Buzz of the Day
When I moved away, I didn't get much support from my family. Financial or otherwise. I had saved up money so even when I was in Kalamazoo with no job, I was okay...for a while.
I don't recall the exact moment. Probably because it was probably more of a series of events that led to me hitting rock bottom. It was when I realized that nobody would come to extend a hand if I fell flat on my face. That was a terrible time. But it was also very liberating! Once you hit rock bottom, there's no way to go but up. You understand that either you'll pull yourself off the ground or you'll just stay there. That moment should be experienced by everyone. It was the beginning of my real independence.
I was talking to a guy last week who said he never treat his kids like his parents treated him. They didn't treat him bad. It was actually the opposite. He feels like they never let him fail. When he screwed up, they'd tell him it was ok and they'd give him money. He is very much an adult now and they still pay for many of his expenses. He is a successful professional, but he still receives an allowance! He has a false sense of what the real world actual entails. He doesn't blame his parents, he just wishes that things were not always handed to him. I think it's safe to say that he has never hit rock bottom. Will he be able to overcome this or will he eventually land flat on his face without a clue of how to pull himself up? I don't know. I think that all depends on the person. I don't know about everyone else, but it did wonders for me.
I plan to have the resources to spoil my children very much when they arrive. But I also plan on letting them figure things out on their own for the experience. I'd like them to learn how it feels to hit rock bottom and hopefully they become even more appreciative of the things they have.
I'm sure it is difficult to let your children fail, especially if you can prevent it. But those "real life" experiences, in my opinion, is one of the best gifts that we can give.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
I Do?
Buzz of the Day
Why do men get married? Is it the same reasons that women get married? And no, I'm not having regrets about my marriage. Thank you very much.
I was just looking at some pics on facebook of a guy I know and he looks so happy. The only thing is, I know the truth.
When my wife and I went to pre-marriage counseling, the reverend said that many people get married for other things besides love. That was very interesting. I got married because I love my wife and I plan on spending the rest of my life with her. Period.
A guy I know who's contemplating marriage has been asking me questions about being married. Questions like how many events do you have to attend on a monthly basis that your wife drags you to. I'm sorry to say, but those are things are minute. There will definitely be bigger issues than that. If that is all you have to worry about, you have a life many people would love to have.
Why do men get married? Is it the same reasons that women get married? And no, I'm not having regrets about my marriage. Thank you very much.
I was just looking at some pics on facebook of a guy I know and he looks so happy. The only thing is, I know the truth.
When my wife and I went to pre-marriage counseling, the reverend said that many people get married for other things besides love. That was very interesting. I got married because I love my wife and I plan on spending the rest of my life with her. Period.
A guy I know who's contemplating marriage has been asking me questions about being married. Questions like how many events do you have to attend on a monthly basis that your wife drags you to. I'm sorry to say, but those are things are minute. There will definitely be bigger issues than that. If that is all you have to worry about, you have a life many people would love to have.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Training Camp
Buzz of the Day
July 31 marks the beginning of another Detroit Lions training camp. What does that mean? Well, it depends on who you ask. I believe in learning from your mistakes, making adjustments, and doing your best to avoid prior mistakes while not being afraid to make new ones.
Sometimes we get so passive because we don't want to make mistakes. I am definitely guilty of this. I am going to work on that. I'm going to work on really studying history, current events, and my profession. In my field, there is no training camp. You adjust on the fly, from your first day to your last. The easier that you can adjust, the more successful you'll be.
So as I root for the Lions this year (yeah, I'm still a fan), I am hopeful that changes to the players and coaches bring about a new result. So as I root for the Lions and their improvement, I will be busting my butt, doing my best to improve on a daily basis.
July 31 marks the beginning of another Detroit Lions training camp. What does that mean? Well, it depends on who you ask. I believe in learning from your mistakes, making adjustments, and doing your best to avoid prior mistakes while not being afraid to make new ones.
Sometimes we get so passive because we don't want to make mistakes. I am definitely guilty of this. I am going to work on that. I'm going to work on really studying history, current events, and my profession. In my field, there is no training camp. You adjust on the fly, from your first day to your last. The easier that you can adjust, the more successful you'll be.
So as I root for the Lions this year (yeah, I'm still a fan), I am hopeful that changes to the players and coaches bring about a new result. So as I root for the Lions and their improvement, I will be busting my butt, doing my best to improve on a daily basis.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Slightly Distracted
Buzz of the Day
I've been extremely distracted for the past couple of weeks. My wife had an opportunity with one of the employment agencies to get a full-time position. The benefits were better than mine (I'll leave it at that) and the salary would have allowed us to have more freedom financially. Well, the long and short of it is this: She didn't get it. I was disappointed more for my wife than "our" situation. She is an extremely hard worker, very smart, and loyal to a fault. She went and graduated in 4 years (just like they tell you to), and hasn't gotten many breaks while pursuing full-time employment. Sometimes you feel like you can't get a break. My wife hasn't gotten one and my heart hurts because this job was another opportunity that slipped through her fingers.
I was so nervous during her interview process that it was hard for me to concentrate on my job! So naturally she's been down since and so have I. It has taken me weeks to pull myself together. I've interviewed for jobs, only to come up just short and it sucks! The biggest thing is I'm tired of telling her things are going to be fine. I know they will, but she needs someone to just listen right now. I like to solve problems, so with my hands tied, it really bothers me. So I'll let her vent and...you know what? It does stink that she's tried to do things the right way her entire life...God has a plan and very rarely (if at all) does our plan coincide with His. Especially the timeliness of things.
For all of you who are facing obstacles from everywhere...stay strong. I believe if you stay in the game long enough, good fortune will come your way. As I think about "bad luck" that my wife and I have had, I can't help but be grateful for all of the wonderful blessings that God has given us.
I've been extremely distracted for the past couple of weeks. My wife had an opportunity with one of the employment agencies to get a full-time position. The benefits were better than mine (I'll leave it at that) and the salary would have allowed us to have more freedom financially. Well, the long and short of it is this: She didn't get it. I was disappointed more for my wife than "our" situation. She is an extremely hard worker, very smart, and loyal to a fault. She went and graduated in 4 years (just like they tell you to), and hasn't gotten many breaks while pursuing full-time employment. Sometimes you feel like you can't get a break. My wife hasn't gotten one and my heart hurts because this job was another opportunity that slipped through her fingers.
I was so nervous during her interview process that it was hard for me to concentrate on my job! So naturally she's been down since and so have I. It has taken me weeks to pull myself together. I've interviewed for jobs, only to come up just short and it sucks! The biggest thing is I'm tired of telling her things are going to be fine. I know they will, but she needs someone to just listen right now. I like to solve problems, so with my hands tied, it really bothers me. So I'll let her vent and...you know what? It does stink that she's tried to do things the right way her entire life...God has a plan and very rarely (if at all) does our plan coincide with His. Especially the timeliness of things.
For all of you who are facing obstacles from everywhere...stay strong. I believe if you stay in the game long enough, good fortune will come your way. As I think about "bad luck" that my wife and I have had, I can't help but be grateful for all of the wonderful blessings that God has given us.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Buzz Kill
Buzz of the Day
Things are not fair. They never have been. They never will be. Should there be an attempt to level the playing field somewhat? If you say yes, who should do that?
Those people who have the power and influence don't see a problem with things the way they are. My co-worker said, "Get a job and have your employer pay for your insurance." I replied, "What if you can't get a job?" To which he replied, "Too bad." Wow. That will be the last conversation that we have regarding things of that nature. It is crystal clear to me that he's not budging in his stance.
I don't know what the right way is to handle things. But my co-workers that I've been talking to are soooo against free education and universal health care. My question is, "So what do we do then?" And they give me that look like, "Nothing."
God forbid their fortunes ever change, but I wonder what their opinion would be if the shoe was on the other foot.
Things are not fair. They never have been. They never will be. Should there be an attempt to level the playing field somewhat? If you say yes, who should do that?
Those people who have the power and influence don't see a problem with things the way they are. My co-worker said, "Get a job and have your employer pay for your insurance." I replied, "What if you can't get a job?" To which he replied, "Too bad." Wow. That will be the last conversation that we have regarding things of that nature. It is crystal clear to me that he's not budging in his stance.
I don't know what the right way is to handle things. But my co-workers that I've been talking to are soooo against free education and universal health care. My question is, "So what do we do then?" And they give me that look like, "Nothing."
God forbid their fortunes ever change, but I wonder what their opinion would be if the shoe was on the other foot.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Has There Been Any Blacks In Space?
Buzz of the Day
Well, hello there. I feel awful that it's been almost a week since my last post. I have some good stuff today though. Hopefully this will make up for it:
The last time I posted, I talked about some race relations type of conversation I had with my co-worker. Well since that day, I've had about 3 more conversations with 2 of my co-workers. I don't care to get into what our conversation entailed. Not because I'm so upset or offended. Because I think we've all heard it before....Well, let me just give you the premise:
I tried to explain how history cannot be ignored and it plays a bigger part than people want to believe currently. The two white guys (co-workers) that I was talking to said that black people should just not worry about the past. What's done is done. I realized that I was wasting my breath. Coming from their perspective, growing up like they have, they can't wrap their brain around certain things.
I also realized that it is important to know the past. It is important to know how this country was built and the groundwork that was laid for us to get to this point.
I am not one to make excuses because I'm black. "Well, the man is holding me back." Never. I also won't defend those that make excuses. I will do my best to explain circumstances that you may not be familiar with. Paint a picture for you.
As I write this, I can't get my words together. How do you attempt to explain something that started 400 years ago? The civil rights movement? How they had dogs attack us, beat us with clubs, and then arrested us...because we wanted to vote. Because we wanted to be treated like human beings. How do you explain slavery? How do explain things that you were not alive for? Things that you should know more about yourself?
I believe there are psychological scars that we still carry (some are more visible than others) to this day. Although black people will not get a free pass from me if they are lazy, unmotivated, and/or breaking the law. We, as black people need to take more responsibility of our youth. We must set better examples for them to look up to. We must remind those who came after us the struggles that we've face and continue to face. That will make them understand their responsibility as a black person (because it took a lot for us to get here), realize that the built-in excuses are lame, and hopefully work hard to dispel stereotypes and become productive members of society. We owe it to our ancestors to not take our freedom for granted and pass along excellence and high expectations to those who come after us.
One more thing: Although history plays a part is today's times, that story is getting old. We need to fully take advantage of our opportunities and continue to show that we are more than athletes and entertainers. Those black lawyers and doctors and engineers need to show the kids that those professions are possible as well. They need (shoot, I need it too) to see successful people that look like them. They need to have greater expectations placed on them. And after that, they need support.
What do you think?
Well, hello there. I feel awful that it's been almost a week since my last post. I have some good stuff today though. Hopefully this will make up for it:
The last time I posted, I talked about some race relations type of conversation I had with my co-worker. Well since that day, I've had about 3 more conversations with 2 of my co-workers. I don't care to get into what our conversation entailed. Not because I'm so upset or offended. Because I think we've all heard it before....Well, let me just give you the premise:
I tried to explain how history cannot be ignored and it plays a bigger part than people want to believe currently. The two white guys (co-workers) that I was talking to said that black people should just not worry about the past. What's done is done. I realized that I was wasting my breath. Coming from their perspective, growing up like they have, they can't wrap their brain around certain things.
I also realized that it is important to know the past. It is important to know how this country was built and the groundwork that was laid for us to get to this point.
I am not one to make excuses because I'm black. "Well, the man is holding me back." Never. I also won't defend those that make excuses. I will do my best to explain circumstances that you may not be familiar with. Paint a picture for you.
As I write this, I can't get my words together. How do you attempt to explain something that started 400 years ago? The civil rights movement? How they had dogs attack us, beat us with clubs, and then arrested us...because we wanted to vote. Because we wanted to be treated like human beings. How do you explain slavery? How do explain things that you were not alive for? Things that you should know more about yourself?
I believe there are psychological scars that we still carry (some are more visible than others) to this day. Although black people will not get a free pass from me if they are lazy, unmotivated, and/or breaking the law. We, as black people need to take more responsibility of our youth. We must set better examples for them to look up to. We must remind those who came after us the struggles that we've face and continue to face. That will make them understand their responsibility as a black person (because it took a lot for us to get here), realize that the built-in excuses are lame, and hopefully work hard to dispel stereotypes and become productive members of society. We owe it to our ancestors to not take our freedom for granted and pass along excellence and high expectations to those who come after us.
One more thing: Although history plays a part is today's times, that story is getting old. We need to fully take advantage of our opportunities and continue to show that we are more than athletes and entertainers. Those black lawyers and doctors and engineers need to show the kids that those professions are possible as well. They need (shoot, I need it too) to see successful people that look like them. They need to have greater expectations placed on them. And after that, they need support.
What do you think?
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Joy and Pain
Ridiculousness of the Day
Let me just start by saying...Whew! Today was a day I thought I'd never survive. It started early this morning when I didn't want to get out the bed. Once I was up, I grabbed my phone and called my bank to make sure my check had posted. Uhhh, no! As my phone started to ring, I was redirected to Sprint's payment center. My phone had been turned off! Are you kidding me? So once I realized what was going on and called the bank, my check hadn't posted! This is all before 630am! I was not a happy camper. Oh and by the way...I had to void about 1/3 of what I've sold this month. Not a happy camper. So I decided that I'd just stay at my desk all day and just hit the phones like crazy.
There was nothing I could do to change what was happening, so I just tried to make up the money I lost by...selling more. I saw hurdles and decided to just run them over. I didn't get the results I wanted today, but I know I'm moving in the right direction.
I also had a very interesting conversation with a co-worker today in regards to racism in America. He's a white dude...very interesting. LOL...I will be posting earlier tomorrow to share that with you. I want to put this out immediately and hopefully you'll comment and give us some insight.
Let me just start by saying...Whew! Today was a day I thought I'd never survive. It started early this morning when I didn't want to get out the bed. Once I was up, I grabbed my phone and called my bank to make sure my check had posted. Uhhh, no! As my phone started to ring, I was redirected to Sprint's payment center. My phone had been turned off! Are you kidding me? So once I realized what was going on and called the bank, my check hadn't posted! This is all before 630am! I was not a happy camper. Oh and by the way...I had to void about 1/3 of what I've sold this month. Not a happy camper. So I decided that I'd just stay at my desk all day and just hit the phones like crazy.
There was nothing I could do to change what was happening, so I just tried to make up the money I lost by...selling more. I saw hurdles and decided to just run them over. I didn't get the results I wanted today, but I know I'm moving in the right direction.
I also had a very interesting conversation with a co-worker today in regards to racism in America. He's a white dude...very interesting. LOL...I will be posting earlier tomorrow to share that with you. I want to put this out immediately and hopefully you'll comment and give us some insight.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
My name is Baxter...
Nobody Cares Kid
I went to a seminar last night on how to start a small business in Michigan. I saw the information on Linkedin.com and I was really interested. I told a few of my friends and two of us attended. Well, after about 4 minutes of being there, I realized this was a networking group of displaced or unemployed people. Oops! It was a really odd feeling knowing that everyone thought that everyone there was unemployed. I kinda felt guilty for having a job. Weird.
The eye opening part of the night was how many people who had great jobs...jobs they had for as long as I've been alive! Naturally, many of the displaced workers were from the automotive industry. One guy said he went down to some service after he was laid off. They asked him, "Sir, what is your dream job?" He replied, "That was my dream job. There were only about 5 of us in the entire world." That comment touched my heart. It made me feel very fortunate to have a job. A job that I actually like! These were (mostly) degreed professionals. And they were let go from a job that they'd never be able to return to.
I'm on the phones a lot at my job. Inside sales for the most part. Sometimes you don't feel like being on the phone. Sometimes you don't feel like calling anyone. Sometimes you don't feel like being told no or sent to voicemail. I'm sure at your job you have similar feelings some days... My advice would be to thank God that you have a way to pay your bills and keep that smile on your face!
I went to a seminar last night on how to start a small business in Michigan. I saw the information on Linkedin.com and I was really interested. I told a few of my friends and two of us attended. Well, after about 4 minutes of being there, I realized this was a networking group of displaced or unemployed people. Oops! It was a really odd feeling knowing that everyone thought that everyone there was unemployed. I kinda felt guilty for having a job. Weird.
The eye opening part of the night was how many people who had great jobs...jobs they had for as long as I've been alive! Naturally, many of the displaced workers were from the automotive industry. One guy said he went down to some service after he was laid off. They asked him, "Sir, what is your dream job?" He replied, "That was my dream job. There were only about 5 of us in the entire world." That comment touched my heart. It made me feel very fortunate to have a job. A job that I actually like! These were (mostly) degreed professionals. And they were let go from a job that they'd never be able to return to.
I'm on the phones a lot at my job. Inside sales for the most part. Sometimes you don't feel like being on the phone. Sometimes you don't feel like calling anyone. Sometimes you don't feel like being told no or sent to voicemail. I'm sure at your job you have similar feelings some days... My advice would be to thank God that you have a way to pay your bills and keep that smile on your face!
Friday, July 10, 2009
I Want To Be A Rock Star! Part 2
Buzz of the Day
Discipline. That is my arch-nemesis. I have too many things going on to not be disciplined and organized. I have so much going on in my brain sometimes (OK, all the time), that I am easily distracted. These great ideas pop in and out so quickly, I have to write things down to keep track.
Consistency is something that I have much respect for. That is my aim. I respect it because I know how hard it is for me to achieve it. My manager said that my personality is that of a
C-Level executive. I have the great ideas and everyone else is suppose to carry them out. The problem is: If I don't show that I can carry these great ideas out, I won't be advancing to
C-Level anytime soon. I'll keep you posted.
Ridiculousness of the Day
I'm from a little place called Royal Oak Township. It is nothing like Royal Oak; It is basically on 8 mile across from Detroit, and sandwiched between Ferndale and Oak Park. Royal Oak Township or "The Township" as we like to call it, has always been a place much closer to Detroit than Ferndale. You have your typical characters; crackheads, athletes, and drug dealers. You could get beat up, but normally you didn't have to worry about being shot.
Well, those days have changed. A 17 year old boy was shot and killed last weekend. Although I didn't know him, he was a friend of my 20 year old nephew. The boys were gambling. From the gambling, a fight developed. So there were people who left and came back in cars. Shooting at whomever was there.
What happened to fighting, winning or losing, and call it all square at that point? OK. Sometimes you may even want a rematch if you lost the fight. That's cool. But these guns. There's no coming back from that. I really do think it's a shame. Times have changed. And more often than not, they change for the worse.
Discipline. That is my arch-nemesis. I have too many things going on to not be disciplined and organized. I have so much going on in my brain sometimes (OK, all the time), that I am easily distracted. These great ideas pop in and out so quickly, I have to write things down to keep track.
Consistency is something that I have much respect for. That is my aim. I respect it because I know how hard it is for me to achieve it. My manager said that my personality is that of a
C-Level executive. I have the great ideas and everyone else is suppose to carry them out. The problem is: If I don't show that I can carry these great ideas out, I won't be advancing to
C-Level anytime soon. I'll keep you posted.
Ridiculousness of the Day
I'm from a little place called Royal Oak Township. It is nothing like Royal Oak; It is basically on 8 mile across from Detroit, and sandwiched between Ferndale and Oak Park. Royal Oak Township or "The Township" as we like to call it, has always been a place much closer to Detroit than Ferndale. You have your typical characters; crackheads, athletes, and drug dealers. You could get beat up, but normally you didn't have to worry about being shot.
Well, those days have changed. A 17 year old boy was shot and killed last weekend. Although I didn't know him, he was a friend of my 20 year old nephew. The boys were gambling. From the gambling, a fight developed. So there were people who left and came back in cars. Shooting at whomever was there.
What happened to fighting, winning or losing, and call it all square at that point? OK. Sometimes you may even want a rematch if you lost the fight. That's cool. But these guns. There's no coming back from that. I really do think it's a shame. Times have changed. And more often than not, they change for the worse.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
I Want to be a Rock Star! Part 1
Buzz of the Day
The funny thing about this blog is: My mentality is very different than before I started blogging. I think that I'm a creative writer. Sometimes. One of the things that I haven't done much of lately is writing poetry. I thought that this site would give me an opportunity to share my poetry with the world. Problem is...I haven't felt the urge to write poetry since I've been blogging.
I am definitely a people person, but I am very private also. I don't want people all in my business, but I'm also protecting many people by keeping certain things to myself. This blog has allowed me to open up much more than I would to most people. For a long time, I didn't have an outlet like this so I wrote poetry. I'm confused because I don't know if the urge will return. I know that I am loving this site and I want to do more (creatively) for those that follow Baxter's Buzz.
These days, I can't even pick up a book if it is fiction. My wife loves fictional stories. That allows her to get away from reality. My getaway is sports. As a teen, I'd go and shoot hoops by myself when I had things on my mind. These days, I follow all of my Detroit sports (not as much hockey though), and that allows my mind to take a break. I still love to read. I just read self help books and magazines now. I'd rather read a recipe book than read a fictional book these days. The recipes can be applied to real life. I don't want to hear about some made up story. Give me an autobiography to read.
I think I've been worried about real life a lot lately.
Those of us who've just gotten married in the last 12-18 months have had a tough time. Marriage is hard enough, but the economy has turn up the heat on everything else. I have a new job, a new wife, baby talk, and a sales job in this terrible financial state that we're in. All of this stuff swirling around in my head can wear you down. I know I'm strong mentally. I can block most things out and do what I need to do, but sometimes it is tougher to do.
I am going to focus on taking a few steps back and enjoy myself a little more. I told you guys a while ago that I was going to share of fear of mine with you...I am afraid of failure.
Many of the people that I knew growing up were not "successful" in my eyes. People told me how smart I was and all this stuff, but it has taken me a long time to channel my energies on the correct goal and get that "tunnel vision" that people always speak of. I get it in spurts. But not long enough spurts! I am improving, but still struggling with this at my old age of 28.
The funny thing about this blog is: My mentality is very different than before I started blogging. I think that I'm a creative writer. Sometimes. One of the things that I haven't done much of lately is writing poetry. I thought that this site would give me an opportunity to share my poetry with the world. Problem is...I haven't felt the urge to write poetry since I've been blogging.
I am definitely a people person, but I am very private also. I don't want people all in my business, but I'm also protecting many people by keeping certain things to myself. This blog has allowed me to open up much more than I would to most people. For a long time, I didn't have an outlet like this so I wrote poetry. I'm confused because I don't know if the urge will return. I know that I am loving this site and I want to do more (creatively) for those that follow Baxter's Buzz.
These days, I can't even pick up a book if it is fiction. My wife loves fictional stories. That allows her to get away from reality. My getaway is sports. As a teen, I'd go and shoot hoops by myself when I had things on my mind. These days, I follow all of my Detroit sports (not as much hockey though), and that allows my mind to take a break. I still love to read. I just read self help books and magazines now. I'd rather read a recipe book than read a fictional book these days. The recipes can be applied to real life. I don't want to hear about some made up story. Give me an autobiography to read.
I think I've been worried about real life a lot lately.
Those of us who've just gotten married in the last 12-18 months have had a tough time. Marriage is hard enough, but the economy has turn up the heat on everything else. I have a new job, a new wife, baby talk, and a sales job in this terrible financial state that we're in. All of this stuff swirling around in my head can wear you down. I know I'm strong mentally. I can block most things out and do what I need to do, but sometimes it is tougher to do.
I am going to focus on taking a few steps back and enjoy myself a little more. I told you guys a while ago that I was going to share of fear of mine with you...I am afraid of failure.
Many of the people that I knew growing up were not "successful" in my eyes. People told me how smart I was and all this stuff, but it has taken me a long time to channel my energies on the correct goal and get that "tunnel vision" that people always speak of. I get it in spurts. But not long enough spurts! I am improving, but still struggling with this at my old age of 28.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Can I Get a Second to Breathe? Part 2
Buzz of the Day
On July 4, we went to an early movie. 'Public Enemies' was a very good movie. The only complaint that I have is there was too much shooting. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind bad guys shooting at good guys etc. But trust me, they went overboard.
Well, my family didn't get together on the Fourth and my wife's mom was out of town. We found ourselves with no plans for the holiday. I would have been okay with it, but I didn't think my wife would. I called one of my friends because they hadn't made plans either. We ended up over my friends house. He and his fiance'. It was a very low key day and I was totally okay with it. Sometimes you run around so much when you have days off that you don't get a chance to rest and recharge your batteries.
I was very satisfied with the day. I was very satisfied with the entire weekend. For some reason, I've been very aware of all of me and my wife's "firsts". Our first Christmas and Thanksgiving. All of the other first also. I understand (or I get lucky sometimes) those things that are important to my wife and I do my best to give her something to remember.
It wasn't a whole lot of excitement, but it was just right for us. And that's what I'm realizing. My wife doesn't always want to do something "super duper fun", she just wants to do something. The problem we have is that many times I want to do nothing...To be continued
On July 4, we went to an early movie. 'Public Enemies' was a very good movie. The only complaint that I have is there was too much shooting. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind bad guys shooting at good guys etc. But trust me, they went overboard.
Well, my family didn't get together on the Fourth and my wife's mom was out of town. We found ourselves with no plans for the holiday. I would have been okay with it, but I didn't think my wife would. I called one of my friends because they hadn't made plans either. We ended up over my friends house. He and his fiance'. It was a very low key day and I was totally okay with it. Sometimes you run around so much when you have days off that you don't get a chance to rest and recharge your batteries.
I was very satisfied with the day. I was very satisfied with the entire weekend. For some reason, I've been very aware of all of me and my wife's "firsts". Our first Christmas and Thanksgiving. All of the other first also. I understand (or I get lucky sometimes) those things that are important to my wife and I do my best to give her something to remember.
It wasn't a whole lot of excitement, but it was just right for us. And that's what I'm realizing. My wife doesn't always want to do something "super duper fun", she just wants to do something. The problem we have is that many times I want to do nothing...To be continued
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Can I Get a Second to Breathe? Part 1
Buzz of the Day
Oh boy. The week has begun people! Ready or not. I wanted to share some of my thoughts from the Fourth of July Weekend:
That movie 'Public Enemies' was really good. I read a review that talked about Johnny Depp's charisma and how it stood out in the movie. They were right. I am a very tough critic when it comes to movies, so if I give it my stamp, that means something (or at least I think so).
This was me and my wife's first July as a married couple. And although I would have been totally content with staying at home (I was tired and worn down), I knew that she wouldn't. So I woke up early, as I normally do, but my wife was still asleep. I looked at some movie times online and thought that maybe we could get a matinee price because the showtime was 12:45pm. No discount...$15 bucks for 2 tickets! So then we went to buy popcorn and pop (I almost said 'soda' because I didn't want to follow popcorn with pop, but I have never said soda in my life). There was a number on the register, but the cashier and walked away to grab the popcorn. $11.50 was on the register. My wife said, "Well that $11.50 must have been from the last people." Nope...that was our bill. So $15 bucks for the tickets and $12 bucks for the food. Johnny Depp had a lot to prove to me.
I will get to the second part of my holiday tomorrow.
Oh boy. The week has begun people! Ready or not. I wanted to share some of my thoughts from the Fourth of July Weekend:
That movie 'Public Enemies' was really good. I read a review that talked about Johnny Depp's charisma and how it stood out in the movie. They were right. I am a very tough critic when it comes to movies, so if I give it my stamp, that means something (or at least I think so).
This was me and my wife's first July as a married couple. And although I would have been totally content with staying at home (I was tired and worn down), I knew that she wouldn't. So I woke up early, as I normally do, but my wife was still asleep. I looked at some movie times online and thought that maybe we could get a matinee price because the showtime was 12:45pm. No discount...$15 bucks for 2 tickets! So then we went to buy popcorn and pop (I almost said 'soda' because I didn't want to follow popcorn with pop, but I have never said soda in my life). There was a number on the register, but the cashier and walked away to grab the popcorn. $11.50 was on the register. My wife said, "Well that $11.50 must have been from the last people." Nope...that was our bill. So $15 bucks for the tickets and $12 bucks for the food. Johnny Depp had a lot to prove to me.
I will get to the second part of my holiday tomorrow.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Tragedy
Buzz of the Day
We have tragic things that happen everyday. There are wars going on, crimes being committed, and people dying everyday. I want to speak a little about Michael Jackson.
I saw a friend of mine this weekend and he seemed really interested in how I felt about Michael Jackson passing away. I was on my way to one of my meetings that day and a friend of mine called with the bad news. It was crazy to hear that. I immediately called my wife and that was about it. I was almost at my meeting so I didn't have a whole bunch of time to think about it.
The next morning I was listening to the radio and people were sharing their opinions. Normally in the morning I go back and forth between WJLB (Hip Hop and R&B, although I normally turn it off when the music starts) and The Ticket (Sportstalk radio, but not from 6-10am). So The Ticket has 3 white people that DJ. 2 guys and a woman. WJLB has (depending on the day) 3-5 black people that DJ. 2-3 guys and 2 women. I'm always very interested to hear what each station has to say, especially if they're talking about the same topic. The demographics of the listeners are very different and I love hearing those differences.
Let me tell you this: Black folks are very protective of black people. We sometimes defend people that shouldn't be defended. It's like we can talk about our people, but you can't. The reason that you can't is because we don't know if there is a hint of or a whole bunch or racism. And even if it's a black person who's criticizing, black people will get just as defensive.
I try not to be that way, but sometimes I get very protective also. We don't have many black heroes/role models and we don't want them to be knocked down.
Which leads me to my point: Michael Jackson was a hero to many of us. Black and White. But when he got into trouble and was being talked about by everyone, black people embraced him and supported him. It was almost as if everyone else had chewed him up and spit him out and he ended back up on our front porch. And we took him in! White folks talked about his nose. Blacks folks talked about it too. White folks talked about the allegations. Black folks talked about it too. But when it seemed like the entire world was against him, the black community gravitated towards him, patted him on the head and told him things would be okay.
He destroyed barriers like he was in a video game. He represented the American Dream. Making it out of the hood and becoming a big star. He just happened to become the biggest star ever. He was one of our heroes! And right or wrong, many black people were not going to let you talk about Michael right after he died. It wouldn't be right!
It's still tough being black. Period. Is it as tough as before? No. But it's still tough. We are still dealing with all types of inferiority complexes. And if we brag too much sometimes, that could be the reason. If we buy the biggest car or the biggest piece of jewelry, that could be the reason.
We want so bad sometimes...to let you know that we're okay, but we are not. Michael made us feel like we were okay. That we could dream big and those dreams just may come true. He was selling out stadiums...and he looked liked us. And even when he stopped looking like us, we remembered him as that big nose kid from Indiana with the afro. And we felt like he still represented us. He had some flaws and I'll never defend what someone has done in their personal life when I don't know them personally, but we all have some problems. Have we had as many problems as Michael? Probably not. But when he died, many fans black and white were not going to stand around and let people bad mouth him. That wasn't the time for it. Those that considered Michael a hero, wouldn't stand for it.
That's all I have to say about that. RIP Mike...
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Halftime Adjustments
Buzz of the Day
Hello again. It's just me, trying to share my thoughts with you all.
Happy holidays and a big shout out to the veterans and current soldiers who've made and continue to make our independence possible. I'm pretty excited to get my week started. I have had time to regroup and get my thoughts together. I have some new things that I'm going to try out in regards to work. I feel like I mention it all the time...getting back to basics is so important.
I had a meeting with my boss last week and although I wasn't looking forward to it, the meeting was exactly what I needed. It gave me some things to think about and with the long weekend, I've been able to brainstorm.
The other thing that is exciting is my rent: I've paid rent for the last time for this 2 bedroom. We are downsizing later in the month and that will save us a nice amount of money. Combined that with cancelling cable and downgrading my phone plan, we're going to save some cash. This should be the first month that we'll actually see some savings.
So my wife financed her eyeglasses last year (before we were married), and we've been late on the payments lately. So this company (I think it's GE Financial) calls every-stinking-day. So finally I answered the phone and said, "Hey, we don't have any money. We're just like everyone else. Do you have any options that would help us out?" He said, "Mr. Hall, I actually do." They gave us a lower payment and interest rate for 9 months.
I guess my reason for telling you is: Try it. We don't owe much at all for this particular bill, but try it on those bills that are really kicking your butt each month. It can't hurt to try.
Hello again. It's just me, trying to share my thoughts with you all.
Happy holidays and a big shout out to the veterans and current soldiers who've made and continue to make our independence possible. I'm pretty excited to get my week started. I have had time to regroup and get my thoughts together. I have some new things that I'm going to try out in regards to work. I feel like I mention it all the time...getting back to basics is so important.
I had a meeting with my boss last week and although I wasn't looking forward to it, the meeting was exactly what I needed. It gave me some things to think about and with the long weekend, I've been able to brainstorm.
The other thing that is exciting is my rent: I've paid rent for the last time for this 2 bedroom. We are downsizing later in the month and that will save us a nice amount of money. Combined that with cancelling cable and downgrading my phone plan, we're going to save some cash. This should be the first month that we'll actually see some savings.
So my wife financed her eyeglasses last year (before we were married), and we've been late on the payments lately. So this company (I think it's GE Financial) calls every-stinking-day. So finally I answered the phone and said, "Hey, we don't have any money. We're just like everyone else. Do you have any options that would help us out?" He said, "Mr. Hall, I actually do." They gave us a lower payment and interest rate for 9 months.
I guess my reason for telling you is: Try it. We don't owe much at all for this particular bill, but try it on those bills that are really kicking your butt each month. It can't hurt to try.
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