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“Dear Boss”
“Dear Boss”
Dear Boss,
Thank you for taking a chance on me. I will make mistakes, but I will learn from them. I will do whatever it takes. I’m confident this is something you will appreciate and see, as I will always give you the best of me. As of now, I may not be able to lead, but with you as my boss, I know we can succeed.
Thank you for believing that I possess the skills that your business needs. Thank you for trusting me with your workflow, and for teaching what I did not know. You believed in me when nobody else would. You somehow saw that I am more than just another boy from the hood.
It’s a fact that boys from the hood have it rough. Unable to find a job, many turn to crime in order to get their stuff. Sadly, some become addicted, and they can never get enough. I lost count of the friends that have left the hood in handcuffs.
My mother always told me that I was a diamond in the rough. As I child, I did not know what that meant, but it always felt like a compliment. Twenty-five years later, thanks to you, I am here, planning your biggest event of the year.
I have nothing but gratitude, love, and appreciation for you and your company. You had the foresight and courage to give me a shot even though I did not hold a degree. Did my mother know this would happen? Is that why she gave me books and kept me away from the TV?
In closing, I would like you to know that my mother wrote that simple, but apparently powerful cover letter. As she sealed it, she blessed it, and wrote me a note that read, “This job is yours son.” She signed it, “MOM,” always in capital letters. You may not believe this, but I never saw what she wrote in that letter.
In gratitude,
Me
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“I Am Blooming”
“I Am Blooming”
I am blooming. My wounds are no longer open. They are no longer bleeding. Not even a trickle. I do feel a copious flow stemming from their roots, but it carries nothing but love, forgiveness, and admiration. Yes, even for you, the person whom I feared would one day be responsible for my cremation.
Year after year, by your side, I lived in fear. “Mommy, are you ok?” is a sound I long to hear. Thanks to you, our son is no longer here. I can’t explain why, but I feel comfort and joy knowing that from that hell, he somehow departed. You became even more furious, for by a young boy, you were clearly outsmarted.
His courage and determination gave me the strength to finally break free. I thank him every day, wherever he may be. Is he secretly looking for me? This is something I think of often. Does he know where you are? At times, I wonder if he knows you made your own coffin.
I wish he could see me now, for I am blooming. Yes, I am in full bloom. A never ending bloom. Unbeknownst to me, when you inflicted pain upon my open flesh, God was seeding forgiveness and love. The more pain you inflicted, the more help I received from above.
Yes, I am in a never ending bloom. Thanks to God, my root system became deeply rooted in my heart. Oddly enough, the roots broke through my being, the day our son decided to depart. Did he know him leaving would heal my flesh wounds, and mend my broken heart?
When we met, the evil inside you wore a disguise. Even so, it should not have caught me by surprise. It did. Thankfully, your continued attempts to hurt me only strengthened my roots. Would our son approve of your orange jumpsuits?
None of that matters any longer. What does matter is that I am blooming. Yes, enduring all the pain you inflicted upon me made you weak, and it made me stronger. I am blooming.
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“Who Are You?”
“Who Are You?”
Like you, I am a flawed human being. Yes, I am from earth. I am a being who does not identify with any title. I possess wisdom that cannot be attained at any college or institution.
I am a being who values and respects the opinions of others, but who has the ability to choose and think for himself. I do not seek acceptance from any one person or entity, for I accept my perfectly flawed self just as I am. I do not strive to fit into anyone’s circle, for I fit into my space, which is the here and now.
I am a being who does not seek anyone or anything to make me whole. I am whole, for Christ lives in me.
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“Pain”
“Pain”
You can’t have rainbows without rain. You can’t sculpt your body without pain. You can buy beauty for a day, but if your boyfriend makes you cry, it may simply wash away. If it makes it through the day, you can cry yourself to sleep, while you wish for it to stay.
You can keep ignoring your pain. You can disguise your tears by crying in the rain. Your desire to fill your emotional void with meaningless purchases will eventually mess with your brain. That urge alone can consume your life. It may even drive you insane.
Life and death cannot exist without each other. Neither can stars and space. You can try all you want, but you will never avoid the scars of life that will eventually take up residence on your apparent pretty face.
We are all born into this world as tiny and fragile creatures. Some more fortunate than others. Many have natural beauty, while others have a face that can only be loved by their mother. Sadly, many more go through life wishing they had the charm and body of another.
Your beauty lies inside you. If you continually attempt to buy it, you will never be satisfied. Take a look inside. Take the time to enjoy the splendor of a rainbow. Express your pain. Stop hiding your tears in the rain.
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“Disconnect To Connect”
“Disconnect To Connect”
Is it me? Can you see it? Can you feel it? Do you live it? Is the numbness at your dinner table, stronger than your willingness and desire to connect with your loved ones?
More than ever, our electronic devices keep us well connected. Emotionally, they keep us disconnected. The warmth of a hug, emotions, reactions, and the beauty of our voice, cannot be experienced via text messages, or social media shares.
With a few clicks, you can share a child’s smile with millions. However, that smile is always brighter in person. While social media has its place, I personally believe it should not reside at dinner tables.
Is it me? Can you see it? Can you feel it? Perhaps you live it? Is your desire to emotionally connect with your loved ones, strong enough to dethrone that powerful numbness that surrounds your dinner table?
Go ahead. Put it down. Now is a good time. You will not be popular, but you just might start a new Thanksgiving tradition. You might even discover a thing or two about your children, or perhaps about yourself.
Go ahead. It’s ok to think different. Happy Thanksgiving!
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“Buyer Beware”
“Buyer Beware”
AT&T and U-Haul… Profitable or dishonest? Clearly, they are profitable. But could they also be dishonest?
I still like to believe in the goodness of people. When I’m asked, “Would you like to buy a cookie?” and I say, “No,” it’s expected that I walk away without a cookie because I did not buy one. Unless of course, the seller hides a cookie in my bag and takes my $8.99 without me knowing it. This is exactly what is happening too many consumers, except these companies are not selling cookies. They sell you insurance. Even worse, in the case of AT&T, this is a monthly recurring charge.
Because this has happened to me several times, I dare say it’s also happening to thousands of people. Possibly even more. I believe companies generate millions of dollars from this unscrupulous business practice. Other than my personal experiences, I do not have any factual information to back up these statements. However, yesterday’s visit to the AT&T Store to question this charge confirmed my suspicions and prompted me to write this blog post.
While this has happened to me a several times, there was a time when I caught it ‘in time.’ It happened at a U-Haul center. When I questioned the charge, the representative said, “How did that get there?” She removed the charge, processed my one time payment and I went on my way. As I drove away, I remember thinking, “I wonder how many people they do this to?” A couple years before that, I had a similar experience with U-Haul. The recent event only raised my suspicions of these unscrupulous business practices.
Yesterday, I expressed my frustration to the AT&T representative, who proved to be very helpful and surprisingly honest. I explained to him that I make it a point not to purchase insurance and it angers me to find out that companies ‘sell it’ to me anyway. I’m not sure why, but he said, “Trust me. I understand your frustration. Being in this industry, I know many reps do this but I’m not like that.” Think about what he said for a minute. He is admitting this practice. Shocking? Not te me. Note he used the word ‘industry’. This implies that perhaps he has experience or knows of other companies in the ‘industry’ who utilize this unscrupulous business practice.
During my visit, I cancelled my insurance with AT&T. I was not reimbursed or credited for these charges, nor did I expect to be. After all, it was on my receipt. My unwilling contribution simply added $200+ to AT&T’s bottom line. While I do not expect a refund, I do expect companies to conduct business in an honest and professional manner. There is nothing wrong with earning a fair dollar. However, what is wrong is earning millions by ‘hiding cookies’ in the bags of their customers even after they refused to buy any.
Buyer beware. Many of you will soon find yourselves purchasing a new phone, especially during this Christmas Season. I challenge (#NoInsuranceChallenge) you to put my experience to the test.
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“I Miss Them”
“I Miss Them”
I miss them. Where have they gone to? Will they ever return? Their presence filled my aging body with purpose. To them, even in my old age, I was never worthless.
As I put putted along the dirt roads, I took them to many fun places. I listened to thousands of their stories, while my failing muffler, put smiles on their faces. They are no longer children, and all but Charlie, have moved to faraway places.
Where have they gone to? Will they ever return? On rare occasions, Charlie drops by for a visit. He tells me his troubles, while he confesses that he often wishes he would have left this town with his then girlfriend, Bridgette.
I love when Charlie drops by. He sits on my hood, and I can sense his pain, and feel his tears when he cries. I remember Bridgette, who left me a beautiful memory during a Spring Break. She was the one that broke my right eye. In fun, it was the last thing to break.
I can’t remember the year, when Charlie was last here. Now, my old and rusty body is riddled with bullet holes, thanks to angry men, who stop by from time to time. If I could, I would take a million bullets, in exchange for seeing the children and listening to their stories one more time.
I miss them. Where have they gone to? Has Charlie finally left this place? If so, he didn’t say goodbye. That’s ok. I never did like to see him cry. I hope he is safe and that he one day finds his faraway place. Today’s visitors are no fun. The last one, left three bullet holes on my face.
