Appreciation

It's been a pretty busy week or two, but I figured I'd post something short and sweet before going to bed. I've been living in Enola for three months now, and working at the new job for just over two.  In that short period of time, I've received more Customer Appreciation comments at my current job than I have since I worked for Verizon 7-8 years ago.  When I was working for my last job, which I will now refer to as "the big red barn", I had begun to think that politeness and kindness, and putting customers first was all for naught, since the only ones that got any kind of recognition for their work were the slackers and brown-nosers. I remember one in particular that really set mine and my friend Lena's hackles on end. This person, that I had sarcastically come to refer to as 'Miss Congeniality' because of her extremely poor customer service skills and reluctance to do her job, had received TWO awards in one week, and she really did nothing to deserve it, while we busted butt and even worked overtime when she would call off or just leave early for no reason.  Fast forward to new job. I have, as I have said, been there slightly over two months, have gotten to know quite a few of the customers, if not by name, by their regular orders, and have received praise from customers at least five times, and been mentioned on the monthly Customer Service Update a couple of times. What am I doing differently? Nothing, and I just don't get it. It just feels good to be appreciated for doing my job. Anyway, I just thought I'd get that off my chest. Have a good week everybody.

Life, Work, Weather, and Star Trek Online

It's been a couple of weeks since I last updated, but things have been rather hectic at work (losing an assistant manager, losing a coworker to a new [better for her] job, store reorganizations and schedules changes, etc), that I just haven't felt much up to posting once I've gotten home. But, I'm back with yet another post. (Yay!)

So, what with working 6 day (36 hour) weeks at the Turkey Barn, and everything else, I finally get another day off (the second in three days) so I feel a bit more relaxed. The weather here has been nothing short of crazy for the past couple of weeks. It's been in the upper 80s to early 90s, temperature-wise, and we've had some pretty stormy days as well. Three days out of the week, I got drenched while leaving work. By drenched, I mean I was literally soaked clean through to the bone just getting to the car upon walking out the door. One night, I believe it was last Friday night, I had to drive to my parents' to move the car back into their newly repaved parking lot so that they could go get my aunt's medicine early the next morning. Well, it was 9:30 in the evening, and the sky was so dark, it looked more like midnight. It was raining so hard that I could barely see fifty feet in front of the car, and made three wrong turns because I couldn't tell where I was going. Thankfully, the rain had stopped or let up by the time I arrived. Saturday and Monday were more of the same. The past couple of days have been fairly decent, although it's still HOT! We may get a storm or two later in the day today or tomorrow, but the best chance is Sunday with a risk of severe storms.

In my spare time, I've been playing Star Trek Online, and helping my Trek friend, Sam Cummings (Fleet Admiral Emeritus of Maquis Forces International) and the fleet of Deep Space 7 in game build a starbase. It's pretty tough going for such a small fleet with few active players, but we're making progress. I just fear that we will run out of resources before too long. It does keep me occupied and out of trouble, though. If you or anyone you know would like to play the game (it's free to play now) and join our humble fleet, send me comment here, message me on Facebook, or simply download the game at the following link: https://register.perfectworld.com/sto_splash  and send me a friend invite ingame once you've downloaded (my name there is @shikyrie) and I'll toss you out a fleet invite.

Well, that is all for this time. Until next time, be well, and be wary of strange people and their even stranger blogs. ;)

Reflections on Life

Last month marked the 25th anniversary of my exodus from high school (more commonly known as graduation). Next week is the quintennial high school reunion (the 25 year one, of course) and it is one that I won't be able to attend due to the recent move, and lack of fundage and transportation (hopefully, I will be able to make the next one in five years, since the past two that I attended were rather enjoyable.) Anyway, this anniversary prompted me to look back upon the past 25 years and all the changes that have taken place since high school. My life has had its ups and downs, and it's been rough quite a bit of the time, but I've been lucky. In the 25 years since graduation, we've lost too many young promising classmates too soon (OK, we've only lost seven that I'm aware of, but in my honest opinion, seven is still too many.)
One girl, Vicky Comstock did not even live to enjoy her senior year. She lost her life in a house fire the day before school started that year. I still remember the shock and sadness of the first day of school that year. The usual excitement of catching up after a summer of not seeing friends and classmates was replaced by a somberness and the realization that one of us was missing.
The second loss was probably the most shocking. Amy Rusnak, a bright young girl with an infectious smile and laugh and a promising life ahead of her had her life cut short about a month after graduation. She was on her way home from work when her car was struck by a drunk driver. That news was probably the saddest I had received that summer. I remember sitting in my brother's dorm room in Rose Hall on EUP's campus talking with him and some of his friends when I heard the news (I believe it was our mom that called and relayed the news). I just sat there for what seemed like an eternity in shock (it was in reality probably only a few minutes) before I choked up and broke down and cried. At that time, I was a fairly peaceable and docile young person, but I remember wanting to go out and kill the guy for ending this young girl's life. Someone so sweet and kind didn't deserve to have her young life taken away like that.
The third came shortly afterward. John Klimek had been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer sometime earlier on, and despite the chemo, and other treatments, he succumbed to the disease. I never knew John that well, but his death hit be hard none-the-less.
The fourth came three years later, when Bruce Sokolowski lost his life in a frat house fire. I remember that night vividly, as I had just returned to my dorm room on campus from a party at a friend's house. I could see the flames from my room on the 8th floor of Lawrence Towers and watched it from my window most of the night. The next day, I learned of Bruce's fate. His death really hit me hard as Bruce was my self-proclaimed "protector" all through high school. If anyone would pick on this short quiet kid, they would have to deal with Bruce. That night, the world lost another good soul.
The other three I didn't find out about until a year or two after they passed from this earth. Cindy Trask, and Nicole Wittenburg both lost their lives some years later to illness, and Lisa Petulla, if I'm not mistaken lost her life in a motorcycle accident.
It's been 25 years, and we're all getting older. I guess the real reason I'm disappointed that I won't be able to attend this class reunion is because this might have been one of the last chances that I would have to see some of my classmates. We're not getting any younger, and each passing year brings us closer to our own passing. I just keep praying that the rest of us have a few decades left to us. And to those that have gone before, I look forward to the final reunion when we can all be together agaim.

Rude People and Inconsiderate Drivers

It occurred to me today that people and drivers in general around this area are a rude bunch. I've noticed this in certain customers that come into the store where I work, other shoppers when I'm doing my grocery shopping at either WalMart or Giant, and especially in the other drivers on the road. First, let's start with customers. There is one woman that comes into the store that causes EVERYONE (including other customers) to cringe every time she comes into the store. For all intents and purposes, I will refer to her as "Jane". Every time we see the blue PT Cruiser pull into the parking lot, we pray that it's Jane's husband, "Shane" (of course, not his real name) that is coming into the store and not her. Whenever Jane walks into the store everyone knows it, because instantly, you hear a caterwauling worse than Fran Drescher's "Nanny" butting into somebody's business. She'll not only say rude things to the employees, but make rude comments to and about other customers. To say her infamy precedes her would be a gross understatement. Another customer, although not nearly as rude, but still rude enough is "Corrie". Corrie is one that will come in while there is only one person working, see that employee waiting on a line of customers at the open register, and proceed to remove the "register closed" sign from the other side of the counter and expect to be served right away. Most of the time, I have no problems with Corrie, but when she does that, I just want to tell her to leave the store and come back when she has the common courtesy to wait in line like everybody else. There are a few others, some regulars and others that just come in off the interstate, that come in talking on their cell phones, and don't have the common courtesy to put the person they are talking to on hold while they are checking out. They'll keep talking on their phones and expect not only the person waiting on them to wait for them to finish their phone call, but they'll expect the line of customers behind them to wait as well. Again, if you can't be considerate and get off your phone, get out of the store until you're finished. Next, let's look at the fellow shoppers in the grocery store. We'll start with Betty Jo Redneck and her gaggle of screaming, kicking, punching, yelling, crying, etc brats. While Betty Jo is blocking the aisle talking to her girlfriend, Hilda Hicks, her gaggle is running rampant, chasing each other down the aisles, knocking displays over and running into other shoppers, sometimes hitting the unexpecting person and oftentimes uttering profanities that I never heard when I was their age. When approached about her childrens' behavior, good ol' Betty Jo looks at you, shows you the finger that doesn't mean "you're #1", and tells you to mind your own business. You turn around and finish getting the small list of 10 items or less and proceed to the express checkout, where you bump into your old friend Betty Jo once again, and she's unloading two cartloads of groceries (either she can't read English -or read at all- or she's holding up the express lane to support her smoking habit of a carton per day, since she just bought 7 cartons of cigarettes.) You patiently wait, hoping that she'll hurry up and get checked out, fearful of a repeat performance of your last encounter. Last, there are the drivers. I thought people up in Erie were bad (hey, at least they could drive in adverse weather conditions and not cause any major catastrophies), but down here, it's every man for himself, and heaven forbid if you try to do the speed limit like a law abiding citizen, because you'll get blown off the road. I've seen more people make left turns before waiting for opposing traffic to pass, more people driving 20+ miles/hour over the speed limit, and more major traffic accidents here in 2 months than I saw in 2 years in Erie. I tried to merge onto Interstate 81 while going to get groceries last week, and had to stop at the end of the exit ramp until I got an opening to merge into the right lane of traffic (on what was a 4 lane stretch of road going in that direction). No sooner had I pulled out onto what was a clear opening 5 seconds prior, than I was almost rear-ended by some maniac in a Prius blasting his horn and doing 80mph (I had to floor it to get enough speed to get going.) It's gotten to the point that I try to avoid the major interstates, and the Harrisburg Expressway (the I-81, PA 581, I-83, US 322 loop around the city) as much as possible, and try to avoid rush hour altogether if possible. While I like this area in general, I REALLY miss the friendlier customers, somewhat more considerate shoppers, and relatively tame drivers of Erie.

Reflections

(Originally Published 27 July, 2009)
Just a video I found of one of my all-time favorite filk songs, done for Elfquest: A Wolfrider's Reflections. I was feeling a bit nostalgic today, and longing for times passed, and this song came to mind (Leadership lessons- Part VI to follow shortly, so enjoy)

Cutter: Tam's Song
words & music: Julia Ecklar

"Brothers in heart, Soul-Brother, are we,
Though in blood we be no more than friends.
I value your life with all that is in me,
More than my life or its too brief end.

Earth-humbled, Skywise,
How it must hurt your heart when you look to the skies.
Together we stand in a world not our own;
Skywise from the sky, and me from my home.

For too many seasons we've lived in this sand,
With no deer and no trees to behold.
I can hear the Holt call like a maid in my dreams,
And a cry of pain howls from my soul.

Wolfbrother, let's ride
To the land of sweet greenness where out fathers died!
No Sun People we, our hearts must run free!
If I run to the sun will you still follow me?

When I finally have peace and my own family,
How can discontent stir in my mind?
Why do I want to run back to sad memories
With the wolf and my friend by my side?

My wolf-blood runs high
Every night that the moon shows her face in the sky.
This life was not meant for those made such as we.
Run away with me, Skywise, our homeland to see.

I'll not stay still too long, for this is not my home;
To a place far from here I must flee.
I know you, friend, will come to that land of our own,
To the Holt we were both loath to leave.

Soul-Brother Skywise,
Let no one tie you down in your search for the sky.
They can't tame a wolf's soul, or set soft chains on me.
Let us run from this safety and once more be free."

Who's the Fool?

(Originally posted 15 July, 2009)[Note: This was one of my favorite posts from FtAoD] “A fool may be known by six things: anger, without cause; speech, without profit; change, without progress; inquiry, without object; putting trust in a stranger; and mistaking foes for friends” This proverb came up in class discussion today, and it got me to thinking about recent events, and certain people involved. It is an interesting proverb (Arabian, I believe), and is so true in so many ways. Let's pick this apart, piece by piece:

1) Anger without cause:

OK, this is an easy one. Why be angry with anyone for no reason? Let's say someone does something contrary to the ways you think it should be done. Is it really wise to start a war over something so petty? All things considered, the other person will not be persuaded by angry words, and you'll end up coming out looking like a bigger fool than when it all started.

2) Speech without profit:

Another easy one. If nothing you have to say makes sense, is pertinent to the topic or conversation at hand, or is productive in any way, then it is all for naught, and- you got it, you become a bigger fool for speaking it in the first place.

3)Change without progress:

Simple enough- Change without progress is no change at all.

4) Inquiry without object:

laymans terms- Asking a question and not pursuing the answer. Why even ask a question when you don't want to hear the answer to it? Enough said on this one.

5) Putting trust in a stranger:

This one speaks for itself. By putting trust in a stranger, you could be putting yourself, your valuables, or others at risk.

and, Last, but not least:
6) Mistaking foes for friends:

This one ties in with #5. Knowledge is the key. Know who your friends are and who you can trust, and who to count on when you need them. If you don't, and put your trust in the wrong person, well, you're going to end up cheated, robbed, or worse yet- dead. Know your enemies.

Don't be a fool.

Posts Hitting Home

(Originally published 02 July, 2009) [Note, again this post references things that happened three years ago, but has been preserved in its entirety]Most times, I post about stuff that just hits me and I feel compelled to blog about. Recently, my last post Fear The AoD!!!: Imitation and Charades had inspired someone to "come clean" about things that were going on in his life, as he felt somehow, my post was directed at him. It wasn't my intention to force confessions from anyone, but the resulting confession of my friend led me to respect him even more for doing something that I, myself, would have a very difficult time doing (hence my own skeletons remaining locked in their respective closets) and we had a nice little talk after the fact. My friend left himself open to criticism, of which he will have my support if it ever comes to that, and my prayers as he is struggling with a lot of the inner demons that I myself face on a daily basis.

As to the REAL inspiration behind that post, I was in the car on my way to class the other day, and the song "Show Me the Way" by the band STYX was playing on the radio. For those of you not familiar with the band, or the song, it was released in 1991, and reflected upon one individual's disillusionment with the opening line "Every night I say a prayer in the hopes that there's a Heaven." That song, and a subsequent selection played a few minutes later, Poison's "Something to Believe In" and it's opening lines "Well I see him on the TV preachin' 'bout the promised land. He tells me to believe in Jesus and steals the money from my hand. Some say he was a good man, but Lord I think he sinned..." (Their video portrayed the Rev. Jimmy Swaggart, I believe) prompted me to post something. Yes, I myself have been disillusioned with organized religion for a long time. It started as a slow decline while I was in college, and took a major nosedive around 1992, when the blind girl I was dating, a "devout christian", suddenly started seeing someone else, and falsely accused me of raping her when she got pregnant by the other guy. I was devastated, and feeling rather suicidal at that point (I had done everything for this person, and devoted my life up until that point to giving her what she needed-only to be stabbed in the back by her, so yea, I really didn't feel like living at that point). As I stated, I was rather distraught, and suicidal, so I committed myself to the psychiatric ward of the local hospital, where I stayed for three weeks until they felt I was no longer a threat to myself. During my stay there, I had received calls from friends and the Edinboro, PA police chief telling me that the girls father was on the warpath, and threatening to kill this "beast that defiled his 'innocent little girl'". Needless to say, I had to watch my back upon my return home, and never went anywhere unless I had a friend or two with me for at least a couple of months after that. I turned to the people at my church for help and guidance, only to find that most of those who had known me for YEARS would not speak to me, as they had been poisoned by the lies being told by the girl. My life, and my faith shattered, I turned from God (not enough to be completely convicted) and I turned to other things to solve my problems. I began to drink regularly, and at times, heavily. I still recall a few things that happened while under my drunken stupors, that make me shudder to this day:

While drinking with friends out on a rooftop, one night, I got up to go inside and relieve my bladder, and almost walked off the roof.

Another night, I was walking back from a "drinking party" with my friend, Bill, and I stopped on a bridge and told him flat out "I don't want to live anymore, I wonder if I jumped now, if I would drown quickly or slowly, or even feel anything." I know I scared him, and it was one of the few times I saw him, a person that doesn't show emotion very often, cry. Bill pulled me down off the guardrail, and walked me the rest of the way home.

I know that there are probably other incidents that I was too drunk to remember, but those two in particular stick out in my mind, and looking back on it all, I know that God was watching over me, despite my own belief that he didn't give a damn about my life. If it weren't for God, and Bill, as well as other friends, I know that I would not be here today to tell about it. With that being said, the aforementioned post was directed at my own inner conflicts with religion, and religious leaders more than anything.


Show Me The Way-Styx
"Every night I say a prayer in the hopes that theres a heaven,
And every day I'm more confused as the saints turn into sinners.
All the heroes and legends I knew as a child have fallen to idols of clay,
And I feel this empty place inside, so afraid that I've lost my faith.

Show me the way, show me the way.
Take me tonight to the river
And wash my illusions away,
And show me the way.

And as I slowly drift to sleep, for a moment dreams are sacred.
I close my eyes and know there's peace in a world so filled with hatred,
That I wake up each morning and turn on the news to find we've so far to go,
And I keep on hoping for a sign, so afraid that I just wont know.

Show me the way, show me the way.
Take me tonight to the mountain
And take my confusion away,
And show me the way.

And if I see Your light, should I believe?
Tell me how will I know?

Show me the way, show me the way.
Take me tonight to the river
And wash my illusions away.
Show me the way, show me the way.
Give me the strength and the courage
To believe that I'll get there someday,
And please show me the way

And every night I say a prayer in the hope that theres a heaven..."