A shout out to Nobodies

A midst the uncertainties of war

Every soldier is entitled to one

Certainly that he will not be…forgotten

Or abandoned,

Poor is the nation that has no heroes

Shameful is the one that having them…

Forgets,

Everyone should have heroes. But how do we choose them? Is it a rock star, or a politician? Perhaps a ball player or Nascar driver?

Everyone has someone or should. Heroes keep us motivated to be what they are.

encouragement in times of darkness

They are rich, famous, admired liked most of us are drawn to people like this because it is what we want in life.

I was thinking today about the nobodies in life, those who should be our hero, but we take for granted, You know the ones.

 After a storm, you flip a switch an the lights come on-because someone from the power company has been working on the wires during the storm.

And:

The owner of the stall at the farmer’s market downtown. When the day is over he takes all of his leftover produce and bread to the homeless shelter and donates it so they have fresh food once a week.

The soldier, that was never deployed but stayed stateside and works to make sure the deployed soldiers have supplies they need.

he single mom raising her children alone; working two jobs and volunteering at the church to feed the needy.

The retired couple who give up two hours every weekday to deliver meals on wheels for shut ins.

The truth is there are nobodies everywhere. Your next door neighbor may quietly rescue animals and find homes for them.

You, yourself may be a nobody.

The fact is, nobodies are somebodies. They are behind the scene quietly making the world spin.

Nobodies in your every day life

Next time you are thinking about heroes, think about the ones you have never thought about.

The lady who drives a bookmobile.

The man who runs a homeless shelter.

The person who notices how sad you are and ask if they could help.

The Prayer Warriors on their knees for you or

the lady from church, whom you have never spoken to: that has you on her prayer list.

Nobodies all

Walmart's Parking Lot

Who would consider sitting in the parking lot of Walmart would give you time for reflections? Certainly not I. The main reason I was sitting there at all was, I had a massive headache and Denise had to shop for Tasha's school clothes.

Sitting, there, feeling terribly sorry for myself, because I could not be in the store spending my money, I began to see things around me. So, I shook off the vestiges of self pity, and rummaged through Denise's glove compartment for a book. Finding one of her romance novels, (A genre I detest but she loves) I figured things could not get any worse. A book is a book and I'd appreciate it for a minute, just to pass the time.

So I settled in and turned the first page, but something through the windshield caught my eye.

A new mother, with a tiny baby was trying to balance the child and unload groceries at the same time. It appeared she was having a hard time, with both. I started to get out of my car and offer assistance, but I was beat by a fresh faced, blonde teenager. He was no more than 16 or 17 probably brand new license on his first or second driving trip, he hopped out of his parents car( it was a van) and deftly support the new mom. Without speaking he deftly picked up her groceries and carefully placed them in her trunk, then went on his way, with a wave of his hand not waiting for thanks.

The tired mom looked relieved a where a frown was on her face there was a smile. I watched all of this in interest and started observing the parking lot.

Why, I wondered, do people at a Walmart always shop in groups? I saw car after car pull up all four doors open and moms, dads, kids grandparents pile out and head into the market.

Shopping Walmart I decided must be a family affair.

Every car had multiple people. A family next to me Mom, Dad Three kids and grandma, climbed out of the van. Mom and grand ma huddled together as they walked into the store Planning their shopping trip. the kids chattered excitedly I heard  "toys" and "video" mentioned more than once. Dad,just headed determinedly toward the store, His mind elsewhere, Oerhaps sports or automotives?

The summer breeze drifted through the open window as I laid my head back onto the seat and closed my eyes. All around me was the sound of cars slamming, children voices, happy families going into or coming out of the store.

And not so happy families. I heard the little girl before I saw her, crying as if her heart had split in two over one item she had wanted and not gotten. "Please Mom, " she entreated her Mom, "Pleeeaaase dad," fell on deaf ears. Mom and dad were engaged in deep conversation with mom every once in a while saying absently, "You're gonna get it if you do not stop crying" a Threat made and not fulfilled apparently often enough that the child continued sobbing undaunted. Until the groceries and assorted packages were unloaded into the car, and everyone was settled in ready to ride.

Apparently this was the point, the child knew there wasn't any going back, and so I watched a the car backed out and the child settled back in his seat, still pouting but quiet and moving on to other things.

Kids are amazingly resilient. I wonder how many times he had made it to the car, then had one of his parents relent on him? He knew them well.

I could not say anything, I have told Tasha "No!" in haste and because of my lousy mood;then felt incredibly bad enough to go back into the store to purchase the item. However she knows, crying is the way not to earn something from Nanny.

On the flip side a little one who got what she wanted was happily playing with her precious new toy, jumping up and down , Her mom while talking on the phone kept saying. "Stop It! I am going to give you one in a minute.." Then go back to talking on her cell phone Grasping a bag in one hand, her phone in the other. Every once in a while, shifting the phone and sternly admonishing, "I am going to give you 2 in a minutes.. and on and on, only she and God knowing the magic number when she would actually deliver uh whatever one and two were. The little girl and her new doll arrived at the car without receiving one two

All of these people will end up in wall mart, meet up with other friends and family who are shopping and it becomes a family a social event.


What have you Ever noticed when shopping at Walmart?

10 things you probably never wanted to know

I am in a pickle. I have run out of ideas to blog on, Natasha hasn't one anything cute in simply days.

I have spent the last couple of days trying to build a website with zero knowledge, that has been a challenge. 

I had thought I would do something special on my 100 post, but that was 21 posts ago so I am going to do it on my 121 post. 

Lists always seem to be entertaining and it is also a god way to get to know someone. 

So I am going to do "100 things about me and my family you don't know and probably don't care about but tough I am going to tell you anyway." I am only going to do ten at a time, I got the ideal from a blogging friend, well I consider hr a blogging friend, she might just consider me a nonsense  It's Carey from Life in the Carpool Lane, I'm giving her a shout out, though she doesn't need it,  if you haven't ever visited her blog, you should. No one is sure where they are going over there but it is a fun road to travel.

Anyway I have stolen a bunch of her ideas, which just goes to show you can't trust anyone at all these days:

1. I am an English and History Teacher. Yep, that right. I have a BA in English and I taught for a bunch of years. I have always had issues with caps, and run on sentences. My students didn't because I'd slap them with a "C" in a minute. 

2: Although I primarily listen to Christian Comtempory music, I have been know to jump in and sneak a listen to Soul, and Rock. CCR and The Eagles being my faves. The Beatles Rock, and yes 

I'm afraid I have been caught listening to the old music of Michael Jackson,like Thriller. 
3: Tasha is half Puerto Rican, and we teach her Spanish so she can be bi lingual. Guess who speaks Spanish. Right, none of us. Eric does a little so it is a task. 

4. I like Nascar.

5. I LOVE Baseball

6. I am starting my own business in Affliate Marking and freelance writing. Hard Row.

7. I'm a redhead, not natural but redhead just the same.

8. My son was adopted when he was 6 weeks old.

9. My two girls were only 10 months apart, I wasn't supposed to be able to have kids!

10 Denise was born with the same heart defect Sharon was, only she survived while Sharon didn't. Gods Plan. 

Bonus: I hate having my picture taken! I don't even have wedding pics.

Cast of Characters

 I was cleaning up the backroom, and fussing at my messy people when I came upon a jacket that had been sitting there for at least a month. I had left it there for the owner to claim, putting it in lost and found is like condemning it to a black hole. With so many items they may never find it.

But I was angry, so  I picked it up with the sole intention taking it to the front, but it felt heavy. Something was in the pocket. I reached in and found...........Now don't laugh to hard......My cell phone. 

My daughter had lent me her jacket a while back, and I had it in my head it was red and a different style. Since I had been fussing the whole time, I turned around hoping no one was behind me and came face to face with my friend and co worker Sabrina. 

I sheepishly told her the jacket was my daughter's, and hard as she tried not to break out laughing at her boss, she couldn't help it. 

Then she told me I was definitely one of the Characters of her life. She walked away still laughing, trying to walk straight, to my satisfaction, trying to make it to the restroom while laughing so hard. 

You have to take your revenge where you find it. 

Sabrina moved down here to be closer to her online boyfriend who lives in Ashville, NC. She is from Missouri so Charleston is a very different envoirment for her.

We had talked about people in our lives, she believes souls travel in groups and every one you meet today you met in a past life. 

I don't believe in reincarnation, but I do believe there is a path that we follow and everyone we meet is supposed to be in our lives if for a second or a moment or years. 

I believe God directs that path solely. 

but when I look back I see what I call the cast of characters who have impacted my life for a minute and moved on. Much like a fiction book. I am going down a path and in a second I am headed down another one solely by the chance meeting of someone. 

My fourth grade teacher was one of my Characters, I hated school, I didn't want to be their, Ididn't like to study and my home life was less then perfect. My grandmother after working hard didn't have the time to help me with anything, so I gave up. Mrs. Mitchel helped me pass fourth grade by making me stay after school and tutoring me. I still don't have a grasp for math, especially the new mat but I can wiggle my way through life with a pencil and paper in my hand. 

My Dad chased wine women and song. He was a "preacher" but one out for the green. He would whiz in and out of my life always with a new women, Always broke. A character in your life can teach you how not to live as well. 

My 9Th grade English/history teacher who gave me a love and understanding for history. So much so I went to college to become a History and English teacher. 

My next door neighbor in California who lead me to Christ and became my closest friend for the last 25 years. She moved east first, I followed and we found ourselves to be neighbors again on the east coast. 

The lady who had five kids when I met her, they came over to my house every  Wednesday, the kids played we made dinner together until her laugh shattered she taught me strength, love and unconditional loyalty.

Her daughter who got me into Blogging

the friend from church who remains again a very close friend, who dropped everything and came to the hospital to sit with me when my daughter died. stayed by my side handled the funeral arrangements then helped me write thank you notes after.

She taught me unconditional love of a friend,

Then there are present and future characters in my cast of players. The wonderful lady who's blog I starting following simply because it was exactly what I wanted my blog to be

I still read her first. I still learn things. For instance how to share humor, how to encompass humor and seriousness together. How to share your heart. So a new Internet friend becomes a character in my life. I am sure for a moment she thought I was stalking her, I showed up on Twitter and other places. She taught me where those places were, now I am addicted. Thanks Barb. :)

 Then there is the Assistant manager in Florida, the manager here who is understanding, and helpful  stopped me from walking out. Sabrina. New friends new people all the time. 

Peoples jobs are to impact other peoples lives. I think we are here to make a difference.

To be examples, You never know when you are called upon to be in someones Cast of Characters, and make a difference. 

That's a sobering thought.

And yes, Sabrina made it to the restroom, but it wasn't and easy trip for her. :)