Mother Bear

I now know what a Mother Bear who has lost her cub feels like-insane, helpless, super sad and mad as hell, all at the same time. Yesterday morning, I got up, got dressed, ate breakfast and Jamaal and I left together. He went to work while I was on my way to a four-day training course (more on that later). The sun was out and I only needed a light jacket-it was going to be a good day. Until I realized that I had left my Blackberry at home. I honestly felt faint and nauseous and like I was going to cry.

Now, I'm really not that into myself to presume that someone would have a nervous breakdown if I didn't respond to their email or call immediately however I have joined the constantly growing group of people who depend on technology to organize their lives and feel connected to the world.

I eventually pulled myself together and realized a larger problem. I only wear a watch 1-2 times per year-only when it matches my outfit. My BlackBerry has become my watch. Without it, I have absolutely no concept of what time is. This becomes a problem when you have to be places at certain times.

I made it to my training and made it through the day and bolted, literally bolted to the train to get home. And of course, during rush hour, everyone is on their phone, checking email, Twittering, and communicating all willy-nilly. I swear I could hear their keystrokes over the music I was listening to on my iPod. And yes, I did think they were mocking me.

When I finally got home, of course I hadn't missed any important calls and the most important email was from Gap, Inc. about spring fashion. I hope I've not become or that I'm not turning into one of "those people" but I'm not ashamed to admit that there is some comfort in having the ability to communicate with those you love (or those who you may not be a fan of) and interact with the world. Albeit from a small metal box that fits in the palm of your hand.

Let's Do It Right This Time

We learned a tragic yet invaluable lesson from Hurricane Katrina. A delayed response and limited resources made it very difficult for governmental agencies and relief workers to get to those who needed their help.

Let's do it right this time. Support a reputable organization like the American Red Cross who has hit the ground running with their fundraising efforts. Text "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 or visit their website at www.redcross.org.

Check out these photos, courtesy of the Chicago Red Cross, at www.flickr.com/photos/chicagoredcross.

~S

Objectionable Content

Like any good guardian, when I started my blog I became very protective of it, taking time to think about topics, trying to keep it current, directing web traffic, etc.

Things were going well until one day, I logged in to find this menacing banner across the top that said "Objectionable Content". I tried to edit the page and remove it but there was nothing I could do about it. FYI-The "Objectionable Content" function allows you to flag blogs or websites that you come across that contain offensive or inappropriate images or content. It basically puts the web administrator on alert that there may be something shady that they should look into.

Of course, I took this quite personal and started to brainstorm ideas about who would do such a thing and possibly what I could have written that would have offended someone. After a couple of days, I laughed it off and kept it at the back of my mind until last week...

After posting my last blog entry, I decided to peruse some other blogs via the "Next Blog" function in Blogger. After looking away only briefly, I realized that my cursor was hovering over the "Flag" button. Mortified, I realized that as easy as it would have been for me to inadvertently hit the button, the same unfortunate thing could have happened to one of my readers!

So, I apologize to those who I secretly suspected of sabotaging my blog. Suspicion can sometimes run rampant! But then again, I guess I'm in the right field of work!

Happy Reading,
S