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shellibisshe · 4 years

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the ship thing for john and elle?

I’ll answer you both under the cut because this got long

General:

How long will they last? -I’d like to imagine forever

How quickly did/will they fall in love? - John took one look at Elle and immediately started pining. Elle, however, took a lot longer. She was still dealing with some emotions regarding her ex-husband and was also very conflicted with the whole situation with the cult. After working with John for a while her feelings start to develop.

How was their first kiss? - Sort of quick and confusing. John had just explained his feelings for Elle, who then made the very rash decision to kiss him. Her feelings were just starting to develop and she wanted to see where they were going. It was awkward though and they didn’t really talk to each other for like a week after it.

Wedding: They don’t really get married in canon (more of a formality) so we’ll use normal au.

Who proposed? - Sort of both? At this point, they’d been together for around 10 years and the twins were about 7 but they weren’t engaged. Finally Elle just out of the blue one day says they should have probably gotten married and John agrees. Neither of them proposes really, but they do get rings for each other.

Who is the best man/men? - John’s brothers snd Nick. It’s a small wedding

Who is the braid’s maid(s)? - Grace, Emily, and Mary May. Elle thought about asking Joey but she thought it’d be weird

Who did the most planning? - John 100%. Elle’s planning was done as soon as she got her dress and she knew her bridesmaids got theirs (she let them pick, but they’re all the same color).

Who stressed the most? - They both stressed a lot for different reasons. John wanted everything to be perfect and his biggest anxiety was making sure the twins did what they needed to do (they were the combined ring bearers and flower….children?) and making sure that Elle’s ex-husband didn’t show up (it’s a small county). Elle’s stress came from marriage in general, she was afraid this marriage would end just like her last one, but everyone in the party was very good at reassuring her that this marriage was going to last.

How fancy was the ceremony? - Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? - Elle’s ex-husband, Gabe, not even because they were married before, they just knew he’d try to start shit.

Sex:

Who is on top? - Elle most of the time.

Who is the one to instigate things? - Either of them could, although Elle is a lot more straightforward while John tries to flirt and build up to it.

How healthy is their sex life? - Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple of weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now

How kinky are they? - Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head

How long do they normally last? - It depends on a various number of circumstances (where they are, how tired one of them is, what mood they’re in)

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? - Always

How rough are they in bed? - Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? - No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? - 2 and that is enough for them.

How many children will they adopt? - None (unless pets count then 2)

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - It’s pretty equal but sometimes it just depends on stuff like who’s closer, what twin needs to be changed, all that.

Who is the stricter parent? - Neither of them are super strict but Elle gets on them for little things, like leaving lights on or doors open.

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - Either of them, but sometimes Elle encourages them.

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? - John mostly because he’s the only cooking most of the time. Elle bakes them snacks though.

Who is the more loved parent? - Depends on which twin you ask. They love both of their parents a lot but their own preferences. John lets them get away with more which is something Margo likes but Elle gives them a bit more structure which is what Daniel likes.

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? - John. Elle has been banned.

Who cried the most at graduation? - Both of them but Elle at least hid it a bit better.

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? - Either of them, they both work with the law but Elle has a little more pull.

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? - John, Elle cannot cook.

Who is the pickiest in their food choice? - Elle used to be super picky but not so much anymore. She doesn’t like tomatoes though.

Who does the grocery shopping? - Either of them, it depends on who has the most time. They have a list of things they usually get and if John’s going to make something he hasn’t before then he’ll send a recipe or go get it.

How often do they bake desserts? - Elle bakes all the time.

Are they more of a meat-lover or a salad eater? - Out of either of them, Elle eats more meat.

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? - Either, John would make the dinner while Elle would order something.

Who is more likely to suggest going out? - Elle, she brings home fast food a lot after shifts.

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidentally while cooking? - Elle

Chores:

Who cleans the room? - Either of them, but Elle’s more likely to just randomly clean.

Who is really against chores? - Neither of them but Elle’s more likely to procrastinate cleaning because she doesn’t really mind messes.

Who cleans up after the pets? - Depends on what pet made the mess because Penny cannot stand Elle and so Elle refuses to deal with her (“She’s not my cat.”).

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Elle, until it bothers her.

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - John.

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? - Elle, probably because she put it there and then forgot.

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? - Either of them could but Elle’s less likely because it’s too much effort.

Who takes the dog out for a walk? - Either of them, but they usually just let Boomer out by himself. Elle takes him with her on drives though.

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - All the time, and then immediately regret putting up so many decorations.

What are their goals for the relationship? - Just keep each other happy really.

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? - John.

Who plays the most pranks? - Elle.

#emotional support psychopath #emotional support sweethearts #far cry 5 #fc5 #shellibanswers #foofygoldfish #chyrstis #oc: elenore parker

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ineffablecolors · 6 years

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BLUNDERS AND (HAPPY) BEGINNINGS [8/8 - COMPLETE]

Blunders and (happy) Beginnings; CHAPTER 8; ~ 3, 100 words; FF.NET || AO3

Thank you to everyone who went on this ride with me (your feedback and love gave me a huge boost in the completion of this little endeavour) and to everyone who might decide to do so now that it is complete (I know wips are scary af). Hope you like this! ;)

The ceremony is beautiful and far enough from modest to satisfy the groom and the bride’s family but not so far as to aggravate the bride herself. All of Storybrooke is abuzz with news and gossip, genuine happiness and only mild surprise for weeks before and after the wedding. The bride’s dress is brought all the way from Arendelle. The flowers are only in bloom in that particular month. The cakes – oh, Mrs Lucas will talk anyone’s ear off about the cakes for months to come.

Mrs Chillton looks 15 years younger. Mr and Mrs Nolan have been all too eager to lend their superior knowledge and experience. Miss Anna has barely slept for more than 6 hours out of sheer excitement.

And Mrs Elsa Jones would’ve scolded her but she is much too happy and much too busy dissuading her husband from any grandiose and imprudent honeymoon ideas.

Miss Swan and Captain Jones are involved both in the ceremony and in assisting with said imprudent ideas but not quite so busy as not to be able to throw many knowing looks and smug smiles at the bride and groom.

And that would probably be a high note on which to leave our characters to their celebrations. But as it is we have one more story to tell. The story of Miss Emma Swan and her hand much desired in marriage as it turned out.

5 weeks before Captain Liam Jones and Miss Elsa Froster’s wedding

“The audacity!”

She drops the letter on his desk and plunges in the chair across from it with all the grace that Killian has come to expect from Miss Emma Swan in the last week of cohabitation with her.

“Am I to take it that you have taken the liberty of going through my correspondence or that you are requesting that I read yours?”

“You don’t have a correspondence.”

“I assure you Commander Nemo and I are very particular about our annual Christmas cards.”

“How personal. Please do look at this so you can share my outrage.”

Jones picks up the discarded letter, then makes to rise to get his glasses, only to find Emma already thrusting them in his face. Exasperation and fondness – it would make a good title for a memoir about life around Emma Swan.

He takes the glasses and ignores her satisfied little grin as he quickly glides over the lines on the single page. It is not a long letter and it is not a particularly good one, especially if it is supposed to be what it appears to be.

And Captain Jones cannot help but feel a spike of irritation – dare he call it jealousy – at the possessive manner in which another man sees fit to address the woman across from him. For a moment, he wonders if inciting his jealousy is, at least in part, the very purpose of him being shown the letter.

But he finds that the part of him that was conceited enough to believe so once upon a time has grown rather old and wary of making such assumptions. So he makes a point of keeping his expression neutral and his voice even when he finally looks back at Miss Swan.

“It is a proposal, if I am not much too rusty to recognize one.”

The way she rolls her eyes around all the time is definitely not befitting of a lady but it tugs at the corners of his mouth all the same.

“Not the most passionate or well-worded one I can imagine,” he cannot help but add.

“Passionate – as if it can be passionate!” and like that Miss Swan is back on her feet. “I have seen this man all of four times in my life!”

“You must admit people marry on much less.”

“Three times then?”

He does not laugh but it is a near thing and that is just the magic of Emma he has come to realize and grown rather comfortable with that realization.

“That, substantial fortunes and the appropriate positions in society on both sides.”

“Oh. Oh, now that you mentioned it… why, I must accept, mustn’t I? What shall I ever do, if I do not take my ‘appropriate positions in society’? How shall I live?”

Killian does his best to remain unmoved and unamused in the face of her fluttering eyelashes.

“Took it a bit too far at the end there.”

Emma huffs in exasperation and sits back down, snatching the letter from his loose fingers.

“I swear I am never to understand the way men think.”

“Usually it is along the lines of ‘beautiful woman and a sizable income equals marriage’. Not the most sophisticated logic I admit but…”

“Was she rich?”

He looks at her in confusion.

“Your wife.”

“Ah,” Captain Jones strokes a hand down his beard – slightly longer than usual – something should be done about it, perhaps tomorrow, before their walk. “Her family was. But her family did not approve of me very much. At the start. Or at the end, come to think of it.”

“But she was in love.”

“I would like to think so.”

“Of course she was.”

He realizes he has dropped his eyes to where his shirtsleeve hangs around his wrist. Brace and all has proven too much of a hassle for one with a bullet hole inside him. And Emma has been much too insistent on him not leaving the grounds and not needing his whole ‘armour’ on when in his own home.

His stomach is churning painfully for some unidentifiable reason.

But then he looks up and she is all soft, golden curls falling from her braids and ever softer eyes and the kind of smile that he hadn’t really seen on Emma’s face before he came to consciousness to find it hovering over him a week ago.

His insides settle and he tries to shake his head at her but his face has certainly betrayed him twice over by now. Especially given her next words.

“I think you should help me pen my rejection, Captain. Might lend it some diplomacy.”

4 weeks before Captain Liam Jones and Miss Elsa Froster’s wedding

This time is infinitely harder. This time she has known him for years – years ago but she remembers the fondness she had for him in her early teenage years all too well. This time he is in front of her and he is earnest and hopeful and a little nervous. This time she looks inside and tries to move away the brashness and exasperation and find her own diplomacy and understanding tucked somewhere for safekeeping. This time when she says no – because there is simply nothing else she can say, no hope she can possibly give – she can see the way his face falls, the way his eyes dim and flit away from hers, his hands dropping the one he had so ardently asked her for.

“I see. And if I were to ask again in a month or even a year-“

“Mr Humbert.”

“No. I understand… But if time is what you need-”

“It is not a question of time. I… well, given the time, I hope… That is I am to… I don’t think you will be able to ask in a year. I hope.”

Emma squeezes her eyes shut and tries not to curse under her breath the way a lady should not even curse in her head. If people could stop asking her to marry them, it would be of great help. She has some things of her own to think over and execute and ask and hopefully achieve the desired results.

“Oh. I… I was led to believe that you rejected Mr Cassidy. I deeply apologize, if-“

“I did reject Mr Cassidy,” she says it in the mocking tone that she only allows herself in front of Elsa or Killian – much to their consternation. “His offer was preposterous and his assumption that it will be received favourably doubly so.”

“But then perhaps after some time to consider the merits of marriage-“

“Graham, I do wish to be married! Just not...”

“To me.”

She tries not to flinch.

“It’s not that. It’s not… it’s just… someone else.”

The gentleman’s brows draw together and for a fleeting moment his lips twitch and Emma knows with perfect certainty that he thinks she is playing a joke on him.

Neal Cassidy is one thing. Neal Cassidy might have money aplenty and his father might be a magistrate but he also has a reputation of caring little for what people say and, what truly matters to Emma, how people feel – even people supposedly close and dear to him.

But Mr Humbert is a man of indisputable character, fine manners, fine fortune and an even finer looks. He is young, pleasant and by all expectations should not want to settle to family life so early on. He is, to put it simply, the most coveted bachelor in Storybrooke, perhaps in the whole county.

And Emma is the ridiculous girl who has apparently seen fit to reject him. For someone else.

“Stranger things have happened.”

“You should tell Mary Margaret that.”

Instinctively Emma turns her head to the side, to try and catch a glimpse of their gracious host in the beautiful gazebo but her and Captain Jones seem to have walked much too far into the Nolan’s luscious gardens and her vision is obscured by far too many roses red as blood.

She is just about to scold the gentleman beside her – who is not supposed to be walking around at all, her hand tightening around his forearm and her eyes narrowing on his profile when-

“She was quite adamant that I tell her right away, if it is a promise to me that is holding you back from Mr Humbert.”

“Wha-“

“Not to worry, I told her that she should know I have more sense than that.”

Once, when Emma was about 6 years old and skating over their favourite lake with Elsa, she heard the ice crack under her and in the next second she was in the water.

It felt a lot like this.

She pulls her arm away from Killian and steps to the side, there’s noise in her ears and her body feels like it did all those years ago – like she is not giving it enough air. Jones keeps going for another meter or two before he stops and looks back at her in confusion.

“Swan?”

It would probably be better, if her first – or second or at least third – thought was that it was all fine, she could just turn around, go back to the garden party, take Mr Humbert to the side and accept his incredibly enticing proposal.

But Emma doesn’t think of that. She doesn’t think about much of anything other than the fact that she is a complete and utter fool. And, frustratingly enough, that Jones should really get off his feet already. So she focuses on that.

“We should head back. Liam is going to have my head for letting you go this far out.”

“Wait, wait, what-“

“I think we should rejoin the party, Captain Jones.”

She watches him draw back as if she is the one that slapped him in the face.

“Emma, what-“

And she can’t help it. How dare he look at her like that. How dare he.

“And you, being the man of sense that you are, surely must be tired of the company of a silly girl and all her silly problems.”

He opens his mouth to respond but, much to her relief, quickly snaps it shut. Much to her distress, however, he decides to move closer instead, his hand reaching out for her.

“Emma, surely you don’t think- I did not mean-“

“That you were gravely offended at the mere suggestion that you might have expressed an interest in being engaged to me?”

“Of course not!”

Emma takes a step back and watches his hand fall along with his features. She crosses her arms over her chest protectively.

“Then what, pray tell, did you find so offensive to your sensibilities in Mrs Nolan’s remark?”

She says it in a deliberately haughty tone and is almost glad when she sees it achieve the desired effect – the Captain’s eyes blazing and his nostrils flaring as his hand curls into a fist at his side.

“I meant rather the opposite to what the lady has decided to conjecture. I meant that I have more sense than to believe that you would settle so far below your stature, were I to ask such a question.”

And Emma can’t quite help herself, can’t refrain from throwing her arms in the air and almost growling at the damnable man in front of her.

Oh, he was the complete and utter fool.

“We’ve been through this! I already told you that I would very much have you, you insufferable-“

She presses her lips together hard and tries to regain some measure of control over herself. It’s hard when he responds with utter confusion and a painfully pinched brow.

“That was not… That is to say, it was clear that, given the dire circumstances-“

“Yes, because dire circumstances are known to make women partial to matrimony.”

“Are they not?”

“No, Killian, no. Love makes women partial to matrimony.”

“Oh.”

Emma lets her arms unfold and finally does away with the space between them. Her hands settling on his shoulders and sliding down to hold his hands – real and wooden.

“And I don’t mean to sound impatient but given recent events-“ she cuts off and hurries to add. “I don’t mean to sound conceited either but-“

“Miss Swan, are you… propositioning me?”

She tries to keep her expression serious, she truly does, but Killian’s eyes are twinkling and his eyebrow is going up and so are the corners of his mouth and after all she is propositioning him and she does not seem to be in the least bit embarrassed about it.

“Well, yes, as a matter of fact, I am. Would you- Do I have to ask Liam first?”

“Swan-“

“Would you marry me, Killian?”

She is rather proud of how steady her voice comes out, how she looks him in the eyes – his very wide, very blue eyes. He seems rather proud as well.

“Only you, Emma Swan, would receive multiple offers of marriage in the span of a single week and proceed to make one of your own.”

“I was hoping mine would be a smidge more successful.”

Captain Jones sways closer, now completely in her personal space, her breasts almost brushing the buttons of his vest.

“If I were still a betting man, I’d say it would be an astounding success.”

3 months after Captain Liam Jones and Miss Elsa Froster’s wedding

Perhaps the younger Captain Jones should’ve indeed put money on that bet, he does turn out to be absolutely right.

The ceremony is as unconventional as the mysterious proposal that everyone seems to have a different opinion for – held on a windy beach on an only partially sunny afternoon, it satisfies the sensibilities of no one but the bride and groom. Hardly anyone but the groom’s brother and his wife know of the whole thing before it is already happening. The bride’s dress is picked by the bride alone at a time equally unknown. Flowers are needed only for her bouquet and picked single-handedly by the groom the day before. There is no cake. There is some rum. Mostly to warm up anyone who finds the sea spray and breeze hard to bare.

Mrs Chillton is somewhat put out by the short notice and the inability to invite any of her friends and acquaintances but much placated by the sheer joy on the bride’s face as she waves her into the carriage. Mr and Mrs Nolan are equally baffled but much easier to be prevailed upon – given Mr Nolan’s predisposition to cheerfulness and Mrs Nolan’s penchant for romantic and spontaneous gestures but mostly thanks to the groom’s very persuasive and excited manner, rumoured to have been unseen in years. Miss Anna is taken with the whole idea and beyond delighted to be whisked away to the mysterious ceremony close to sunset.

Miss Emma Swan and Captain Killian Jones are said to have never been in higher spirits and that by the older Captain and Mrs Jones, said to know them best of all.

In the first year of their marriage it is believed that they are rather an unlikely pair and thus unlikely to be much too happy together.

By year two, they are believed to be rather inconsiderate and verging on scandalous with the amount of times that Mrs Jones sees fit to display her affection for her husband in rather public places and gatherings and with the amount of invitations for more such gatherings that Captain Jones feels justified in refusing in order to take his wife to the seaside or to “reorder their library” as he dares put it to some of their closer friends.

By year three Mrs Emma Jones and her husband have surprisingly little time to shower their twin nephews with gifts and affection – a practice much encouraged by the older Captain Jones and for reasons completely unimaginable to the other three labelled as “spoiling” by Mrs Elsa Jones – and this mostly due to the fact that they have provided the other Joneses with a niece of their own to “spoil”.

To this day Mrs Emma Jones is rumoured to have actually put a curse of sorts on a lady who insinuated that she had been extremely foolish to accept Captain Jones when she had much more becoming offers made to her. The legend of exactly how many gentlemen she had refused while waiting for the Captain to propose has taken on a life of its own – from some stating that no such offers had been made at all to other whispering of numbers in the dozens – all this resulting in much undignified eyerolling from the lady in question and quite a bit of amusement and preening from her husband.

To this day Captain Killian Jones is rumoured to propose to his wife anew every year to “reaffirm her willingness” and pledge his own, much to the sighs and flutterings of the young ladies of Storybrooke and the groans and muttering of gentlemen who are being more and more often asked by their wives why they have been proposed to only once.

But Emma, when among their friends and family, takes extraordinary pride and delight in stating that Jones can propose as often as he wishes – she’d accept every time, but he should never forget who did it first.

Captain Jones doesn’t seem to mind his wife’s boasting one bit.

#cs ff #cs au #captain swan #frozen jewel #captain swan fanfiction #B&B

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athome-businessideas · 7 years

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Former Detroit CEO Finds Vulnerability – and Fine-tunes His Business Savvy – in Tribal Papua New Guinea

When John Quinlan’s publicly traded company failed in 1985 his employees were hurt and his friends scattered. His marriage soon dissolved, removing his young stepdaughter from his life. With the need to withdraw from the public humiliation as well as to mend his heart, Quinlan set out on a quest that took him to places few have traveled, or even imagined.

“The ‘Tau Bada’ tale I’m about to share is not simply an achievement or an outcome, or a recipe for the attainment of goals and self-improvement, or even a romantic happy ending. It is about the quiet transitions to real courage and the soul milieu that connects and binds us as mutual occupants of a shared planet.”

Thus begins Quinlan’s book Tau Bada, The Quest and Memoir of a Vulnerable Man. Tau Bada means “big white man,” which is what Quinlan is when he meets up with the tribes of Papua New Guinea’s Oro Province, north of Australia.

Realizing his relationships are shallow and that he doesn’t really know himself – or like what he knows – Quinlan leaves his posh lifestyle in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, to travel across the US on his motorcycle on a personal trek to self-discovery. Out west, he meets and falls for Fiona Delaney, a Papua New Guinea native who is working with a group of girls with disabilities. The instant bond with her is so strong that, in Quinlan’s words, “It’s like magic.”

Low-Cost Home-Based Businesses – Visit the Home Biz Mag EXPO

Following his heart, John and Fiona, who eventually marry, travel through the South Pacificdetermined to create a sustainable livelihood business, since Fiona’s visa was no longer valid for the US. They make an attempt at a fishing business before settling on coffeeexporting in Papua New Guinea. There, Quinlan uses his expertise as a businessman to pull together over 2400 people from numerous different tribes to form a business focused oncoffee collection, processing, logistics and export. What he doesn’t count on are the culturaldifferences or the aura of fear and mistrust that surround some of the tribes regarding this “big white man”, as well as each other. Or – closer to home – the greed and vengeance that are apparently equivalent across the globe,whether in a boardroom in Grosse Pointe, Michigan or a tribal hut in the PNG mountains.

Fiona, a strong partner in both business and life, proves to be the rock John thought she was when he first met her. Her resiliency givesher the titles of “The Woman Who Would Not Be Shot” and for her outspokenness as a businesswoman, she is called “The Man in a Woman’s Body” by the tribes people where they worked in Papua New Guinea.

Michigan-born author John E Quinlan makes his literary debut with a book so fascinating on every level that he calls up the spirit of adventure in all of us while at the same time carrying the standard for being genuine and trusting of ourselves and authentic with others.–Grady Harp, Amazon Top 100 Hall of Fame Reviewer

Fraught with intrigue, danger, humor and of course, the power of love, Quinlan’s book is both a philosophical look at his inner man, and a page-turning adventure as they are shot at, participate in a tribal ritual to wipe a curse from their village, and fall at the hands of betrayal, sabotage, and even attempted murder. (All of this happens over the seven years he and Fiona run their businesses in the South Pacific, while Quinlan still keeps a finger in the corporate world in the U.S)

Quinlan, now an organization development specialist and the owner and CEO of Growth Strategies Global LLC in the United States,uses his 30 years of consulting experience to advise business owners, specializing in family-founded and closely held businesses.

“The world does not count mishaps or misfortunes, no matter how much you contributed,” says Quinlan. “It makes you feel foolish for contributing, for being vulnerable.” And yet being vulnerable is exactly what Quinlan works on with individuals when he consults.

“I find it fascinating to go into their inner sanctum where they can drop their guard and be real with me,” says Quinlan. “Then I can shift it to business practices. What do you want to talk about? Customer relations?”

Once employers and their employees are ready to open up, show their vulnerabilities, and discuss what it is they really want for their company, then Quinlan moves on to the logistical aspects of work. Some of his current clients include: Harvey Hohauser & Associates; Tarus Products; McClures Pickles and Merlo Constructions.

When asked if he has any regrets about his life’s journey, Quinlan replies, “I’m feeling distinguished. It was worth it. It was well worth it. It has enriched my life and individuated me to a higher degree.”

He is once again thriving, and although he is back at the top of his game, he says he will never be that same shallow man who started off on his motorcycle back after his first fall. His heart has changed, and whether in business or in life, he strives to remain vulnerable.

Tau Bada: The Quest and Memoir of a Vulnerable Man (ISBN 978-1-63413-956-4, 2016), MCP Books, paperback, 333 pages, available at Amazon, Barnes & Nobel and the author’s website: http://www.TauBada.com. View the book trailer here: http://bit.ly/TauBadaBookTrailer.

Excerpts Tau Bada

The “Tau Bada” tale I’m about to share is not simply an achievement or an outcome, or a recipe for the attainment of goals and self-improvement, or even a romantic happy ending. It is about the quiet transitions to real courage and the soul milieu that connects and binds us as mutual occupants of a shared planet.

The ceremony was perfunctory in most respects. But his opening remarks were quite entertaining. “My friends, as we gather here today to see the first white people ever to be married in our village, let us not forget not too long ago we would not be marrying them, we would be eating them,” he said. The congregation said: “Amen.” Fiona and I responded: “Amen.”

Had all of this work and progress been thrown away by one person’s desire for personal gain, and was that possibly condoned by the community at large? … I felt compelled to confront this culture of stealing and demonstrate the morality of transparency.

In all directions, wheat fields are stretching out as far as I can see. This is the “beauty road” attested to by our own Native Americans. I just left South Dakota, riding over a bridge into Wyoming, peering down on the Missouri River. I enter the Standing Rock Indian reservation. On a bluff, I gaze at the road just traveled. I am in sync. My inward man and outward man are one.

Whether it is a PNG sorcerer/chief casting or supporting fear-ridden spells or a Western corporate CEO or politician implementing marketing strategies, the results are similar. Well-constructed cultural fortresses are nearly impossible to penetrate. Leadership’s defensive routines and behaviors are intransigent.

Brusquely, the vehicle veered to the center as an object loudly and forcibly hit the Land Cruiser. Fiona screeched. To our left, five hooded men, three of them armed with what looked like spears, lunged out of the bush and pumped cartridges from rifles at our vehicle.

Fiona is now known as the woman who would not be shot. They are at loss to explain how she could be as powerful and invincible as a man.

The highway behind gives me courage to move into the future. I desire to see the first light of tomorrow.

The quotes below from the book are highly representative.

The cowboy, leaning over his horse, asked the bartender for a six-pack of beer. I turned around and looked up and said, “I would like to buy you and your horse a drink.” He said no thank you … turned around and rode out. … A patron informed me that I had just met the “Zen cowboy.” … With one fluttering upper tooth, he stuttered out a Buddhist koan uttered by the Zen cowboy. He said: “It is what it is. It ain’t what it ain’t. Never say never. Let it go.” … This would stick with me during frequent squalls and a few storms over the course of coming years.

The lure of the future was more powerful than the fear of the present.

To my right was a pretty woman with blonde braids, milky-blue eyes, and a tender and engaging smile that sprang from a soft, beautiful pale face. I liked the strength in her look. … I grabbed her attention. She quickly remarked: “… I’m Fiona Delaney, from Papua New Guinea.” My response was automatic: “Papa what?”

I started my first diary at the age of 10. I don’t think it can ever be completed.

Self-importance and the illusion of invincibility eventually ended my reign as chairman and CEO of a publicly traded company. I failed my organization deeply, hurting employees and shareholders alike. … Truthfully, I evolved into an asshole. Many of my friends disappeared as the king’s castle collapsed. Such insights were mortifyingly obvious.

Fear is viral and has few boundaries. From the Potomac River think tankers to a microdot island village in the Solomon Sea, we are interconnected.

I wanted to enter into the mind of God in order to reach a higher consciousness and a consequent new way of being. Like a wrestling match, this can be a dirty, sweaty and smelly affair; I gained glimpses of my core rot in secret places.

We carried the roasted coffee beans back to the village of Tabuane. The orchestrated villages’ sing-sing would be lifted to a new level of energy by a caffeine buzz never before experienced. They would taste and drink their coffee for the first time since planting began in 1963.

To my right and then quickly to the left, two warriors jumped out from behind the welcome committee, thrusting spears at my feet to signify I was welcomed. Highly stimulated, my response was typical. I almost crapped in my pants. Fiona reassured me by saying, “Everything is fine darling. The closer the spears the more you are hailed.”

The take I am talking about is a legal buyout and corruption of one’s soul. It is an inner larceny I am referring to. Sucking up to power is part of the game. … You become part of the system you were ordained, elected or hired to change.

We never conceived the community where we were helping to build a sustainable business would become jealous enough to erupt…

The emotional healing has been an evolvement where we are feeling almost whole. The financial ruin is still a challenge. … Even more disconcerting was to conjecture that equal love for the most part is a figment of my imagination.

Fear is a powerful conditioner and has little regard for honest conversations with oneself. Fear is the master builder. Until the threshold of pain becomes greater than the fear to change, I remain in a buoyant state.

A sardonic grin materialized in my passenger window reflection. Times had changed since those hard-charging days, and I had paid a steep price. Self-importance and the illusion of invincibility eventually ended my reign as chairman and CEO of a publicly trade company. I failed my organization deeply, hurting employees and shareholders alike. Truthfully, I had evolved into an asshole. Many of my friends disappeared as the king’s castle collapsed. Such insights were now mortifyingly obvious.

Fiona and I must have looked like any typical motorcycling couple, out for a simple pleasure ride, but, unexpectedly, I noticed tears running down my cheeks. I glanced into my left-hand mirror and saw that she was crying too. I realized we were unexplainably connected, and I felt really good…It was magic.

We were holding hands as we walked down the coffee-garden path to our home. I glanced up as a military truck pulled up. At least a dozen uniformed men with automatic rifles piled out. The sudden pandemonium, screams, wailing, and sense of fear were overwhelming. These militant “pigs” took over the village. We were stunned – like an avalanche or tsunami stunned. We were ill prepared for such an event. Survival skills for such a mishap were not a priority.

I did not feel courageous. I felt like crapping my pants. I was, at that moment, empathetically extending myself by not redirecting the truck back down the Kweno Mountain road. The vehicle veered to the left and missed a significant bog. The headlights erratically fell onto the faces of one hundred villagers. Standing in the dark and mist with the stoicism of granite statues, they had been waiting in silence for Fiona and me to arrive. The rain began to fall harder.

A series of out-of-body experiences (OBE) unfolded in the span of two weeks after I landed in Detroit, confirming my insanities.

About John E. Quinlan

John E. Quinlan is the founder and CEO of Growth Strategies Global LLC, an organization development consulting firm that specializes in family-founded and closely held businesses, as well as executive development, organizational change management and strategic planning.

Formerly, Quinlan was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of a publicly traded financial services holding company. Between 1972 and 1985 he guided this organization from inception to 300 employees and $430 million in assets, and with 28 offices in 14 states.

He’s been a leadership/CEO coach and a management consultant in the United States, and owned a fishing business in the South Pacific. He also owned Java Mama, a Certified Organic & Rainforest Alliance export coffee company in Papua New Guinea where he ran a cross-cultural business with neighboring tribes.

The seven years he spent with the Papua New Guinea business rose from the search for a different kind of life. After the humiliation of losing his publicly traded company in 1985, Quinlan began a motorcycle trek through the United States – a quest for self-discovery that led him to realize that vulnerability and honesty are the foundations for a strong character. Pulling from his experience of the past 40 years, Quinlan has written the book Tau Bada: The Quest and Memoir of a Vulnerable Man. The experiences he writes about are what give him the strategies he uses today that make him so effective as a consultant. Quinlan incorporates a strong behavioral science approach to his work, allowing him to operate from a unique philosophy that has shown proven success across the board.

His consulting experiences include: Former Governor Buddy Rhoemer of Louisiana, F. X. Coughlin Co., Acorn Windows, Cadillac Coffee, McMillan Bros, Industrial Radiant, Inc., Panell Kerr Forster, BDO Siedman, Broad Voght & Conant, Comerica, Vistage, formerly The Executive Committee (TEC) International Display Producers, Gail & Rice, Cox Hodgeman & Giarmarco, Central Detroit Warehouse, Office Pavilion Inc., Great Lakes Woodworking, Michigan Seat Company, Engineering Services Group, Inc., Detroit Art Services, C.A. Muer Company.

As the lead change consultant working with Detroit Mayor Dennis M. Archer and Freeman Hendrix, Chief of Staff, Mr. Quinlan developed the first Integrated Values Based Change Strategy Plan for the City of Detroit, encompassing 43 departments and 19,000 employees.

John Quinlan holds a BA degree in Economics from Albion College, Albion, Michigan and a Master of Science degree in Organizational Development (MSOD) from the American University, Washington, D.C. where he graduated “with distinction” for his written comps in 1990.

Married to Fiona, he has three stepdaughters and resides in Grosse Pointe, Michigan and Cairns, Australia.

The post Former Detroit CEO Finds Vulnerability – and Fine-tunes His Business Savvy – in Tribal Papua New Guinea appeared first on Home Business Magazine.

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