Happy National Donate Your Hair Day

The day has finally come!!!!! This afternoon, I get to donate my hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths Program. When I cut my hair 2 years ago, I said that I wouldn't cut it again until it was long enough to donate. I have reached that goal! I'm so excited that I could barely sleep last night.

I'm doing this because there are so many people battling cancer and I just want to do what I can to hopefully put a smile on their faces. I have had many people close to me be diagnosed with cancer. People from my dad to my grandmother to my brother's Godmother (that I think of as another aunt) to one of my best friends. I'm doing this for them. I'm doing this for all of the people that come into the pharmacy daily that are suffering or have suffered from cancer.

Donating my hair is not the cure to this awful disease, but it may be the cure to making a woman that has lost her hair feel better about her appearance. God has blessed me with some pretty amazing hair if I must say so myself. It is now time for me to pass on that blessing. When I found out Granny had lymphoma, I told her that if she lost her hair, I would shave my head bald in support. She told me I couldn't, but I would have any way. Luckily, she was fortunate and didn't lose any hair while going through chemo. Some women are not as fortunate and that's why National Donate Your Hair Day is so important to me.

bye bye hair!

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

The Ignorance Behind "I'll Sleep When I Die"

I've been wanting to do a post about the phrase "I'll Sleep When I Die" for quite awhile now. THAT IS THE DUMBEST THING EVER!!!!!!! I think it has come to the point that people say it just to be cool. Well I hope you're real cool (pun intended) when you're lying in the morgue with a death file that says, "Died from lack of sleep." What are you doing that requires you to miss out on sleep?!?!?! You must need to get a new "hustle." Yes I understand that some things do require staying up late at night, but is that necessary all the time? 


Lack of sleep will cause death so eventually your "I'll sleep when I die" statement will come true. It can also cause heart disease, diabetes, mess up your immune system, and many other problems. Not to mention your life expectancy is shortened.  You won't be able to focus while at work or on the road. Now you are involving others. You decided to stay up the past 3 days because you're trying to become the next best rapper, then all of a sudden you're sleep at the wheel of your car, run into a van carrying a family that's going out to celebrate a birthday and the parents are killed.


WAKE UP!!!!!! Listen to your body folks! It talks to you and tells you what it needs. My body tells me when I'm not drinking enough water or when I need to just sit my butt down and chill out. So while you're up all night doing whatever you do, I'll be in my bed dreaming about my fairy tale life and how I plan to live to be 114 years old.

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

Donating My Hair: The Decision

For many years I wanted to donate my hair to Locks of Love, but I never did. Early 2010 I decided to cut my hair off like I had been doing every year. The only difference is that this time, I set a goal for myself. Grow hair out until it is long enough to donate to an organization that makes wigs for people that have lost their hair due to medical conditions.

Over the last couple of weeks, the urge to cut my hair has been growing stronger and stronger. Last week I googled "hair donations." Of course Locks of Love, being the most popular was listed in the search results. They have always been my chosen organization to help me accomplish my goal. But after doing some research, I have now decided to not use them. The main reason is that they charge the children that receive the wigs a fee based off their parents' income and I think the wigs should be free (more on that another time). I continued to research. I finally came across "Beautiful Lengths," a program created by Pantene that works together with the American Cancer Society to donate real hair wigs to woman.

After dreaming about cutting my hair all last night, this morning I went back to the Pantene website to read about Beautiful Lengths again. This time I saw on their blog that they, along with Seventeen magazine, announced yesterday that April 27th will be National Donate Your Hair Day. On that day, I will pledge to make a difference in someone's life by donating the 8+ inches of hair that I have been growing since April 2010. I encourage anyone that wants to do the same, to read up on the Beautiful Lengths program and join me at the hair salon on April 27th.



Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

I Didn't Deserve It

For the past 5 years I have worked my ass off at work. I like to think that I am a great employee. I do have my days where I don't want to do anything and may only give 75%, but I still do my work. I have never looked for rewards for doing my job. My reward comes when I get to talk to my favorite patients about their kids, grand kids, pets, vacations, jobs, etc.

But when I was just recently awarded "District Team Member of the Month," I was proud of myself. I felt good. Wow, all my hard work has been noticed by the people above me. Then just like that, every happy and proud feeling was taken away by just a few words from someone that you thought appreciated you. "You didn't deserve it." That hurt. It's not even about the gift card that I was supposed to get, but I'm not getting. It's about those 4 words. We need to start being conscious of the words we say to people. Even I am guilty of saying hurtful things. You never know how what you say to someone can affect them. You don't tell one of your best employees that they didn't deserve to be recognized. When I heard that, I immediately put up a wall and tuned out the rest of the conversation. That sentence has been playing in my head since this morning. I shut down. My first thought was, "That's it. Don't ask me to do another thing. I'm going to come to work, do what I need to do and go home. I'm no longer going above and beyond." Then my crazy side kicked in (everybody has one) and I said to myself, "Karma is a bitch."

I think today was the answer to my prayer. "God take away my fear of stepping out on faith." I've just been looking for something to give me that push and anger me enough to want to change. God is also answering my other prayer: Move me out of my way. Being told, "You didn't deserve it," is just what I needed to hear to light fire to my butt and get me moving. Carol is pushing Carol aside and moves are about to be made. I can no longer continue doing what makes others happy. I must now take care self first and everyone else second. (I can't just take care of self and say eff everybody else. I love other people too much to just leave them blowing in the wind. I have a very strong nurturing side that I can't let go of and never will.)

Although those 4 words did hurt, I'm not going to let them take me down. From here on out I'm going to tell myself, "YOU DESERVE IT!" Self-motivation is the best motivation. 

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

Away

I'm doing everything inside of me to resist the urge to pack up & move away. I want to go to a place where I know almost no one there. Somewhere new. A place away from familiarity. To challenge myself . To get to know myself. A new life adventure in a city that I can grow to love. But to make this happen, I must first believe that it can be done. I must believe in Carol.

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

Hours After, Still Awake: Pep Talk

Christmas has been over for 1 hr 33mins (will be longer by the time I finish). Praise the Lord. Glad that is behind me. Unfortunately, I'm laying in bed wide awake watching Sportscenter (I'm single to all you available guys lol). Guess I'll type some words. I would write in my new journal appropriately titled "thoughts," but it's downstairs by the Christmas tree.

Anywho, let me get to the point so I can go to sleep. I'm always coming up with elaborate plans in my head but I either don't follow thru with them, or I only partially complete them. That has to end. This week, I'll be outlining a few goals for myself. It's time for me to pick up & get things rolling in the right direction. Gotta get some accountability partners in my corner to keep me pushing towards what I want. Time to get myself in check and I'm not waiting until the new year. It started a few days ago. Why wait until a new year when God gives us a new day every 24hrs? 

Time to focus on Carol. A good friend told me last year, "the older you get, the more selfish you have to be." That doesn't mean ignore everyone. But it does mean do what you need to do to live a happy life even if you have to cut off certain people and things that are going to hinder you from becoming who you need to be. 

Talk to God, but most importantly, listen to what he has to say. He'll always be in my corner while I go through the challenges of accomplishing the goals I set for myself. This can be done & I'm going to push myself until these few goals are completed. If I don't show determination, then how can I expect others to believe in me. In the words of a great, world renowned scientist, Sherman Klump (lol), "Yes I Can! Yes.I.Can."  

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

FRUSTRATED...

Because I care too much

Because others don't care

Because people don't follow simple request

Because people are selfish

Because I'm not selfish

Because someone is gonna tell me this is life
Because this is life

Because I'm taken advantage of

Because I pick up others' slack

Because I'm responsible

Because I'm reliable

Because I'm a good worker
Because I'm tired
Because I can't help but help
Because I feel guilty
Because I don't like saying no
Because I'm tired
Because this is not me
Because I want new
Because I'm impatient (at times)
Because I want reasonable consistency
Because, Because, BECAUSE!!!

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

Off My Chest

Yes I laugh at the all jokes about my nonexistent love life, but at times it's to keep from crying. I'm sure by now y'all think I live a sad lonely life cuz that's all I blog about lately. Well to some extent that's true. Let me just be open. I'm 25 years old, never had a real boyfriend, never been in love (well I thought I was). Of course the normal responses are gonna be, "Carol that's ok" "There's someone out there for you" "Take your time." Blah, blah, blah. And a few quotes about God. Guess what? I don't wanna hear that :) I honestly don't wanna hear anything. I just want you to read this, nod your head, and pray. Don't say anything to me because I don't wanna to listen to you. Talk to God & tell Him to talk to me.


Sometimes you gotta take a few deep breaths and continue on with life. These words are my deep breaths. I'm not gonna let my issues change the person I am. They may be tough, but I'm tougher. No matter what, I'm going to always smile and be me. I may be 5' physically, but in my mind I'm 6'7" and can handle anything thrown my way.

Now that I got that off my chest, maybe I can get a good night's sleep and be well prepared to face another day of life's excitements. Goodnight :)

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

Friday Nights

Over the past maybe 2-3 months, Friday nights have become the loneliest times of my life. I sit on the couch watching Say Yes to the Dress and Fours Weddings while shedding a few happy & sympathy tears.

Tonight was probably the worst.
Alone with my thoughts
Wishing I had someone here
To give me a hug
To give reassurance
Hiding behind a smile
Numb to love all while
Wanting to be loved
Just having a moment
Emotionally drained
Wishing
Dreaming
Praying
Knowing it will get better

Please don't worry about me. No sympathy needed. I will be fine. I just have to be real with myself right now. Everybody goes through moments like these and mine just happens to be now.

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

Don't Ruin My Father's Day

I think my friend said it best, "Valentine's Day and Father's day be the most bitter days on Twitter yo." Except this doesn't just take place only on twitter, but everywhere. Stop ruining my Daddy & brother's Father's Day with your bitterness! I got into a debate with someone last year that was offended when I tweeted that people needed to get over it (the fact that their father wasn't there). It wasn't directed to anyone in particular. Yes, it may have been harsh, but we need to stop being sensitive Americans.

*side note* Yes I know I'm mean. It has been told to me very clearly by many people. Now ask me if I care lol. Guess my "meanness" outweighs my "niceness" *shrugs*

Why waste all your years complaining about a man that wasn't present in you life? And then you wanna do it on a day when I'm trying to honor MY father, brother, uncles & male mentors? There has to be at least ONE positive male figure in your life that stepped up when your father didn't.  May have been a grandfather, uncle, step-father, teacher, pastor, and the list goes on. Honor them instead of walking around with this chip on your shoulder for 20+ years of your life.

*side note* And mother's, if your child's father isn't around, find a positive male figure to mentor them. There are some things a woman can't teach a man and vice versa. (Don't get mad at me for speaking the truth. POW!)

I am honored and glad to have both of my parents in my life. And I'm even more privileged to be able to share them with the world! My parents have mothered and fathered kids that will never know their parents. If you don't have a mother or father present, I invite you to come hang out with my family and you can borrow my parents. We have enough love to go around.

And most importantly you have GOD who should be the #1 Father in your life. Turn to him when times get hard or when you feel alone or neglected. He can heal all wounds (created by bitterness) that no XY chromosome carrying male can ever heal.

With all that said, I want to wish a Happy Father's Day to my Daddy, my brother, my uncles, cousins, friends, and all the positive male role models in my life! I thank you for all the advice and love you have given me over the past 25 years of my life.

My Family :)
(minus my niece Saniya & unborn nephew "Rover")

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

Georgia Born

Georgia born, Georgia bred and when I die, I'll be Georgia dead!

Decatur, GA has been my home since before I came out the womb. So after 25 years why is this dang pollen just now starting to affect me?!?! Is God punishing me from laughing at all the allergy sufferers? If so, I'm sorry! *in my Mr. Brown voice*

I went to the Atlanta Braves game Sunday with my sister and came home feeling like my head was gonna explode while sitting on my neck. Boy was I mad I didn't take any Wal-zyr before the game.


Now I sit in my bed almost 5 days later, still suffering. Stuffy nose, post nasal drip, coughing, headache and sore throat. Shouldn't I have acquired immunity to the different types of pollen in Georgia since I'm a life long resident? Why doesn't mother nature have some type of law that protects me? 


The Pollen Law states that, "Any person that has lived in a city or state with off the chart pollen counts for 15 consecutive years, shall be immune to any types of allergies from flowers, plants and trees. Said person shall be able to go outside and not end up feeling like death. Any pollen that tries to attack this individual will be washed away by April showers." All in favor of this law say, "yay." All opposed say, "nay." The yays have it. The Pollen Law is now in effect!!! *cheers and applause*


Ok... now that the drugs are talking, let me close me eyes and cough and sniff my little self to sleep. But only after I ingest a little of this vapor rub. Sleep tight fellow allergy sufferers! 


Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

Scan Me!!!

It really upsets me that people will find every teeny tiny little thing to complain about! Complain about why gas prices are $56393.89 a gallon or why our troops are fighting in a war that we're still trying to figure out why it was started. Stop complaining about Planned Parenthood & learn what it's about besides the fact that they support abortions. And while you're at it, shut up about TSA too! 

I just watched the interview of the parents of the 6 year little girl that was patted down by a TSA agent in New Orleans. (I like the agent was very professional & respectful while doing her job) Those parents need to go home and shut up and be glad those agents are protecting us. And while they're at it, they need to explain to their kids who TSA is, what they do, and why they do it.

People had a problem with the full body scan when it was released. Would you rather every one be searched and scanned or just let people walk through all willy nilly and you end up on a plane with a terrorist? SCAN AND PAT ME!!! I've been to airports overseas where they have soldiers in the rafters with guns pointed and ready to shoot at any given moment. Soldiers walk around, finger on the trigger and ready to attack at the first sign of danger. I guess us spoiled, ungrateful, cry baby Americans would fuss about that if our soldiers did that in the states.  

The minute we have another terrorist attack (God forbid that happen again) someone is going to complain that TSA wasn't doing something right. As the saying goes, "You can't win for losing." Well TSA, you have my support!

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

I'm Stepping Forward to _________

be a voice for victims.


I have grown up in a society that looks down on people that step forward and I want that changed. There are so many people that are victims of many crimes, but never say anything out of fear something may happen to them or fear of being ridiculed. I am not afraid!

The past week I have been dealing with a verbal harassment situation. When it first started I was ready to handle this on my own (aka kick her ass), but as the days went on, I began to realize that is not the answer. I will not jeopardize my life & what I have going for me to entertain a complete fool. This person has been harassing people for years and no one has said anything. It's time for someone to speak up before it's too late. And they have messed with the wrong one!

Too often we sit around and joke about these types of issues and do nothing about them so they continue happening. Or we handle it in our own way (aka kicking ass) and the problem only becomes bigger. This can only lead to a person getting more aggressive and more dangerous. It's ok to laugh, but at some point something has to be done.

I am speaking up on behalf of all the other victims in this situation. I am stepping forward to save lives before this gets worse. I am not afraid to call this person out so that my life can be restored to how it was a week ago. Call me what you want, but know that I'll speak for you too if needed. I don't know about you, but God's got my back!

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

From the Heart of the Short One

(Please excuse the few curse words that may present themselves in this blog. Thanks in advance!)
I'm always told how I never open up & share how I feel. Like I mentioned in a previous post, I'm not the type of person that likes to talk about how I feel. I prefer to write & usually stash it somewhere. I thought about stashing it today, but I'm not.

For so many years I've been scared that I'm gonna end up spending my life alone. Alone in a house with Gracie & a bunch of cats. And that's not what I want. I know I'm only 24, but I dream of getting married & having a family. I've met & dated several guys that could have been "the one," only to be left alone. Everything always ends with, "Let's just be friends." Well dammit I DON'T WANNA BE EFFIN FRIENDS!!!!! Shit if I wanted to be friends then I wouldn't have started talking to you from the jump. Ok rant over. Whew that felt good!

And for all you "holy" & extra "holy" folks, I KNOW God is with me when I feel alone. I KNOW that. God is always with me. He's my #1 best friend & he has my back through everything. But I am human. I have blood running through my body. I have the right to want another human to love & have with me until I go on to glory. And that's all I want. I have prayed about. I've been patient. I'll continue to do both.

I am not giving up. Hurt comes along with life and I will learn from it & move on to what's next. When life hands you lemons throw them back until it gives you grapes. They're much tastier :)

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

Countdown: 42 Days

In 42 days, I'll be sailing away from the United States on my 25th birthday cruise to the Bahamas. So much can happen in 42 days. I can sit here & countdown each day has it arrives (which I plan to do), but I can also make the most of those 42 days.

My prayer for most of the year has been that I remain patient & obedient & wait on God to make moves in my life. I can't sit here & tell God what to do. If I do he'll give me the o_O look & I don't like that look! Instead I have to move according to what he wants me to do. In the next 42 days, I am going to continue to ask God what he wants from me. I know what Carol wants, but what Carol wants is not always what God wants.

Watching the sunrise on my cruise in 2008

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

Unspoken Wordsll

My elementary school best friend moved faaaaaarrrrr away to Indianapolis when we were in 3rd or 4th grade. There was no free long distance phone plan back then so we had to write letters. When I was younger, I went to a camp in Toccoa, GA & the only communication I had with the outside world was a pen & some paper. With those 2 items I was able to tell my family & friends what life a was like in camp.

Just recently I have been reintroduced to my pen & paper. When my friend got deployed I made up my mind I would be his pen pal (well email pal in this case) so we could stay updated with the happenings on our sides of the world. Earlier this month another friend of mine started army boot camp. I now have a 2nd pen pal!

Being able to write someone can be beneficial for the writer & the reader. In my case, I want to be able to let my friends know that although I can't shoot them a text or have a short 5 minute telephone conversation to say hey; I still think about them. Often times we hear of people getting deployed or going to jail, and they become the poster child of "out of sight, out of mind". I don't want people to feel forgotten. I write to let them know that they are appreciated. I write to put a smile on their faces & let them know they are cared about. This in turn makes me feel good on the inside & smile on the outside.

Letters don't have to be written because that is someones only form of communication. Write a letter to your friend that lives in the state next door or your aunt on the west coast. Let people know you care about them without speaking words. Spoken words can be forgotten. Written words can be looked at all the time. When a person is feeling down, they may read that letter you wrote them 5 years ago that said, "Hey, I was thinking about you & just wanted to let you know."

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

4th and Comfort Zone

We focus so much on getting down the field to our comfort zone, that we miss out on the chances to enjoy the sounds of the crowd. And God forbid we fumble at 4th and comfort zone & miss the opportunity to score 6 for complacency for the 346,893 time.

This blog comes after several attempts to invite people to a new church that I've started attending. When my sister told me about the church & invited me to come, I said, "Ok." (I blogged on just saying "ok" back in August.) I have asked several of my friends & even a few family members to join me one Sunday at Courageous. I'm not asking anyone to become members or leave their church or anything along those lines. Every church has a family & friends day, & I would like to participate & bring my family & friends.

"Is it a cult?" "What kind of church is it?" "The name of that church sounds like they accept gays." "How long does it last?" "Where is it?" "I can't get up." "It cuts into football." These are just a few of the questions & comments I've gotten when I invite people to come. I would hope that my friends & family trust me enough to know that I would not invite them to just anything.  

We get so comfortable going to the churches we grew up in & were forced to go to as children that we don't venture out & see if maybe there's a church that can help you grow. And then there are those of us that miss church some Sundays because we're so comfortable in our beds that we become Bedtime Baptists and TV Baptists. It's perfectly fine to accept an invitation & experience something new for just one day. 

This week I challenge everyone reading this to step outside of their comfort zone & take a risk. Cut your hair, paint your nails bright orange, eat some turtle soup, ... JUST BE DIFFERENT!

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

Looking Down Only to Miss Out

Looking at the outside of a person will never tell you their full story. I was raised in a family that made friends with everybody under the sun. Company executives, grandmothers, homeless people, janitors, classmates, co-workers, underprivileged children, & the list goes on. There is no one person better than the other. We are all equal in God's eyes.

The problem with many people today is that they think they are better than someone else. I have had many people say, "Dang Carol you talk to everyone." "Yes I do!" From elementary all the way to college, I made it my job to know almost everyone in that school from the teachers to the janitors to the principal to security. I didn't form personal relationships with all of them, but a simple "Hi. How are you ____? Have a good day" can go a long way. Now when I go back to visit those schools, those people still remember me. There is no greater feeling on earth than letting people know you care about their existence. 

When I went to school in New Orleans in 2003, I knew no one except for my roommate & the 4 people I went to high school with. By the time I came back to Atlanta in 2008, I had new aunts, uncles, best friends, brothers, sisters, & friends. Why? Because I took the time to talk to people. When I chat with my classmates from college, they always say I wonder what happened to _____. I'm usually the one that can give them updates on that person. Why? Because I still check up on them.

Story: A group of guys used to sit outside the freshman dorm & try to holla at the new girls. Of course we were warned of the "whoadies" so many just walked past them. My name to them was "Atlanta." I started sitting outside with them & watching the students get on the buses to go to the cub. Next thing I know I'm cracking jokes with these guys. After getting to know them, they turned out to be cool people. I am still friends with them to this day.

People that work in the pharmacy sometimes get a bad rep for not conversing with the other people in the store. I make sure I speak to everyone in the store. We work for the same company & no one is better than the next. And because of that I have formed lifelong friendships. When work isn't busy I stop & talk to my customers. More than the regular, "How are you? How may I help you today?" One customer always asks how my mom is doing & I ask about her mom & family. Yes she talks my ear of, but it's probably because I listen to what she has to say. A lot of elderly people are lonely because no one talks to them.

I could go on with stories of the many people I've taken time out to talk to, but you would be here all day reading. Don't always be in a rush & miss out on opportunities to meet people. You never know the blessings either one of you can receive from the conversation. I challenge everyone to step out of their comfort zone & meet new people. You don't have to make them a friend or invite them to dinner & in your home, but at least learn their name & where they're from. These kind gestures will not only make them happy, but make you happy as well.

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

It's the Little Things

I woke up this morning with a text message from Mommy. "U have a flat tire." Oh joy! :-) Today is my day to sleep late, it's cold outside & inside, & I feel like I'm getting sick. The LAST thing I want to hear about is my tire being flat. I didn't jump up to check it out. Instead I laid there for a few minutes, got up & put on shoes, brushed my teeth, threw on a hoodie, then went to assess the damage. Front driver tire... DONE SON! Once I saw the white thread coming out I knew I needed a new one. Got my AAA card & called them up. Wait... not too long. AAA guy shows up. Oh that tire is done! My hands were starting to get cold so I put them in my hoodie pockets & feel some paper in there. What was it you ask? A FREE standard oil change coupon from Firestone my bff Ashley gave me months ago. Expiration date December 2010!!!!! I thought that coupon was long gone! That coupon had just turned my day around & all I could was smile! I'm long overdue for an oil change so I'll be going to get on ASAP!

The AAA guy went in my trunk to get my full spare & saw my Trey Songz "Ready" CD. "Do you have the new Trey Songz album?" I wanted to say, "Sir, Is my tire flat?" But a simple, "Yes" is all I said. "Go make me a copy real quick." "I don't have any blank CDs," but I really wanted to say, "Sir, I'll NEVER burn a Trey Songz CD!" "If I had an extra CD I would give it to you, but I gave away all the ones I bought." We continue to talk about more tire stuff while he finishes up. Before he leaves, I say, "I'm debating on if I should give you my CD out the car." "You should." I went in the car & gave him the CD. He didn't care there was no case, but he was happy I gave it to him.

Today's events happened because of a willingness to give & help others. Daddy pays for my AAA membership which has been a great gift. Ashley gave me a FREE oil change coupon. The AAA guy helped me by changing my tire & adding air in the full spare. I know that's his job, but he was nice & did a good job. I gave him my Trey Songz CD.

No matter how bad a situation may seem to you, there is always an opportunity to turn it around and make it good. I could still be walking around pouting & upset, but no; I'm about to cook myself breakfast & enjoy the rest of my morning. Giving the AAA guy that CD may have made his day. I'll never see him again to know, but I'll just hope he's happy driving around helping more AAA customers while listening to one of my favorite artists.

Side Note: My tire is DONE SON! (I had to repeat that in case y'all missed it earlier.) Not only was the white thread exposed on both sides, but it was splitting on the inside & wires or whatever it is was sticking out as well. I'm sooooooooo thankful I woke up to a text message about my flat tire outside my house in my driveway. I could have been on 285 going to or coming from work & had a blow out.

Now please excuse me while I go nibble on my bacon & stare at my FREE oil change coupon :-)

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.

Judgement Impaired

Lately I have been involved and seen situations that have shown me that we as a people often suffer from judgement impairment. Hearing and visual impairment affect the ears & eyes, whereas judgement impairment affects the mind and the capability of making sound decisions.

According to one definition from WorldNet Web Princeton, judgement is a noun meaning the capacity to assess situations or circumstances shrewdly and to draw sound conclusions. The same website defines sound as an adjective meaning logically valid.

When it comes time for a decision to be made, some people think about the pros and cons. Others just go for the gut. There is nothing wrong with either. Weighing the pros and cons of a situation can allow you to see what the best decision is. But you can also end up convincing yourself not to do something. Going off of gut feeling may result in making a poor choice, but it can sometimes be the best decision. In each situation you face, you must decided what's best for you; looking at the good and bad or going with your first instinct.

When your judgement involves others, it's best to think your choice out thoroughly. Let's use T.I. as an example. When T.I. decided to get in his car with Tiny and use illegal substances I seriously doubt he thought out what could possibly happen. He didn't think about his family, friends, the judge that looked out for him in his previous legal situation, or the fans that stood by his side during the entire time he was going through his situation. Now people are stuck trying to decide if they should continue to support him.

When it all comes down to the final play, do what's best for you, but make sure your decision is not going to negatively affect you or others. There is a cure for judgement impairment and it is called THINKING THOROUGHLY! (I just forced those 2 words to fit together hehe!)

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.