Hi Max!Well, you, mommy, and I just landed last night after our trip to Atlanta for GenGenAtlanta (events for the Generosity Generation)! You chose our little week to want to get up at night - and I understand, there were a lot of differences and changes thrown at you at once and mommy and daddy were pretty stressed with everything to do to get ready. Our positive? We care. Our problem? We care. :) We want to provide the Ultimate Learning Experience for the attendees and sometimes pushing to such high standards early can make for some stress behind the scenes and then of course getting only 2 to 4 hours or sleep at night compounds the effect of the overwhelmed feeling.
At the end of the trip, I'm like, "never again, never again." Never again can I take you to a GenGen event because I'm worried about you and I'm worried about the attendees (along with the wonderful people who help us put the event together). Flying is stressful any way, moreso with you. Sleeping is tough, just eating out adds to the hassle. Never again...
But in hearing the "End of the World" talk (a group has predicted the world to end at 6:20 p.m. Eastern (5:20 Central) today May 21, 2011) and in reflection of the trip, I really like you being there and I like spending the time with you. And of course, you had a secret message for me this morning (more on that later)... Perhaps the answer isn't "never again," but "how can we make this work?"
We could easily pack your meals so that you have those at your regularly scheduled time - you were so out of whack with eating times in Atlanta that of course you were out of whack with sleeping.
Number 1) We need to keep your schedule. I'm such a believer in systems I realize the power of this for you. Solution: pack your meals rather than trying to hunt down a restaurant and then getting you food.
Number 2) We could make one of our first action items - get milk. We would need to proactively ask for a room with a refrigerator for you (and perhaps one with a microwave). One of our biggest frustrations was running out of milk at night. Without milk, you struggled to sleep and yes, I could write for an hour on how we need to eventually break this habit, but sometimes you just have to go with the now over the future (milk now, work on habit later). And having a refrigerator in your room flows into Number 3.
Number 3) Have separate rooms at least the night before I speak. I need to make sure I get my sleep. Sleep-deprivation never made a good speaker - and of course you know me, I want to MASTER speaking and teaching to help others MASTER learning. With separate rooms, at least for that one night, there isn't the HUGE frustration that comes with you perhaps keeping me up all night like Atlanta.
Doing these items may cost us $100 - $400 more for the trip, but that is a fair trade for having you there. Because I love you. I'm sure the trip was as frustrating for you as it was for me. You like to make mommy and daddy happy just like we want you to be happy.
This morning you crawled in bed (note that you just had a regular 8 hours of sleep in your normal "Max's bed") and said, "Daddy, I love you." I'm almost tearing up just typing this with the memory of that! I instantly thought, "Okay, I forgive you. All is forgiven" and it isn't "just shut down the problem" it is "solve the problem". So once again, I learn a very valuable lesson from you.
Can't wait for GenGenNewEngland on June 15 with our new "system" to see how well we do with having you on our trips! We'll see... regardless, we'll learn something from it... AND I'll learn something from you.
Blessings,
Max's Dad (Michael)
