It’s who you know. I know that now better than ever, as I reflect on my life from where I was to now to where I’m trying to go. It’s humbling to realize that you owe so much to so many others, especially when you always thought of yourself as a lone wolf type.

Thanks to Dr. Floyd Slotterback I’ve made music a big part of my life. He encouraged me with answering many a music theory question over the years going all the way back to high school. Most especially I owe him for letting the Upper Peninsula Youth Choir perform one of my songs at several concerts. To this day I’ve never felt more taken seriously as a musician as I did then. If all teachers could be like Dr. Slotterback the world would be a better place! He also gave me the reference that got me my long-lasting job at Public Radio 90, where I met several great people.

Thanks to a lady named Barb and a guy named Joe, both who I met at Northern Michigan University while I was a student. Barb (who knew me from Public Radio 90) thought of me for a department web site because I was “that computer guy”. I did a good enough job on that to noticed by Joe in a different department who I spent several years working with on various web site projects. I developed his department’s site as well as many online courses, while I taught myself a lot about HTML, Javascript, and so on. Aside from job opportunity, I got many a good piece of advice from him over the years, and he even helped me move my furniture once.

Through Joe I met Steve who was a faculty member at NMU. Joe recommended him as a the faculty advisor for when I had put together a student group for “The…TRUTH” which is a longer story than is necessary here. I got to know Steve well over the years and he eventually stood in my wedding. We still get together and enjoy beer and the swapping of life stories and sage advice.

Joe also introduced me to UPTN (Upper Peninsula Trainers Network) who needed a site. Though the group itself has floundered a great deal, it was at this group that I met Dar who worked with Northern Initiatives. I ended up creating a site for them, as well as forming a good working relationship that continues to help my business.

About half of my new clients tell me that they’ve heard about me from another previous client of mine. I imagine that if I treated people like poop (as do some businesses I’ve witnessed) I wouldn’t see this kind of interconnectedness.

Lately, because of some negative non-business related things that have happened recently that I won’t go into detail about (to protect both the innocent and the guilty) I’ve found myself thinking even more about what it means to treat people well, and to enjoy the benefit of having done so. Or to regret the effects of *not* having done so.

I used to think of myself as very “moral” when I was a fundy Christian. I knew right and wrong, things were black and white, etc., etc. Since the koolaide wore off, I’ve sometimes wondered how a person could have “right” or “wrong” without a spiritual framework. I’ve especially thought about this when I realize how selfish I am. (Though I think it’s a normal level and that I’m just more honest about it than some.) I’ve asked myself, “what wouldn’t I do to get something I want?” And I’m not always happy or comfortable with the answers.

One thing I firmly believe though is that it’s “right” to treat people nicely. Not because of some reward or punishment in the afterlife, but because if we were all to do it, things would just be so much better right here and right now. I’ve also noticed that when you treat others this way, you tend to get it in return, at least most of the time. Enough of the time to make it worth it anyway. I guess you could argue that’s a selfish motivation afterall, and you might be right. But I think the best of the selfish motivations are the ones that benefit someone else in the process.

I wouldn’t be who I am today without the kindness, interest and involvement of others, and I’m very grateful for it.

I hope that I can pass it on.