Category: SoCS

Stream of Consciousness Saturday Consciousness Prompt – ‘Acronym’

K. L. O. T.

Knowledge Learned Over Time

In a recent discussion with a former associate and contemporary, we discussed our careers and how better and smarter we were at the end than the beginning of our work life. We learned and grew as we became more experienced.

Isn’t that the case in most endeavors? Isn’t it what is expected of us by others, by ourselves? To learn and grow and keep on learning? Industry names it ‘continuous improvement’. Makes sense.

A few years ago, I gave this process a name, KLOT, ‘’Knowledge Learned Over Time’.

My acronym has been tucked away in a notebook, waiting to be shared with the world. When I saw this week’s challenge from Linda Hill, I thought, OMG, now is the time. And so I have,

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “acronym’.” Choose an acronym and use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

But why stop here? While most big universities have easily identifiable names by their abbreviations…. SU (Syracuse), UMASS (University of Massachusetts), UTEP (Univ of Texas at El Paso), etc. …, I formed a ‘school’ with an actual acronym, SHWAP U., ‘School of Hard Work And Perseverance’

Okay, so I didn’t account for the ‘of’. BFD! It still works.

The staff of SHWAP U, my ‘faculty’, as I referred to them, was made up of all the different disciplines who helped me grow my sales territory: manufacturing engineers and sales management, primarily, who would accompany me on sales calls and ‘plant seeds’ for new opportunities.

The SHWAP U acronym became synonymous with hard work and a never give up attitude. It was an honor to be associated with it. And those SHWAP U end of the sales work day dinners often ended with a fine cigar and self congratulatory pats on the back.

If you want to see what others have done with this prompt, visit Linda’s blog. Here is the link https://lindaghill.com/2023/07/07/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-8-2023/

Steve Bottcher (070823)

Stream of Consciousness – ‘Rock’

GIVE THAT ROCK A CIGAR!

If you would like to visit Linda’s blog to see how other folks use the prompt, here is the link https://lindaghill.com/2023/06/30/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-1-2023/

For those of you who look around and see ‘wonder’ in everything, you’ll understand. Maybe you’ll even laugh or shout, “hooray, someone else with eyes wide open”!

As I preached to the students I led across the street as a crossing guard, look up, down and around, the world right around you is full of amazing sights. Take this rock, for example.

“What this country needs is a good 5 cent cigar’

An ordinary rock that lined our garden with its other rock friends. Add a broken tree branch and it comes to life. Almost looks like a puffed out politician or used car salesman (no offense, I love salespeople, I was one myself)

For a brief period in my senior life, I was gathering rocks that looked like states, and actually found a few. My New York rock was a perfect specimen. It had everything ‘upstaters’ and western New Yorkers liked; high spots for the the mountain areas and flatter tones along the Ontario shores,

I wanted to take a photo but I think I threw it at a crazy fox running through the yard. Now, I can’t tell if it’s Ohio or Virginia. Manhattan must have broken off in the throw.

That ‘hobby’ lasted briefly. My wife thought I was off my rocker, so I dropped it and took up writing. I’m not sure which is harder, writing or finding a New Hampshire rock on my morning walk.

Steve

srbottch.com

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