Somewhere along the way, disagreeing became uncomfortable.Not a rude disagreement or the loud, obnoxious kind where someone just wants to win the room and hear their own voice. I mean thoughtful, professional disagreement. The kind where someone says, “I see it differently,” and then explains why.Too often, we avoid that moment by nodding and softening our opinion. We might say, “That makes sense,” even when it really doesn’t. Maybe we don’t want to offend anyone or be seen as difficult. It just feels easier to keep the peace.

Are convention and propriety always the right way to go?  Are unconvention and impropriety always a negative?There is no perfect answer, but I know the chance you never take is surely unrewarding.  If you don't try you will never know.  If there is something you want or need, there is no harm in politely asking for it and, oft times, you might be pleasantly surprised by the response.  I can still hear my father counseling "There is no harm in asking!"There is no benefit, in such circumstances, in being shy, polite or timid. 

     Yesterday morning I woke up to a symphony. The window was open and a quintet was treating me to one of nature's finest originals. Led by a Northern Cardinal, the quintet was rounded out by a Song Sparrow, Common Grackle, and American Robin, with a guest appearance by a Northern House Wren, whose visit, I am advised, was "unlikely" .      The quintet was joined in an encore performance by a Mourning Dove, House Sparrow, European Starling, Gray Catbird and Blue Jay.

The first thing on my work schedule has always been tackling the mail. When I had my law office, almost everything came via the postal service. Responding could either be with a phone call (returning calls was the second order of business) or by snail mail. Now I collect the snail mail a few times a week, most of which goes into the recycling bin.  Aside from my New Yorker there’s nothing I need or want to read.

I know we were all hoping for a weekend filled with sunshine.   That is not the weather card we were dealt, however.  Instead, it was a nasty, chilly weekend just until sometime late on Monday when it was time to start thinking about the workweek.I am about to give you my "half glass full" spin on this.  Since we knew ahead of time that this was not going to be a beach weekend, we had a chance to plan.  We had so many inside projects on an evergrowing list that it seemed a good time to roll up our sleeves and start working.

Today, a very important question is being asked in homes and sporting events throughout the country. “How do you take your hotdog?” For me, the answer would be “with Ketchup.” My Dad always found that answer deeply unpatriotic. His response would always be, “no one eats a hot dog with Ketchup, it’s unamerican.”  For his hotdog, he would put on heaping globs of mustard and as much sauerkraut as the bun could hold.  My Mom would always put cole slaw on her hot dog. 

No matter your Fandom, last weekend’s Gotham “visit” to Citi Field for a Mets-Yankees game met or exceeded the usual expectation.

I’m honored. I’m thrilled. I’m excited to announce.At some point, LinkedIn started to sound like everyone was reading from the same corporate greeting card.Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with sharing wins, celebrating milestones, or posting professional updates. That’s part of why LinkedIn exists. But somewhere along the way, a lot of the real voice got polished right out of the room.Everyone is strategic. Everyone is humbled. Everyone is proud to partner with an incredible team on an amazing journey. Blah, blah, blah.