Family is Everything

Family is everything to me, but I don’t do well when there are conflicts or disagreements. In many ways, I keep a lot inside to avoid chaos or arguments, although I have gotten pretty vocal in my older years. 

I guess I learned this early on, coming from a household that was constantly in turmoil. My parents were not the best examples, for lack of a better word. Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents dearly, my father died in 1992, and my mom lives with me; she is 89 years young. They did the best with what they had. I promised myself I would not allow that type of environment I grew up in to be in mine. I was determined to break the cycle of dysfunction. 

This brings me to today, and it is funny that an argument with a loved one can take you back to years ago growing up. I was not too fond of this feeling, and I lashed out in anger. I am not proud of it. It just goes to show that I am a work in progress. When you think you have moved forward and have it under control, it regurgitates whenever you least expect it, such as a mindless argument. 

I worked hard to achieve a peaceful home environment, but a silly argument over something not worth arguing about can take you back to a dark place. I had it in my heart to share this due to not being the only one who experienced these things. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Leave me a comment and God Bless.

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Living with Osteoarthritis Sucks!

Living with Osteoarthritis sucks! I am 62 years of age and let me tell you, and I have been finding out about my aches and pains for a bit. It began with discomfort in my right hip. Then, my left knee began acting up, and then the other. Ironically, when the knees began to ache, my hip stopped giving me trouble. At first, the Ortho doctor informed me that it might be due to how I distribute my weight as I walk. 

As time progressed, I experienced a knee sprain; the pain to describe it best was like seeing the whole galaxy, the stars in a single millisecond. I was doing testing with a potential applicant when it occurred. I was totally mortified and a bit embarrassed. My co-worker at the time was totally supportive and assisted me as I completed testing with the applicant.

I saw the doctor, x-rays showed I have Osteoarthritis all around the whole left knee with no tares. I was prescribed Ibuprofen, and the doctor offered a steroid pack which I did not accept at that moment, but he did say I can call his office if I needed it. 

My personal experience? I must fight through the pain, and I do not want to give in to this pain when it flares up or shows its ugly head to torment. If you are living with Osteoarthritis, I would love to hear your story. 

Please leave a comment. God bless! 

My Health Insurance Blues

Why can’t having insurance be stress-free? You see it every day with different people trying to have proper coverage for themselves or their families. 

Looking for a doctor who will accept or be in your insurance network can be challenging and frustrating. I have been searching for a specialist for a week, and every doctor’s office I have called doesn’t take my insurance. 

I have EmblemHealth, formerly known as GHI(General Health Insurance). We had this insurance for years, but we also had primary insurance Florida Blue which we no longer have. I don’t want to go out of network, which would cost, to say the least. 

I have called the EmblemHealth line to find a doctor; based on my location, they gave me three doctors. Can you believe the doctors given are no longer in the network with Emblemhealth? And the website is not much better. 

The last resort I am calling doctors, as I mentioned before, to inquire with no luck. I invite you all to leave a comment or suggestion. 

Thank you!

Life on Unemployed Island-A Temporary Stay

“Being unemployed is the true test of who you really are.”

~Ernie J. Zelinski

Imagine being sent to a beautiful island, a vacation away from your employment status, but you no longer are working due to unforeseeable circumstances. So you find yourself in this imaginary place, but wait, you are there of no will of your own. I say imaginary, but the reality is you are in your home trying to make sense of it all and move forward. No one deserves to lose their job but you must decide which way to cope; you pick yourself up and fight or stay down and get run over. Personally, I choose to fight! 

You are in survival mode, but you begin to create a plan.

• File for re-employment
• Keep a log of prospective employment applications/ leads
• Create a daily routine; just because you are home does not mean you will let everything go
• Remember that your unemployed status is your job; in other words, it is your daily task to look for work 
• To avoid burn out plan something different for each day, incorporate activity in between your job searches
• Stay connected with family and friends for support during your journey
• Keep a journal

Remember, life on “Unemployed Island” does not mean being in the land of misery. Keep your eye on that golden nugget-a new job!

Strategy at its Best

 You “lost” your job. I don’t think so. You know where that job is. Think of it as the universe telling you it is time to “find” something even better. Trust divine order. 

~Mary-Frances Wintel

If you have worked for a government entity, chances are you are familiar when election time comes around. The top person has to run for re-election, then find that the election is over and a new top official is coming. Employees become nervous due to not knowing if they are let go. It is not an easy pill to swallow to be let go after many years of service.

I never thought this moment would come, but it has. I got fired on February 9, 2021, after eight years of service with the Osceola County Clerk of Court and County Comptroller. I was stunned and dismayed after the HR person delivered the news. 

The excuse I was given was that the new administration is restructuring the HR department where I was assigned. My position was eliminated. Thinking back, I saw it coming. My boss was let go, and the new boss stepped in and did everything by the HR playbook.

I, for one, was a loyal employee, not a troublemaker, and I did my job! I had a lot of time to think about things and how they occurred. In hindsight, it was all strategy. 

• The isolation, and being excluded from the department meetings. 
• Receiving work/ projects at the last minute to ensure the employee fails.
• Supervisors keeping workers at bay only to communicate when necessary. 
• Being told to do a presentation and not being briefed or included in the planning. 
• HR not being included in the planning to welcome the new administration, but having other department heads assisting in the welcoming. 

The reassigning of employees from other departments occurred countless times. It was a strategy at its best! As a disgruntled worker, you may see me that way, maybe so, but the irony of this story I knew the person at the top. I believe in giving the employee an opportunity and offer reassignment. The new administration offered no such courtesy. 

My takeaway from my recent experience is to be an advocate represent oneself first and foremost. Don’t be fearful of the outcome. At least you will know that you did everything possible on your behalf. If the organization you work for does not value you, they do not deserve you. It is not worth the aggravation or heartache in the long run. Be of service to others that will value your service.

Holidays 2020

Our year 2020 is full of so many challenges, with the Coronavirus pandemic at the helm of it all. I find myself worrying more, preoccupied more, and for the most part, missing my family members wanting more time and wanting to create memories to cherish. 

The weekend was full of holiday decor activities and the holiday music in full swing. It made me feel joyful. My heart was full but still lacking, missing, and longing for those times of yesteryear without a care in the world. That has all changed!

Reality Check! Before leaving the house, we must take precautions, mask up, and have our sanitizer handy and gloves. Personally, I don’t wear gloves, but I have my sanitizer with me wherever I go. Wow! How things have changed. 

Christmas is around the corner. I plan a tiny gathering with my immediate family. It has become our new normal, it is the way it is, and God knows for how long. I don’t mean to sound defeated, but I am just trying to keep it real. That is all! 

My hope for 2021? This pandemic will all go away, that is my idealistic way of thinking, but realistically I don’t see the silver lining at the end of the clouds. 

My wish for all is our future with no pandemic, healthier, and full of many possibilities geared for the better in 2021. God bless!

Don’t Be Fooled by the Average Bear

Have you ever encountered individuals that will look at you and assume that you have fewer smarts? Whether in the workplace or everyday life. Here is a clue: Don’t be fooled by the average bear.

All of my life, I have encountered individuals such as I have described. I figured out since I am, for the most part, quiet, an observer, and don’t give away too much. They automatically assume that you don’t have what it takes. 

The same individuals are surprised when you come up with the information they don’t know or discover your hidden talent. My talents? I blog, love taking pictures, crochet, dabble with online Karaoke, and follow the political arena to name a few. 

Reality check! There are other bears in the forest that are much smarter!

Good Prevails Over Evil

It looks like Vice-President Biden will be our new president. Good prevails over evil. Trump will not kindly go into the night, but you know what? I hope those who are watching will see him for his true self.

How can President Trump blame our citizens that invest their time in our democracy by making allegations of not following the process? I was in disbelief, and his actions from that podium were dangerous yesterday. It wasn’t comforting! 

I pray that moving forward, we can rebuild, renew, and work towards battling this pandemic by taking charge!

I am not fooling myself. I worry that things will get scary once Vice-President Biden is declared President-Elect. 

I believe that, for the most part, the people of the United States want to get back to some normalcy, not chaos. 

I want unity, not division! God Bless! 

My Fellow Humans

Can we stop fighting over who is going to win tomorrow? We are human first and foremost; our humanity is at stake. Regardless of the outcome, we need a leader that will get us out of this crisis, the COVID crisis, and the racial crisis. It needs to stop! 

We are in trouble, and if things don’t change? Ask yourselves what this world will be like in the future for our children and grandchildren. I see the bigger picture, and it is disastrous if a shift for the greater good does not occur.  We are doomed!

I sound desperate, and we all should be in a desperate state! 

Tomorrow is the day. Who will it be, Trump vs. Biden? However, your vote? We will live with it for the rest of our lives. 

This election is the most important one. Our lives depend on it, literally! 

What is in a Nickname?

Do you ever wonder what is in a nickname? Some may say it is a term of endearment, and others may use it as a form of control or insult. I used a nickname as a way to rebel from my given name. 

As a child, I did not like my name, so I rebelled, creating a nickname. I was named after my grandmother, Caridad. The English translation is Charity. I should have gone by Charity, but instead, I wound up with so many nicknames that, to date, many family and friends refer to them; Carilyn, Carolyn, and Carol. 

Since then, I have accepted my name Caridad but what do you do when you are stuck with these alternate nicknames? It is not easy. I have tried alerting my family and friends I no longer go by these names. Their response, “I am used to calling you by these nicknames,” and they refer to these names as terms of endearment. What began as my rebellion has turned into terms of endearment?

Over time I stuck to my ideals, and I no longer use these nicknames, but ever so often, a relative will slip and use one of my old names, but I don’t fuss. It is a habit, but many have adjusted to calling me by my given name. My life lesson? I continue with my given name. I don’t sweat it when someone in my family slips and revert to using a nickname. I keep going!