Thursday, April 19, 2007

One Big Ramble....

Over the past couple weeks there have been so many things to comment on but just have not known how to put them in words. I am going to finally attempt as I think it is time. This may ramble but I will try to keep focus. :-)

First...to the victims, their families, friends, those injured and anyone touched by the tragedy that happened at Virginia Tech this week...my prayers go to you. I have not been able to quit listening to the stories and trying to understand what makes something like this happen. There is just no good reason. Kids are supposed to be safe. Parents are supposed to be able to send their children away to college with the peace of mind that they are safe and things like this will not happen. In the lives of those students it is their first step to independence. A time that is supposed to let them learn to not fear and to know they can survive out on their own and make it on their own. It is that transitional step from living at home with your parents to being out on your own.

I read a transcript of a conversation between a mother and a daughter at VT. The daughter was in the building and just laying low but managed to get online and speak with her brother and mother. You could hear the fear in her conversation. The mother just tried to comfort her and have her relax. Told her that she would be ok. The only thing this girl wanted was to go home and be with her family. I just cannot imagine being a mother watching that on TV and then having your daughter on the inside giving you the play by play and wondering with every pause in conversation if something has gone bad. Towards the end of their conversation all the girl wanted was to get home and be with her family. I hope she was able to get that.

Living so far away from my family, I know that feeling of just needing a hug from a Mom, Dad, Brother or Sister. I have never been through anything like they were but when times get hard you always want to be able to get to those close to you that support you and will stand behind you no matter what. For that reason I miss my family, it is not easy to just get back home and get that hug.

Second...this is a little older but the entire Don Imus debacle. Let me begin by saying, I do not condone what he said and I think he was wrong for taking away from the accomplishments the women's basketball team at Rutgers had just enjoyed. That is the story that was lost, this was a team that pulled together and brought themselves to the top of their game and together prospered.

That having been said. Was it necessary to drag this through the media the way that it was and turn it into the spectacle that it became? If this had not hit the media, I would have never known that he made the comment. My guess is that the majority of people that were at the center of these stories never would have heard these comments either. I also believe that most of the people that did hear it were able to shake their heads and say to themselves "That's just Imus".

I believe the media and all the attention given this situation is where the hate comes from. We sow those seeds by drawing attention to it. I was becoming angry with the whole situation the more I heard about it. It angered me that people seem to call for us to be angry. They want us to get mad and to be angry over this.

We learn early in life that if we want wounds to heal we cannot pick at them and aggravate them. We have to leave them alone and let them heal on their own. This is a constant picking of a wound that will not allow us to become one. I hope someday this is figured out and that this country can become greater than it already is.

Third...Monday I had a job interview with a big box retailer like Best Buy. As I went to this interview I had to ask myself if this was a place I would want to work or not. I still wonder the same things. You see, I believe customer service is very important at all levels of a business. Especially when it comes to that very first impression. I walked into an office with white walls, folding tables and chairs spread around a room in total disarray. One of the tables was set up like a receptionist desk. On the door as I entered was a hand written sign that said the name of the company and District Office.

Is this how this company really wants to be perceived? I believe that if you want someone to work for you you need to show that you are going to be a nice place to work. When I arrived, I was not greeted or given any direction. I was handed an application and told to fill it out. My interview was scheduled for 10am and as that time passed by I was never given any direction or even information that they were running behind. It was 10:30 and finally someone came out and asked me to come back. My problem here is not that it was late but the fact that I was not given any information. If I had showed up late for my 10am interview they certainly would have noted it and probably formed an opinion on my reliability. Especially if I gave them no reason for being late. I believe that as someone being interviewed I deserve the same respect that I give to them. I arrived early and I told them who I was and why I was there. They told me nothing but to fill out their paperwork and sit down. On the upside it was positive and I am going for a second interview tomorrow. I do not know what will come of it but it is a start to something that might work out.

Finally...SAYONARA Sanjaya....I have been waiting for Sanjaya to be gone for weeks. I cannot believe he made it this far. It has been a long disturbing rise for someone that just could not figure out how to showcase the talent that he has. Now I can finally look forward to all the performances each week on American Idol. As for my choice, I am a Melinda Doolittle fan.

Well there you have a few things that have been on my mind for as long as a couple weeks. I have not reread what I wrote so I hope I did not ramble in too many circles. Sometimes when I get so many thoughts in my head I tend to ramble and not take my time to focus. I Look forward to comments and blogging more soon.