Don't Get Me Started with Linda Sharp

Namaste - Seeing Another Family In Ours

Jennifer sent me an email last evening about a friend who is struggling this holiday season.  As I told her, "Yes, we can help them."  One thing I have learned over the past few years - As long as there are families who need our help, there is always room at the DGMS inn.  We always find a way.

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Linda,

 

I am not sure if there is any room in the Namaste Fund but I wanted to tell you about a good friend of mine, Michelle.  She is a single mom of two, an 11 year old girl and a 4 year old boy.  She is working hard to make their lives better yet every month finds her "robbing Peter to pay Paul."  She told me recently that she didn't know how she was going to pay her rent so she was pretty sure that Santa wasn't going to be visiting this year.  Her daughter's father pays child support but she has spent the past 2 years (and thousands of dollars she doesn't have) trying to get her son's father to pay her anything.  (He is such a douche that he admitted in court that he ignored the court's wage garnishment order- he owns the business so there was no one to force it on him.)  Her biggest fear is that her daughter will find her a failure.  She has been telling her daughter each year that things will get better yet each year she feels like things are getting worse.  I say that she is working hard to make sure things will get better.  She is now going to school to get her private investigator's license so that she can help other women whose lives have been turned upside down due to divorce, deadbeat dads, etc.  She always thinks of others before she thinks of herself and has been a tremendous help to my family.

 

I understand if there is no way to help them but I am really hoping we can make this 11 year old believe again that Santa really does exist.

 

Jennifer

 

Don't Bend Over For The Dope

The world is full of all kinds of people.  

I look at that statement and I usually think it is a good thing.

Difference is what makes the world exciting, every interaction with a stranger interesting, every new flavor on our palates an adventure.  

I've never been one for fearing that which is unknown to me.  Truly, if anything, I find the whole "fear it 'cause I didn't grow up with it" mindset to be pathetic and sad.  Because people who subscribe to that type of mindset are truly missing out.

Personally, I don't want to die having only surrounded myself with one kind of people, tasted one type of cuisine, or only explored to the borders of my hometown.  

The world is a playground, and the people in it insanely interesting.  There is so much to learn from one another.  Ideas, ideologies, language, culinary wonderlands, viewpoints, human vistas.

We may not incorporate what we learn into our own lives, but our lives are nonetheless richer for the experience of broader mental horizons.

Most of the time.

Sometimes, however, we run across a "different" individual who has zero to offer and only sucks away at the precious oxygen we all need to survive.

Meet Joe Rehyansky of Tennessee.  Joe is a former official in the District Attorney's office.  Joe likes to write.  And recently he penned an editorial in which he took on the subject of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, or as he cheekily cast it off, "Don't Hint, Don't Wink."

In it, he, like so many other homophobes, posit that allowing gays in the military would basically bring to life the old warning, "don't bend over for the soap."  

Because, of course, we all know that all gay men do is f*ck anything that moves.  Or bends over in the shower. 

That's right.  Based on his Psycho mentality (that men will catch a "stabbing" in the shower), and his gut level certainty that all gay men obviously have AIDS, ergo cannot be counted on for field level blood transfusions - no gay men should be allowed in the military AT ALL.

Now, lesbians on the other hand?  Being 'em on!  Because, and I quote from his original piece (this portion has been edited out since the backlash has started), "My solution would get the distaff part of our homosexual population off our collective "Broke Back," thus giving straight male GIs a fair shot at converting lesbians and bringing them into the mainstream."

"converting lesbians and bringing them into the mainstream."

Ahhh, that wonderful old time religion preachin' that homosexuality is a choice.  And obviously one that can be f*cked out of a female.  

So let me see if I can follow this geezer's logic...

Gay men can't serve because they may soap and grope their comrades in the shower, because, of course, they have ZERO restraint, taste, class, or honor. 

But lesbians CAN serve so that straight soldiers can grab them and screw the gay out?  Because we all know just how great a lover old Bubba is, right?  Yep, he'll show 'er what life's all about.

Yeah.  Disappointment.  

Oh, and rape, too.  Because a lesbian isn't exactly going to warm to Bubba's advances and offer to "straighten" her up.

It truly saddens me that there are so many people in this world who think the way old Joe does.  In his case, I'm glad the word OLD is literal.  May his backass thinking die with him.

I still believe that our differences make us interesting.  But in this case, they should also make us ashamed.

Joe hates that which he fears.  In this case, homosexuality.  

I have news for him.  The difference to be feared isn't a person's sexual orientation.  It's a person's stupidity.

Life Burns On A Dime

In the wee hours of Sunday morning, as we all slumbered in our beds, sleeping off the last of the trytophan comas, a family's life was turned upside down.

This afternoon while wading through the emails from the last four days, I received the following from Deanna.  It highlights how truly capricious and cruel is life, but then we had that brought home when we lost Toni in October.  Bad things simply happen to good people, and then it's up to the other good people to rally.

This family luckily has a roof under which to stay, but nothing beyond that.  Please help our Namaste fund help this family.  One other thing Toni's passing taught us - you don't have to know someone to know someone.

Linda

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The beginning is the email that alerted Deanna to what had happened.  She follows up to me afterward.

Hi everyone,

Sunday morning, Rachel Wickersham had a fire in her home. Her family got out in time, but her house burnt down to the ground and all of her possessions, and her family pets, didn't make it. Rachel has a rental house that is vacant that she can move into, so she and her family have a place to stay, but she has no furnishings, no clothes, nothing. I will be posting updates asking for donations of goods for Rachel and her family as we get more information and have a way to organize it. In the mean time, please keep Rachel and her family in your thoughts and prayers, and please do not expect her to get back to you if you have an outstanding call/email to her. She needs to focus on her family and her basic needs right now and won't be able to focus her energies on other issues.
More coming soon~

 

From Deanna:  I trained as a doula a few years back and Rachel was my instructor.  She is an amazing human being.  She is one of the warmest, caring, nurturing women I know.  She helps to bring babies in to the world for a living, and fights constantly for women's rights in the state of Illinois.

 

She has three daughters, two in college and one in high school.  The first report above was that they lost their pets in the fire, but it looks like their dog and one of their cats made it out ok!  One cat is still unaccounted for, not sure if it escaped or died in the fire at this point. 

 

Is it possible to get something to them from the Namaste Fund - no matter how small?  They don't even have toothbrushes at this point!

 

Thanks so much for all you do.

 

Deanna

Time To Celebrate SusanInFlorida & Her Twin Sister, Lynda!

 

As The Holiday Gets Underway

Hi everyone - I know it is only Wednesday but I want to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving today.  Tomorrow I head to Dallas with Carson for a soccer tournament and will be out of the loop till Sunday night.

I wish you laughter around your tables, warm memories made, and the knowledge that we all have so much for which to be thankful.

Elfing is going well, but as I said, what goe$ up, alway$ come$ down - every dollar makes a difference, so if you can, please help.  I will be back at it bright and early Monday morning.

Finally, I would ask for your good thoughts for Carson's team this weekend.  Not for wins - they can handle that on their own.  But because their young world has been rocked in the last 24 hours by allegations against their trainer, and he has been abruptly removed from their lives.  It is one thing to read about stories like these from afar, I can now tell you it is far, far different to be on the inside.  I am heartened by how close this team is off the field and know that it will serve them well as they have to face a difficult tournament without the trainer they adore and trust implicitly to lead them.

For Carson's part, she is devastated - shell shocked, hurt, angry - as are we all - I work closely with this man, and can only tell you that the story is riddled with holes which will need filled before I pass any kind of judgement.  Again, inside looking out is far and away different than outside looking in.  Carson is determined to lead her girls this weekend, keep them focused on the soccer, and their faces into the wind.

As always, I am proud of my child. 

Have a wonderful holiday with those you love and I will be back Monday morning. ~ Linda

It's Cheryl W's Day!

Food Court Flash Mob: Hallelujah For Feeling Good!

I love these things.  This one took place on November 10th in a food court.  Enjoy.

It's Martha's Day!

Majorly Talented

My friend Jack posted this video on FB.  I had to steal it and share.  Pretty amazing.  His name is Mike Tompkins and all that sound is just HIM.

And here is poor Mike taking on the Today Show gang...

Namaste / Yes Virginia Fund Hard At Work!

It's beginning to look A LOT like Christmas around here!  Elfing is well underway to help the families I highlighted last week, as well as another family I received an email from yesterday.

Your donations are working harder than ever this year - being combined with free shipping, promo codes, coupons, etc.  I'm actually surprised you can't hear the pennies begging for mercy considering how hard I am squeezing them!

That being said, as the fund goes up, so the fund goes down as gifts are tracked down, purchased, and sent on their merry way.

If you can help, the link is open!  Back to elfing!