True Hurts

So work had created such turmoil and pain for a certain man; it was time for a break. He sought out every possible means to heal his soul and mind, because he was terribly stressed from the woes of life. He tried Auckland reiki, multiple forms of meditation, even church. He suddenly realized none of these forms of spiritual cleansing would heal him from what he was feeling. His wife thought he was silly to be going to these odds. Even his children laughed at him.

Broken and beaten, the man sat down on a bench in the park after the long, trying day. He buried his head in defeat and began to cry. At that very moment, a homeless man sat down next to him and said, “You think you’ve got it bad. Try putting on my shoes.”

Suddenly, life seemed to be much better for him.

A couple of years ago, I realized that I needed to make major changes in my life. I had just ended a long-term relationship, my job was driving me crazy and I had really lost my joy for living.

I had plenty of money in the bank from working such long hours, so I decided to take three months off from my job and try to discover what would truly make me happy.

I had a great time exploring everything from circus workshops to volunteering at soup kitchens. I learned some new skills, made plenty of mistakes and met a host of wonderful new people. However, the most important lesson that I learned during my exploration was that I needed to trust myself and follow my heart. No one is responsible for my happiness except me.

After my three months off, I decided to quit my job and return to school. I’m not making as much money now, but I am so much happier and more content.

When hurricane Sandy slammed into the Jersey Shore area in 2012, it left behind devastation and destruction that is still being felt a full year later. Businesses and homeowners have not recovered from the lose of their homes and stores, and funding has been slow to give the residents of the coastline the ability to get back to a normal life.

That is all changing with the help of silica sand sculptures. A recent charity event was held in the city of Point Pleasant where they attempted to get into the Guinness Book of Records for the largest sand sculpture. The charity event gained local and nationwide media coverage as people flocked to the beach to not only see some amazing artwork, but to give of their money to help all the victims of that devastating hurricane. The monies raised during the event went to help the local residents who lost everything.

This year, my New Year’s resolution was to get into shape. Unfortunately, the pie in the sky luxury of owning my own personal trainer Leeds was cost prohibitive, and the very notion of going to a public gym makes my skin crawl. On January 1st, I set to work with nothing more than a gym mat, two ten pound dumbbells, and a pocket full of dreams. Although I was scarcely expecting to see any measurable results at all, I was pleased to find the contrary. Within two short weeks, I had practically slashed my body fat ratio in half. And with the money I saved from not wasting gas going to and from a crowded gym, I was easily able to afford the healthier foods that are the cornerstone of any salubrious lifestyle. It just goes to show how a little hard work and perseverance can go a long way.

Around 6 months ago I moved to Georgia. This summer has been incredibly hot and I have been wanting to do some improvements on the windows in my home. Nothing major but,I wanted to replace the blinds that are in the windows. My current blinds are extremely dusty and the ends are bent inward as though an animal had repeatedly pushed its way through to sit on the window sill. I could probably contend with the vigorous cleaning but, these blinds were ruined. I went out and purchased Manchester shutters which were sturdier than my current blinds. I purchased Cherry Wood color to go with my Decor. They also have been great for blocking the sun during the day when it’s extremely hot. Also the ventilation has been much better to where I don’t have to use our air condition unit as much as before. In the end I would say I have made a great upgrade to my home and added comfort.

“Slow down” is not a phrase in my mother’s vocabulary. Now that she’s retired from her teaching job, she’s out and about all the time. One of her favorite pastimes is country dancing classes at the senior center. She’s getting exercise and even met some new friends.

I thought she was having a great time until she came to me one day looking worried. She was embarrassed because she had leaked urine during a dance with a nice gentleman, and she was afraid it would happen again. We researched solutions together and found male incontinence products could help. They’re discrete, easy for her to use, comfortable enough to try all her new dance steps, and she doesn’t have to worry about wetness or odor anymore. She can just go back to worrying about having a great time.