Missouri Rehab Association

As promised, here are the pics from the MRA conference from earlier this week. It was truly a joy to be with all the MRA folks – again, these are some of the most giving, delightful people I could ever hope to work with! Left to right we have Frank, an assessment guru with A.O. of Springfield (and one of the kindest people you could ever hope to meet), my client, Kim Vaughn, a Voc Rehab counselor, moi, and Joe, an administrator with A.O. of Springfield (and one of the most professional, dedicated individuals I've ever worked with.) Thanks again, MRA, for doing what you do and for welcoming me into your conference! Y'all are a blast!

International Shriners Day!

In honor of the founding of the International Council of Shriners of North America on June 6, 1876, nobles (aka, Shriners) everywhere celebrate International Shrine Day!

Having just become a Shriner within the last few months, I'm proud to be celebrating my first Shrine Day. How does this work? Simple:

Nobles everywhere are to wear their red fez, a Shrine tee-shirt or a Shrine lapel pin-just to show their affiliation with the Shrine. If you've not seen a fez, take a look at that handsome devil in the pic...see that big thing on his head? No, not his nose! That red thing that looks like an inverted narrow bucket? That's the traditional Shriner's fez. Think wearing one of those to Wal-Mart may generate some awareness? If nothing else, it'll definitely show some fashion sense!

Still, what is the Shrine? What do they do? What do they believe? Why do they wear funny hats?

Simply put, the Shrine is a Masonic fraternity body created to have fun with a purpose. The fun results from fraternization, parties, socials, parades, etc., and the purpose remains the same: to support the Shriners Hospitals of North America.

Shriners Hospitals are some of the best medical care one can get for burns and orthopedic issues that confront children. No patient at a Shriners Hospital is ever charged a single penny-this makes the Shrine Hospitals the greatest philanthropy in the world. With a daily operating budget in excess of $2 million, the fun we nobles have is only surpassed by the incredible help given to children in need of intense medical care.

Happy Shrine Day to my fellow nobles!

If you'd like to learn more about the Shrine and the philanthropic work we Shriners do, please view:

www.Shrinenet.com

or my home Shrine's web page at:

www.BahiaShrine.com

Family Pharmacy Teams With Marcus!

Well, it's finally happened! Ever since the release of my books in the fall of 2006, I've looked for a retailer in my hometown. You'd think this wouldn't be so challenging, but it sure was!

Then, a retailer found me! In March, I was honored to be the key note speaker at the National Honor Society induction at my alma mater, Montgomery County R-2 in Montgomery City, MO.

Attending the induction of their daughter, Ellie, were Jack and Janet Holtman, owners of Family Pharmacy in Montgomery City. Mr. and Mrs. Holtman (and Ellie) purchased my books and passed them along to several others after they read them. As always, I'm humbled and honored when anyone passes my book along with the recommendation, "Hey, you should read this!"

Well, Jack and Janet also decided to inquire about becoming a retailer of "After This..." and "The Other End of The Stethoscope." I, of course, was ecstatic to be able to offer books to readers in my hometown by way of a local retailer!

Family Pharmacy is located on North Sturgeon in Montgomery City, MO. I hope folks from my home area will stop in, say HI to Jack and Janet, and maybe pick up a book while they're at it!

Special thanks to Jack and Janet Holtman for their desire to help me spread my message!

"I'm Just A Phone Call Away!"

Yesterday, I had my annual visit with my ophthalmologist , Dr. Moholtra. Why a blind guy needs to go see an eye doc every year, I dunno... but I go anyway.

Dr. Moholtra decided to try a different type of medication to help reduce conjunctivitis in both eyes (Ah, maybe THERE'S the reason to go see an eye doc). We discussed the benefits and drawbacks to this new medication, talked about if I should find an ophthalmologist in Florida, etc. As we discussed the pros and cons, Dr. Moholtra simply said, "And never forget that I'm just a phone call away."

THAT, faithful reader, is darned reassuring. I now know my physician will make time to return my call if I have any problems. Will he actually call me back? Doubtful. Might it be his nurse who returns my call? Probably.

Still, no matter what actually DOES happen, Dr. Moholtra said "call me" not "call my office" or "call the nurse."

How do I feel? Like I have a personal connection to my physician. Was that his intent? Absolutely! Dr. Moholtra knows the key to great patient care is the relationship between patient and caregiver. Simple as that. And such a professional thing to do which is, unfortunately, lacking so often in the medical world.

When You're a Professional...

I just got back from an appointment with a new dermatologist. It was a fairly wretched experience. The physician himself was a pretty good guy, but his staff? Yeesh. Awful.

Unfortunately, this doctor has missed one of the keys to being a professional - be sure the people representing you are professional, too. Here's how this went down... Marvelyne and I scheduled appointments back to back. We both wanted to hear what the doc had to say to the other. Fair enough, especially since my reason for the appt. was so the dermatologist could point out skin blemishes to Marvelyne I obviously don't see.

When the secretary called Marvelyne's name from the waiting room, I got up, too. Convo went down like this:
Secretary: "Sir, we'll see you when your wife is finished."
Marcus: "We're together."
Sec: "I'm sorry, but we don't see couples together. She can come get you when it's your turn." Marcus: "So, she can be in my appointment, but I can't be in hers? That doesn't make sense." Sec: "I'm sorry, sir, but that's our policy."

Now, folks, that was NOT their policy. In fact, when the doc came into Marvelyne's appt., she asked, "Can my husband be in here?" The doc's response was what it should be, "Of course!" Still, 10 minutes later, I was finally allowed into the exam room with my wife - and with a temper about at the boiling point. I'd not yet met the doc, but what do you think my overall impression was? Yep-negative.

Any professional knows he/she must, MUST have representatives who give a favorable impression. This doc does not have that person on his staff. In fact, instead of a non-issue (a worst case scenario for a physician's secretary), he has one who does harm.

This isn't to say the doc himself was bad. He was fine, but the impression was already made by his crappy secretary. After being represented by a speaker's bureau in the past, and after having different web designers creating work to represent me, and an army of past marketing folks, I know one thing - do NOT hire anyone who cannot properly represent me to others. I've made this mistake time and time again. Is it even possible not to? Sure, but just like finding Prince Charming, sometimes you've gotta kiss a lot of frogs The key is, when you realize the person representing you is a frog, it's time to make frog legs.

As a professional, I will never continue to allow someone to represent me in person, print, communication or video who cannot make me look fabulous. Seems like doctors need this lesson, too.

Western Regional Greek Association - WRGA

Sat., Ap. 12, I was honored to be a keynote presentor for the Western Regional Greek Association conference in San Francisco. This was a true pleasure to be in front of a fraternity/sorority audience once again!

Thanks to all who attended my presentation - we had so many fill the room we had to hang a sign on the door saying the room was full! Plus, this is one of those programs where we all (and I do mean everyone) seemed on exactly the same page at exactly the same time. I can only do that when the audience is ready to get on board and ride this roller coaster with me - and you guys did just that! Thanks!

I'd like to thank all the fellow Kappa Sigs I met at WRGA, too! Always great to meet brothers at these events!

Tampa Tribune Article

When I spoke at Academy At The Lakes last Monday, April 7, Megan Hussey of the Tampa Tribune was present. The article appeared in Saturday's Tribune and can be found below.

I'd like to personally thank Megan for such an accurate and well-written article! I've been written about hundreds of times in newspapers, magazines, periodicals, etc.-but this is probably the most accurate article ever done on little old me! Thanks, Megan, and thanks again to Bob Sullivan and Academy At the Lakes for hosting this event!


Speaker Helps Students See 'Happiness Is A Choice'
By MEGAN HUSSEY
Tribune correspondent
Published: April 12, 2008 LAND O' LAKES - At the age of 16, Marcus Engel was involved in the type of fender bender that every high-school student fears; one in which he accidentally struck an auto driven by his principal's wife. Taking the incident in stride, his principal advised him to "Change the things you can." This advice proved valuable two years later, when Engel was in another wreck, this one far more serious. One late night on a St. Louis road, the actions of a drunken driver in another car cost Engel his eyesight; and caused massive injuries to his face and body that required a year of surgeries to repair. Engel first had to accept the fact that he was blind. "I thought, 'I'm 18. I'm never going to see again. I'm never gonna lead my life again,'" he said. "What do you do?"
Reaching Teenagers
What Engel did in the years that followed was write two inspirational books and speak publicly about his experiences; his speaking engagements take the Orlando resident to 40 to 50 events yearly. "And because of my passion for education, I love speaking to schools," he said. "It's a powerful thing to get teenagers to listen, and judging from the number of e-mails and MySpace signups I get after my speeches, they are engaged by the message."

On Monday, Engel brought his message of hope, humor and inspiration to Academy at the Lakes, where he addressed students in grades eight through 12. Engel was accompanied by his wife and book editor Marvelyne Adams, and Carson, his guide dog. He also brought a bag full of his books, "After This ... An Inspirational Journey For All the Wrong Reasons" and "The Other End of the Stethoscope: 33 Insights for Excellent Patient Care." He handed out free copies to students who asked questions after the speech. He also handed out advice about overcoming terrible odds. "You get used to things like this, because sooner or later it just becomes your life," he said. "All I knew is that I had to give it time, that my life could someday be good again."

Working To Stay Independent Following his principal's advice to change the things he could, he took extensive steps to ensure that life would be good again. After a challenging regimen of surgeries and physical therapy, he attended a residential education program for the blind. "In order to graduate, I had to prepare, serve and clean up a meal for the 50 people on the school staff," he said. "For the second challenge, a school secretary took me out in a car ... and dropped me off, telling me I had to find my own way back. On my honor, I could only ask one question of a pedestrian to get back." "When she dropped me off, I soon realized I was 25 miles away from where I needed to be," he said. After successfully completing this program, Engel was able to return to college, and then took a summer job as a camp counselor. He taught and performed all of the same activities - such as swimming, canoeing and archery - as the other counselors. He says his greatest achievement may have been mentoring an overweight child who was bullied by campers.

"His mother wrote a letter saying that the only positive experience the boy had at camp was working with Marcus, the blind counselor, because the boy said, 'He couldn't see how fat I am,'" Engel said. "I spent all summer trying to show other people the things that I could do, and he was most impressed by the things I couldn't do."

Engel has dedicated much of his life to inspiring others; through his books, his speeches and occasionally through advising lawmakers about the establishment of meaningful drunken driving laws. Most of all he wants people to know that although his accident claimed his vision, it didn't cloud his view of the world.

"I'm pretty ecstatic about my life," he said. "Happiness is a choice."

MARCUS ENGEL
SOME BACKGROUND: On Monday, national inspirational speaker and author Marcus Engel addressed eighth to 12th grade students at Academy at the Lakes in Land O' Lakes. COMMUNITY

CONTRIBUTIONS: During his freshman year of college, Engel lost his eyesight and sustained massive injuries in an auto crash caused by a drunken driver. He now speaks to students and other audiences about overcoming insurmountable odds to find a fulfilling life.

A LITTLE HISTORY: In addition to his 40 to 50 speaking engagements a year, Engel has written two books.

GETTING INVOLVED: To learn more about Marcus Engel and his work, go to http://www.marcusengel.com/ or www.myspace.com/marcusengel.

Find this article online at: http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/apr/12/pa-speaker-helps-students-see-happiness-is-a-choic