Put Me In, Coach!

One of my most vivid high school memories came in April of my senior year. I was driving to school one foggy morning, listening to the KSHE95 Morning Zoo. With much hoopla, the DJ put on John Fogerty's, "Center Field." If you're not familiar, "Center Field" is just the best baseball song ever made! And the occassion for playing the tune? Opening day of baseball season!

Opening day is so much more than the first day of MLB. It's a promise of things to come, it starts to give a city back the identity it's been lacking the last six months and, most of all, it means winter is freaking over!

This year(as I type this from Florida), opening day doesn't have quite the significance it once did. Mainly because every day(other than those in June, July and August) feels like spring here. Still, there's a ton of excitement when that first pitch is thrown, when the crowd sizes up the new players, when the grass seems just a little more green than the last time you saw it. Opening day...it's here! And, of course, go Cards!

St. Peter Claver, Cristo Rey High School

Thanks to the students at St. Peter Claver, a Cristo Rey High School, in Omaha, NE for hosting Carson and I yesterday, Friday, March 28.

Special thanks to Leigh McKeehan for using my book as required reading for the freshman class AND for asking me to present to the students! Leigh, you're da bomb!

Thanks to all St. Peter Claver teachers and staff who hosted me for classroom sessions, too. It was awesome getting to know all of you and I can't wait to come back to St. Peter Claver!

check out all the pics on myspace.com/marcusengel

Whew!

Well, kids, I'm back from a whirlwind tour to Omaha. Flew up on Thursday morning, back last night and finally hit my own pillow around 2 a.m. Whew!

This trip firmly has me convinced the universe is searching for balance. Thursday morning at the Orlando Airport was one of the most miserable travel experiences I've ever had. The customer service escort simply would not communicate with me. First, I was told we had to check in at the counter inside due to Carson (big fat lie). I asked repeatedly why, only to be blown off, ignored, etc. When I finally got some answers from another airline employee, he apologized and said, "We try not to discriminate." I assume he was referring to the fact the escort was a non-native English speaker. Frankly, we had no trouble communicating verbally - he just simply wouldn't say anything! I'll refrain from continuing this BMW session and get to the point about equalling everything out.

The escort asked me to wait in the middle of the terminal while he assisted a gentleman using a wheelchair to his gate. I stood, waited, waited, waited... oh, and then waited. Finally, another passenger approached and asked if I needed help. I told him I was flying to Chicago, but my skycap had dissed me. Turns out, this passenger was also on the flight to Chi-Town. We walked together and got to plop down with minutes to spare onto an overbooked flight (note to airlines: STOP selling more tickets than you have seats! This ain't rocket science!)

By the time the uncomfy ride actually reached the Windy City, I was no less miserable than when we'd left Orlando. And yet? The universe balanced things again! In Chicago, a passenger sat down in the next seat, introduced himself and we immediately started chatting. Turns out, he's a fundraiser for St. Peter Claver, Cristo Rey High School and helped the very school where I was speaking get it's start! Not only did I have a great seatmate, but I got educated on where I'd be speaking (inside info never hurts!)

It seems like every time something bad happens, the possibility of something good happening always comes up. Maybe the Rolling Stones were right: You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you'll find, you get what you need.

Who Benefits?

Jamie Allman is an investigative reporter back in my hometown of St. Louis. In the last several years, Jamie's claim to fame is no longer the investigative reporting, but sharing the truth about national and international situations. Basically, if it happens on earth, Jamie is going to get to the bottom of what iss REALLY going on.

Today, I happened across his blog, Allman's Electric Stove. You can search it out through: www.971talk.com

One of his articles asks the question, "Who benefits?" He said in his time as an investigative reporter, the single best question one can ask during an investigation is, "Who benefits?"

Someday I'll probably write a book on how I don't believe in alturism (the idea one performs selfless acts for the benefit of another). I believe we can all have selfless feelings, but even the best act of chairity (that being anonymous) still gives the giver a good feeling about his/her deed.

Anyway, if you ask, "Who benefits?", I think you can get to the bottom of the story fastest (and I've thought this for years, Jamie just shortened it for me). When learning of leaks in the press, who benefits? Chances are, there's your culprit. When there's a crime committed, who benefits? When there's a political issue, who benefits?And ya know what? Most people will never ask this question. And because of that, most guilty parties will get off scot free.

This lacsidasical attitude on the part of we Americans is precisely why we're such lemmings when it comes to news.What's that? You say you're not? Awesome! I don't think of myself as a lemming, either. But ya know what? Unless I ask some real pointed questions, I do, in fact, end up eating whatever the media machine pushes out. Sad fact of life... which is why I'll continue to try to self educate as much as I can. I hope you will, too.

No Cussin' Club

Dr. Phil had a middle schooler on a few days ago. Dig this...the kid got tired of hearing profanity from all the other kids at school. So, he started the No Cussing Club!

Now, this is all good and fine-Lord knows we hear far too much profanity everywhere we go. And I'm as guilty as the next guy with my overactive potty mouth. It's really cool that this young man has taken the initiative on a grass roots level to promote abstinence from vulgar language.

What I found even more intriguing, though, was the question he got from Dr. Phil. Dr. Phil asked said kid, "What do you say to the kids who want to swear? What do you say to kids who tell you they like to cuss and they're not going to stop?"

The kid looked up, real matter-of-fact and said, "I'd tell them not to join the club!"

Do you understand how brilliant this is? He could have ranted and raved about how wrong profanity is, how it's the language of the uncreative and ignorant, how it makes the cusser look like a fool with no true intellect. But no-he kept the argument on the level where it is-he just said cussers aren't those for whom the club is intended!

See, so often we have someone promoting their standpoint. That's all good and fine, right? We're Americans and are able to exercise our first amendment right.

Yet, where I think many orgs go wrong is this: they promote their own standpoint while also demonizing the opposition. These two things don't have to be mutually exclusive, but most people feel when they take Standpoint A, they have to point out how Standpoint B is just flat wrong.

Props to this young man for keeping his views in tact while allowing the cussers to continue their cussin'...they just have to do it somewhere else.

Any Questions?

"Any questions for the pharmacist?" the tech asked from behind the counter. I've been on this same medicine for two plus years, so I feel like a salty dog with it's use. I just shook my head and said, "Nope! I'm all good!"

Still,, had I not been so familiar with this drug, I'd have had a lot of questions. Going to the pharmacy can be pretty intimidating for some. Insurance cards, co-pays, signatures, prescribing doctors, prescription slips, directions for the medication, tiny print, unfamiliar words-if I were elderly, there are tons of reasons why seeing the pharmacist could be a struggle.

By the tech asking, "Any questions for the pharmacist?", it opens a friendly door for conversation. This pharmacy seems to havve this as their policy-not just the happenstance comment of an employee. With as much confusion as can be with drugs today, this makes lots of sense.

In fact, were I recommending a pharmacy to an elderly loved one, this is the first place I'd suggest. If nothing else, they make it easy for the patient to learn more about the drugs they're on.

Is This Really A Smart Way To Make A Statement?

This morning during Easter Sunday services at a cathedral in New York, six protesters did a quazi "demonstration"", disrubting one of the holiest of days on the Christian calendar.

The protesters, four men and two women, doused themselves with fake blood in protest to the American war in Iraq. As they were escorted from the church, they sprayed the fake blood on the parisioners seated nearby.

Is this really a smart way to get your views across?

Easter is traditionally a spectacle to behold in church. Easter hats and bonnetts and dresses arecommonly worn by the young and old females within a congregation. Me? As a little kiddo, Easter was always a day when I'd don a suit and tie for the early morning service.

Those who still participate in the traditional dress of Easter Sunday now, due to the misguided fervor of these protesters, not only had their Sunday service interrupted, but now have the fake blood from the protesters ruining their Sunday best.

Frankly, if some jackass sprays one of my family with fake blood to get their point across, their point is mute. I would go to war and die for their ability to protest in a peaceful manner. But start involving people who don't want to be involved? This isn't a very good representation of one's beliefs.

Protesting is, in general, a pretty useless activity. Unless tens of thousands can be organized into a peaceful congregation for a protest, it's not really getting the viewpoint out to the public. Still, it's every American's first amendment right to share their opinions provided those are shared peacefully.

Protesting crosses the line when laws are broken. In this case today, the law which was broken was the destruction of property. And they also broke the law of common sense.

I feel most reasonable people, no matter what their beliefs on the war happen to be, will shun this type of action as futile and disruptive. No?

Back In Sunny FL!

After spending the last few days in St. Louis, I'm back in Florida with my fam-and couldn't be happier! Thanks to all who hosted mewhile I was in town, and thanks to those who arranged the benefit for Officer Tom Ballman of the Kirkwood Police Department. The benefit was a huge success and a great time, to boot!

The flooding in and around STL has been a big concern. Thankfully, as rough as it is, most folks seem to be heeding the warnings and staying out of harm's way. Keep your fingers crossed that the worst is now over.

And, again, I want to thank all blog and newsletter readers. A week ago, we had around 300 views on the youtube vid. Now? Over 1500. Thank you sooooo much for helping spread the word and getting Marcus in front of so many people!

"Twisted Morality"

Is there any justification for homicide? Try this situation on for size...

I've just spent the last hour watching one of those great crime shows. In this episode, a grandfather was murdered by his grandson and his grandson's best friend. The granddaughter AND the mother also helped.

What would cause a daughter and her children to rise up against the family patriarch? A lifetime of abuse, that's what.

After hours of interviews, it was discovered that the grandfather had, for the last four decades, abused everyone in his family. He'd repeatedly raped his own daughter, then physically and emotionally abused her, to boot. Throw in the same treatment to his grandchildren(both male and female) and simply put, the grandson felt that to protect his mom and sis, Grandpa had to die.

After the grandson murdered his family and buried him in the backyard, he admitted what he'd done to his mom and sis. And then? They all pitched in to clean up the physical evidence. After that, according to the grandson, he had the first night of restful sleep of his entire life.

Now, that's the background. Here's what I found most interesting:

Once Grandpa was dead, the grandson pulled his wallet. He took the $600 from the patriarch, paid off the family's bills and bought groceries for his mom and sister. Do you find this as interesting as I do? The son will commit murder, but he's not willing to let the bills go unpaid. And then, with the money leftover, he purchased food for his family.

Having never killed anyone, I don't know what I'd feel. I don't know what I'd do. I do, however, find it really intriguing one can justify murder 1, but isn't willing to let the light bill go without being paid.

Battered family syndrome? That was the defense. Justified? That's up to a jury to determine.

Make A Wish

The Make A Wish Foundation is one incredibly quality organization. In fact, I heard yet another awesome, tear jerking PSA yesterday for:

www.Wish.org

This story from Carson's alma mater, The Seeing Eye, Inc. shows how Make A Wish took the desires of a little girl and helped her to help others. Enjoy!

_____________________________________________________________

St. Patrick's Day was a very special day here at The Seeing Eye. The newspaper article pasted below tells the story of how a little girl named Maggie Deely visited our school on Monday, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Any day now, the "M" litter of Seeing Eye pups is due to be born, and one of those Labrador puppies will be named "Maggie" in honor of our special visitor.Ailing girl's dream: To provide comfort to othersby Robert E. Williams III, the Newark Star Ledger, Tuesday, March 18, 2008Maggie Deely raised her arm slightly in the air at the Seeing Eye kennels in Morris Township, as she commanded a black Labrador retriever named Homer to sit.After the dog followed the 9-year-old's first command, the Centreville, Va., resident pointed her finger to the ground and commanded the dog to lay. Homer obliged.

"Hey, I think we got a trainer," said specialized dog instructor Kris Sutton to Maggie and her family during their tour of the Seeing Eye in Morris Township, a nonprofit organization that trains dogs to assist blind people. Maggie's visit to the facility was part of a trip coordinated by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an organization that coordinates the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses. Maggie arrived at the facility Monday dressed for St. Patrick's Day -- dressed all in green with green Mardi Gras beads around her neck, a crown decorated with green and silver tinsel on her head, and a green shirt that read, "Everybody loves an Irish girl."

It was shortly before St. Patrick's Day last year when Maggie was diagnosed with craniopharyngioma, an illness causing a brain tumor that affects the pituitary gland and its functions. Maggie was treated at Children's Hospital Boston, where pediatric neurosurgeon Michael Scott in April removed a portion of the tumor that was as big as two thumbs laid side by side. After the surgery, her doctor used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to monitor the growth of the remaining portion of the tumor. Maggie also meets with an endocrinologist to manage the impact of the tumor on her pituitary gland, which influences her growth and hormonal development. Maggie told the foundation about her wish to explore a career working with animals after she observed her third-grade class president with a companion dog named Mercer, a black Labrador retriever. "I thought it would be lots of fun, and it was," said Maggie, who wore a Make-A-Wish Foundation button on her shirt.

The foundation has become well-known for arranging high-profile experiences for children. Some wishes involved meeting a celebrity, going to a hard-to-access sporting event or undergoing an experience related to a child's interest. Teresa Davenport, a spokeswoman for the Seeing Eye, said visits to the facility as part of a wish are rare. "Instead of going to Disneyland, she wanted to do this," said her father, Tim Deely, who accompanied his daughter and rest of his family along South Street during Maggie's training yesterday. "She surprises us all the time." Maggie and her family -- including her mother Cathy, her sister, 13-year-old Brigid, and brothers Brian, 12, and Kevin, 11 -- took a train from their home in Virginia on Sunday. They ate lunch at the Seeing Eye and toured the kennels where German shepherds and retrievers played with trainers as the family looked on.

The family was later escorted by van to the statue of Seeing Eye dog founder Morris Frank and a Seeing Eye dog at the Green across the street from the Century 21 department store, where they met with trainer Jim Kessler and his dog, Vixen. After some instruction, Maggie grabbed the reins of the yellow Labrador retriever and worked with Kessler, teaching the dog to signal when it was okay to move forward.

Maggie may be young, but she's no rookie when it comes to training dogs. This summer, she began training a mixed Labrador puppy named Gillian for Canine Companions for Independence, a Long Island-based organization that trains dogs to assist people with disabilities. "I like it because some day it will pay off and she will do a really good job, and make someone happy," said Maggie of her experience training Gillian.

"We Did It!"

Actually, YOU, faithful reader, are the one who should be celebrating! We set the goal of 1000 youtube views for my new promo video and today - we hit 1000! Yippie!

Watch Marcus on You Tube

I'd like to especially thank Marc and Nicole S. from "The Wood Whisperer" for sending out the link to their list, too! You guys rock! And for my readers, check out Marc and Nicole's business at:

http://thewoodwhisperer.com/off-topic-favor/

Thank you, thank you and thank you!

Lifetime Media

If you've seen my new promo video on youtube, you've probably seen the incredible quality stuff produced by Lifetime Media, LLC in St. Louis.

For whatever your video needs, check them out at:

www.Lifetime-Media.com

Kirkwood Benefits

Later this week, I'm travelling back to St. Louis to see friends and family and attend a benefit for Officer Tom Ballman. Officer Ballman, another Kirkwood officer and three city council members were slain on Feb. 7 when an armed gunman broke into a city council meeting and started shooting.

Kirkwood is an incredibly close-knit community and where I've lived for the five years prior to Orlando. The benefit for Officer Ballman on Thursday night sounds like a great time for an even greater cause...and then I remembered Thursday is the real beginning of Holy Week. To be sure the event is still on, I googled around and found this site:

http://www.ci.kirkwood.mo.us/donation_and_fundraiser_info.htm In a message dated I


Turns out, there are benefits galore! It just warms my heart to know these individuals haven't been forgotten. In our fast paced world, today's tragedy is tomorrow's distant memory. Not so with the Kirkwood shooting victims. If you're around STL, consider helping out the families of the victims during one of these events.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Even though 99% of my ancestry comes from Germany, I'll still tip my hat to the Irish! If for no other reason than I love the Pogues! Everyone please be careful out there if you've tipped back a few pints of Guiness tonight!

Big Smith on Marcus' MySpace!

Through the late 90s(a.k.a., my college years) there was nothing that gave me more awesome, fun, memorable nights thanBig Smith, a funked up, hillbilly roc band out of Springfield, Missouri. Back in the day, I could head out, oh, three nights per week to hear my favorite acoustically irregular tunes...and this summer, the boys are going on tour to France. What a difference a decade makes!

So, to help promote one of my favorite pickin' and grinnin' projects, "Trash", by Big Smith, now adornes the pics, blogs and random info you'll find on:

www.MySpace.com/MarcusEngel

Or check Big Smith's page out for yourself:

www.MySpace.com/BigSmithBand

New Live Journal Blog!

Announcing the newest Marcus Engel blog:

http://marcusengel.livejournal.com/

This Live Journal blog is titled "Drunk Driving Speaker." Reason being, the blog is to promote the impaired driving prevention aspect of my business. I'll be posting articles and opinions, both mine and those of others, having to do with impaired driving of any sort, traffic safety, law enforcement and anything to do with colleges, high and middle schools. I hope it'll be as active as Engel's Ensights, so if you happen upon articles that deal with any of the above listed subjects, PLEASE send me the links! Thanks!

New URLs For Marcus!

When I was a wee lad, I realized my parents spelled my name in a unique way. Not Mark, but Marc. If you've read "After This...", you may remember the scene where I insisted my nurses spell my name correctly.

Plus, ask someone how to spell my last name and, chances are, they'll spell it "Engle"-WRONG! My last name is German and translates to "Angel", hence the unusual spelling.

With two uniquely spelled names, folks don't have a chance of finding me on the net-unless they're really great spellers!

This morning, I attended a meeting of the Central Florida National Speakers Association. The guest speaker, Ford Saeks, pointed out how often URLs aren't helpful to web surfers. Having two uniquely spelled names, unless someone has my biz card, book or bookmark in front of them, they're likely to misspell it. So, we've tried to help fix this issue!

*drum roll, please!*

As of, oh, 20 minutes ago(and with special thanks to Ford!), yours truly is now the proud owner of:

www.DrunkDrivingSpeaker.com

www.AlcoholSpeaker.com

www.AlcoholAwarenessSpeaker.com

Now, if an audience member can't remember the spelling of MarcusEngel.com, they can just pop in drunkdrivingspeaker.com and, WHAMMO! They've found me!

Thanks again, Ford, for such great info today!

Fo Shizzle!

Yesterday, in celebration of his 60th birthday, comedian Billy Crystal got to live a lifelone dream-play baseball for the New York Yankees. Crystal got one at bat and(of course) struck out. The Yanks signed Crystal to a one day contract for a spring training game, thereby fulfilling Crystal's lifelong dream.

Now, that's kinda interesting, right? It'd be cool if, for one day, we all got to live out our childhood dreams. But try this on for size...

Snoop Doggy Dog will soon be acting in an episode of "One Life To Live." Snoop said this has always been his favorite daytime show, mainly because he grew up watching it because it was his mom's favorite show.

Who got the better end of this deal?

Man, I hope when I get along in years, I'm standing on stage playing guitar with the remaining members of Led Zeppelin-NOT cooking a meal with Martha Stewart!

Show Me Who Your Friends Are

The big news story of the last 48 hours seems to be Barack Obama's association with his pastor. The pastor, Jeremiah Wright, has made some incredibly inflammatory statements from the pulpit in the church Senator Obama has attended for two decades. When power politics comes into play, the Senator's opposition will attempt to create a link between the pastor and the Senator.

A 24 hour news program asked viewers to write in with their thoughts on the matter. One mother from the mid-west said, "It's like what I tell my 12 year old: Show me who your friends are and I'll show you who you are."

Ya know, in the case of developing healthy, mature adults, this has some good merit. I'm not so sure I can buy that for adults.

See, one of the very strong beliefs I practice is that everyone in the world is my friend. Until someone gives me a reason NOT to be his/her friend, they are! This makes the world a much smaller place when you think of having six billion friends, doesn't it?

I have friends who aree potheads. I have friends who are evangelical Christians. I have friends who are geeks. I have friends who are lazy slackers. And my biggest friend(other than my wife) is Carson.

By the rationale of this mom from the mid-west, I'm a dope smokin', Jesus praisin', computer addicted, lazy bones black labrador. Need I even say I am not?

I do feel that you attract what you value. Therefore, if I value healthy, mature relationships with healthy, mature, responsible people, then that I shall have! But I also can still find attractive qualities about people who I disagree with.

We cannot throw the baby out with the bathwater. That's as prejudicial as some of the very comments being complained about.

Why Do You Live Where You Live?

Tom Robbins is one of my all time favorite authors. There is no writer alive who can put down pages and pages of prose concerning beets. No other author can write an interesting story about the oversized thumbs of a teenage girl. No one(atast no writer I've read) can come up with a title like, "Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates." Yet, Robbins does each with a flare of the obscure, the obscene and, above all else, a level of interest that can intrigue even the most uninterested reader.

Having said all that, why am I writing about Robbins? Well, while on my travels the last 10 days, I managed to read Robbins' "Wild Ducks Flying Backwards." This is a collection of articles and short pieces Robbins has written since the late 60s until present. One such article was written after seeing The Doors in concert for the first time in the late 60s-that ought to give you an idea how long Robbins has been writing!

One piece from the book was titled, "Why Do You Live Where You Live?" Robbins, who lives in Seattle, went into lengthy detail how he loves Seattle; Pike's Market, the plethora of coffee bars, the culture, the people but, most of all, the weather. He describes his house as being of such an architecture where his bedroom is separated from the rest of the structure. When he heads off to hit the hay, the raindrops fall onto his skin between buildings; sort of like a goodnight kiss.

This article made me question why I live where I live-a question I've been posing to myself since, oh, about 1999. Most Americans live within 50 miles of where they were born. Other than a five year stint in college and six months in Denver, until relocating to Orlando last spring, I've fallen in with this contingent of America.

Yet, since I can do my job from anywhere in the world, why do I live here? Welll, "here" being Orlando is simply based on love. Not of Orlando or Florida, but for my wife and stepkids. As the kids are in their final years of high school, I couldn't possibly ask them to change schools-especially not when I'm so much more mobile. Plus, there's not once when I've had to worry about slipping on ice since moving to Florida! And the fact Orlando is such a big tourist area means flying is easier. But will we stay here forever? Doubtful.

And the question then becomes...where we move next has yet to be determined. When that choice is made, what are the criteria for settling down in the new Chez Engel?

First, a major airport must be within a 30 minute drive. Second, a place where I already know people or can easily make connections-life isn't measured by money nor homes nor promotions, but by relationships. And third, I want to live in a city with a strong personality. A place where people are proud to live and take an active interest in their community. Where will this be? Who knows!?

So I ask you: why do you live where you do? Connections? The climate? The culture? When you have a solid answer to this query, you'll begin to see what your priorities are-and knowing your priorities is the fastest way to be sure you're building a happy and productive life.

Want to Help Me Reach 1000?

When we first posted my new promo video on youtube, we set the goal of having 1000 views by April 1. We're a little over 33% there, so please, PLEASE go to:

Watch Marcus on You Tube

And take a look! Thank you for helping us try to spread this new video around as much as we can! And feel free to leave comments, too! I love feedback!

More Thoughts on "Killing Yourself"

I just finished "Killing Yourself To Live" by Chuck Klosterman-a must read for any music lover or Gen Xer. The musical references, along with analysis of pop culture, makes for some really, really interesting reading. Plus, Klosterman's self depricating style and personal befuddlement with his several romantic interests sheds some light onto the reader. The situations seem Klosterman's own, but in reality, we've all lived it.

At one point, Klosterman discusses intelligence. He refers to Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, both of which were well out of office before we(and by "we" I mean Klosterman and me) were ever born.

Nixon said of Kissinger,"He's inteligent because he knows the right thing to do without being told." (That's not a direct quote, so please, ghost of Richard Nixon, don't haunt me due to the paraphrase).

Knowing the right thing to do without being told IS a great sign of intelligence. The thing which is called into question is, of course, what is "the right thing"? That's subjective as all get out!

Still, subjective or not, I want the people who I work with to do the right thing without being told. This is one reason my wife and I work so well together-we're on the same page. She is the first person I've ever worked with where this type of reciprocal relationship truly works at it's best. Is that intelligence? Partially. I think another strong definition of intelligence is the ability to adapt properly to emerging situations.

For example, I had an entire list of things planned out which needed to be marked off the "to do" list today. Yet, other things have taken prescedence in the meantime. Thus, we'll work in the things on the backburner later. And, as my wife has shown me, we adapt to emerging situations.

I've completely learned not to press on, stoic as a pioneer, only to let more important things slip by. TAT, faithful reader, is a sure sign of the wheels spinning, but gaining no ground.

Change The Things You Can

If you've heard me present, you'll likely remember the story of when yours truly, as a bad 16 year old driver, had my first fender bender. Not your typical fender bender, I was SUCH a bad driver that I backed into a brand new sports car - owned by my high school principal, Mr. Larry Luetjen.

Following that minor incident, Mr. Luetjen gave me the best piece of advice I've ever received:

"Marcus, as you get a little older, you're going to realize there are so many things in the world you can't change. This is one thing you CAN change. Change the things you can and don't worry about the rest...after all, there's nothing you can do about things you can't change."

Change the things you can. This all encompassing statement shows acceptance, empowerment and progress towards an end. Change the things you can. This mantra was repeated time and time again throughout my hospitalization, as well as, oh, the last decade and a half.

This past Saturday, over a Cracker Barrel lunch of chicken fried steak, I had one of the most meaningful times of my life. Sitting across from Mr. Luetjen, I was finally able to tell him, man to man, just how much that experience changed my life - and how it continues to help me every day.

We have all, ALL benefited from the influence of teachers, administrators, youth group leaders, coaches, etc. I sure have, as evidenced by the fact you've all heard me say, "Change the things you can." But how wrong is it to have benefited from adult leadership, but never have taken the time to say a simple, "Thank you"? It's terrible! I don't ever want the important people to continue on without the knowledge of just what I've gained! This is why sitting there at Cracker Barrel, one of my life's goals was completed: Tell it to the man himself.

Emotions are tricky to put into words. What the hell? It's not like I'm a writer or something! Maybe this is why it's just so tough to describe why I feel like that debt I've owed since the early 90s has finally, finally been repaid. Again, Mr. Luetjen... thank you.

And it doesn't take a genius to know that for every Marc Engel who verbalizes that sentiment, there are hundreds (thousands?) of students who your leadership has touched... you'll just never hear it from them. Trust me, though, it's there.

And next time? I get to pick up the tab for lunch... perhaps at the New Smyrna Steakhouse?

Montgomery County R-II NHS

When I was a sophomore at Montgomery County R-II High School, I was invited to join the National Honor Society. High academic achievement, leadership in school activities and recommendations from teachers were(apparently) the items that made me eligible for NHS. Huh! Who'd have thunk I could have lived up to such high standards?! Certainly not me!

Last evening, March 11, I was invited to speak at the NHS induction at my alma mater. It's been a long, long time since I've set foot inside the building which is so associated with my high school life. Last night was truly, truly one of the favorite programs I've given in a long time. One of my best buds from high school, John Woods(now a member of the school board) introduced me and refrained from telling any stories that were TOO embarrassing!

Last night wasn't the typical Marcus Engel keynote, either. At least 50% of the speech was material I've never used before. Thanks to all those in the audience who received that message so well and took the time to support the NHS!

Special thanks to Mrs. Hillary Enloe, the NHS sponsor, for helping to orchestrate my program...and thanks for taking such an active interest in an org I care deeply about.

Another special thanks to senior Brandon Nystrom for being such a gracious host for the evening. You and your fellow NHS officers really made me feel welcome back in the old stompin' grounds!

To all who came out to listen last evening, and to all those who bought books, and to all those who took the time to introduce yourselves... thank you. You made me feel like a returning hero-but those who take an active interest in bettering the world (as NHS does) are the real heros.

Humboldt State University

Okay, I'm REAL late on these pics, but here they finally are! Last Thursday, March 6, I was honored to speak for the students of Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA.

This was my first trip to Humboldt State and I couldn't have asked for a better experience! The weather was the quintessential Pacific NW, the people were all cool and laid back and my client, Meghan Ciufetelli, is just da bomb! What else would you expect from the birthplace of Sponge Bob Square Pants?!

Special thanks to Meg for arranging everything, hauling me around, showing me the highlights of Arcata and hooking me up with the best place EVER to stay! My only regret is that there wasn't more time - Humboldt County is definitely somewhere I want to vacation in the future!
Thanks to the California Highway Patrol for their continued work to help eliminate drunk driving. The HSU program was made possible by a grant from CHP and I, for one, am truly grateful law enforcement takes such a pro-active role in prevention.

MADD Central Missouri Law Enforcement Appreciation Banquet

After heading out from Humboldt County, I made my way across the country to my old stompin' grounds. Saturday evening, the Mid-Missouri chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving held their annual law enforcement appreciation banquet. The Columbia Country Club was the site and the event attracted nearly 100 cops from across Boone County. Columbia PD, Boone County Sheriff's Department, University of Missouri Police, Missouri State Highway Patrol and a handfull of other municipal departments helped to make the evening a stunning success! I was also excited to get to see some old pals from MADD in Missouri, Mike Bolan and Phaedra from the MADD Missouri office.

A special thanks goes to Scott and Lori Ewing for their help in all the logistical deets, and a HUGE thanks goes to Tom and Betty Kidwell for helping revive MADD in central MO! You guys did a bang up job with such an event-and it renews my faith in the overwhelming abilities of a volunteer spirit! And, as I like to give credit where credit is due, Hy-Vee supermarkets in central MO are some of MADD's biggest supporters, and therefore, some of the biggest supporters of law enforcement officers... so shop there, Missouri friends!

Killing Yourself To Live

If you're from Generation X(or you're three years on either side of 30), think about getting a copy of Chuck Klosterman's 2005 release, "Killing Yourself To Live." This is precisely the kind of book I love!

Klosterman is a writer for Spin magazine-something I haven't read in at least a decade. In this book, Klosterman goes on a mega road trip from NYC to Florida to Mississippi to Iowa to Seattle. All along the way, he visits famous sites where rock stars died; the Chelsea Hotel in NYC where Sid killed Nancy, the intersection in Georgia where Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident, the swamp in Mississippi where Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane went down, the Iowa farrm field where Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper died and, finally, Seattle where Kurt Cobain blew his head off. All along the way, Klosterman muses on his interpersonal relationships and childhood history, intertwining his own stories with those of the pop culture icons and their places of demise. Fascinating!

At one point,, Klosterman gives an example of a test psychiatrists use to determine whether someone is schziophrenic(sp?). Here's the test...

The mental health expert tells a short story, then poses the question: Why?

A woman's husband dies suddenly. She is afraid, lonely and depressed. At the funeral, she meets and spends two hours talking to a man. A week later, the widow kills her sister. Why?

A "normal" person will answer, "The man was her sister's husband. Out of desparation, she kills her sister to get the man." A schzio will answer, "She wanted to have another funeral, knowing this man would be there again."

Folks, I have no idea if this is so. No clue if this is truly a test mental health experts actually do.Still, I'd like to know the truth-because I had an answer that was not "normal" and not "schzio."

My wonderment was this:

The woman killed her sister out of jealousy. The two women look the same(they-are- sisters, after all) and the widow thought the man may see the sis, be more interested in her, and the widow would remain alone.

So, am I nuts? I dunno. Probably. Any mental health experts wanna give me an analysis?

It's Not Your Fault, But...

I'm currently in my hometown of High Hill, MO. Reason being, spending a few days with my folks, but I've also been asked to keynote for my alma mater. This evening, I'll be speaking at the National Honor Society induction ceremony at Montgomery County R-2 High School.

As it turns out, one of my best friends since the fourth grade, John Woods, will be introducing me tonight. John is now a membber of the school board and, well, who'd have thunk we'd be in these positions now? Certainly not me!

John and I were reminiscing yesterday about our growing up years. He reminded me that Mr. Brake, our 8th grade health teacher, is retiring. 8th grade health included sex education, so this class is forever cemented in my mind!

When Mr. Brake was recently honored for his years of teaching service, John shared one of his memories from the 8th grade. Went a little something like this...

Mr. Brake arrives to class in a very, very bad mood. Before he begins to teach, he tells the students, "Guys, I don't feel good. I'm in a bad mood. I don't want to be here. Just be aware. It's not your fault, but it is your problem..."

First off, I'm really happy Woods chose to share this memory with our former teacher-I think educators live for those types of memories of influence on their former students. Second, look at that maturity! Mr. Brake stated up front that he didn't feel right, gave the class a warning that he wasn't himself and told them they were not to blame-but the warning still stood: "It's not your fault, but it is your problem."

So often, people get in bad moods and blame it on others-usually people who had nothing to do with it whatsoever. This was not the case. We'd all be a lot better off when bad moods strike to say to those around us, "It's not your fault, but it is your problem."

Come A Long Way

Why no blog posts recently? Simple-I've been in the air!

Wednesday morning was a cross country flight to Arcata, CA to speak at Humboldt State University. Special thanks to Meghan Ciufetelli for being such a great host for this event! Pics will be up as soon as I get them downloaded from the camera!

Goin' Back To Cali

Long, long day of travel today. Orlando to San Francisco to Eureka/Arcata, California. Speaking at Humboldt State University tomorrow evening, but tonight was on campus to meet and greet lots of new peeps.

And, as with every time I come to the Pacific Northwest, I remember how much I love this part of the world! More deets tomorrow on everything to do with Humboldt State!

St. Leo University

Last night, March 3, I was honored to present for St. Leo University here in Florida. An awesome group turned out for the pre-spring break program and I want to thank you guys for being such a wonderful audience! Thanks to Ryan Regensdorfer, Stan and Mario for being such great hosts for the event!

Also, thanks for purchasing my program through the Bacchus Network Silent Auction last fall! I hope you got your money's worth!

A Win Win Win Win Situation

A few years ago, I was in talks with several funeral homes in Missouri about sponsoring my speaking programs. This funeral home had some very proactive ad campaigns encouraging sober driving, etc. Truly, for a funeral home, they were cutting edge.

While in talks with the powers that be, I wanted to use the term, "A win-win situation"...but that's so ridiculously overused, isn't it? So, instead of "win-win", indicating only two winners, I offered them a "win win win win winsituation." In this case, not only do I get the business, they get the advertising, the students get the programs, the public raises it's awareness, etc. etc. etc.

Well, yesterday I walked into another win win win win situation...

I'm big on chairitable organizations-especially those which help children. While in St. Louis the past few years, I was a proud member of the Kirkwood Rotary Club, helping to eliminate polio worldwide.

Yesterday, I signed my petition to jointhe Bahia Shrine here in Orlando. Yup, you got it! Your old pal, Marcus, is going to be one of the guys who wears the funny red hats(that's the Shriner's, not the red hat ladies).

What is The Shrine? A fraternal organization based entirely around supporting the Shriner's orthapedic and burn hospitals. Big money goes to help these hospitals provide free services for children with orthapedic and/or severe burns. And get that? The treatment is free. Not only treatment, but transportation, too. As you walk in the Bahia Shrine, there are big posters of kids with big grins showing off new prosthetics, crutches, etc. No kid should ever have to endure physical disabilities, but when their care is free? Yeah, that probably helps make a bad situation just a little better.

Where does the win win win win situation come in? The comradery and fraternal aspects of Freemasonry and The Shrine. The Shrine will mark the fifth fraternal organization to which I belong-and the one with the most money going directly to helping the less fortunate. I get networking and friends, the kids get the treatment they need. I find an org I'll enjoy, and the parents of the kids with disabilities have less to worry about-it's a win win win win situation...and one I'm looking forward to continuing for life!