayed in touch while he traveled the world for Novartis, from which he recently retired.

Brian Langin – we worked together at Quintiles (my job after Burroughs Wellcome) and again at YPrime (where I worked prior to current job).

Amy Zastawney – we worked together at ICON (after a short stop elsewhere, my job after Quintiles).

Brian Langin, Amy Zastawney, John Ketchum, Me, Christie Schmitt Coombs

The FOCM meeting record does recognize that Cory Winters, with Bio-Telemetry Research also attended, but he had to depart early and that was before I thought to take a picture.  FOCM member Vicky Martin brought Cory into the network.  Time will tell if she is to be thanked, we’re just waiting on Cory’s background check to come through.

Also I’d like to point out that our bartender was Denver Lincoln and he took our photo, so I took his so he can get credit for it and to give him some promotion as he works two jobs while working on his stand-up comedy. When he gets famous, you can go through me to get his autograph and to book him for events.

Denver Lincoln

 

Recent Amusing Things I Have Read

From the May 2017 Readers Digest come these humorous items:

Sent in from Kendall Barrowes from Spanish Fork, Utah:
“Our friend her her four-year-old son were standing in line at a fast-food restaurant when in walked a man covered in tattoos.  The boy turned to him and said, “looks like somebody got into the markers.”

Sent in from Natalia Skrodzki:
“one of my biggest fears is that I’ll marry into a family that runs 5Ks on holidays.”

Sent in from Kristine Binaco, Fair Haven, New Jersey:
“I texted my husband to tell him that I’d be out of touch for a bit since I planned to color my hair.  Thanks to autocorrect, here’s what he read: After I finish my cup of coffee, I am going to die. You may not be able to reach me while I’m in the midst of that.”

In a tweet from Goldengateblond:
“Just saw Luke Perry on the cover of the AARP magazine, in case they ask for my cause of death.”

And lastly some real reviews as seen on Zagat:

  • “breaking bread” should not mean you have to use the side of the table.
  • I thought I was looking at an oil painting when suddenly it moved. It was my waitress.
  • The only way the tables could be closer together would be to stack them.
  • The duck was tired, tough and it took 90 minutes to arrive. It must have had a long flight.
  • Primary attraction was the small wildlife wandering across the table.
  • The chef keeps renaming and relocating the restaurant like it’s a member of the Federal Witness Protection Program.
  • The waiter repeatedly called my aging parents ‘coach’ and ‘darling’.
  • Overpriced and undergood.

Chuck Schumer Opposed to Illegal Immigration

Chuck Schumer on the record being opposed to illegal immigration.  He stated in 2009:

During a speech at the Immigration Law & Policy Conference at Georgetown Law, Schumer repeatedly argued that immigration reform should focus on encouraging legal immigration and should make clear that “illegal immigration is wrong.”

“The American people are fundamentally pro-legal immigration and anti-illegal immigration,” Schumer explained at the conference. “We will only pass comprehensive reform when we recognize this fundamental concept.”

http://dailycaller.com/2017/09/06/chuck-schumer-in-2009-illegal-immigration-is-wrong-video/?utm_source=site-share