My Mainstream Tunes

I really like this song because I'm mainstream like that. Also it reminds me of The Lion King. Sometimes I'll just be sitting around with Colin and will request that he play "that Lion King Fun song."

But up until approximately seven minutes ago I didn't even KNOW how cool the music video was! Check it out. It's just really legit. I mean... it has a Civil War reenactment-type-thing. That kind of epitomizes legit-ness. I know. The proper word there would have been (and still is) "legitimacy," but if I had written, "That kind of epitomizes legitimacy," the tone of the sentence and of this post would have been altered. So. It epitomizes legit-ness. See for yourself:

Hello, Kind Stranger

As a member of the Knight Crew, I work at the call center. It's not quite the hassle of telemarketing, because we fund-raise rather than market.
One thing we like to say is that in addition to fund-raising, we really are friend-raising!

Today, I friend-raised.

To be honest, some days are better than others. Some days I get a stack of people to call and a whole lot of disconnected numbers, not homes, and people hanging up right after they hear, "Hi, my name is Lauren and I'm calling from Southern Virginia University-"

It's a bummer.

But I have to say, some of my favorite calls have been with people who felt they were too financially unstable to make a monetary donation. There was a kindly man who I caught on the phone just as he was getting to bed before an early morning work shift. And another man who, despite being between jobs, agreed to let us send him an empty pledge form for when things got better. And someone else who couldn't donate, but told me that he'd had a similar job and that I was doing great. A woman who worked at another university and whose son was now attending a different college, but gave us what she could, anyway. A spunky young lady who gave happily and freely. A young man now attending a different university, but who had fond memories of Southern Virginia, and decided he could spare a bit of his tight college budget.

There are definitely highlights. And if you get just a few of them, they keep you happy through the hang ups.

Mind your manners

Things I will never due to telephone solicitors:

1. Hang up on them
2. Hang up on them
3. Be rude
4. Hang up on them

Seriously.
Be candid.
Be NICE.
Be honest.

The people on the other end of the phone are people.
(Sure, there are machines, but that's not what I'm talking about.)
They understand if times are tough.
If you're unemployed and have three kids in college, they know what that means.

Just listen patiently.
Respond honestly.
Give your caller the opportunity to respond to you-- let them offer their sympathies, express their condolences, or show their enthusiasm if you're able to give.

Maybe you are inconvenienced for two minutes.

They're doing this for HOURS.

I really do enjoy my job. Sometimes I get to talk to really nice, sincere, well-intentioned people.
Sometimes people are a little bratty or rude.
But honestly?
I hate when people hang up on me the most.
Because then they're not even giving me a chance to explain myself. Or to show that I'm human, too.

And be heard.

I've been doing this speaking thing for a bit of time. I've seen state champs. I've competed and I've coached and I've learned a thing or two. And you know who impresses me with his words? This guy.

Want to know the secret? Conviction.
When you truly believe what you are saying-- when you know that what you are sharing is true-- it has so much power. Everyone else in the room can feel it, too.

Rant.

I just got my first paycheck.

I mean, I've had jobs before. I worked for four weeks and got $1200 at the end of it all. I tutored and made like $15/week.
But this was for 15 hrs/wk of work at just above minimum wage.

And it was exciting.

But I just spent over a third of it on food. And it makes me so upset. Food is expensive and grocery shopping is stressful.

And in making dinner for two, a quarter of my brand new block of cheese was suddenly gone. And I just lost it. Food is expensive. It adds up. And then it disappears so quickly.

And I hate it.

The End of the Beginning

Over the summer I began telling the story of how Colin and I started dating here.
I wrote a second segment too, but still hadn't finished.
So I decided to just make a video to wrap everything up, and to ask Colin to participate for accuracy.

Sorry-- it's a little lengthy-- but this is the rest of that story. :)

About Love

Sarah Kay & Phil Kaye - “When Love Arrives” 

I knew exactly what love looked like- in seventh grade. Even though I hadn’t met love yet, if love had wandered into my homeroom I would’ve recognized him at first glance. Love wore a hemp necklace. I would’ve recognized her at first glance, love wore a tight french braid. Love played acoustic guitar and knew all my favorite Beatles songs. Love wasn’t afraid to ride the bus with me. And I knew, I just must be searching the wrong classrooms, just must be checking the wrong hallways, she was there, I was sure of it. If only I could find him.

But when love finally showed up, she had a bowl cut. He wore the same clothes every day for a week. Love hated the bus. Love didn’t know anything about The Beatles. Instead, every time I try to kiss love, our teeth got in the way. Love became the reason I lied to my parents. I’m going to- Ben’s house. Love had terrible rhythm on the dance floor, but made sure we never missed a slow song. Love waited by the phone because she knew that if her father picked up it would be: “Hello? Hello? I guess they hung up.”

And love grew, stretched like a trampoline. Love changed. Love disappeared, slowly, like baby teeth, losing parts of me I thought I needed. Love vanished like an amateur magician, and everyone could see the trapdoor but me. Like a flat tire, there were other places I planned on going, but my plans didn’t matter. Love stayed away for years, and when love finally reappeared, I barely recognized him. Love smelt different now, had darker eyes, a broader back, love came with freckles I didn’t recognize. New birthmarks, a softer voice. Now there were new sleeping patterns, new favorite books. Love had songs that reminded him of someone else, songs love didn’t like to listen to. So did I.

But we found a park bench that fit us perfectly, we found jokes that make us laugh. And now, love makes me fresh homemade chocolate chip cookies. But love will probably finish most of them for a midnight snack. Love looks great in lingerie but still likes to wear her retainer. Love is a terrible driver, but a great navigator. Love knows where she’s going, it just might take her two hours longer than she planned. Love is messier now, not as simple. Love uses the words “boobs” in front of my parents. Love chews too loud. Love leaves the cap off the toothpaste. Love uses smiley faces in her text messages. And turns out, love shits!

But love also cries. And love will tell you you are beautiful and mean it, over and over again. You are beautiful. When you first wake up, “you are beautiful.” When you’ve just been crying, “you are beautiful.” When you don’t want to hear it, “you are beautiful.” When you don’t believe it, “you are beautiful.” When nobody else will tell you, “you are beautiful.” Love still thinks- you are beautiful. But love is not perfect and will sometimes forget, when you need to hear it most, you are beautiful, do not forget this.

Love is not who you were expecting, love is not who you can predict. Maybe love is in New York City, already asleep, and you are in California, Australia, wide awake. Maybe love is always in the wrong time zone,maybe love is not ready for you. Maybe you are not ready for love.Maybe love just isn’t the marrying type. Maybe the next time you see love is twenty years after the divorce, love is older now, but just as beautiful as you remembered. Maybe love is only there for a month. Maybe love is there for every firework, every birthday party, every hospital visit. Maybe love stays- maybe love can’t. Maybe love shouldn’t.

Love arrives exactly when love is supposed to, and love leaves exactly when love must.

When love arrives, say, “Welcome. Make yourself comfortable.” If love leaves, ask her to leave the door open behind her. Turn off the music, listen to the quiet, whisper, “Thank you. Thank you for stopping by.”