I have sat down several times in the past couple days to write. I have, what seems to be, a thousand topics but once my fingers hit the keyboard, I either forget them all, can’t form a sentence, change my mind, get distracted, want to do something else, determine it will be too long for one post, etc. You get the point. It isn’t that I don’t want to write, it is that I am not staying focused. Also, I am easily agitated, irritated, depressed, teary, emotional, anxious, paranoid, etc…you know, classic downward falling signs. All of this will, more than likely, be reflected in my writing. As Forest Gump once poetically said, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get.” With me, this week, its my moods. So this post, I decided will just be a hodge podge of things. Buckle up and keep up.
I finished my mandatory meeting with the unemployment office. It was what I expected. I was over prepared and yet, I managed not to give them the exact information they wanted. Lesson learned: when dealing with bureaucrats, always dumb it down and fill in every blank. They apparently don’t like blanks.
I am still applying for jobs. I have come to the conclusion that employers screen based on computer algorithms rather than content. Keywords are important. In their endless quest for the perfect employee or the perfect fit, they have removed the human connection or forgotten at one time, they, too were looking for a job. The best job applications are the ones with open ended questions like, “What sets you apart from other candidates?” or “What makes you unique?” My new favorite is, “In 150 characters, tell us why we should read your resume.” Lesson learned: employers really don’t know what they are looking for. They have an open position and they need to fill it. Some will keep searching until they become desperate and some will fill it with the first available. If you have the opportunity to write your own headline, do it and do it authentically. Personally, I throw political correctness out the window and just go with my gut. The point is to get their attention. If they want to fill the position, they will. If not, you never had a chance anyway.
No matter how old my children are, I still can’t help but see them and think of them as little kids. I know my son is nearly 18. I know he is responsible and can drive and go out but I cannot rest when he is not in the house. Makes Friday nights when he out a little later than other nights, rather sleepless. I am sure it is annoying to him when I am a wee bit “moody” and I start texting. I do try not to but I cannot help it. I am positive there is nothing better than being out with friends or a girlfriend and your phone keeps buzzing or dinging because your mom is texting. Then again, do you think it bothers me? Not one single bit. I am after all, mom. Lesson learned: he is and always will be my child. I am responsible for him and he is accountable to me. I pay for the phone and the car and everything else. If I want to put a GPS tracker on the car, I can. That’s what is wrong with the world today, kids think they are grown ups and grown ups think they are supposed to be kid’s friends. Wrong! We are parents.
I have stepped outside of my comfort zone and cooked. I have actually tried new recipes. Who knew there were recipes on Pinterest? I mean I am on there all the time but I skip over those sorts of things. I am not a big fan of cooking but from time to time, I do it. All that I cooked turned out fine. Could they have been better? Of course. Will I try them again? The one I will. Lesson Learned: never ask a know it all teen for feedback. As long as it is editable, no one should really complain. As long as I am trying, I really shouldn’t care what anyone says. But I did learn to communicate my plans or else some of the ingredients will disappear.
I watched a TED talk. (Saw a video with parts of it so I looked up the entire talk) TED talks are a big thing from what I understand. This one was about why pedophiles should be a protected class of people. They are “misunderstood” and only sexual predators because of society. If they were accepted they would be better off and so would society. They are good people with a different sexual preference. They don’t always act upon it and the majority just misunderstand them. Are you kidding me? Lesson learned: people will do anything to justify the unthinkable to those who do not know how to think in a society who is committed to acceptance, no moral standard and tolerance when it suits a minority regardless of consequences based on ideology that changes based on the mood of those driving an agenda when the majority is silent.
Speaking of videos… I saw a couple I thought were just great. One was a lion that walked up to a dog. It looked like the lion kissed its paw. Seriously. Raised its paw and kissed it. Afterwards, the dog ran off and the lion followed but we didn’t see that part. Me being me, I had to ask the obvious… what was the dog doing in the lion’s pen in the first place? Was the lion really “asking for forgiveness” as the video was labeled or was he merely checking to see if his food was good? These are questions I ask. Lesson learned: sometimes, just enjoy the video and don’t overthink it.
I also saw a video where a group of employees chipped in to buy their boss a gift. What is so special about that? This was no ordinary gift. These employees chipped in and spent what had to be quite a bit of money. But that was beside the point. You see, their boss was color blind and had been his whole life. Imagine not being able to see true color. They had bought him these technology advanced sunglasses that gave him the ability to see color in true vibrant shades. For the first time, he got to experience everything. Watching it, it was hard to tell who was more excited, the boss or the employees. It was amazing to watch as they all experienced the colors through his eyes for the first time. I’ll admit, I cried. Lesson learned: the gifts we give sometimes give back as much as it gives when we give from the heart. Regardless of the size of the investment, when you can change someones life for the better, take it because it will change yours.
Two high profile funerals happened this week. The passing of music legend Aretha Franklin and Senator John McCain. Both were very public figures so it makes sense that their passing made news and headlines around the world. One was an entertainment icon the other a veteran and political figure. Both deserving of respect in their respective fields. I did not know them personally but I knew of and about them. I knew about them from the body of work they left behind or in essence, the legacy they built. Both had public memorials and funerals. Both funerals, at points, turned into bashing of the current presidential administration. Instead of mourning the passing and focusing on the great accomplishments each did and the impact they had; the legacy they built and worked hard to embed to be carried on, people could not help but turn it into an opportunity to twist politics (more to the point opinionated, one sided, negative antics) into what should be reserved for a celebration of life. Lesson learned: there is nothing sacred or off limits when it comes to the spreading of propaganda to the masses. Every time there is a mass audience there will be, no doubt, a message to be heard; delivered by someone with an agenda expected to be heard by mindless drones echoed by the media who forgot the real story. No event, no person, no place is off limits; what once was scared is no longer. There is no such thing as respect. Where once there was a time for everything, now only somethings have a time.
Pay attention to California. If the San Andres fault doesn’t miraculously knock it into the ocean, it’s stupidity will. First there was the bill to ban all religious material which included the bible… wonder if that means the Qua-ran, too, or if it is just limited to Christian religious material. The public records request for that bill has not been fulfilled yet. Then there was the proposal to divide it into three separate states. Now, to be fair, that has been proposed before and failed. This time; however, there is new support. Never before has self instated segregation been more blatant. Then came the bill to eliminate bail. Not sure exactly how that works. California is only so big. But maybe that bill works in conjunction with the splitting into three states and if incarcerated, you get banned to one of the new states; hence exiled from California. Now comes a new bill that makes it illegal for a middle school or high school to start before 8:30 am. The reasoning behind it is that studies indicate students do better if they have more sleep. Say what? Did you forget elementary students? Oh, I see. One assumes parents make little children go to bed early. Middle school and High School students are responsible thus with later start time they will take it upon themselves to go to bed and get up and be refreshed. Where are the parents here? Lesson learned: Avoid the west coast. Law makers have lost their minds. Forgotten basic civics (i.e. state powers vs. local) Voters are uneducated or apathetic. And pay attention. If it happens there, it can happen anywhere because some fool will think it is prescient, use it and try it somewhere else.
The biggest thing I came away with this week: prayer. Be intentional. There are so many things we need to pray about. All the time. As a nation, as a church, as a family, as friends as a person – prayer.
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