Navigating the Next 24 Hours

Good information can come from many places. As we watched TV, my husband and one of the kids got into a discussion about salaries, daily expenses, and everyone’s favorite—taxes.  During an explanation about how taxes work and how much money can disappear from your pay, we noticed our youngest child absorbing every word. We had to laugh when our intrigued child said, “I should take notes on this!” You’re never too young to start soaking up worthwhile advice—especially when it comes to taxes. Maybe this advice will benefit you, too:  

                                         http://youtu.be/LmimlZwjYs0  

Everyone has a story to share. What better way to learn a lesson than from someone else’s experience, especially if it’s a difficult one? I love how the teens went out and had face-to-face encounters with people that society often ignores. The advice fit everyone—youth, parents, college students, middle-aged folks, and even grandparents.  Some of the best advice came from the man who spoke about handling bad opportunities. He said don’t just walk away from them—run away! What guardrails have you placed in your life to keep you on the right track?

The Perfect Gift

Once upon a time (Oct. 2012) an award-winning author, Kathi Macias, published Unexpected Christmas Hero, a book about a homeless war vet who becomes a hero for a fatherless family.  The book’s cover features Willard Parker, an actual homeless man who has a story of his own. Some years back, Mr. Parker lost contact with his family and now he very much wants to see them again. Click here to read more about Mr. Parker’s story, see his picture and possibly grant a Christmas wish by helping unite Mr. Parker with his family.  If you have information regarding the whereabouts of Parker family members, please contact Kathi Macias at ezyrtr@ca.rr.com.   

A family reunion is a wonderful gift.  With the holidays approaching, we’ll all be looking for great gifts. Here’s what some people call the perfect gift:

                                        http://youtu.be/--JmKOR8-i0

Perhaps the best gifts are the ones we give rather than receive. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs says that our primary concerns focus on obtaining food, shelter and safety before moving up the ladder to satisfy our need for love, friendship, self-esteem and creativity. Having survived Hurricane Sandy, did you feel yourself living out Maslow’s hierarchy of needs pyramid this week? Considering all that’s happened over the last two weeks, in your opinion, what is the perfect gift?  

We Can See You!

While driving the other day, I stopped at the light and glanced over. My mouth dropped open. Besides fiddling with a phone, the driver in the next lane had a monster-sized wad of paper stuck in his nose. We’re not talking about several ordinary tissues. This paper looked like those scratchy, institutional paper towels that threaten to rub your skin raw and it was sculpted into a perfect circle. I assume the driver had a nosebleed, but I’m still wondering how that huge ball remained suspended from one small nostril.

This is far from the most unusual thing you’ll see as you drive around town. I’ve spotted people applying make-up, shaving, combing their hair and, yes, flossing. I think I saw someone brushing their teeth, too. Are people forgetting that cars don’t have shutters and blinds? If confronted, I have a suspicion that they’d yell, “Just look away!” Here’s a message for people who groom and drive: We can see you and frankly—no thanks!

There is another group of people who often feel invisible—it’s the homeless. They’re easy to see lying on the sidewalks of major cities, but due to our sagging economy, an increasing number of people are moving from homes, to shelters and on to the streets ofsmall towns, like ours. Listen to a few of their stories:

You’ve heard that many people are one paycheck or one catastrophic situation away from homelessness. Today’s homeowners can easily become tomorrow’s homeless.  Charitable organizations in our communities provide various resources to ease the burden of homelessness, but they can’t do it  alone. They’re waiting for your contributions. Let the homeless know that we see them and we care. How will you help the homeless this week?