Jen's Blog

I'm a cat person

2009-05-04T09:42:00.001-07:00

First, I must admit that I own both types...and I love them both. With that being said, I relate more to my feline friend. The only reason for the canine is to please my boyfriend and daughter. They both love their pumpkin.

I enjoy the companionship from a cat because like myself it is on his terms. My kitty does not need constant interaction to be happy....but my dog does. I like the fact that he independent and able to entertain himself without tearing up my house.

There is also the barking...who needs all that noise. Yes you can train a dog to minimize the barking, but it still happens and it is still loud. The cat might occassionally let out a meow, but it never reaches the same pitch as the almighty bark. I understand I am making generalizations and that not is necessarily fair to all species of dogs.

Cats also do not require daily walks and a poop scooper. I don't mind the daily walks but cleaning the yard is a chore I refuse to accomplish.

Bottom line: Cats are typically more quiet and require less maintenance.

My journey

2009-04-27T02:43:00.001-07:00

Many things have brought me to this stage in my life. Some of it good, some of it bad, plenty of it challenging and inspiring. If asked 10 years ago, where I would be now, I would have said some single hot shot business person, changing the dynamics of the way business is conducted. That course was not realized. Several factors have contributed to my current placement in life.

The first factor was a desire to be different than my parents. I wanted to be financially stable and independent. I wanted to be successful, someone that made a difference in my small world. I wanted to contribute. This factor drove me to graduate from college. It has also pushed me to be constantly continuing my education. The desire to be something more, led me down the path to join the military.

The second factor, joining the military. Being a part of something greater than myself has allowed me to grow up quickly and progress through a career with lightening speed. Making the decision to be in the military derailed my dreams of being a hotshot power player is some company. I do not regret this change in course. It has actually been the best career move I could choose.

The third factor, the most important, is my daughter. The birth of my daughter made me learn that life is greater than me and my needs. It taught me the true meaning of sacrifice and love. Having a child was not in my original plans, but this has been the greatest, most influential event in my life.

Everyday events change your life in sometimes unnoticeable ways. How you respond to those events is what makes you great. You always have a choice and my choices have led me here and I am happy.

Like Cures Like

2009-04-17T12:37:00.000-07:00

In our travels through Serbia today, we visited an old Romanian city, Viminacium. This city is on the border of Serbia and Romania. Within Viminacium, archaeologists are recovering a military city dated 1,000 A.D. During this dig they have found many broken clay dishes and relics. As a way to pass time each archaeologist writes their favorite proverbs on these broken clay pieces. They place the proverbs in a big dish. When tourists visit the dig, the tourist blindly picks a proverb from the dish. Today I chose, "Similia Similbys C4rantur." This is a Serbian proverb, translated loosely it means Like Cures Like. This proverb has been the root of much meditation today.

A friend said that it means I find comfort in those that are like me. This caused conflict. Reflecting on my friends, I find diversity. Reflecting on family, I find much difference. So I wonder if this proverb is really true for me. I do not believe in coincidence, but maybe this time it is just luck of draw.

My thoughts keep wandering back to the proverb. Being in the military, I spend a good amount of time away from family and friends. Each time I am away, whether it is two weeks or several months, I miss my daughter. One might say that my heart aches while I am not with her. Many people say that my daughter is a small version of me, in spirit and body. With that being said, her presence heals my ache.

So after much meditation, I realize that Like Cures Like is an accurate statement. Children heal pain and sorrow. Children provide light when there is dark. Indeed, my daughter cures all that ails me.

Oh, for three more hours

2009-04-16T14:17:00.001-07:00

Initially when I thought of what to do with an additional three hours, my mind went racing. Where to start, what to do knock out. I would have to prioritize all my goals. There are three things I would like to improve on; I would divide the time among those items.

I would spend one hour reading literature. I enjoy reading suspense novels but as of late I have been reading leadership derived material. I want to start reading more about history and different cultures. I feel like I do not know enough about these things to speak intelligently. Understanding history and cultures is critical to making sound leadership decisions.

I would then spend the second hour completing some physical fitness. I love to run but it seems that the day is never quite long enough to get in the long runs without sacrificing so many other things. I would like to show my daughter the importance of healthy living. Not just exercising, but eating and lifestyle choices as well.

The third hour would be dedicated to my child. I feel that I put off devoting quality time to her in an effort to provide a clean home and a warm meal. This hour would be used to answer her needs for personal interaction and attention.

It is hard to balance all of the day's needs, something has to give. Sometimes it is a messy kitchen for an extra day or the laundry stacking higher, maybe a run is sacrificed. Three hours would help out, but let us not fool ourselves. We would just find more things to fill the day and more items to sacrifice.

My bucket list starts with: Vacation in Ireland, Germany, Australia

2009-04-14T06:33:00.001-07:00

My Legacy....

Vacation in Ireland, Germany, Australia
I want to visit all countries rich in history and heritage. These three places intrigue me the most. My list for travelling locations would never end. I want to see what other cultures have to share. I want to see the best of the world and what makes those locations the best. Being in the military I see some parts of the world, but I would like to see something with a little less desert.

Run in all 50 states
I love to run. It is a stress reliever, a method to release creative ideas. On a run I can solve some of my biggest problems on my long runs. I find alternative answers in the curves of the back roads. I find beauty in places I would not see otherwise. I have run marathons and half marathons. I would like to step it up a notch and run in all 50 states.

Be Command Chief
Command Chief is the highest enlisted position within the Air Force ranks. I would like to achieve the honor of being the Command Chief of my base. It is my daily goal is to be the best and provide the best to my unit. Being Command Chief will allow me provide the best to the members of my unit, enlisted and officer.

Here, have a million dollars

2009-04-09T19:17:00.001-07:00

If I had one million dollars to give away I would do three things. I would give my best friend $200,000, so that she could buy a decent house and pay off her debts. The reason I choose her out of all family and friends is because she has sacrificed so much for me over the years and continues to give without reservation. As a single mom who is also active duty military, she is my lifeline for support. She is a social worker by trade, she gives for a living. Helping her to settle these items would ease her mind.

I would then give $300,000 to the Bethany House. The Bethany House is a domestic violence shelter. They provide housing for survivors of domestic violence and their children. This money would help renovate their building and provide much needed funding to provide education services.

I would then give $500,000 to the local food pantry. This amount of money would allow them to provide meals to everyone and not force them to turn people away. Especially during these economic hard times this might be the most important donation listed.

When I grow up...

2009-04-06T18:22:00.001-07:00

If you would have asked me 12 years ago I would have said that I wanted to bypass barriers and join an elite community of fliers. I would say I am going to be an F-16 fighter pilot.

Asking me today provides a different answer. I want to be a student, a leader, and a mentor. Not just in the military. I want to provide leadership and mentorship to my daughter. I want to shelter her from unnecessary pain. I want to guide her through life's hard choices. I want to show her that women can be stong and still be tender. I want her to be better than me.

I also want to be a student of her life. Children see life with a filter that is filled with innoncence and endless possibility. She sees things in a way that is not always apparent to adults.

I want to lead and mentor those that are willing. I want others to learn from my decisions, from my successes, and from my failures. I want teach others that everything is a choice. Even when there seems to be no choice, there is a choice.

My business card would say changing one person at a time to be better than he/she was yesterday.

My 15 minutes

2009-04-05T16:53:00.001-07:00

Child Saluting American Flag

I would first need to know the level fame...Is it local community fame or being world reknown.

I would like my claim to be within my military family. I would like my claim to be making strides in leadership and impacting the direction of the of my unit. I want to provide realistic alternatives that improve processes and offer better services. I want to inspire fellow leaders to make difficult decisions, especially when it requires sacrifice greater than they are prepared or expected to make.

I want to transcend current methods and strategies and provide inputs that cultivate and inspire others to do better, to be better and want to help others to do and be better. I want to give guidance to the younger Airmen, that would help them to make the most of their respective careers and aide them in reaching their potential.

I Recycle

2009-04-05T10:26:00.001-07:00

I am concerned about the environment but I am not a obsessed with fixing everything that is wrong. I do want my child to have some place nice to grow up. I try to do my part by doing the little things.

I do not run water while brushing my teeth. I recycle everything that I can. I donate items so that the pieces may be reutilized. I collect ink cartridges at work so that I can recycle them through an online service. When I bought new appliances I looked for the most energy efficient products I could afford. I use reuseable batteries. I cut my grass late in the evenings.

More importantly I have taught my daughter the importance of recycling and that littering is irresponsible. I have taught her that is crucial that we take responsibility to take care of our part of the earth.

I do have my faults...I do drive a truck.

When is Innocence Lost?

2009-04-03T22:18:00.000-07:00

I spent time this evening watching young children run around a gym seeking to attain as many prizes as possible. Tickets cost 25 cents each and most games you could play for one ticket. The prizes were of simple nature. The most common included: miniature tops, temporary tattoos, kazoos and bouncy balls. In today's society I could not help but think that these "prizes" would not be adequate. I was sure that children everywhere would be complaining that the prizes were not good enough. To my surprise, the children could not have been happier. The only time there was any sadness was when he or she was out of tickets. So this poses the question: when do children lose that innocence. When does it become necessary that they have to have the latest barbie or the newest game for the Wii? When do the simple toys lose their mystery? Do parents accelerate that loss by wavering to desire? My daughter has the same level of content for cutting up the mail as she does playing with her $40 Build-a-Bear elephant decked out in a soccer uniform. Is losing the ability to enjoy the simple things important? I believe so. There needs to be a balance between simplicity and luxury. Appreciating the simple things is what helps us to find happiness when things are most difficult.

Expectations vs. Encouragement

2009-03-31T17:08:00.000-07:00

After attending my daughter's soccer practice I am found contemplating if you can encourage your child without them feeling a sense of expectation. I want my daughter to be active and participate in various activities. This is her second session in soccer and she enjoys the individual drills. Being in her second session, they now play scrimmages for the last 15 minutes of the class. My daughter refused to participate in the scrimmage portion today. I asked her to try and do her best. I told her that she can only get better if she practices and tries. In the midst of her tears, she told me that she does not know how to play. I tried to explain that she can't learn if she does not try. She went silent.

After a long silent ride home I am wondering, did I say something or behave in a manor that would have led her to believe that just doing her best was not good enough. I have been over paranoid about trying to be encouraging and showing positive reinforcement every time she tries. I try to not relate my praise to doing something perfect or even right, just trying.

This dilemma goes past soccer. I try to focus on effort not end result. I do not settle for a lack effort...I push her to try again and to put forth more effort. I wonder if my efforts to show my daughter work ethic and determination, I have done exactly what I have tried to avoid.