Tonight Jason and I got a chance to watch ”The Exorcism of Emily Rose” with some friends. It’ll get your heart beating. It’s based off a true story and it is definitely one of those movies that will get you talking. If you’re looking to get into a deep conversation about good versus evil, demons, God, heaven, hell, etc., this is your movie! One of the things we talked about afterward was heaven. What were our childhood thoughts on heaven? Had our thoughts changed now that we were all “grown-up?” Our friend said that he asked his mom when he was little if there would be a Nintendo in heaven. She assured him that there would be. He was happy to hear that in heaven he can play the Nintendo whenever he wants to. How adorable!

I have fond memories of my conversations with my mom about heaven. One of my memories involved our discussion of my juice bed. Yes, juice bed. I loved orange juice when I was little and my parents had a water bed…I think you can figure out what my dream was.

I also remember being worried as a child that I wouldn’t be able to “find” my family when I got to heaven. Where would I find them? I pictured it would be like a big fair or large grocery store. As a young child, it’s so scary to think about being lost in the midst of all of those people. My mom suggested that there might be different sections based on your interests. I would definitely find my dad in the airplane section because he loves aviation. I assured her that she could look for me in the swing set section. This was a very calming explanation for me to hear as a child. Even though I still wrestle with my different thoughts on what it will be like, I still have that childlike curiosity and excitement to get there and see for myself.

Jason shared with me earlier today something that a speaker, Lou Heckler, said at the recent NSA convention we attended. He said that the greatest part of an experience for children is usually the anticipation. Think of a child counting down the days until Christmas, his birthday, etc. I think that is very true for our human experience. I do not think that will be true for our experience in heaven. I don’t think we let ourselves truly anticipate heaven. It’s confusing for us because “no one knows for sure.” Maybe in the anticipating, we will be inspired to live the life we were meant to live, in the short time we are given.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

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Kim and I got in late last night from Orlando and the National Speakers Association convention. Our bodies are tired and our minds are swimming. What a privilege it was to be in the company of so many great individuals.

Among the highlights was seeing Charlie "Tremendous" Jones receive the coveted Cavett Award (sort of like the MVP award for professional speakers). What a genuinely great man. Here are a couple of my favorite quotes from Charlie:

"You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read."

"If you can’t be happy where you are, it’s a cinch you can’t be happy where you ain’t."

Another highlight from the main stage was Dan Menendez, the piano juggler. No, he doesn’t juggle pianos, but what he does do is probably more impressive. It’s hard to describe in words; you have to see it to believe it. Luckily, he has some video clips on his website. Check out the clip from the Ellen Degeneres show. Talk about childlike.

The photo above features some of the folks from my Wisconsin chapter who made the trip to Orlando. I am so grateful that Kim was able to be there — she may have been the only other introvert in attendance besides me — and that we’re able to work on this business together. Our hotel room had a balcony and we could see the fireworks from Disney World off in the distance. The bursts of color in the night sky was a nice backdrop for rehashing the events of the day. We had a lot to sort out, carefully measuring the advice coming from all directions. I took copious notes, getting several pages worth of gold from some of the best presenters in the world. Kim got a crash course in sales, branding, and PR. And one guy actually told me that I need to shave my sideburns and dress better or I’ll never make the big bucks in the corporate world.

After much deliberation, the sideburns are staying.

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The other day I had the privilege of seeing three individuals using music to Escape Adulthood.

I saw the first person on the highway during the morning commute. She was driving along in her cute VW Beetle, with her flowers popping up over the dash. Even though I couldn’t hear her, she was obviously enjoying singing her tunes as she drove along. It was cute!

The next person I saw twice in one week at the local grocery store. I think he works for one of the bread companies and he’s there early in the morning stocking the shelves with fresh loaves. Both days I saw him he was sporting his iPod and grooving to the music, as he carefully placed each loaf on the shelf. He even had a little smile on his face, as he mouthed the words.

The third person I saw was also in his car, waiting for his red light to turn. He was drumming on the steering wheel. He wasn’t “just drumming,” he was rockin’. It was fun to see.

Seeing these three people in the same day helped me to recognize how the simple act of listening to music can really help manage Adultitis.

For instance, if you add a little tuneage to some bland routine events, the tasks will get done with a tad bit more fun.

Coldplay can help you clean the toilet.
Harry Connick, Jr. can assist you as you pay your house payment.
Lionel Ritchie will be happy to help with the laundry.
Madonna can help get you through the morning traffic.

Little did you know, your favorite musicians are there to keep your Adultitis at bay.

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Sometimes as a speaker, you just wish you could take a specific audience with you on the road everywhere you go. Last night in Rockford was one of those occasions. The crowd was energetic, attentive, involved, and they even laughed at many of my jokes. Thank you to everyone who was in attendance, especially for your welcoming attitude and kind comments afterwards. You made it extra fun.

My grandma was also in the audience — it was the first time she’s heard me speak. That was pretty cool. I’m sure she had the hardest time believing that the guy giving the presentation was the same grandson who was shy and pretty much afraid of everything as a youngster. What can I say? God is good.

Tomorrow Kim and I are to catch a sickeningly early flight to Florida. We’re going to our first National Speakers Association Convention in Orlando. We had to really pinch pennies to get there, but everyone I’ve talked to who has been to one says that it’s an invaluable experience. They’ve also said that it’s not uncommon to return to your hotel room at the end of the first day ready to cry because of the information overload. At least we’ll each have a shoulder to cry on…

With the convention taking place in Orlando, we’re hoping to resurrect some memories of our honeymoon and sneak away for a night at Disney World. (We split our honeymoon six years ago between Cocoa Beach and Disney.) It’s not like we have much of a choice, really. Kim was speaking to someone the other day about how we were considering whether or not we should go visit Mickey, and the person said, "Well I should hope you’d go, especially for people in your line of work."

Yes, it’s um… research. Right, research.

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Every month, one Club K&J subscriber is drawn as the winner in the Supremely Wonderful & Exciting Loot Lottery. This month’s lucky recipient is Julie Yedinak! She wins 2 bags of Jelly Bean cards! Congrats, Julie!

Join Club K&J for your chance to win this month’s prize Loot Lottery!

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Kim and I finally had a chance to see Superman Returns this past weekend. (Tip: matinees are a great way to cool off when your apartment’s thermostat has melted.) I hadn’t heard too many reviews or read too many articles before the viewing — I didn’t want to spoil my own experience — other than hearing that its box office take dropped off the second weekend.

Well, I for one thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought director Bryan Singer did a nice job of sticking to the main points of the Superman legend. (I actually read that one of the cast aside scripts involving Tim Burton floated the idea of Superman having blue skin!) It had some nice nods to the original 1970s version starring Christopher Reeve, including the opening credits and the epic Superman theme by demigod John Williams (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, etc.)

Here are some other thoughts:

• Brandon Routh did a terrific job resurrecting Reeve’s performance as Superman/Clark Kent.
• Kevin Spacey was an intense and well-played Lex Luthor, but I would’ve liked to see just a bit more goofiness, a la Gene Hackman. Maybe that’s just nostalgia talking.
• Lots of interesting parallels to Christ (Youth leaders: a perfect movie for your discussion group!)
• Still wondering how Clark is able to seamlessly hide his cape underneath his business suit, but I’ve decided to file that in the "Don’t Think About It Too Much" folder with the unexplainable inability for anyone to recognize him as Superman when he’s wearing the glasses.
• The story was very interesting from the standpoint of dealing with the emotional side of Superman, a hero who is often seen as boring because he’s so indestructible.
• While I enjoy Batman’s "dark side," I found myself inspired by Superman’s genuine goodness.
• The action scenes — especially the one involving the airplane — were top notch.
• I think Margot Kidder did a better job as Lois Lane in the original Superman. She was much more charismatic and spunky.

All in all, I thought it was a great effort; definitely more in line with Batman Begins and the Spidey flics than the uninspiring The Hulk and The Fantastic Four. If you haven’t seen it, go check it out. It’s definitely worth seeing it on the big screen. It certainly brought out the little boy in me… and it even gave me some new ideas for my speaking presentations.

Technorati Tags: Superman Returns, Brandon Routh, Brian Singer, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, movies

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What a great connection. They have both been around for about 25 years. While SportsCenter has managed to change the way people view sports, Make-A-Wish has also been busy bringing hope, strength, and joy to children living with life-threatening medical conditions. You may wonder what one has to do with the other. Well, ESPN is featuring a summer series called ‘My Wish,’ working collaboratively with the Make-A-Wish Foundation as they chronicle unique sports-related wishes of 10 children. They are sharing the stories of one child each day from July 9th to July 23rd. If you don’t have ESPN or you’ve missed the first few, you can check them out here.

Many of you already know that Jason and I absolutely love the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Kids should not get sick. They should not suffer the physical and emotional pains that come hand-in-hand with life-threatening illnesses. This is one of those things that is just not fair about life.

Jason and I are trying to help children have better childhoods. We are trying to protect children from the many things that inevitably jeopardize their happy childhood, whether it’s illness, lack of food and water, compromised personal safety, lack of family, or even a rough beginning due to their unplanned birth.

A few years ago Jason and I selected MAW to be one of the Big 6 charities that we support through The Lemonade Stand sales. It’s a great thing to give money, but I think it’s an even greater gift to give your time. So, a few years ago Jason and I were trained as ‘wish granters.’ This is the best volunteer position in the world. I would highly recommend it to anyone. You can read more about our experiences as wish granters here and here.

Amidst the wicked heat we’ve been having the last few days, it’s important to try to maintain proper perspective. Instead of feeling sorry about the many things I wish were different in my life, seeing these ESPN segments have helped me to realize just how blessed I am.

I encourage you to take a minute to read or watch a wish child’s story. The wish children are not the only ones receiving hope, strength and joy from these wishes.

Technorati Tags: Make-A-Wish, ESPN, SportsCenter

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I was chatting over e-mail with my Uncle recently (you may have heard his interview in our latest podcast), and the subject of following one’s dreams came up. He expressed how sad it is that so many people wait until they retire before they pursue their dreams and goals. Unfortunately for many, he noted, that day never comes.

This is coming from a guy in his mid-fifties coming off a quadruple bypass operation.

He mentioned that when people actually do retire, the average number of Social Security checks they are able to cash before they die is… eighteen. I’m not sure what his source is, but I have no reason to question this number.

It reminds me of a wise sage (ok, it was just me) who once said,

Many of us gear our lives around some arbitrary date in the future, as if everything will be better when that point in time — that day on the calendar — comes. But what makes THAT day on the calendar any better or more important than THIS day on the calendar? Nothing. The only reality is that today is all we have, and that other day may never come.

This was a reflection of mine regarding a man who died in a West Virginia coal mining accident and the emphasis on how close he was to retirement. To me, life is too short to spend it living for retirement and 18 checks.

Now mind you, I am writing this from Atlanta Bread Company because it is so hot here in Madison that I think I heard the weatherman say something about spontaneous combustion and Kim and I are too poor to run our terribly inefficient air conditioner. In short, chasing after "the dream" is not always a picnic in Paris. Actually, on some days, it can be terrifying, frustrating, and can even make you question your sanity. But even though it’s sometimes hard to explain why, I wouldn’t change a thing. Not for a million dollars. Not for free air conditioning.

And definitely not for 18 checks.

Technorati Tags: Social Security, dreams, retirement, goals

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We finished up the latest Cartooning Bootcamp on Thursday. Fortunately, the classroom we rented had air conditioning this year. Good thing, too, because we were at full capacity — twenty-six kids. As always, the final day — the day we distribute the pre-printed comic strip grids and non-photo blue pencils — was the most exciting. And, as always, I continue to be impressed by the creativity and enthusiasm of the kids. Plus I now have a handful of good jokes to steal. (Just kidding.)

Check out the kids’ work and some photos here.

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In this podcast, brought to you from Madison, Wisconsin, we talk about the importance of staying childlike in serious situations. Also, we discuss the comeback of kickball, the health benefits of lemonade, and really cool ice cubes.
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[What is a podcast?]

Listen now by clicking on the podcast icon below.

To subscribe to the RSS feed of our podcast and automatically receive all new shows, paste this url [http://feeds.feedburner.com/EscapeAdulthood] into a podcast aggregator like iPodder. Or, if you have iTunes, you can click on this little icon to be subscribed automatically:

Show Notes:

• Kid’s Game Makes Adult Comeback
• Lemonade May Prevent a Painful Illness
• 1/2 of Canadians Say They Have No Control Over Stress Levels

• Tour de Farms Bike Tour for MS
• National Multiple Sclerosis Society Website

• Thanks to Ian Tyrrell for sharing his take on Summertime (or is it wintertime?) foods in Australia. He won a Kim & Jason eBook of his choice for his contribution!
• Check out The Escape Plan.
• E-mail us with a story of when you exhibited a childlike attitude in a serious situation. You may win next month’s "super-cool" random prize.
• Find out more about Jason’s Madison-area summer cartoning workshops.
• Learn more about booking Jason to speak to your group or organization.
• Add some bling to your summer beverages with the Cool Jewels ice cube tray now available at The Lemonade Stand.

Vote For Us: We’d really really appreciate it if you took a few moments to vote for us over at Podcast Alley. Thanks!

Show Music: The Same by Terrace

Show Length: 43 minutes, 11 seconds

Feedback: We’d love to hear your thoughts! Add a comment below or e-mail us.

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A childish title, I’ll admit. But not nearly as ridiculous as the experience I just had at the local Staples office supply store. I patronized the store this afternoon to purchase Post-It Notes and some paper folders for this week’s Cartooning Boot Camp. Figured it would be kind of nice for the kids to have a handy place to store all of their handouts and drawings. I looked all over the store for paper folders. Finally, I find them on an end cap for a penny each. Sweet. I am a happy customer.

So I proceed to the checkout. The girl at the register begins ringing up my items, and then informs me that they will only let me buy 15 of the folders. "What would you like to do?" she asks.

"But I need thirty," I explain. She stands by the 15 folder limit.

"Well," I continued, "What are my options?"

"There are no options."

Stunned for a few moments at the complete resolve in her voice and ridiculousness of the situation — I know, how crazy of me to want to give a company money in exchange for goods! — it occurs to me that they don’t want people abusing the 1¢ folder promotion. I come up with a reasonable suggestion that would put an end to this little stalemate once and for all.

"Can I pay you more for the other 15 folders?" I suggested.

"Nope." (Apparently selling folders for $1,000 a piece is against corporate policy, too.)

"Okay," said a now unhappy customer. "Just charge me for the 15 and I guess I’ll be back in a little bit to buy the rest."

With that, I took my bag of Post-Its and folders and walked fifty yards across the parking lot to the grocery store, where I needed to buy a few things for dinner. Four minutes later, I found myself back at Staples with two dimes in my hand to purchase 15 more folders. (I guess I did have options, after all.)

I am still a bit stunned by how these events unfolded. Seriously. Is this what Mr. Staples had in mind when developing this little policy? To tick off honest customers? I don’t know, maybe they want to avoid some enterprising first grader from swooping in to buy three thousand folders and selling them on the Black Market for two pennies each. Certainly, there must be some really good reason for this 15 folder limit to exist, although I’m not exactly sure why.

What I am sure of is that the policy was the brainchild of an adult.

So here’s the lesson for the day: Has Adultitis crept into your company policy?

Technorati Tags: adultitis, Staples, customer service, corporate policies

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This afternoon I had the chance to play a competitive game of balloon volleyball with Jason, my niece and brother-in-law. My poor niece didn’t have a chance with me on her team. It did bring back some great memories of high school sports, though. The excitement of a great play, the sting of defeat, the teamwork… sports are awesome for teaching so many life lessons. I didn’t even realize them all as I played as a kid, but now the metaphors are pretty obvious.

Sometimes I think we deprive today’s children of the lessons that sports can teach them. Whether it’s the ubercompetitive parents and coaches living vicariously through the kids, or the ubersensitive parents and coaches trying to shield the kids from hurt feelings. Joelle Farrell from the Concord Monitor online wrote an article about this problem in today’s youth sports entitled, Peanuts, cracker jacks and stress: For Little League parents and coaches, games can be serious business.

"Janet Sprague, 55, of Concord said that for many Little Leaguers, this is the only time they play competitive baseball, so they should enjoy it.

‘Some of these kids aren’t going to go any further, they just want to be out there and have fun,’ she said as she watched her grandson, Devon Ferland, who played for American Brake Service team yesterday. ‘It’s too competitive among the parents and the coaches, and because of that, I don’t think the children are allowed to have fun.’"

I remember this exact problem when I playing varsity volleyball. There was a freshman who was bumped up to play with the juniors and seniors. She was very good and had great potential to be even better with maturity. The saddest thing about the situation was her father. He was a beast from the stands, yelling at her constantly. As her teammate, it was very distracting and disturbing. Quite frankly, it was also embarrassing. Don’t get me wrong, I took the game seriously and played to win, but there was a line that was being crossed game after game.

Then you have the problem of sports teams who are actually taking the competition out of sports- everyone wins, no ‘losers,’ feelings might get hurt. What!? Dare I say- feelings should get hurt- hear me out. The lessons that accompany defeat are crucial for a child’s development. They teach children how to deal with feelings of disappointment and frustration. They give them the opportunity to practice resilience and persistence, two very important life skills. It is important to learn how to be a ‘gracious loser.’ There was nothing more humbling than saying ‘good game’ to your arch nemesis at the end of a long battle, with you on the losing side… now that’s a life lesson about mutual respect and being a good sport.

We are really setting up our kids for some serious doses of Adultitis, if they do not learn these important lessons in childhood.

It may sting a bit, but who said life’s lessons were meant to be learned easily?

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