Now I get it! Or...not?

Hello, Bloggers!

Long time, no type... I am struggling through the intro! So,  I suppose it is time for me to start writing again. I guess that I needed to write more than I realized. I find that it can be quite therapeutic and ranting a little every now and again helps to de-stress life. Besides, what is life without a little ranting and raving? We would have a lot of very bland personalities!

I have finally come to the realization that no two people on this earth speak the same language. Sure, we may call it "English" or "Spanish" or even "French" or whatever the common name is for the general syllables and letters that we pronounce, but we have so many misunderstandings on a regular basis. This is because many of the words that we use quite commonly are words that we learned the meaning of by inferred methods which is a logical instinct we have that helps us to learn  the meanings of words before we have any understanding of words at all. In other words, how babies learn to speak. Therein lies the problem with the languages we speak. Each word has a unique meaning and many, many, words have a secondary, third or even fourth or more meaning that does not conform to the standard. Not to mention all of the slang words that we (the human race) just made up and added to the dictionary so that we would have a word that rhymes with orange. That's how we got the word "Xurang", which means "word that rhymes with orange and sounds cool". I digress...

All of this to say; Guys don't understand every word that another guys is saying, but they understand the concept and the general idea. Guys understand every single word that a girl says, but can not seem to digest the concept or the general idea. (Sorry, I have not yet figured out what girls understand)

I have been married for a few years and I thought that I understood this concept when I got married. How naive. I explained to my new wife that this was a problem in many relationships and asked her to understand that this was something that we could work through by being very deliberate about the words that we used. She agreed and we enjoyed our brilliant success.

We weren't speaking the same language.

The Sheep and the Dogs

                Once upon a time, there was a flock of sheep that was so great that no fence could contain them. Now the sheep had found that if they befriended herding dogs that the dogs would protect them from the wolves and coyotes and other predators. So the sheep and the dogs lived together in harmony. When the wolves realized that they could not eat the sheep with the dogs protecting them, they began to organize night raids to take some of the sheep. After just one successful night raid, the leaders of the sheep held a meeting with the dogs. It was decided that some of the dogs would go after the wolves and hold them responsible for the sheep that had been taken. So, the dogs split into two groups; the larger group would guard the sheep and smaller one would hunt the wolves. As the dogs drew close to the wolves, the wolves attacked and injured some of the dogs, but the dogs stood firm until the wolves turned to run. The dogs carried and dragged the wounded back to the flock and began to organize another group to chase the wolves again. Now the sheep, who were not animals of violence, saw the injured dogs and were revolted. The sheep demanded that the dogs return to the flock and protect it. There were very intense debates between the dogs and the sheep until finally, the dogs decided that the sheep could protect themselves. The dogs withdrew and found another home while the sheep remained in their blissful field. As soon as night fell the wolves were back to make another raid. Seeing that there were no dogs among the sheep, the wolves overtook the flock, killing and eating every single sheep.

In today’s world, the sheep represent everyday civilians, while the dogs represent the military and police. The wolves can represent every threat known to the citizens, whether it be terrorists, criminals, or anything else. We may not like fighting wars, but that doesn’t mean the military or the police do enjoy fighting. By going out to other countries our military is fighting to protect us. They put their lives on the line every day to make sure that the sheep of the world can live normal lives. Police fight crime in the same manner. They do their jobs because the sheep of the world have asked them to keep them safe. Do not cause the dogs to leave the flock. You do not have to support war or violence, but support the troops. Support those who risk their lives to make sure you have the option of stating your opinion.

Odd Experience

It had been a long day, so I decided that I would go home, eat, relax, and play something on the computer. I pulled in the driveway and grabbed my stuff, heading straight to the office to dump everything. I entered the office and started up the computer just as my stomach started growling. While I waited for the computer to load, I went to the kitchen and made myself a couple sandwiches. I began chomping greedily as I typed the password into my computer. I began to open one of my favorite games of all time when I sensed it. Something was terribly wrong. I paused for a second to make up my mind. There was no going back. This is my home and I will make sure that I am safe. I casually reached down and gripped my baton. As I withdrew from the drawer in which I kept the baton I stood up and turned, swinging the baton into the air and expanding it. Nothing. I looked around the room. I could tell that something was still wrong. I crept through the hall slowly, ready to attack. I made my way to the bedroom and grabbed the glock 17 from the gun safe in the closet and the vest that hung above the safe. I began to clear the house, one room at a time. I made it up the stairs and into the spare bedroom. There was only one room left. My heart pounding, I moved to the door. My hands started to shake as the adrenaline pumped through my veins. “This is it.” I thought, “I have this person cornered.” I reached for the handle and turned, pausing to catch my breath. I kicked the door, sending the door flying on its hinges. As the knob crashed into the wall, I stood there in the doorway, staring into an empty room. I didn’t understand. Something was wrong, I sensed it! I checked the room and holstered the glock. I walked back to the office puzzled. I ran backwards through everything that just happened, then forward, like I was walking through the house again. What was wrong? What had made me so uneasy? I began going through it all again. “Came home, grabbed my stuff, started the computer, made my sandwiches, went back to the…. Wait.” Why did I make my own sandwich?

Christmas' Past

In light of the holiday season, I thought I would take a little time to reflect on past holidays and maybe tell a few of my favorite things about Christmas. I am, as many people will tell you, quite the Grinch. I have never been a big Christmas fan and I am always a bit difficult to please at Christmas. Well, maybe that’s an understatement. I have always been impossible to please. Looking back, I realize that I was every parent’s worst nightmare when it came to Christmas. I was never happy with the presents that I received. My parents tried so hard to make me happy, but no matter what they bought me, it never made me happy. It took me a long time to see this, and now I really wish I would have seen it sooner. My favorite Christmas was the one where I watched all my siblings open up presents and realized that my parents didn't get me anything. I realized that they didn't do that on purpose, they just forgot about me. I laughed a little inside and joked about how I had been forgotten and how now I knew that I was the middle child. I was looking for a reason to be mad that day and my parents gave it to me. My mother tried to find something to give me as soon as she realized what had happened. She found some clothe and told me that she would help me make a hoodie. I was happy enough with that. And so, the day went on. I got mad when I wanted to, and I was never once upset with my parents. That Christmas was the one that I needed. I realized that year that all the years that I had gotten something and wasn't happy, I would have been just as happy not getting anything. My parents tried to buy me things and make me happy, but the truth is I knew that Christmas was the time of year to give. To me getting presents was receiving and all I wanted was to give. I never told my parents all this. I recently had a conversation with my wife and realized that my mother never forgot that year either. So, I want to take the time in this blog to remember my parents.

To Mom and Dad, I love you both and I never told you how much I appreciated being forgotten. That Christmas woke me up and taught me a life lesson. I joke about the Christmas I was forgotten, but it's because it was what I needed, and it was supposed to happen at some point. I am, after all, the middle child. Thank you both for giving me that present.

Here's to the best Christmas memories!

Resumes and Cover letters

With the economy in the sink, I thought I would take a moment to write a short blog about the importance of a resume. I have several friends who have never had to have a resume before and most of them have never even considered writing a resume. Resumes may seem like a waste of time to the crowd that has always been connected, but for the average Joe, a well written resume can be the difference between getting a great paying job with amazing benefits and working as a part time cashier at McDonalds making minimum wage. A resume is your work history and your qualifications all listed on a paper so that a potential employer can see why you are the best person for the job. If someone else has a better resume than you it will be a lot more difficult to score a job. A lot rides on that little resume, so I have listed a few websites to help you with both your resume and cover letters. So, write a great resume and go get the job you want. At the very least you will be able to look at your resume and see what you want to add to your qualifications. Good luck!

Cover letters
Resumes
DIY Guide to Resumes
Online Jobs

Vacation

Everyone needs a little time off every now and then. I love taking vacation days to just roam around and visit new places. The best thing about taking off and going somewhere new is the adventure that takes place along the way. I enjoy traveling with a couple friends and driving for hours just to see where we will end up camping. If I could find a cheap air fare, I might even fly to some other state just to see what's there. I have a goal in my life to visit every state in the United States of America. What better way to accomplish that goal than with friends?

Mandatory Tip?

I was listening to the radio the other day and the talk show host came on the radio saying that some restaurants are taking about starting a mandatory 25% tip. I almost laughed when I heard this. I just ate some food at a Denny's and I was so dissatisfied with the service that I didn't leave a tip and I even considered leaving without paying. Of course, I had to do the right thing and pay for the food I ate, but there was no way I was leaving a tip. I like Denny's... normally... but this particular visit I paid twenty dollars for my waitress to bring me a coffee, water, and a little food. She never offered me a refill on my water or even brought me a check. I had to go to the register to get my check and pay. I'm a pretty nice guy and usually leave a tip if the waiter/waitress does a mediocre job and I try to leave a generous tip if they make me laugh or even just keep my water filled. Needless to say, for me, the tip is a sort of grading scale. The standard 15-20% tip is a good rating, while anything more than 20% is a great rating. If you don't get a tip, quite honestly, your service was bad and needs TONS of improvement... or I'm broke... either way, make me laugh a little next time. If these restaurants start charging a mandatory tip, I will have to stop eating out. It already costs around $10 for one person to eat out somewhere decent, with a 25% tip, that's $12.50 plus tax. Now, for those of us who aren't single, that's a minimum of $25 every time you want to go somewhere even mediocre. That's going to cut my eating out down a lot. I don't think this mandatory tip is a very good idea. If there are other people out there like me who realize how much of a difference $5 can make, then those people are likely going to quite eating out also. Translation: less people eating out = less tips for waiters/waitresses = less money for waiters/waitresses to spend = larger demand for better jobs = higher unemployment = less money = even HIGHER demand for better jobs... it's a vicious cycle and I AM taking things a bit extreme, but let's face it, I'm right. So, waiters and waitresses earn that tip! Everyone else, if they earn the tip, give it to them! generosity is helpful!