After a late ‘spring cleaning’ of my dusty and disorganized garage, I came across hundreds of penned pages from twenty year’s past.
Not wanting to throw away my childhood thoughts, I figured the pages could breathe fresh air, here, on my blog. I’m at a point in my life where a little trip down memory lane could do some good.
I’m not editing any of the contents or reading the entires beforehand. That way we can share in the wonder together.
Here is May 1997 II.
May 21, 1997
Today it is my Birthday.
My Mom is comming in to read a story and pass out dounts.
<3 Shannon
May 21, 1997
Neil is my Best Friend so is Alissa.
I Like whem very much.
They are fun.
Neil is
cool.
May 21, 1997
Shannon is a good
friend thanks for
the car. from,
Neil
your welcome!
May 21, 1997
you are my Best friend.
Alissa is the Best.
She is fun to. I Like
her. She is
cool!
Love Shannon
[Dear Diary] I think I granted access to my super secret and padlocked secure diary. What was I thinking!It’s a shame donuts don’t have the same appeal to me 20 years later. Instead of having a jolt of glee when someone brings donuts, all I can think about is if the calories are worth it. Oh, to be young and oblivious to calorie intake.
Full disclosure: Neil was my first crush. He rode the bus with me in the mornings and when he gave me a stuffed animal for my birthday, it was love at first gift. His parents had the coolest house on the bus route and they were doctors.
It’s funny what you remember after so many years. I also can’t watch The Santa Clause without being reminded about my bus crush, ironically Neil (Scott Calvin’s arch nemesis in The Santa Clause) is also a doctor of sorts.
PS: Alissa is how she spelt her name, my creative 8-year-old self didn’t create the spelling on her own. I feel like this must be emphasized, because many misspellings are probably in my future.
PSS: How probable is it to find Neil on Facebook with no last name? I wonder if he followed in his parent’s footsteps.
My how time flies. The road ahead is foggy but I can’t help but wonder what is next. Do you remember your first crush? What was their name and where did you meet them? Let me know in the comment section!
Slam books, diaries with Garfield and Winnie The Pooh illustrations on the front cover and well creased hand written notes that dictated high school drama, all perfectly preserved in an unassuming grey bin sitting in the garage.
A grey bin that has made it through multiple moves, including several cross country treks.
These paper time capsules have survived nearly two decades without being lost, torn or tossed. What are you supposed to do with all memories that’ve been carefully recorded on lined, time warped pages?
Share them I guess …
I won’t edit any contents of my former self’s thoughts, or pre-read any entries before typing them in to blog format. This way we can share in the wonder together.
Here is May 1997.
May 20, 1997
Today Grandma and Grandpa came. I love them very much! <3
They are fun. They came over to take us out to dinner.
May 20, 1997
I Love my Grandma and Grandpa very much!
:) :) :) :) :) :) :)
May 20, 1997
Today I had fun with my Grandpa and Grandma
I Love them very much!
They are the best Grandpa and Grandma! <3
[Dear Diary] Everyone’s hearts look like little butts in the beginning, right?Who loves their grandparents? This girl.
The love I felt upon their arrival was obviously top of mind and needed remembering. If memory serves me right, Grandma and Grandpa S gifted me this purple diary as an early birthday gift.
These are officially my final thoughts as a 7-year-old, and I ‘betcha they never would’ve guessed it would last 20 years later.
“You got my fire burning the last time we talked, and I wanted to make sure I said thank you.”
A few days ago I was talking to a girlfriend who has been going through a rough spot in her marriage and feeling suffocated in the pits of loneliness. Unfortunately we are in different time zones, otherwise it would call for a night of wine and pjs.
Our regular conversations have grown a bit sadder each time she answers the phone. Instead of having a rough day she has rough months and little fights or arguments last just as long.
I listen, offer advice if it’s appropriate and most importantly, reassure her she’s very capable of figuring it all out.
Two conversations ago I got the urge to drive home the idea she needed to focus on herself for a change and do something that was solely beneficial to her. She pressed back saying she wasn’t the same person I knew back in Virginia when both our husbands served, “not as strong or independent.”
Not wanting to push too hard but feeling obligated as a friend to push a little harder to give her some perspective, I did.
” You are that same person, she’s just buried underneath the surface and digging her out is going to be tougher but she’s still there,” I said. “Focus on something that makes only you happy. You’re allowed to do that for yourself.
I think it’s tough to focus on yourself as a woman, we have this overwhelming need to make sure our people are okay–husbands, children, etc. Sometimes we need permission or a consistent reminder it’s okay to do something solely beneficial for ourselves.
She’s also a stay-at-home Mom, and I think it’s safe to say she feels isolated but also terrible she doesn’t feel satisfied with being “just a Mom.”
This is important, and I try to remind my friend whenever I can. It doesn’t make you a bad Mom if you want to do other non-Mom things, same visa-versa. We’re all built different, your needs aren’t the same as Susie Susan’s and it’s okay.
Choose to be happy.
Today I got a phone call from the same friend, asking for help to promote her photography business online. I happily walked her through the steps and answered all of her questions, with a promise to help her whenever she needed.
“What you said finally made sense to me. I’ve been busy the last couple of days beefing up my yearly and monthly goals, thank you.”
She sounded happier, and I was ecstatic to hear it in her voice. It had been too long.
Sometime we just need a push. A little friendly reminder it’s okay to Do It For You.
This was my morning after spending one night out on the streets of Los Angeles, humbled and grounded doesn’t even begin to describe it.
A cardboard box, one sleeping bag and a slab of dense frigid concrete are all I have to get me through the night. The pavement digs into every nook and cranny of my body no matter how I twist and turn, from the waist down my body is numb. A mountain of layered clothing can’t get me through the night warm.
Freeway noise on the interstate ramp above my head invaded my ears. A steady melody of squealing car brakes fills the night’s rhythm a few feet from where I’m trying to sleep. Shoe scuffs from a passerby to close for comfort causes every inch of my body to go on high alert.
I was homeless for one night and was terrible at it.
On November 17th, 2016, I slept out on the streets of Los Angeles to help Covenant House California raise funding for its homeless youth programs. According to studies nearly 6,000 kids search for a safe place to sleep, most hunkering down in the worst parts of L.A. hoping to make it through the night. This broke my heart. How could so many be homeless in one city?
Feeling motivated and desperate to make a dent in the homeless youth numbers, I created a fundraising page through Facebook. This made my palms sweat and I agonized for weeks about posting anything to raise donations for the cause. I hated the idea of asking people for money. Self doubt crept in and the tiny voices in my head started to make me second guess my ability to raise any.
“Nobody will donate. You’re going to look like a failure and everyone will know because it’s Facebook.”
“When’s the last time you’ve even seen these people? Or been in the same state? Now you expect them to give you money?”
Time was running out and I needed to just do it. I hit submit and prayed for the best. The next morning, I realized my mistake by stupidly assuming people with money were the only ones who could donate.
The next morning $50 had been donated by my husband’s life long friend’s mother, who I had only met a handful of times. Why would someone I barely know, help me raise money? Over the next week donations poured in from family, friends and former coworkers, most I hadn’t seen in years. The unconditional feeling of support was overwhelming, in the best way possible.
Those who couldn’t afford to donate shared the fundraising page with their Facebook friends in hopes someone on their timeline could. The kicker for me was knowing a few of my friends who donated had struggles of their own. They had little mouths to feed, were raising their families alone and stressed about keeping their own roof over their heads.
I was wrong to assume only people with a fat bank account could help those in need, and I got reminded each time someone else made a donation. It had nothing to do with what financial bracket they fit into, it was about wanting to make a difference.
Thinking back to my worries about looking foolish “online” makes me cringe. It never had anything to do with me and unfortunately that wasn’t the only time a jolt of reality slapped me upside the head during the Sleep Out. I suppose I needed reminding of the kind people living in America.
Growing up close to the Big Apple meant weekend trips to the city. It wasn’t uncommon to see someone tattered, dirty and begging for money every few blocks. In my teens I watched a news story about “professional panhandlers,” who weren’t homeless and only looking to make a quick buck on the side. I was disgusted and that story stayed with me until November 17th, 2016.
The word bum and beggar got thrown around a lot and looking back, these choice words helped make it easier to separate myself from “them,” as if they weren’t “as human.” I assumed a homeless person was homeless by choice or had messed up their life because of drugs and therefor deserved their present situation.
I could not have been more wrong. I forgot the magic rule about assuming.
During the Sleep Out I was fortunate enough to meet many of the kids who were benefiting from the homeless youth programs. The young man at my table had been living on the streets since he was seventeen. After a series of unfortunate events, his unmedicated-paranoid-schizophrenic mother left him at a park claiming she was “done” and checking herself into a mental facility. Dad was long gone, too.
Can you imagine your seventeen self surviving on the streets every night for three years? This kid also made sure to get to school every morning, not showered, wearing the same clothes and half starved. Now imagine being homeless and having to get through high school in those conditions. Each story had the same common thread, none of them chose to be homeless, because who would?
After making it through the Sleep Out, I woke up focused on beating traffic and left as quickly as possible. I wanted to get home and get the show on the road, eager to get back into the swing of things. It wasn’t until my car rolled into its familiar slot out front of my apartment did the full weight of the night before sink in. Tears poured down my face and the emotions from the night before constricted my throat.
I only did one night on the streets knowing the next morning a warm bed and hot shower would be waiting. These kids do it every night with no relief in sight. The wonderful people I met that night do their part to make the world a brighter place. I feel fortunate to have met them. They taught me more than one valuable lesson.
It’s easy to take for granted the little things in life. A bed, hot shower and a clean pair of underwear mean more to me now than ever before. We all have our struggles, but it’s important to remember it could always be worse.
There are plenty of kind people left in America. I know, I spent the night out on the streets with a handful of them.
Are you agonizing over how to crush your first Social Media Marketing World (SMMW) conference without looking like a total newb?
Save the crippling nightmares for another day. You can thwart FOMO and prevail to the top of marketing mountain with these 7 mind blowing hacks to conquer next year’s SMMW.
1. HANG OUT BY THE SPEAKER LOUNGE – IT’LL BE LABELED
Did Andy Crestodina blow your mind with his Google Analytics session and you must speak with the Google-meister one last time?
Casually hang around the speaker’s lounge to catch one of your favorites before entering the secret layer.
It’s doesn’t hurt to introduce yourself so there’s a name with a face, you never know. One day you might want him/her to remember who actively engaged with them post-lecture.
2. DON’T OVER CAFFEINATE TOO SOON – WATER WON’T POISON YOU
There’s a reason this is number two on the list and strategically placed underneath, “hang out by the speaker’s lounge.” Over caffeinate too soon and you might accidentally pounce instead of casually saunter.
Over 8,000 cups of coffee were consumed during Social Media Marketing World 2017 and honestly it’s a miracle nobody was featured in a RedBull commercial for getting their wings, which isn’t required to get you through the three day conference.
Coffee is a gold-colored liquid made from the heavens, but water is nice too. Give your stomach a break and cleanse it with some high quality H20.
3. PAY ATTENTION DURING LECTURES – YES WE’RE ALL SOCIAL MEDIA/MARKETING PEEPS & ON OUR PHONE CONSTANTLY, BUT IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
Take it from first hand experience, it’s the oldest trick in the book. Yes, you’re in a room filled with 30-60 people, but they are up on a platform looking down on you and can see who is the weakest link.
Sit closer to the middle of the room on an end seat or at dead center. Smile when the session speaker cracks a joke and shake your head at appropriate times to agree or disagree.
These speakers are the cherry on top of our social media and marketing sundae. They will remember the ones who were paying attention or just playing on their phone, we all know the difference.
4. INVEST IN QUIET TIME – YOU’LL NEED IT
Be prepared to be mentally over stimulated. Social Media Marketing World is a treasure cove for new information, tips and techniques. There is so much information being flung in every direction, it’ll get overwhelming but don’t panic.
Take the necessary time to chill out in between sessions and not talk. There will be plenty of time to network. Explore the San Diego Conference center and you’ll find the perfect rest stop to recharge your batteries.
It might seem possible a laptop, notebook, business cards, writing utensils and the snacks you snuck off the table in between sessions will all fit in your regular bag each day, but you’re telling yourself a lie.
After seeing (and being) many conference attendees slumped over to one side trying to lug everything professional they own on one shoulder, you’ll realize what should have been.
Those hipster canvas backpacks were made with a purpose and you can get your arm workout another day.
6. WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES – THEY WEREN’T LYING IN THE EMAILS
You will walk 8 miles a day at least and who in the world wants to trek around all day in a pair of shoes with 6-inch heels or a pair of loafers that pinch your pinky toe?
Business on the top, casual footwear with plenty of support on the bottom. Comic Con is held at this venue, it’s HUGE. Walking barefoot is frowned upon by the end of the day.
7. NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK – NOBODY IS GOING TO BITE YOU, SWEAR
It’s impressive how many speakers and sponsors were accessible after lectures and throughout the conference. Take advantage of being able to speak with the people at the top of their fields.
Same goes with conference guests. Don’t be afraid to sit down at a table, introduce yourself and initiate a conversation. We’re here to meet others and learn, don’t be shy. There’s plenty of time to go mute after it’s all said and done.
These 7 mind blowing hacks to conquer Social Media Marketing World equal a successful conference. So don’t be foolish, get cracking and purchase your ticket today.
Thousands of social media, marketing, public relations and other media professionals attend the three day conference in San Diego for Social Media Marketing World.
So, where in the world can you find some quiet time to recharge your networking batteries? Here are 5 covert quiet zones in the San Diego Convention Center you don’t want to miss.
5. Super Secret Outdoor Patio with Killer Views
Eat lunch and soak in the previous lecture at this quiet patio space not far from where lunch is being served. A boat load of conference guests will be out on the main deck at tables, keep walking.
Follow the patio until there’s no more patio to be found and enjoy.
4. Squishy Grass and Art
There’s a large patch of well manicured grass at the far end of the conference center, perfect for giving your barking dogs a rest.
Plus, if you need something else to think about other than social media and marketing, sit for a second and figure out this two-faced statue.
3. Gas Lamp District Balcony
The conference center is lined with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the bay and city skyline, depending on which wing you find yourself walking.
It can be difficult to tell because the walls are sheets of glass, but there are doors and they open up to narrow balconies. Pick a favorite side and breath in the fresh air. You can even do a quick face time call between lectures and show off your killer view.
2. Bay Boardwalk
Who doesn’t relax when looking out into the water? Time for reflection? This is the spot you want.
Go down any of the stairs on the back side of the building and head towards the water for a quick bay breeze stroll.
Ocean water and million dollar yachts line the shore to help calm racing minds.
1. Explore, Explore, Explore
Don’t just take my word for it, walk around and find your own secret hideaways. There is nothing wrong with taking a little break from the information overload. Better to be large and in charge than half asleep, drinking coffee at the networking dinner while fumbling through conversation.
Social Media Marketing World is a great experience filled with learning and mingling. Enhance your time with these 5 covert quiet zones at the San Diego Convention Center. You won’t be sorry.
I wrote this blog for work back in July after attending Orangewood Foundation’s Sex Trafficking Forum. The contents of that education still haunt me and I don’t want its lesson to be lost over time. It’s not old news because we haven’t found the solution.
We live in an imperfect world and bad people will always find a way to inflict harm on their victims, but this doesn’t mean we throw in the towel. We fight.
Please take the time to read the forum recap below and listen to Oree’s story. She led the forum discussion that night and I couldn’t begin to describe the amount of strength this woman holds. Orangewood Foundation asks to please help spread awareness to help end the growing pandemic of sex slavery, we can all do our part.
Last night the Marconi Staff attended Orangewood Foundation’s Forum on sex trafficking in Orange County. The moving dialog from a survivor stirred up a fiery determination to do more in each staff member’s stomach.
The Marconi Foundation for Kids did recently donate $3,000 to the Orangewood Foundation, but it’s not nearly enough and there’s plenty of work to be done; we want to do more! The number one goal Orangewood has in regards to its sex trafficking program is to bring more awareness to this sensitive issue.
With the need for awareness on the brain, here is a recap of what was learned and spoken about on Monday night’s gathering.
Disclaimer: This post will use potentially alarming vocabulary to promote awareness about sex trafficking. Viewer discretion is advised.
Sex Trafficking Statistics:
100,000 – 300,000 American children are victims of sex trafficking per year.
1 out of every 3 runaway girls in the U.S. is approached by a pimp within 48 hours of running away.
Almost 400 victims of sex trafficking in Orange County have been identified in the past 10 years and almost half of them were children.
In the past two years 1,277 victims have been identified in California.
50-80% of sex trafficking victims in California are or once were in the foster care system.
There were 145 victims in Orange County in 2014.
Q:What is sex trafficking?
A: The use of violence, threats, lies, debt bondage and other forms of coercion to compel adults and children to engage in commercial sex acts against their will. Also known as: sex slavery, human trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC).
Terminology:
“In the life”: involved in sex trafficking
“John/Trick”: child molester; the buyer
“Bottom bitch”: the pimp’s head girl
“Wifey”: the girls who work with you and your pimp
Q: Who are these girls?
A: These girls are the regular “run-of-the-mill” children. It can happen to anyone.
Victims are predominately young females who are insecure, questioning their self-esteem or looking for a way out of an abusive family.
Listen to Sex Trafficking Advocate and Survivor, Oree Freeman, tell her story in the video below.
In addition to Oree telling the forum’s crowd her story, she shared numerous survivor stories, or in her terms, her “survivor sisters” stories.
“My survivor sister grew up in South County and like most young girls in Southern California, dreamed of becoming a model and walking the runways for the fashion world’s most elite. But, early on her dreams were crushed when she didn’t have the support from her parents. Determined to make it in the industry, she got in contact with a reputable agent who continually booked her in successful events that advanced her career.
Until one day, the gigs stopped and she had no money to support herself and didn’t want to ask her parents for help after they had previously voiced disapproval regarding her career choice. The agent became her pimp, even though he spent time furthering her career, turning her over was always his end goal.”
Kinds of pimps:
This kind of pimp (in above story) is considered a CEO Pimp; the character who has all the opportunity to give out and uses it to lure in victims.
A Romeo Pimp will wine and dine you for however long it takes until sold into the ring.
Women pimps are referred to as Madams and have usually been former workers “in the life.”
Recruiting Spots:
Any area where a large group of children frequent, i.e: bus stops, malls, skating rinks, group homes and the Internet.
Oree told the crowd she once walked into a skating rink during the afternoon and saw her ex-pimp and “bottom bitch” scouting out the mobs of kids, looking for the weakest link.
Girls’ Expectations:
One pimp’s formula his women must make:
$600 to eat
$800 to sleep
Didn’t collect the money from the John, punishment was sleeping with the next man without a condom.
This math equates a need to make $208,000 a year and work 16 times a day for 5 days to achieve it. This means one woman experiences 4,160 rapes a year to be able to eat and sleep.
Other facts to keep in mind:
Orange County is a number one destination location for sex trafficking because of its high prospect to make money.
Sex trafficking is almost as lucrative as drug hustling because gangs are becoming more interested in selling kids than selling drugs, it’s “safer.”
Recent reports have shown pimps come from violent upbringings and/or have experienced sexual assault while growing up.
Sex trafficking victims often get mislabeled as prostitutes.
The Good News:
The Orangewood Foundation has been working for nearly 35 years to care for abused and at-risk youth. The foundation has numerous programs to aid children in need.
First responders are being taught how to recognize a sex trafficking victim and what questions to ask.
The creation of a new program called The Lighthouse Program, by the Orangewood Foundation.
The Lighthouse Program is transitional housing for young women who have left “the life.” It’s a house with 24/7 care for women aged 18-21 (minors are generally placed in foster care) that will help a survivor recuperate and plan for their future, and stay as long as needed to become successful.
This program will work in tandem with other Orangewood programs which offer help with basic needs, independent living skills, employment and education.
As the first kind of home/program in the Orange County and L.A. area, the foundation needs our support. Below is a list detailing how YOU can support The Lighthouse.
If you are interested in attending a forum, the meetings happen every second Monday of every month from 6:30-8:00pm. Plan to be a part of the discussion on August 8th and September 12th at 1575 E. 17th St., Santa Ana.
Awareness is the first step in stopping the problem.
This is not a drill. I am currently 4 days away from my job’s annual Fight Night fundraiser. A huge event in Orange County hosted at #TheMarconi where Marconi Foundation for Kids partners with another local at-risk children’s charity.
This year we’re partnering with Seneca and its G.A.I.T program; healing at-risk youth through horseback.
Any huge event you’ve attended, there is a team of exhausted and sleep deprived coworkers slushing through the night with a smile on their face, cautiously eyeballing the timeline (a minute by minute schedule of the event) and saying a little prayer everything goes off without a hitch.
I work in a small office and after three months of planning, it’s starting to get stuffy around the office. And by stuffy I mean stressful.
Rule #1: Don’t waste time having imaginative arguments with coworkers in your head. Be the bigger person.
At the beginning of last week I could feel the stressed induced vomit pooling at the back of my throat. Every being in my body wanted to slam my office door shut, turn off the lights and growl at anyone who came knocking.
After one day of office silence, I cleared the air. Took the few minutes before the work day started to give a pep talk to a couple coworkers feeling the pressure.
You feel like you’re working harder than everyone else, get over it. Even if you are, it’s more than likely everyone else planning the event with you is feeling the exact same way. So don’t wallow in the bad vibes, be the bigger person and suck it up.
Crack a joke, make someone smile and lead by example. Laugh through the chaos.
Rule #2: You can’t control everything. Put your best foot forward and keep walking.
Have you ever planned a small gathering for friends and family? I planned a baby shower, once. I remember thinking how much fun it would be to coordinate a little get-together and celebrate a new life.
My baby shower was probably different than yours though, I couldn’t account for the grandma-to-be to get pissed drunk and start wrestling guests.
After two months of planning and getting everything just right, nothing could’ve prepared me for drunk grandma. Oh well, the show must go on.
Rule #3: If you worked hard for it to be a success, those who matter will notice.
Market the shit out of your event. Create promo videos, make engaging and informative social media posts, pump up your audience and get creatively spent each and every day leading up to the big event. Don’t be afraid to step it up and extend your creative brush onto another canvas.
Not everyone has a boss who can express gratitude for hard work, same goes with coworkers. You know what you did, don’t waste any energy making sure everyone else knows, just keep killing it. Good things come to those who strive for it.
Did your grandma get pissed drunk and wrestle guests at your baby shower? What are some of your event horror stories? I want to hear them! Comment down below.
Helllloooooo again WordPress I haven’t forgotten about you, but I will admit I have forgotten about how to enjoy the parts that make me me.
Sidebar: You ever watch a movie that makes you rethink the way you’ve been operating lately, or in entirety? I watched one of those kind of movies tonight. Ugh — fine, it was The Intern.
Damn Robert De Niro playing a sweet old man. When did he change from an everyday mobster to a kind older gentleman? Maybe that’s the secret to old age, or movies. Anyways …
I’ve been through a lot of change in the last three months, and I think inadvertently let the things that make me me, slip.
I haven’t read a good book in ages. I haven’t written about anything that wasn’t expected of me. I began to think I didn’t have a love for words, or communicating with the masses.
After finally moving into my own place (again) and diving deeper into my new (awesome) job, I watched The Intern and immediately felt like I’ve let myself slide.
Another curse to my being. I’m too hard on myself.
I’m tired and transition takes time.
You ever feel all the change that’s happened over time hit you in one moment and it knocks you on your own feet?
Or keep yourself so busy you forget to take a deep breath and remember what’s really important.
It’s hard to remember life is short and you have to enjoy it.
So why am I feeling sappy?
Because of Ben (De Nero).
He’s a widower — married 42 years, was a business man for half his life and is trying to navigate retirement. He sees a flyer for a “senior internship” program and applies because he still wants to learn and despite his perceived loneliness, views life through an optimistic spread of light.
I know, it’s a movie. The point is about how it got my wheels turning.
I hope I can always remind myself I’m never too old to learn.
I’m never too tired to let my passion slip, and I’m never too discombobulated to remember I’m only human.
So, hello from the other side — learning life after landing a career.
Musicians don’t retire, they stop when there’s no more music in them – Louis Armstrong
The conference center is lined with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the bay and city skyline, depending on which wing you find yourself walking.
Who doesn’t relax when looking out into the water? Time for reflection? This is the spot you want.
RamblinRandol 