You’ve heard me share about how exhausting high-drama people can be. UUUGGGHHH. But recently, I’ve 
wondered more about whiny people – complainers. Why are these people so discontent? Why is nothing ever good enough? The next question in my mind is, it they had the opportunity to design their day’s activities, weather and interactions to their liking, would they really like it? Or would they not even know how to survive such a day?
Just a thought…
KK
You would hate to think that what I’m about to share is unusual; but in this day it is. The Saint James Art Show is a great place to people watch or at least notice a variety of people types. Unlike walking down the streets of the city or through the mall, I noticed a 
phenomenon that swept the show. No one was distracted from the art checking their phones…
Show attenders were enjoying a sunny eighty degree October day by taking in the sites of the art show. It was wonderful. No one almost ran into me while checking a text. There were no crazy ring tones binging and singing. There was a buzz of conversation and a periodic squeal of friends uniting among crowded isles.
Art viewers were completely in the moment and engaged; how refreshing. People’s faces were alive and curiously looking at the art mediums.
Sometimes it’s wonderful to just unplug – disconnect. As long as a cell phone, ipad or computer is on or at hand, we are ON – distracted.
Find the opportunity to unplug for a while. At first you may feel like you are walking around naked, but I promise before long the peace that transcends understanding will encompass your soul.
Do you dare unplug? Go ahead put the technology down and walk away and experience something new.
KK
A couple of weeks ago I went to a well-known craft store (the mecca of crafters in the Louisville area). I am not a crafter, but I recognize the value of this store. We needed a piece of black photo matting and spray adhesive for a project my son was working on.
As I walked in a whoosh of the aroma of glue sticks, paint and artificial flowers overcame me. Having shopped in this store I knew the direct path to the photo/framing area. A sales lady greeted me and wanted to help me quickly (20 minutes to closing). There was little chit-chat. She understood what I was looking for, but kept trying to sell me far more of the mat board than I wanted. This would have saved her from having to custom cut a piece. Nonetheless, she finally relented and understood that for my purposes, a custom piece was the best buy. She went to make the cuts.
Prior to her exit, I asked where I could find spray adhesive. Remember I’m a stranger in this land of craft supplies. Her answer taught me just how much I didn’t know about where I was. She said, “Follow this aisle at the back of the store past the craft items; it will be down the aisle on the left.” While I listened to all of the directions, when I turned to follow the back aisle, it occurred to me that in my inexperienced mind, ALL of the aisles were craft items. I didn’t realize there were sub-categories of craft items. I had to wonder, are there other things I needed to know, like the language and crafting etiquette? Watch your manners…
Having only five minutes left in store hours according to the overhead speaker, I began the journey looking down EVERY aisle. Before I got too far off the one aisle I knew would lead me back to my custom cut board, a friendly clerk asked to help and led me directly to adhesive spray and even made a suggestion.
True confession: going to a craft supply store makes me want to buy, take up a craft and create something.
Store was closing – whew – bought only what I needed and left. No new hobbies. To my friends who are crafters, you have my admiration and appreciation for your talents.
What are your hobbies?
All the best,
KK
Ok, what would you do? I was sitting in a fast food drive-thru, had paid for my food and was waiting. Just as they passed in front of me the “mother” grabbed the little girl by the back of her head and yanked her hair clearly mad at her for something. The little girl screamed and began to cry. I almost came out of my car to grab the mother’s hair to see how she liked it. The scene hurt me to the core. The mother let go and went into the restaurant with the “grandmother” and the son. I still wanted to go after the mother, but decided all that would do would cause a fight with the woman not resolving her heart issue.
I said a prayer of protection over the children and for God to deal with the mother. I watched as the father comforted the child and she settled down. As they walked in I noticed on the girl’s t-shirt the saying, “God is on our side.” May she always know that saying as true.
What would you have done?
KK
Don’t mistake God’s patience for permission.
I don’t know who said this, but it made me think. Where does it take you?
All the best,
KK
Someone has asked the question, and today I’m pondering it.
Why do most people over estimate what they can accomplish in one year and under-estimate what they can accomplish in 10 years?
What do you think?
KK
Over 85% of the jobs in the United States are service oriented. These services may focus external of the business such as a customer service representative or any employee who interacts with customer making a purchase. Other service position focus internally such as an administrative department or IT department of a company.
Let’s take a look at those roles in which the services provided directly impact the image of a company, the future of its employees and sales. As consumers we carry an expectation when making a purchase. Our expectation falls in line with the quality or expense of the item we are going to purchase. Therefore, our expectations when at a fast food restaurant are different from that of a four-star restaurant. Can we agree on this?
I have to give kudos to an employee at the MacDonald’s in Jeffersontown, Kentucky. I went in to purchase a plain cheese burger for my mother-in-law. The restaurant was fairly busy. After standing in line for a short time, I placed my order, paid, waited and when handed a bag, I walked out. Before I stepped off the sidewalk, a female employee came after me and said, “Mam, I’m sorry, we gave you the wrong burger. That isn’t a plain cheese burger.” A little surprised with her effort in the midst of a lunch rush, I followed her in to trade what was in my bag, for the correct special order burger. She handed me the new bag, smiled and apologized again.
I must admit, I walked out thinking two things: “Way to go McDonald’s for hiring such a good employee and that girl will go places.” She took her entry level, order-taking position at McDonald’s seriously. With so many jobs available in service positions, to be successful for both the e
mployer and the employee, it is the front line employees (representatives of the business) who make the difference.
On the contrary to my experience at the fast food giant McDonald’s, I was recently doing weekly shopping at the Stoneybrook Kroger. I went in the morning in the middle of the week; not a really busy time for the grocery. I went through the store with my list and coupons filling our family’s food needs. With the list fulfilled I proceeded to the checkout. After completely unloading the cart, I remembered an item I didn’t pick up. So I asked the cashier where the humus could be found. She looked at me blankly and said, “I have no idea. I’m up here all day. I don’t know where anything is in the store.” She went back to ringing up the groceries making no effort to ask someone else where the item could be found.
Holding back my laugh and lecture of this twenty-something, I shook my head, and finished my transaction. Looking at her badge, I was hoping to find a trainee sticker or some reason she wouldn’t have a clue where to find items in the store. There was no indication of being a recent addition to the Kroger team. I will find humus elsewhere, but the sad thing is that the cashier will go nowhere. She is a “front line” representative of the Kroger Company and has no idea where to find things in the store.
I will gladly extend grace to customer a representative who are obviously having a bad day but still shows up and tries. And to those in entry-level positions who take the opportunity seriously as a proving ground for their future, “good for you”!
To those who are in a position of hiring or of mentoring the new employees or young adults in a business, PLEASE, help these young people learn early in their careers, how doing even the most entry-level position with care and excellence will make all the difference in where they find themselves down the road.
All the best,
KK
At some point in everyone’s life something bad happens. The country music industry is proof of that. How many songs are all about heart-ache and double crossing meanness? Maybe you were shorted an opportunity as a child, as a young adult someone lies or breaks your heart, or as a professional someone discredits you to the point of losing your job. Take a look at these three scenarios — what’s the commonality? What could you control? Finding yourself as a victim offers the opportunity for choices.
You have the choice to stay down in the situation and wallow, or you can take charge of your responsibility in the situation, how did it get as bad as it did? What could you have done differently? Answers to these questions allow the freedom to grow as a person, move forward and not remain stuck.
Even if it takes years to grow up and out of the situation, at some point in order to be free of the chains of victimization, you have to own the situation, learn from it and grow into a wiser person.
Hanging on to unfair situations in the past only burdens the future. This process of overcoming injustices can be 
amazing and freeing. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is work on bettering yourself and breaking free when others around you don’t live by the same life-long values.
Consider yourself challenged to do some soul-searching and decide today what stronghold or area of your life needs addressing. Can you see yourself as successfully walking away from being a victim and being free from whatever restricts you from being the best you were created to be? Is it an area that at the end of your days you will be thankful you addressed?
All the best,
KK
One of the first things we learn is to say, “please” when requesting something and “thank you” when receiving. 
These two phrases work wonders in making progress on a task, duty or need. While these manners are taught young in life somewhere along the way they seem to wane and by adulthood for some they are entirely absent. Saying please and thank you shows respect for the other person and puts a value on what they are offering or can do.
Common courtesies and respectfulness to other humans seems to be losing out to everyone’s efforts to just ‘get a task done’ and selfish thinking. Instead of going through the day working our jobs and along the way building relationships, people are isolating themselves with a laptop and a cell phone and are all about just getting the job done. Its a very self-centered existence. This may please employers in a cut-throat environment, but it’s no way to build a life. Maybe the workplace has become so competitive there is little mutual respect because tomorrow the next guy may have your job. Seriously though, is that anyway to live AND build a career?
Back to the original thought, have you ever walked up to a counter to place an order only to be greeted by a server who is obviously harried and busy with customers. As the customer, you are thinking, that server’s job is to serve. But what about your responsibility in the exchange. Your role is to place your order. Given your observation of the server, what can you do to help the order-taking and the order-receiving process be 
positive for both? Just be kind and considerate — please and thank you. Try it sometime and see what happens.
As long as we are talking about basic manners, let’s venture into the world of technology. It is a wonderful thing and does provide opportunities to communicate and connect with others, but it is absolutely no substitute for person to person interaction — a phone call, visit or even hand-written note. Texting and email have their place, except when sensitive information is being shared. That is just rude. And if there is a problem being worked out, pick up the phone and call the person, don’t just pass emails back and forth. There is a great deal to be lost in the tone (real or perceived) in an email. If settling the problem and making things right with another person means that much, then it’s worth the time and effort to pick up the phone.
Thank you for reading my thoughts on the matter. Please take a minute to comment or even click follow on the right side.
All the best,
KK
For the last eight years February was the beginning, March was the get ready and April was GO! The ritual hasn’t changed come rain, sleet, snow and sunshine, THIS is the start of the big season. Over the years the prep time has grown to the point of not really feeling like the season ever ends. Are we finishing that one or getting ready for this one? And over the years, while still full of hustle and bustle, the season has become more enjoyable; so much so that even I am looking forward to getting things going.
We’ve made our annual pilgrimage that feels (and costs) a lot like buying school supplies, to the sporting goods store. We’ve checked the list and made sure the supplies are ready…
Pants, check. Socks and belt, check. Cup, check. Water bottle, check. Stadium seats, check. Sunflower seeds, check. Camera, check. Clothing for any and all kinds of weather, check. Hand warmers, check.
The season of which I’m referring and currently planning for is none other than youth baseball season! You were thinking that, right?
This will be the first year for metal cleats. That’s my boy behind the plate, don’t you slide into home and into his pretty face with those spikes! Thinking it, not saying it…I learned several years ago the best position for me to play during the game; number one fan! I’m at just about every game in the stands and cheering our team on. Win or lose, good game or bad, I’m proud of my player and his team for preparing and showing up to play their best on the field.
Little league and now collegiate baseball is amazing. We watch our kids grow from picking flowers in the outfield when they are five years old to being young men who play their position with skill and precision. They stand tall and are proud of the team they represent. Win or lose they show the character of the men they are becoming when they encourage the opposing team.
The coaches, us parents don’t always understand their game strategy, but we trust them with our boys not only because of 
their knowledge of the game, but because they will help us show our sons what it is to be a man with values and integrity. Our boys need good coaches and we have been so blessed to have many. Some of the parents get a little weird and a little over the top when the umpire is having a bad day. But within minutes after the final run is scored, it’s the boys who are bugging around talking highlights, tossing a ball around having already forgotten the bad calls.
I do love all the things that make youth baseball great: the game strategies, being outside on a sunny day watching our boys play with absolutely nothing electronic but the scoreboard, the crack of the bat or the whap when the ball hits the catcher’s mitt and the excitement when the perfect play is made.
With the final flakes of snow melting away, our team will take the field this weekend having shaken the dust off their bats, grown in maturity, taller in stature, and better in skill. I can’t wait to see what happens! Win or lose, it will be a good season.
All the best,
KK
KK's Candor 