what was i thinking?

so, it has occured to me over the course of this past week that i had a HUGE brain fart! why in the world did i think i could handle 4 jobs? i definitely am not working at bath & body....nothing against them, i had no time. i really am finding it extremely challenging to work at 3 jobs. i really hope that by cutting my hours at starbucks and by getting better adjusted over the next couple of weeks that things will calm down. it's hard when everything is totally new and you have to prepare for things for the first time, all the time. don't get me wrong, it's hard, but i LOVE IT here!!!!! there are so many things i have wanted to post on this blog, but this is the first free moment i've had to even sit down and think. so, i hope there will be more to come in the next few days ahead....so, stay tuned......

whew!

Lets just say I've been a little busy! I've really hit the ground running this week....training at Starbucks, start-up with Boys to Men & Girlfriends, and orientation at Bath & Body Works, all the while trying to set up and complete presentations for Arbonne. That's right, I essentially have four jobs right now. Not sure what I was thinking....but hopefully it will level out soon!

I feel so BLESSED to be here! Working with Boys to Men and Girlfriends is just where the Lord has me!! It's fantastic!!!!! I am honestly amazed at how much this already feels like home and exactly where I am supposed to be!

Funny for the day:

While making and sampling frappuccinos at Starbucks today, I ran across an interesting concoction called the Green Tea Frappuccino....YUCK!!!!!!!!! It's a mushed baby pee green color and it tastes about like it's color.....stear clear of that one!! I don't quite have the talent of applying whipped cream to beverages....so, if you got a lop-sided whipped cream at Starbucks today, it may have come from me....I'll try to do better next time :)

barista!

I am now an employee of Starbucks! That's right, I'll be making coffee or the drink of choice to the highly addicted of Johnson City, TN. You might be wondering what in the world I am doing working at Starbucks, there are many reasons, some of which I'm sure are unknown at this time. Here are a few to start....flexible hours, a super-fun atmosphere to work in, not sitting at a desk, benefits, and all the coffee I could ever begin to drink (I'm just thankful I'm not working at Marble Slab, or I would weigh 500lbs....I seem to have my amount of coffee/frappuccino consumption under control for now). So, if you're ever in town, come by and see me at Starbucks...I'll whip you up somethin' you could only dream of, well, that is when I learn how.

NASCAR

It had to come up sooner or later.....NASCAR in TN is like football in TX.....it's the craze among many people, not everyone, but much more than in TX. I really don't understand it, I've never understood what's fun about cars going around in circles really fast and crashing into one another. But, clearly, according to some I've met in TN, I am missing out on some entertainment that many enjoy.

There is a house here in Johnson City that is a sort of shrine to NASCAR. This is an actual car in a glass box in the yard......

...and the mural on the outside of the house.....the yard is also decorated with checkered flags, a smaller replica of a race car, and of course, checkered yard timbers.

I'm contemplating going to a race to see what all the craze is about.....or maybe I should hold out for the 'Stros to come smash the Braves in Atlanta :)

dropout nation

A few thoughts....this is a long one!

I read about and saw this special that TIME magazine and Oprah teamed up on, entitled "Droupout Nation". It was an interesting and somewhat enlightening study....you should check it out at http://www.time.com. Really, if you have time, check it out and pray about what you can do to help improve this situation (there are some good articles minus Oprah's bias).

Having spent the past 5 years around students of all shapes, sizes, genders, and economic backgrounds, I agree with what they presented as factual evidence of the state that our public schools are in, specifically schools in large cities or in high poverty areas. They are a wreck....droupout rates are incredibly high, students are frightened to be in school because of violence, many kids don't function in school because they are coming from a violent environment at home or on the streets and entering into a school environment that often times isn't any safer or more stimulating, kids are hungry, fighting for survival, taking care of brothers and sisters, taking drugs to mask hunger and other pains of life.

One of the main problems posed on Oprah's show was the vast difference between educational tools and opportunities in schools across the US. They compared two schools in the Chicago area....one in "inner city" Chicago and another in suburbia....yes, they were very different. Honestly it was a shocking diffence. The kids at the suburban school had state of the art computers and a work out center that put most public gyms that we pay for each month to shame. The kids in inner city had a gym that had a leaky ceiling that was falling to the ground and locker rooms without functioning plumming.

There are many answers to the problems in our public schools. But I want to challenge the answer posed on Oprah's show....so, here's the question....is this a display of inequality brought on by personal lifestyle choices or discrimination brought on by the government? My answer to this question and hers were very different....surprising huh?

As subtly as she could, Oprah no doubt was pushing an agenda for governmental discrimination, which was undoubtedly spurned by the great Rev. Jesse Jackson as she indicated on her show. Maybe Oprah should think twice about affiliating herself with one of the most known nut cases for propagating discrimination in America.

Back to the problem at hand.....yes, we have schools that are dramatically inadequate and other schools that have way more than any child could possibly need. But, I believe the problem is parents who have made choices which have sacrificed opportunities for their children. Where are all these schools with great technology and opportunities? Mostly in suburbia....where there are moderate to wealthy taxpayers. What about the poor schools....some of which don't even have functioning plumming.....that's right, they are in poorer areas. The "inner city", where governemtnal and HUD housing is common and honestly a high popluation of people who don't pay taxes, who are living off of government subsidies...or they are in rural America, where there isn't a lot of tax money to pay for schools because populations are lower.

Unfortunately, I believe, we as individuals segregate ourselves. We choose where we want to live, who we want to spend our time with, and what we want to do with our time. To work or not to work. Yes, our choices are influenced by our family history, schooling, background, etc. But, ultimately, we as individuals make our own choices, each and every day! I don't think our government is holding us into patterns of discrimination or purposely keeping one group of people from certain educational opportunities. Quite honestly, it isn't the governemnt's responsibility to educate and raise our children. It's our own. If you see a child who doesn't have parents...whether the parents are physically present or not, then do something to help....don't sit around and think, "I pay taxes, so I shouldn't have to do anything else". I think we can all see where that attitude has gotten us.

Now, what's the solution? Not sure, but here's my thought for something all of us can do. Find out what's going on in schools in your area. If you find inadequacy....stand up, fight for it to be changed. Because here's the reality....if we don't invest in students now and attempt to give them a good start at becoming functioning adults in society, we will spend that time and money many times over as they live on government subsidies, wind up in prison, etc, etc. Take time to care about a child, invest in your local schools and students. Become a mentor. Volunteer in the public schools. It's not only a right you have as a tax payer, but I believe our duty.

If you know me, you know I love students. Especially students who seem to have no future, no opportunity, no one who cares. But, here's the thing, they have a hope and an opportunity; it needs to be shown to them; and most importantly, they need to see that there are people who care, not just people who talk about caring.

Ultimately, I believe that we will see the demise of our nation if we continue to ask our government to educate, raise and give us everything we are "entitled" to, and we, as individuals will be held responsible for the choices we made.

A few thoughts from me....what about you?