Every day I struggle to put something into my blog that won't be droning or repetitive. I like telling y'all new stories about what's happening in my life and whether it be a "pothole" or a "swoon moment", it keeps things fun and exciting. Some days, there is just nothing to say, so I let it go by. Other days, I know I need to post and it's fun to review the day's or week's events to find the humor in what's happening around me. But sometimes what I write about comes up in conversation, and there are some things that just need to be repeated just because of their universal nutritional value.
Well, let's start with some news. Neat fact from last week was that I wrote my very first Press Release. For those of you who know me from There and the University of There, you'll go, "huh? Wait, you've written things like that before..." ok, yes, I'll go that with you, but those weren't REAL press releases, or at least not ones for a grade in my Journalism 102 class. The only thing I can say about the experience is that it was amazing. Believe it or not, the mock press release I had to write was for...hold on to yourselves...a nightclub. It was like giving candy to a baby. I looked at the page with the details on it that we had to make into the press release and I looked at Prof H and almost said with a laugh, "Really? You're kidding, right?" Much less to say, the perfectionist and creative soul in me came out and I took almost an hour to write it. Upon finishing the press release, I handed it to my professor, he read it, looked at me and said, "This is how it should be done." I was thrilled. While other students in class struggled with the assignment, I breezed through it. The only reason that it took me so long is that I was intimidated by it at first, then I said, "To hell with it! I'm getting creative with this sucker," and went to town writing as fast as my fingers could move across the keyboard.
Ok, now onto tonight. Yes, it's late and I'm exhausted, but I have to get this out.
I spent time again with my friend. You gals know who I'm talking about, the hard-headed swoonfest. Oh go ahead gals, swoon with me, because let's face it, he's one of the few men in the universe that is worth a healthy, prolonged swoon. Quick! Pass the plate of cookies, because he's all that to go along with the chocolate chips. But, I just can't keep calling him "my friend," he needs a name, but I have to protect his real identity. Hmmm....what to call him? Oh! I know! I'll go with the tattoo he has...now don't laugh, but he has the Tasmanian Devil on his right calf, and trust me with his temper and how he's Mr. Cranky-Pants a lot, it's no stretch to call him Taz. So now he has a name. Oh lordy, look out, we have a new character!
So, I got see him tonight. He's still in a lot of pain with that knee of his. We sat around and talked about the incessant phone calls from the political campaigns...(I can not wait until all that election BS is over with. OMG.) As Taz said, and I agree with, "Why are they spending so much time being negative? Why are they pointing out why the other one is worse? Why are they not telling us how they'll solve the problems or how they'll rise to the occasion on different issues?" I sat beaming from ear to ear as he spoke so passionately about the one thing I keep saying over and over again, "Some people just don't get it." In the case of the political campaigns, Taz is right. Now I'll be honest, his and my politics don't mesh. I'm a democrat, he's a republican. But the one thing we are agreeing on is that everyone but everyone should be checking the box marked "None of the above" on their election ballots. Are these boneheaded, negative politicians the best our political system can offer us? Being spam called at 8 a.m. by automatic dialers spewing negative message after negative message? Most folks I know are just not answering the phone anymore because they know that this whole negative campaigning bullcrap has become far too much. No small wonder the symbols for the political parties are animals...they're making us sit through a damned three-ring circus that we don't want to see!
But here's where the boomerang comes in. After we chewed all the flavor out of the negativity we've been exposed to and how politicians are just nowhere near trustworthy, I reminded Taz that my college major, Advertising, is one of the most mistrusted professions because people don't want to hear commercials, they just want to get to the meat of whatever they are listening to or watching, that there is so much misleading advertising out there that folks don't trust us ad folks. As a matter of fact, I don't blame them in the least. I told Taz that simply that's what is so unique about my take on Ad/PR. I like to tell the truth. I like to solve problems and I like helping people find the path that's going to make them happy. It's like when I have to call up a service provider like my cable company. If something isn't right or something has gone terribly wrong, I have to get on the phone with them. The first thing I do is ask for the operator's name. That way they know that I know that they're not just some machine or punching bag. Then I tell them "ok, I'm upset, but I want to be clear with you, this is not your fault, but I do need your help so that I can get this fixed so I can be happy again." Taz jumped in and said, "That's exactly why they'll move heaven and earth for you, it's because you're being so nice to them," and it's exactly why I'm so sweet to people all the time and it's also why, most of the time, my creative ad ideas work so well. As a wise man said, "There are no problems, only solutions." I go a bit farther than that though. For me, when I see a problem, I come to fix it with at least three solutions in my pocket. That's advertising and communicating to your audience that you aren't just there to sell them something, you're there to help them make their lives better. When you throw positives at people, that's what you get back.
When you're negative, people don't want to hear you. They want to hear about good things, they want to hear positives. That's when I reminded Taz about what I said a few posts back saying, "That's why I share love, 'love is priceless yet doesn't cost you anything to give' and it usually produces better results for everyone." That's when he stopped me and thanked me for reminding him that him being negative about what happens to him doesn't help his situation. It was then that I paraphrased Marcus Aurelius, saying, "If negative things happen, why do you let it bother you? If it's not something you can do anything about, it's best to just let it go."
Then we changed topics to him getting his knee replaced. Now that is something I know a little bit about seeing as I've been through it twice with my father. He asked me to tell him all about Dad's knee replacement adventures and he seemed ok with it, except for the fact that I'll have to drive him everywhere. He wasn't overly thrilled with that as he proceeded to tell me all about how to drive a five-speed with only one foot. Apparently you can't work a clutch with just being able to only move your ankle. So I guess pretty soon I'll be posting about taking care of Taz when he gets scheduled for knee surgery. Personally, I can't wait to be on the job for that one. It's going to be my brand of tender, loving care that will test my patience (remember he's Mr. Cranky-Pants when he's in pain). Remember what I said about timing? It's everything. Now I get my chance to go 110% (when he's not fighting me) taking care of him and finally proving my point that there are some people in the universe who do not go into things saying 'what's in it for me?' Taking care of Taz will be fun, at least for me because there are lots of positives on that front...me out of the house, taking care of someone else, getting up early and so forth. And to see him walk pain-free? Absolutely priceless. After that, maybe we'll get that back of his taken care of so we can go out again!
But at the very least tonight, I got to share love with one of my favorite people in the universe...and Heidi, don't you give me a 'dirty', it wasn't that kind of 'love'...it was positive fellowship with another human being and positivity is a boomerang that I can throw and have those positives come back to me time and time again. There is nothing quite like a constructive exchange of ideas. It's healthy and...
It keeps us all moving forward.
Thanks Taz!
So, for my song of the day, let's go with an old classic...featured in the credits for the first film based on a virtual world, Tron. Take a listen to Journey's "Only Solutions."
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