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Davis Young
- May 24, 2022

DY: In Just a Few Words (#84)

Adulting is scary.

In 1988, my son, Denny, graduated from Miami University. I remember this for two reasons.

REASON 1: I went to the graduation ceremony in the university’s arena and was so proud to watch all the fine young people in their caps and gowns. We were up on the second level of the arena, and I had a wonderful view of all those about-to-be Miami alums as they listened intently and respectfully to their commencement speaker - a poet.

They all looked the same, except for one kid who had on a yellow headset. Hard to believe any graduating senior would rather listen to something other than a poet. When the ceremony was done we re-convened outside the building, including the person with the yellow headset. Turns out that person was Denny, listening to a CAVS playoff game. Why would anyone ever do such a thing when they could be tuned in to a poet?

REASON 2: Denny invited a friend and fellow recent Miami grad - Michael - to come to Cleveland to look for a job and to stay with us while he pursued this important next step. Michael was a really nice young man who had not mortified his family by wearing a yellow headset to graduation.

Michael settled in with the Young family and was part of our gang for the summer of 1988. Every day I would get up and leave the house for downtown, usually before 7 a.m. Needless to say, I never saw Michael in the morning. But each night I would come home to find him curled up on the couch watching TV. Any action today on the job front, Michael?

No, I made a couple of calls. I couldn't get through. I left messages, but nobody got back to me. Without putting pressure on him, I would ask, So, you’ve been here all day again? And, he would nod affirmatively, then go back to whatever he was watching.

Finally, one day I decided he needed a little jolt and I said, So Michael, you were here all day and I’ll bet nobody knocked on the door wanting to know if a bright, recent college grad would like a job. Right? He nodded yes. You know, Michael, nobody ever got a job sitting on a couch in my family room. You need to get off the couch and make something happen. The message was clear. Your job is to find a job.

And, he did. He went on to become a successful radio station manager and a music industry executive. Just this last week, I learned he is telling that story to this day and saying it was the jolt he needed.

This proves what I have said for years, which is that given some time to adjust to the larger world and a little firm encouragement, most young people will find their way, just as we did.

The moral of this story is simply this. Nobody will hand you success. You have to create your own success. Nobody will give it to you. You have to work for it. You have to earn it. Michael knows that now and I’m really glad he likes to share his story. Pay it forward, Michael.

As for the kid with the yellow headphones.... he did ok, too.

DY: In Just a Few Words is a blog that comes out when something needs to be said or every Tuesday - whichever comes first. Davis Young is a communications professional who adds 50+ years of experience and perspective to issues of the day. His emphasis in DY: In Just a Few Words will be humor (a touch of sarcasm here, a pinch of facetiousness there...). Once in a while, he will touch on something a bit more serious - but hopefully not too deep or depressing.

This blog is a product of DY Author & Speaker LLC. Feel free to quote content with attribution. Respond. Agree. Disagree. Share the content with your friends. Heck - even invite him as a speaker for your group! Enjoy!

Davis Young
- May 17, 2022

DY: In Just a Few Words (#83)

It was bound to happen sooner or later.

This past Sunday marked the end of Karen’s 10-day encounter with COVID. She didn’t enjoy it, but fortunately, for her, it was nothing more than a cold on steroids.

Like the fantastic wife she is, Karen did not pass this on to me. I cannot thank her enough.

Instead, I spent those 10 days as part of the growing fraternity of care providers.

For the last 2+ years, I have been in awe of all of the thousands of nurses and other medical personnel working in ICUs, hospitals, urgent care centers and other professional settings, risking their own health, emotional strength and stamina to do all they can to help the rest of us. Courageous medical people are truly heroes. I have even more respect for them now.

I learned some important lessons during Karen’s brief time with this wretched virus. First and foremost, two vaccinations and two boosters gave her the gift of a mild case.

Lesson #2: I never thought I would have to do such a thing, but wearing a mask in my own house while KY was sick was a smart thing to do.

Lesson #3: Moving down the hall to the guest bedroom was also a good decision. Give your better half a box of Kleenex and send her off to bed on her own. Never sleep with a COVID-infected spouse, even if you’re on your honeymoon.

Lesson #4: Anybody can cook, even a helpless male. Where quality falls down is the need to make a salad, cook veggies and grill something on the patio, all simultaneously – and for all that food to be ready to eat at the exact same time. And, when your spouse has COVID, eat in separate rooms. That’s more important than cold lima beans. Plus, there’s nothing wrong with leftovers, especially if they were undercooked the first time around.

Lesson #5: No question the big boy PCR test is the most accurate – I had two of them, both with negative results – but home tests beat no tests. If I were 65 and not just a kid of 38, I would go to my local pharmacy right now to get some free home tests courtesy of the nice folks at Medicare.

Lesson #6: Loading used items in a dishwasher is obnoxious work. I often thought it might be better to just throw them away. But what you rookies will soon discover is that getting clean dishes out of the dishwasher and putting them away is even less fun. A man’s work is never done.

Lesson #7: COVID could care less about your plans. For us, it has already messed up Christmas, Easter, a birthday, a college graduation, Mother’s Day and a lot of golf. Be flexible. Always have a rain date. What’s wrong with Christmas in July?

Lesson #8: There’s a lot of confusing and contradictory messaging out there. Our doctor said 10 days is the right amount of time to lay low. An urgent care center in the same hospital system told me 5 days. Pick your poison.

Lesson #9: Nobody wants to get COVID. At its start, everybody says the same thing – I don’t have COVID. It’s just a bad cold. Get tested.

Lesson #10: Takeout food on a COVID Saturday works well if you leave to pick it up 15 minutes earlier than you think is necessary. Lot of folks will be in line when you get there. The line will be slower than you guesstimate. Remember that restaurants are pretty much all understaffed these days.

I’m grateful KY is ok. I’m grateful I am, too.

One more time for a virtual standing "O" for all those gutsy healthcare workers and scientists, even when they send mixed messages. If COVID is finally on the downside it’s because of all of them wrapping their arms around something new and scary. Nobody can ask someone else for better than their best effort. I believe we have all benefited from that. Job well done!!!

Davis Young
- May 10, 2022

DY: In Just a Few Words (#82)

It was worth a try.

Have you ever been to Denmark?

I made a pilgrimage to this small Scandinavian country in 1997.

One of the first things most men say about Denmark is they notice the many extraordinarily good looking women there. Not me. I was way too busy looking for my family.

My maternal grandfather (pictured above) came to the United States from Denmark in 1893 when he was just 14-years-old. His mother and two brothers were also aboard the ship. The foursome were among the early arrivals at Ellis Island, which had just opened that year.

My grandfather, who became a proud American citizen, was born and raised in Copenhagen, the most important city in Denmark. His name was Axel Valdimar Beeken.

Axel was an ambitious young man who took full advantage of the opportunities America presented. He set out to become a lawyer. In those days one didn’t have to go to law school. You would do what is referred to as “read for the bar.” The short explanation of that phrase is that if you learned enough through independent reading, you could take the bar exam. After passing the bar, Axel became a patent attorney in New York City, where his client list included Parker Brothers Company (developer of that very popular game Monopoly). Family lore has it that Grandfather Beeken actually filed the papers that patented Monopoly. Too bad he didn’t own the game.

In 1997, Karen and I were on a business trip to the Czech Republic and England, and figured - as long as we were in the neighborhood - we should drop into Denmark. Our goal was to see if we could connect with members of the Beeken family. We were very confident because we had always been led to believe that the Beeken family was one of Danish prominence.

We enlisted the help of a guy working the front desk at our hotel. We just knew we would be successful. He handed us a phone book and we went immediately to the Bs, as in Beeken. Alas, there was but one listing for anyone with the last name Beeken. One in the entire Copenhagen phone book.

So we bet all our chips on this person. There was no other option. The front desk guy dialed the number and gave it plenty of time to ring. He eventually hung up, having failed on his mission. You see, this Beeken’s phone was actually disconnected for non-payment of the monthly bill. There would be no message left or second phone call made. My Danish family was apparently not only NOT prominent, but broke…

So, that’s as close as we ever came to connecting with my Danish family. We spent our remaining three days wandering around the beautiful city of Copenhagen, especially Tivoli Gardens.

No trip to Copenhagen can ever be considered complete without seeing the mermaid statue that has become Denmark’s symbol. That’s the only pretty woman I paid attention to in Denmark - other than Karen, of course. Honest.

I’m done searching for my Danish family. But I recommend to all readers that Denmark is a fine country with lots to see and do. When you go, let me know if you happen to run into any members of the Beeken family. And if they ask you for money.

__________

P.S. Recently, my good friend Bob Paulson sent me something that really fits my writing style. I pride myself in using everyday language and simple terms. This is a great example of that. Author unknown.

Don’t use a big word when a singularly unloquacious and diminutive linguistic expression will satisfactorily accomplish the contemporary necessity.

That pretty much sums up what I try to do for readers every Tuesday. Have a great rest of the week.

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