In 1992, psychologist Richard P. Bentall published a paper in the Journal of Medical Ethics that still feels uncomfortably relevant. His argument was deliberately provocative.

Happiness, he suggested, meets the diagnostic criteria for a psychiatric disorder.

He even proposed a name for it: “major affective disorder, pleasant type.”

At first glance, the idea sounds ridiculous. Happiness is the thing leaders are told to maximize — not pathologize. Entire industries exist to help organizations become happier places to work.

Bentall was not arguing against happiness itself. He was challenging the assumption that happiness is inherently healthy, neutral, or even accurate.

His framing was clinical rather than philosophical.

First, happiness is statistically abnormal. Most people, at any given moment, are not especially happy.

Second, it appears as a discrete cluster of symptoms. Third, those symptoms include cognitive distortions that would raise concerns in almost any other context.

People who report being happy tend to overestimate their control over events. They rate their own abilities unrealistically high. They compare themselves to others in ways that consistently favor their own standing.

The flip side of this is what psychologists call “depressive realism,” the unsettling finding that mildly depressed individuals often assess reality more accurately than their more cheerful counterparts. That point tends to get dismissed as an academic curiosity. It should not be.

Modern work culture treats happiness as an outcome to be engineered.

Leaders are told to drive it. Teams are encouraged to project positivity regardless of circumstances. Organizations invest heavily in perks, programs, and messaging designed to sustain a general sense of cheerfulness.

What Bentall’s paper reminds us of is that sustained happiness is not just rare. It is distorting.

In small doses, optimism is useful. It fuels motivation and helps people act in the absence of complete information. It makes risk tolerable.

But when optimism becomes a default state, it carries costs. Overconfidence reduces sensitivity to risk. Unrealistic self-assessment weakens learning. Biased comparisons slow improvement.

Anyone who has led a team through a missed forecast, a failed launch or a sudden market shift has seen this play out. Excessive positivity delays difficult conversations. It reframes warning signs as temporary noise. It encourages people to explain away evidence rather than grapple with it.

Bentall pushed the argument even further. He noted that happiness can be reliably induced through drugs or electrical brain stimulation, which suggests it reflects abnormal functioning of the central nervous system. That observation strips happiness of its moral status. Happiness is not a virtue. It is a neurological condition.

For leaders, this reframing can be quietly freeing.

You are not failing if your team is not consistently happy.

In complex, fast-moving environments, perpetual happiness should raise questions rather than morale. Healthy teams oscillate. They experience confidence and doubt. They feel tension before breakthroughs. They feel discomfort while learning. Those emotional shifts are signals, not defects.

The new-collar economy depends on adaptability, truth telling, and situational awareness.

None of those are especially pleasant in real time. They require attention, restraint, and the willingness to see constraints and tradeoffs clearly rather than optimistically.

This is where many leadership conversations go wrong. We conflate happiness with engagement, and engagement with effectiveness.

Yet the most effective people are often not the happiest in the moment. They are focused. They are alert. They are realistic about what is possible and what is not.

People can tolerate a great deal of uncertainty when they trust their leaders and believe the work matters.

They struggle much more in environments that insist on positivity while quietly eroding credibility.

Bentall’s paper was partly satirical. Even casual coverage of it points out that it reads as an inversion of diagnostic logic. But like most effective satire, it works because it exposes a real blind spot.

Perhaps the goal of leadership is not to maximize happiness, but to cultivate clarity, meaning, and durable progress.

Happiness may appear as a side effect. It may not. Either way, it should not be the primary signal that things are going well.

The healthiest workplaces are often not the happiest ones. They are the most honest.

You can read Bentall’s original paper here: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1376114/pdf/jmedeth00282-0040.pdf

And regardless, those of you who know me know I still choose happiness as a backdrop for living.

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology executive who believes in the power of connection and service.

Empathy doesn’t arrive fully formed. It is not a switch that flips the moment we decide to be better people, better leaders, or better partners.

It develops the way most meaningful skills do: slowly, unevenly, and often after we have made a few uncomfortable mistakes. Awareness of others is not something we inherit. It is something we practice.

Most of us begin by seeing the world through a single lens: our own.

Early on, we are transactionally focused. What do I gain? What do I risk? What do I expect in return? If the benefit is unclear, we quietly disregard the person, the conversation, or the experience.

Then life intervenes. Sometimes gently. Sometimes with force. A difficult conversation. A lost deal. A relationship that doesn’t unfold the way we imagined. A moment when we realize we were hearing the words but not listening for the meaning.

Those moments are turning points. They shift us from self-focus to other focus, from certainty to curiosity. They introduce the realization that everyone around us carries information we do not yet have.

Greek philosopher Plutarch captured this simply: “Know how to listen and you will profit even from those who talk badly.”

Listening to imperfect communicators teaches us patience, humility, and discernment. It sharpens our ability to understand intent beneath execution.

In professional environments, this kind of listening changes everything. It creates cultures where people feel respected — not managed. Ideas surface earlier. Creativity improves. Innovation becomes a shared responsibility rather than a top-down exercise. Leaders who listen build trust, and trust compounds.

In personal relationships, listening acts as a stabilizer. When we listen to understand rather than to respond, defensiveness drops. Conversations lengthen. Conflict softens. Connection deepens. Emotional safety is not declared; it is demonstrated through attention.

The challenge, of course, is that listening well is harder than ever.

Digital communication strips away tone, expression, and context. Active listening requires effort. It asks us to slow down, notice patterns, and remember what was said without rushing to solve it.

Empathy begins the moment we stop assuming our experience is universal. It grows when we acknowledge that everyone carries a story we cannot see. It matures when we allow another perspective to exist without trying to fix, judge, or compare it to our own.

This is not just emotional intelligence. It is relational intelligence. It affects who we hire, who we follow, who we partner with, and how effectively we solve meaningful problems together.

Choosing the right partner is not about checking boxes. It is about fully seeing another person. Understanding how they navigate the world. What energizes them. What exhausts them. What patterns they repeat under pressure.

Empathy is the bridge that allows two people to meet in the middle without losing themselves. It keeps us from falling in love with potential while ignoring reality.

Awareness helps us choose wisely, whether selecting a partner or emulating a leader. It teaches us to pay attention to behavior, not just words. How do they treat people who offer no advantage? How do they respond to disappointment? Do they listen to understand, or listen to win?

These are not small observations. They are foundational signals.

Empathy does not just help us choose relationships. It helps us sustain them. It softens reactions. It creates space between stimulus and response. It reframes relationships as collaborations rather than competitions.

When empathy is present, conflict becomes a conversation. When it is absent, conversation becomes conflict.

Ironically, empathy grows fastest when we turn inward. When we recognize our blind spots. When we admit we do not always get it right. Humility creates room for connection.

In a world that rewards speed, empathy asks us to pause. In a culture that celebrates independence, awareness asks us to pay attention.

And in an era where technology can imitate almost anything, genuine human understanding remains irreplaceable.

So here is the invitation. Practice seeing people clearly. Practice listening without rehearsing your reply. Practice noticing the moments others overlook.

These practices will not make you perfect. They will, however, make you present. Over time, presence becomes consistency, and consistency becomes the quiet signal others come to trust most.

The right people will not just appreciate that effort. They will meet you there.

Because empathy is not only how we understand others. It is how we recognize those who understand us over the long run.

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology executive who believes in the power of connection and service.

Photo Caption: Empathy grows when working on problems that help others grow. Southwest Rotary Club of Wichita Falls partners with Road to College to sell flag subscriptions that fund grants for organizations, and Road to College inspires students to lead, serve and attend college. Flag subscriptions are available at https://southwestrotary.com/page/flag-program-sw-rotary-of-wichita-falls

At 71, I’m in my eighth decade of life, and when I look back, I see a long stretch of ups, downs, and the occasional train wreck. I’ve gathered friends across every era of my life, and my family, thankfully, is doing well — better than many.

I tend to my health while navigating the changes that come with age. I focus on what matters: the people I love, the communities I belong to, the unfinished purposes, the joy of learning anew, and the privilege of serving others.

Death and taxes, as the saying goes, don’t negotiate, no matter how prepared or unprepared we are.

I recently lost a dear friend, and though grief has its own rhythm, I also felt relief that his suffering from bone cancer came to an end. His faith carried him with a certainty that brought comfort to those around him, and I choose to believe he stepped into the joy he had long anticipated.

I am appreciative of the health care professionals who stand beside families in those last days, offering dignity, steadiness, and compassion when everything feels fragile. Their work reminds me that even when we can’t control outcomes, we can still influence how someone experiences their final moments, and that matters more than we often admit.

I’ve learned over the years that life rarely slows down just because we wish it would.

Things happen around us constantly — unexpected events, shifting plans, surprises that land without warning. Some people drift with the current, doing what needs to be done to get through the day, but I’ve always believed that each of us can shape our path more than we think.

Choices matter. How we act on those choices matters. The sacrifices we make to keep our focus on what is important, rather than what simply feels urgent, become the defining lines of our days.

I’ve been tutoring a master of business administration student this semester in organizational behavior, and the conversations remind me how much I’ve seen, tried, failed at, and figured out along the way. Having managed large teams, I understand how psychology, structure, intention, and humility come together to shape meaningful leadership.

We’ve been exploring decision making, and every session takes me back to moments when I had to choose quickly, cautiously, or creatively. Maslow once said that if all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail, and I’ve watched that play out more times than I can count.

Emotions flare, first impressions mislead, and people cling to familiar tools even when the situation demands something different. Sometimes the sheer number of possible solutions overwhelms even the most capable minds, and the discomfort of uncertainty pushes people into premature decisions.

Others double down on failing strategies because they can’t let go of sunk costs.

Today’s workforce is rich with diverse skills, and I’ve seen the magic that happens when one group generates solutions while another evaluates them. It’s a simple shift that prevents tunnel vision and opens the door to genuinely better options.

When solving problems our minds can trap us into seeing only what we expect. Dunker’s classic candle test is a perfect example, well explained in Dan Pink, the “Candle Problem” at

Given a candle, matches and box of tacks, your problem is to stick the candle to the wall. Most people don’t realize the box holding the tacks is part of the solution.

As in life, we get so locked into an assumed purpose that we miss the possibility sitting right in our hands. We hurry to prove competence. Quick solutions are often praised more than thoughtful ones, even when they cost us more in the long run.

NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer mission to find and map water on the Moon is a painful reminder. Brilliant people, working under pressure, missed a flaw in the solar panel orientation software, and the spacecraft was lost within a day. One small oversight became a total mission failure as the panels pointed away from the sun.

Emotions come to mind as my arthritis acts up or when feeling the warmth of another sunrise with both reminding me, I’m still alive and have choices today.

Every day is another amazing chance to look closer, pause longer, and consider the day’s problems as opportunities I might have missed before.

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology executive who believes in the power of connection and service.

Peter Drucker’s famous line — “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” — has been repeated so often we sometimes forget the weight behind it. But Drucker didn’t arrive at that insight casually.

He spent a lifetime observing how people work, what motivates them, and why some organizations thrive while others stall out even with the best plans in hand.

Born in Austria in 1909, shaped by the turbulence of pre‑war Europe, influenced by economic thinkers like John Maynard Keynes, and eventually landing as a teacher and consultant in the United States, Drucker became known and recognized — accurately — as the man who invented modern management before his death in 2005.

His work resonated deeply with Japanese manufacturers who, in the middle of the twentieth century, were hungry to improve how they used their resources, how they developed people, and how they built products with long‑term value.

Those companies listened carefully to Drucker’s emphasis on effectiveness over efficiency, on strengths over weaknesses, and on responsibility to customers and communities. As Japan’s export strength grew through the 1970s and 1980s, American leaders began taking Drucker’s ideas seriously, too.

Some of his best lines still guide us today.

· “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”

· “If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old.”

· “What gets measured gets improved.”

· And the one that lands the hardest in turbulent times: “Managers cannot assume that tomorrow will be an extension of today.”

Drucker saw clearly that organizations get into trouble when they optimize processes that never should have existed in the first place, or when they keep trying to solve problems instead of identifying opportunities.

He understood that people — not spreadsheets — determine outcomes. And he predicted the rise of the “knowledge worker,” someone whose primary job is to learn continuously. In his view, standing still meant falling behind.

You can see his ideas play out in communities trying hard to grow.

Many cities reinvent their strategies every election cycle — new plans, new slogans, new committees. But culture doesn’t shift just because the strategy-of-the-year changes.

If the underlying mindset remains “that’s not how we do it here,” even the most exciting plans will fail to take root. New leaders arrive full of energy and leave exhausted when the status quo pushes back harder than the strategy can pull forward.

The ideas weren’t bad. The culture simply won.

You see the same pattern in families. Parenting has changed dramatically in the last few decades.

Many parents today feel pressure to be their child’s friend, to avoid conflict, or to keep life easy and entertaining.

Yet children who miss school several days a week, coast academically, and approach learning primarily as a chance to socialize are entering a world shaped by artificial intelligence, rapid job change, and continual self‑education.

If they haven’t been challenged to build discipline, curiosity, and resilience, how will they adapt?

Culture shows up in small habits: whether families read together, whether adults model learning, whether children see mistakes as something to hide or something to grow from.

Even handwriting — something as simple and human as putting pen to paper — has become rare enough that some parents now use cursive as a secret code their children can’t interpret.

What happens a generation from now when families inherit boxes of handwritten letters and journals but need AI just to decode them?

Nonprofits wrestle with these same cultural dynamics.

A board might craft a brilliant strategic plan filled with metrics, timelines, and bold goals. But if the culture inside the organization or with their volunteers resists accountability, fears transparency, or avoids difficult conversations, that plan will gather dust.

A nonprofit can raise money for new programs, but if staff burnout is normalized or innovation is discouraged, the organization will struggle to deliver impact.

Many nonprofits eventually discover that the real work isn’t rewriting the mission statement — it’s rewriting the habits, expectations, and unspoken rules that shape how people show up every day. And often, when the culture shifts even slightly toward clarity, trust, and shared ownership, momentum suddenly appears.

Parenting offers a helpful parallel here: in both settings, people rise or fall to the expectations around them.

A household with consistent routines, a sense of purpose, and adults who model the behavior they want to see will almost always outperform a household that relies on last‑minute fixes and shifting rules.

Likewise, organizations that cultivate curiosity, responsibility, and candor tend to outperform those that chase every new idea without addressing how people actually behave.

At the core, Drucker’s lessons remind us that our time is finite and precious. We don’t get to run life twice.

So, the question becomes: are we spending our time doing things right — or doing the right things? Are we choosing effectiveness, or just motion? Are we building cultures that help people grow, or ones that quietly hold them in place?

I choose to be open, to share ideas, to learn alongside others, and to recognize that success has many parents — but failure often belongs to only a few.

That’s why culture matters. It’s the soil everything grows from. Strategy is important. But culture determines whether that strategy ever becomes real.

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology executive who believes in the power of connection and service.

Photo Caption: Renovation continues for Memorial Auditorium, originally constructed in 1927. The City’s goal is to move into the newly remodeled space by late this spring with the first City Council meeting scheduled there in June. Utility operations moved already as residents can pay water bills at 1300 7^th St. Photo Jack Browne Times Record News

There comes a point in every career, often in the middle of an ordinary day, when you can feel a quiet shift inside you. It might show up in frustration, boredom, or the subtle sense that something important is missing. Beneath all that sits a truth you cannot ignore.

Your best times are yet to come. You are not finished. You are not past your prime. You are not stuck forever.

If you do not like your job right now, you are not broken. You are human.

You are standing on the edge of your next chapter, waiting for the courage to step forward and claim it.

Many of us were raised on the idea that life is hard, so you tough it out, shake it off, and get back to work. That message was meant to make you strong, but endurance alone is not the goal.

Grinding through years of work that drains you does not build character. It drains your energy and your confidence. Real strength is not staying in the wrong place. Real strength is recognizing that something needs to change and willingly learning what is needed.

The working world can feel like the school of hard knocks. Not everyone gets a medal. Most have no clear roadmap. Some people discover their path early while others move through several careers before finding their true course.

Experience is a tough teacher but also a loyal one. It keeps showing up. It keeps guiding you. It keeps reminding you to pay attention to what matters most.

When you stop learning, you stop living. Curiosity keeps you awake. Growth keeps you alive and moving forward.

If you are feeling lost, it does not mean you lack purpose. It means your purpose is evolving.

Your life is far bigger than a job description. You work not only for yourself but for the people you love, the people who count on you, and the community that shapes you.

Most people serve in several communities at once, not only through employment and family stability, but also through volunteering, friendships, mentoring, coaching, and acts of service that strengthen the people around them.

The full picture of your contribution becomes part of the legacy you leave — rather than drifting through life.

Purpose grows when you understand who benefits from your effort. When you show up with intention, your family feels it. Your colleagues feel it. Your community feels it.

Contribution is not about money or status. Contribution is about impact. It is about being someone others can rely on. It is about modeling resilience, integrity, generosity, and possibility for the people watching your example.

If you want a new direction, start by shifting your environment. Reflect on who stands around you and what they bring to your life. You become the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

If your circle limits you, your ambition shrinks. If your circle lifts you, your courage expands.

Choose people who remind you of who you can become. Choose people who challenge you to grow. Choose people who help make your family, your community, and your future stronger because you learned from them.

Most of us belong to multiple communities. Work, family, neighborhood, social groups, community organizations, and faith communities all shape our identity.

Each provides a different place to contribute, a different opportunity to connect, and a different path for growth.

Sometimes your purpose becomes clearer when you step into a new community and show up in a different role. When you try new things and contribute in new ways, you uncover strengths you did not realize you had.

You find new motivation. You discover new connections. You notice needs your skills can help solve. Participating actively instead of passively creates momentum you can feel, and momentum others can see.

None of this requires perfection. It requires determination, focus, consistency, and the willingness to work your plan even when progress feels slow.

Your best days are ahead of you. Not because the path will be easy but because you are stepping into your future with a deeper understanding of your why in the first place.

When you bring the best of who you are to the people around you, you elevate everything you touch. Your community needs your best. Your family needs your best.

And your future self is waiting for you to recognize that your best times are not behind you. They are still on the way.

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology executive who believes in the power of connection and service.

Change never asks permission. It simply arrives, pulls up a chair, and starts rearranging the furniture.

Some people grumble. Some resist. But the ones who thrive — the ones who keep moving up and to the right — are the ones who learn to welcome the rearrangement. They understand that with change comes growth, and with growth comes opportunity.

We’re living in a moment when the future isn’t creeping toward us; it’s sprinting.

The doubling of recorded knowledge every twelve hours isn’t a statistic to admire. It’s a reminder that the world is accelerating whether we feel ready or not.

Expectations don’t slack off just because the pace is uncomfortable. Quotas don’t drop because the learning curve feels steep. Investor interest doesn’t pause to let us catch our breath. The question is always the same: What did you do for me today?

That pressure can feel relentless, but it also signals something important.

We are entering an era where curiosity is currency. The people who stay relevant are the ones who stay open — open to learning, open to experimenting, open to letting go of the way things used to be.

Nowhere is this more obvious than in the AI‑connected economy taking shape around us. Data center decisions — once the domain of back‑office engineers — now shape local economies, energy markets, and workforce development.

Communities that once debated where to put a new water tower are now debating where to put a hyperscale compute cluster. And just like every wave of innovation before it, this one brings out the familiar chorus of “Not In My Back Yard” concerns.

We’ve been here before. Water infrastructure. Power lines. Cell towers. Wind turbines. Every new technology that threatens the status quo triggers the same reflex: Why in my neighborhood? What about the noise? What about the view?

The details change, but the pattern doesn’t. Innovation arrives, resistance follows, and eventually the new thing becomes the normal thing.

AI is following that same arc. The largest semiconductor companies are now AI‑centric, and AI already accounts for half of the global semiconductor market revenue.

That’s not a forecast — it’s the present tense. Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, xAI, and a growing constellation of providers are weaving themselves into every industry, every workflow, every decision chain. AI is everywhere, not because it’s trendy, but because it’s useful. It’s the next general‑purpose technology, the kind that reshapes everything it touches.

Some people hear that and feel threatened. Others hear it and feel energized. I’ve lived long enough to know which group ends up happier.

The world is flattening again — not in the Thomas Friedman sense of globalization, but in the sense that access to intelligence, tools, and capability is becoming universal.

A kid in Wichita Falls can build something today that would have required a research lab 20 years ago. A retiree can launch a business from a kitchen table. A small nonprofit can analyze data like a Fortune 500 company.

AI doesn’t eliminate human potential; it amplifies it.

The real question is: Where will we be when the dust settles? Will we be the ones who dug in our heels, insisting the old ways were good enough? Or will we be the ones who leaned forward, embraced the future, and found joy in the learning?

Welcome the future. Let curiosity pull you forward. Let change stretch you. Let the next wave of innovation be something you ride, not something you brace against.

These decisions are in front of many communities — including Wichita Falls. I urge our City Council to embrace the AI opportunity. The increase in our tax base will improve the quality of life for every citizen.

Industries deal with their challenges and risks to better optimize costs. Closed‑loop cooling significantly reduces water requirements, as the system is filled once, then maintains the environment for AI computing needs.

Electric demand stimulates new creativity. Small Modular Reactors are an emerging source, with Texas focusing on this new power option. Texas A&M‑RELLIS is hosting several SMR suppliers as they come to market. Other universities are also players in SMRs.

By the way, RELLIS stands for A&M’s core values of respect, excellence, leadership, loyalty, integrity and selfless service.

In any case, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, is establishing protocols that allow rapid growth to be managed without undue burden on ratepayers while ensuring electricity continues to support the Texas miracle.

The future isn’t waiting for us to feel ready. It’s already here. And it’s offering us a chance — once again — to move up and to the right, increasing good for all in our life’s timeline.

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology executive who believes in the power of connection and service.

P.S. The rest of the story,

Additional comments beyond what was included in Wichita Falls Times Record News article

While some may say we have about a dozen data center in planning so why do we need another. We don’t have any data centers currently under construction. A site decision with available land, electricity, high bandwidth network connectivity and water for start up requirements.

Timeline to construction has many more steps before a tenant, e.g. Microsoft, Google, OpenAI or another AI company commits to fund the facility. Till ground breaking this is just an opportunity and a place that could develop as a data center.

Electricity needs

ERCOT’s planning process is in redefinition due to number of large load connections soaring for 50 on planning backlog to over 250 data centers requests as of November 2025.1

ERCOT Large Load Integration Program Optimization2
Additionally, ERCOT has contracted with McKinsey and Company to assist with improvement of the Large Load Interconnection process originally developed in 2022, which now has more than 225 gigawatts (GW) of Large Loads going through the process. ERCOT and McKinsey will work with Large Load customers, including data centers, utilities, and other stakeholders to develop a framework expected to identify short- and mid-term solutions to interconnection queue issues in early 2026 — with a goal of providing a streamlined, transparent, and consistent interconnection process for reliably connecting Large Loads later in the year.

“As we work to address current and future Large Loads connecting to the ERCOT grid, we want to provide the best solution to serve this growing area while also protecting the reliability of the grid,” said Woody Rickerson, ERCOT Sr. VP and COO. “McKinsey’s experience in complex program management will help facilitate this important work.”

Water needs

Data centers in planning will use closed loop water cooling. A 1-million-square-foot data center utilizing a true, non-evaporative closed-loop cooling system (such as air-cooled chillers or direct-to-chip liquid cooling) requires minimal water for operations compared to traditional evaporative systems. The water demand is concentrated during the initial setup, with negligible consumption thereafter.

• Start-up (Initial Fill): Requires a one-time fill of the entire cooling infrastructure. For a facility of this scale, this can range from hundreds of thousands to over 1 million gallons to fill pipes, chillers, and heat exchangers.

• Ongoing Operations: Near-zero, with water needed only for system “topping off” due to minor leaks or maintenance, or for non-cooling uses like humidification, bathrooms, and cleaning.

By the way 100 average homes in Wichita Falls would use approximately4.8 million gallons of water annually, based on data indicating that average Wichita Falls residents use approximately 48,000 gallons of water per year. This estimate is based on lower-than-average usage rates compared to other Texas cities, according to a2016 report from News Channel 6 | Wichita Falls, TX.

source: https://share.google/aimode/eOHvE2bCxmUeCZzsQ

There’s a moment every parent and grandparent recognizes when the wide‑eyed wonder of childhood begins to mature into something deeper. My grandchildren are stepping into those pre‑teen and teen years now, and I see the transformation happening.

Their questions change. “Why is the stove hot?” becomes “Where does the energy come from?” and eventually “How does everything connect?” Those questions aren’t simply about heat or electricity. They’re about systems, relationships, and the invisible threads that hold our world together.

Watching them learn reminds me that curiosity is the first step toward wisdom. It’s also a reminder that adults are still learning, still questioning, still trying to make sense of a world that seems to grow more complex by the day.

Every generation believes the world has become more complicated than the one before it. Maybe that’s true. But complexity isn’t something to fear. It’s an invitation to pay attention.

My oldest son started a new job last week as a sales executive at a tech company, leading a team scattered across different time zones, cultures, and backgrounds. The range of skills required to lead effectively today had me reflecting on how much the workplace has changed since I first walked into it—and how much it hasn’t.

Technology is evolving at a pace that feels almost impossible to keep up with. Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, workflows, and expectations faster than most of us can process. Yet the core of every job still comes down to people. Tools change. Human nature doesn’t.

That’s why communities endure even as technology accelerates. We’re wired for connection, not constant optimization.

And yet we live in a culture that celebrates multitasking as if it’s a badge of honor. Research shows that switching rapidly between tasks can drop our effective IQ to that of an eight‑year‑old. We lose clarity. We lose presence. We lose the ability to think deeply. In trying to do everything, we end up doing nothing well.

The modern workplace demands something different—not more speed, but more awareness. Not more noise, but more discernment.

The challenge today isn’t just being smart. It’s having the common sense, resilience, and emotional intelligence to survive, thrive, and endure in a world that rarely slows down.

One concept I’ve been exploring lately is neurodiversity as I coach an master’s degree in business administration student through his Organizational Behavior course. It’s not a trend. It’s not a label. It’s a reality. Neurodivergent simply means having a brain that diverges from typical neurological patterns.

It encompasses a wide range of conditions and traits that influence how individuals process information, communicate, learn, and interact with the world. Neurodivergence exists on a spectrum, and there is no single correct way for a brain to function. Rather than viewing these differences as deficits, the neurodiversity movement recognizes them as natural variations in human neurology.

Neurodivergent people may experience the world differently through their senses — sights, sounds, lights, textures, and smells. Their social communication may differ, including how they interpret non‑verbal cues or sarcasm, as is often the case with autism. They may struggle to stay focused on tasks that feel uninteresting or repetitive, a common experience for people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Others may learn differently or process written language in unique ways, as with dyslexia. These examples only scratch the surface of the broad range of neurodivergent experiences.

Roughly half of Gen Z identifies with some form of neurodivergent traits. With more than 70 million people, Gen Z is becoming the largest generation in the United States. That means today’s workforce entrants think differently, process differently, communicate differently, and contribute differently than the generations before them.

If half of an entire generation experiences the world through a different cognitive lens, then the systems we build — from classrooms to boardrooms — need to evolve.

Neurodiversity isn’t a challenge to be managed. It’s a strength to be understood. When people are allowed to work in ways that align with how their brains function, creativity expands. Problem solving improves. Teams become more dynamic. The workplace becomes more human.

The Marines have a saying: improvise, adapt, overcome. The world isn’t slowing down. The questions our kids and grandkids are asking aren’t getting easier. But we can choose how we respond. We can choose curiosity, flexibility, and humanity.

And that brings to an old Chinese proverb, often described as either a blessing or a curse: “May you live in interesting times.”

Interesting times aren’t something to fear. They’re something to engage with.

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology executive who believes in the power of connection and service.

Jack Browne, Wichita Falls Times Record News edition, Sunday February 1, 2026

People live in communities and we debate the priority of self, community, country and God. Usually, our prioritization is an accommodation of our wants starting us done a slippery slope of ethics and character.

Time is fleeting goes the saying with all equally having 24 hours in the day. How we use our time and live our life is the essence of our purpose.

Steve Jobs noted, “As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know it when you find it.”

Our social media leads with advertising to create wants, and audacious influencer posts to create followers. Many fall under the spell of needing more — more likes, more stuff, more casual connections.

Age teaches one the power of endurance for its not the start of the journey but the effort and scenery along the trip. For all of us the destination is the end with many having hopes of a life beyond death.

Yet how do we live our lives?

With a global population exceeding 8 billion, 85% of the world lives on less than $32 per day according to Gapminder, while10% of the world exists on about $2 per day and another 50% living on between $2 and $8 per day.

In the US life is totally different.

According to Statista, 45% have an annual 2024 income less than 75,000 with 16% enjoying an income greater than $200,000.

We covet new cars, big houses, latest smartphone and steaming media showing us we need even more.

I used to motivate my sales team asking spouses if they needed a new car, new pool or new home. We covet what others have, thinking if I only had that, then my life would be perfect.

Peace and serenity come from gratitude that yield satisfaction.

What is the satisfaction of seeing a child smile as they learn to tie their shoe or read a book on their own.

What is the satisfaction of solving another’s problem, a wheelchair ramp easing entry to and from their home, food for their table and teaching folks how to do things they long to learn.

Final words for your consideration follow.

Financier J.P. Morgan said, “A man always has two reasons for doing anything; a good reason and the real reason.”

Jack Krasula, autograph collector received this reply as he asked for Pope Francis autograph and philosophy of life, “At whatever level He calls me to serve him my aim is to reach out in Community with love to those in our society who are weakest and in need.”

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology executive who believes in the power of connection and service.

In uncertain moments, courage rarely announces itself.

It doesn’t arrive as a speech, a slogan, or a moment meant for sharing. More often, it shows up quietly, as people choosing to stay engaged when stepping back would be easier. I was reminded of that recently through a series of community moments that, taken together, point toward hope and renewal at a time when both can feel harder to reach.

The theme of this year’s 37^th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer and Scholarship Breakfast was “courage in crisis.” That phrase fits where many of us find ourselves today. Change is constant. Certainty is scarce. People are tired, cautious, and wondering whether effort still matters. And yet, the tone in the room wasn’t anger or nostalgia. It was resolve.

Dr. King understood that progress rarely comes without resistance, and that courage isn’t just the absence of fear. It’s the decision to move forward anyway. That idea echoed throughout the program. We were reminded that injustice is sustained not only by active opposition, but by disengagement. Silence has consequences. Showing up matters, especially when outcomes aren’t guaranteed.

Delivering the opening remarks at this year’s event, Emmanuel Cruz Reyes, a sophomore at Legacy High School, reflected on King’s challenge to confront the injustice of hatred and fear, urging each of us to find our voice and speak out.

Reyes grounded his message in one of King’s most enduring reminders of perseverance: “If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but by all means, keep moving.”

Dr. K. Shelette Stewart gave the keynote sharing timely interpretations of Dr. King’s messages that speak to the specifics of what our community and nation can do to continue to progress.

Dr Stewart authored the book “Revelations in Business,” blending faith with corporate strategy. Recalling a question asked of Helen Keller, “Is there anything worse than blindness?” Keller’s answer, “It’s terrible to have sight but no vision.”

One message landed clearly with the 385 attendees: movement matters. Not fast movement. Not flawless movement. Just movement. Progress doesn’t require perfection; it requires persistence.

That perspective resonated, particularly with younger people navigating a world full of noise and pressure to perform before they’re allowed to participate. Hearing that their role isn’t to have all the answers, but to keep moving, was grounding.

Twenty-five deserving students received over $37,000 of scholarships. From the $1,000 first awarded in 1998, over $271,000 of scholarships have been awarded.

Students can apply for multiple scholarships on the Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation website https://www.wfacf.org/apply-for-a-scholarship/ before the February 1^st deadline

Courage appeared beyond the breakfast as well, in ways that didn’t draw attention. It showed up in a decision to support a small convenience store on the Eastside.

For many of us, access to basics like fuel barely registers. But in neighborhoods with limited options, losing a single resource has real consequences. Supporting that store wasn’t just about financing. It was about continuity and dignity.

The TIF #3 board met Jan 15^th and made their first funding decision. Few options exist on the Eastside for gasoline fill-ups. Zoom Zoom #5 convenience store had worked with city planners for several months, and their request to replace failed fuel pumps was approved as a loan.

It also showed up at the North Texas Food Pantry, where volunteers quietly serve families week after week. No banners or headlines, just steady effort.

Most volunteers are retirees and long‑time residents who believe service is part of responsibility. The challenge is that many are aging out, and without new volunteers, an essential layer of support for over 2,000 recipients cannot continue.

Come Monday, Tuesday, Thursday mornings and volunteer — email jack@newcollarcoach.com to keep this community service going.

These moments share one common thread: engagement. Communities don’t grow stronger because conditions are ideal. They grow stronger because people stay involved when conditions are hard.

Courage, in this sense, is practical. It’s attending the meeting, filling out the paperwork, stocking shelves, mentoring students, and answering the phone instead of scrolling past the problem.

Hope and renewal rarely arrive all at once. They’re built through accumulated decisions that prioritize people over convenience and long‑term impact over short‑term ease. Scholarships awarded to students are more than financial help. They signal belief—belief that potential exists everywhere and that the future isn’t fixed.

As we move forward, the choice before us is clear. We can step back and lower expectations, or we can lean in, accepting that uncertainty isn’t a signal to stop, but an invitation to lead differently. Not louder. Not faster. Just steadier.

As the proverb reminds us, “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second-best time is now.”

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology executive who believes in the power of connection and service.

Six years ago, the world changed in ways we never imagined. COVID-19 swept across the globe, and overnight, the rhythms of life we took for granted were gone.

We masked up, stayed home, trading handshakes and hugs for Zoom calls wearing dress shirts and pajama bottoms.

What started as a temporary adjustment became a permanent shift. By May 2023, when the World Health Organization declared the public health emergency over, the old normal had vanished. In its place stood a new reality — one that still feels unsettled for many of us.

Generations adapted differently. Millennials and Gen X stepped into leadership roles, steering businesses and institutions through uncertainty. Gen Y entered a world where remote work and virtual learning were the default.

Gen Z, raised in the shadow of the pandemic, redefined education as screens replaced classrooms. Gen Alpha now enters classrooms as groups fragmented by conforming ideas.

And all of us, regardless of age, learned that the way we connect, collaborate, and even disagree had changed forever.

Before COVID, conversations across differences were common. We could sit down, share ideas, and walk away with respect intact.

Today, social media often sorts us into echo chambers, clustering us with people who think like we do.

The result? Tolerance for opposing views is fading.

Stop expecting others to meet you where you are. They may not be capable of it. Waiting for a return to pre-COVID comfort zones is a losing game as that world isn’t coming back.

If we want to move forward, we need to adjust — not just for ourselves, but for the generations coming behind us.

Our economy tells the story clearly. It’s K-shaped: those with plenty are doing well, while those without struggle daily. The safety net that keeps society strong isn’t built by policy alone; it’s woven through engagement and through people choosing to make a difference in lives that lack economic security, health, or the social connections most of us take for granted.

The challenge is personal. It starts with setting the tone for your own day. Instead of letting old expectations define your feelings, choose to focus on what you can do now.

Disappointment thrives when we measure today against what we lost. Hope grows when we measure today against what we can build.

Those who will thrive in this era aren’t clinging to the past — they’re changing their expectations and broadening their perspective on what others can and will offer.

Change your mindset so you can be part of making life better for others. Because here’s the truth: the pace of change isn’t slowing down.

If anything, it’s accelerating. Artificial intelligence is already reshaping industries, jobs, and even the way we define value.

The metrics we’ve relied on for decades — success, stability, predictability — are eroding. There’s no universal new normal waiting for us. Everyone’s normal is different now.

That can feel unsettling — even overwhelming. But it can also be liberating.

When there’s no single standard, we’re free to create our own. Peace, happiness, satisfaction — they’re fleeting today, but they’re not gone.

They’re just harder to find if we’re looking in yesterday’s places. The future belongs to those willing to adapt, to engage, and to keep moving forward even when the ground feels shaky.

So let go of the idea that we’re going back. We’re not. And that’s okay.

Because what’s ahead isn’t just challenge — it’s opportunity. Opportunity to redefine connection, to rebuild trust, and to create a society that works better for more people. It starts with us, one choice at a time.

Every conversation, every act of kindness, every willingness to listen matters. These small steps add up to big change. And while the pace of change can feel relentless, it’s also a reminder that progress is possible. We are not powerless in this moment; we are participants in shaping what comes next.

The question isn’t whether change will happen. It’s whether we’ll meet it with resistance or resilience. Resilience means learning, adapting, and finding meaning even when the path ahead is unclear. Build bridges instead of walls, seek common ground instead of retreating into silos.

Remember the strength of a community isn’t measured by uniformity, but by its ability to hold differences together without breaking.

As the old proverb says: “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” The waters may be rough, but they’re teaching us how to navigate. And that skill will carry us farther than calm ever could.

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology executive who believes in the power of connection and service.

Jack Browne, Wichita Falls Times Record News edition, Sunday January 11, 2026

Every January, we’re flooded with talk of resolutions — grand plans to eat better, exercise more, learn new skills, or finally tackle that big career move. But here’s the truth: writing down a resolution isn’t enough.

Hope is not a strategy. If we want real change, we need more than good intentions — we need a plan, discipline, and accountability.

Most resolutions fail because they’re built on wishful thinking. It’s like buying a lottery ticket and expecting financial freedom. The desire is there, but the roadmap is missing. Success doesn’t come from hope alone; it comes from consistent action.

Think about it: when you set a resolution, you’re essentially saying, “I want to be better.” That’s a great start, but without structure, life’s distractions will pull you off course. The key is to turn those hopes into habits — and habits require time, focus, and repetition.

One approach that works: break your year into 90-day segments. Why 90 days? It’s long enough to make meaningful progress but short enough to stay motivated. A 90-day plan gives you a clear timeline for action and helps you build momentum.

Here’s how it works:

• Set SMART goals for the next 90 days. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.

• Avoid vague resolutions like get healthy. Instead, define measurable actions: Walk 30 minutes five times a week or complete one online course in using AI this month.

• Refresh your plan every quarter. Life changes, and so should your goals. Resetting every 90 days keeps your strategy relevant and your motivation high.

• Track your progress. Whether it’s a journal, an app, or a simple checklist, monitoring your actions reinforces accountability.

Think holistically; you are a sum of the parts.

Resolutions often fail because we focus on one area—like fitness—while ignoring others that impact success. A holistic approach works better. Consider these four quadrants:

1. House, home, and community: Your environment matters. A cluttered space can drain energy and focus. Having a safe and secure home, makes it easier to focus on the important goals you desire. Making a difference in the community is exhilarating and satisfying.

2. Friends and Family: Relationships provide support and accountability. Surround yourself with people who encourage growth. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Consider which relationships help you stay on plan to achieve your plans.

3. Work and Study: Career and learning goals keep you moving forward professionally while stimulating other life interests. Don’t forget to give back, teach or mentor another.

4. Health and Wellbeing: Physical and mental health fuel everything else. Healthy habits keep your stamina up while easing stress.

When you grow in all four areas, you create balance — and balance sustains progress.

Mentorship and accountability are powerful and necessary for success.

Even the best plan can falter without accountability. That’s where mentors, coaches, and supportive peers come in. They help you stay honest when you’re tempted to slack off. A quick check-in can prevent one missed day from turning into a week — or a month — of lost progress.

Programs like Café con Leche’s Road to College in Wichita Falls understand this well. They ask students three simple but powerful questions:

• Who are we?

• Where are we going?

• How are we getting there?

The answers — Road to College, to College, together — remind students that success is a shared journey. Mentorship, family support, and community make the difference between dreaming and doing. Since 2013, this program has helped hundreds of first-generation students prepare for and graduate from college. Today, it serves 220 families, proving that structured support works.

Dream. Plan. Work the Plan.

Resolutions aren’t magic — they’re commitments.

A Japanese proverb says, “Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.”

The sweet spot is having both: a clear vision and a disciplined plan.

So, as you look at your resolutions:

• Do you have a dream?

• Do you have a plan?

• Are you working that plan?

If not, start today. Break your goals into 90-day chunks. Focus on all areas of life. Find a mentor or accountability partner. And remember constant learning is essential because the world doesn’t stand still — and neither should you.

Be who you can be. Our community needs you.

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology executive who believes in the power of connection and service.

Correction to last weeks’ column — The TIF #3 board meeting is this week: 5:30–7:30 p.m. Thursday January 15 at the Martin Luther King Center, 1100 Smith Street. Come make a difference, participate in our community.

This issue is marks my third anniversary of writing this column. Ongoing reader feedback keeps me fueled looking forward to a new topic every week. Let me know what you think — and what you need!!

Oscar Wilde wrote about the impossibility of returning to the past in “You Can’t Go Home Again,” published posthumously in 1940. Influenced by the turbulence of the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and the rise of Nazi Germany, Wilde captured a universal truth: time changes everything.

His character Webber realized that nothing stays the same — family, places, or dreams. That truth resonates today. Holiday visits remind us how much has shifted since childhood. The streets we knew, the homes we loved, even the rhythms of life — they evolve.

Here in Wichita Falls, that reality hit hard on June 30, 2007, when the Wichita River flooded to a record 24 feet, its highest level since 1941. Entire neighborhoods — East Side, Tanglewood, Wrangler’s Retreat, Horseshoe Bend Estates — were devastated. Between 167 and 600 homes were damaged, many beyond repair.

The city responded with resilience. Federal Emergency Management Agency grants purchased and demolished roughly 100 homes in the floodplain with restrictions ensuring no new construction would occur on those parcels in the 100-year floodplain.

In 2009, city leaders created Tax Increment Finance (TIF) Revitalization Zone #3 to breathe life back into areas scarred by the flood. This zone, set to sunset in 2029, channels incremental tax revenue into infrastructure and community development.

As of early 2025, TIF #3 has accumulated funds exceeding $1.5 million due to increases in city and county property tax receipts since 2009 that are set aside for reinvestment.

The board — led by Chair Kenneth Haney includes Ray Dixon, Sandra Gross, Wichita Falls councilors Robert Brooks and Tom Taylor, and Wichita County Commissioners Mark Beauchamp and Barry Mahler — recommends how funds are allocated: 40% for private projects, 40% for public projects, and 20% for community-driven discretionary investments.

State law sets boundaries and rules, but there is flexibility — and a real opportunity for residents to shape what comes next. Recommendations from the TIF #3 board will be finalized by the Wichita Falls City Council and Wichita County Commissioners Court.

Ideas in discussion include demolition assistance to remove hazardous structures, as well as acquiring vacant parcels — many small lots — combining them into larger parcels that offer commercial opportunities. With the city undertaking these tasks, the results are more attractive for further investment in new properties that attract businesses and residents to the East Side.

Processes are in place for residents and developers to engage in renew actions with some funding available from TIF #3 funds. City planning staff has details and works with applicants who meet requirements — such as current on property taxes — to make dreams reality.

Additional discussions at the December TIF No. 3 meeting included engaging with Falls Forward in economic development discussions. Several good-sized commercial parcels are nearby the business park with an ample sewer, water and electrical supply available. These are good alternatives for new business investments as the city owned business park has filled existing developed parcels.

More information is available on the city web sites with TIF No. 3 info at https://www.wichitafallstx.gov/DocumentCenter/View/22394/TIF3?bidId=.

For agenda’s on January meetings, check the city agenda and minutes web site: https://www.wichitafallstx.gov/1542/Agendas-and-Minutes.

Correction: The next TIF No. 3 meeting is 5:30–7:30 p.m. Thursday January 15 at the Martin Luther King Center, 1100 Smith Street. If you care about the future of the East Side, show up. Your voice matters.

Community engagement doesn’t stop there. On January 17, the 37th annual Martin Luther King Scholarship and Prayer Breakfast will be held at the Ray Kclymer Exhibit Hall at the Pulti-Purposew Events Center, 1000 5th Street. Serving line opens at 7 a.m. Dr. K. Schlett Stuart — associate director of executive education at SMU’s Cox School of Business — will speak on leadership and service. Scholarship awards to local students will follow, with some sharing their thoughts as well.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for children. Contact MLK Center coordinator Michael Davis at 940-761-7980.

Why attend both events? Because paying it forward means investing in people and places.

Wilde was right — you can’t go back to the old forms and systems. But you can help create what’s next. Wichita Falls has weathered storms before. Now, with vision and collaboration, we can turn vacant lots into vibrant spaces and dreams into reality while honoring leaders and awarding scholarships to the next generation.

This is what community looks like — neighbors showing up, voices being heard, and plans taking shape. It’s about more than rebuilding; it’s about reimagining. When we invest in infrastructure, we invest in opportunity. When we support scholarships, we invest in hope.

Opportunity and hope create better, more vibrant futures for our residents.

Join us. Let’s honor the past by building a future worth coming home to.

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology executive who believes in the power of connection and service.

Relationships matter. They always have — and they always will. In my career selling technology, success didn’t come from the latest product spec or the slickest demo. It came from relationships. People trusted me because I invested in them. They expected value, and I delivered.

I’ll never forget what Steve Jobs once said to me: “My money doesn’t break. I don’t expect your products to break either.”

That wasn’t just about hardware. It was about trust. When you give your word, when you give your best effort, people expect you to stand behind it.

As we gather with family and friends during the holidays, we’re reminded of something simple but powerful: we give, and we get. But here’s the catch — too many people keep score. They weigh the give against the get, ready to walk away if the math doesn’t add up.

Smart people don’t play that game. They invest in others without expecting an immediate return. They give because someone else needs the gift — whether it’s money, ideas, or mentoring.

And wise people take it a step further: they encourage recipients to “pay it forward.” That’s how one act of generosity multiplies to ten, a hundred, and a thousand people.

But it all starts with two things: respect and character.

Respect isn’t just about how you treat the person in front of you. It’s about how you treat people when others are watching — and when they’re not. I recently had a customer come into my store talking on speakerphone. She argued loudly, using language that would have made my mother reach for the soap. I decided right then: this isn’t what other customers deserve. Respect matters, even in small moments.

Character is what you do when no one’s looking.

Character is revealed in the quiet choices. Do you keep the money that falls from someone’s pocket — or return it? As I became a leader at Motorola, I saw how character shapes culture. The company built its values around dignity and respect. Every person mattered. Every job mattered. That’s what made the team strong.

Today’s best companies follow the same principle. They don’t treat employees like cogs in a machine. They treat them like partners. Nonprofits do this too — respecting clients, employees, volunteers, and donors alike. Families thrive on these ideals as well. After all, who wants to spend Christmas with Scrooge?

Make a difference—one person at a time.

Not everyone enjoys these kinds of relationships. Some people feel invisible. We pass them every day without noticing. This season, I challenge you to make a difference — one person at a time. Start small. Offer a smile. Ask, “How are you?” And then listen. Really listen.

If you want to go further, look around your community. There are countless organizations doing incredible work: Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Clubs, Camp Fire, Café con Leche Road to College, Faith Mission, Grace Ministries, Interfaith Outreach Services, Kiwanis, Lions Club, Optimist Club, Rotary, Salvation Army, Scouting. Food banks and pantries help families who don’t have enough to eat. Churches reach beyond their walls to change lives.

You don’t need a big budget or a big title to make an impact. You just need a willingness to share what you have. Think in terms of the four Ts:

• Time – Volunteer an hour. It matters.

• Talent – Use your skills to help someone grow.

• Treasure – Give what you can. Even small gifts add up.

• Testimony – Share your story. It might inspire someone else.

Pay it forward, by inviting your holiday guests from out of town to join you in a gift to another by serving a meal at a mission or delivering meals. Plant the seeds with your children and grandchildren to change the future.

Joy is in the giving—even more than the getting. So, this Christmas season, think about your community. Can you make life better for someone else? Can you give without keeping score?

Make your mother proud. Make a difference.

P.S. buy tickets for your family to the January 31 70^th annual Pancake Festival at tickets.universitykiwaniswf.orgwebsite.

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology executive who believes in the power of connection and service.

Four thousand days ago, my wife and I drove into Wichita Falls, moving back to Texas after 14 years in California.

After decades in technology sales and traveling the world, I’d met tens of thousands of people —over 500 of them became true friends, the kind who connect families and share life’s highs and lows.

Starting over in a new city taught me something important: relationships don’t happen by accident. When we arrived, I set a goal to meet five new people every day. In retirement, I’ve scaled that back to two, but the principle remains. Working part-time in retail makes it easy, and every conversation reminds me how much human connection matters.

Earlier this month, I turned 71. My phone lit up with more than 100 birthday messages from friends near and far. It was humbling—and a little bittersweet. Over the past few years, I’ve kept a list of friends who’ve passed away. That list now tops 100 names, each representing someone who shaped who I am.

Life is precious. Friends even more so.

One customer recently shared an analogy that stuck with me: “Money is like friends”.

She continued, saying, “Think about the different values of coins and bills. A hundred-dollar bill? That’s a friend you treasure and hold close. Twenty-dollar bills? Important and useful, but not life-defining. Most people we meet are like ones and fives—passing through our lives briefly, leaving small but meaningful impressions.”

This season, I find myself reflecting on those relationships—past, present, and future.

Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol“ reminds us that life’s true legacy isn’t what we accumulate, but what we give.

That’s why I’ve decided to honor the memory of friends who’ve passed by doing more for others. It’s a simple way to say thank you for the impact they had on me.

Here’s the truth: most of us rush through life focused on our own needs. Meanwhile, people around us struggle—sometimes because of circumstances, sometimes because of choices.

What if we widened our view? What if we looked for small ways to help? Those actions can change lives.

I’ve seen it firsthand. I volunteer at Faith Mission when I can. A few months ago, I served lunch to a man in recovery. Later, I ran into him at work—he was on his way to his wedding. Last week, I saw him again. He’s excited for Christmas because he’ll see his three kids for the first time in ten years. He’s figuring out how to get them bicycles. That’s what hope looks like.

Others in our community give their time and talent to help students become the first in their families to attend college. Reviewing a scholarship application takes less than an hour—but it can open doors for generations.

Food banks need volunteers too. Donated groceries help families weather tough times, especially now when the economy feels windchilled for so many.

Some people are just one obstacle away from a good job—whether it’s transportation, childcare, or health. That’s why I’m proud to live in “the city that faith built.” Here, people show up for each other. And you can too.

Your time, treasure, talent, and testimony matter. Helping one person—even once—can change their day. With 150,000 people in our area, imagine the impact if each of us did something small. Volunteer. Mentor. Donate. Engage where you can, when you can. It all adds up.

As Tiny Tim says in the final line of “A Christmas Carol”: “God bless us, every one.”

May your holidays be filled with gratitude for friends—past, present, and future. And may you find joy in giving back.

To Tom, Pat, Paul, Blaine, my brother Charles and so many others—happy heavenly birthdays. Thank you for the gifts you shared with me in life.

PS, my son points out that Bob Cratchit’s pay of 15 shillings per week for a 60 hour workweek in 1843, translates to roughly $12 to $15 per hour in 2025!

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology executive who believes in the power of connection and service.

When was the last time you thought about donating blood? Yesterday I donated a double unit of red blood cells at OBI Wichita Falls.

I can make three such donations a year –– once every four months as my red blood cells replenish.

One benefit of the power red donation is that the red blood cells can be used in three to seven days, as no separation of blood componets is performed. There are several ways to donate: whole blood, plasma, platelets or a power red donation of two units of red blood cells.

Why should you donate? Many premature infants require up to four transfusions of blood to survive, while mothers are at risk of needing blood during or after childbirth. Burn and accident victimes or others suffering massive blood loss can require 50 or more units of red blood cells. People living with anemia and blood disease need ongoing transfusion to survive.

Annually over ten million units of red blood cells are transfused every year in the U.S. Donated red blood cells expire after 42 days and supplies must be continuously replenished.

From the moment I walked in, I could tell the staff at OBI Wichita Falls were more than just coworkers—they were a team. They greeted me warmly, explained every step of the process, and made sure I was comfortable throughout.

Their professionalism and camaraderie reminded me that donating blood isn’t just a transaction. It’s a human connection that saves lives.

Here are the facts. The average adult has about 10 to 12 pints of blood circulating in their body. When you donate, you give just one pint—less than 10% of your total supply.

And your body recovers quickly. Plasma, the liquid portion of your blood, is replaced within 24 hours, and red blood cells replenish in a few weeks. In other words, you’ll feel normal almost immediately, and your body will quietly restore what you gave without missing a beat.

That’s a small sacrifice for something that could mean life or death for someone else. Unfortunately, the need for blood far outpaces supply.

Across the country, blood banks are reporting critical shortages, and OBI Wichita Falls is no exception. Seasonal factors, fewer donation drives, and increased medical procedures all contribute to the gap.

Hospitals rely on a steady flow of donations for surgeries, trauma care, cancer treatments, and chronic illnesses. When that flow slows down, the consequences ripple through the entire healthcare system.

Behind every statistic is a person waiting. Imagine a cancer patient whose chemotherapy is delayed because there isn’t enough blood for transfusions. Or a trauma victim whose survival depends on immediate access to blood products. These aren’t hypothetical scenarios—they happen every day.

When blood is scarce, doctors are forced to make difficult decisions, and patients experience anxiety, pain, and sometimes worse outcomes. The shortage isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a crisis that affects real lives in real time.

Your donation matters more than ever. My experience at OBI Wichita Falls reminds me that donating blood is one of the most direct ways to help others.

It doesn’t require wealth, special skills, or hours of your time—just a willingness to give. The staff makes the process smooth and even enjoyable, and the impact is immediate.

One pint can save up to three lives. Think about that: in less than a couple of hours, you can change the someone’s future. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment, this is it.

The need is urgent, the process is simple, and the reward is immeasurable. Visit OBI Wichita Falls, roll up your sleeve, and join a team of everyday heroes. You’ll walk out feeling good—and someone else will get the chance to keep living because of you.

Ready to make a difference? Our Blood Institute Wichita Falls at 3709 Gregory Street, Wichita Falls, 76308 is open Tuesday-Thursday 8:30am to 6pm, Friday 8:30am to 5pm and Sunday from 8am to 12 pm. Schedule an appointment at OBI Wichita Falls by phone, 940-689-2400.

I was in and out in less than two hours and got a cool shirt and lots of snacks. What gift will you give others for Christmas. There is a critical shortage of O- blood as well as immediate needs for all types of blood.

Don’t wait for someone else to step up. Be the reason someone gets a second chance. Donate blood today.

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology engineer, sales and marketing executive at Motorola and other top tech companies.

The numbers don’t lie. In 1948, more than a quarter of those over 65 worked, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on May 29.

By 1985, that figure had dropped to just 10.8%. For decades, the assumption was clear: retirement meant stepping away from work entirely. But the tide has turned. Today, older Americans are the fastest-growing segment of the workforce, with 23.4% of them working as longevity rises and fertility rates fall.

This shift isn’t just about statistics—it’s about people. It’s about grandparents who still want to contribute, seasoned professionals who aren’t ready to hang up their skills, and retirees who return because they miss the rhythm of work or need the paycheck.

The workforce is aging, and employers who ignore this reality risk missing out on one of the most reliable, resilient, and experienced talent pools available.

Today’s U.S. workforce totals 168.1 million with 11.6 million older than 65. The population over age 65 has grown 457% since 1948 far exceeding the growth of other age demographics.

Older workers often shift toward part-time roles, but their impact is anything but partial. They bring experience, reliability, and institutional knowledge—qualities that can’t be taught in a training manual.

The Society of Human Resource Management, reminds employers to embrace this demographic as older workers can fill skills gaps.

Three challenges noted in the Sept. 25 Workday’s 2025 Global Workforce Report, should make every leader pause:

· Top talent is leaving for growth opportunities.

· Career ladders are disappearing, leaving employees stuck.

· Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategies are creating anxiety instead of confidence.

Add to that the staggering turnover rates—64% in retail, 28% in healthcare, 14% in professional services—and the picture becomes clear. Recruiting is harder than ever.

More than half of jobs take over 30 days to fill, and one in four takes more than 60.

So, what’s the solution? It’s not complicated, but it does require commitment. Employers must focus on retention, development, and transparency.

For non-profits, these same principles are at play for volunteers that are key to your mission.

Take care of those you have. Recruiting is expensive. Losing talent is even more costly.

Show how every role contributes. People want to know their work matters.

Walk the talk. Leaders who do the least attractive jobs with enthusiasm prove their words matter.

Think about Buc-ee’s. They pay restroom staff 10% more than entry retail workers. Customers notice. They return. That’s retention in action.

I returned to work in retail myself. Inflation since 2020 has eroded purchasing power, but rejoining the workforce restored mine—and gave me purpose.

Many others do the same, whether by choice or necessity. Some return because they miss the camaraderie. Others because they need the paycheck. Whatever the reason, their presence strengthens the workforce.

The lesson is simple for leaders: share the plan, expect results, and manage for success.

Paying it forward means investing in people. When leaders nurture talent, honor contributions, and model commitment, they build organizations that endure.

Numbers and reports matter, but people matter more. Employers often forget that behind every statistic is a story. The young worker who quits after a week may be struggling with childcare. The retiree who returns may be seeking connection as much as income. The mid-career professional who leaves for growth may simply want to feel valued.

Retention isn’t just about paychecks. It’s about culture. It’s about leaders who show up, who listen, who demonstrate that every job matters. It’s about creating workplaces where people want to stay, grow, and contribute.

Here’s the challenge: look at your workforce today. Who’s walking out the door? Who’s quietly disengaging? Who’s waiting for you to notice their contribution?

The workforce is changing. Older workers are here to stay. Younger workers bring energy but need guidance. Employers face turnover, recruiting challenges, and shifting career paths. The solution isn’t found in a spreadsheet—it’s found in leadership.

When the till is right, businesses thrive. And when leaders pay it forward, they don’t just build stronger companies—they build stronger communities.

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology engineer, sales and marketing executive at Motorola and other top tech companies.

I hope you and yours enjoyed your Thanksgiving together with great food while creating lasting memories for young and old.

Gathering over food brings us together. Sharing stories strengthens relationships. Humans are social animals, functioning best as part of a community.

Communities thrive together or fail together.

Locally our region is doing well, leveraging a strong economic engine at Sheppard Air Force Base, blessed with great medical care from birth to death by many entities ranging from United Regional to Hospice.

Our children have excellent educational opportunities from local public, private, and religious affiliated schools with Midwestern State University and Vernon College offering post-secondary education skills to build the valuable employees needed by local businesses.

Our tax base is growing. State coffers offer funds to finance needs like water, education and medical care by leveraging our resources and business successes to ease the individual tax burdens for these services.

Today economic engines of the world are changing as the productivity of Artificial Intelligence (AI) drives companies to reduce staff. Some are driven by understand and planning. Others like lemmings, are cutting staff to satisfy investors.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” wrote Charles Dickens, in “A Tale of Two Cities” published in 1859 in London.

While writing of Parisian’s experiences during the French Revolution from 1789-1799, his writing equally applied to society’s experiences during the Industrial Revolution of 1760 to 1840.

The French Revolution came about as the gap between aristocrat and commoner grew to the point where 90% of French citizens faced food shortages under King Louis XVI. His Queen, Marie Antionette infamously said, “Let them eat cake.”

Today’s employment picture has more people looking for work than the number of opportunities. Entry level jobs are limited as AI fills many roles that provided the foundational experiences for career growth.

Let’s revisit Dickens, reviewing the entire first sentence and paragraph of his classic:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

In our community, similar paradox exists with the gap between the haves and have-nots growing. Thanksgiving opens the year-ending holiday season as most celebrate the blessings of life, family and friends.

However, many others in our community face the coming winter weather with insufficient resources of food, clothing, shelter and employment.

Consider how your blessings can help others, often with simple changes and minimal impact to the donor.

Forgoing a coffee purchase can brighten another light during Hospice of Wichita Falls, Tree of Lights. Donating food or funds can feed another family during these holidays.

Unused or lightly used clothing helps many without shelter deal with the coming weather changes. Remember the pets at shelters and consider pet food donations or funds as well.

But the most precious thing you can give is time. Time for a blood donation, serving a meal to those seeking food, or even just gathering funds to keep the lights on for the MSU-Burns Fantasy of Lights.

Volunteer with funds, time, clothing, food to make a difference locally, and team with others at your business, church or organization to:

Donate Blood: https://ourbloodinstitute.org/where/donor-centers/wichita-falls-donor-center/

Feed those in need Wichita Falls Area Food Bank https://www.wfafb.org/volunteer

Help the homeless: Salvation Army, https://southernusa.salvationarmy.org/wichita-falls/ or Wichita Falls Faith Mission,

https://faithmissionwf.org

Light the tree: Hospice of Wichita Falls Tree of Lights campaign, https://www.howf.org/get-involved/tree-of-lights/

Share smiles and joy at MSU – Burns Fantasy of https://fol.msutexas.edu/boot-collection-volunteers.php

We are our brother’s keeper, all in this together.

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology engineer, sales and marketing executive at Motorola and other top tech companies.

Friends connect us to community. Monday, I joined the Northwest Texas Council of Scouting America annual Americanism fundraising luncheon as a guest of my friend David Farabee, a Wichita Falls businessman and former state legislator.

Great food from Texas Roadhouse satisfied our bodies nutritional needs as four generations of leaders associated with Scouting inspired us with the many ways their lives have been influenced as they contribute to their communities.

My soul was filled with confidence and spirit refreshed. I believe America’s best days are ahead as many such inspired leaders freely share their best skills and practices so other generations have a chance to learn and grow into the citizens we need.

Confidence, service, honor, leadership and integrity were words shared by speakers as we then learned the impact of their scouting experiences. We saw how just a few dedicated individuals can affect so many lives when those recipients then continue the multiplicative sharing with succeeding generations in creating stronger citizens and families in our communities.

Retired Wichita County Justice of the Peace Janice Sons was master of ceremonies as last year’s Americanism award recipient. She shared the impact the event speakers have in their communities, then announced Nancy Brown as this year’s recipient of the Americanism award.

Nancy was introduced by Wayne Reed, general manager of Nexstar Broadcasting and long-time board member of Hands to Hands. Reed recognized Nancy for 16 years of service at Hands to Hands where her leadership skills raised the funds allowing eight agencies to serve hundreds of local families while making our community stronger and empowering the ongoing growth of children.

Nancy noted the calling of the mission and her love for the opportunity to educate others of their neighbors’ challenges while inspiring community members to take action.

You could clearly hear her tireless passion as she spoke.

Scout 2nd Class Sam Longar of Troop 22, sponsored by American Legion Post 120, shared his Scouting experiences as part of a military family.

“Moving every three years, leaving friends and community, scouting was a consistent opportunity to engage and grow,” Longar said.

Sam is already a leader, adapting to life’s challenges and moving forward.

Sons introduced Darrel Kirkland, noting his seventy plus years of Scouting experiences from Cub Scout, Eagle and now decades as scoutmaster of Troop 15. As scoutmaster, Darrel has guided 195 scouts to the rank of Eagle Scout.

Kirkland introduced keynote speaker Jim Daniel, a Wichita Falls native and Eagle Scout. He is director of software development at Oracle. He reviewed the impact Scouting has on his life, and how the values enabled him to deal with life’s challenges.

When Daniel was a freshman at Texas A&M, his challenges included the November 18, 1999 Texas A&M Bonfire collapse where 12 people died. He shared the subsequent opportunities and challenges of his 6 and a half years of military service and then his career turn towards technology that led him to cloud computing, first at Amazon, and now at Oracle.

Daniel noted that it’s not enough to have ideals without concrete implementations that realize those ideals.

“As people move towards common goals, it is important to be guided by principles and efficiency as well as striving for the goals,” he said. Daniel said, “Becoming an Eagle Scout, prepares you to see, do and be. Scouting is worth investing in.”

The foundations that these four generations, Sam, Jim, Nancy and Darrel share revolve around Scouting’s Oath three main promises: duty to God and country, duty to others, and duty to self as well as the Scout Law.

If you know a Scout, no doubt you’ve heard them recite the 12 points of Scout Law: trustworthy, loyal, helpful,friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.

If you see one of these recently honored individuals, share a “Well done, thank you for what you do.”

Scouting was founded in 1907 by Robert Baden-Powell with an experimental camp of 20 boys on Brownsea Island, England after military service in South Africa by Baden-Powell. His best-selling book, Scouting for Boys published in 1908, emphasized character development and outdoor activities.

Scouting spread globally with the Boy Scouts of America, now Scouting America, incorporating in 1910 after William Boyce, a Chicago publisher, was inspired after being helped by a Scout as he was lost on a foggy London Street.

You can make a difference with a monetary donation that furthers the work here in Wichita Falls of the Northwest Texas Council of Scouting America at https://nwtcscouting.org/donate/

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology engineer, sales and marketing executive at Motorola and other top tech companies.

What if you were today’s news? Would your mother be proud of why they covered what you did?

Recent reports note the average price for a new car has surpassed $50,000. The average first time home buyer is over 40. Today’s times are tough on many but also good for others.

In recent media reports, Fed Chair Jerome Powell discussed how consumer spending ‘has defied a lot of negative forecasts,’ as the economy continues to be strong. But he noted the current “bifurcated pattern, also called the ‘K-shaped economy,’” has higher-income families enjoying stock market gains and continuing to spend freely on travel and restaurant meals, while lower income families face stress.

The longest U.S. government shutdown in history made things even worse for those making the least money as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits were curtailed.

Locally, more than half of the WFISD students are identified as at risk based on family income. SNAP curtailments have dramatically increased the number of clients at local food banks and food pantries.

News stories highlight the impact of SNAP spending, noting $8 billion per month funded in 2024. As people will spend less, grocery stores will reduce their replenishment orders, according to media reports. A reduction in fresh produce is expected to avoid increased spoilage.

As many grocery stores donate outdated food, there is less overage available for food banks to feed those without funds to purchase at grocery stores. To make up the difference, food banks need to spend more money, which is always hard to raise for nonprofits.

The gap between haves and have-nots widens with more children locally further disadvantaged.

What can each of us do? Understand our part, and the ways we can help. We can donate the food in our pantry that we don’t eat and free up our shelf space. We can donate funds to food banks and relief organizations locally. We can volunteer and serve others by helping at food banks or serving meals that local organizations provide for those at need.

As those at the bottom of the economy see more stress and seek pleasure, more will turn to abusive practices that endanger their health and that of those around them. As they seek the funds for these escapes, their behavior moves beyond acceptable standards.

Fentanyl is so addictive, our schools and police have Narcan on hand to deal with overdoses. Deaths from Fentanyl poisoning have dropped, but I still hear of Narcan administered to some who’ve previously been saved from overdoses several times.

While a friend said we should just let them overdose, he paused in thought and reconsidered after I asked, “Imagine something so addictive that you take another dose after overdosing twice in the last few months.”

Consider the following. I learned this week of a friend who set up a Christmas tree in her back yard to prepare it for display at her husband’s grave in a local cemetery. While she was gone shopping, someone stole the tree from her backyard. She noted others steal angels and other displays at cemeteries as well, tantalized by the solar powered night lighting.

At the North Texas Food Pantry where I volunteer, someone stole an extension ladder from a locked and fenced section of the property.

Homelessness in our community is increasingly visible, particularly as the cold weather comes. Some reject conditions for safe shelter and chose to stay outdoors perhaps through clouds of mental illness or lack of medications.

Consider the needs of the many in our community who are trapped in addictive behaviors and the children impacted by caregiver’s addictions.

Get involved where you can, how you can and make a difference as colder weather comes and Thanksgiving and Christmas near on our calendars.

But for the grace of God, there go we.

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology engineer, sales and marketing executive at Motorola and other top tech companies.

Jack Browne, Wichita Falls Times Record News edition, Sunday November 10, 2025

I spent 40 years in semiconductor sales and marketing. My teams drove the revenue that grew our companies, maintaining a leading position in markets that expanded 25% to 50% per year.

That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident. It takes relentless execution, deep customer empathy, and a team that believes in the mission. But more than anything, it takes leadership that shows up — every single day.

One of the most important lessons I learned over those four decades is this: Leaders don’t get to have bad days.

That doesn’t mean we don’t have them. We’re human. We get tired. We get frustrated. We lose deals. We miss forecasts.

But when you’re the one people look to for direction, energy, and belief, you don’t have the luxury of letting a bad day spill over into your leadership.

I remember one quarter when our team was chasing a massive design win with a top-tier customer. During a key negotiation, the sales director emotionally argued with his counterpart at the customer and a deal key to the quarter looked doubtful.

His feedback, “I had a bad day, Jack.”

My counter, “David, you don’t get to have a bad day. People’s jobs depend on you closing that deal. How will we recover and close the deal in the next few weeks as committed?”

I asked questions. I listened. I encouraged. I reminded the team why we were in the fight. And we won that deal, not because I had all the answers, but because I didn’t let a bad day overcome our passion to get the job done.

That’s what leadership is. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being consistent.

When you lead, your presence sets the tone. Your team watches how you react under pressure. They notice if you’re short with people, if you’re distracted, if you’re checked out. And they mirror it. If you’re off your game, they’ll start to wonder if they should be too.

That’s why I say leaders have no bad days. Not because we’re robots, but because we’re responsible for the emotional climate of our teams.

This doesn’t mean faking it. It means managing your energy. It means having the discipline to compartmentalize. It means finding ways to reset — whether that’s a walk around the block, a call with a mentor, or five minutes of silence before a big meeting.

It also means building a team culture where people feel safe, supported, and seen. When your team knows you’ve got their back, they’ll give you grace. But they still need you to show up.

I’ve coached people who are brilliant technologists but struggle with this idea. They think leadership is about strategy or vision. And it is. But it’s also about emotional regulation. It’s about being the calm in the storm, the steady hand and the one who doesn’t flinch when things go sideways.

Because things will go sideways.

Markets shift. Customers churn. Products break. Investors get nervous. And in those moments, your team will look to you — not for magic answers, but for belief, for steadiness and the sense that, even if today is hard, tomorrow is still worth fighting for.

That’s what I mean when I say leaders have no bad days. It’s not about pretending everything is fine. It’s about choosing to lead anyway.

The good news is this kind of leadership is contagious. When you model resilience, your team learns to be resilient. When you show up with purpose, they find purpose in their work. When you lead with optimism, they start to believe in what’s possible.

So the next time you’re having a rough day, ask yourself: What does my team need from me right now? Don’t ask yourself, what do I feel like doing? But ask, what do they need to see?

Because leadership isn’t about how you feel. It’s about how you show up. Leadership is like chess. You think moves ahead knowing what you do influences others in what they see, think and then do.

And when you show up with consistency, courage, and care — even on the hard days — you’re not just leading. You’re paying it forward.

Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology engineer, sales and marketing executive at Motorola and other top tech companies.