Importance of appreciation

Have you ever tried really hard at something and not really received the recognition you felt you deserved? It's hard, huh? Why don't we spend more time giving compliments to people, instead of just writing it off as work/quality that they should have been producing?

I'm going to take this out of the office and give it a personal feel. How often do you tell your friends you appreciate them? Sure you hang out with them, laugh with them and sometimes tell them you love them, and you mean it. But how often do you really outright tell them that you notice something they're putting effort into?

I've had a lifetime of trying to be a good friend. Make sure that whoever is close to me has what they need at all times, and if they don't they know they can come to me. When a friend asks me for help with something I always think, "yes, because I hope they'd do it for me." I've lived by the "treat others how you'd like to be treated" rule.

Honestly, I haven't been able to test this theory much. I haven't had too many times that my car has run out of gas, or I've had a broken heart that I need help mending; I just haven't. I just hope that at the end of the day, I have surrounded myself by people that wouldn't blink at a chance to help me as I haven't for them.

Back to compliments.

I always try to tell my friends I appreciate them. I'll often give them a sincere "thank you" or "you're a really great person" so that they know I mean it. And I hope that they do. What confuses me, is when people feel uncomfortable getting these sincerities. Are there so many people in this world that don't really say thank you that we can't take it?

Also, if you say something, mean it. Don't throw around words like "I will" or "love" if you don't feel it for someone, even if they're just a "friend" to you. Too many times people who barely know each other say, "Aww I love you," and they don't really care enough about that person to pick up the phone and call them.

I'm lucky enough to have people that I know mean things. I've also had a few times where people have been tested, and I've been able to see the results. I take it for what it is, for it's face value. Unfortunately, sometimes my feelings are hurt, but other times I find myself the luckiest person in the world to have found such genuine people. And I have found truly genuine people.

In closing, if I have said thank you, I'll help you, I'll be there or I love you... I mean it. Trust in that, and I hope that you'll always trust in me.

What's goin' on?

You wanna know?!

It's been a crazy, fun couple of weeks. I have been to Japan and back, and now I'm writing a feature article for the Astros Magazine :)

Japan? Yes, Japan.

I had the AWESOME opportunity to make my first international trip, and I loved every minute of it. It's a big world out there, and I've caught the bug to explore more.

I experienced a castle, shrine, brewery, aquarium, sushi, grocery store, other countries (Little World--kind of like Epcot), more sushi, different forms of traveling, looooong plane rides (18 hours one way), international shopping, Yen, bike riding on the wrong side of the street, riding a luggage rack and soooo much more.

It was the experience of a lifetime, and I have too many stories to write about. I'm thankful to have a family that supported me and a friend that gave me the opportunity to visit.

Thank you.

As for the feature, I'm pumped. It's leaving me a lot less time to blog, or really do much else work, but it's what I have been waiting to do.

Writing is a part of me I can't let die. Whether it is blogging for myself, a pro sport, or writing a book, I feel like it's where I want to be.

I thought about posting a preview of my story on here, but I might just keep that a secret, and hope that you purchase the magazine. I won't get any monetary credit for it, but I can promise the hard copy will be more enthralling than something I post here.

I'm going to try and get back into the swing of blogging, I know I've been slack about it. Sorry :/

Indian names

I don't know exactly what the posts on this blog are supposed to be about (Astros or whatnot) but I'm going to write this one on something I recently decided. I went to the Western Days in Yorktown, Texas a few weekends ago with some of the interns and I saw a funny shirt. It read:
My Indian name is Runswithbeer. I laughed about it, but then, as usual, it got me thinking. How often do we give someone an Indian name?

If you take it out of the context of this shirt, this guy's "Indian name" is an activity he does... runs with beer. I thought about how, often, I say things like, "oh that's Kara, she works for the Astros too," or, "David, he's my best friend from 7th grade." These names aren't always the nicest descriptions, though. Sometimes their Indian names end up being negative like: "Randinotanicegirl" or "Kendon'treallylikehim."

So, how much easier would it be to just drop their Indian name, and let that person be who they are? Or, keep the reason you may not like this person to yourself, and let others decide on their own?

I feel like sometimes we let people decide for us what we think about someone. There are too many people that are quick to side with a friend, rather than gather their own opinion about someone. Maybe to someone I'm Chelseaplayedsoftball (the -ed kills me, of course) or Chelseathinksshescool. How do I know which one a fall into?

This summer working with the Force, I hated it when we were in a social setting and the girls referred to me as Chelseatheintern. I HATED that, because I felt like it took me apart from being their friend or one of them, to this girl that they just knew. Eventually, I was given the official, "you've gone from Chelseatheintern to Chelsea Wilson," and I almost sighed with relief.

There's often too much need for people to associate with something, for people to just stand out on their own. I just hope that Indian names can change, because I believe that people can change.

Try and think about someone you've given an Indian name to, that maybe doesn't fit that description anymore. Doesn't it seem silly to associate that person with the action, still? Learn to let it go. Change their name.

It's been toooooo long!

I'm sorry that it's been so long since my last post. Honestly, I still don't have time to really get into one right now. The media relations department is hard at work creating and PROOFREADING (mainly proofreading) our 2009 Postseason Guide. The deadline was Friday, it moved to today, and it honestly looks like it's not getting done today! Guess we'll see... proof, proof, proof!

I will leave you with this funny that popped into my head while proofing (no way, right?!) yesterday:

Astros Media Relations: There's a stat for that.

:)

Thoughts... choices.

I had an English teacher in high school, cannot for the life of me remember his name, that had us spend two class periods on the first sentence of a book. He was absolutely convinced that the author spent just as long deciding that first sentence, making it perfect, with every word carefully chosen. While I think that is a bit over-the-top, I think he may have been one of the first to really push me to find the deeper meaning in things.

It's almost an annoying habit I have, seeing everyday things and trying to find how they can be used in a metaphor. If you've ever watched a movie, or been out on a rainy/sunny day with me you've probably heard me mention the term "pathetic fallacy." The term describes a time when an inanimate objects are personified. I usually talk about this when there is a sad scene in a movie and it is raining. These are the types of things I am CONSTANTLY thinking about.

Sometimes I feel as though these thoughts are just silly, maybe it's just an exercise to keep my brain sharp, but sometimes my tender heart really pays attention to what I find. I have always believed that an interpretation is subjective, and what someone sees stems from how they are feeling or where they are in their life.

Every day when 5:30 strikes, I clock out, but I don't leave Minute Maid. I have turned the stadium into a personal gym (I'm on an intern salary... using my resources). I run the concourse (three laps is a mile), I run the stairs (I routinely conquer sections 100-156, which you can see here), I do lunges, squats and abs in and around the press box. More than just working my body, however, this is one of the best times for me to think. I think about work, school, friends, softball, future, past, how the recycle bins around the stadium look like people at a distance, and even about all the history I'm reading as I'm running.

Then, the other day I saw this sign:

Many people might just see it as a sign, but it immediately hit me as a choice. I can either work hard and move up, or I can get out. It's simple. Even as I went back to take this picture, I noticed that "exit" is written twice. It's easier just to get out, give up, walk out the doors and move on... but what I really want is "up."

Why did I notice this sign? There's a difference between seeing something and looking at it. Your mind registers crazy numbers of things every day, so why did this stick for me?

Maybe I saw this sign, because I needed to be reminded that there is a choice, and that one will seem easier than the other most of the time. All the signs may be pointing towards that easy route, but I need to figure out what I want.

I want to work "up."

Flocking together

Everyone's heard the phrase, "birds of a feather flock together," and interestingly we had our second intern roundtable on this subject. "How to co-exist with other birds" was the topic, and after taking personality profiles we were given our bird-type. There were four types of birds: eagles, peacocks, doves and owls.

What do these bird types mean? Each bird has different characteristics, and the test we took helped draw a decision on what type of worker we are, and how those types of workers fill a niche in the office.

I am a peacock:

"Social peacocks are direct and supporting, exhibiting characteristics such as animation, intuitiveness and liveliness. Peacocks are fast paces. Peacocks' primary strengths are their enthusiasm, persuasiveness and delightful sociability. Peacocks are idea persons. Peacocks are true entertainers. Many peacocks are in occupations such as sales, entertainment, public relations, professional hosts, trial attorneys, social directors on cruise ships, hotel business and other glamorous, high profile careers. Peacocks design and use their space in a disorganized cluttered manner, but they know if something is missing."

Those are just the first line from each paragraph describing peacocks. Most of that feedback is positive, but there are downsides to peacocks.

"They can also be viewed as manipulative, impulsive and excitable when displaying behavior inappropriate to the situation. Their actions and decision are spontaneous, and are seldom concerned about facts and details trying to avoid them as much as possible. Their primary weaknesses are getting involved in too many things, impatience and their short attention spans which cause them to become bored easily. They influence other and shape their environment by bringing others into alliance to accomplish results. They tends to work quickly and enthusiastically with others."

Interesting, huh? I think I fit a lot of these categories, both negative and positive. There are some things I don't agree with, but hey, that might be because I don't notice. We were told several times in our discussion that a lot of these are general characteristics, and that we as individuals won't have every specific area.

The last paragraph describes what I, as a peacock, probably need to work on to make myself better in an office environment. "Peacocks need to: control their time and emotions; develop a more objective mindset; spend more time checking, verifying, specifying and organizing; develop more of a task-focus; and take a more logical approach to projects and issues." I know at least one of those hits me dead on: spend more time checking and verifying. There's a reason I'm not a mathematician!

My cubeighbors Kara and Brittany are birds of a different feather.

"The wise owls are both indirect and controlling. Owls tend to be perfectionist, serious and orderly. They like organization and structure, and dislike too much involvement with other people. Their primary strengths are their accuracy, dependability, independence, follow-through and organization. The greatest irritation for owls is disorganized, illogical people."

Kara called it. She knew that her results would come back that she is a control freak; however, in a business setting I think that she is a huge asset. She does take time to see things through, and despite her results she is not someone to dislike involvement with other people. She just dislikes stupid or "illogical" people.

We decided that Brittany is a hybrid, hence her tag. Her results came out that she is an eagle, but she has toooooo many peacockish tendencies to not have flirted with another species.

Eagles are: "controlling and direct. They accept challenges, take authority and go head first into solving problems. Their weak traits include stubbornness, impatience and toughness. They are fast-paced and are impatient with delays. It is not unusual for an eagle to call you and, without saying hello, launch right into the conversation."

Eagles seem to be the most hard-nosed of all the birds. They don't put up with much, but they get stuff done. Brittany definitely has a lot of the work ethics of an eagle, but she becomes borderline peacock because she is friendly, outgoing and works well in a social environment.

The dove is the last category, and our cuborhood doesn't have any doves nests. But for anyone who's interested: "the diplomatic dove is supporting and indirect, relatively unassertive, warm and reliable. They take action and make decisions slowly. They tend to be the most people-oriented of all the four behavioral styles. They focus on getting acquainted and building trust. They are irritated by pushy, aggressive behavior."

All these birds have different qualities, but that does not mean that they won't work well together. It's the approach and understanding a different bird that makes the work place flow smoother with each of these types. According to a chart that was in our packet, peacocks:

• work excellently with doves, and socialize fairly with them
• work poorly with other peacocks, but are socially perfect
• work well with owls, but not well in a social environment
• work borderline fair/poor with eagles, but are socially pretty good with them

It's important to understand how to read people and what type of workers they are. Reducing conflict in the work place by being proactive and knowing how to, or how no to, approach someone can help getting tasks done easier. Understanding what kind of bird you are, however, and how to tame some of your characteristics that may bother someone else, can be step one.

Help yourself and then you can help others. Lead by example. Do work.

**The name tags were created by Kara and hang on the outside of our cubes. My middle name is not Lynn, you're right in thinking that, but apparently it sounds better and I'm not a girl who's favorite color should be pink. Says the owl.**

Media + Relations

By, George, I think I've go it!

Maybe I have figured out what media relations means and how it works. Here's my conclusion: media relations. Profound, right?!

It seems that people have a different view of what media relations is, and by people I include myself. I think for my years of studying public relations, I found too broad of an area and didn't realize that media relations is a very small, though very important, aspect OF public relations.

It's really not all writing, story telling and "spinning" as most people like to tack on to the list of what PR people do. It really is relating to the media.

I spent my time in the press box observing. Luckily, it's one of the things I like to do best. There was an array of things going on in there. To my right we had the Astros media. Though we were below 10 broadcasting booths, we still had some reporters and radio people that were part of the press box. There were also photographers down there.

In the middle where I was sat the official scorekeeper, closed caption typer (that's a seriously politically correct job title, I know), public address announcer, pitch-charter, media relations and GameTracker.

To the left were the visiting media, Associated press writers and a handful of Astros writers who spilled over.

So what were the media relations people doing? Relating!

We really are more of facilitators than public relations people in the area people think. We do not spin, or story tell, we give facts in their most basic form: statistics. We can look up everything and anything, and we are at the media's beckon call. We can produce files, media guides, box scores, player injury updates, counts, home runs, records all in a snap when it is requested.

That's really it. We're relating. We make sure the media has what they need, when they want it and as quickly as possible.

I don't think I can break it down any more basic than that. Unless you want to know the statistics on my typing speed in explaining this. Which is 71 WPM ;)

It's like I clicked my heels

You’re intrigued, right? You want to know exactly where I live in Houston, what it looks like, maybe even what my neighbors look like, right? Well lucky you!

I’ve always been a sort of Connector (yes, Dr. Carter, a Tipping Point reference). I’m pretty good at reading people, making connections with them and keeping those lines open. I also believe that people meet for a reason.

I know I briefly mentioned who I was living with, and a little about the how I found it, but let’s go into detail.

How I found where I’m living:

It pays not to be shy. Around the end of April, beginning of May, my parents were in Milledgeville watching some games, and helping me pack up my stuff to move to Houston. At this time, I hadn’t found out that I was being rolled over to the fall internship, so I was desperate to find somewhere.

I had just left lunch at the Pickle Barrel (man I miss that place), and for some odd reason decided to get my car washed at a GMC fundraiser going on down 441. If you know me, you know that “Teky” was only maybe washed six times in the six years I owned him, so stopping at this car wash was out-of-the-norm for me. I’ve always felt awkward sitting in a car while people are working on it, I feel like I’m in a fish bowl and everyone is staring in at me, so I decided to sit on the curb with the parents supervising the car wash instead.

I’m feeling pretty awkward, sitting by myself and watching these teens ferociously scrub my caked-on dirt, of course wearing a GCSU softball t-shirt. The lady behind me asks if I play for Georgia College, and we engage in friendly conversation. She asks the normal questions of a college conversation: hometown, year, major and plans for graduating. I eventually explained that I was waiting to hear back from the Houston Astros about an internship, and that I would hopefully be moving there this summer.

“Oh! I have two sisters that live in Houston,” she said so sweetly with her Georgia accent. “Have you found some place to live?”

Well, no. I sure haven’t.

That’s pretty much the story. We exchanged numbers, information and I even had my dad drop into get his truck washed. When I got the call from Houston saying no for the summer, but probably for the fall, I called her and let her know so that she could warn her sister.

And here I am. Living in her sis

I’m living just outside of Houston, about 20 miles. As you see from the pictures of traffic, it takes a lot longer to get to the stadium than the distance I am from it.

Like I mentioned, I’m living with the sister’s husband, while the wife and three kids live in Los Angeles for the summer. Their son is on a Disney show, and the other two kids are trying to break into the acting-scene daily. I didn’t meet him until I pulled into his driveway with my stuffed car, ready to start my next adventure. I help him around the house while the family is gone.

It’s out in the middle of nowhere (after driving down a highway I turn at a hazard light, then onto a country road) on about a 15 acre spread. It’s a nice house, and really has everything I could have wanted. All I was really looking for was a bed, and I got much more!

To think, I was just sitting on a curb in Milledgeville, Georgia getting my car washed, and all this happened. Everything happens for a reason. Who you meet, who you engage and who you remember may lead to something you never saw coming. I’m going to steal a status from Facebook that I just read… it fits way too perfectly into my conclusion.

I believe we write our own stories and each time we think we know the end, we don't. Perhaps luck exists somewhere between the world of planning, of chance and in the peace that comes from knowing that you just can't know it all. Life's funny that way… once you let go of the wheel, you might end up right where you belong.

We have a peacock!

I was washing dishes one day and saw these guys eating breakfast (note the two horse bending down in the bottom right corner).

Then I walked into the living room and bro was checkin' out my morning routine!

Inspired.

I'm glad I'm someone who takes things to heart. I always here people say, "just let it roll off your back," or, "it's really not that big of a deal," when people seems to let their emotions get in the way. I've never been able to do that, just get over something.

There are things, yes, like the fact that this M&M bag only has a few morsels in it, but I couldn't get over the craving for them.

It took me most of my life, really until college to figure out why the little things bother me so much. Why my biggest pet peeve is someone cancelling plans that we made. It's because I put my heart into every thing that I do.


I take pride in what I have accomplished, what my friends and family have accomplished, and most importantly, what I can do for others. I may not be the first one to volunteer at a local shelter, but believe that when I'm there I'm making the best of my experience.


Inspiration comes from places you don't always expect it, but they're usually pretty timely. I had two encounters with inspiration yesterday, and I'm excited that it came when it did.


We had the first of a series of "Roundtable Discussions" yesterday as an intern class. This is the first time that the HR department has held something like this, though it's been in the works for years. The topic of discussion was: "Professionalism and how to excel in the workplace." Simple enough, right?


We all filed into the "Draft Room" at two o'clock yesterday, in our clean, pressed shirts and notepads. I giggled a little as people took rapid notes like there was going to be a test, while I focused on retaining the information and treating it like a real-world discussion, not a lecture.


We covered a lot of good topics, asked questions we may have normally felt weird to ask and even had moments of, "oh thank the Lord someone else made that mistake too." I have to say I think it was great.


The inspiration for me didn't come until the very end, however. My saint, as I have previously referred to her, Chanda, said something that made me look at myself. She was trying to decide what generation our class comes from, and I can't remember what she thought it was, but what she said about it is what got me.


"I think you guys are from the generation that is described as thinking they 'deserve' something," she said-ish. That's rrreeeaaalllyyy roughly paraphrased but it's what got me.

To most 20-something's that would be offensive. But when she asked us to think about that, and evaluate ourselves I thought, "you're right." I can't say that I've thought that everything should be laid out on a platter for me, but I haven't really realized how my work up to this point hasn't really mattered to anyone. Yes, it's gotten me from point-a, to b, to c, but it hasn't held my position in this world like I'm wanting. It's up to me to get there.


Now, you may read this and think, "that's not what she is getting at at all," but it's how I took it. It's a realization I needed to make for myself, to be happy doing the work I am, until I get to where the work is what I want.


"If I don't show them... how will they know?"


A note I scribbled to myself when I got back to my desk. I may choose to make it more prominent in my cube, but for now it works for me. It was a very honest "wow" moment, and there it is.
Yes, I may be talented, and the work I do is the best I can do, and it's very capable of meeting a lot of high standards, but my opportunity will come... in time. "Some day," as I wrote on Twitter, is exactly how I feel about when things will come together for me, but that's not an IF either, it's a WHEN.


Why then, if I know it's coming in time, would I not make the best of this situation, put my heart into it for every second. I do not think by any stretch that I have been slacking here, but I've taken a different aspect on what it is I'm doing here.

In conjunction with this meeting, the thought from Chanda and what I got out of it, I read a blog by Jen Croneberger, the Mental Training Coach for the Force, and I was floored at a quote she included.


"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives viantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid sould who know neither victory nor defeat."--Theodore Roosevelt

Amazing.


So, I'm going to keep working. I'm going to let go the thought that I have worked and should be somewhere, and keep working. I don't think that I have failed, but I'm not afraid of it. Maybe it's because I'm still confident in what I can do, and someone soon will see that.


I'm never going to take my heart out of it. I will not let things roll off my back. I refuse to settle.

The quote posted in my cube.

Thanks, Jen. Thanks, Chanda.

You can hear the crickets... literally.

Minute Maid Park has had some special visitors for this home stand, crickets!

It’s crazy how many crickets are in the park! They are attacking the press box, and in turn freaking out Steve, a Media Relations Coordinator. It’s really kind of funny.

The part that amazes me is how loud they are! There’s the “hearing crickets” idea that something is so quiet you can hear them, but in MMP there are so many you can hear them during the game! And it’s not because the crowd is quiet or not into the game, there are just that many of the little buggers. Crazy.

What are some of the other sites? Oh, Texas has plenty of them. I’ll give you a little visual tour, switch up the pace of this blog a little.

One of my favorite is the random Mount Rushmore-esque sight on 288 south towards where I live. You’re just cruzin’ down the highway and there they are: George Bush, John Hancock, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt and J.F. Kennedy. Just, ya know, hangin’ out in a corn field.

A few miles up the road there is a field of metal sculptures in different shapes. I’m not going to ruin the surprise on what these shapes are, I’m just going to get pictures of them. Suspense!

Last night gave me chills. It was September 11 and we honored the people who fight for our freedom; a task most of us would not take on ourselves. I wish I could figure out where the zoom is on my camera, but here are some of the shots.

I’m proud of my friends that I know are over there fighting, and I thank all of our troops for the courage they have. Thank you.

This morning was a sight and a frustration all in one. There was a Fiestas Patrias parade running “downtown” which really meant circling Minute Maid Park.

The streets were blocked off where I park. (I’ll let you gather how I felt about that.)

There were participants, spectators, music, costumes and tons of horses with cowboys and girls decked out in their finest. The streets were filled and it seemed like everyone was having a genuinely fun time.

Last stop on our visual tour, snap-shots of what I see, is one of the security guards that rides around MMP. (Hehe)

Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did!

Me and my boy FDR!