Drop the Bad Attitude

Is it me or does every state worker have THE WORST attitude EVER!?!?!

Think about it...when was the last time you walked into a DMV or some other state agency and were greeted with anything other than, "take a number and stand in line" or "have a seat" or "may I help you? (but spoken in a tired and aggravated voice)" or silence/roll of the eyes/dead stare.

I mean, what is the problem?

Last week, I had to call a local health department in metro Atlanta to get a copy of my birth certificate. "Hold," is how the woman answered the phone. Ugh!

After several minutes, when she got back on the line, she already had an attitude. From where? Who knows. But it wasn't me, we hadn't even talked....so why did I have to suffer? I made sure to use a pleasant voice, but everytime I asked her anything, she sighed or smacked her teeth, and answered the questions with a tone that shouted, "ugh, you should already know this."

Then today, I had to call a local health department in the Shoals. I won't list which one since I live and work in this area. However, it was the SAME thing. A woman with a freakin bad attitude for some reason. Did a co-worker upset her? Is she mad at her boss? Did she not sleep well last night? IDK - but I do know that I had to pay for someone or something that wasn't my fault.

All I'm saying is....be thankful you have a job and be pleasant with people if they are pleasant with you. Is that too much to ask for now?? Gosh...

Stop and Think!

Have you ever wondered how many blunders could be avoided if people would just stop and think? Think about their actions? the consequences? How it affects other people?

This picture was enough to bring me back to blog life. As I look at it, I experience a slew of emotions - humor is definitely NOT one of them. (contrary to the New York Post editor-in-chief's assessment that it's "a clear parody of a current news event.")

The defintion of parody (courtesy dictionary.com) is a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing.

Am I missing the funny part??

I mean really...portraying the nation's leader to a dead animal, especially one that has a history of being linked to the degredation of black people just doesn't really tickle my funny bone.

I recently heard this argument, "Are we going to have four years of everything that's negative about Obama labeled as racism?"

Uhh..no. But okay, fine, let's go there.

As it pertains to this subject, let's say it was some animal other than a monkey depicted in the cartoon.

The definition of animal (again, courtesy dictionary.com) is any living thing other than a human being.

So, being portrayed as ANY animal is offensive! Besides the downgrade from human status, it implies that you have no character, no ability to reason, no capacity to have feelings, no desire to care for anything other than what is necessary to keep you alive, etc...

It's inevitable, that people (including President Obama) will do things that are wrong, or disagreeable. However, that doesn't mean a person should be demeaned and lowered to a level where they are considered less than human.

I'll stop here, just thinking about the ignorance of some people has my blood boiling to the point where steam might start coming out of my ears...

2009: Realistic Resolutions

That's my "God, I'm REALLY serious this time" face...lol!

All jokes aside, when a new year starts, it's a good time to either set goals for yourself or be reminded of the goals that have collected dust over the past year.

So, in 2009, I decided to make some resolutions, but ones that I think I can actually keep. Here it goes.

1) Grow spiritually

2) Save more...shop less.

3) Take my vitamins (every day is a stretch...I'll say 3 times a week)

4) Eat the food I buy at the grocery store, instead of it having a slow & painful death in my fridge

5) Learn/Do something new

My Small Glimpse at Parenthood....

....scared the crap out of me!

So, I had an incident with my precious pooch Elle on a vacation at my family's home in Atlanta. I had taken her outside for a walk and she wasn't on a leash, which she normally is on, but I decided to see if she could be trusted without one - BIG mistake! She ran from me, IGNORING my calls for her to stop, sprinted down our EXTREMELY long driveway, crossed the VERY BUSY street, and ran pass SEVERAL houses in the neighborhood across the street. Yes, I had to run at OLYMPIC PACE to catch up with her. Panting and pissed, when I finally did get a hold of her, I was glad she was still alive and not hurt, but I was so angry I wanted to kill her myself...lol!! I couldn't even look at her. I locked her up in her cage in a dark room for the rest of the day. (FYI...I'm not an abuser, I still fed her and took her out to potty) But she was definitely in punishment - no playing, no petting, no toys, nothing! The next day, when she tried to walk up to me, I was still reeling.

Dealing with my crazy dog got me thinking...Thinking back to all of those times when I got in trouble with my own parents....thinking about how they must have felt when I ignored what they told me to do, put myself in danger, and then having to discipline me afterwards. It's kind of crazy how much perspective you gain when you get older. It must be tough being a REAL parent. For now, I'm glad I just have a dog to deal with. Btw....I still love her. :-)

FLO-TOWN!!!

I've been working in Florence for about a month and a half now. I'm enjoying the experience of being on the streets everyday, meeting people, and telling their stories. There is one thing that's a little frustrating. Here's how a typical conversation goes with someone when I meet them for the first time.

Person: Hi!

Clarissa: Hello, I'm Clarissa. I'm the new reporter in the Shoals at Channel 19.

Person: How long have you been here?

Clarissa: About a month and a half.

Person: Where are you from orginally?

Clarissa: Atlanta.

Person: "Oh...I'm sorry." or "Oh, wow! I bet you wish you were there." or "Ah, why would you come here?"

I have to say that I'm perfectly fine being in Florence and covering the Shoals area. I think the cities, towns, and communities in the Shoals have a lot of history and character. I wish that some of the people I encounter would be proud of that! I'm proud of where I'm from. After all, if I really start to miss Atlanta, it's only a 4 hour drive. :-)

TV: Real vs. Reality

Okay...okay...okay...I know talking about reality television is like beating a dead horse, but I have to put this out there.

I've been sucked into the "Biggest Loser: Couples" show. A girlfriend of mine is to blame for the initial hit. Now, I'm hooked. Anyway, we watch the show religiously every Tuesday. This past week, we got into a low-scale argument.

Scenario:

Every week, the contestants work out and watch their diet, and then they have weigh-ins to see who lost the most weight. The person that loses the least is at risk of being voted off by the remaining contestants. One person is eliminated each week.

Dilemma:

There is one contestant in particular, Brittany, who has had a difficult time losing weight. On average, she loses about 2 pounds each week. Okay, but NOT good when you compare that to other contestants that are losing 10+ pounds a week. Brittany's trainer says in every show how baffled she is by the fact that her body isn't responding more drastically to workout and diet changes.

Argument Preface:

Brittany finally got voted off the show during the last episode. I felt bad for the girl. She was obviously working hard. My friend, who's wanted Brittany off the show for weeks, called for our usual post show discussion:

Friend's side:

"It's about time she got voted off," - a direct quote. She was taking away too much attention from the other contestants that lose more weight. It's not fair how the trainer gives her so much attention. She referenced a specific moment in the show where the trainer was shown in a group setting, but only talking to Brittany. This apparently infuriated her!!!

My side:

It's television!!! I explained to her that she doesn't have a clue about how that particular segment of the show was edited. In REALITY, (which she has no way of knowing via the TV show), the trainer could have walked up and talked to every other person first, and the show creators only decided to air the portion with Brittany in it.

Anyway, this little tift with "mi amiga" got me thinking....

There are so many of us, I'm guilty too, who form such strong opinions about people in TV shows, just by what we see. That is, without thinking about the fact that it's someone's job to craft shows to make you feel that way.

Just something that I found interesting. :)

Knock, Knock. Who's There? Beginner Blogger! :-)

This is my first blog and I feel like a little kid the night before a big field trip - REALLY, REALLY excited!

"Clarissa Explains It All" - a phrase that's haunted me since March 1, 1991. But, I guess I owe the show some credit. It gave me some solace after years of disappointment. I know I'm 24, but I'm still bitter about not being able to find my name on coffee mugs, key chains, t-shirts, mini-license plates, hats, etc. at Six Flags, Disney World, Sea World, and other random tourist spots across America. It also made for a great segway into conversations with complete strangers. Oh, and I used it to launch a successful (even though I didn't win) campaign for Miss Auburn in 2004. So, after considering all of those things - I've decided to embrace it.

I could ramble on forever, but I'll just hit the highlights:

1. I'm committed to living a life of purpose.
2. Besides roaches (see note below), one of my biggest fears is mediocrity.
3. I am passionate about my job with the news media. I don't take myself too seriously, but I do take my responsibility to inform and inspire people VERY seriously.

***One thing that's important to note:***

I absolutely hate roaches and to refute a ridiculous comment that was posed to me once - Yes, I would still hate the gross critters if they were pink. I'm sure they were created for a purpose and only God himself will be able to convince me that it is a good one.

This should be an interesting experience...let the blogging begin!!! :-)