A piece of banana cream pie... the 2016 version.

The following is the original and the rewrite can be found by clicking here.

There will be a point in all of this; I am almost certain.

I was out to dinner the other night with my father and daughter; at the end of the meal I thought I would treat myself to dessert. As I was looking over the menu, I noticed they offered banana cream pie (number two on my dessert list... number one is chocolate, but only by a hair).

As I placed my order with anticipation, I was instantly reminded of a small circa 1930's diner just north of Carlsbad, California that serves the best banana cream pie ever - The pieces are generous, five inches high, large pieces of banana prevail and covered with whipped cream in just the right proportion to bring all the flavours together. Best pie in the county I was told... maybe even the state. 

Banana cream pie was about to be redefined for me. 

As the server placed the banana cream pie in front of me I had to take a moment to comprehend what I was seeing; what I found myself looking at was a white bowl and a spoon... it was explained to me the banana cream goodness was inside. Admittedly, the dessert was good and it did have real banana in it, but in the end there was no pastry, and I missed the signature wedge that defines a piece of pie. 

When the server came back she asked how it was and I said, "It was good, but it really wasn't pie you know." She smiled and said, "Yes it is. It tastes like banana cream pie and there is pastry* at the bottom. We bantered back and forth until I paid the bill. We parted with differing opinions.

Looking back, the natural question to ask is, "Who was right about the pie?" We both agree that it tasted like banana cream pie, but differed in aspects of crust and presentation. Hers comes with a spoon, when everyone knows you eat pie with a fork.... I mean really, what's up with that?  

And finally, we get to some sort of point in all of this. 

The banana cream pie is not about "right" or "wrong", but rather about individual experience, creativity, way of thinking and interpretation... all to be respected, considered, and appreciated. A simple reminder that not only will people look at something differently, but will also have differing ideas on what something should be - A crucial consideration for driving change, progress and evolution. 

What the banana cream pie is really about is "expectation"... and the importance of clarifying what exactly that is.

If the expectation is to have a tasty "banana cream pie like dessert" that can be served quickly and at low cost for a busy restaurant, then the 2016 version is spot on (as I said, it was tasty)... but if the expectation is to have a generous piece of pie with pastry, banana cream, whipped cream and a real fork... well, I guess a trip to California will be required.

The best pie in the county I've been told,

iamgpe 

* The pastry she alluded to was a granular substance and impossible to define with regard to its origin... all I know, it sure wasn't wheat.

Facing challenges, problems or "everything" for that matter...

The following is the original and the rewrite can be found by clicking here.

I was saying to myself a while back that as much as I know the name Napoleon Bonaparte, that he lost at Waterloo and was somewhat vertically challenged, I really didn't know anything about him.

 Lo and behold, on Christmas day under the tree was a gift from Santa - The book NAPOLEON (Soldier of Destiny) by Michael Broers. That Santa Claus is brilliant; year after year, always getting me what I want.

As I finished the book's introduction there were four insights regarding Napoleon that immediately resonated with me; if truth be told, they have humbly given me further perspective when I am facing challenges, problems or "everything" for that matter.

Insight one: Napoleon lived during the French Revolution, notorious for being one of the bloodiest periods in modern civilization where no one was spared the gory violence; where at any moment your friend could turn you in as a counter - revolutionary and where the steady thud of the guillotine blade meeting flesh and bone became a white noise.* Every day was literally a life and death proposition.

• There are some very harsh realities that can come your way... count yourself lucky if you aren't dealing with them. In the end though, you still have to work through whatever you are dealing with.

Insight two: In 1793, having to flee Corsica for their very lives as a result of "La Vendetta"**, the Bonaparte family literally found themselves washed up on the shores of France, alone and without a penny to their name. Napoleon, although not involved in that desperate flight off the island, was at that time the head of the family and very much part of his family's fate.

• Circumstance, sometimes outside your control, can take everything away from you. It is important in the most literal sense to still be standing so you can continue on.

Insight three: Following the destruction of the family wealth, status and home, it took Napoleon Bonaparte six years to become the ruler of France in 1799.

• Where you are now, and where you want to be, are mutually exclusive... sometimes getting there can happen much faster than you think. 

Insight four: Napoleon Bonaparte wrote his own history - He knew what he wanted and was bold enough to take it. Granted, there were times he elected to "re-write" some of his history, but in fairness, he did rule France.

• Know what you want and be bold enough to go after it!

All of this and I've just read the book's introduction.

Before I get back to my book, there is one last insight - It's worth taking the time to search out people's stories, their lives, their challenges and triumphs... each and everyone a window into the strength and wonder of the human condition. You never know, it may lead you to where one day people are reading about you.

gpe

* Mallary A. Silva-Grondin & HowStuffWorks.com Contributors "How the French Revolution Worked" 27 February 2008.

** A feud between two families that arises from "slight, injury or killing of the member of one family" by a member of the other family, leading to long-lasting animosity and retaliatory acts of blood revenge... "If you offend him, he will kill you by a gun or by a stab..."

My opportunities + problems are very different things. Or are they?

The following is the original and the rewrite can be found by clicking here.

When you boil it down to the bare essentials, business (and possibly all aspects of life) is simply about dealing with opportunities and problems. Everything is either categorized as an opportunity or a problem... if it can't be, why are you dealing with it?

The way we address opportunities + problems is more or less the same:

• Understand the situation.
• Identify objective(s) to deal with the situation.
• Develop plans and initiate activities to meet the objective(s).
• Adjust according based on effectiveness of the activities and other feedback.
• Monitor the situation to ensure the objectives have been met, controlled and are sustainable.

It does seem we view opportunities + problems as opposites - Opportunities are considered beneficial and generally embraced, whereas problems are generally viewed negatively and to be avoided. Are they really opposites though? The most optimistic of us will say the difference is simply attitude... every problem can be looked at as an opportunity and it is just a mater of perspective.

Ponder this though, a person has 900 pounds of wood fall on them, turning their foot around 180 degrees and breaking their pelvis in three places. I think you would be hard pressed to find someone who would say, "Good for them, there is great opportunity in what has happened". No one is looking at this as an opportunity to take advantage of, but rather a problem to be solved. Although there is an ample amount of optimism, it is directed to a quick recovery not the philosophical perspective between opportunities + problems. 

Opportunities and problems should not be viewed as opposites but rather as a sliding spectrum from problem to opportunity and vice versa; constantly moving as problems are solved or situations change. What is a problem today, once solved, becomes an opportunity tomorrow... much like the problem with a broken leg and the possibility of never walking again. Four months after the fact, the problem becomes an opportunity to coach others how to fight through adversity and be better than ever (which includes walking, running and playing).*

The difference between Opportunities and Problems lie with the negative consequence of not solving them successfully. If you miss on an opportunity, there is opportunity cost to contend with to be sure, but most likely there are few negative changes with your current situation. With Problems however, if you are unable to solve for them, you are still dealing with the negative consequences of the situation - And more often than not, it leads to more problems. 

Consequence makes my opportunities + problems very different things, and although my approach to solving for opportunities + problems is more or less the same, I will always deal with my problems first.

If truth be told, it took me a while to figure this out.

gpe

PS: The blog title was influenced by the musical group July Talk and I have attached the link to their video with a similar title. Guns + Ammunition  

* This is one of Big Red's more colourful stories.