History Changes...Or Does It?

In the winter of 1978 a storm hit Ohio unlike any storm I had ever seen.  The barometric pressure in Ohio was the lowest ever seen in the continental United States, except for during a hurricane.  I remember thinking that this was an event that I would remember for a long time.  It wasn't a typical snow storm, but a blizzard, the likes of which I had never seen before and haven't seen since, but would change my view of life and what was possible.

In March of 1981 I was at home sick from school.  I got a call from my mom telling me that President Reagan had been shot.  I turned on the news and watched the footage over an over again.  Shots rang out.  Four people, including the President, had been hit.  The news was sporadic and confusing.  Originally they reported that the President had not been hit, then that he had been hit.  Reports that press secretary James Brady had died were put out by the media, then retracted after realizing that Brady had not died.  Even before the days of 24 hour news coverage, the press were so quick to "get it first", that they sometimes reported inaccuracies.  I remember thinking that this was an historic event.  Something I had never seen before and hopefully would never see again, but would change my view of life and what people were capable of doing.

In May of 1981 I was at school when I saw a TV report that Pope John Paul II had been shot.  When I told my science teacher he laughed, thinking that I was joking.  Being in school, I did not see a lot of the initial news coverage, but remembered thinking that this was an historic event.  Something I'd never seen before and hopefully would never see again, but would change my view of life and what people were capable of doing.

In January of 1986 I was stationed at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, CA.  Just as we went on a break from class, one of the instructors entered in room and informed out instructor, in German, that the space shuttle had exploded.  I went to a room with a television and watched as they replayed the footage of the shuttle taking off and the words "Go with throttle up" were repeated.  As the shuttle exploded it was as if I'd been kicked in the stomach. After class that day I watched the replay on the news over and over.  I remember knowing that this was an historic event. Something I'd never seen before and hopefully would never see again, but would change my view of life, and what tragedies were possible.

In April of 1986 I was in the United States Army, stationed in West Germany.  I woke up a German radio station announcing that the United States had launched air strikes against Libya and bombed several targets.  I switched to the Armed Forces Network, sure that I had mistranslated what I'd heard.  I hadn't.  In the days and weeks following that event, U.S. service members and their families movements were limited.  There was a strict midnight curfew, and no organized formations or activities could take place outside of a secured facility.  I remember knowing that this was an historic event.  Something I hadn't seen before, but would change my view of life, and what my life as a soldier would be like.

The bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Hurricane Katrina, and many other historic events have occurred in my lifetime.  All of them left me changed in some way.  All of them left me knowing that things would somehow be different from here on out.

The most recent, of course, is the current situation we find ourselves in.  The COVID 19 Pandemic.  A time when much of the world has been told to stay at home, distance yourself from those you care about in the name of keeping yourself and those you care about safe.  There is currently a lot of disagreement about how the situation it being handled.  Did we go too far?  Are we going far enough?  Are people taking it seriously?  Are people taking it too seriously?  At the end of the day I don't think we'll truly know if we handled the situation correctly.  There will be a lot of finger pointing and a lot of political gamesmanship in the aftermath, just as there is now.  But to be sure...this is something I've never experienced before and will hopefully never have to experience again.  My view of the world is and will be forever changed.

2019 Wrap Up

Greetings to all in this holiday season!

As 2019 is coming to a close, I am, once again, able to focus on the many blessings in my life.  I’ve been fortunate in this past year to be able to do some more traveling.  I continue to meet people along the way who share some of my same passions and have had to opportunity to grow in those passions.

In the running world, 2019 brought me another new state in my quest to run a race in all 50 states.  This past spring I ran the “Run with the Cows” 5K in Kansas.  This brings me to 36 states in which I have run races, with four New England states still to run, eight western states, along with Alaska and Hawaii.  I have not yet made any running plans for 2020, but hope to get another state or two under my running shoes.

  

2019 also saw me continue my exploration of competitive ballroom dancing.  I traveled to Minneapolis in January to compete in the SnowBall Dancesport Challenge.  In February I had surgery, which kept me out of dance competitions for a while.  However, by mid-year I was back at it, competing in Nashville, Cincinnati, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Columbus.    While in Cincinnati I placed as one of the top ten students in the competition and won the Top Bronze Student Award for the second straight year.

I am currently in second place among the Top Male Student Competitors in the Global Dancesport Series, while my instructor, Emily Mertens, is in second place in the Top Female Teacher category.  We set a goal to try to compete in all fourteen competitions that are part of that series.  To work towards that goal we will be competing again in Minneapolis in January.  Then in March we will compete in Las Vegas and Detroit.  April will take us to San Francisco and Los Angeles, then to Atlanta in May.  In June we will travel to Denver, then to New York City over the 4^th of July weekend.  We will finish off the series traveling to Nashville for the Volunteer State Dancesport competition in July.  I’m joined In the Top 5 by some amazing dancers from across the country, all who have been dancing competitively for several years.  It’s been fun meeting other competitors as I’ve traveled the country.

On the work front, things continue to grow at the Northwest Regional Emergency Communications Center.  We currently dispatch for 3 police departments and 3 fire departments, in addition to handling all the 9-1-1 calls that come from those communities and cell phone 9-1-1 calls for the northwest side of Franklin County.  In July we will take on dispatching responsibilities for another city, handling both their police and fire department dispatching. Honestly, I’d be lying if I said that I was excited about taking on another city.  I have spent much of the past few years learning new cities and new ways of doing things.  But part of this job, like any job, is dealing with change.  So, I will deal with this change and embrace it.  The job can be stressful (hence the reason I run and dance) but it can also be rewarding.  It still takes a little piece of my soul every time I get that call from someone who has lost a loved a one.  But a piece of that is restored every time I am able to help someone or save a life.  I’ve got at least six more years before I can retire and the good still outweighs the bad, so I’m happy with the impact that I have.  Now if I could just get the chief to let me keep the beard….

  

2020 looks to continue to be an exciting year for me.  I hope it will be the same for you.  Here’s wishing you a joyous holiday season and many blessings for the New Year!

Chris

Why Emily and Ballroom Dance Experience?

I've told many people that there have been two times in my life when I've been lucky to have found "the best".  The reason I say "lucky" is because, going in to the situation I really knew nothing about what I was getting in to and did no true research.

The first situation was my current job.  I took the job as a public safety dispatcher with the City of Dublin, Ohio.  It didn't take very long for me to find out that, the department I work for is one of the top dispatching agencies in central Ohio.  The training is top notch, the department is among the best for its size in the United States and we continue to grow. 

The second situation was in who I found as a dance instructor.  I started my journey through ballroom dancing with some group lessons through the Dublin Rec. Center.  I didn't take classes here because of the instructor.  I didn't know the instructor.  I took these classes because I was employed be the City of Dublin, and the City of Dublin Rec Center offered the classes.  I know nothing about the world of ballroom dancing.  I knew so little in fact, that I actually thought I would never use what I learned in my lessons once my class was over.

I found that the ballroom dance community around central Ohio is much larger than I ever imagined.  I learned that there are U.S. and World Champion ballroom dancers who have made their homes right here in central Ohio.  I learned that one of the biggest ballroom dance competitions takes place every year in Columbus, Ohio.  As I came to learn more about the size and scope of this activity in central Ohio, I became more interested in doing more than just learning a few steps and moving on. 

I began asking Emily, my instructor in the Dublin Rec Center classes, for more information about private lessons and dancesport.  It was during these conversations that made me realize that I had found a good instructor.  Emily patiently explained the world of ballroom dance to me.  She helped me to understand the world of ballroom dancing and how ballroom dance competitions work.  That first conversation started very short with me asking a question before one of the group classes.  But I got lucky.  The other couples who were in the group class were all busy with other activities that day, so I had the class to myself.  Emily asked me what dance I wanted to work on and I continued asking questions about ballroom dance and what it would take to get involved in ballroom dance competitions.  For the next hour and fifteen minutes Emily continued to explain the process.  We talked about other students of her's who compete.  We talked about cost.  We talked about time.  We talked about the areas of the country where different styles of ballroom dance was stronger.  We talked about how Columbus had become so strong in the dance world.  We talked until the next class started.

After the next class, I still had questions.  I asked Emily some more and, what I thought was going to be a quick answer, turned in to another conversation that took well over an hour.  At one point during this conversation I apologized to Emily, as it was getting late and I was sure she had other things she would much rather be doing.  I offered to set a time with her when we could continue our discussion.  Emily's answer to me caused the light to go on with me.  Emily responded with, "No, that's ok.  We're going to have this conversation at some point.  So we might as well do it now rather than taking up one of your lessons."  I realized at that point that this woman, who makes her living teaching dance, was willing to spend a few hours of her own time to teach me about dance. 

That conversation, and several since then, let me know that I have found an instructor who is passionate about her craft.  That conversation, and several since then, let me know that I have found an instructor who is passionate about teaching her craft.   That conversation, and several since then, let me know that found an instructor who wants to pass on her passion for her craft to her students.  That conversation, and several since then, let me know that I have found an instructor who teaches the art of dance, and not just the steps. That conversation, and several since then, let me know that I have found an instructor who concerned, not only with teaching her students to dance, but with their overall well being.

When I made the decision to take my dance journey to a different level, I didn't shop around for instructors.  I found myself fortunate enough to have come in to contact with an instructor who was intelligent, passionate, and had a teaching style that worked well with my learning style.  I found an instructor who cares about her students.  I found an instructor whose passion for dancing comes through and is contagious. 

None of this is meant to say that other instructors don't have this same passion.  I've seen and worked with other instructors from central Ohio as well as from other parts of the country.  The reason ballroom dancing is so successful in central Ohio is because of the entire dance community.  Any student looking for an instructor has a choice of talented, passionate people.  For me, I've found the instructor that I will stick with.

Dancing My Way Through Dispatching.

In 1997 I was approached by a friend who was a police officer for the Dublin Police Dept. in Dublin, OH.  My friend told me that they were hiring dispatchers and he thought it might be a job I'd be good at.  I applied for the job, went through the extensive testing, interview and background process, and was hired.  I started my new career January 23, 1998.  I completed a training program that was about 3-4 months long, teaching me how to dispatch police, fire and EMS, how to handle the calls, and how to deal with true life and death emergencies.  The job of a public safety dispatcher is considered one of the most stressful jobs out there.  I quickly found out why. Taking the call from the screaming parent who couldn't find her missing child, keeping up with officers in a high speed pursuit and having that pursuit end with officers having to fire shots at a person in order to stop that person from killing them, calming the caller who came home to find that her significant other had hung herself.  These were just a few of the incidents I dealt with in my first few months on the job.

Twenty years later and I still work at the same place.  The difference is that now, instead of handling one police dept. and one fire dept., we dispatch for three cities.  Instead of handling a couple of hundred 9-1-1 calls each month, we handle over 100 every day.  With the growth in the use of cell phones the stress of the job has increased.  Finding a caller who has called 9-1-1 on his/her cell phone is not an easy task if the caller does not know where he/she is.  The one or two phone calls we used to get about a single incident has now become 10 or more phone calls.  Technology changes in the last twenty years also mean that the capabilities of the 9-1-1 system are stretched.  Now we receive text messages to 9-1-1.  Soon people will be able to send photos and videos to 9-1-1.  While those can be good, they also bring more challenges.  All of this amounts to making, what was a stressful job, increasingly more and more stressful.

In addition to the stress of doing the job, I have spent many years training others to do the job.  I also serve as part of the FOP Critical Response Team.  So, when that extraordinary incident happens, I get called.  I've talked to responders and dispatchers after they lost a co-worker in the line of duty.  I've talked to the dispatchers who took the call from the parent when the child died.  I've listened to responders recount how they did everything they knew to do to help...but the situation didn't turn out the way it should have.

So after more than 20 years of doing this job, how is it that I do not have serious health issues?  Stress has been proven to compromise the body's immune system, but I haven't called in sick to work in over two years.  Stress is supposed to increase your blood pressure, but mine has stayed normal or even lower than the norm.

Two activities that I participate in have been instrumental in helping me deal with the stress of life and the stress of work.  Running and ballroom dancing.  I'm not a fast runner, but I enjoy the activity.  I'm currently working on my goal to run a race in all 50 States.  So far, I've got 34 States completed with two new States planned in October and another planned for February.

Ballroom Dancing has helped more than most can imagine.  The opportunity to take my mind off of the day and focus on the music and steps.  The opportunity to focus on my technique doesn't allow me to dwell on the bad.  The opportunity to socialize with others, whether that is my instructor, other students, or other professional dancers, the conversation is not about my work. 

This way of relieving stress really came to light for me last February.  At the time all of Central Ohio Law Enforcement was reeling after two local police officers were shot and killed during a domestic dispute.  Emily, my dance instructor, asked me a question that surprised me somewhat.  She asked, "When you've had a really stressful day like this, what do you want me to do in your lessons?"  That question surprised me a bit. After all, what else would I be expecting my dance instructor to do, but to teach me to dance.  But this was the point when I realized that learning to dance is the side effect I get from my time in the studio.  The purpose of my time in the studio is much more than that.  Sometimes it's to shake off the funk of the day.  Sometimes it's to focus on something enjoyable.  Sometimes it's simply to laugh a little.  Even when the day hasn't been stressful, banking some enjoyment and exercise is also beneficial. 

We all have those life issues.  No one has a stress free life.  The question is, how do we deal with that stress.  For me, it's running and dancing.  What is it for you?

Do We See Ourselves As Others See Us?

Recently I asked several people to answer two questions for me.  The people represent different parts of my life.  Some were friends, some co-workers, some supervisors, some family.  The main reason I asked the questions was to find out if I really saw myself the way others see me.  The questions I asked were: What do you think is my greatest strength?  and What do you see as my greatest weakness?

Without revealing who said what, here were the answers I got from those who responded:

Strengths:
"Honesty is huge.  But for you I would say it is your determination. Look at your life. From weight loss to running now to dancing. So for me I would say determination."

"Self Awareness"

"People skills. You always think outside of the box, you never jump to conclusions, you form your own opinion, you strive to help people succeed..."

"The courage to try new things."

"Kindness"

"Loyalty, compassion, caring, faith, focus"

"Your ability to see the positive and your ability to play devil's advocate."

"I would say that your greatest strength is that you are caring and kind."

"You are an inspiration to others because you work hard to go after what you want without caring what everyone else thinks. You are also kind."

"If you're applying for the job of a dance partner, I'd say it's your great memory and ability to quickly apply/incorporate what you've been taught.  I think you are a great listener, and that you care about people. You are loyal and willing to take risks."

"Your passion and enthusiasm in everything you do."

"Dedication. You are dedicated to your friends, co-workers and anything you put your mind to."

"Loyalty."

"Your humor and wit. You think fast on your feet and even find ways of keeping things tastefully lighthearted. Things don't seem to bother you much, or you appear to brush things off easily."

Weaknesses:
"You give in and tend to conform. You are non-confrontational and, at times, it has allowed people to use you."

"Consistency/Diligence"

"All the OT you work.  Just say no"

"Being more open with others."

"Being so kind often means you allow yourself to be taken advantage of."

"Socially timid, introvert, quietness"

"Holding back something you should say or do because of a fear that it will negatively impact what that person thinks of you."

"I would honestly have to say that I have not seen your weakness."

"Your kindness is also a weakness because it makes it difficult for you to make tough choices because of how it will affect someone."

"Can't think of weaknesses. I am a very guarded person...so don't allow you to relax and show your whole self with me."

"Passiveness/Lack of Self Confidence. It keeps you from unlocking everything you're capable of accomplishing."

"Sometimes you care too much for what others may think."

"Too nice."

"You seem closed off a lot. Keeping your personal business to yourself is a good asset, but when people feel distanced from you, it can be a hinderance. It seems like you set yourself as a priority, which is great, but it also pushes others out. I understand if you're just being guarded or protective, but it can be perceived as 'an attitude'."

Apart of trying to see if I view myself as others do, another reason for this was to see if I am able to accept the good things people think of me without trying to somehow minimize it, while also accepting the negative things people think of me without becoming upset or defensive.  

Interestingly, as I looked at all of the results, I had two thoughts.  One thought was that, yes, I can see these traits in myself, both the positive and the negative.  The second thought was when I realized that, for the most part, I only asked people who I am fairly sure see me in a positive light.  But that's not true.  Several people didn't answer the questions when asked.  Some, I think, view me in a positive light.  Some however, are more neutral or even negative in the way they view me as a person.  So my "greatest weaknesses" in the light of those who do view me in a positive light, tend more towards the positive.  If most see my greatest weakness as being "too nice" then is that really a weakness?  

I would have liked to have heard more from some others.  But I've also realized something else.  What matters is not really what people think of me.  What really matters is what I know to be the truth.  John G. Bennet said, "Since we tend to see ourselves primarily in the light of our intentions, which are invisible to others, while we see others mainly in the light of their actions, which are all that's visible to us, we have a situation in which misunderstanding and injustice are the order of the day."  

So I ask this of those who know me, I'm not a perfect human being, but my intent is rarely negative.  So I will attempt to view your actions in the light of your intentions, and minus that knowledge I will assume positive intent. Please afford me the same courtesy.

Ballroom Dancing? Really?!

When I would hear the term "ballroom dancing" the picture that came to mind was of men and women, in formal attire, gliding across a dance floor.  Usually a Waltz, or maybe a Viennese Waltz being played by a large orchestra.  Those who were dancing had, at the very least, some grey around the temples.  Definitely not an activity of a younger crowd.  There was one exception; the prince in Cinderella, looking for his bride at the Royal Ball...that was a younger crowd.  But he was royalty, and that was "Once Upon A Time".  

What I have come to find out is that ballroom dancing is much more diverse than I'd realized, both in terms of the types of dances as well as the people who participate in the activity.

I started by taking group lessons through the local recreation center and, like I'm sure most dancing lessons do, started by learning a basic box step.  That led to learning the basic waltz, foxtrot and rumba.  Wait...rumba?!  OK...well, that makes sense.  The basic rumba is really just a basic box step, so I get it.  OK now cha-cha....wait, wait, wait, wait.  I'm taking BALLROOM dancing.  You know...like at a ball?  Cha-cha, Rumba, Merengue, and the Jitterbug were all dances that were taught during my first six week foray in to the ballroom dancing world.  And even though I felt like Peter Boyle dancing to "Puttin' on the Ritz" in Young Frankenstein, I had enough fun that I decided to try it again.  In time, lessons would include dances like the Country Two Step, East Coast Swing, and my personal favorite, the Polka.

Another surprise awaited me that first day of class.  Given that my view of ballroom dancing was a more, let's call it "mature" crowd, I was expecting the instructor to be around my own age.  So, when I walked in to the first day of class to see a young lady in her mid-20's waiting for her class to arrive, I was a bit taken aback. How much could this girl know about ballroom dancing?  What I found though, was that Emily, the owner and lead instructor of Ballroom Dance Experience of Ohio, was not only very knowledgeable about all aspects of ballroom dancing, but very passionate about sharing her knowledge and skills.

As I've continued to progress in my own ballroom dancing journey I have met people of all ages, from all walks of life.  High school kids in their teens who wanted to do more at their prom than just sway back and forth on the dance floor, to couples in their 80's who have the same energy and attitude of those younger kids.  I've met world champion dancers, amateur competitive dancers, and dancers who just want to have fun doing something they enjoy.  Among those dancers are students, nurses, police officers, business owners, and professors.  I've met people from the United Kingdom, Russia, Poland, and many other places around the world.  All who came to Columbus, OH in order to pursue or continue their own journeys.

An interest in learning something new is what got me started on this journey.  The things I've learned and the people I've met are what has kept me moving along this path.  So Ballroom Dancing?  Really?!  Absolutely!!

My First Dancesport Event and My 34th Running State

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to compete in my first Ballroom Dance Competition.  It was really more of a late find for me.  I was originally going to compete in Cincinnati in early January, but that had to be scrapped due to some unforeseen circumstances.  Having the first weekend off in February, I started looking for a competition and was fortunate to find the Denver Dancesport Jam.  A couple other advantages to this competition was that it fell on my birthday and it happened to be in a state where I had yet to run a race.

In early December I spoke to my instructor about making the Denver Dancesport Jam my first competition and she agreed to go.

For the next couple of months I did what I could to increase my lesson and practice time.  Two weeks before the competition my instructor also let me know that she had signed me up for a dance that I had very little experience with.  Right up until I was actually on the floor dancing, I was afraid I was going to mess up the steps.

At the end of the day, I competed in twelve dances and took first place in all twelve.  Now, to be fair, I was contested by one other person in the first six dances, and was uncontested in the other six (although I prefer to think of it as 'incomparable').  My main goal for this competition was simply to compete and not make a complete fool of myself on the floor.  Mission accomplished!  I was happy with how I did, although once I started watching the videos with a more critical eye, I did see so many mistakes that I should not have been making at this point.

As for the competition itself, it was very well organized and stayed right on time throughout.  My instructor had never been to this competition, so she was unsure what to expect. The dance floor was great, and the fact that it was the exact same size as the floor where I've been taking my lessons, made it a bit more comfortable.  Given how nervous I was through the weekend, anything that could make things even a bit more comfortable was a plus.

I can't thank Emily Mertens, my instructor, enough for preparing me for this event.  It was last May when I first expressed my interest in competing in ballroom dance, and I've been so impressed with the professionalism and passion she displays in her dancing and her teaching.  It was that passion that grew my interest and took me from taking a few group dancing lessons to taking private lessons, to wanting to be on the dance floor as much as possible.

The next day, before flying back to Ohio, Emily and I ran the Superbowl 5K together at Washington Park in Denver.  This made the 34th state in which I've run a race.  Having never run or trained at altitude, I knew that I was not going to try to run a half marathon in Denver, so having a 5K scheduled in Denver the day after the Dancesport Jam worked out well.  I was able to combine both my passions, running and dancing, in to a single weekend.  Although my time for the 5K was much slower than any 5K I've ever run, it was a fun event and also very well organized.

As I continue towards my goal of running a race in all 50 States, I also have another passion that will have me travelling the country.  I won't be trying to compete in a ballroom dance competition in all 50 States.  That's not even a possibility.  But my instructor is the person who first mentioned to me combining my two passions, so when I can combine a dance competition trip with a running trip, I'll make it happen.

I will also take the time for a bit of a plug also.  Emily Mertens owns Ballroom Dance Experience of Ohio.  She teaches group lessons in both Dublin and Upper Arlington, hosts social dance parties in partnership with Topline Ballroom and Event Center in Worthington and teaches private lessons around the Central Ohio area.  She is a wonderful instructor and has introduced me to a world that I would have never realized existed had it not been for taking that first step back in October of 2016.