The Special Things In Life

It's The Special Things In Life

That Make It Mean So Much.

The Sun, The Rain, The Sky;
The Thoughts and The Touch.

If We Let These Precious Things

Float Out To an Endless Sea,

We Lose Our Hope, Our Love,

And Most, Our Reason To Be.

Happiness Is... taking in all the wonders of life -- its joys, its sorrows, its sunshine, its smiles -- learning from the experiences each one brings you, and then, from a caring heart, giving them all away again.

Author Unknown

This week we have the pleasure to learn more about our special friend,

Tim Southernwood

He was so kind to share some special moments of his life with us.

Thanks for giving me this honor and opportunity to reveal to Adlanders more about myself.

It’s tough to know where to start, so I guess I’ll just start and see where it takes me.
I was born and raised on the Canadian prairies and would be plugged as falling into the tail end of the Baby Boomer Generation. Sex Drugs and Rock&Roll had already taken on a harsher tone by the time I became aware of that scene.
Overall, I lived a pretty sheltered life.
I grew up in a small town called Moose Jaw. During my childhood it was pretty quiet there, but the "Jaw" has a fairly "colorful" history. It was even nick-named “little Chicago” for the fact that many of the gangsters from that city would take the “Sioux-Line RR” to Moose Jaw to "cool off" for a bit. Read "Red Lights on the Prairies" for a look at the history of Moose Jaw.
I am the eldest of five kids, my parents’ good upstanding members of the community and church goers. Hardworking and resourceful people, they passed onto us many things that I am so grateful for today. From vocal and piano training to sports, and my scholastic achievements, all the choirs and travel, and our annual camping trips. My parents made many sacrifices for all of us, unfortunately it took until I was an adult and a parent to realize how much they sacrificed for us..I would likely have been much more appreciative at that time.
For me Moose Jaw was very much like an oasis, and on two counts.
One, Moose Jaw is situated in an area of very flat Prairie, but has a small river which over the millennia has carved a series of meandering valleys. This allowed the growth of trees and brush that you don't normally see on the flat land and it created a very interesting backdrop for my youth.
Compare my youth to a Tom Sawyer(ish) existence. We built rafts, and forts, fished and played in that valley. We climbed the RR trestles to capture pigeons, we skated on the river in the winter, and swam and canoed in the summer.
I say we swam, at least until the pollution got to a point where it was no longer safe to swim, and that was a pity. It was such a perfect place until the Railroad and the city sewers made it a cesspool. Only in recent years have they been able to clean that mess up.
Secondly, Moose Jaw was an oasis during that era of crisis (the 60's and 70's) Crime was never a major factor. The city has its own police force, but in my memory only had to deal with moderate infractions.
I recall one incident of a young adult knocking an older lady down and stealing her purse. It was the talk of the town for months..never before…such a tragedy...what are things coming to?..
I guess in a way that was a harbinger of change.
But during my youth we never had to carry a house key..the doors were never locked. I never had to chain up my bicycle anywhere I went.
Growing up in that environment certainly made me the person I am today. The Prairies taught me to appreciate the smallest things. If you can find beauty on a (seemingly) featureless prairie, imagine what it's like to the visit a huge forest, or the mountains! The smells and sounds of a hot prairie day come to my mind instantly as being among my most favorite things. The wind (ever present), the crickets and other insects, the meadow larks, the visual of waving fields of wheat like golden waves on the ocean.
Then too the effects of growing up in a small and close community, where those who did not conform to certain moral standards were quickly put in line.
I am so totally grateful for that upbringing. I like having a strong moral and ethical belief system, and I love being able to see the beauty in the smallest or plainest of things as well as in the spectacular.
After a point I guess that spirit of adverturism from my youth made Moose Jaw a little too small for me and I set out (as we all do in some manner) to find myself. I did some hitch-hiking (which was still legal in those days), worked in a lumber mill for a time..living with hippies, but still had not found my "niche", and could have made some very bad choices.
Instead I made a good choice and enlisted with the Canadian Armed Forces, spending just over 4 years in the Navy.
Basic training (boot camp), and serving on the ships was just what I needed. I learned more about personal discipline, and more about life in those years than during all my protected years in MJ. They are so right in saying "There's no life like it"
It wasn't very lucrative. I was paid $500 per month at the start of my military career back in 1977.

Since that time I've done many things, perhaps still in a way exploring as in my youth, still searching for that niche perhaps, always willing to learn.
In fact at my present position with the University of Alberta, I am in a unique position to continue my learning process. I'm politically minded, socially leaning with a liberal bent. I believe in speaking my mind, not afraid to give my opinion and always open to constructive criticism. I believe a good leader is one who is not afraid to roll up their sleeves and join in the work.

I believe music, literature, and art are the highest forms of human creativity, and I believe in God, Family, and Country, in that order.

I was introduced to sales as a kid. We sold iced tea to the construction workers during the summer, and then I sold things I would find like old bottles or telephone line wire insulators. I guess the entrepreneurial spirit once instilled never really leaves.
I tried Amway way back in the early 80’s, but found it wasn’t my “cup o tea”. I tried a few other things, but took quite a break from any form of sales beyond my day job at the University, where it’s been my task for over 14 years to handle all the surplus equipment of an institution the size of a small city.

More recently though, the urge (and economic necessity) brought me back to marketing, of course now with the internet twist as opposed to hawking door to door.
Even through all my experience I found I had much to learn and took a few bumps along the way, but I guess that was the price of my education here.
I’m very fortunate to have come to Adland, like many for the advertising, but have remained more for the community and camaraderie. Being here has also opened many doors for me, none greater than the chance to join with other like minded marketers to form the company of WOSAT.
I see many more good things coming in the future. I see positive changes to online marketing, where communities like Adland will help to educate new marketers, and our communities and communications will make it harder for the unscrupulous to operate without challenge.
Bravo to Bogdan for his vision, and Bravo to Adland members who make Adland the terrific and growing community that it is.

Thanks again for this opportunity, and thanks to all my many friends here in Adland!

Sincerely,
Tim Southernwood
WOSAT VPNA
http://www.wingsofsuccessadvisoryteam.com/index.htm
http://dipetane.net
http://tinyurl.com/njzvh
http://tinyurl.com/naelk
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit - Aristotle

Congrats Tim for being in the Spotlight!
It is such a great pleasure for us to honor you here!

The Weekly Spotlight of Friends Team