Rock the Boat, Don't Rock the Boat ((baby))

Are you singing the song yet? I was as soon as I thought of the title. My post today is going to be about my opinion. My opinion is just that, mine. I may not be right in your world but I am in mine.

I believe that anything worth doing is worth doing right. That means it is worth fighting for. If you truly believe in what you are doing then fight for it. In the long run you will get the respect for having the passion.

Passion! You have to have passion about something in order to make it worth doing. If you are not passionate about it then you won't fight to do it. I am passionate about many things. First and most importantly is my family. My husband, my daughter (especially my daughter) and my brother are my only living direct family members. They are important to me and they are my passion. Karate is another passion. It is a recently acquired passion (1998) but it is deep in my heart. And I can't leave out my puppies. French Bulldogs Brutus, Molly and Binde.

Sometimes we get caught in a catch 22 situation. You want something to happen but the rules or regulations say something else. The people around you may want the same thing as you but their hands are tied by these rules and regulations. Because not everything is black and white you have to have someone that will look into the grey area to get the right answers.

Let me give you an example. I work for the Veterans Administration Homeless Grant and Per Diem Program. When we have a grant round sometimes an agency does not meet the deadline. One such agency did this in April for our deadline. We have to be fair to every other agency who met the deadline. This agency obviously was passionate about what they wanted and they contacted their congressman. Long story short, this agencies application was reviewed by the panel. I won't say if they were funded or not because those results have not been completed. But the thing is, they fought for what they wanted. They used the political clout that every one of us has access to. Our Elected Officials. The people in these positions (I believe it is actually the people who work for them) have the ability to open doors that the average citizen does not. Do we the agency hold this against them? Nope. Will it effect how we respond to them if they get funded and want to draw down on their grant? Nope.

This post is dedicated to a special young man out there. I hope he fights for what he wants and for what is right and does not worry about "what others will think" because trust me, in the long run, they won't remember, won't care. In the big picture we are just one pea in the bag of life. Do you know how many peas that is? You can even tell your supervisor that this is what you want to do and I bet you will find that they support you. Just be able to detail what it is exactly that you want.

If you read this, and I hope you do, and you want to talk in person please do not hesitate to call me. Your mom has my number. My thoughts are with you as you continue through this journey.

Well, today is the first day of the next 10 months. That means the first day that hubby is gone away to military school. He is attending the US Air Force War College at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, AL. The next couple of weeks will be hard. My exchange student, Anna, arrives on Aug 10th and then I will be too busy to feel sorry for myself. I also know that there are too many others out there whose loved ones are not as close (8 hours) as mine and don't get to see their loved ones once in awhile or talk to them numerous times per day. I am lucky beyond measure.

Have a great weekend!!