The Kid Swims: A Day in the Life Sunday

Writing is getting to be a family affair and I am ok with that . . . as long as the kid doesn't write better than I do.

She is creating an autobiography as part of a school project, highlighting some events and thoughts about growing up. I recently shared my new found identity as a swim mom and when I saw what she wrote about swimming, I just had to share it with you.

 

Beep! You hear the long whistle signaling you to step up on the starting block. You can feel the hum of preface jitters flowing through your body like a wildfire. Minutes ago you were pacing the length of the pool promising yourself no matter what happens you'll be okay. You temporarily calmed yourself down. But now on the block, it all comes back. "What if I sink?" "What if I come in last?" All these thoughts are racing through my head, and more.  Then you hear the distant, "up" as your head plunges into the water.

And that's when the joy of flying begins.

I like to refer to swimming as flying since it has that amazing feeling of floating.  I've loved that sensation since I was a little girl. I have loved on the Mississippi river my entire life so I am used to swimming almost every day. Apparently swimming against the river current worked up some muscles with long names that I can't spell. I knew I wanted to be a swimmer the minute I stepped foot in the water. But I knew I wanted to be a competitive swimmer when my friend started.

I've only been to 2  swim meets since I've only begun swimming recently. I've won 2 heats and came 2nd in my heat in 2 races of 5. The swim meets take place in many different places in Minnesota. Approximately 100 people swim for my swim club ranging in ages from 4 to 34 years old.

One moment stuck in my mind is when I did my first swim meet. I was nervous yet confident for my 50 yard freestyle because I had just come in 3rd in my heat for backstroke. I jumped in the water and swam like my life depended on it, which my ego sorta did. All my work paid off and I was rewarded with my first big win.

I am not sure where I want swimming to be in my future but I know I want to continue with swimming.  I am not sure about it being a full-time job. I just don't want my life dreams to be shattered by losing one race.  I'll be sure to get back to you as soon as I find out.

You splash to the wall and turn. Then you make your way through the water desperately trying to finish first. Soon you glide smoothly under water to the finish pad. Even with all the nerves, I know I want to fly forever. 

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What do you think? Is she giving me a run for my writing money? In the pool, I don't have a stinkin' chance.

Photo credit iStockPhoto

HR, Cherry Blossoms, and {Airquote} Technology

Technology is at the forefront of HR agendas today.

 In the Hackett Group 2012 survey, The HR Agenda: HR's Top Issues in 2012, 60% of companies surveyed indicated that many HR organizations are failing to leverage their technology and data and that HR needs to deploy and use technologies to better enable service delivery and improve the quality of information and insights to support decision making.

Technology has not been at the forefront of my agenda, but that is changing. My goal for 2012 is to become conversant in the "happenings" in the field and the relationship between technology and the delivery of federal HR services.

It may seem odd, or very appropriate, for an HR leader whose battle cry is "ban the No. 2" to step into the federal HR Tech ring at the national level, but that's just what I am about to do as a moderator (and a guest of LRP Publications) for the session, "Accessible Technology Solutions to Current HR Challenges."

Washington D.C. in April? If I had a bucket list, cherry blossoms would be on it. Will the forces of nature align and greet me with a peak bloom?

I do know that the forces of HR, technology and learning will align on the panel. Let me introduce you to our panel members: 

• Steve Boese, Director, Talent Management Strategy at Oracle will discuss the current state of HR technology and trends we can expect to see in the future.

• K. Scott Derrick, Founder and Advisor, 13L, will introduce you to a low cost low tech and highly effective mentoring program and put to rest the notion that  mentoring takes a lot of time. 

• Lori Rectanus, Assistant Director for Staff Development and Growth at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) will take you behind the scenes of a campus recruitment program.
  

Our commitment as a panel is that attendees will leave our session thinking differently about HR and technology than they did when they walked in. 

With our commitment in mind, what questions would I be remiss in not posing to the panel? If you were listening in, what would you want to hear the panel members discuss, react or respond to?  

Will this be the beginning and the end of the conversation? Absolutely not. Just another stop along the way.