The Power of an E-mail
So, after going to Monkey Joe’s and learning of their awesome military discount, I figured I would call the one down here and ask them if they did the same. I assumed they would because Orlando is the number one tourist destination in the world. Sea World, upon request, mails out free passes once a year to Military families.
So, when I called and got some uber-rude chick on the line that said they offer a 10% discount – I was like, “huh?!”
Don’t get me wrong, 10% on a party reservation that costs $220 is awesome, but on a regular admission fee, it would save me $.80.
So, I got down about the crappy discount, and pissed at the rude girl.
So, me being the ever-so-shy me (joke, people, laugh!) I wrote an e-mail to the management.
The e-mail was as follows:
To whom it may concern:
I am very disconcerted at the lack of consistency in your prices as a company. My husband is a Marine, and we just recently were in North Carolina. We visited a wonderful Monkey Joe’s in Wilmington, and when we went there and showed our Military IDs, we were only charged $5 per person, regardless of age or day of week. Now, when I call your branch, I am told you offer a 10% discount. On an admittance fee of $8, I will save $.80.
A military family needs outlets such as Monkey Joe’s, when a mother of two or three children has gone months without a husband due to deployment, and needs to let the kids run around a bit. But to know that you think so little of military families, that all you offer is 10% off, is ridiculous. I could understand 10% off parties and whatnot – that’s wonderful. But off the main door fee? If you want to attract military families, and appear as though you support our military, you might want to reconsider how you treat and welcome us.
Thank you for your time.
Natalie Scott
Proud Wife of a U.S.
Marine
A little harsh, I admit…
Lo and behold, with in ONE HOUR, I receive a reply, not from the management whom I e-mailed, but the OWNER of the 5 Central Florida locations. I was speechless.
This is why:
Dear Natalie,
I am sorry about that. I never thought about the military families coming to Mj’s. We don’t have a lot of military in Orlando. I had a military appreciation night last May and only one family showed up, but I plan to now make it an annual event. I am also going to send you a frequent user card which is good for 10 entries. I am also going to institute a military discount as you described. I love the military, I am an Navy man. I’m sure your husband will be pleased by that fact 
LOL. I also love this country and I will be honored to help out in ANY way I can. Please send me your address and I will have my manager send you that card. It is good at any of my central FL locations. Thank you for your email Natalie. I am sorry that I did not think about this sooner.
Michael Carter
Owner, Monkey Joe’s CFL
Wow.
So, I wrote this back:
Dear Mr.
Carter,
Thank you. I have to admit, I am pleasantly surprised (astounded!) at your attitude. Thank you so much. It’s not often we run into such welcoming arms in a town without a base. There aren’t many military families here, but now that I know how friendly you are to us, I will spread the word to every military family that I know, and I am sure you will get more business from military families. I participate in a website aimed towards Marine spouses, and I will make sure to put a link to the CFL Monkey Joe’s, for anyone that may come to visit or move down here. I know of a few recruiters in particular, in this area, that have kids and would be very pleased to learn of this. Thank you so much for your cooperation in making your business more military friendly. I hope I was not too harsh in my e-mail, but I guess I had expected more, with the things that Sea World and Disney offer.
Sea World actually sends Military families free passes upon request! Also, thank you very much for your own service to our country as part of the USN!
Even had my e-mail not personally helped myself out, I enjoy the thought that I might have paved a way to make things easier for other Military families.
Thank you again! Have a good day, God bless!
Sincerely,
Natalie Scott
Proud Marine Wife
I just wanted to put this up too, for three reason:
1) To show the friendliness, showing there is yet hope for this wretched world of ours
and
2) To inspire any of you, if you ever run into a similar situation, to not be afraid to say something – you never know what may come of it
and
3) To share the benefits! Visit Orlando’s Monkey Joe’s!
in case you aren’t aware of the wonderful company:
We are all about kids having fun, jumping, sliding and playing in the best indoor playground you have ever seen. Kids come first and parents are a close second.
Monkey Joe’s is also about keeping kids healthy. We make exercising fun. We guarantee to burn off that excess energy before they leave Monkey Joe’s. Rain or shine, there is not a better place to bring your kids than Monkey Joe’s. It is the perfect place to come inside and still feel like your kids are getting all the fun of being outside.
Monkey Joe’s teaches kids to play with other kids. They run, jump, slide, climb and most important laugh until they drop. Kids and parents are guaranteed to have a good time at Monkey Joe’s.
Now, I know for a fact that the one in Wilmington, NC offers a Military discount. Show your ID and you only pay $5 per person as opposed to the $8.
But, Central Florida Monkey Joe’s also does this now as well.
So, it’s a great, fun place to go to let the kids run around, while you get to sit down in AC and use their free Wifi! Def, check it out if there’s one near you!
Worst Fear
I live by music. My life has a soundtrack.
There’s always been a song, in every period of my life that just “fit”. I call them my theme songs. They change as I grow and learn, and together, they make the soundtrack of my life. My song at the moment is Fingerprints by Katy Perry.
Why all this about a song if the title of the blog post is about fear? Because this song makes me think about my greatest fear;
Not being remembered once I’m gone.
I’ve come to a conclusion. When you look at the timeline of my life, I don’t want it to simply be one long straight line with a few markers on it. I want mine to look like it was written by someone who had too much caffeine and was writing with a battery operated pen that was incapable of writing in a straight line. Squiggles and peaks and dips… So much stuff going on you can’t see straight.
I want to be remembered long after I’m gone. I want people to know who I was. I want people to WANT to know who I was. But more importantly, I want to be someone and do something that quantifies this need of remembrance. So, as the song says…
Voted most likely
To end up on the back ok a milk box drink
Looks like I’m letting ‘em down
‘Cause seventy seventy-five
Isn’t worth and hour of my hard work and time
When you can’t afford half the shit they advertise
Oh I’m worth more than a X
More than a toe-tagged generation full of regrets
Ohh I won’t settle no oh
Oh I can’t settle
I wanna break the mold
Wanna break the stereotype
Fist in the air
I’m not going down with out a fight
(Chorus)
It’s my life
And I’m not sitting on the sidelines watching it
Pass me by
I’m leaving you my legacy
I gotta make my mark
I gotta run it hard
I want you to remember me
I’m leaving my fingerprints
I’m leaving my fingerprints
I’m leaving my fingerprints on you
Representing you and me
Don’t you wanna go down in history
Rather than end up
Begging on the streets
Trading under table favors
For a place to sleep
‘Cause I’m worth more than this
So stop writing prescriptions for more Ritalin
I can focus my attention
I wanna break the mold
Wanna break the stereotype
Fist in the air
I’m not going down with out a fight
(Chorus)
It’s my life
And I’m not sitting on the sidelines watching it
Pass me by
I’m leaving you my legacy
I gotta make my mark
I gotta run it hard
I want you to remember me
I’m leaving my fingerprints
I’m leaving my fingerprints
Don’t give up
Don’t give in
Build your house on the rock
Oh not in the sand, in the sand, in the sand, in the sand
(Chorus)
It’s my life
And I’m not sitting on the sidelines watching it
Pass me by
I’m leaving you my legacy
I gotta make my mark
I gotta run it hard
I want you to remember me
It’s my life
And I’m not sitting on the sidelines watching it
Pass me by
I’m leaving you my legacy
I gotta make my mark
I gotta run it hard
I want you to remember me
‘Cause I’m leaving my fingerprints
I’m leaving my fingerprints
I’m leaving my fingerprints in the END
Can People Change?
I have had a facebook page for a while, but rarely used it. Recently, a few high school friends sent me a friend request. I was excited. It’s interesting to see how they’ve grown, changed, and what they’ve done with their lives – whether it was what I expected or not. So, I started looking for other old friends, from childhood, from elementary school, from high school.
That got me thinking. As I was adding a few of these people, I wondered if they would accept my request and if they did, what they would think. I was a VERY different person back then, for better or worse, but different indeed. I’ve seen people on there that I could not stand at that point in my life, and my gut reaction is to pass them by; how silly is that? To still harbor ill will toward somebody I did not like because of something as menial as being more popular than I? *chuckles*
It’s funny how thoughts stay with us through the years. How our misconceptions, perceptions and opinions carry so much weight even after all these years. That being said, what would these people be holding onto in their minds about me? Would the simplistic information on the profile be enough to sway their minds to realize that time has changed me!?
Do we, as a society, truly believe that people are capable of change?
Or is the old saying true: We never really leave high school. ?!
Will the nerds all be computer prgrammers, the jock be an athlete with a promising business career, the prom queen a fashion magazine exec?
How much more “Breakfast Club” shall we go here?
How much more “Breakfast Club” CAN we go here?
Just the rambling persuasions of my mind at the moment…
Deprived for your freedom, and STILL loving life…
77 days and counting…
77 days until my husband returns home from his training with the Marine Corps.
My husband left December 17, 2007. We have visited twice, for 3 days each.
He is willing to sacrifice his life, his family, his health for this country, for you, for everyone that calls themself an American citizen. I’m so proud of him!
I make fun of him, saying he gets to work out and hang out with his buddies while I am at home, changing diapers, homeschooling our kids, and, at times, feeling like I am a single mom.
It’s hard, I don’t deny that. But it’s wonderful.
When he is home, it’s great. We enjoy each other’s company, and make each other our first priority. We do that all the time, but moreso when we are together. We love doing things as a family, with the kids. The kids love their “papa” so much, we watch videos every day of him, and we send him pictures and videos on the cell phone all day every day. Even though he may be far away, we try our best not to feel like it.
Nobody’s life is perfect, we all deal with the pitfalls. Ours happens to be distance at times. If that’s my only problem in life – I’ll take it. I’m in love, I have a wonderful family who loves me in return… I’m happy.
So, please… do me a favor. Do ALL military spouses a favor. NEVER, EVER, ask any of the following questions. While most are meant in a polite way, they REALLY don’t help…
“Aren’t you afraid that he’ll be killed?”
This one ranks in at number one on my “duh” list. Of course we’re afraid, you dimwit. We’re terrified. The thought constantly lingers at the back of our minds – but thank you so much for reminding me yet again. Maybe next you can go ask someone with cancer if they’re scared of dying.
“I don’t know how you manage. I don’t think I could do it.”
Though this is really annoying, I feel bad about mentioning it because I know that it is intended to be a compliment. Still, it’s not like all of us Marine Wives have been dreaming since childhood of the day we’d get to be anxious, light-sleepers who carry cell phones with us to the bathroom. We’re not made of some mysterious matter that makes us more capable, we just got asked to take on a challenging job and we rose to the challenge.
“He’s in Iraq? I’m sorry.”
This comment, while meant to be helpful, is infuriating. My marine is doing exactly what he wants to do. He is making a positive difference in the world, training the Iraqi military and playing with children who dream of growing up in a world free from strife.
“Do you think he’ll get to come home for Christmas/anniversary/birthday/birth of a child/wedding/family reunion, etc?”
Don’t you watch the news? No. They don’t get to come home for any of these things. Please don’t ask again.
“What are you going to do to keep yourself busy while he’s gone?”
Try to keep my sanity. Maybe there’s a military wife out there who gets bored when her marine leaves, but I have yet to meet her. For the rest of us, we find ourselves having to be two people, strong in public and ourselves in private. That keeps us plenty busy. We do get lonely, but we don’t get bored.
“How much longer does he have until he can get out?”
This one is annoying to many of us whether our guys are deployed or not. Most of our men aren’t counting down the days until they “can” get out. The Corps isn’t a slave program they are sold into, it’s a choice. Many of them keep signing back up again and again because (gasp!) they love what they do.
“This deployment shouldn’t be so bad, now that you’re used to it.”
I’m sorry, just how do you get used to watching your husband go off to war? It’s not a little business trip. There are bombs, bullets, and some very bad people who are bent on killing. My man and his guys are the barrier that keeps them from coming here and trying to kill us. Sure, we figure out ways to make life go smoother while the guys are gone. But it never gets easy and the bullets and bombs don’t swerve around our guys just because they’ve been there before. The worry never goes away. It’s not exactly conducive to easy sleeping. We learn coping skills. We never get used to it.
“My Husband had to go to Europe for business once for three weeks. I totally know what you’re going through.”
This one is similar to the one above. Do not equate your husband’s three week with a 7-10 month deployment to a war zone. Aside from the obvious trip length difference, nobody shot at your husband or tried to blow him up with an I.E.D., your husband could call home pretty much any time he wanted to, he flew comfortably on a commercial plane, slept between crisp white sheets and ate well, paying for everything with an expense account. There is no comparison. We do not feel bonded to you in the slightest because of this comment and, if anything, we probably resent you a bit for comparing a combat deployment to a business trip.
“Don’t you miss him?”
No, not really… What do you think? Of course we miss our husbands. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be together!!!
—-
On that note, I hope you have a great day, and I hope you realize the sacrifices that are made for you to live the life you lead. With the freedoms we all so cavalierly enjoy.
Emotion
Ron_Hudson on Twitter posed the question.
What’s life about for you, ultimately?
Knee-jerk reaction would be to answer with fun, family and happiness.
But then I think about it. Is life really always fun? Are all of the moments in your life that stick out in your memory fun? I don’t know about you, my friend, but for me the answer is an adamant no. Same applies for the other two answers.
So, as cliché as this may sound, I think it’s love. Don’t misunderstand me, don’t write me off just yet as an individual with no thoughts of her own. I’m not referring simply to the sappy, over-commercialized romance kind of love we all do seek, but I’m talking about the love you have for family, pets, friends (cyber or IRL), your house, songs, books, movies, anything.
I guess if I had to use one word to describe life, my one word would be this: emotion.
Emotion encompasses everything we do. Emotion is what drives us, what makes our choices. I don’t care how much you think you make choices logically, somewhere emotion affects it. No one has led their entire life by logic alone. It’s impossible. It’s improbable.
And furthermore, who would want to? Logic may lead you to pick out a book, but emotion decides whether you like it or not. Logic may decide what medical procedure you choose, but emotion rules your body. It’s scientifically proven that emotions have a physical effect on our body. People who lead stressful lives need about twice as long for a cut to heal on their body as someone who leads a relatively calm life. Don’t believe me – go look it up – that’s why we have google. And if you DO have an urge to look it up – guess what? That’s emotion guiding you. Curiosity. One of my favorites. LOL
Some of the most prominent memories in a person’s head are all emotional – A loved ones death, a graduation, a birth, a first kiss, a pet, an accomplishment, a fave book or movie, an long lost friend.
They are all about love. Emotion…
The Definition Of Success
To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one’s self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived—this is to have succeeded.
- Attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson
That is my favorite quote of all time. The last line is what I attempt to live my life by. To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived…
That is so powerful. People, I think, confuse the true sense of helping someone. People think they have to be recognized in order for it to “qualify”. Not so, my friends. Just because no one gives you an “atta boy” or rewards you does not mean you did not help, did not contribute. If you are going to help someone, somehow, do it for the reason and purpose of just plain helping. Trust me, it’s more rewarding than you think. Self-rewarding. Don’t set your standard of self worth on what other think or how much you get noticed. Place you worth on your own opinions, knowing what you have and will do.
The Hacker’s Manifesto
Some of you may be familiar with this, some may not. I wanted to share this with all of you because I think that these days, it not only applies to hackers, but to the internet generation as a whole. Please take time to read this. The end is worth it…
((Written 15 years ago by a hacker known only as The Mentor, quoted in the 1995 movie “Hackers”))
Another one got caught today, it’s all over the papers.
“Teenager Arrested in Computer Crime Scandal”, “Hacker Arrested after Bank Tampering”…
Damn kids. They’re all alike.
But did you, in your three-piece psychology and 1950’s technobrain, ever take a look behind the eyes of the hacker? Did you ever wonder what made him tick, what forces shaped him, what may have molded him?
I am a hacker, enter my world…
Mine is a world that begins with school… I’m smarter than most of the other kids, this crap they teach us bores me…
Damn underachiever. They’re all alike.
I’m in junior high or high school. I’ve listened to teachers explain for the fifteenth time how to reduce a fraction. I understand it. “No, Ms. Smith, I didn’t show my work. I did it in my head…”
Damn kid. Probably copied it. They’re all alike.
I made a discovery today. I found a computer. Wait a second, this is cool. It does what I want it to. If it makes a mistake, it’s because I screwed it up. Not because it doesn’t like me… Or feels threatened by me.. Or thinks I’m a smart ass.. Or doesn’t like teaching and shouldn’t be here…
Damn kid. All he does is play games. They’re all alike.
And then it happened… a door opened to a world… rushing through the phone line like heroin through an addict’s veins, an electronic pulse is sent out, a refuge from the day-to-day incompetencies is sought… a board is found. “This is it… this is where I belong…” I know everyone here… even if I’ve never met them, never talked to them, may never hear from them again… I know you all…
Damn kid. Tying up the phone line again. They’re all alike…
You bet your ass we’re all alike… we’ve been spoon-fed baby food at school when we hungered for steak… the bits of meat that you did let slip through were pre-chewed and tasteless. We’ve been dominated by sadists, or ignored by the apathetic. The few that had something to teach found us willing pupils, but those few are like drops of water in the desert.
This is our world now… the world of the electron and the switch, the beauty of the baud. We make use of a service already existing without paying for what could be dirt-cheap if it wasn’t run by profiteering gluttons, and you call us criminals. We explore… and you call us criminals. We seek after knowledge… and you call us criminals. We exist without skin color, without nationality, without religious bias… and you call us criminals.
You build atomic bombs, you wage wars, you murder, cheat, and lie to us and try to make us believe it’s for our own good, yet we’re the criminals.
Yes, I am a criminal. My crime is that of curiosity. My crime is that of judging people by what they say and think, not what they look like. My crime is that of outsmarting you, something that you will never forgive me for.
I am a hacker, and this is my manifesto. You may stop this individual, but you can’t stop us all… after all, we’re all alike.
IRL vs Cyber Friends
When I discovered Twitter, it was love at first type. I’m hopelessly addicted. I have Twitter, Myspace(once a day or so), Facebook (NEVER use it), and usmcwives.com (addicted to as well).
But I have been wondering some thing. I know a lot of people think of internet friendships in a similar way they look at internet relationships – not truly real.
Why not?
It does depend on how forthcoming you are on the internet, and I am not saying that ALL internet based conversations automatically make you the best of friends. However, when you DO open up to people, and converse about your personal or professional life, does that not create some kind of a bond? Some kind of friendship? There are many people I have not had the luxury of meeting face to face but I consider them dear friends. If you don’t agree, then so be it, but that is my opinion.
After all, is that not one of the reasons the internet was made public? To connect with others over vast distances?
So, to anyone who takes the time to read this, thank you, my friend.
Political Correctness
One of things I have forgotten to put in my bio ( I will have to update it now) is that I am severely honest. Blunt even. In my opinion, political correctness is simply a new way to silence and conform the masses. I’m sorry if something I say, type, blog, think or express in any other way, shape or form offends you, but you’re an adult, act like it. Why is it, that in same century that women can walk around in clothing that hardly covers anything, and we can riot in the middle of the streets, and we can have abortions and gay marriage (I am not condoning ANY of these behaviors) but it’s “rude” to tell someone that they are freakin’ idiot!?
I think to be politically correct is to be a hypocrite. What is more important – to be be honest with one’s self, or to placate the world and hide your true thoughts and opinions so that you don’t offend anyone?
Now, the sad thing, is somebody out there is probably reading this and WOULD rather hide themselves, whether it be for fear of confrontation in case of disagreement, or whether it be for fear or hurting one’s feelings, etc. I feel sorry for them. They will never know the freedom in just being themselves.
Furthermore, when you are open to the world, many things happen. People are drawn to confidence. For the confident, it’s enjoyable to be around others that are not afraid to speak their minds and know they are not inferior to anyone. For un-confident, it is enjoyable to be around the confident because they feel they have something to learn or gain from them. Secondly, you connect with people around you that you didn’t know existed before because you were afraid to speak your mind. When you do, you learn that many others think the same way! That is how great friendships start – over minor commonalities.
I do not and will not “sugarcoat” my thoughts or opinions. My husband fights for my right to speak my mind, and you can be sure I am going to take full advantage of that. If i offend or hurt your feelings, take solace in the fact that while I am not and will not be apologetic for being purely me, I did not intend to hurt or offend anyone.
Thus, I strongly encourage to be brave, and speak your mind. Some will like it, some will not. It’s ok.
Be strong. Be YOU.
A day without friends
I don’t know if you have read my most recent blog entitled TO SURVIVE, or even HUMANS ARE PUZZLE PIECES, but if you have, you know how important I believe friends to be.
Well, today, with Twitters breakdown, and losing over 70 followers and 70 followings, I was frantic.
You may thinking, “Wow, she has NO life for her to be frantic over Twitter”. *shrugs* Maybe I am. Maybe I’m not. I’m a homeschool mom of two kids, two dogs, a cat and a snake. My husband is away with the Marine Corps, so it’s me and my kids and my animals, all day every day. My two babysitters both just moved out of state, so I have NO opportunity for any time for just me, except when they are napping or off to bed for the night. And then still, I’m usually cleaning up their messes.
All that being said, Twitter, MySpace, and a USMC wives forum board, are my ONLY links to communicate with adults. Sure there’s family, but we’re not that close, and you HAVE to love family. My friends mean the world to me (cyber or IRL) because I chose them. They make me laugh, cry, smile, and relax. They inform me, educate me, enlighten me, humor me, entertain me and I’d like to think appreciate me. I mean, after all, it’s not as if I forced myself upon them.
So, Twitter lost all my Tweeps today, and I found a few, but on the whole, I could not remember all 80 of them. Who could? So, I was very sad, I missed them. Even though some may find it stupid or silly, I have grown quite attached to my circle of friends.
And I have a confession to make. This is only going to serve to further your thoughts of thinking I am rather juvenile, but so be it. There are a few people I am following that make, draw, direct, etc comic books for Marvel and/or DC. OMG. I’m so starstruck, even over the vastness of the wonderful worldwide web. and when I randomly twitted a few of them about nonsense, and they replied… yeah, I lost it. ROFL. I called my husband and told him. What can I say – they don’t call me GeekGirl for nothing!
