The Toledo War (1835–36), also known as the Michigan–Ohio War, was an almost bloodless boundary dispute between the state of Ohio and the adjoining territory of Michigan. (Thanks Wiki for the assist).
Determined to keep that war alive, at noon on Saturday the state of Ohio will invade the state of Michigan. They'll battle as they do every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Only now it's on the gridiron!
At noon on Saturday my 11-0 Buckeyes take their march towards college football’s national championship, on the road to Ann Arbor, Michigan to play TTUN .
For those less initiated in the football rivalry that started with a war: THIS rivalry needs the whole week.
The students woke up on Sunday to find all evidence of the existence of the letter "M" anywhere on campus, covered up with an "X" made from red duct tape.
True Buckeye fans would never use the word “Michigan” out loud! Certainly not THIS week! Ever heard (former Ohio State football coach) Urban Meyer use that word? NO! True fans will refer to Michigan as either TTUN (That Team Up North) or just “our rival!”
It's been 183 years since the war for Toledo ended, but I guess old habits die hard!
I continue to struggle with the ghosts of my old habits as a paint dealer. As the people of Ohio and Michigan show us every Saturday after Thanksgiving: certain behaviors are so ingrained that changing them is just not easy.
One of the places I’m having problems is with pronouns: In meetings, I’m often getting them wrong. When you go to sleep one day an independent retailer of over 30 years and wake up the next working for Benjamin Moore, you tend to get the "us, them, we and they's" messed up a lot.
But there is ONE change that I’m not having ANY problems with!
This November was the first month in 30+ years that I didn’t have to write a check to Benjamin Moore on the 20th of the month!
I never begrudged them the money they were due: I bought the paint! But still, the checks were big and so I often stressed about paying them! As a dealer, particularly during winter when we were slowest and money was tightest, I would often start losing sleep on the 15th.
This month though, I had none of that stress.
Because now in addition to not having to write that check, they’re writing ME checks!
I like it!
I wonder if CEO Dan Calkins lost any sleep on November 19th thinking, “Oh man, I have to pay Mark Lipton tomorrow!”?
As we head into the Thanksgiving break, I know that I have a lot to be thankful for.
I'd like to start with YOU!
Thank you, for accepting my invitation to share my life and read my rantings. You don’t need an audience to write: anyone with a diary knows that! But if you want to turn readers into a new career, you need a lot of them. I love the trajectory that you all have put my life on right now and I am grateful to have connected with you all.
You have made so much possible for me and I am truly thankful.
For over 30 years as an independent retailer I stood on the shoulders of a family which never tired of holding me up! For Tremont Paint to make it to 112-years-old, took a collection of Lipton’s all with the same goal: “leave it better for the next Lipton!”
They all did, and I’m thankful to be their issue.
I’m thankful for my new career and the excitement it has brought to my life! I loved being a paint dealer. But I always felt that there was another something else inside me that wanted to get out. So many of us dream of being something else, don’t we? Of turning the banalities of our lives into thrills! For me that dream came true!
And of course, there's my two roommates: Buck Wheat and Guy.
I spend a lot of words here making fun of my daughter Buck Wheat and my fiancée, Gaetana. They deserve it-because it’s all true! But while I can’t stop laughing at them, I also know that my life (and this blog) would be empty without them!
It’s true that when I’m with them I’m laughing. But it’s also true that when I’m not with them, I’m lonely.
It’s for them that I am most thankful.
I hope you all have an outstanding Thanksgiving holiday filled with food, family, friends and fun! And a few moments to reflect, on what it is that YOU are thankful for!
GO BUCKS!
