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11/12/2021 0 Comments Second Right Answers
I always try to use sports analogies to help others understand life lessons. Being a “baseball guy” means that I find ways to use baseball to deliver the lessons. I was blessed to be able to intern with the University of Virginia Head Baseball Coach, Brian O’Connor. It was during this time that I was afforded the opportunity to sit in on team meetings and the delivery of their philosophies to the new players. One of the life changing things I learned was about having an approach to hitting so you aren’t guessing at what the pitch is going to be and then trying to react. This, simply put, means having a plan. I was able to meld this with one of my other main leadership principles…looking for second right answers; 3 + 1 = 4 and so does 2 + 2. This means keeping an open mind when it comes to decision making. There are certain processes where there isn’t a second right answer. When putting together a motor, it has to be done a certain way. However, in other situations we are afforded the opportunity to look for alternate ways to getting something accomplished. Legacy at Imperial Village is absolutely one of those situations. So many of our residents have similar stories in that they had a home and raised a family and their home became as much a part of their family as their children. They loved their home. They nurtured it. They created lasting memories in their home. Some of our residents were ready to stop having to worry about taking care of their homes and others have struggled to let go of their homes. This is where the two leadership principles meld. Having an approach to aging along with being open minded to a second right answer allows a transition to LIV to become a reality. LIV has been the second right answer for thousands of seniors since the late 1960’s. Our Village is a place where living is exactly that…LIVing. This is a community rich with tradition and character. When opening your mind to a second right answer of where to call home, LIV is here for you. It is important to acknowledge that no one is saying your current home, where you have raised a family, hasn’t been one of the right answers. However, LIV can also be that place where traditions and memories are created. 2 + 2 = 4, but so does 3 + 1. Neither is wrong, but having an approach to looking for second right answers opens you up to the possibility of LIVing your best life. The poet Erin Hanson wrote, “There is freedom waiting for you, On the breezes of the sky, And you ask, “What if I fall?” Oh, but my darling, What if you fly?”
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11/4/2021 0 Comments Recognizing a Classic My first car was a 1964 ½ Ford Mustang. I remember the day my Dad bought it and we towed it home. It didn’t have front fenders. There was lots of rust on it. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t actually safe to have someone sit in it, let alone be towed and steered. Nonetheless, that is exactly what Mom and Dad did. I didn’t see the vision. I complained about having an old car and not something more modern. That’s right, I complained about getting a car and even worse, a 1964 ½ MUSTANG!!!!!
Little did I know that my first car would turn out to be gorgeous. I was fourteen when we got it and it was more than a 2-year process to get it back to its’ glory. Oh, but when we did…She was pretty. Painted bright red, white interior, black carpet and a white top. As my Dad always seemed (and still does) to be able to do was be patient with me and help me understand that restoring a classic car takes time. Parts aren’t always readily available. Technology changes. Having people available to work on them is sometimes hard to do. Having the money available to put into the restoration sometimes has to be diverted to other more pressing matters. There can be a whole litany of reasons that restoring this classic car takes time and even longer than an impatient 14-year-old wants it done. However, at the end of the long waiting period. Through all the frustrations and best intentions of my Dad, I still wanted it sooner and faster and newer. My Dad was slow and steady on the process, because he knew what the end result would be. He had the advantage of time and experience. This has been one of the most powerful lessons my Dad ever taught me. Now, I am more patient and I recognize that despite wanting immediate gratification, as we all do, I have to have a plan, stay the course and wait for that amazing moment when I walk outside and see a fully restored classic car that has been brought back to all its glory. This is the same feeling I get when I come to work at LIV every day. I get to be part restoring a classic car. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that I’m blessed to be part of restoring THE classic car of Richmond…Legacy at Imperial Village. When we opened in 1967, this community quickly established itself as the premier location to live and work. As with anything classic, after time, it shows its age. However, Legacy at Imperial Village is still a classic and we know that we are moving towards establishing ourselves as a Legacy. |
Steve wILKINSCommunity Director, Legacy at Imperial Village Archives
January 2023
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