Life Lessons

How great it would be if we could all learn to do this without judgement or expectancy.

How great it would be if we could all learn to do this before we experience our own setbacks and our own personal pain. I suppose there are a few rare ones that do. But for the most part, as humans the sad truth is:

• We only hug the hurting after we ourselves have been hurt

• We kiss the broken after we have been broken too

• We befriend the lost because we too are lost

• We love the lonely because we too are lonely 

What is even sadder, is to have  been hurt, lost, lonely, or broken, then continue to ignore those who may be hurting more than you.

The life lesson should be to use your pain for another's gain and it will come back to you in blessings.

It is just a thought from...

LladynWaitn

Hurricane Issac

For all those who live in Louisiana, and those who have family and friends here, I hope you read this carefully and share it with others.

There are many ways to stay connected during the course of the storm, thanks to social media. This blog has been put together, rather quickly from memory based on some of the media outlets I follow. These media outlets are key for me to get news and information in general, much less in the path of a hurricane. Please, if you are not connected to these resources, I ask that you take a minute and connect to some of them now. 

New Orleans residents and those concerned about the safety of the city, you can sign up for alets from the City of New Orleans at http://new.nola.gov/ready

If you prefer Facebook, I know many of you have your own preferences for news networks, (mine is WWL TV), so be sure to like that news or information page that you prefer, and monitor for any information as related to Issac. 

Here is a list of a few other Facebook pages you can follow for updates:

https://www.facebook.com/wwltv
https://www.facebook.com/wdsutv
https://www.facebook.com/wgno
https://www.facebook.com/usnoaagov
https://www.facebook.com/channel9BatonRouge
https://www.facebook.com/KLFYTV10
https://www.facebook.com/US.NationalWeatherServcie.LakeCharles.gov 
Again, these are just a few of the ones I prefer, and I find these to be the most informative for the entire Louisiana region. 

I personally prefer Twitter (www.twitter.com) to keep me informed. Twitter is just to me a simple way to stay on top of the traffic, road closures, and other events in the area regardless of a hurricane event that may be affecting our region. You are able to access the information no matter where you are from a smart phone or computer. For those that have evacuated, it makes it much easier to stay on top of the events and happenings back home after or during a storm. (Oh, how I would have loved to have had this during Hurricane Katrina!)

If you are not on Twitter, and you have a smart phone, why not sign up? Take a few minutes to set up a profile, even if you only plan to use it for storm related information and never use it again. It can be one thing you do to prepare, and help with the anxiety level that I am sure many may be feeling over the next few days. 

Here are some of the Twitter accounts I recommend:
@WWLAMFM
@NOAA
@MargaretOrr
@WWLTV
@WVUEFOX8
@KLFY
@WAFB
@BobbyJindal
@GOHSEP
@MayorLandrieu
@LADOTDEmergency
@BRTraffic 
@NOLA_Traffic
@NS_Traffic
@Shreveport_Traffic
@Houma_Traffic

For those in the New Orleans Metro with Entergy, you can sign up for their power status alerts for smartphone users. Or follow them @Entergy on Twitter. Entergy also has a free app for smartphones that can be downloaded here http://is.gd/svjK 

Also, be sure to check the app store for your smart phone for other free apps that can offer information and news. Many of your favorite news channels offer free apps to stay up to date on news and weather alerts. 

Again, these are not the only resources available, but just some of the ones I follow and they have been very helpful for me. 

For all of my Gulf Coast family, where ever this thing decides to land, I pray you are safe and take the necessary precautions for the next few days. There is nothing wrong with being prepared, and as the events of the past have proved, it is necessary to stay on top of situation. 

Be safe! 

LladynWaitn

The Big Forty

Well, my countdown has finally happen. 40 Geez, I feel like my parents are still 40! I remember throwing my dad’s surprise 40^th birthday party at my first apartment, and it seem like that was only a few years ago! 

This birthday was a true milestone for me. While most of my childhood friends seemed to dread the big 4-0, I was anxiously awaiting for it to arrive. Maybe because the last 5 years of my thirties have been so traumatic, I looked to the 40s and even the 50s as a time to renew, rebuild, and regenerate myself. Well, that day is finally here, and laughingly as my horoscope said, "It's time to now walk the talk." 

Things are not where I would like them to be, as I still try to wrap my head around the circumstances it took to get here, and the steps I need to take in order to continue to improve things. There are four reasons behind my continued tenacity, - as I have said it before on other blogs, my children. 

It’s been a whirlwind, and I have said too many I look forward to the next phase of life. Bring on the 40s and 50s! Even though the last couple of years had almost completely knocked me to out of the game of life, I am still here – fighting. And I have come to accept that I must continue to do so. We must continue to improve and better our situation. And continue to stand for causes that are close to us, and bring that spirit of brotherhood back to our society. 

But if God decides to take me before I reach 41, I can look back at the last 40 years and truly see how blessed I am! Throughout all the turmoil, I have survived what most could not. And have had so many blessings, so much more than so many others! The friendships I have built and memories I have shared with them will keep me smiling through the biggest adversities yet to come.  I have had the treasure of family and friends in my life, sharing the most special memories that no despair or hopelessness can ever take from me. I have four wonderful, healthy, beautiful children. Two who are growing into adults, and two who are still learning the ABCs of life!

To my family and friends, you have been a blessing to me through the last 40! And at some time along that line, you were there for me when I needed you most! I am very humbled, grateful, and appreciative to have had you in my life! My love to you all!

I am still just a ....

LladynWaitn

Homeless in Hanford, A True Reality Check

I just watched this 17 minute clip titled Homeless in Hanford that brought me to my knees. Why? Because it is 17 minutes of reality, not reality TV, but a short glimpse of what is happening right now all around us, yet so many seem to look right through it. It is a reality check which most people will never understand unless they have been there. And the reality is that ANY taste of homelessness is a reality I feel that no human, especially no child, should have to ever endure. Yet in these times many are having to do just that. Every one's  reason or story behind homelessness is different. And yet while some are not as hard, or as detrimental, any taste of being homeless can be enough to make you give up. Homelessness is a life test that far to many are having to bare, yet many do not have the strength to pass.

Maybe the young man that made this video will become part of the change for future generations that all will be able to benefit from. For you see, he too was once homeless. However in his young 17 years of life, he has now learned a lesson that can change him for the better. A lesson that can make him appreciate the simple things of life, and use what he is blessed with to be a blessing to others.

The key for you to keep in mind after watching Homeless in Hanford is that the homeless are everywhere, not just on the street or under the bridges. But for those who have to brave the elements every day with literally NO PLACE TO GO have my very heart and soul filled with love and respect for continuing to have the strength to wake up each morning.

The homeless are not just mental cases or alcoholics, or just bums who choose not to work and avoid responsibility. They are not "those dirty people" who chose to live like this. They are on buses and in cabs trying to get to appointments, they are on Facebook and Twitter trying to share their story and bring awareness, and they are at your neighbor's home, sofa-surfing for the night to have a roof and place to sleep. They are in your church every week praising the same God you do, they are in the car around the corner from your home trying to stay warm during the hard freeze that is coming in the night, or they could be standing right behind your in the grocery store.

I applaud you, Matt Macedo, for putting a face and bringing the light to Homeless in Hanford. May you continue to use your talent and skills to be a voice in the din of denial, and show the reality that we need to see.