A story for class

Had to write a short story for class. These were the instructions and under that is my story. Annnd go!

Create an imaginary person you want to write to in your journal. Alternately, it could be a real person, such as a child or a friend from grade school. Start the entry "Dear ___" as if you were writing that person a letter. Include face and hair details, eyes, body shape and size, and special characteristics, such as a cough or a limp. Put the person in action. You will be graded on the vividness of the detail and action. Detail! Detail!

Dear Helena,

I’m writing to you because I have news to share. While I was out in the stables cleaning up the hay I noticed someone approaching the barn from way off in the distance. It was a man walking with a crooked leg that gave him a deep limp with each step. As he came closer and closer I realize he vaguely reminded me of someone that I used to know. John has returned to us from war!

Truly, I thought I’d never see him again. I know that there has been quite a bit of time that has passed since we last received word from him. I was sure that he had perished but much to my enjoyment he has returned. His body is badly worn and decayed but I don’t think it’s anything a lot of rest won’t fix but we must be patient as his healing process will take some time.

His once fair skin has turned to ash, the strings of bright blonde hair are full of the earth, his bright blue eyes appear to be gray, and his strong structure seemed weakened due to malnourishment. He tells me they were without food for quite some time while out on the battle fields. I’m sure you’re wondering where the deep limp has come from. He won’t say anything other than he his platoon was hit with a canon. In fact, he’s not saying much at all. I sometimes wonder if he’s okay mentally. This was a tough battle but I’ll take him any way I can get him.

He asked about you. He had hoped you would return home after your trip to the cape but I told him you have not given an expected return date because you have found work and friends there. He’s in too delicate of a state for us to tell him that you fell victim to yellow fever. When he is healed I will show him the box of letters that I have written to you and keep close to my heart for safe keeping. I will explain to him that other than you watching us from above the letters are now the only way we can communicate. I hope you are resting in peace.

Love,

Kate

Running with vampires

Are you running with vampires? No, I'm not referring to Twilight. Vampires are said to suck the blood and ultimately the life out of people. If you're surrounded by people who suck the life out of you then you're not moving forward.

I had a brief dream last night about vampires (I have no idea why) and although nothing profound happened in the dream I woke up thinking about people who can be toxic to us in life and all the different forms those people come in. For some of us it's happened with a friend, co-worker, or family member. It could also come in the form of a quick yet painful encounter that leaves you irritated, sad, or angry. Maybe someone in the store parking lot took the last up close spot there was and now you get to walk in the rain from the back of the lot. That's just an example but I don't think I need to provide examples of people who have got the better of us. It has happened to all of us a time or two.

I'm not sure why I had the dream. I wasn't watching Twilight. I wasn't reading Twilight. I wasn't thinking of Robert Pattinson. And I wasn't watching any vampire movies. However, I will say that I thought it was an interesting insight from a random dream. So, are you running with vampires?

Gift

I think that as a society we are moving too quickly and six months ago I was wound so tight I started coming apart at the seams. Unfortunately I chose to ignore it until it grew to be out of proportion. I have taken a giant step back and I'm learning to adjust to quieter times. I enjoyed all of the things I was doing but not in which the volume I was doing them. I realize that. Now. I'm still doing many of those things but not at the rate I was going. My epiphany was a gift.

I still have a lot to learn about letting go but it's something I'm working on. Nobody wishes they could let go more than I do. I care so much. Maybe too much. Maybe not. However, I get myself worked up over things that I can't change which is completely ridiculous and a waste of my time. Time is something we can never get back. It's an irreplaceable resource. Time is a gift. 

Too often we say "I don't have time" or "I wish we had more time" but I wonder if either of those lines is really true. I'm sure we mean it when we say those things but if we really meant it then why aren't we making it so? Is it really possible that we are so busy or wrapped up in our own lives that we can't take a second to reevaluate all that we are doing and say "this is not good for me and it's time for a revamp"? If you think about it isn't it selfish not to? Honesty is a gift.

I think about when we lose someone we love. We often tell ourselves "they deserved more time" or "I wish I had more time with them." If you're not making an effort to connect now then you're running a high risk of losing that chance later. Don't lose your chance. People are gifts.

It's not like I'm sitting on top of my high and mighty throne. This blog post is as much for me as it is for anyone else that might read it for what it is and say "yes, I think I'll try that." I have a few resolutions for 2013 that I'll share with you:
 

1. Be more thoughtful
2. Check in with people you love more often
3. Write and send hand written notes

If I send someone a hand written note saying "I'm thinking of you" or "I hope today is a great day for you" then that kills three birds with one stone. It's thoughtful. I'm checking in with people I love. I'm writing and sending hand written notes. Communication is a gift.

If I'm being completely honest here I'll add that I still am a little surprised at the amount of people that don't check in with each other. If you've experienced loss you should be checked on. If you're sick you should be checked on. If you're having a rough patch you should be checked on. If things in your life are wonderful you should be checked on. Checking in with people allows us to say "I care" without having to directly say that. It also sends the message that although we're all busy you still took time out of your life to say hello. Having someone to check in on is a gift.

So, here I am, challenging myself and you to be well connected. If you love or care for someone there's really no reason we shouldn't be more connected. I have well over 300 Facebook friends. I'd say about 20 of us actually speak. Why is that? If tools like Facebook are to be utilized for things such as staying connected then why aren't we plugged in? Connectivity is a gift.

Shirley and Felecia (with 2 "E's").

I began training for my new job on December 17, 2012 and I have enjoyed my job since that day. I didn't start taking calls until January 3, 2013 and wouldn't you know? I got a registration that day! I was so excited. The lady I spoke with was apprehensive at first but we talked through all of her questions and then she said "After speaking with you I feel that I really can do this 3-Day. Thank you!" It made me feel so good to know that because of our conversation she trusted in herself enough to be able to participate.

I have taken over 100 calls at this point and I can really say I have yet to feel like I'm "at work." I guess that saying is true; "do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life." How true it is! Already I've heard some incredible stories about why people are inquiring about the 3-Day. They really open up to you and it's beautiful and sometimes it's beautifully heart-breaking.

A few weeks ago I spoke with a lady who seemed a little low. I took a couple of extra minutes with her and it turns out she had just had a benign lump removed from her breast and she was on dialysis. She said she had been depressed for weeks worrying about life and what was next for her. She said nobody really understood how she was feeling and then she thanked me. When she said "You know, I've been pretty depressed lately but now I feel like I can actually have a good night for a change" I had a hard time holding back tears. I could hear the smile in her voice. It wasn't because she had paid me the compliment it was because she suddenly had that beaming smile in her voice and I couldn't help but smile too.

Then there was the lady that told me "I can't walk in the 3-Day because I'm in a wheel chair but I'm a cougar so I'll just have a man to push me the whole way." Hahaha! I loved her confidence. Then there was the man who cried because he had lost his wife to mesothelioma eleven years ago "but it still hurts every day." The pain in his voice made a crack in my heart.

There are a lot of people that make me smile throughout the day. I don't take calls for 8 hours a day (I'm blessed with a flexible schedule that allows me to do things in my work day that don't include phone time) but when I'm not on calls I'm thinking about the people I spoke with. I think about how they're doing and if they're okay.

Today was my first tough day. I spoke with patient after patient today. Lung cancer. Colon cancer. Brain cancer. Cancer. Cancer. Cancer. *sigh* It was hard to hold my tears back today. Not all of them are terminally ill. I enjoyed their positive outlooks even though I sensed a bit of uncertainty in their voices when they told me about their next steps. The lady with colon cancer is only 52 and it has metastasized. The doctors aren't sure what's next. Yet she called and said she wasn't sure if she could walk but if she's still alive when the 3-Day comes to Atlanta she wants to come to a cheering station to say "thank you." Her name was Felecia. Felecia with 2 "E's".

The lady with lung cancer is in her 70's, raising two grand children, and clings to her best friend for support. Her best friend is her husband and they've been married for 56 years. I'll be honest. She was not pleasant at first but I worked hard to engage with her because I sensed that she was hurting from something. Then we talked about her cancer and it made sense as to why she seemed so cold and rigid at first. She's earned the right to be pissed off. Before we got off the phone she thanked me. For what, I wasn't sure and then she said "you were such a pleasure to speak with" in her cold and rigid tone. "Thank you, Shirley and you as well!"

I realize how incredibly blessed I am. Every time I pick up the phone I get the chance to be told a story, to view the world from a patient's, caregiver's, a best friend's, a husband's, or a concerned child's point of view. With every call I get a chance to put a smile on someone's face and if it's a day they don't feel like smiling that's okay too. Maybe it's a day when the caller just wants to be heard and that's when I turn up my listening ears and close my mouth. Everyone needs a friend; just like Shirley and Felecia with 2 "E's".

A new beginning.

Event 360 had been in my mind's eye since 2010 when I realized these oustanding people were the ones behind putting on the Susan G. Komen 3-Day. If you ever want to find yourself amongst the kindest, most sincere, dependable, encouraging, and naturally beautiful people in the world all you need to do is find an Event 360 employee. They are truly folks that are the salt of the earth.

On October 25, 2012 I found myself in a hotel room in Indian Rocks Beach, FL on a phone interview with two ladies from E360. I was interviewing for a position as a 3-Day coach...my dream job! It was the day before my birthday and Stephanie and I were in Florida for our second 3-Day of the year. The event was scheduled to start the next day and as I was emotionally preparing for another three days of how the world really should be, my mouth was dry, my palms were sweaty, and my brain was running a thousand miles an hour. What was I going to say on this interview? I grew fearful that these two wonderful ladies that made me feel comfortable over the phone weren't going to be able to see how passionate I am about this work and how I'd do just about anything to land a spot with them.

It was November 14th around 3:00 PM and I had missed a call from an unfamiliar number. I listened to the voicemail and it was Paula from Event 360. I'd know her voice anywhere. So beautiful, smooth, and poised. She thanked me for interviewing and said she'd like to speak with me. "Oh my God. This is it. I didn't get the job" is what ran through my head as I prepared myself for tears. My face grew hot and once again my mouth was left dry. I dialed her back immediately. "Hi Paula, it's Aubrey Cushing! How are you?" Paula once again thanked me for my interest in Event 360 and for my passion with the 3-Day. She then told me that a lot of people applied and interviewed but they ultimately went with who they thought would be best for the role. Here it was; my "We're sorry, but you weren't chosen" line. A huge lump formed in my throat; tears were edged on my eyelids and stacked up like a dam.

"Aubrey, we think you would be perfect for this position and we'd love to offer you a position with us!" Instead of my tears drying up they spilled over the edge of my eyelids like waterfalls. I jumped up and down. I was crying. That was the day my dream came true! Was this really happening? Did I really get this chance? Am I dreaming? Do I deserve this? All of those thoughts and many more were playing in my mind like melodic tune. It was a cold and gray Seattle day but in that moment the skies were blue and the sun was warm on my face. I smiled from ear to ear and I couldn't believe it.

I hadn't told a lot of people about the job. To be quite honest, I wasn't sure I'd get it. I know that I have a great passion for the 3-Day but so do a lot of people and I wasn't confident that I'd be picked over another. I guess I was just shielding myself from having to tell too many people I didn't get it. I guess that's why it was such a shock when I told my co-workers and friends. I told a handful of people about this so when it came time to resign from my job they were surprised yet supportive. I had a great three year run at Robert Half but it was time for a new beginning.