A Foreign Exchange.

A Foreign Exchange

Yesterday I went to the nail shop I frequent to get the traditional mani/pedi, and eyebrow arch.  I love this nail shop because they staff makes me feel like family.  Of course they have the occasional conversation in their native Vietnamese language but mostly we spend time talking about our families, vacations and life, in English.

One of the nail techs has a daughter that attended Teen Youth Leadership for our local Chamber of Commerce along with my daughter.  She just informed me that her daughter graduated this year as Valedictorian of her high school and is attending the prestigious GA Tech in the Fall.  Wearing the biggest smile, I  told her mother just how proud I am of her daughter.  She then added that her oldest daughter is a Senior this year at GA Tech and that her son graduated last Winter from GA State.

My eyes exclaim, “Wow!” and my mouth followed.  Just then, the nail tech doing my pedicure chimes in to tell me that her son is entering his 3rd year at GA Tech.  Later I find out that the two nail techs are cousins.  Wait, there’s more.  As if that weren’t enough, the pedicure tech adds that her younger son is attending UGA.  She later voluntarily told me that she herself had not went to school.

They both were humble and appeared to be cheerful workers.  What they were not saying is, the work that they are doing, is really an exchange.  They will paint nails and rub feet all day long for minimal payment, so their children can be apart of America’s maximum payout, education.  What an exchange.

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This has been Sharon Saffold blogging on purpose and not by chance because chances are, I will blog again.

WWW.SHARONSAFFOLD.COM

Who Is The Source of Your Greatest Pain?

Who Is The Source of Your Greatest Pain?

You are the source of my greatest pain, you rouse and corral me and tarnish my name, you find delight in bringing me pain, you aim low and hit hard and call it a game.

You held me down and muzzled me, adding shame to my face,

You beat me up, then cuddled me after calling me a disgrace.

You bandage me, then silenced me and said never to speak your name,

All while I lye there eternally bruised and riddled with guilt and shame.

I just needed to feel wanted, loved and possibly safe.

You just needed to make money and find a way to escape,

So your forced upon me a life, in which you could take control,

Now I am left alone and discarded, after selling for you my soul.

You are the source of my greatest pain.

All I ever wanted was to be needed and an escape from the rain,

You told me I was crazy and could not make it without you,

I believe it and accepted it as the truth.

Now, I am the source of my greatest pain,

If I choose to remember, I can still feel the shame,

If I choose to remain angry, I can still feel the pain,

If I bandage my wounds my life will surely change.

Broken but not bruised, scorn but no scars, worn but not tired and abandoned but not alone.  I sought and found a strength all my own.

Mighty but not arrogant, wise but not witty, caring but cautious, aiming but not blaming, I stepped off the cliff fearing not the fall and found that my wings gave me no fall at all.  I soar now above you with forgiveness in each wing but I will not forget you, not one single thing.  I want you to also remember my face, I found out that you were right, there is an escape.

Copyright © 2012 by Sharon Saffold

Dedicated to the Human Trafficking Victims and those forced into Sexual Slavery.

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This has been Sharon Saffold blogging on purpose and not by chance because chances are, I will blog again.

 WWW.SHARONSAFFOLD.COM

We’re Winning!

We’re Winning!

July 21, 2012

I collect people.  Capri Italy, proved to be one of the most beautiful secluded and memorable holiday getaways that I have ever experienced.  It was a collection of European and American travelers all destined to indulge and enjoy.  My single most memorable moment was the two of us alone in an all white piano bar, being serenaded by an Italian singer as we danced under the white light in what the most beautiful hotel that I had ever stayed.  In walks the party crashers, (loving spoken) another couple beaming and budding smiling and drinking and they too, took it to the dance floor.

Twirling and swirling each of us danced, one not knowing the other.  Suddenly, the other lad moved his date closer toward us ,whirling, twirling and swirling.  He looks at us and says, “We’re winning!  We’re winning!”  I look at my date and said in my competitive voice, “Twirl me!  Twirl me!” and a beautiful twirl it was.  The coupled looked, laughed and then rose a leg gave a kick, and dipped his date elegantly.  He looked at me with a smirk of a smile and said, “We’re winning!  We’re winning!”  I responded quickly with a, “Dip me! Dip me!” and a quick and precise dip it was.  We continued battling one another with a few more, “We’re winning!” until the song ended.  Later that night we laughed, shared numbers and email address then had a drink together.  If I am every in Denmark or Italy, I have new friends to look up.

Thursday, my eleven year old daughter and her first year travel ball team won the World Series and were named the National Champions of 10U Softball.  I can say it proudly because this team started off as the, “Bad News Bears” but ended as State Champions and now National Champions.  The girls played hard, but the coaches coached well.  They placed our “C” level team against “B” and “A” team players to challenge them to the level that they believed that the team could aim to deliver.  They rose to the challenge, honed their skills, took their loses and learned their lessons.  They worked diligently, each seeking perfection.

I can imagine what their competitors thought of them when we first started, I know my daughter alone could not catch or throw a ball, but she could steal a base and score every time.  They entered the season as the underdogs, and in my mind I imagine the other teams saying, “We’re winning! We’re winning!”  Thursday after a lose to an undefeated team, they came back and won TWICE, over the same team to take the tournament.  While I am a proud parent of my daughter, I am equally as proud to all the 10U participants and parents locally and nationally that support their youth in sports and education.  However, I cannot resist and would feel remised if I did not say in honor of team Storm, “We’re winning! We’re winning!”  Oops.  Correction.  We WON!

Read. Post. Facebook. Tweet. Share. Return.  There truly is a message behind the messenger.

This has been Sharon Saffold blogging on purpose and not by chance because chances are, I will blog again.

WWW.SHARONSAFFOLD.COM

 

Raising The Bar.

Raising The Bar.

Bar none, studying to be a lawyer can be considered both tedious and taunting yet America is turning out thousands of lawyers every year.  If you have followed the blog then you have read about the four brothers that are each lawyers and one is a judge.  There story is examined in my, “The Immigrant Coal Miner and The Young Polish Women” post, but wait…there’s more.

So I have an occasional lunch with a brilliant family, one of which is a respected judge, however it wasn’t a lunch meeting with them that cued me in on just how high one can raise the bar.  The conversation went something like this, “I thought, I know I can tell Sharon about our good news, she appreciates news like this and wouldn’t consider it bragging.”  Smiling and wide eyed I wondered what the news might be.  “Our son received his class ranking from his Law School and he is ranked #5, in his class….and was invited to be on Law Review.”

After smiling, speaking and offering high five’s to this well deserving and humble mom, I spoke with my friend and attorney and asked, “Do people consider news like this bragging?”  Unfortunately, he confirmed what she thought.  He would go on to explain that professional studies are usually highly competitive fields sought after from highly competitive people.

I wanted to be a lawyer.  I consider myself extremely competitive, however, the only person I competitive with is myself.  Annually, I personally seek to outdo what I have done the previous year, but then again, I am the only one keeping score.  How do you keep score of your progress.  In what ways do you raise the bar?

PS. If good news is considered bragging….then B.R.A.G! (Being Really Aware of Good) as defined by, Sharon Saffold Live!!!!

Tomorrow’s post: Who is the cause of your greatest pain?

Read. Post. Facebook. Tweet. Share. Return.  There truly is a message behind the messenger.

This has been Sharon Saffold blogging on purpose and not by chance because chances are, I will blog again.

WWW.SHARONSAFFOLD.COM

July 4th! American Independence.

July 4th!  American Independence.

July 4, 2012

Larger then life people understand one key concept; that there is a path to success.  The best lesson that I ever learned was taught to me by my own error, and that lesson is, that not planning, is a plan.  Having placed minimal thought on graduating high school, teenage parenting and indulging in many irresponsible behaviors, my independence was largely based in dependency.  My simple pleasures and modern amenities were all compliments of the US.  

 

I once apologized to my teen daughters for having taking them along for my, “joy ride”, which for them could be considered more of a, “hell ride.”  Imagine getting into a car with a trusted friend expecting to head to the local mall, when a stop along the way ends in an armed robbery and a high speed chase.  This must be what being the child of a teenage parent feels like.  You wake up looking to hang out and shop, but you end up clutching the inside car door, praying for a safe exit with your head peering straight and your jaws dropped screaming, “Oh my God!  What are you doing! Let me out of here!  Oh my God!   What have you done!”  Amazingly enough my daughters still look to me for food, advice, shelter and direction.  And I now meet their needs without the help of our government.  

 

My plan for life, was not to plan and as a result, I did not only live vicariously thru others, I lived irresponsibly as well.  The tax payers went to work everyday to fund my ignorance and the perks kept me coming back for more.  One child, two child, three child, four.  Fourtunalty for me a mirror was shoved in my face by my highest and most evolved rivals, successful youth, my age.  The day that I was asked to serve my rivals as they entered their first year of medical school changed my future and rewrote my family history.  I immediately stopped repeating the generational curse and started competing.  We are winning!

 

I now Understand that the risk in Seeking success is minimal in comparison to the Aim of seeking nothing at all.  Understand, Seek, Aim.  Understand that you are the solution, seek to find your path, aim for your day of independence.  Your story will be different, however, we each seek independence and thanks to the USA, we know that it is ours to find.  

 

Tomorrow’s post: Raising The Bar.

 

Read. Post. Facebook. Tweet. Share. Return.  There truly is a message behind the messenger.

 

This has been Sharon Saffold blogging on purpose and not by chance because chances are, I will blog again.

 

WWW.SHARONSAFFOLD.COM

Desperately Seeking.

Desperately Seeking.

 

July 3, 2012

 

 

The Call: 

“Money sure has a funny way of changing people.  Man, we have family members that are hurting, struggling to pay bills and you think your better now.  You don’t come around or reach back to help.”  

 

The Response: 

“The only thing I can tell you is to do what I did.  On the fourth of July when you guys are at a cook out, I will be studying.  Tonight, 3:00 am in the morning when you are sound asleep.  I will be up studying, for homework thats due three days away because there will not be enough time after my work day.  And this time last year when I found myself unemployable after desperately seeking, I decided to head toward a fourth degree, until I reach the degree where some company, somewhere needs me.”

_____________________________________________________________________

(True call, true story, true response.  Paraphrased and dramatized to protect the origin)

 

Sharon’s Take:  

Were these two people on the same planet?  What did you hear?

Was the caller silently crying out for some financial support, a little family loan or the show of family support?  What about the responder, was the response insensitive, arrogant or right?

 

Assuming by now that you have decided for or against the responder, allow me to challenge your view.

 

The Caller:

“Man, were struggling, cant you help out” 

The Responder: 

“Man, I am too, I am just figuring it out as I go.”

 

Who could stand to learn from the other?  Which is desperately seeking?

 

Tomorrow’s post: July 4th!  American Independence!

 

Read. Post. Facebook. Tweet. Share. Return.  There truly is a message behind the messenger.

 

This has been Sharon Saffold blogging on purpose and not by chance because chances are, I will blog again.

 

WWW.SHARONSAFFOLD.COM

 

Just So You Know.

Just So You Know.

 

July 2, 2012

 

 

Living hostile is painful for everyone involved.  War, can be deadly for all that hear of it.  Pain, is felt by all that are empathic and love is an inner desire for all of us.  If this statement is as true as I believe it to be, then we all feel, hear and know of each others sorrows.  Have we plugged ourselves into the experience by plugging in the TV, DVD and video game?  

 

How did it feel to take a bullet in the left temple why your car was being jacked, as the light grew narrower, the sounds drowned out around you and you paced your last breath?  Like grand theft?  

 

How many skin grafts have you received after being set on fire during war after the bomb exploded and shattered half of your left body?  Like a modern man’s warfare?

 

How did you sleep last night after servicing 14 john’s and providing pleasure in exchange for pain?  Like a pretty women?

 

Did you wake up today with your family in a shelter, in order to be sheltered, from abusive hands?  Feels like family ties, does it?

 

Over the course of one week, I have either watched, conversed, read or remembered similar accountings.  Just so you know, my heart felt every emotion as if it were the first I had heard, thought or saw of such occurrences.  Yet, I am so super glad to be alive and a part of this crazy world where such occurrences exist.  

 

Give a man breath, and he has time left, to be the change that is needed in this world.  Just so you know, it is my intention to be one that assists in changing it.  You should know that the universe is seeking the same from you.

 

Take time to decided where in the world you can shine, create change and pass on the experience.  Devote time to a cause, a campaign or cure.  You won’t be sad that you did.

 

Tomorrow’s post: Desperately Seeking.

 

Read. Post. Facebook. Tweet. Share. Return.  There truly is a message behind the messenger.

 

This has been Sharon Saffold blogging on purpose and not by chance because chances are, I will blog again.

 

WWW.SHARONSAFFOLD.COM

 

Never Mine.

Never Mine.

July 1, 2012

I stood amongst the GIANTS today, and I displayed the same courage and strength that I admire within them.

I watched them as they paraded never focused on the emphasis placed on their stature.  They are humble, polished and friendly, they are GIANTS with virtue.

When praised for their accomplishments, they shun the light and shrink,

it’s not that they are ashamed, they lead first, before they think.

I struggle to understand them, they move mountains as if by design, but when asked who gave them the courage, they would respond with, “The courage isn’t mine.”

I am in pursuit of being a GIANT, once a troll I believe I can grow, so I follow the GIANTS around asking, “What is it that I need to know?”

It’s their response that startles and amazes me, but it seemed to keep me frozen in time, I was seeking to grow tall and mighty, but they respond with, “The height isn’t mine.”

It would take me longer to understand them, at first it appeared they didn’t want me to know, but in time I begin to understand, they go where they feel they can grow.

I follow and lead with the understanding that GIANTS are humble and kind, and when I am asked of my growth and my stature, I will respond with the, “The growth isn’t mine.”

As you pursue to be amongst the GIANTS, It may help you to know as you grow, that the purpose was never for you, but to pass on to others you know,

So when you are blessed with success, and have admirers that speak of your shine,

I challenge you to find the words to express, and respond with, “The light isn’t mine.”

Copyright © 2012 by Sharon Saffold

Inspired by the GIANTS that surround me.

Tomorrow’s post: Just so you know.

Read. Post. Facebook. Tweet. Share. Return.  There truly is a message behind the messenger.

This has been Sharon Saffold blogging on purpose and not by chance because chances are, I will blog again.

WWW.SHARONSAFFOLD.COM

Break Out!

Break Out!

 

June 30, 2012

 

 

Youth has never looked so good!  She is a teenage Lesbian, he is a wanna be Thug with a sister that is a Virgin looking for someone to claim her body as their own. These are all teenagers characters acting out modern societies new age personalities.  In my opinion, this is the era of the Chameleons that boldly professes, “This is who I am, deal with it!”.  The sweet scent of youth, coupled with the stench of irresponsibility and the excitement of being a rebel is all spawn together in the hit stage play, “Break Out!  The Emotional Scars That No One Sees…”

 

He is 19 years young, has the voice of a Preacher Man, the wisdom of MLK the talent of Tyler Perry and the vision of the future.  He is a Gates of The Millennium 10 year scholar, a Morehouse rising Sophomore, nowhere near an only child and has the comedic nature of Chris Tucker.  All these talent and he is in a race for time.  Death is not at his doorstep, so it is clear that this young man is answering a call from his creator and is responding to the ails of his youthful friends and companions through theatre, as an Actor, Director and Playwright.  

 

After meeting the mother that groomed him and expressing my pride in the young destined Thelron, she added that this play was his 6th stage play and that I should seek the five other live DVD recordings.  I quickly understood that this young talent may be new to me but he is clearly a Macon, GA legend.  How else would you pack the house full of the historic theater leaving standing room only in a two-story venue.

 

I walked away with four DVD’s and one lucky Blog Reader will be receiving one.

Post your favorite quote, in which you have drawn inspiration and If I can write a blog post from the message intended, the awesome live DVD of “Break Out!’ The Spiritual Stage Play is yours.

 

Check out this young rising Giant!  

http://www.Thelronpleas.com

 

Tomorrow’s post: Never Mine.

 

Read. Post. Facebook. Tweet. Share. Return.  There truly is a message behind the messenger.

 

This has been Sharon Saffold blogging on purpose and not by chance because chances are, I will blog again.

 

WWW.SHARONSAFFOLD.COM

Wait!

Wait!

June 29, 2012

What a 45 minute wait!  “Should we stay, should we go” says the inner conversation as the waiter walks near with a sizzling steak plate in hand.  “Non-smoking table for two under Sharon,” seeped quickly out of mouth before I could catch it.  The smell of good food lead my mind to make a decision all it’s own.

We were out and about on a Friday night in downtown Buckhead, GA looking for a place to rest our traveling feet, listen to some live music and grab a bite to eat.  I had dined at the restaurant Tin Lizzy’s only once before and their secret recipe for their popular Guacamole, Cheese and Salsa Dip Trio left me wanting.

The music is turned up to a loud throb, the laughs in the atmosphere are instant and the service is superb but unscripted.  I had long lost myself in the trio dips and conversation when the General Manger stopped at our table to check on our experience.  It might have been the surprise in my eyes, the glaze in my gaze or just good old fashion customer service, but for the next 45 minutes this GM would go out of her way to make us feel special.  She would delivered sample after sample and share story after story before I would zero in on what was so special about my experience.

I had just been waited on by the GM, that started years ago as a server, worked her way  up to bartender and then to GM.  She would go on to tell me how the owners believed in her and trained her from the bottom up.  She had moved to Atlanta after studying journalism with a dream and found an even more stunning reality.  Although she herself is a writer, her story of dedication and drive would give me a place to gather inspiration.

She would end the night by reciting the slogan that the owner would say many times during her training.  He would tell her to think of Tin Lizzy’s a the place where friends serve friends at their home away from home.  Wait!  That’s what it is, the feeling I told you that I would zero in on; the GM, former waitress would be successful again, as she had made us feel that we ourselves had just dined with a friend.

I left that night with a great experience, a blog entry and several coupons to return.  One of you lucky Blog Readers will be receiving on of these coupons.  Share a brief inspiring comment about a stranger that inspired you to think, do, write or react.  If I can draw inspiration from your comment and create a blog entry from it, you can have lunch or dinner at Tin Lizzy’s on me, with the help of my new GM friend.

Tomorrow’s post: Break Out!

Read. Post. Facebook. Tweet. Share. Return.  There truly is a message behind the messenger.

This has been Sharon Saffold blogging on purpose and not by chance because chances are, I will blog again.

WWW.SHARONSAFFOLD.COM