jeunesse’s Stuff!

As previously tagged by my infamous cousin Cheryl, thought I’d gladly respond to it and give this blog page a boost!

1.)  I was once skinny growing up, until after I got married, my body developed some unexpected curves which gave me an "African butt" so to speak.  My metabolism was whacked up when I was growing up, and got teased with my skinny legs and barb wires in my mouth.  (luckily not so much with the barb wires–"Braces" were the in thing!)

2.) During my college years in nursing school, I would know when the "ladies" nights are in the clubs… It would be nice to think that I was studious with my studies.  Fortunately, I knew how to cover up and BS through my answers when being asked the next day by my instructor.  I spent majority of my college years with an average of 2-3 hrs sleep a night, sometimes taking a nap after clubbing and going to school after.  But hey, I survived it all..

3.) Living in Las Vegas made me sick.  Aside from the excellent shopping bargains and selections, I became deprived of out door air and my body learned to compensate on living with an AC 24/7.  Aside from having a melted left shoe hill walking in the strip in a 100+ temperature, I developed a strong inclination to hibernate in the summer and activate in the winter. 

4.)  I am a scorpion and yes I do sting.  My husband was thrown aback when he found out that I am a scorpion and he is a libra when we were still dating.  We’re like oil and water at times, however we do find some humor to our disagreements.  I find that meeting half-way is sometimes the best way to go..as long as it involves some "friendly" competition.  Whatever the game is, scrabble or air hockey, I seem to always "kick his butt".  Hence, my husband is compelled to do tasks, based on loosing his proposed game and acknowleding the rewards of being a winner on very odd and few occassions. 

5.) I am such an adrenaline junkie or adventure lover.  I have paraglided over the mexican shores, jet skiid with a kids vest (and not knowing how to swim) accross the island of mazatlan, mexico (and got my jet ski toppled over..(I would do it again in a hearbeat, with thoughts that I almost drowned the last time.) I went to a water rafting trip with my husband on our first year anniversary.  I’ve driven to the wilderness with a bear literally a bumper inch in front of my car.  (this was literally up close to a grizzly bear and a cub, next to being an arm reach when we went water rafting).  I would like to one day jump off a plane with a parachute, complete a bungee jumping, and hopefully connquer my fear of heights doing a few stints of snow boarding and the like.

6.) As stated on number 5, I must admit that despite of all the rush to do such adventure, It is ironic to say that I am afraid of heights.  My knees buckle when I look down from a top floor  of a building.  I cringe and yet still continue to gaze down, as displayed by my liking of riding the notorious roller coasters in 6 flags and going through a bunch of sky high water slides by my self!   Despite of being self diagnosed as acrophobic, I am also clastrophobic and could not stand being in elevators.  I could only last for a few minutes of riding it for the purpose of going to my destination, however the thought of being stuck kills me!  I recently got stucked in an elevator with 10 people for almost half an hour and I have seen the worse of my anxiety.  I had to initiate to call 911 myself, my husband could not do anything despite of attempts of pulling a James Bond.  I was able to free myself from anxiety after seeing the fireman that saved us!!! (Kudos to Syl and Kris for the impromptu touch up!heheh).

7.)And finally, I have to devote this section to my BFF—despite the disagreements and typical marriage conflicts…I cannot imagine myself making it through the way I am right now without my BFF…his OCD traits compliments the stubborn side in me.  His liking for kids and obsession for my dog adores me.  It baffles me how oil and water do mix…for some reason, they just do.

*Cher-who do i tag this on???

   2 words that are sometimes taken forgranted, but both meanings when said create an instant gratification to one’s day.  Saying "please" not only presents polite and curt, saying "please" tends to be the most repetative and overused word with asking favors directions and the like and yet, its meaning flags an instantanious essence of being honored and respected despite how big or small a request may seem to be. 

   Saying thank you seem to do just the trick for more favors and requests that need to be accomplished.  And yet, the word ‘thank you’ may also  appear to be overused and abused when the requests are always directed to one’s continuous gain and compensation.  Thank you does not mean "thank you" in its true form when the favor that was done was completed in a heartless task.  Someone may seem to be saying it just for the heck of it, with an almost sarcastic manner… So as a result, to say thank you in that situation, would really mean "no thank you at all". 

   My job entails a lot of pleases and thank you’s…as the pleases are used for a few requests, a need to genuinely say thank you would just be an icing on the cake.  It is hard for me to fully appreciate a "thank you" and place it in my cake, when the person thanking me is not at all genuine. 

   Last week, my preception of receiving thank you changed. This is all what matters to me after working on a complicated social and nursing case…how many heartful thank you’s have I actually received?  The odd part is I have received this in a most unexpected way.  Not only was I caught off guard, but indeed was amazed on how one can truly assert it when they actually do mean it.

    A young guy came up to my office unscheduled and said "Jeunesse I need your help, I am filthy, haven’t had the shower in days, have been sleeping in the front lawn, using the washrooms accross my home (in the mall), I am locked out of the house by my Landlord (who I think is very devious!) and have no access to clean clothes.  This lad has succombed to drugs and have failed to show up on a few of our therapy sessions… (I was sceptic about giving my generous help to this client because of his lifestyle choice of repeated drug use) And yet, something twicked in my inner soul…what if this was my brother (sorry jake!) would I be able to handle dismissing his plea?  I did what I had to do, few calls to a few offices, access to emergency fund…a recreation pass to gain access to a public shower (for his hygiene), a schedule for foodbank, and assigning him to a community worker for housing support….  and yes, this all led to a genuine and whole hearted "Thank you" from someone, who I was sceptic to provide services in the beginning…

A young guy like him can leave a brute, devious, coniving, scandalous impression in the surface.  And yet his manners of showing appreciation is proven to exude, when needed and when appropriately called for.  It only goes to show that saying please and thank you only calls for a moment, but the results of feeling acknowledged and appreciated are prolonged.