In a couple of days, there will be an event called:

I Will Wear Something Pink on February 25th & Take a Stand Against Bullying .

     I noticed this on Facebook, and hope that even more people will get involved this year.  Anyone who has either witnessed bullying, or been a victim of it, can tell you how damaging and far-reaching the effects can be.  Although physical attacks are horrible, it’s the psychological damage that can be done to a victim that can be even more scary.  The effects of a bully’s cruel words can last well into adulthood. 

     I have seen many talkshows where victims of bullies want to face them, and tell them how they ruined their lives, and the sad thing is: many of the bullies either don’t remember the person, don’t remember doing it, or say ” it was a joke “.  Well, it’s not a joke.

     Bullies tend to pick on people they view as “weak” – kind, gentle, sweet people, who can’t/won’t fight back.  Obviously, the bully has self-esteem issues him/herself, or they wouldn’t need to appear ” tough ” or “cool “, or whatever their warped mind perceives their actions to make them.  As an adult, it’s easy to see that bullies have unhappy lives themselves, or they wouldn’t feel the need to try and make someone else feel lower than them.  As a child, however, the victim of a bully only feels worthless.  Public humiliation only re-enforces these feelings.

     Unfortunately, bullying does not stop in the schoolyard.  There seems to be one in every workplace, as well.  It may not be as obvious ( they may not physically or verbally threaten others ) but they may just be loud and obnoxious, boss others around ( delusions of grandeur, perhaps ? ) and act like they own the place.  What I don’t get, is why does society tolerate any of this ?  What ever happened to being nice to one another ?  I guess that takes more effort, and many people aren’t capable of caring about anyone beyond themselves. ( victims of bad parenting, I daresay . )

     Anyway, I hope that everyone who cares about others will wear pink on Feb. 25th,  support all the victims of bullying, and send a clear message that bullying is not acceptable, and definitely not cool.

     When I was a little girl, going to school, we were taught that when the Teacher was speaking, you were quiet.  ( heck, we were taught that when anyone else was speaking, you were quiet, listened carefully, and waited your turn to speak. )  As a child, if you talked or made noise while the Teacher was talking, you got in trouble.   This was because a) it was considered extremely rude to interrupt, and b) it interfered with the other childrens’ ability to hear what the Teacher was saying, therefore affecting their ability to learn.

     It seems a simple concept to me – someone is teaching you something, you listen carefully, take notes where you feel necessary, and everyone in the room is able to clearly focus on what they are learning – no distractions ( except, perhaps the girl/boy you had a crush on  ) and definitely no interruptions. 

     That has always worked for me, even as an adult.  When I worked as a Cashier at a Grocery Store, they sent us for a week’s training, where they set up “fake checkstands” where you could get hands-on practice of various scenarios.  You were given plenty of time, in a relaxed atmosphere, to go over things many times, until you were comfortable, and confident that you had grasped the concepts.

     I am the kind of person that learns best like that – with encouragement, starting slowly, not being “pushed”, “rushed”, or overwhelmed with too much information at once.  I would rather perfect one skill at a time, than be forced to move on to something new, before I feel sure of myself with the last thing.  In other words, I would much prefer to be really good at a few things, rather than “okay” at many.

     Unfortunately, times have changed, and now many companies seem to use Online Training.  ( I am guessing this saves both time and money, in their opinion ) At my last job, I used to feel so badly for the kids, sitting in the back room on the computer, trying to concentrate on things, while constantly being interrupted by people talking and laughing loudly in the next room. ( not to mention the phone ringing, the intercom going off etc. )  How is anyone supposed to retain any information this way?  It’s hard enough staring at a computer screen all day, reading words that you should be experiencing for yourself, instead, but then to have to keep re-reading, because you have been interrupted so many times ?  That’s just plain not fair.

     I know everyone learns differently, but most people I know need a proper learning environment, which means “peace and quiet”, and nothing to distract them.  Wouldn’t a good Company prefer their new employees to actually retain most of the info they are reading?  Wouldn’t that mean they would perform their duties better, therefore making their Customers happier, and more satisfied?

     It makes me sad that everything boils down to money these days, with many Companies.  Yes, I get “they have a business to run” … but at what cost?  It should be more important that their Staff receives a proper amount of time, in a relaxed, quiet environment, so that they will feel confident moving forward to the next thing.  I know that if I feel “pushed”, I will run the other way.  Have some faith, give me some time, and you may just be pleasantly surprised, long-term.  ( again – it’s funny how much staff turnover there is when training is so quick and forced )  If companies want good, well-trained employees, perhaps they should take a look back at how things were done when we were little kids.

     Unfortunately, I think that may just be wishful thinking on my part …

     Wow, I am absolutely amazed at the amount of feedback that I have received since putting my new song up on my website.  I’m getting lots of messages on my Facebook Wall, comments right on my site, e-mails, phonecalls … and so far, it has all been positive.  Thankyou to every single one of you for not only taking the time to listen, but for going that extra step further, and letting me know your thoughts.  It really is appreciated, and means so much to me.  It’s nice to know that you like it !  I sure loved singing it !

I’m very excited to finally be able to share with you the latest song that I’ve been working on, ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’, my take on the 80’s classic rock ballad by Foreigner. You can listen right now below!:

I’ve been wanting to release a ballad for some time that I could really express my emotions on, one whose lyrics I really connected with.

This was a challenging song to tackle though,  but I practiced it relentlessly and when I recorded it last year, my producer Jarome  said right away that he felt it was going to be my best recording, and that I really poured out my heart on this song.  A few others that I’ve played this song for agreed, claiming they thought it was my best work yet.  I look forward to hearing if you agree!

We decided to keep the production basic, creating a more simple, minimalistic dreamy version…

The song is not available for purchase or download right now,  but will be in the near future.
Let me know what you think!

     I just wanted to pop on here quickly and let everyone know that we will be putting up my 80’s Ballad on my website this week, so that all of you can listen to it.  I am very happy with how the song turned out, and it really is a song with a lot of meaning to me.  I can’t wait to share it with all of you, and hear your thoughts …