About

SodySpokes

Welcome to SodySpokes, our family newsletter. It was originally intended, for the A. Lee Soderborg family, to be merely a quarterly investment club forum, where we were to share financial information and insights, on topics ranging from savings and investments to spending and budgeting, which would help us to get/stay out of debt, and enjoy financial prosperity.

However, comma, it has evolved, into a more all-encompassing newsletter, (through a series of hostile takeovers and assimilations)

Financial term of the quarter:

Hostile takeover:
This is business/financial lingo for assimilation (which is Borg lingo). It refers to an involuntary merging of two entities, where the desires of the individuals are subjugated to the needs of the many, for the benefit of the whole. (aka: communism)

The original family newsletter, The Newsy Nine had its limitations as it changed its name to the Newsy Nine, plus one, sub two; to the Newsy Seven, plus…, sub…, minus…, sub-sub…, whatever, whatever to try and accommodate marriages, children, divorces, deaths, grandchildren, great-grand children, etc. Its name just became too unwieldy.
However, comma, its original purpose is needed now, more than ever.  (Whatever that was.) It can also become a clearinghouse for family history info.
So it was suggested that we create a SodySpokes for the extended family.  This will also allow us to have Virtual Families Reunions, throughout the year.

The name “SodySpokes” was agreed upon after much collaboration and argument.

At first glance one might think that we are illiterate or our grammar is Wr…wr…wro…mistaken, and we should have rendered “Sody spokes” as “Sody speaks” or “Sody spake” or “Sody has spoken.”

And although that could of/should of/would of been, the underlying theme of our newsletter, (and indeed still can be), the name actually comes from lessons given over the years, inspired by the Church’s welfare program.

Personal and Family Preparedness have been the watchwords, the motto, dare we say the battle cry, of the welfare program of the Church for many years, and we propose that we adopt it as our own.

For those of you not familiar with these lessons…

Personal preparedness is made up of five different areas of our lives. They are:

• MIND,
• SPIRIT,
• BODY,
• SOCIAL and,
• FINANCIAL.

They are easy to remember because we all have a mind, a spirit, and a body. Social, because no man is an Island, (you can break out into song if you wish,) and financial, because money is what makes the world go round.

If we plot each of these in a circular graph they resemble the spokes to a wheel. Thus to become a well-rounded individual, we must develop each of these areas of our lives. If we don’t we will have flat spots in our lives.

Graph your life now! This will let you visually see which areas to concentrate on.

Family Preparedness consists of essentially the same areas. They are: 

• Literacy and Education,
• Career Development,
• Financial and Resource Management,
• Home Production and Storage,
• Physical Health,
• Social, Emotional, and Spiritual Strength.

As you can see they are the five individual areas…expanded and sub-divided for a family.

As we plot each of these in a circular graph we develop wheels suitable for a family. And as we customize the topics we will develop our very own spokes, suitable for OUR family. Thus Sody Spokes.

We (royal) propose that we (collective) each take an area or two and further combine or subdivide them, (for example Social, Emotional, and Spiritual Strength ought to all be separated,) and report on them in our respective columns.  Or add a section on family history.

Which, oh by the way, brings up an interesting point of discussion, you are all hired/enlisted/assimilated into this cause as reporters for Sody Spokes. (You’re welcome very much!) You get to name your own column, and are expected (although not required…we will go to press, (so to speak), without you if necessary) to produce a column quarterly and/or seasonally (referring to weather and not holidays) i.e.: Summer, Spring, Winter, and Fall (although not necessarily in that order.)

Also, note the different sections in SodySpokes.
There is “Family Tree” which lists the Siblings and Descendants. There is also a “Life As It Is” for basically, what’s new in your life. Also, “The Iron Spoke” which is for more spiritual posts (i.e. Talks/Lessons for Church). “Dollar Dollops” is where we will share our financial information and insights. “Just For Fun” for funny/random stuff. And lastly, there is “Uncategorized” which basically, is anything that doesn’t really fit in to any of the other categories. (Bear in mind that you can post an article in more than one section).

Furthermore, depending upon various articles that might spring up, one should note that other sections may be added.

And so begins the exciting family editorial of SodySpokes.

So as we try to visualize this, what would a bicycle built for two, that has been expanded to be a bicycle built for the collective, look like as we expand?  A parallel tandem bicycle?  A gaggle of unicycles tied together with bungee cords?  An eighteen wheeler convoy?  …or are we carrying this analogy thing a bit too far?

Happy Spoking?, Spokeing?, Spoke-ing!