Integrity after the Nashville flood

by Jillian @ http://blueshelled.com . March 20, 2011 . 12:02PM

When Nashville was flooded at the end of April last year, it shook the community. Strangely enough, Nashville didn’t get much national media coverage, nor did we receive very much financial assistance from outside sources. Celebrities outside of Nashville didn’t rush to hold telethons to help us nor did the President rush in to assist us. Rather, the people in Nashville pulled together to work as a whole and fix what was broken. The celebrities that lived here put on concerts to assist in relief efforts, or donated cash to help out, and the Nashville flood went quietly into the record books.

Except it didn’t. We just aren’t whining about it. It’s still affecting people here, almost a year later. Insurance companies rushed to deny people coverage and avoid responsibility. People lost homes, businesses and their lives. Some haven’t recovered, may never recover, from the trauma of a rain that came on with less than a couple of hours notice.

In the face of adversity, there are signs of character, however, and sometimes it is important to note that character when it is seen, because it can be so rare. In my small town of Franklin, TN, there was an area of town where the businesses and homes faced extreme devastation. While all of those people and places deserve mention, there is something in particular I feel is important. Our Sonic burger joint was destroyed. It was shut down for almost 8 months because there was just no way they could make the old building work after what happened to it.

You may believe there is nothing important as to a business being shut down and rebuilt after a flood. Here is what makes it special. The other evening, I was sitting and watching my son play Little League Baseball. The people that make his baseball, and the baseball for this entire community, happen, have had extreme difficulty finding sponsors. It seems that with the flood and the economy, people just aren’t willing to reach into their pockets so little kids can play baseball. Businesses have to run and make a profit and all of those things, so when it comes down to it, sponsoring a little kids baseball team might not mean much to a local business facing the adversity of the economy. When gas is $3.49 a gallon (at last check), decisions have to be made. I get it.

However, those children feel the burn of the economy, too, as do their parents, and trust me when I say that the parents are very aware of who the sponsors of these teams are and what they are doing for the kids. So, as I sat there watching my precious cargo smile and throw a ball and learn how to play on a team and laugh, I looked at those sponsor signs and smiled. I chose to eat at Jet’s Pizza that night because they sponsored the Franklin Baseball Club. As I looked around, however, I noticed there were a plethora of signs from…Sonic?

Truly? I knew the local Sonic had been a huge sponsor in seasons past, but they lost everything last year. How could they afford to stay in the game this year? Not only did they sponsor the teams, but they also placed brand new signs (much needed!) designating the visitor and home sides on each and every bullpen. My eyes blurred with tears and I thought about the sacrifices people make to help others when things are not easy for them and it made me realize that for all the people that have not moved forward, some have done so spectacularly.

My local Sonic has done amazing things. They have rebuilt with a gorgeous building and landscaping, the food is actually better than it was, the service more prompt and I enjoy going there a lot more now. I will be giving them my business as much as is possible because I know that they support my son, my community, and myself. It’s important to support the places that are willing to stick their necks and their pennies out there to make the community a better place for all of us. They are investing in our kids.

Thanks, Sonic. I want you to know, today, that I appreciate what you are doing to make it possible for my kid to play this season. They didn’t have enough sponsors and when that happens, kids don’t get to play, like my son didn’t last fall. Thank you.

Drinking and Driving

by Jillian @ http://blueshelled.com . November 16, 2009 . 10:40AM

This is the post you don’t want to read if you are guilty. This is the post you don’t want to read if you don’t want to hear it. This is the post you don’t want to read if you think it’s just a soapbox.

This is the post that you should be reading regardless of all of those things because even if you don’t think it’s YOUR problem, it’s OUR problem and I’m seriously worn out by it. The only way to fix it is to pull together and collectively decide we’re done and that we are going to publicly shame and shun for this offense and quit letting people slide. The only way to help that is to create stronger messages. And, chances are, you know someone who has a problem with this and, chances are, you are shaking your head and getting ready to close the window on this post. Let me explain myself.

Before my 18th birthday, I’d lost several friends to drinking and driving. I’m not talking about people I’d heard of through the grapevine. I’m talking about living, breathing people. One was in the band with me. One could hug like you wouldn’t believe. One shyly told me in the 6th grade that he wouldn’t mind dating me at all (ah, 6th grad boys). One was the quiet guy in the corner that never said a word. Those are just a few. By my 21st birthday, the numbers went higher and higher.

Less than a month ago, I received word that a boy from my hometown was killed. He was adamantly against drinking and driving and involved in some of the same groups that opposed it that I was involved with in high school. This 19 year old was also the nephew of my junior high best friend, so I’d spent a lot of time with him in his younger years. He’d had many health issues and struggled so much just to have a normal life. What I remember most about him, at that age, were these gorgeous, huge eyes that stared at me, and a beautiful smile that wouldn’t quit.

By all accounts, this boy turned into a young man, was succeeding in life. The man who hit him survived. The family is devastated. Shouldn’t they be? Wouldn’t you be?

If it were AJ…I don’t know that I could be rational.

So, when does it stop being acceptable? When do we stop allowing our friends to drive when they insist they are ok to drive? When do we push the cabs on them or make sure there is a DD before we serve them? I’ve never had a problem being DD being that I’m not a big drinker. Surely, I’m not the only one out there? Many restaurants offer to pay for cabs. Many bars do as well. How many of you would turn down someone if they called asking for a ride? So why isn’t this happening?

Why is it, when we find out someone has committed this offense, that we write it off as just another mistake? Is it not, and I’m going to say something extreme here, so please brace yourself, techincally attempted assault, at the very least? Attempted harm to another person? Suicide is illegal. At the very least, attempted harm to oneself? Attempted murder? What makes this any different from someone who actively goes after another person? Or someone who is going after multiple people wielding a weapon weighing over a ton? I’m aware they are charged with DUI, but it doesn’t feel like enough. Especially when many people are allowed to slide after multiple DUI’s for reasons such as knowing the judge in a small town.

Yes, I KNOW they think they are fine to drive and who are you to tell them they aren’t? They are impaired. It’s what alcohol does and why people like it so much. If it didn’t make people feel uninhibited, they wouldn’t drink it. Some people are fine to drive. Some people aren’t.

When do we stop giving them a free pass?

Little League Baseball Begins again!

by Jillian @ http://blueshelled.com . August 19, 2009 . 1:59PM

It’s time for fall baseball! My loyal readers, bless your hearts, know that I’ve been in something of a withdrawal since spring baseball was finished in mid-June. There have been no funny stories about parents going at each other, no heroic stories about kids doing brave deeds in the name of the game and no friendship stories that center around the team spirit that comes from the love that can only happen in a dugout (during gametime, not after game fumbling between two teenagers).

A.J. has a new team and he doesn’t know a single player. He’s not the only tall boy because he’s moved up to the 9/10 age range and these kids mean business. The fall season is predominantly about learning. No score is kept and coaches focus on teaching the mechanics of each position and being a good sportsman. At least, in theory, that is the goal.

In order to keep A.J. in something of prime shape, we’d tried to pair him with a coach during his down time to help him focus on some problem areas that we thought fixing might help make him feel more comfortable with his game-play. He adored his downtime coach, even though his time with the coach was cut short due to what A.J. refers to as “the Kentucky Incident.”

I don’t know that I’ve blogged this, but after a short time of telling everyone, including the clients at my job site and the people I work with, about the Kentucky Incident, he has now decided that he is refusing to ever discuss this tragedy ever again.

So, A.J. had met a coach he liked and this week we found out that A.J. is on this coach’s team for the fall season. A.J. is happier than a pig in slop. He had his first practice with his new team today and I had some observations.

One, kids will remember the last thing you said. And that’s it. Coach said, “I need half of you to line up behind shortstop and half of you to line up behind second base.” All 11 children lined up behind second base.

Two, there are some children who aren’t cut out for the sport. I viewed this instance in what seemed like slow-motion. One child looked at a pop-up with a quizzical expression, stuck his tongue out thoughtfully, clasped his hand and glove together, shook his head and let the ball fall next to him. And then nodded to himself as if to say, “Yep. And there it went.” I nodded with him.

Three, even if they are lining up for something unpleasant, if you tell kids to line up, they will run like their pants are on fire to be first in line. In this particular case, they were lining up to simply run the bases. I would rather eat my arm off my body.

Four, and this is going to sound cheesy, but children are like flowers. If you give them strict boundaries, discipline and compliments every time they do things exactly right, it’s like water, air and sunshine to flowers. They will flourish, work hard and try even harder to do their absolute best.

They GROW. I’ve never seen my son run so hard.

With the exception of the time he ran from the upstairs to the street for the ice cream truck.

Guns for Circus Tickets: The Nashville Incentive

by Jillian @ http://blueshelled.com . August 13, 2009 . 12:41PM

Back in July, a Nashville church offered an interesting incentive to people in the area to decrease violence: bring in your guns and for every gun you turn in, we’ll give you 5 free tickets to see a circus that is coming to town.

When I initially heard about this program, the skeptic inside of me smirked and thought “what kind of ghetto wannabe is gonna give up their piece to go see some lions, and tigers and elephants?”

I got mine.

Apparently, A LOT. The program was a HUGE success. And when I say huge success, I mean 84 guns were collected, and 420 tickets were distributed.

The Care for the Kids gun drive took 84 guns out of commission in Nashville. As a citizen, I’m thankful. As a mother, I’m elated. There are plans to do this in other communities and to possibly do it again in Nashville.

My initial skepticism didn’t account for the number of family members who would bring in guns to get them out of their homes. Many of the folks that brought them in were people that were housing people who carried these guns. I don’t know what crimes were prevented by this action. But I know that there are 84+ potential news stories that I don’t have to worry about seeing on the News.

I can’t wait for the circus to come to town again. I wonder what other incentives we could use to decrease violence in our communities. The creativity and ingenuity of others astounds me. Never underestimate the power of simple pleasures.

Robber beat up by 86 year old woman

by Jillian @ http://blueshelled.com . July 14, 2009 . 12:31PM

In life, we have the opportunity to define ourselves in many ways. For some of us, we define ourselves by our eduction or our careers. For some, it’s our family. For others, it’s our leisure or time spent traveling.

For one man, he will forever be defined by getting his butt kicked by an elderly woman. He thought he was so smart. He came in and tried to rob her, but what he didn’t count on was her moxie. Gwyneth Davies defeated the 26-year old village idiot by hitting him four times with CRUTCH. Yes, ladies and gentleman, she was handicapped. She has trouble walking properly and she beat up a perfectly fine 26-year old MAN.

What is truly sad about this story is that the man had known this woman for a while. He worked in the village and had observed her. She recognized him when she saw him in her home. What happened to a sense of community ties? The willingness to help one another and be there for another. In my opinion, this kid (and I say kid because there is no way he acted like a man) got everything he had coming to him. And he’ll get more for his attempted robbery.

Ms. Davies noted that she’d been brought up with 6 brothers and isn’t really scared of anything.

I guess not.