Hello and Happy to be back.  It has been a while.  I have had a lot going on, but it feels good to be sitting here typing right now.  The month of September is been a crazy one for me.  I moved, started a new job, lost a little weight, had some personal things crop up, but all in all, IT HAS BEEN A FABULOUS month for me.  

I know the last time I was here, it was my birthday and I said I was going to set a new goal for myself.  Well here we go.  My next goal is to drop 18 - 20 pounds by Thanksgiving.  Yeah I know I am choosing the most insane time of year to set these goals, but I am determined.  I figure I love me and I am worth it.  I never completely deny myself anything because the more I deny myself.the more I want it, so it is good to indulge oneself from time to time.  

I have been walking quite a bit lately (mostly out of necessity), and I am sure that will contribute to the process.   Now I will say that my eating habits or should I say "lack of eating" habits are still horrible.  For example.  I didn't eat breakfast, lunch and I am reasonably sure most people wouldn't consider what I ate when I got home from work, dinner.  I just had a few diced potatoes that my daughter baked and a small piece of polish sausage.  For those of you who are already thinking...."omg, you can't starve yourself to lose weight.  it is unhealthy, blah, blah, blickety blah."  I know this people.  I don't eat like that to lose weight.  In reality it is counter productive to my weight loss as my body spends most of it's time in starvation mode.  I have always eaten like that (even when I was skinny).  It just doesn't occur to me to eat.  I don't really get hunger pains, so I run, and go, and do, and at some point in time during the day I realize that I have not eaten.  YES!!! This is on my list of things to fix, but I don't have high hopes for this one though.  I have been eating like this for 43 years.  LOL....old dog .....new trick....good luck.  

Anyway, I will periodically check in to let you know how I am progressing, any new recipes I find/try/create, any exercise I am trying (prefer Tai Chi, yoga, ect) .   Oh yeah and I have been trying to get more rest.  I really think that is making a HUGE difference.

I am always open to comments, positive input, and such.

Just Because Day

Today is Just Because day.  I have always been a big fan of "just because" when it is done with kindness in your heart.  I have often said to my significant other, "I would rather have one carnation on an odd day just because you were thinking about me and loved me, than a dozen roses on Valentines Day because you felt like you had to."  I know there are some people out there who are thinking ...hell no, give me the roses.  However, I have an obscene appreciation for the simplicities of life.  Don't get me wrong, I love the extravagant things and appreciate them when they are gifted, but the things that tend to mean the most are the things done "just because." 

I like to cook breakfast for my other half and surprise him at work just because it would make him smile.

I like to surprise my girls with random nail polish and other cosmetic finds, just because they get so excited and can make their nails look like a box of crayons.

I like to make my mother miscellaneous just because it always makes her smile and lets her know how much she is appreciated.

I bake goodies and give them away just because it may make someones day.  

Life is about the simplicities and so this is definitely one of my favorite days.

  What did you do today...Just because?

Rehabilitated or Unrehabilitatable. That is the question.

Rehabilitation means "to restore to useful life, as through therapy and education" or "to restore to good condition, operation, or capacity".   The assumption of rehabilitation is that people are not permanently criminal and that it is possible to restore a criminal to a useful life, to a life in which they contribute to themselves and to society. (Wikipedia)

I felt it necessary to begin with this particular information before I went on with my little diatribe.  I used to believe in the entire "rehabilitation" process, but in reality, it seems that no one really believes a person is capable of being fully rehabilitated.  The assumption is that once you have made an error in your life, that is the extent of you as a person.  No matter how young or stupid you were, no matter how nonviolent,  despite the circumstance, a person is only defined by their criminal past.  Don't get me wrong, there are some people out there who are habitual offenders because it is just in them and that is all they know and have ever known.  That being said, have you ever considered how many people are out there who are, for a lack of a better way to say it, screwed because they made a bad judgement call when they were younger?

I have a friend, a beautiful person inside and out.  She is very responsible, polite, giving, and in general more decent than a lot of people you encounter in your daily life.  She is intelligent and when she does a job, does it phenomenally.  She realized that 25 years ago, after she had a brief encounter with stupidity and pride, that for the next 7-10 years, she would have to suffer and prove that she had been "rehabilitated" and worthy.  Unfortunately for her, she didn't realize that in the eyes of employers, she would forever be seen simply as a felon.  Despite how well she could/would do a job due to her skill set, how great her attendance is, how devoted to the company she may be, she could barely and rarely get her foot into a door to remain gainfully employed.

I find my heart aching for this woman because she really wants to just do well and live.  I also have to wonder how many other people are suffering this fate?  What do you do in these situations?  How do you maneuver around such a huge obstacle?  What advice could/would you give a person in this situation?  Additionally, I have to wonder if the lack of opportunity plays an intricate part in the lives of some repeat offenders.

Do you think a person can recover from a criminal error?  Is it possible for them to truly escape their brief criminal past?  Do you think someone who has committed a crime can ever be rehabilitated and be a productive member of society?  


 

Life is about choices. What do you choose?