Special needs equipment vendor day at Kids in Motion

April 29, 2016

Families caring for special needs children often have their hands full already and anything that can save them time and make things easier is usually appreciated. Mary Hydorn, the founder of  Kids in Motion Pediatric Therapy Services came up with a great idea two years ago to save time for families that require special equipment as part of their care regimen. Families would often have to research several different vendors to find the various devices that they might need.  Mary invited all of the vendors that she could find who have devices that might be needed by the families of her patients to participate in a demo day at her therapy center at in Highland Michigan at 2636 S. Milford Rd., Highland, MI 48357. That vendor day was so successful last year that she is repeating it this year. Below is information from her press release about the day.

Please save the date and share with all who could benefit from our 2nd Annual Equipment Demonstration Day being held Saturday, May 21st 1 -4 pm, rain or shine.

2016 Equipment Vendor Day Flyer

2nd Annual Equipment Demonstration Day being held Saturday, May 21st 1 -4 pm, rain or shine.

Kids In Motion Pediatric Therapy Services, 2636 S. Milford Rd.,Highland MI 48357

Several vendors will be present to demonstrate all different types of equipment for the children who have physical impairments. This is a one stop shop to try out and maybe even get fitted for special needs equipment all at once.

Equipment vendor list flyer

 

Items such as: wheelchairs, standers, walkers, seats, bikes, scooters, gait trainers and some fun stuff & services too!

So save the date and save yourself some time by getting out to this event if you live in the Huron Valley area of Michigan.


Be a peach and not the pits…

April 28, 2016

“You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, but there’s still going to be somebody who hates peaches.”  (Dita Von Teese) – as seen on the Jack’s Winning Words blog.

Everyone wants to be liked. In fact I get messages everyday asking me to “Like” someone like meor something. Jack wrote about that social media phenomenon in his post that went along with this quote. He observed that young people in particular seem to crave the acceptance of “likes” on Facebook or other social media. “Likes” are even a measure of the acceptance of posts to blogs like this one and I must admit that it feels good to have some of my readers take the time to “Like” a specific post.

The gist of today’s quote is that it’s impossible to have everyone “Like” you for everything that you are or that you do, even if you behave like you are “the ripest, juiciesbad attitudet peach in the world.” Understanding that and accepting it will make life much easier and help you avoid getting down on yourself because someone doesn’t “Like” you, which is the pits. Some people are just natural contrarians who find the behavior of happy, friendly people to be offensive. They enjoy being grumpy and resist any amount of effort from you to cheer them up. For them, disliking you is as much a mark of your impact on them as a “Like” might be from someone else.

You could just write off this reaction and go about your merry, happy way; however, you might also accept this as a personal challenge. The challenge is to really take the time to understand what it is that is bothering this person so much that they express their pain or kissing mirroranger or frustrations with life by disliking you. Perhaps you have become, as some might put it, “too sweet, too cute or too syrupy” in your approach to others. What that says to them is that you are oblivious and insensitive to their needs or situation and too wrapped up in yourself to make the effort share in their current feelings or needs. To their way of thinking you’ve become the pit and not the peach that you think you are.

A lesson for us all out of those types of experiences is that “Likes” in life are to be earned and not just ask for or expected. The way that you earn a “like” from others is to be genuinely interested in them and sensitive to their needs and not just wrapped up in girls huggingyourself. It’s OK to try to cheer them up or to share your happiness with them, so long and you first understand their situation and make an effort to earn their “like” through empathy to their needs and not just through the aura of your own happiness.

So, be a peach today, but be sensitive to the needs of others that you meet, so that you don’t come across as the pits to them.


“It’s good to shut up sometimes.” (Marcel Marceau)

April 26, 2016

Marcel Marceu Enough said! Have a great and peaceful day.


Where do you go to learn how to rock…

April 25, 2016

Where do you go to learn how to be a rock musician? Well, in Milford, Michigan, you go to the Michigan Rock School. I’ll bet most of you didn’t know that we had a Rock School in Milford, did you? Well, we do and it just moved to a new location and last week it sent out this press release –

 MICHIGAN ROCK SCHOOL EXPANDS, MOVES TO NEW LOCATION IN DOWNTOWN MILFORD’S MILL VALLEY CENTER

MILFORD, MICHIGAN, APRIL 22, 2016 – After nearly two years operating inside the Suzanne Haskew Arts Center (The SHAC) in Downtown Milford’s south side, Michigan Rock School has moved.  While still in Downtown Milford, the performance-based music lesson studio is now in the Mill Valley Center building, which also houses Starbuck’s Coffee, and Village Bar & Kitchen, amongst others.

metal rockerFounded in May of 2014, Michigan Rock School began offering private lessons on guitar, drums, bass, voice and piano, and integrating rock band rehearsals, songwriting workshops, and other dynamic group programs into the curriculum.  The school caters to both kids and adults, and encourages all students to apply their musical talents through regular performances.  The SHAC’s industrial space provided a flexible environment for the schools non-traditional lesson programs, as well as a nurturing community supportive or music, arts, and creativity.

“As our business picked up and the SHAC also became busier, it became more difficult to operate our programs in the same space.  In the new location we will be able to offer more private lessons, and expand on our group classes and rock band programs.  We even have plans to build a small stage for intimate “coffee house-style” performances,” said John Kozicki, owner/instructor at Michigan Rock School.  “I’m grateful for the relationships that I’ve made on Milford’s south side, but I’m also looking forward to connecting and working with other businesses on the north end of Downtown.”

Michigan Rock School is still working with the SHAC to host monthly open mic nightsgirl rocker inside the arts center, and teaming with River’s Edge Brewing Company for an afternoon of performances on their stage during Milford Memories.   Also on the schedule for the summer is a summer-long beginner guitar class, a two-week songwriter’s camp in July, and rock band camps beginning in June.  Additionally, Kozicki has brought on new instructors for both private lessons and to facilitate group programs.

An open house is scheduled for Saturday, June 4 from 11:00am to 3:00pm at the new location.  Guests are welcome to come see the new facility, learn about lesson programs, enjoy some live entertainment, and play free video games on the classic Ms. Pac-Man machine.  Michigan Rock School’s new address is 525 N. Main St., Suite 100.

For additional information, please contact John Kozicki at (248)766-4220 or via e-mail at mailto:michiganrockschool@gmail.com or visit their web site at www.michiganrockschool.com

Rock on, Milford!

 


Keep the candle burning…

April 23, 2016

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”  (Desmond Tutu) – as originally seen on the Jack’s Winning Words blog.

I’ve written here before about the story of the four candles – Peace, Love Faith and Hope – and how they went out one by one until only Hope was left. It was through that remaining children victimsHope that the other three candles were re-lit. We all go through periods of turmoil in our lives, although the crises in most of our lives are usually relatively minor when compared to what others face. One has only to watch the nightly new to witness what real crises look like. Scenes of earthquake survivors picking through garbage dumps to find something to eat can quickly put our personal emergencies into some perspective. Coverage of those wailing at the loss of a loved one in a suicide terrorist attack can deliver a dose of reality into our sheltered lives.

Yet accompanying all of the stories of woe and despair there are usually also stories of hope. Hope for a better life or a better world. Hope that tomorrow will bring relief and an end to the pain. Hope that the danger ends just around the next bend and that life can return to some form of “normal.” It is that hope that keeps the darkness that may be all around us from closing in and consuming us. I wrote some time ago also about hope being stronger than fear. In fact in that post it was hope more than anything else that the fictional ruler in the movie Hunger Games feared the most. It is through continued Hope that people overcome oppression.

As a people, we must keep the candle of Hope burning; for without it we will not be able tohand reaching for heaven find our Faith and Love and Peace again. They are a connected series of things in our lives. It is hope that supports our faith that there is a better life; if not here, then in the next life. With hope and faith it is possible to love ourselves and others. Once we have achieved the ability to love through our hope and faith we will quickly discover that we are at peace – a peace that passes all understanding.

So, keep the candle of Hope burning in your life. Let it keep the darkness at bay and allow you to see your Faith again so that you may find Love and once again be at Peace.

 

 


Work on what we earn in life…

April 21, 2016

“Talent is God-given; be humble.  Fame is man-given; be grateful.  Conceit is self-given; be careful.”  (John Wooden) – as seen on the Jack’s Winning Words blog.kissing mirror

Aside from conceit, the quote above talks of things that we are given in life. I think it is also important to look at the things that we must earn in life, like respect and trust and love. No one that we meet will give us any those three things without us doing something, usually over time, to prove that we deserve them. Usually people that a measure of you over time and watch your actions to see if they match or exceed your words before they respect or trust you. In relationships those two always come before the third thing that we earn which is love.

Another thing that comes to mind when discussing those three things is that children’s song The Ittsy Bittsy Spider. Respect, trust and love can all be lost in and instant, just as mistakrethe rain washed the spider out of the water spout; and then, like the spider we have to start all over to earn them again. All it takes to destroy a hard earned reputation or the trust of others is one mistake or bad decision. Sometimes love is also lost due to things that negatively impact the trust and respect that those who loved you had for you.

So, we must always be mindful of the impact of our decisions and the actions that we take in front of others. Unlike conceit it’s not just about us; it’s about what others will think of us. The other thing to consider is how long lasting the consequences of a poor decision can be. The foolish acts of young men or women can stay with them for a lifetime, especially if they result in a criminal record. There appears to be no amount of good that one can do to cover up a moment of bad, if the bad concerned certain things. Once a reputation is ruined or trust is lost the best that one can hope fort is a second chance to earn that trust back and establish a new reputation going forward.

So take coach Wooden’s words of wisdom to heart but also be mindful of the things that are in your control (which actually includes the conceit part of his quote) and focus on making decisions in life that help build trust and establish a good reputation. From that base, hopefully you can then also earn the love of another.

As Warren Buffet put it – “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

And Steven Covey had this to say about trust – ‘Trust is the glue of life. It’s the mosttrust
essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.”

And finally…”Trust lies at the core of love; there can be no true love without trust.” -M.K. Soni

Work on earning the things that are important in life today…


Be a friend…

April 19, 2016

“A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.”  (Arnold Glasow) – as seen originally on the Jack’s Winning Words blog.

soldiers on patrolThere’s a saying in the military, “I’ve got your 6.” In civilian life (and terms) it translates to, “I’ve got your back.” Basically it is saying that you are protecting the backside or blind side of that person. Usually this is for a friend, which in the military and in combat zones is everybody in your squad or unit.

In the business world there are courses on team building that use a technique for developing trust in the teamwork process by having one person stand with arms crossed in front and fall backwards into the arms of afalling back partner. The idea is to help people trust in co-dependent relationships with teammates in the business world. We inherently have the same kind of trust in those in life that we call our friends.

In real life, one doesn’t ask someone to “friend me”.  You might ask someone to be your friend, but that is usually after some period of knowing them and building trust in them. Real friends are those that you know you can count on, confide in and who will be there to catch you, should you start to fall. Real friends are there to listen to your problems and perhaps offer advice (if asked); but not to criticize or scold. Real friends don’t get in your way; in fact, they encourage you to try things or to become something more than you are now. They cheer your girls huggingaccomplishments and commiserate with you in your defeats. They share laughs with you and give you a shoulder to cry upon. They share your moments of pain and your times of joy.

One never knows where one will meet someone who becomes a friend. It could be at work, at church, in the neighborhood, anywhere. Some friendships are short lived. I remember friendships that were formed and lived only during summer vacations, sometimes over multiple vacation visits to the same places. Many of my lasting friendships started at work and were developed in more social, after-work activities, such as golf. I do remember the friendships that I had in the military; those that seemed so strong in the face of shared danger in foreign lands. There are bonds of friendship that grow out of shared experiences, both good and bad.

For those of us who get lucky, the best friend that one will ever have in life is the old cooupleperson that we choose to marry and spend our lives with. We may have other friends in our lives, but none will be as close, as intimately involved with us or and co-dependent upon us as our spouse. I have the great fortune to be celebrating 50 years together with my best friend this year.

Friendships are good for us because they both give to us and require of us. They force us out of our protective shells and draw out of us the good that is in us all. Think of those in your life whom you would call friends and those who think of you as their friend. If they were standing behind you, would you feel safe to fall backwards?  If you were behind them, would you make the effort to catch them if they fell? How does that make you feel? Be a friend today and feel good about it.


What will you get out of today?

April 16, 2016

“If you haven’t found something strange during the day, it hasn’t been much of a day.”  (John Wheeler) – from a recent post on the Jack’s Winning Words blog.

I might have put it a different way – “If you haven’t learned something new today, it hasn’t been much of a day.” The thought is pretty much the same. Hopefully each day brings opportunities to learn something new. Some days may, in fact, present stranger things than others to learn from; but all days likely have something new that we should take note of, if we pay attention. Paying attention is probably the key to learning anything. So much of our attention these days is diverted towards the device in the palm of our hand that we miss many things going on around us.

Much of want you can learn on any given day comes out of the interactions that you have with the people that you encounter. All of them walk into your life from a direction that is handshake3different from where you were looking and they all carry different information and different points of view. Haven’t you ever wondered how things look from their perspective? If you encounter people with backgrounds that vary greatly from yours, maybe an immigrant or a person from a different ethnic group, haven’t you ever been curious how much different their take is on things than yours? Did you ever ask? What did you learn from that? It’s OK to start from the position of “I don’t understand you”; however, it is wrong to jump from there to “and I don’t like you, or I’m afraid of you, because of that.” Why not try to use the experience to learn something about that person. You may be surprised by who they really are.

Other learning opportunities grow out of the adversity that may come your way on any given day – roadblocks to achieving a goal or unexpected disruptions or rifts in a roadblocksrelationship with a friend or loved one. Not only can you learn problem solving techniques from each incident, but you also learn something new about yourself and about the other parties involved (and adversities almost always involve other parties). Try to make each encounter with adversity a learning experience.

Stop and ask yourself if you understand the differing point of view of the person with whom you are having some difficulty. Understand that whether or not you feel that their disagreement2point of view has merit; to them it is the perspective from which they are viewing the situation and the basis upon which they are making their decisions. Ask yourself if you
even considered that point of view? Now that you understand their perspective does it change your position at all? If not, why not? Obviously there are different ways of looking at the situation and no way to determine that your way of seeing it is the “right” way to see things. Maybe there is a compromise that you just have not yet considered. To overlook that possibility leads only to polarization and stalemate.

At the end of each day, take a moment to think back on the day and see if you can pick out the things that you learned during the day. That is a great way to actually make thosebored learning experiences a part of your knowledge base and a step towards turning knowledge into wisdom. What did you see today? Who did you meet today? What did you learn today? What did you get out of today?


Don’t yell it; live it…

April 15, 2016

“It is in our lives and not our words that our religion must be read.”  (Jefferson) – a recent post on the Jack’s Winning Words blog.

In addition to being one of the founding fathers of our country, Thomas Jefferson was Thomas Jeffersonquite a philosopher. His views on religion were focused around how you lived your life as a Christian example, rather than how loudly you might proclaim your faith. We could us more of that thinking in politics today, where loud and vociferous claims of being an evangelical seem to be the order of the day.

Many, and I count myself among this group, are what I would call quiet Christians – those who try to live a life based upon Christian principals rather than making public displays or showy verbal proclamations of faith in order to prove their bona fides. I quietly do my part at church, volunteering for leadership positions or just volunteering where needed, without having to thump my chest and say, “Hey, look at me: I’m a Christian; I’m evangelical.” I work within my community for many good causes, without making a big deal that these are religious acts. They’re not; they’re acts that I am driven to do based upon the teachings of my faith to serve others.

I’m pretty sure that I haven’t seen anything in the teaching of the Bible that would lead me to exclude people or discriminate against them, just because they are not like me or they chose a different lifestyle. In fact, many of the stories that become fodder for Sunday sermons are those about Jesus reaching out to those who were different or who may have helpereven been despised in the community in those times, whether they were lepers or women of ill repute or tax collectors. I suspect that He would have difficulty with many of the “holier than thou” attitudes that drive modern day words and actions of the so-called evangelicals directed against those with different appearances, opinions or lifestyles.

I think Jefferson was right. At the end of the day and at the end of life, the measure of one’s life will not be taken in the words that they have loudly professed; but, rather, in the style in which they lived their life. A life well lived in service to others and acceptance of the teachings of Christ will hold up better to the final scrutinyWWJD that one devoted to loud proclamations of evangelism while acting in bigoted and hateful ways. So, don’t yell about your faith; let that faith shine through in the way that you live your life.


What songs bring back memories for you?

April 12, 2016

“One song can bring back 1000 memories.”  (Mojo TV) – as seen on the Jack’s Winning Words blog. For those not from this area, Mojo is a local DJ and personality who does radio and TV work in the Detroit area.

I’ve written here a few times about the impact that music has on our lives and how some tunes can invoke strong reactions or memories. There are songs that we associate with happy occasions like weddings and some that are remembered as part of funerals. Manylistening to music couples have “their song”, the special song that they remember from a dance or a date or a special occasion in their lives. Almost anyone who has had an American wedding and reception can remember the hokey pokey song or maybe the Chicken Dance. Many ethic weddings have their own ethic music and dances that are brought to mid by certain tunes.

Jack went on to write that the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, from the Wizard of Oz, is one of his favorites, because of its message of hope. I tried to use Google to find out what the most popular songs are for women and men. The results really are determined by how you phrase the search. The top ten power songs for women are shown in this YouTube video. For men it depended greatly on the search too, with this compilation of the top 10 Karaoke songs that men like to sing along to seeming to be a good answer. In other results women liked the more romantic songs based upon love stories while men choose sports or action themed songs. Who woulda thunk it?

listening to music on phoneIt’s been quite a while since music or catchy songs had much real impact on my life, but I still recall the songs that seemed so important in my youth and a few can still make a feeling weal up inside. These days I’m as likely to be humming or quietly singing a song from our church service as anything. There’s something honest and reassuring about many of the little tunes that we sing during a service that make them stick in your head. Perhaps I’m gravitating towards the funeral song end of the musical spectrum as I get older, but I prefer to think of the church songs that stick in my head now as being songs of hope, too.

Music and songs provide important parts of the overall experience in movies and in life. Try to imagine a movie without the background music to help set the mood. Music and song play a similar role in our lives. What songs stick in your head? What songs bring back fond memories or memories of things that you’d rather forget? What are the songs of your life? If you want to have an all-night discussion with friends, ask the question, “What was listening toi music.pngthe greatest song ever made?” Again, it depends upon how you ask the question in Google. The answer to a question what are the top ten rock songs of all time returns the list at the end of this link.  However, ask what the top 10 country songs of all time are and you get what’s at this link. One could go on and on thorough the various genres. Of course it always and must come down to you – what do your think is the best song ever? Then it is.