"Als Ik Kan" ("All I Can") and Maker's Marks
TL;DR: Do the best work you can, and Happy Mother's Day!
I get a lot of advice on the Campaign Trail. Some I listen to, some I don't, but all feedback is worth considering, and appreciated. Some of the standard recommendations are to make Campaigning the full-time job, be active in the Community, and be in Town every weekend pounding the pavement knocking on doors.
That first one is tricky. I have a full-time job already, one that I've spent the last twenty years honing as a craft. I'm an Architect. I think about how to improve our communities everyday, how to balance diverse competing interests (of Owners, Building Officials, Contractors, and Engineers), how to do it to code, and how to do it on a budget. As the Principal who owns the firm, I can't simply walk away from our current clientele. They each have projects that are important to them, and it's important to me to ensure these projects continue on a positive trajectory to, and through construction. Life is about balance; not excuses. At least until the 3 September Democratic Primary, I'll be doing the best I can to simultaneously Campaign for State Representative of the 18th Middlesex District alongside delivering high-quality architectural design services.
Being engaged in the Community has been my default setting everywhere I've lived (NY, NJ, PA, and MA). The difference now is about encouraging Public Visibility, which I discussed a few weeks back in my post "It's About the Cause, NOT the Credit."
As for that third note, there's a good reason (actually two) I went ACA (Against Candidate Advice) this weekend traveling to NY: Today is Mother's Day! My grandmothers Barbara Christensen and Mary Kollar live on Long Island, and it's important for my family to spend time with them. They deserve to know how much we love them, and appreciate everything they've done to help us grow. I wish we could visit with my mother Barbara Belovin, and Rachel Kollar's mothers Virginia Geschwindner and Linda Geschwindner today, but squeezing in additional trips to FL, NJ, and SC is too much for one weekend. Phone calls will need to suffice until we can give you hugs in person.
Okay, I've kept you in suspense long enough. What's with the picture and the title of this post? It's a detail from one of my favorite polo shirts, a souvenir from a trip to The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms back when we lived in Jersey. Acclaimed American furniture maker Gustav Stickley marked (signed) his pieces with this emblem, and the Dutch expression "Als Ik Kann." The translated meaning is "If I Can" / "All I Can." This is the best work I can produce, it may not be perfect, but I'm proud of it. Architects have our own version with a professional seal unique to each State. I have six (6) of those, but I'll admit I prefer the traditional Maker's Mark aesthetic. Our Mothers are our Makers; they leave indelible Marks on our lives. Today is about celebrating those wonderful women. If you haven't already, Call Your Mother!
