Merry Christmas all! I hope that you are having a great day filled with warmth of family and love. As you enjoy your day take time out to give thanks for what you have. While enjoying your Christmas others are faced with how to keep warm, what they will eat, where they will sleep, how to stay alive and why they should. While you pray in thanks, they pray for the end of the suffering. It easy to judge them and say “they are there because they choose to be there.” You should not be too quick to judge. Yes, many of them may have addictions that caused their demise, but there are those others. Last year I went to a homeless shelter as a volunteer to help serve dinner…….this year I see myself quickly becoming one of them.

How can this be? I am highly intelligent with an IQ in the 160s; a great business mind and success should be easy. But, you see I was raised to believe I would fail and life’s experiences have supported that belief. My father who was a preacher was also many other things. He was abusive mentally, physically and sexual to his daughters (my sisters). He threatened my life many times as a boy quoting scripture from the Bible to justify his threats. When I became a man I promised myself that I would be different, and that I was. But life is not without its irony ……good men are often rejected ..… I have lived as a very honest, respectable, and just man. I defended the weak, stood strong for that which was right and just…..yet at great cost. I have lost jobs because I was too honest. In my last job I held a good position with a government contractor and as a result of my stand against wrong doing I paid a dear price. I decided that starting my own business would be the best option and would guarantee that I could work honestly without fear. This was three years ago, and the timing economically was good. The greatest opportunity of all my life was before me……it was amazing! My wife and I were in a great financial position, the possibilities nearly unlimited. My plan was to use all my knowledge and experiences to start my own business. Failure was not a possibility, and I knew that I could do it. A net income well into the six figures highly likely in the first year, and because of the type of business it was growth nearly doubling each year was highly possible. But…..there was a problem. My wife and I had only been married two short years, and our relationship was in trouble. What we had together quickly became only hers. For a married man to start a business without the support of his wife is extremely difficult. But I had to try it. Without the ability to use any of our joint funds or property I was doomed from the start. Now I have lost everything personally, I am deeply in debt. As in the movie “It’s a Wonder Life” I am now worth more dead than alive. If life could be as easy as the movies, with guardian angels and a town full of friends there would be a few less fallen. But even now I gave thanks ……..I am not yet at the end of my rope………and I pray for those whom seem to have no rope of hope.

Merry Christmas!
2007

I agree with you, it can all go to shit right before our eyes and sometimes all we can do is watch it happen.

Eveytime the holidays roll around I do my best to appreciate what they should mean. Every year I am getting better and better at it.

Just try and stay strong brother, stay hungry, and stay alive. What goes around comes around and you WILL have your day.

Happy Holidays to you also.

Sincerely,
The Boss

Flavia, you don't do anything almost--thank you for that! You inspire me to do the same. TO you both on the thread--I will pray for you.

FLAVIA 2008

I noticed that state Sen. Connie Williams is not running for re-election in 2008. Flavia, aren't you from her area? If so, we need to start a "Draft Flavia" campaign to get you to run. You have ideas and passion for service and wouldn't running for public office be the ultimate citizen hunt?

I doubt those old stiffs in Harrisburg would know what hit them if you were there.

Amen Charles!

Good call Charles!

Connie Williams stated that one of the main reasons she is retiring is so that some younger blood could take over. Flavia, you are the epitomy of this criteria. I am sure Daylin Leach is fine enough, but he has had his problems in the past with some of the blog posts he has written. He will be giving the Republicans too much ammo. Besides, Harrisburg needs a shake up and you can't do that by promoting from within. Run Flavia, Run. Senator Colgan sounds good.

Sign me up. Girl Power

Hey Flavia, That would be great if you ran for that seat in PA. The first time I heard you, my first thought was, she sees the big picture. And there was this crystal clear intelligence that came through and I appreciated it. I liked the confidence and spirit too which is probably why I looked your name up on myspace. Wow the 2000s are funny.

If anyone can make a difference I believe you could. Ok, now stop rolling your eyes at me lol. But I did begin to think a bit when that guy on FOX the other night mentioned you for Secretary of State. Seems you have what it takes from what I've read about you on the net. Happy New Year. Jay

I would vote for you in a New York Minute if I lived there! Please say you are not running though as that would mean you would be in PA all the time.

Flavia:
I know that you think well of Daylin and he is a good firend and a great rep so I bet you will support him.

Scott - In following up on Amanda's comments, I checked in on the stories about Daylin's blog posting. She is right. Thinking well of Daylin may be a good asset, but if Rep. Leach were thinking smart about winning that seat, he would be asking Flavia to run and not set himself up to get attacked. We need reform in Harrisburg and Flavia has been a strong advocate for that since starting this blog. Lets be smart and think about winning and not just who may be the next in line promotion.