It only takes a minute to change a student’s life

We moved several times when I was in junior high and high school. Each time was more difficult than before. The first time we moved I was 12 and I remember the process of “checking out” of school in the middle of the day before we moved. What happened to me on that one day when I was 12 has had such an impact on me that I’m still talking about it three decades later.
One of the teachers at my junior high school was a geography teacher named Bill Wheaton. I thought it was cool that Mr. Wheaton was missing part of one of his fingers. I imagined it to have been lost in a grizzly battle in Vietnam or in a knife fight with a vicious street gang. I spent many classes daydreaming about how Mr. Wheaton had defended a whole town against invading forces and lost part of his finger in the bloody battle that ensued. It’s silly now to think back about it. But it’s okay because I’m not an overly-serious person.
What Mr. Wheaton did for me wasn’t just in providing daydream material but it was a decision he made on my last day in that small junior high school in the early 1980’s. He made a decision that took him two minutes to make and that impacted my life for many years. As it happened, I went by to see Mr. Wheaton to get his final signature on my check-out slip and had to interrupt him in the middle of teaching another class. He signed my check-out slip and I left the classroom. As I walked down the hallway, check-out slip in hand, I heard Mr. Wheaton call me from the door of his class room. I returned and stood in front of him. He took me by the shoulder, looked me straight in the eye and said, “I want you to know that you can do anything with your life that you put your mind to. Good luck to you, son.” He then shook my hand and returned to his class. I walked to the next classroom to get the next signature on my check-out slip not knowing that my life had been changed forever by the encouraging words of this man, this teacher. Not just any teacher but an educator that cared enough to take an extra minute, to call a student back into his presence, to change the life of that student forever.

Now, I haven’t always done what I’ve wanted to do with my life. Certainly, over the years, I’ve done things in my life that I would gladly change if given the opportunity. But, many times I’ve called on the words of Mr. Wheaton and decide to “put my mind to” something for the better. Simple words came from a humble man over 30 years ago.

A childhood friend of mine from that junior high school is now an educator in that hometown of mine. Monya agreed to help deliver a letter to Mr. Wheaton that I wrote to him a couple of years ago. She told me that he was proud to receive it and glad that he had an impact on me though I’m sure that in his senior years he doesn’t likely remember which skinny little kid I was. But I remember what he did very well. Because I remember what he said, and it has meant so much to me, I will continue to look for opportunities to share an encouraging word with other young people like that teacher did with me on that day. Thank you Mr. Wheaton and thank you to the teachers that will stop to say something encouraging to a student today.

UPDATE: Here is the link to this article on CNN.com's Schools of Thought Blog - http://bit.ly/KcSqfg

UPDATE: I was able on December 29, 2013 to sit with Bill and talk for over two hours. What a truly wonderful experience. Thanks to Monya for setting it up! Here is a photo of me and Bill. : )

My First Best-Friend

It's my sister, Jamie's, birthday today. I've been doing a lot of reflecting on what she has meant to me over our lives together. We grew up in Arkansas in a loving home where our parents taught us about family unity, kindness and how to have fun. We laughed a lot and spent vacations together, as a family, in a car.....with no iPads or video games. It was just us...fighting and laughing and enjoying each other. Jamie was the one I played games with and made memories with from a very young age.

When the awkward teen years came Jamie was right there for me through all of the moves and new schools. She loved me even when I didn't have a lot of friends and certainly didn't feel like I fit in. I always had a friend in my little sister that showed me love unconditionally. We went to teen clubs in Houston and ran around in my Camaro with Depeche Mode blasting on a crappy cassette player. Many of the best memories I have with my sister are centered around music in some way. We shared a love for the same style of music back in the 80's and still do today. It's something special I love about Jamie.

Now Jamie is a beautiful, wonderful woman and she is still so very special to so many people. She is a super Aunt to her nieces and nephew that love her immensely. She's a wonderful mother to two amazing daughters. She's a terrific sister and a sweet sister-in-law. (Jamie - Tessa and I love you!) Jamie is a loving daughter to our parents who adore her so very much. There is likely not a better daughter that parents could ask for. She is a good employee and neighbor and friend and so much more. Jamie is loved by so many and called "friend" with true affection by some of the nicest people in the world.

But......I get to brag this morning because out of all the titles that Jamie has...sister, mother, daughter, friend, co-worker, aunt.....I have the honor of calling her my first, best-friend. Thank you Jamie for showing me what a best-friend can be and how it feels to be loved by somebody as sweet and loving as you. Happy Birthday "Jamaica".

Why My Boss Is Better Than Your Boss

I was planning on calling this post, "Why I Have The Best Boss In The World" but thought I would get a little more sassy. Ha

So, two months into a job with a company that I've been wanting to go back to work for for years and I'm really loving my new supervisor. Here's why:

1. I trust her - She does what she says she'll do. She is honest with me and appreciates honesty on my part. Relationships with a supervisor are largely built, or destroyed, based on trust.

2. I appreciate her - She helps me find solutions to problems and she sticks up for me if I need her to. Granted, I've not had to call on her to "fix anything" yet but she's on the ready in case I need her to. In fact, I have said to her, several times, "Nope, I'm not asking you to do anything about xyz, just know what's happening." She's ready to remove obstacles to my success, should I need her to. That...I appreciate.

3. I like her - My boss is nice, pleasant and enjoyable to be around. She is genuinely kind and she is a good person. Yes, she gives me things. She gives all of us in the department "stuff" like rewards and bonuses but that's not the main reason why I like her. Doesn't hurt......HA...but not the main reason.

So, I don't know about your boss. Maybe yours is as good, or better, than mine. Maybe not. Ask yourself, if you are a leader, how you can build trust and appreciation and good working rapport with your team. It's serving my supervisor well!

5 Things I'll Never Do Again In My Career

1. Work in sales. I'll never work in sales again. This one negates the need for about 10 other things I will never do again like "Sell To The Government" and "Cold Call". This was originally going to be "1,00 Things I'll Never Do Again In My Career" but with this one being #1 I can keep this list down to 5. : )

2. Misrepresent what I'm able to do and what I am interested in doing during a job interview. Friend of mine that is an older gentleman said to me recently, "Scott, I'm too old to lie. I just tell it like it is." I really appreciate that. I'm just getting too old to lie. It's not the lie that kills me it's the rest of the junk that comes after that with trying to live that lie. In my career this is especially true. I can do what I can do and I am interested in doing what I am able to do. Nothing more.

3. Put my career before my family. Jobs come and go but I only have one shot at enjoying my family, raising my children and walking through my life with my dear wife. Whatever I'm doing at work will still be there in the morning....I'm going home to have dinner with my family and to play with my kids before bedtime.

4. Work for a small company because they tell me, "Oh we're serious about growing our company by leaps and bounds. We're expanding and you can be a part of the success!" Whatever.

5. Stay at a company too long. When the wheels are falling off they're falling off. Jump. I'm all about being faithful, since my mantra is Semper Fidelis - Always Faithful. But to my wife, not to a company where they're having trouble making payroll. Not my problem if it's not my company.

I reserve the right to add to this list. : ) I'm making mistakes all the time. Surely I'll make more.......daily.

Ah.....that feels better.

It's been 12 years but I'm glad to be back at Turner Broadcasting. Solid company. Great culture. Killer properties to work on. Don't have to worry if the company will make payroll this month.

Currently working at the Project Manager on HLNTV.com and assorted other projects throughout the Turner-sphere. I have a great boss, friendly (and smart!) co-workers and it's good to be back at the CNN Center!

Merry Christmas and let me know if I can be of any assistance to you professionally or personally my friends.

Let's see if this works....

My professional career has been a series of ill-timed changes that have often caused me to look back and say something similar to, "Well, that really wasn't the right change at the right time now was it?" Ha

I stayed on at a big dot-com too long, then the crash hit. I left a good agency to go to a start-up just as the recession hit in 2008. Bad move. I got into sales and let me tech skills wane. But now.......

I've decided that the 5-year departure from web development, to get into sales, needs to come back full-circle. I'm making the move from sales back into my first love.....web development.

Sales was great. Who wouldn't like being in control of how much they make? Who wouldn't like little accountability and all the flex-time they can handle? Lots of travel. Lots of exciting meetings and trips and dinners and networking events with big names. But....sales is lot of pressure. Lots of pressure. It's not about "Great job Burkey on closing that sale!" It's more about "What are you going to close next?" and "How soon will you be getting ink on that deal???" : )

I'm going to do some contract work for awhile to get my skills back "somewhat current" and then slide into a permanent position again with a target company. I'm doing some work now and will continue to refine my HTML 5, CSS3, JavaScript, JQuery, AJAX, .NET, SQL and other skills while I wait to take just the right permanent opportunity. I'm totally swamped with opportunities and it appears to be a good time to be moving back into delivery and out of "walking the street".

Let's see if this works.....

** UPDATE ** Nov 4, 2011
Just accepted a position back with CNN in their technology group. So that worked..... : )

My Sunny Day In Southern California

On October 2, 1989 a truly amazing thing happened in my life. I was able to see the birth of my first child and be a part of a truly amazing experience. For those of you that have experienced this, as a father, you know it's something you will never forget. If you are still expecting your first child to be born I'm telling you now that it is one of the great moments in your life. It will change you forever. Enjoy it. Savor it. Be "there" for everything both physically and emotionally.

I remember being at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California for what needed to be a scheduled birth. My (then) wife was already in the delivery room and they told me to put on my "outfit" over my clothes. Some kind of paper garments that I slipped into with a mask. I felt like I was going into a combination of a surgical procedure and some sort of hazardous material scene. HA What I was going into was an event that has had in impact on me for 22 years and will continue to make me smile for the rest of my life.

Ashlyn, my daughter, was born and it was a wonderful experience. No, the c-section deal wasn't pleasant for me and I'm sure not for my poor wife. But we made it through it and I remember seeing that little girl for the first time and thinking she was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. Wonderful beyond words. They weighed her and wrapped her up and she was "ours".

Probably the thing that sticks in my mind, and in my heart, the most is when they took me into the side room to give her a bath and comb her beautiful hair and get her dressed. I remember watching and being in another world. Almost literally. I was beside myself with happiness and emotions. They handed her to me in that little room and I looked at her and said, "Hey sweetie, I'm your Daddy." I cried just as sure as I'm crying while I type this 22 years later. Introducing myself to this little person was what I will always remember as the height of my life at that point.

I don't want to downplay other events, by any means. I had already experienced many memorable moments in my life. (and have since then for certain) I also want to make a point to say how much I appreciate Ashlyn's mother for the beautiful gift she delivered that day. I'm eternally grateful for that. Thank you Ammy.

Ashlyn has been so very special to me and I've not always told her how much she means to me. I have made some big mistakes in the last 22 years and will always regret not having "been there" all of the time. But my heart has always been connected to that little baby as she has grown into the beautiful, sweet and intelligent young woman that she is today in 2011. People ask me all the time how many kids I have. When I tell them 5 they look beside me at the four little ones that I have with me and they get a puzzled look. I quickly tell them I have an older daughter from a previous marriage and smile. I think about Ashlyn and how while I have four little angels at home I have an original love affair with that beautiful little blonde-haired California girl that has given me so many good memories.

Ashlyn, I love you darlin'. You are beautiful. You are special. You are talented. You are a part of me that I am very proud of. Happy Birthday to you. Please know that I love you more than you can know. You will (hopefully) have children someday and truly know the special bond that a parent has with a child. It will come full-circle for you at that time but in the meantime believe your mother and me when we tell you that you are the greatest gift that God could have given us in sunny southern California that special day in 1989. You have lit up our lives and been a ray of sunshine to carry me through many gray skied days. Thank you for being my daughter and for the love that you have taught me to show. I love you.

Daddy