I can be silent no longer

What is happening in Wisconsin is a travesty.
There are two sides to everything, and in politics sometimes more than two.
My mother is a teacher, for over 35 years. She spent part of our childhood getting her Masters. She has taught all levels, from 4th grade all the way up to Masters Candidates. My mom is very smart, very dedicated.

She was a single mom working 2-3 jobs all the time and tutoring to make ends meet. Teachers, even at her level don't make a living wage. She still teaches today and still does not make what she is worth. This is a woman that feeds our children the knowledge and life skills they need.

The idea of collective bargaining goes across many levels. Congress, State Officials, including Governor's, The President all have their salaries set through collective bargaining.

There are many things broken in this amazing country of ours. That said, we have one of the most incredible public sector workforce in the world. They are hard-working families and individuals that make this country run. Why would we ask them to live in poverty. If a bus-driver has worked hard and put in the time and energy, why wouldn't we pay them six-figures? Remember that six-figures can mean 100,000.00. After taxes retirement fund, paying into the health insurance that is about 60k or 5000.00 a month. For a family of four, that is not that much money. God forbid, that public sector worker has a special needs child that needs child that requires 24 hour care. God forbid that public sector worker has a mother with Alzheimer's and she has no money. God forbid something happens to that public sector worker and they can no longer work.

The other question that comes up for me is, do YOU want to pick up our countries garbage, work at the sewage plant, clean the back-side of a our aging parents that are living in a state aging facility?
These are our public workers. They are the back-bone of this country. Just like our troops. Why would we want them to live in poverty? Why would we want them to live in poverty?

Your job/work/passion/your calling-whatever you choose to call it, is about you. Some people go to work and it is drudgery. Some go to work and even though some days it is tougher that others, it is simply a joy. Either way, what you do, is your choice. Why not have the ability to have a collective voice of many instead of one. Teams are an amazing way to get things done. The sum of many brains, parts, voices.

There are a lot of opinions out there. One that kept coming up, I listened and thought long and hard about Dick Morris's comments on the subject. Yes, there are workers that do not need to be in the classroom, in a patrol car or on a ladder saving someone from burning building. There are ways of making sure that this does not happen. The years of good service far outweighs the years they may not be able to be all that they can be. We are quickly becoming a society of no loyalty. This is sad. What ever is cheapest. Have a look at the numbers, is it "cheaper" to turn someone out with no health insurance and have them be not be able to afford their medications or Cancer treatment? Is is cheaper to get rid of someone who has served the children for years and now they are in the gap and not able to get Social Security for 4 or 5 more years?

We have an amazing country. Let's work on being more loyal and loving. Let's support our teachers, military, fire-fighters, police and hard-working Americans, not the almighty bottom-line. They are the true hero's.

you know when you know....

Of course, it seems so obvious now.
After months of looking behind the sofa and around the lawn gnome, I finally figured out why the long face.

That thing called SAD (not fond of the acronym) Seasonal Affective Disorder. Feel like such a city girl, putting a disorder to my, well.... funk. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195e .
Yes, many of us, above the Mason Dixon Line (mind you peeps, I am a born and raised Texan) have Vitamin D deficiency.
Love living in the Midwest, the winters can be tough and we moved a little further north and it took me 1 1/2 winters to see the light...literally.

I tell you this, partly for those that have been wondering where their friend went and the other part is that whatever is going on in your life, there is hope. There is that green patch on the other side of the fence. So, if you see me with a slight tan in the middle of winter.....say to yourself or outloud, she has that SAD thing.

Enough said.
Finding the answer to things is a little like finding Neil Pasricha. He's the genius that, in the midst of terrible happenings in his own life, he wanted to feel better. Neil started a little blog called http://1000awesomethings.com/  This is Neil at TED http://www.ted.com/talks/neil_pasricha_the_3_a_s_of_awesome.html  (are you getting yet I am a HUGE TED fan?) We can see the good amidst the disheartening. You can choose to see the good.

You can choose to see the good.

Love you,
sarah

Why your Why is important....be the Leader

Hi everyone!
What an exciting month. For those of us in the Midwest, it is the hope of Spring coming, we begin to see the end of snow and below zero days.

Many of you know the TED (http://www.ted.com/) conferences around the world. They bring together some incredible people to share what they know and believe. This gentleman, Simon Sinek, came up on Hulu and honestly the only reason I watched it was that it had the word "Leader" in the title.

Simon's talk is a lot of fast talking, bell curve scribbling, and crazy fabulous info about belief...How important our WHY's are/have to be for anything and everything we do.

Simon Sinek speaker at the the 2009 TED conference in Puget Sound


This jewel, I believe, is the difference between moving through life and moving through life in purpose.

When you walk in purpose, you collide with Destiny.
-Dr Bertice Berry

love you,
sarah