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| Volume 17, Issue 3 | Fall 2005 |
A Transit AdventureTransportation has been my life and my love (or at least one of the two) for the past 10 years while I have worked in Devils Lake, ND, for the Senior Meals and Services (SMS) transportation program, Devils Lake Transit. I have found in those 10 years that a spirit of cooperation and support in the transit industry is alive and flourishing. Ta-dah!!
I consider it a huge advantage to be a member of Dakota Transit Association and to attend its annual meetings. I've taken part in two CTAA Expo's - one in Albuquerque and the other in Philadelphia. Just the exposure to the educational opportunities offered by both organizations has given me additional transit knowledge, allowing me to do my job better. I'm also fortunate that I have a great supportive working relationship with Jacque Senger, North Central Planning (NCP) and a DTA board member. NCP is our pass-through agency for federal and state funding dollars. If SMS has a transit need, Jacque will do her best to make it happen within the perimeters of funding. On the flip side, SMS recently found out we had a 1988 bus that had served our purposes. Jacque connected us with Spirit Lake Seniors who were in need of a vehicle for their program and an older bus fit the bill. SMS gladly turned the keys over to them - the spirit of coordination at its best! When it was time to step out of my comfort zone and expand our transit advertising program (since we're always in need of more dollars to keep our buses on the streets), I needed all the help I could find. Carol Wright of the James River Community Center and Senior Services, graciously invited me to visit her facility to learn more about a very successful advertising program. I am pleased to report that we have a good start: two great looking business signs on the back of two of our buses. Whenever I'm in need of motivation to do something outside my comfort zone, I try to focus on the mission for which I am working; in this case, persons in need of public transit in my community. I find that keeping the focus on the mission and not on me helps in the pursuit of tasks outside my comfort zone. I can report it's getting more comfortable with each contact I make! If you're struggling with a problem and don't know where to turn, turn to a fellow transit worker/provider. It's a good possibility that someone in transit has been there or done that. It's worked for me through the years. Success for you and your transit operation could be only a phone call away!
Robin Silverman's 'Take a Load Off' Carol Seurer, DirectorCommunity Transit, Inc. Sissetion, SD A highlight of the DTA annual conference held in Minot, ND, Sept. 18-21, was keynote speaker, Robin Silverman. She is an author and speaker who creates radiant results by showing others how to transform the lead in their work and their lives into pure gold through the use of creative choices and super-conscious connections. Her programs expand the perspective, energize the performance, and ensure the personal peace of attendees. Robin has done extensive research into the mind/body connection, and makes complex theories and methods easy to understand and implement at work and at home. She's especially skilled in helping people discover and express what is right and true for them, lifting them to new levels of self-confidence and right action. Robin's books include The Ten Gifts: Find the Personal Peace You've Always Wanted From the Ten Gifts You've Always Had and Something Wonderful is About to Happen: True Stories of People Who Found Happiness in Unexpected Places. Her work has appeared in many national magazines, inspirational anthologies, and on the Internet. She's a frequent radio and television guest, and enjoys teaching others in classrooms, living rooms, and banquet halls. "I believe in the goodness and strength of all people," she says. "And I love showing them how to reveal more of it to themselves and the world." Robin's presentation "Take a Load Off," showed us how to relieve both mental and physical stress. She stated that the mind doesn't know the difference between imagining that we are on a beautiful beach and really being there. She demonstrated relaxing techniques that made you feel like you had taken a two-hour nap. Some people said that physical pain was also lessened. I found the following pieces of information interesting:
Robin also stressed that it's important to be positive and to encourage those around you to look on the bright side of life. Positive energy is contagious. She said we should run away from "Energy Vampires" before they steal our positive energy. Let's dwell on what is right in our lives and what we are for, not what we are against. What we think affects our bodies both mentally and physically. We have all made the wrong decisions in our life and have to learn as we go. Robin provided us with the following "Twelve Universal Laws:"
Robin is the host of the new "Wellness Cafe" show currently under development with North Dakota Public Radio. Her show brings listeners new resources for wellness in mind, body, and community spirit, and features some of the most innovative pioneers in the field of complementary care in the United States. Robin lives in Grand Forks, ND, with her husband, photographer Steve Silverman.
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In this issue...
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I have to thank my first mentor in transportation, Rick Thoms, for taking me under his wing and sharing his expertise on many subjects I knew little about, such as bus maintenance, driver training, and drug and alcohol testing, to name a few. He was always just a phone call away and always willing to give good advice. (I hope his nose is itchy).
