I have many ideas floating through my mind. I have started several novels and short stories, but none of them are near completion. There are so many stories I want to tell, but I can't get myself past first gear. My favorite quote says it all: Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. John Lennon sang that in the song Beautiful Boy on the Double Fantasy album. When he sang those words, a chord was struck inside me that has been reverberating for over 20 years. I am busy making other plans while life is rushing forward.
The other night I was watching the Academy Awards for the first time in a very long time. I watched it because I wanted to see Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy win their awards. Well, I'm glad Jennifer won hers. Eddie was robbed!!!
Okay, I digress.
I was watching the awards show and I was struck by how Hollywood depends on writers. They did a montage on writing and writers that made me wish I had taped the show. Martin Scorsese commented on that The Departed was the first film he directed that had a plot. Hollywood depends on writers although they give the highest regards to the actors and directors.
So I thought about my desires and remembered how Brokeback Mountain was a short story, Ordinary People was a first attempt by a housewife, and Harry Potter made a lesser known writer a household name. I thought about my daydream of sitting on Oprah's couch explaining the unique complexities of my novel to an awestruck audience. I still daydream about sitting on Oprah's couch, but now I include the couches of all Tyra, Leno, Letterman, Kimmel, etc.. I also wonder what kind of dress I would wear to the Academy Awards and how I could squeeze a lifetime of words in 45 seconds.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Saturday, February 24, 2007
What Happened to Retail?
When I started working at the tender age of 16, I was groomed to work with the public. My smock had to be clean and pressed while my clothes needed to be presentable. Being a reformed Catholic-school girl, I knew walking into work looking like Madonna in the Borderline video was not acceptable. Did I mention that I was 16? Okay, keep that number in mind.
I had a male friend named Mark who was romancing the thug life. He smoked the happy leaf, drank the beloved "8 Ball", and spent his days off chasing women and hanging out with gang members. He made Tupac look like a schoolboy. Mark was 20, living at home with his momma, and getting around the best way he can. What made Mark unique was his ability to leave all his gangsta crap outside the automatic doors. No one could tell that the friendly, helpful young man standing before them would spend evenings at afterhours clubs partying with Bloods and Crips.
So in the 80's a 16 year old kid and a 20 year old romancer of the thug life, functioned in the world of retail like professionals. Let's fast forward this tape to over 20 years later. I can't believe what I've seen in the world of retail. Today I was in Target buying a few things. The guy who rang me up must've been about 20. He was hoping to get through his transaction with me without speaking. I guess he didn't get the handbook on retail etiquette. I remember a time when I had a migraine and I had to force myself to greet customers and be friendly. I forced myself because I wanted to be professional. The young people today take the attitude that they don't have to do a thing.
One day I had a guy deliberately not speak to me when I was speaking to him. He remained quiet until he detected that I was going to go street on him for being disrespectful. Another guy called himself helping me while smacking and popping bubblegum. He must've been 18. When I commented on his manners, he shrugged and popped some more. I see guys wearing pants 3 sizes too big hanging off their butts pushing carts in the parking lot. I wonder how they can do their job without tripping over their cuffs. I was in a store the other day where the guy who served us looked like he rolled out of bed, threw on his smock, and probably showed his hair the comb instead of using it. Many young guys are wearing 5 carat cubic zirconia in their ears, sporting huge gold-on-the-rope chains around their necks, and displaying odd piercings. At my favorite coffee shop, the guy who makes the best latte has so many piercings that I wonder if he fears lightening. Seriously, I guess the young men who work retail feel smothered by uniforms and professionalism, so they need to let everyone who encounters them know their true identity. I guess Superman needs to show the "S" on his chest 24/7.
Now let's talk about the girls. Yes, I called them girls for a reason. I know that some stores ask their employees to look trendy, but does trendy mean looking like a stripper? Some girls wear pants so tight you could see their ovaries. Sometimes their tops are cut so low that I wonder if they get chronic chest colds. One girl had to tell me about her baby's daddy while I waited for her to ring up my things. Several girls want to hold conversations about their personal drama with each other while helping customers. I had an experience that blew my mind not too long ago. This young girl must've been about 20 was ringing up my purchases. She had to comment on almost everything that was purchased. She wondered where I had picked up certain items which gave me pause. If she worked in the store, wouldn't she had known where things were? But that wasn't the mind blowing part. What got me was how she began complaining to a male employee about his texting habits. Apparently he wasn't texting her as often as she would like. She begged him to text her or she would stop talking to him. Now I am a firm believer in not fishing off the company's pier for many reasons. This lack of professionalism is one of the big reasons. She may be the one who would go to work dressed like Rambo looking for the guy who forgot to text her "good night".
What happened to professionalism in retail? What happened to customer service?
I had a male friend named Mark who was romancing the thug life. He smoked the happy leaf, drank the beloved "8 Ball", and spent his days off chasing women and hanging out with gang members. He made Tupac look like a schoolboy. Mark was 20, living at home with his momma, and getting around the best way he can. What made Mark unique was his ability to leave all his gangsta crap outside the automatic doors. No one could tell that the friendly, helpful young man standing before them would spend evenings at afterhours clubs partying with Bloods and Crips.
So in the 80's a 16 year old kid and a 20 year old romancer of the thug life, functioned in the world of retail like professionals. Let's fast forward this tape to over 20 years later. I can't believe what I've seen in the world of retail. Today I was in Target buying a few things. The guy who rang me up must've been about 20. He was hoping to get through his transaction with me without speaking. I guess he didn't get the handbook on retail etiquette. I remember a time when I had a migraine and I had to force myself to greet customers and be friendly. I forced myself because I wanted to be professional. The young people today take the attitude that they don't have to do a thing.
One day I had a guy deliberately not speak to me when I was speaking to him. He remained quiet until he detected that I was going to go street on him for being disrespectful. Another guy called himself helping me while smacking and popping bubblegum. He must've been 18. When I commented on his manners, he shrugged and popped some more. I see guys wearing pants 3 sizes too big hanging off their butts pushing carts in the parking lot. I wonder how they can do their job without tripping over their cuffs. I was in a store the other day where the guy who served us looked like he rolled out of bed, threw on his smock, and probably showed his hair the comb instead of using it. Many young guys are wearing 5 carat cubic zirconia in their ears, sporting huge gold-on-the-rope chains around their necks, and displaying odd piercings. At my favorite coffee shop, the guy who makes the best latte has so many piercings that I wonder if he fears lightening. Seriously, I guess the young men who work retail feel smothered by uniforms and professionalism, so they need to let everyone who encounters them know their true identity. I guess Superman needs to show the "S" on his chest 24/7.
Now let's talk about the girls. Yes, I called them girls for a reason. I know that some stores ask their employees to look trendy, but does trendy mean looking like a stripper? Some girls wear pants so tight you could see their ovaries. Sometimes their tops are cut so low that I wonder if they get chronic chest colds. One girl had to tell me about her baby's daddy while I waited for her to ring up my things. Several girls want to hold conversations about their personal drama with each other while helping customers. I had an experience that blew my mind not too long ago. This young girl must've been about 20 was ringing up my purchases. She had to comment on almost everything that was purchased. She wondered where I had picked up certain items which gave me pause. If she worked in the store, wouldn't she had known where things were? But that wasn't the mind blowing part. What got me was how she began complaining to a male employee about his texting habits. Apparently he wasn't texting her as often as she would like. She begged him to text her or she would stop talking to him. Now I am a firm believer in not fishing off the company's pier for many reasons. This lack of professionalism is one of the big reasons. She may be the one who would go to work dressed like Rambo looking for the guy who forgot to text her "good night".
What happened to professionalism in retail? What happened to customer service?
Friday, February 23, 2007
Mail Call Woes
Yesterday I received two packages. One package is from a Spring Gift Exchange swap I'm participating in. The woman, who is obviously a smoker, sent me a great collection of paper and embellishments. She also made this amazing acrylic book. I mentioned the smoker part because as I open the box, the smell of smoke filters through the air. It tarnishes the whole effect of what she gave because in the back of my mind I'm imagining a cigarette dangling from a pair of painted lips, ashes dropping to the floor, and eyes squinting through the smoke. I'm also thinking how the smell of her smoke from her house is in my house. Which is ruder? Me bitching about the smell on a gift or her sending me remnants of her cancer stick to my home? Hmmmm!
Seriously, her gift I opened up and enjoyed. I'm not ungrateful, I'm just a born fuss. If something does not fit my universal code of law, then it deserves to be bitch-slapped by my words. Enough said.
Now the second box I received was my order from Stampin' Up. I'm a SU demonstrator who is lazy about selling to others. In my world of stamping, I'm a hobby demonstrator. Translation: I spend an obscene amount of money on stuff I will hoard and sell a marginal amount of stuff to my friends. I didn't realize how excited I could be seeing the UPS man until I became a demonstrator. Anyway, back to this box. I spent a modest $50 dollars on 3 items. I got a 4th item free which according to the laws of business, nothing is free.
I'm in the dying throes of being a demonstrator. I would've stuck this gig out a little longer if I had an upline who gave a damn. She is supposed to support me. All she did was give me some helpful tips in the beginning and then took off to her world where I guess she figures an occassional email and a drop-off of swap rejects is her way of supporting me. I asked this lovely lady if she could help me when I was planning a big event. She said she would, but she never did. How does that grab you? It grabbed me by the neck of annoyance. If I was really someone who needed her help, I would've been out of luck. Lucky for me I can do for myself.
Anyway, my demonstrator likes to send these emails that sounds like someone on speed. Do you know the type of person who puts about 5 exclamation points after a word and punctuates their attempts at being clever and funny with happy faces? See if this looks familiar:
Hi!!!! I haven't heard from you is so long!!! How is everything? Let's get together and pick our nose for old times sake. :-) Take care!!!
Okay, are you done dryheaving over that mess? Well, she sends these nauseating emails and I would respond in a pretty regular way of corresponding with people. Does she respond to me? No. I guess by the time my email reached her, she was coming down from her bipolar high. Who knows. For the sake of not beating this issue into the ground anymore, I made the decision to let my demonstratorship die because my sales help her and I'm not too keen on hitting up my friends for sales. That is rather distasteful to me. So I have made my last personal purchase. If someone wants to buy something, I will be more than willing to help them out, but I'm not going to go out of my way to do it.
Seriously, her gift I opened up and enjoyed. I'm not ungrateful, I'm just a born fuss. If something does not fit my universal code of law, then it deserves to be bitch-slapped by my words. Enough said.
Now the second box I received was my order from Stampin' Up. I'm a SU demonstrator who is lazy about selling to others. In my world of stamping, I'm a hobby demonstrator. Translation: I spend an obscene amount of money on stuff I will hoard and sell a marginal amount of stuff to my friends. I didn't realize how excited I could be seeing the UPS man until I became a demonstrator. Anyway, back to this box. I spent a modest $50 dollars on 3 items. I got a 4th item free which according to the laws of business, nothing is free.
I'm in the dying throes of being a demonstrator. I would've stuck this gig out a little longer if I had an upline who gave a damn. She is supposed to support me. All she did was give me some helpful tips in the beginning and then took off to her world where I guess she figures an occassional email and a drop-off of swap rejects is her way of supporting me. I asked this lovely lady if she could help me when I was planning a big event. She said she would, but she never did. How does that grab you? It grabbed me by the neck of annoyance. If I was really someone who needed her help, I would've been out of luck. Lucky for me I can do for myself.
Anyway, my demonstrator likes to send these emails that sounds like someone on speed. Do you know the type of person who puts about 5 exclamation points after a word and punctuates their attempts at being clever and funny with happy faces? See if this looks familiar:
Hi!!!! I haven't heard from you is so long!!! How is everything? Let's get together and pick our nose for old times sake. :-) Take care!!!
Okay, are you done dryheaving over that mess? Well, she sends these nauseating emails and I would respond in a pretty regular way of corresponding with people. Does she respond to me? No. I guess by the time my email reached her, she was coming down from her bipolar high. Who knows. For the sake of not beating this issue into the ground anymore, I made the decision to let my demonstratorship die because my sales help her and I'm not too keen on hitting up my friends for sales. That is rather distasteful to me. So I have made my last personal purchase. If someone wants to buy something, I will be more than willing to help them out, but I'm not going to go out of my way to do it.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Who Cares???
Britney Spears shaves her head and Anna Nichole Smith's body is deomposing. In the midst of a bombings, death, and terror, these two stories start off the local news down here in sunny Southern California. I sat in stunned silence as I watched so-called journalists spoonfeed us tortured blonde pablum. When the real news began about 7 minutes into the newscast, I was ready to raid the pantry for some comfort food. Then the artistic graphic with the title Battling for Iraq graced the screen and the scary blonde asian newscaster got "serious" as she reported the bombings in Northern Baghdad and the children recuperating in the hospital. Did the media get so bored with "the war" that they decided we needed to escape to a world where spoiled celebrities with questionable actions take center stage? Are we perceived as that shallow?
When I hear stories about Spears and Smith, I feel for the children. Both of these women saw fit to procreate and that worries me. What worries me is that the children become tabloid fodder in this atmosphere of right-wing family values. The mothers are shoved into our living rooms every day for us to ridicule and shun, and the children inherit the shame before they are old enough to walk. But no one mentions that. There isn't an ounce of sympathy for a 5 month old infant who has lost her mother and is basically fatherless until the very public battle for this billion dollar baby plays out. This poor little girl's memories of her mother will be the media tape we get to see everyday for entertainment. Spears checks into rehab after shaving her head. My first thought isn't on her new look. I'm wondering who is watching her little boys. Hopefully someone who is a motherfigure. These same boys are going to grow up and know that their mother flashed the world her "womanhood". Do you think they are going to treat the women in their lives with respect?
My aunt says these are the ending times. Actually, for those of you out of the loop, she's talking about the Second Coming. I really can't argue with her on her beliefs. All I can say is that I'm sick and tired of the Spears and Smith drama. I'm tired of turning on the news and getting tabloid trash. If I want to read all the juicy details of a celebrity's life, I know where to get my tabloids.
Well, that was my rant for the day. This blog is basically about my random thoughts and my art. Inkwell represents the ink from the news and the ink I put on a rubber stamp. I know it sounds weird, but it's true!
When I hear stories about Spears and Smith, I feel for the children. Both of these women saw fit to procreate and that worries me. What worries me is that the children become tabloid fodder in this atmosphere of right-wing family values. The mothers are shoved into our living rooms every day for us to ridicule and shun, and the children inherit the shame before they are old enough to walk. But no one mentions that. There isn't an ounce of sympathy for a 5 month old infant who has lost her mother and is basically fatherless until the very public battle for this billion dollar baby plays out. This poor little girl's memories of her mother will be the media tape we get to see everyday for entertainment. Spears checks into rehab after shaving her head. My first thought isn't on her new look. I'm wondering who is watching her little boys. Hopefully someone who is a motherfigure. These same boys are going to grow up and know that their mother flashed the world her "womanhood". Do you think they are going to treat the women in their lives with respect?
My aunt says these are the ending times. Actually, for those of you out of the loop, she's talking about the Second Coming. I really can't argue with her on her beliefs. All I can say is that I'm sick and tired of the Spears and Smith drama. I'm tired of turning on the news and getting tabloid trash. If I want to read all the juicy details of a celebrity's life, I know where to get my tabloids.
Well, that was my rant for the day. This blog is basically about my random thoughts and my art. Inkwell represents the ink from the news and the ink I put on a rubber stamp. I know it sounds weird, but it's true!
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