February 11, 2016: Day 66

What 65 degrees looks like
(can you see me smiling behind the camera?)

Warmth.

I felt it as I walked off the plane. No chill in the air or need for winter jacket. Not in Denver at least.

Day 66 included a morning in Omaha and then a Southwest flight brought us to Denver in early afternoon to finish our day.

Although our travel schedule seems confusing to most, Garrett and I handle it with ease. Not only are we both organized, but we are both adaptable if plans change at the last minute. And that does happen more often than one would think.

Case in point. The plans for this weekend.

Two weeks ago our calendars showed Garrett and I together in Denver with Garrett's kids. Then I received a message from a childhood classmate, asking me to join my high school gal pals in Chicago. It took about five minutes for Garrett to say 'go for it' and me to answer my friend with a thumbs up. And so we changed our plans to accommodate.

Our ability to relax and make decisions on the fly is a great benefit of my 90 days off. I would highly recommend it.

My morning started with a board committee meeting at Omaha's Goodwill Industries. I have sat on this board for years and love it's mission and good work in our community. They support the dignity of people by providing opportunities through education, training, and work.

Dignity is a word that carries a lot of weight in my vocabulary. Dismissing with dignity. Dying with dignity. Treating people with dignity. Always. The golden rule.

Although I am not making major decisions during my 90 days off, there are things that are clear to me. I want to spend more time, either through community service or work life, making a difference and helping people. Treating people with dignity is a natural by-product of doing the right thing. That will always be the goal in living every day that is gifted to me.

I have learned some great lessons in dignity over the years. Unfortunately some of the best lessons come from watching people demonstrate poor behavior or even worse, being the recipient of the mistreatment. But with misfortune comes fortune. There is no better way to be empathetic to another person's plight than to have walked in their shoes.

As my meetings continue, I am more and more optimistic as I hear stories from healthcare leaders demonstrating great understanding of the patient perspective. I am of the firm belief that human conditions can not change for the better without starting with understanding the person and their innate needs. Far too often systems, government, and corporate America forget this detail.

Anyway. I won't forget this detail as I move on to Day 90 and beyond. Hold me accountable please.

On a lighter note, Garrett and I closed our day in Denver seeing the last of the Oscar Best Picture nominees, Room. We have now viewed all of the movies nominated. Our conclusion is that there are many good ones in the pool. Garrett picks Spotlight as the best picture and I choose Room (Spotlight is my second).

That is all for now. Good Night.