The Happy Burro

Love: One of those words that can have so much meaning.  Or none at all.

Television man is crazy saying we’re juvenile deliquent wrecks
Imus is fired.  Duke lacrosse players acquitted.  US is still in Iraq.  The wage gap is or maybe is not affecting the middle class.  Katrina victims not taken care of.  An estimated US $1billion could be spent on the 2008 Presidential election.  We’re all going to melt in the next ten years due to global warming. How ARE things going in North Korea? Several dead at Virginia Tech.

But we can love. Oh yes, we can love.

Have you hugged your kids today?  Called your mom? Given five bucks to the homeless guy?  Smiled and let someone on the freeway?  Helped out a neighbor?

Posturing and protesting rings hollow if we aren’t taking care of ourselves.  We can blame the government, big business, the world. Yet, until we lose the rage and love our neighbors, our friends, we will not change the world. 

Joe Raasch :: Apr.16.2007 :: Life :: No Comments »

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. died April 11, 2007. (Click here for the full report from the Financial Times.)

I was a senior in highschool in spring of 1984.  Part of the required curriculum was classical literature: Shakespeare, Chaucer, Dante, etc. As much as I love reading, this track was a bit one-dimensional.  Mr. Walsh, the most gifted literature teacher I ever encountered, won approval to teach a course on more controversial books.  This was quite a coup!  He chose several books of a similar genre: Catcher in the Rye, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and Mr. Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five.

Arguably his most famous novel, Slaugherhouse-Five was inspired by a conversation the author had with an old army buddy and his wife about the bombing of Dresden, Germany during World War II. 

Mr. Vonnegut’s writings have instilled in me a thirst for knowledge that will last a lifetime. My bias for conversation and ever-present desire to discuss/debate just about any topic just to learn new perspectives and views was born in that Spring of 1984, in the cellar of a meatpacking plant in Dresden.

Thank you, Kurt Vonnegut. Rest in peace.

Joe Raasch :: Apr.12.2007 :: Life, Personal :: No Comments »

Who is responsible for the future workforce in our cities?  That question, and other related ones, was the genesis for an exciting initiative, the Itasca Project.

My company is partnering with The Cookie Cart in north Minneapolis (MN).  A few of us spent the afternoon yesterday with Matt (Exec Director) and Taronda (Bakery & Employment Director) of The Cookie Cart. What an inspirational, fun, engaging, humble, and hardworking team!

I highly recommend you try Cookie Cart cookies! You can order here. FYI - they only ship in the seven-county metro area of Minnesota.

 (photo: Dan Olson, MPR)

It’s Not About The Cookies

This program is about teaching ‘first job experience’ to teenagers in high-risk areas of Minneapolis.  The job site gives them more than just a place to earn some money and eat cookies. 

The mission of the organization is, “Through the operation of a retail/commercial bakery, The Cookie Cart offers North Minneapolis youth the opportunity to develop life, leadership and employment skills.”

We’ll be working with them on organizational and curriculum design, and assist in developing an alumni organization and speaker’s bureau.

When Someone Cares 

In “Vital Friends” , a book by Tom Rath, the author discusses a major cause of homelessness.  Through numerous interviews with homeless people he found the main reason was the loss of that one person who cared about their success.  The termination of that friendship was the final catalyst.  The same research also found that the main reason people were able to move away from homelessness was that someone took the time to care about their success.  This type of caring is what happens at The Cookie Cart.  Whose success do you care about?

Connecting with a community that isn’t at WORK

What are you doing to connect with the community outside of your workplace?  If you are not already involved and wish to be, there are great nonprofit organizations in your community that would gain tremendous benefit from your experience.  The time commitment is usually just a few hours a month.

C is for more than just Cookie.  It is for Community as well. (but I LOVE that it is for Cookies…Cookie Cart Cookies!).

Joe Raasch :: Apr.06.2007 :: Employee Engagement, Life :: No Comments »