M Simone Boyd
After the Reconstruction, black bodies were strung from trees. Today, our brother and sisters are executed in the streets. And Philando Castille joins the long list of martyrs such as Medgar Evers, Emmett Till, and Viola Gregg Liuzzo that died in the unjust struggle to move our people forward.
We should have been prepared. I should have been prepared. After a moment in history that’s marked with us rising as a people, there is always a backlash. …
The past two months have been quite the adventure in how to follow God. At times, the path has been bright and filled with hope. But many times, the path has been dark and God’s goodness has felt very far away. I feel like all of us have these seasons:
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Hey Y’all!
So, I didn’t finish my post on how Morris and I met. Forgive me!
I’ve been trying to polish the first three chapters of the novel to perfection, because I’m headed to my first writer’s conference this week–ACFW. For me the next step, to the traditional publishing process, is getting a literary agent. So, I’ll be pitching the novel to a couple agents and hoping that they ask me for proposals.
Initially, I was really nervous about facing rejection. But two things happened. First, I picked up a new freelance writing job that I didn’t even request. Second, I got AWESOME feedback from an author on the first twenty pages. …
For me, it seems like every day is a fight in overcoming fear. No, I don’t kick and scream. No, I don’t cower in the corner. But I do have a voice that pops up and asks accusatory questions, like:
Waaaay better people have come before you and failed. …
Howdy Friend:
I made a video today, because I’ve been out of touch and wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your support! I included a few updates on Nashville life and what’s going on with my writing projects. If you are an email subscriber, in a few weeks you’ll receive a link from my new blog. I hope your new year is off to an awesome start!
Love you and Miss YOU…Simone
Earlier this year, I did something super scary. I told a room of 50 strangers about my dream of starting a business. Up until this moment, the dream had been somewhat of a secret.
I had a business plan, I pitched the idea to my husband, and I told a few close friends. But, the thought of telling strangers was terrifying.What if they didn’t like my business idea? What if they laughed? What if they didn’t share my opinion or views? Aghhh! There were just so many things that could go wrong. And, guess what?
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Have you ever been in a situation where the room goes silent, everything is in slow motion, and despite the fact that there are 30 to 40 people in the room you realize…you are the center of attention?
Perhaps that’s happened to all of us. We realize, we should know something that we just don’t know. …
Dear Macy’s,Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. It is all about food and family. In my family, my mom cooks the turkey, ham, macaroni and cheese, and everyone else makes the side dishes. For example, me and my dad make the yeast rolls, Isaac makes the mashed potatoes, Morris makes the brussel sprouts, etc. etc. The day includes lots of food, laughing, and games. And until now, there have been no external forces competing for our family time together. And, that’s why you should close your stores.
You and I have been friends for many years, and I always enjoy scouring the sales rack during the change of seasons. But, I fear your decision to open your doors for commerce on the evening of Thanksgiving is cause for concern.
I know, I know. All the other stores are doing it. But, if all the other stores decided to jump off the proverbial bridge does that mean you would too?
Let’s face it Wal-Mart and Toys R Us began encroaching upon Thanksgiving last year, but you…you are so much better than them. Wal- Mart is known for its low prices and questionable employment practices. And, Toys R US, well, they need all the help they can get. But you, dear Macy’s, have always been better than that. You appear to treat your employees with dignity, you hire veterans, and aside from that icky music video of Justin Bieber and Mariah Carey you and I are generally on good terms.
But, this decision to sacrifice the family time of thousands of employees for four more hours of commerce…could really damage our relationship.
I know full well the sacredness of Thanksgiving and Christmas to mall workers. (The only two days most malls are closed). Because, I worked at Kay Jewelers for six years. And, it is tough to be a mall worker during the holidays…the extended hours, the impatient shoppers, and the increased threat of theft. The mall is open 363 days a year.
Isn’t that enough?
Or do you plan to stop selling online during this period of time?
There is logic that says, “people are shopping on-line anyway, let’s bring them in the stores.” No, we should not bring them in the stores. Because, once you, dear Macy’s, fling your doors open for commerce on Thanksgiving Day more merchants will soon follow, and the damage will be irreparable.
You and J.C. Penny’s made the right decision last year. Couldn’t you make it again?
You may say it’s the evening, and we aren’t opening until 8:00 p.m.!
Even though, the store opens at 8:00 p.m., I imagine staff will have to arrive at 7:00 p.m. And, some employees commute an hour or more. So, they have to leave home at 6:00 p.m. But, it takes an hour to get dressed and look presentable. So, while their family is sitting down to relax and watch a ball game and enjoy dessert they will be ripped away from the festivities at roughly 5:00 p.m.
And, women that would normally be sequestered together with their unwanted in-laws, may now dip off to the mall in avoidance of that awkward silence. And, a golden opportunity for character building would have been missed.
And if you, Dear Macy’s, open your doors on Thanksgiving Day, your peers such as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman will soon follow suite. Please save Thanksgiving, Macy’s. You have the
power to do so.
But, should you choose not to flex your influential muscle…I will not be shopping with you again until after the Christmas holiday. Nordstrom, TJ Maxx, and Ross made the right decision. So, there are plenty of moral shopping alternatives.
I’m sorry it, has to be this way, but the choice is yours.
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Dear Reader, if you share my position on the Thanksgiving retailing debacle, could you help me spread the word? Please pass this post along on your favorite social network. Who knows, we may just save some folks some time with family. Love, Simone
Pursue your dreams.
In Britain, last year, a shortage of interpreters led to a small number of foreign suspects being released.
Now, there were some budget constraints that led to this situation. But, it got me to thinking. Perhaps someone out there hasn’t gotten around to following their dream and learning a language. If they had, would there have been fewer crimes on the streets of Britain?
And, that led to another line of thinking.
What other problems does the world have that you and I can solve if we pursue our dreams?
Are you a talented comedian? Good, because there is a lot of hurt and sadness in the world. And, there are people out here dying to laugh. Seriously, I see them everyday at work and on the bus here in D.C.
Are you a gifted filmmaker? Good, because there are millions of stories out there that need to be told. Take Charity:Water, for instance, it provides live-giving clean water to thousands of people in developing countries. You could make a film that tells the story of one person and how clean water changed the life of their village…more people would hear about this person, their village, the clean water project, and give money. As a result of your film, more people on our plant would have clean water!
Okay. Okay. I’m getting off my soap box now.
All of this is to say. We have to pursue our dreams y’all. The world needs us.
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| My Fantastic Family |
My dream is to help make your family fantastic by strengthening bonds, eliminating squabbles, and helping you pursue your dreams. I have more than 30 years of experience living in a fantastic family. We are not perfect, but we are loving. And, I can help you and your family too.