I lose things too easily!

 This, sadly, seems to be a life pattern for me.

Divided - Is it possible for us in THE USA to resolve this?

 One of the great sorrows of 2012 America is how divided we are and how resolute people have become in maintaining their position and branding others as being  " The Problem" for not letting go of their position.

So, If people believe that they CANNOT sacrifice and part of THEIR POSITION, Is compromise and a meeting of their minds at ALL possible in this EARLY Spring of 2012 in the US of A?

- Johnny -

Big Night - Tense Night

By this time tomorrow, I will have either won an Area Speech Contest and will have advanced massively or successfully as a WINNING Speaker or I will be kicking myself for a nerve wracking effort that just didn't accomplish very much positive or worthwhile !


 My goal tonight is to be a storyteller with dialog and sharp description. I will be trying to be more of an "edutainer" and much!!!  less!!!  of a "Baptist Preacher". My coach believes Toastmasters train people to speak very much like Baptist Preachers.

  I am excited and dreading all at the same time. The sun will come up again tomorrow morning  but " Wait until NEXT year " is a Kryptonite- Like phrase when it comesto desiring to advance yourself forward tomorrow and the days that follow immediately after as  leader, communicator and motivational educator.

- Johnny -

Trudging through the Temporal Slog

 I can imagine things being better. I can easily imagining things being far more pleasing to me. I can imagine being far happier, less lonely and far more satisfied!

 Yet, It is late Sunday night and Monday is coming. So, I shall slog forward and cope as best I'm able with what tomorrow shall be!

I do need to remember...

and be consoled by the fact that - Tomorrow is another day!

This day began well.

 It is ending in a messy and unsatisfying manner!

A lonely and VERY!!!! Anxious Saturday Night .

 Burning a portion of my dinner reminds me that no matter how much I pretend otherwise I don't like at all being lonely ESPECIALLY on a warm and gorgeous Saturday night. I hate having long conversations with one person. I dislike the lack of focusing on someone who is as charmed by me as I am by her. I never wanted to live a life where everything that would be about me would require my effort.

  Today knowing that I live an an apartment by myself and nothing gets done here unless I do it feels repulsive and most unacceptable. I would have loved someone to have gone food shopping yesterday. It would have been superb to ask "Cheryl" to please pick up my suit at the cleaners. Or ask Angela to throw out the trash. It would have been superb to ask Merri if she and I could do the wash together or work to prepare dinner together. I'm also not looking forward to an anxious tough to get to sleep time arriving in a few short hours!

 Lonely weekends are a bane to me. I adjust, at very best to them. At times they feel like a prison sentence, This Saturday night, March 17th in West Alexandria id definitely one of those times! Yuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- Johnny -

Two Speech Contests This week

Evaluation on Monday in McLean and International on Wednesday in Alexandria!. I often denigrate myself but this is when, overall I believe myself to be iat my best. I'm trying a daring, open and risky approach on Wednesday night I hope it will work. I've been fighting hard over the last 5 month to find out who I really am and how to be that and excel and shine also.

 Monday and Wednesday are critical tests. I expect a very demanding week this week. I hope I can handle it ALL well!


- Johnny-

An American Seasoning of Holidays

 We, truly a nations of nations, celebrate Holidays that originated in other lands and cultures. We, however, add distinctiveness to them and celebrate them in ways that the country of that holiday's origins may only barely recognize!

We

In order to make a lasting difference, We need to work with others and be able to talk with others. If our issues keep us from talking to others, We are not going to make progress.

The 20TH and 21ST Centuries ----- 200 years that Historians can love in voluminous detail.

  Advances in print and electronic journalism from January 1st 1901 right up through December 31st, 2000 made the 20th century the best documented 100 years in all of history.

Historians have long mourned not know about the thoughts and conversations of not famous people with each other. Electronic Forums and Blogging, thusly, are 21St Century Gifts to history!

- Johnnyy-

I gain by caring

 You can get people to improve by guiding them gently, compassionately and empoweringly. That is the biggest lesson that I've learned over the last week.

Finding your voice

Talk to people and let them really know who you are. Consider who you are as a gift that you can offer to them. Listen to people with the intent that you really wish to learn about them.

This will help you to really tell others both who you are and how you became who you are today!

Looking for the Best!

I think we can mightily improve our lives and the lives of others by simply being aware. Notice what others do well and give them as many details as possible as to allow them to recognize their skill and exceleence.

Tell them how you benefit, as well from knowing them.

This will be a training week for me!

 I am thriving by getting some very skilled Public Speaking training this week!

Learning that you matter is a victory to savor.

 I believe it is good to be thoughtful and provocative. I value being candid and  seeking honesty from others. Yet, I've learned in the last week that how I al;low myself to be treated and what I permit people to post about me on FB matters.

  I was accused this week of being a censor and a coward, Perhaps, I must plead partially guilty to this. I know my wall has lost verve and fascination.

 Yet, I owe it to myself to be respected, to be open without being flayed and to stress that I'm learning. Do I have foibles- Yes? Am I inconsistent? Yes? Are there things that I'm processing? Absolutely. I'm becoming a better person, I'm changing and continually reprocessing and evaluating. God, has made the choice not to consider me as a finished product yet and I'm willing to live within this reality!

- Johnny-

I know that politeness, courtesy, tact, not running roughshot over someone...

even in a  political or social conversation do not seem to be ideas that many Internetphiles choose to embrace.

 I believe ARDENTLY that you can disagree WITHOUT being vulgar, personal and confrontational. I to took me years to figure that out and I offended far too many people and I offended many people by demanding that people accept whatever I say how ever I DECIDE to say that.

I've decided that I want to play baseball and play by the rules of baseball. Anyone who wants to not be civil and run roughshod, NO MATTER what the reason, is not playing baseball and is NOT WE:COME to play here!

However, If they choose to play baseball, Then, This will be a fun place for them to play and they are invited to play here!

- Johnny -

Plese know that I understand that it is self- abuse to allow myself to be

mocked, maligned and insulted. I've decided it is time to improve my standards!

Also, If you will not express yourself civilly and politely- without vulgarity- Please know that you are asked not to post on my Facebook wall.

A Childhood Free of Intimidation, Coercion and Assault.

 The Kind of Childhood where ugly and menacing crime is something that a boy or girl hears about in the news and is nothing that  they or their friends, neighbors and schoolmates do not know because they have not experienced it, because it is nothing that has touched their life. Why would anyone wish to see their child's mental, emotional or physical safety be put at risk?

 That may seem very idealistic but isn't that the type of Idyll that we should all strive to make so!

I am going to be working with a Speech Coach on Friday for The First Time.

 I am excited. I really want the speech  that I'm re-working to succeed at my next contest on March 21st! This is progress for me and a mighty confidence builder!

The NFL Bounty Situation

 Gregg Williams, The Former Head Coach of The Buffalo Bills and the Former Defensive Coordinator For The New Orleans Saints and The Washington Redskins has been accused of paying up to 10,000 Dollars for hits inflicted on prime offensive players.


 Some say that this is just business as usual . To me "Make sure that you hurt him, that he can't make a living and can't hurt us" sounds more like an instruction given by Don Micheal Corleone than anything that an NFL Defensive Coordinator should be saying to his players!

Key Board Courage

 It is clear that some people create a " looking to cause trouble" and  be a " disturbed and / or disturbing"  persona on line !

 They would never express themselves this way face to face with anyone. These individuals are very circumspect and subdued if they believe they will be able to be easily recognized or found out !

 I believe that this is a clear detriment and drawback of the internet. How do you view this phenomena?

A life ruined by childhood illness

 That is the fate that befell my sister, Terry. Yet, I know all life is precious and valuable . I don't have to understand everything in order to trust that there is wisdom far beyond mine!

Conscientious Financial Objection

 We are familiar with people not wanting to have anything to do with the military. They object to war and military policy in total and would prefer to not support or be connected to the military in any way shape of form/

 What would happen if we allowed people to not fund government programs that they object to on moral, ethical and legal grounds. I'm sure we all can think of programs and policies that we can LEGITIMATELY maintain that " I totally disagree with that program/ policy. I believe it is wrong and immoral/ evil for our government to be involved in this- so I do NOT want one penny of my money involved in that."

This would take, I believe, some of the most poisonous venom out of our system, I'm deliberately not being specific. I'm sure we can all think of programs that make us feel uneasy and troubled over funding.I also think that this will help to build more effective consensus- You are going to need to truly convince the objector that it is best to fund your program or policy or be able to do less due to a lack of funding for your program/ policy/ cause.

I know that it might be said that if this is that much of a concern for you, then you need to drop out of society and live off the grid. Yet, Military Conscientious Objectors are not forced off the grid. It seems to be a matter of living ethically to not be compelled to fund that which you feel is immoral and inappropriate to fund!

- Johnny -