I was trying to think of a topic for today’s post when I realized there was no point in writing about anything but the Super Bowl. Except I’m not much of a football fan. So I decided to do what most of you may have done, focus on the commercials. I tried flipping back and forth for the commercials, until I decided to just catch them online after the game. So, for those of you who just want to catch up on the commercials, here’s a link. What other sites do you know of? What were your favorites? Least favorites? Read More
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In order to go forward, you must look back
When I first started my current job, I spent most of my first year learning the lay of the land. That included finding out how things were done in the past, what things worked well, what things should be changed, etc. I couldn’t move forward without knowing where we’d been as a department. This concept also applies to life. There are symbols and events in our nation’s collective history that should never be forgotten. People often have varying opinions about how much we should focus on history vs. moving forward. However, I believe that if you don’t know what has Read More
You reap what you sow
Most of my experience as an employee and a volunteer has been in some form of customer service. I have been cussed out by a customer in a crowded restaurant, talked down to by parents who were trying to get over on me and just plain disregarded by people in a range of positions. Perhaps it is my experience of being mistreated and unappreciated that motivates me to give a smile and heartfelt thank you to people whose job it is to serve me. I have heard others say, “That’s their job, they’re supposed to do it.” I just don’t Read More
“My Favorite Poet”
In early elementary school, somewhere between 3rd-5th grade, I wrote a report on Langston Hughes. I even drew a portrait of him for the title page. Looking back, I have no idea what it was about Hughes that wooed me as a child. Heck, I can’t quite put into words why I’m drawn to his work, now! I’m usually hesitant to start listing my “favorite” of anything; but if I had a favorite poet, Langston Hughes would be it. Perhaps one thing I admire about him is his courage to explore other areas of literature. But more than anything, I Read More
Do you follow through?
I had about 4 hours of sleep last night and have spent the last 24+ hours putting out fires (figurative, not literal) related to the big blizzard. I have been fantasizing about the moment my head would hit the pillow tonight. Fast forward to 9:55 p.m. (CST). I’d started playing my soft worship music on the mp3 player next to the bed, gotten myself positioned just right up under the covers with my body pillow properly supporting my knees…and I exhaled, letting my head sink into my pillow. Oh, sweet sleep was soon to come. Then I remembered that I Read More
The Blizzard of 2011:(Enter clever play on words here)
Snowpocalypse, Snowmageddon, Snowtorious B.I.G., Snoprah, SNOMG…so far, these are all of the nicknames for the blizzard that is currently raging outside (and inside) my windows. As we know, life is all about perspective. People who live in ski-resort towns are excited about the insane amounts of snow being dumped on us. Kids who get a snow day are equally ecstatic. However, while we’re all warm ‘n cozy inside our homes, let’s remember that there are people out in the elements trying to keep the roads safe, or responding to accidents and medical emergencies. Even more, there are people who don’t Read More
Take a moment to reflect
Today, I led an activity that both honored the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and acknowledged the beginning of Black History Month. A part of that activity included 3 reflection questions. This post is simply to share those questions with you. Think about them. Write out your answers, and place them somewhere where you can see them every day as a reminder. How am I helping to make Dr. King’s dream a reality? How do I fall short when it comes to embracing people from other cultures? What are some ways I can improve in the area of Read More
Stand still and know
I was watching “Men in Black” for the billioneth time today and noticed something I’d never paid attention to before. (Warning: I’m going to speak under the assumption that people reading this are familiar with the movie.) Toward the end of the movie, Agents J and K shoot a flying spaceship, to prevent the occupant from leaving Earth. We watch as this large ship comes crashing back down to the ground and skids to a stop. J and K are close enough to the action for the wind to blow K’s hair back. Yet, neither of them flinches or runs Read More
What about your friends?
I had every intention of writing about a totally different topic. But while I was out running an errand, my mind got to wandering (as it often does). Somehow I ended up on the topic of what a “real” friend is (vs. the people we refer to as “friends” on social networks). I’ll admit that I have “friends” on Facebook I’ve never met in person. Those numbers are pretty small, but I met these people through mutual friends. I enjoy the conversations we have, and some of them have become sources of encouragement and laughter. However, I’d classify them as Read More
Charlie
I used to have a plant named Charlie. Out of all the plants I had, Charlie was sort of my favorite because he was different than the others. Charlie had been growing wonderfully since I’d gotten him. Then one day, when I came home, he was completely drooped over. I didn’t know what the problem was, and I got worried about Charlie. The next day, as I checked on him and watered him, I started to sing “Cheer Up, Charlie” from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” That’s how Charlie got his name. After a few days, Charlie seemed to Read More