After my step-sister passed away I had one of those "aha!" moments that completely changed my outlook on life. We were assigned a causes and controversies piece that week, and this is what I turned in.
Hope it inspires you to join the new army, the army of the kind.
A Simple Kindness Goes a Long Way
This is not an in-depth look into the human psyche. This is not a call to action. This is definitely not a controversy. This is real life. This is a wake-up call, my wake-up call and my own personal cause.
After losing someone very dear to me to cancer I realized for the umpteenth and last time that life is short, too short. And we all should make our own marks on this world before we embark on our next journey, wherever that may be.
Jill Hamilton-Locke, my step-sister, passed away in March at age 40. She had been battling colon and intestinal cancer for 14 years, going through several surgeries and many rounds of chemo. Her illness kept her from performing everyday activities like taking her son to school, but she never lost her amazing kindness. Her love for the people close to her made her fight harder and love stronger.
I was amazed at how many people showed up at her funeral services to pay respects to the family and reminisce about the beautiful and kind person we lost.
People she had known throughout her life were there: some from grade school, high school and college; some from work; family and extended family; doctors, nurses, patients from the hospital and chemo sessions, and people from her community. Some knew her for years, others for moments, but all had a story about how Jill touched their lives in a most influential way.
What this world needs is a new kind of army – the army of the kind. – Cleveland Amory, American author.
In my daze of sadness and hurt, I started wondering about who would show up if I passed away and what would they say about me. Jill had done so much good in her short time on this earth, what have I done? Whose life have I touched? Who have I helped become who or what they want to be?
Unfortunately, I cannot think of many. I am not selfish. I just didn’t realize until now the power of being a friendly person, or how far just one smile can go.
I did not know that life is too short and hard to live it alone. And being surrounded by good people can make things, no matter how awful, so much easier.
Jill’s fight against cancer was made easier by the people she loved and the people that loved her. Imagine what could be accomplished if more people had the network of friends and family – the support system – that she did.
This life is not about us. It isn’t “The (insert your name here) Show” 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This life is about the ones who have touched us and the ones that we touch. It is our loved ones, friends, family and acquaintances that make our life what it is. The people we let in our lives shape who we are, no matter if we’ve known them for 15 years or 15 seconds.
There is life beyond your own, dreams beyond your wildest aspirations, and love beyond the love of yourself.
I’m asking everyone to reach out and help someone. No matter how big or small the kindness, be sure that it will be appreciated.
Be that person that helps little granny across the street. Go out of your way to help the lady juggling groceries and a baby on her hip to open the car door.
Be kind. Smile at that stranger walking toward you. Leave a mark on this earth. Join the army of the kind.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Someone Actually Read This!
This was my first piece put on the school's online magazine Coquinaonline.com. During the multiple times I was selflessly promoting my article to my sister, I realized that there was a comment at the end. I couldn't help but blurt out, "SOMEBODY ACTUALLY READ MY ARTICLE! AND LIKED IT!"
Hope you like it enough to leave a comment too!
Should Pole Dancing be an Olympic Sport?
Pole dancing, the forbidden dance found in dingy bars, stripper clubs and rapper’s living rooms, has made its way into fitness clubs, dance studios and suburban homes.
And a British fitness instructor would like to see pole dancers compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Her petition states:
After a great deal of feedback from the pole dance community, many of us have decided that it’s about time pole fitness is recognized as a competitive sport, and what better way for recognition than to be part of the 2010 Olympics held in London.
K.T. Coates, director of a company called Vertical Dance, created the petition, located at www.petitiononline.com.
The petition says pole dancing is a sport for both men and women and it doesn’t take a lot of money to compete – unlike such sports as horseback riding and sailing.
The petition compares pole dancing to the horizontal bar and rhythmic gymnastics and says it takes just as much physical skill and strength to master.
But why the Olympics?
“It’s the highest accolade you can get and therefore why aim any lower?” asked Coates, who says she has been involved in sports since she was young and has dreamed of competing in the Olympics for years.
Coates concedes that she doesn’t expect pole dancing to actually make it into the Olympics.
“People think I am trying to get pole dancing in to the Olympics, but I am not silly,” Coates said. “I know with its sexual connotations this will never happen.”
But she said she hopes her efforts will help pole dancing gain greater social acceptance, particularly since many people see it as taboo outside of nudie bars.
“It needs to be re-branded the vertical bar and not pole dancing, as essentially it will be more rhythmic gymnastic based rather than anything erotic or sensual,” Coates said.
Some of the petition signers are enthusiastic supporters. A signer identified as Susan Hilferty wrote:
“I agree Pole Fitness is highly demanding in dance as well as gymnastics. It should be recognized and people need to educate themselves on this subject instead of staying judgmental and ignorant on this art form.”
Someone identified as Bryan DeMicheli wrote:
“I hereby volunteer my services to be a judge for this event. You don’t need to pay me.”
The petition has created a buzz on some social media websites. There are 11 groups and three pages dedicated to the petition on Facebook. Twitter is full of Tweets for and against pole dancing in the Olympics, and bloggers are busy following the story.
“There is no doubt it takes a lot of skill to do that shiz, but it needs to overcome its stigma,” said Perez Hilton, author of PerezHilton.com. “Maybe they need to call it something else because it’s technically gymnastics!”
The petition had 4,230 signatures as of March 15, but that isn’t enough to make pole dancing an Olympic event. The International Olympic Committee would have to recognize pole dancing as a sport and that’s an uphill battle. Upscale games like squash and cricket haven’t made the cut and baseball and softball have recently been removed from the list of Olympic sports.
But Coates says she’s not giving up her quest to bring respectability to what she calls “vertical dance.”
“Five years ago people laughed at me for trying to get people to take up pole for fitness and look at the thousands of schools there are now, so I overcame those critics. I can certainly overcome a few more.”
Hope you like it enough to leave a comment too!
Should Pole Dancing be an Olympic Sport?
Pole dancing, the forbidden dance found in dingy bars, stripper clubs and rapper’s living rooms, has made its way into fitness clubs, dance studios and suburban homes.
And a British fitness instructor would like to see pole dancers compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Her petition states:
After a great deal of feedback from the pole dance community, many of us have decided that it’s about time pole fitness is recognized as a competitive sport, and what better way for recognition than to be part of the 2010 Olympics held in London.
K.T. Coates, director of a company called Vertical Dance, created the petition, located at www.petitiononline.com.
The petition says pole dancing is a sport for both men and women and it doesn’t take a lot of money to compete – unlike such sports as horseback riding and sailing.
The petition compares pole dancing to the horizontal bar and rhythmic gymnastics and says it takes just as much physical skill and strength to master.
But why the Olympics?
“It’s the highest accolade you can get and therefore why aim any lower?” asked Coates, who says she has been involved in sports since she was young and has dreamed of competing in the Olympics for years.
Coates concedes that she doesn’t expect pole dancing to actually make it into the Olympics.
“People think I am trying to get pole dancing in to the Olympics, but I am not silly,” Coates said. “I know with its sexual connotations this will never happen.”
But she said she hopes her efforts will help pole dancing gain greater social acceptance, particularly since many people see it as taboo outside of nudie bars.
“It needs to be re-branded the vertical bar and not pole dancing, as essentially it will be more rhythmic gymnastic based rather than anything erotic or sensual,” Coates said.
Some of the petition signers are enthusiastic supporters. A signer identified as Susan Hilferty wrote:
“I agree Pole Fitness is highly demanding in dance as well as gymnastics. It should be recognized and people need to educate themselves on this subject instead of staying judgmental and ignorant on this art form.”
Someone identified as Bryan DeMicheli wrote:
“I hereby volunteer my services to be a judge for this event. You don’t need to pay me.”
The petition has created a buzz on some social media websites. There are 11 groups and three pages dedicated to the petition on Facebook. Twitter is full of Tweets for and against pole dancing in the Olympics, and bloggers are busy following the story.
“There is no doubt it takes a lot of skill to do that shiz, but it needs to overcome its stigma,” said Perez Hilton, author of PerezHilton.com. “Maybe they need to call it something else because it’s technically gymnastics!”
The petition had 4,230 signatures as of March 15, but that isn’t enough to make pole dancing an Olympic event. The International Olympic Committee would have to recognize pole dancing as a sport and that’s an uphill battle. Upscale games like squash and cricket haven’t made the cut and baseball and softball have recently been removed from the list of Olympic sports.
But Coates says she’s not giving up her quest to bring respectability to what she calls “vertical dance.”
“Five years ago people laughed at me for trying to get people to take up pole for fitness and look at the thousands of schools there are now, so I overcame those critics. I can certainly overcome a few more.”
Monday, April 12, 2010
A Bit of Heartache
This was a rough one to do, but after all the tears and a taking a "mental break" I realized that writing it was just what the doctor ordered.
This is a profile of my step-sister Jill and her battle with cancer. Unfortunately, not too long after I wrote it, Jill passed away. When I saw the rest of my family, they were quick to tell me how much they loved this article and how happy they were that I wrote it. That's all the gratification I needed.
Enjoy!
Laughter is What Keeps Us Alive
They say laughter is the best medicine. It is no wonder that Jill Hamilton-Locke is spending most of her time cracking jokes and goofing off with loved ones.
Locke-Hamilton, better known to friends and family as Maxi Chill Woman or Jilly Willy, has been laughing her way through her 14 year battle with Lynch syndrome. A rare inherited condition that increases risk of colon cancer, Hamilton-Locke’s battle has not been an easy one.
She was diagnosed in 1996, when she was 26-years-old, just six weeks before she was married to husband Brian Locke. Since then, she has had seven operations on her colon and intestines and 35 rounds of Chemo therapy.
In during a period of remission, Hamilton-Locke used her time to attend Stony Brook University and receive her master’s degree in Human Resources. She worked at a handful of companies, selling time for different sports shows and heading human resources at an alarm company.
Shortly after graduating, Locke-Hamilton’s life went through yet another transformation. She and Brian jumped into parenthood. In 2004, the family was blessed with a son, Nolan Locke. Now 6-years-old, Nolan is the apple of Jill’s eye and, along with his father, the source of her strength.
“We were on the phone after one of her procedures and all of the sudden Jill started cracking up and tells me, ‘Nolan apparently thinks pants are optional in this house!’ Her voice went from dull to animate in seconds. That boy is her everything,” said Jenna Morgenthaler, a close friend.
Recently, Hamilton-Locke’s condition has gotten worse. She is spending more time in the hospital and away from her family.
“It has taken her away from her time with her son and daily simple life things, like play outside, take a walk, just being a mom. On an emotional level, Jill knows that this year could most likely be her last and she wants to make sure her son will be okay when she is gone,” said Hannah Imperial-Cannon, a close friend.
With all this, Hamilton-Locke never stops laughing, whether she is joking about purchasing a blue Marge Simpson for her next round of Chemo therapy or singing songs and telling jokes with her son and husband.
“Her spirit hasn’t broken. She is such a strong woman, she will never let you know she is in pain. Jill just wants to be herself, not herself with cancer,” said Morgenthaler.
This is a profile of my step-sister Jill and her battle with cancer. Unfortunately, not too long after I wrote it, Jill passed away. When I saw the rest of my family, they were quick to tell me how much they loved this article and how happy they were that I wrote it. That's all the gratification I needed.
Enjoy!
Laughter is What Keeps Us Alive
They say laughter is the best medicine. It is no wonder that Jill Hamilton-Locke is spending most of her time cracking jokes and goofing off with loved ones.
Locke-Hamilton, better known to friends and family as Maxi Chill Woman or Jilly Willy, has been laughing her way through her 14 year battle with Lynch syndrome. A rare inherited condition that increases risk of colon cancer, Hamilton-Locke’s battle has not been an easy one.
She was diagnosed in 1996, when she was 26-years-old, just six weeks before she was married to husband Brian Locke. Since then, she has had seven operations on her colon and intestines and 35 rounds of Chemo therapy.
In during a period of remission, Hamilton-Locke used her time to attend Stony Brook University and receive her master’s degree in Human Resources. She worked at a handful of companies, selling time for different sports shows and heading human resources at an alarm company.
Shortly after graduating, Locke-Hamilton’s life went through yet another transformation. She and Brian jumped into parenthood. In 2004, the family was blessed with a son, Nolan Locke. Now 6-years-old, Nolan is the apple of Jill’s eye and, along with his father, the source of her strength.
“We were on the phone after one of her procedures and all of the sudden Jill started cracking up and tells me, ‘Nolan apparently thinks pants are optional in this house!’ Her voice went from dull to animate in seconds. That boy is her everything,” said Jenna Morgenthaler, a close friend.
Recently, Hamilton-Locke’s condition has gotten worse. She is spending more time in the hospital and away from her family.
“It has taken her away from her time with her son and daily simple life things, like play outside, take a walk, just being a mom. On an emotional level, Jill knows that this year could most likely be her last and she wants to make sure her son will be okay when she is gone,” said Hannah Imperial-Cannon, a close friend.
With all this, Hamilton-Locke never stops laughing, whether she is joking about purchasing a blue Marge Simpson for her next round of Chemo therapy or singing songs and telling jokes with her son and husband.
“Her spirit hasn’t broken. She is such a strong woman, she will never let you know she is in pain. Jill just wants to be herself, not herself with cancer,” said Morgenthaler.
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