amg's blog

I am being asked to write a blog and my only recollection of that word is from years ago. We knew a family that had a daughter who had a very rare form of cancer. I believe to this day with this diary of sorts…a blog….and advanced medical procedures, she is alive and in good health today. Her blog was very personal and helped all of us that were concerned about her to follow along on the day to day stuff. What amazed me the most was her sense of humor as she was going through horrific procedures and many trials and tribulations.

So about me. I love almost everything about my life and realize that I am pretty responsible for almost all of it. The rest is getting easier to let go of and being proactive seems to be the way to go. I think that this aging thing is all about learning and just getting better. Doing more for others and one’s self.  Taking time to smell the roses, so to speak. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband and friend.  We have a great daughter, Colleen, who is an unbelievable mom to our three grandchildren. Her husband Terry is the best dad and a wonderful cook and we enjoy his culinary skills quite often. 

Our son Mike lives in Breckenridge and has a logging business. He is trying, one tree at a time, to eliminate those beetles that are doing a number on our beautiful forests. He is such an adventure guy and a great athlete. We just try to listen to the stories and not to worry too much. 

Our Grandchildren Morgan, Mason and Max are such joys in our lives and being with them is the best.  We are able to get together as a whole family many times a year and love being with each other, which is a gift all by itself.

Christmas is truly wonderful as we all enjoy cooking together, playing games and doing what counts most: spending time with one another. This year our gift to each other is a trip to California on spring break where we will just relax and enjoy family and friends.

I love working with our talented folks at AMG and continue to be amazed at their creativity. We finally have a team that is working together at the highest level and we are so proud of them. I love my role here and of course try not to be “the Mom.”

My efforts in community involvement are of upmost importance and continue to be a big part of my life. Working out, walking, Yoga and reading are what I do when I have time. The picture albums are next and of course, always organizing.

We recently added a new member to our family on Bill’s birthday. A Golden Retriever, Kellie, that just melts our hearts. God made them cute for a reason! Our life without a dog was not quite complete, and Kellie has filled that void 110 percent.

My name is Benjamin Donald Aaker and I am an aspiring pirate. Unfortunately, Colorado lacks dark and dangerous seas (or seas at all for that matter… Garrrrr), and I have settled for another passion—Marketing. I am currently an account executive at AMG Creative, serving my client’s goals and objectives with my knowledge of industry trends and consumer habits.

During my time in Fort Collins, I have had the opportunity to develop myself professionally beyond the workroom. As a student studying Public Relations at Colorado State University, I worked as a reporter for the Rocky Mountain Collegian—CSU’s student-run daily newspaper—breaking several stories on topics ranging from Special Olympics to large research breakthroughs at the University.

I also gained experience as the newsletter coordinator for Apartment Life, CSU’s off-campus living. This position afforded me the opportunity to grow in areas of graphic layout and computer-mediated messaging. In addition to this, I gained experience in interpersonal and intergenerational communications. Working with Apartment Life also gave me the unique opportunity to plan and publicize large multicultural events.

Before I moved to Money Magazine’s “Best Place to Live” (Fort Collins, Colo.) I called Colorado Springs, Colo. home—a place where methamphetamine dealers and mega-church pastors live in harmony. I enjoy random YouTube videos (Ouch Charlie!), movies that end in “detective,” and rockin’ wife-beaters with the people I pay to be my friends (not because I’m in a fraternity but because I lack social skills/game).

My favorite Web sites are thisisindexed.com and pandora.com, a place where music flows smoother than Eminem’s eighth mile. I hope to one day be like my father: successful, raise a beautiful family and always trusting the plan God has for my life. My first son will be named Auto and he will star in “300, The Sequel.” Mark my words (in pencil).

-Onward-

What is a blog, really?

That is a question I am asking myself now that it is my turn in the AMG Creative writing rotation.  Let me start by telling you a little about myself. My name is Terry Fine and I play the role of VP Business Development. Being a small agency, that only describes one aspect of my daily activities, but I digress.

I am now 41 and have had the privilege of living during a period of phenomenal technological transformation. Many of you out there recall what an evolution of communication took place when the fax machine was introduced.  Curly thermal transfer paper and all, this device provided a revolutionary way to quickly transport documents.  So, is a blog a revolutionary way to transport thought? One could argue the point, but let’s save that for another day.

What I really want to blog about today is what I view as a possible negative side effect of technology. What might that be, you ask?  How about the lack of social (not to mention spelling) skills being developed in our youth.  Today’s kids would rather send text messages than pick up the phone. You probably have all seen the commercial where the family is sitting around the table texting each other. Sad.

We are developing a nation of kids that lack the ability to have meaningful, face-to-face conversation. Non-verbal communication in the form of gestures, posture and facial expression can make up a large part of the message. A classic study done by UCLA’s Albert Mehrabian in 1971 indicated that up to 93 percent of communication effectiveness (certainly not this high of a percentage all the time or in every context) is determined by nonverbal cues. This is completely lost in certain technologies. I fear that the next generation will not know what it is like to engage in meaningful conversation and enjoy the type of connection that emanates from that.

I do not come to these conclusions lightly, as I am the father to three kids, 8, 11 and 14. I see it first hand with my oldest child. She would rather text than pick up the phone and talk to her friends. Perhaps you have been the recipient or know someone who has received the text or e-mail message that contained statements that you know the sender would have never spoken in a face-to-face situation.

Perhaps I am just missing the point, as my daughter will say. While technology is a wonderful thing and has many positive impacts on our daily lives, let us not forget the importance of a good ol’, sit down face-to-face conversation.

The importance of verbal communication is not limited to our personal lives, either. It takes on added significance in the business world. When was the last time you picked up the phone to thank your customer for their business? Give it a try. Not only will your customer appreciate it, but it will help you connect with your client and develop a stronger business relationship that would be, quite frankly, unachievable via text messaging or e-mail. 

So, if you would like to enjoy a good old fashioned, face-to-face conversation over a hot cup of coffee, please feel free to stop by. Of course, I will probably be on the phone, but you can text your buddies while you are waiting!  

So, what do you get when you add a middle- aged mom of two teenagers to an office full of high energy twenty-somethings?  

Apparently,  you get a mandate to write an inspirational blog, although I am still waiting to discover why anyone would want to read or write one.   My thought is that we are raising an entire generation of young people with entirely too much time on their hands, who love a public forum where they can whine and probably complain that their parents are to blame for all of their life problems.  But, I digress.

Thankfully, I am the mom of two fantastic boys, ages 13 and 17, who  were more than happy to assist in my hour of need.  Connor’s (13) immediate response was to tell the story of how we ended up in Fort Collins, the best family town we have been blessed to inhabit.  Having targeted Colorado since 1993, our family ventured to Fort Collins in March 2008 for a week- long vacation/reconnaissance mission to check out the area, public schools, CSU for our rising senior, and recreational opportunities.  Of course, we were blown away by the fantastic schools, perfect climate, super friendly people and abundance of healthy outdoor activities available.  The family vote at the end of the week was unanimous – we were moving to Fort Collins, and we needed to get here by mid August to establish residency for CSU next year.  So, we said goodbye to our friends, the beach and abundant palm trees of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and drove 2,000 miles to start our new lives in Fort Collins. 

Cody (17) had a slightly different take on this blog opportunity. Suffering from a serious case of senioritis at Fossil Ridge High School,  Cody’s world revolves around next year, when he will head to Colorado State University and all things independent of life at home.  He would like me to take this opportunity to proclaim CSU’s superiority over CU, and to say that life in Fort Collins is approximately a thousand times better than on tiny Hilton Head Island.

That’s it for today…from all of the Hollifields -  Cheers!