Monthly Archives: August 2009

The Politics of It All

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The Politics Of It All

Aug09-4I recently found out about a job position that was going to be posted.  I actually was told about it almost a month before it was posted, but wasn’t supposed to find out.  With hearing of the opening, I was also told that the position was pretty much created and guaranteed to someone else.

Hearing about this bothered me greatly.  This is a position that I am more qualified for – there is no question about it.  So, instead of believing the rumor, I went directly to the person hiring and asked her if these comments were true. She was shocked at the information I heard, but said although the position would be posted, nobody’s name was attached to it.  She asked that I not say anything about the job until it was posted in order to not cause unnecessary drama amongst others.  So I said nothing.  I knew that if I decided to apply, I needed to respect her wishes.

Well, last Friday the job opening was announced.  Immediately others asked if I was going to apply for the position.  Soon after, though, they’d always say that they heard that the position was going to a less qualified and experienced person.  So I had a dilemma.  Do I put myself out there and prove that I am the best candidate for the position?  Or do I not even waste my time with the politics that it all has been promised in the favor of someone else.

I thought long and hard about what to do.  This would be a management position with a lot of potential to increase many of my skills.  Why should I give in to the situation without even trying?  So, I went on and applied. I took time to prepare answers to the questions I thought would be asked and collected documentation of the work I’ve done thus far to prove that I am the most qualified.

My interview was today.  I felt I did a great job and discussed how my skills could further enhance the organization. I walked out with my head held high and felt it would be up to them to prove that the other candidate had skills that could match mine.

And everything was fine, until an hour later when more people said “That’s horrible that the other person is going to get the job you deserve.”  Uggh!  I will not find out about the position until the middle of next week.  I am hoping that I will be given a fair chance (regardless of what others say) and would love to prove them all wrong.  I have prayed about the situation and know that if it’s meant to be my new opportunity, then I will be given that chance.   Time shall tell!

M.Y. August 2009

Relax Me Baby

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Relax Me, Baby!

Aug09-3There is no shame to my game – I have a relaxer.  I admire people that have natural hair styles, but for the amount of time I spend in the gym and training, a relaxer does great things for me.  I generally get one every 6 weeks.

It was a typical six week morning visit as I sat in Chenica’s chair.  She checked my hair and there didn’t look like there was too much new growth (my hair had been flat ironed the visit before).  I agreed and we thought we could just wait another two weeks until my next visit.  I received a roller wrap and was on my way out the door. (I didn’t think twice about the rain that was outside).

The humidity and my hair got in a fight, and the humidity won.  As I pulled up that afternoon to pick my boyfriend up from the airport he said, “Did you just wake up?”  Wow!  That’s kinda crazy.  I instantly grabbed the ponytail holder that I faithfully wear around my wrist and pulled my hair back.

That weekend was okay because I could flat iron or curl my hair.  But, as the days crept on, my hair started to revolt.  At first my hair became more difficult to brush.  I had to start at the ends and gently work my way up – slowly.  It then got to the point where it felt like my hair was shriveled up and grasping my scalp like a leach looking for blood.  I couldn’t comb it.  I couldn’t even put my fingers through it.  It was some thick stuff!  I tried to look for the positive in the situation.  I said a blessing that my hair was finally long enough to be pulled in a ponytail and I proudly sported one for an entire week.

As I sat again in Chenica’s chair I gave her the warning that it was pretty bad.  Not only was my kitchen bad, but the entire house needed to be remodeled.  She only took me half serious until she parted (well tried) my hair down the center.  Although it was really rough, Chenica worked wonders like always.  As she finished, I ran my fingers through my hair and was so glad to feel like my normal self.  Chenica is a wonderful beautician and we continue to watch my hair grow longer and more healthy.

We all have our bad hair days, some are worse than others.  I learned it’s all about doing the best you can with what ya got, until you can do better.

M.Y.  August 2009

Rest in Peace

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Rest In Peace?

Aug09-2My grandmother (my mother’s mother) recently passed away so I traveled to Georgia for the funeral.  I didn’t just go to any part of GA.  No, I went to Bainbridge which is about as far north as you can go in the state before running into Tallahassee, FL.  I went there a lot growing up and always looked forward to my grandma’s homemade chocolate cakes.  But, I also remembered the gnats and how they seemed to outnumber the general population (there are 12,000 people in the town spread out over only 19 square miles).  Small town, yes indeed.

It was good to visit again.  I met people that I had no clue who they were, but they knew everything about me.  Some introduced themselves as cousins that I never knew existed.  Everyone was very welcoming and wanted to accommodate Ms. Lottie Martin’s family.  The funeral was in a small country church and it was packed with people. Any empty spaces were filled with gnats once again.  They didn’t bite like mosquitoes, but they flew around you just enough to make you feel temporary insanity.

I enjoyed hearing the memories the community shared about my grandmother.  My mother was the oldest child, and only girl, with four younger brothers.  It was also soothing to hear stories people shared with growing up with my mother and learning about the stories from back-in-the-day.  After we left, we headed to my grandma’s house and I discovered albums and boxes of photos of my family.
All was well, until I arrived home and received ‘the phone call’.  One of my relatives, I won’t name any names, always seems to want to complain about everything.  This time she was calling me to rant and rave about how the service was done.  She didn’t like the program.  She didn’t like the service.  She talked about how she would have done it differently.  And you know what?  I didn’t really care what she had to say.

Anyone that has ever had to plan a funeral knows that it is a very rapid process. You are grieving and at the same time trying to make every detail right.  It’s not easy.  I did it for my mother.  There’s the entombment, the funeral, the burial, the bills, the bills, the emotions.  I put the mute button on my relative and her complaints.  There are some people that are never happy and try to make you unhappy with them.  You have to just brush them off, love them from afar, and keep your positive thoughts close to your heart.  Don’t let them bring you down.

M.Y.  August 2009

The Storm

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The Storm

Aug09-1It’s been a long time since I’ve used an alarm clock to wake up.  My body seems to naturally arise at about the same time the sun does.  However, this Tuesday I rolled over, looked at the clock and realized it was almost 8 o’clock.  It was odd, though, because it didn’t seem like it was 8am because my room was still extremely dark.  It all felt like the start of a horror movie.

I jumped out of bed, walked toward the window and saw the torrential rain beating at my bedroom window.  It was pretty loud and strong so I quickly moved away.  I turned on the news to see if the Wizard of Oz was sweeping mistakenly through Kentucky instead of Kansas, but they didn’t say much.  The sound of the storm continued to grow louder so I walked toward the backside of my house to calm my nerves.

I went into the bathroom to start getting dressed.  I took my top off as I brushed my teeth, but I kept hearing the wind in the other room.  I tried to focus on being cavity free, but I had this fear that my roof would be blown off and it’d be standing there exposed for the world to see my goodies (I don’t really have a mass quantity of goodies to see, but still).

I was fortunate to be able to wait awhile for the storm to pass before heading to work and I didn’t have damage to my house.  Unfortunately, though, many parts of Louisville did suffer.  Universities and hospitals were closed.  People were stranded.  Basements were flooded.  As horrendous it was to see the damage citywide, it was amazing to watch how citizens helped their neighbors and complete strangers.  It seems like Louisville should be renamed the “Unforeseeable, Freakish Weather Capital of the World”.  We survived the wind storm.  We survived the ice storm.  We have now survived the flood.  All in less than a year.  So for anyone that feels that in their personal life that they can’t weather the storm – just realize you have!

M.Y.  August 2009