Thursday, November 18, 2010

How May I Help You?

It will never make sense to me why companies believe the best place for their non-or-barely-English-speaking employees is in customer service. I understand that many people who immigrate to the United States have not had the educational opportunities that we do here in America. I don’t fault them for something they can’t control. And customer service positions don’t typically require any form of higher education, so it seems logical to use these people to fill customer service positions. But it is so frustrating for me as a consumer when I call a customer service line and can’t understand a word the person on the other end is saying to me. Or I order food from a waitperson who clearly does not understand what I am ordering or asking about. My impression of the entire company lies in the hands of someone whose words I can't even decipher. I'm usually tempted to ask to speak to someone who can be understood more clearly, but I suppose that would be insulting or discriminatory. 

It's even worse when the customer service representative is clearly from this country, but due to his or her slang, poor speech skills, or drawl, I STILL can't understand the person! So let this be a reminder to anyone who uses vocal communication in a professional setting: please speak slowly, clearing, and in English!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

I LOVE KNOWING!!

When my good friends Missy and Tommy were pregnant with their triplet girls, I found out one of the names of the babies. None of our friends knew, but I did. And I think I rubbed it in - one of these friends eventually said, "Enough, we know you know!" Which led me to yell in the middle of a restaurant, "I LOVE KNOWING!" And it has become a running joke ever since.

Well, I started thinking about it and you know what? That really is indicative of who I am as a person. I really DO love knowing.

I love knowing stuff. I kind of hate the process of learning, but I love to know things and feel intelligent ( I just misspelled "intelligent"....wonderful).

I love knowing people. I mean REALLY knowing them. Not the person they try to be or want to be, but the person that actually exists. It's only something that happens with a few people, but I love knowing who people really are and for them to know who I really am - the good, bad, and ugly.

I love knowing every line of every episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

I love knowing why things happen. I love knowing why or how things have occurred in my life, and what is going to happen in the future. This is kind of a problem since life is one big mystery, and becomes an issue for me in the way of anxiety. When I don't understand or know why something is happening, or what might happen in the future, I get really, really anxious.

So while I was looking at loving to know things as a generally positive thing, it actually causes a lot more stress in my life than if I would just be content to sit back, let God take the wheel, and know that I don't get to know everything....and that's ok.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Happy Birthday, Boy!

It's a couple days late, but I wanted to wish my little guy a happy second birthday! He is so funny, strange, crazy, stubborn, sweet, and irritating all at the same time :) 

We were happy to have another unseasonably warm birthday party for him on his actual birthday this past Sunday. Thank you to all our family for visiting us on Brady's special day :)

I can't believe how the time has gone so quickly. My prayers for his next year of life include patience, health, and for the year to go SLOWLY!

Monday, November 8, 2010

BLESSED

Blessed are the poor
Blessed are the weak
Blessed are the ones
Who can barely speak

Blessed in your hurt
Blessed in your pain
Blessed when your teardrops
Are falling down like rain
Blessed when you're broken
Blessed when you're blind
Blessed when you're fragile
When you have lost your mind


Blessed when you're desperate
Blessed when you're scared
Blessed when you're lonely
Blessed when you've failed

Blessed when you're beat up
Blessed when you're bruised
Blessed when you're tore down
Blessed when you're used

Blessed when you're heartbroke
Blessed when you're fired
Blessed when you're choked up
Blessed when you're tired

Blessed when the plans
That you so carefully laid
End up in the
junkyard
With all the
trash you made


Blessed when you feel like
Giving up the ghost
Blessed when your loved ones
Are the ones who hurt you most

Blessed when you lose your
Own identity
Then blessed when you find it
And it has been redeemed

Blessed when you see what
Your friends can never be
Blessed with your eyes closed
Then blessed you see Me