Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Hurry Up And Slow Down!



Do you ever get so busy and so overwhelmed with what's going on in your life, that it seems no matter what you do, you will never get ahead...?

This holiday season has been like no other.  Working full-time sure has made things different around my house...And it feels like whenever I get my head JUST above the water...Something happens to make me have t tread water just a little longer.

If you have paid any attention to this Star Wars movie....You know that it has broken records.  It is now the biggest movie ever!

These last 2 wks are a blur -

It's so easy to get overwhelmed ... It's so easy to forget that we need to slow down a little.

The other day, during a CRAZY MAD rush at the theater, my boss, was frantically running around in the back stock room, trying to get things ready....She looked stressed.  She looked angry.

As I pass by her....I say, "Hi ***** How are you...?"  Bleary-eyed she looks at me... "Uhhh....."
I smiled and ask her how her Christmas was.....

She sets down the rolls of cups she had in her arms....Smiles back at me....And says...."It was wonderful...!"  She told me about the quilt she got ...And how surprised she was, that her mother remembered....

S-L-O-W  D-O-W-N!

"How do you do that Kristi?"  She asks  "How are you so easy-going?"  "How is this NOT overwhelming you....?"  (meaning the massive amounts of people the are outside the stockroom)



I just smiled and told her..."They're JUST people seeing a movie..."

I know that everyday will have its end....And I will get to go to bed....and *Hopefully* get to wake up....
Yeah sure....and then come back to the theater...where it starts ALL OVER again.....But....NOW here's the secret....

If you SLOW DOWN....Even in the CRAZY- BUSY times in your life, I have found that life isn't so bad.

Today...As you go out into the world...Take things in....Experience them.  Even the bad stuff, can be turned into something GOOD

I barely remember the 2 years of driving back and forth to the hospital for my daughters chemotherapy...What I DO remember...is our quiet "dates" of milk shakes after we were done.  The meaningful conversations of what she wanted to be when she grew up.

Life is stressful....It's overwhelming...And Sometimes even painful ...But slowing down brings everything into perspective.

Slow Down.  Be present. Make a conscience effort to see the good things in life....And you will find yourself more easily able to:

THRIVE ON!!

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

The Force Awakens



This week, Star Wars opened...It has been something that has been talked about since I was hired at AMC Theatres 10 months ago.
Wednesday night from Midnight til Thursday 8am...I was working the 'marathon'...Where our theater played ALL of the Star Wars movies...
Every hour, the lines for this movie get moved...Every 2 hrs, a new set of lines filter into the theater. It's madness at its best. And WORST.
This year, I have seen it all. Guns, fist fights, disrespectful guests....I've been threatened and spit on. I've watched police arrest guests, and after being told to 'F-off' by a guest who then promised to meet me at my car after my shift, I've been escorted by our own security team back to my vehicle at closing.
 What makes people feel so entitled about seeing a movie that they can treat others so poorly? What else is going on in their lives that makes me their target of choice?
Where you have great masses of people, you also have great MESSES of people. It's like trying to clean during a tornado...
Humans are truly disgusting...And I am now not surprised with the amount of nastiness I walk into when I am helping to clean a theater. I've cleaned up poop, puke, pee...And other bodily fluids that will not be mentioned....

And all of this leaves me to wonder WHY I keep going back there....
Back to Star Wars...Seriously...WOW. It's the BIGGEST MOVIE OPENING OF ALL TIME and It has been nonstop since Wednesday night....Literally thousands of people flow through our building everyday – It's crazy...and....It's fascinating - I get the opportunity to witness true nerdiness with all of the costumes and props. It's pretty awesome.
The other night I saw a tiny 3 yr old dressed up as Chewbacca and a middle aged woman wearing a Princess Leia inspired gold bikini. Light Sabers, Storm Trooper outfits...And Guests talking to me in Yoda....I feel pretty lucky to be a part of this. In particular - one aspect stands out to me. Years ago, Star Wars nerds were just that - nerds. Outcasts. Now it's cool to be a nerd - and I see it at the theatre every month, whether it's super-heroes, raptors, or Jedi's roaming the halls. The more the world is exposed to what's different, the more accepting it becomes. 


What if they became more exposed to Neurofibromatosis? Perhaps a force for good would awaken among the world as we allow it to awaken within ourselves.

Thrive on! 

Monday, December 14, 2015

Connecting NF Style



You know how when you are driving around....And you spot someone on the road driving the same kind of car you are in...?  You take that extra time to check the other car out....Maybe even smile and wave to driver...Like you know...you have some sort of connection with them....Even though you are complete strangers.  :)

Well...This kid started working at the theater I work at, and I did that..."Hey, something about him is familiar..."  I just started noticing that he and I had something in common.

It's weird.  When you meet a total stranger, who has the same condition as you.  It's a crazy feeling that is hard to explain.  It's like you are friends, before you even speak.

This kid, is 18 years old....Has Scoliosis (an obvious curvature), slightly bigger head, deep set eyes...And cafe au laits spots on his arms....Which were what prompted a conversation about Neurofibromatosis.

I feel sad for this boy...He tells me that he has no one to talk to about what he is going through.  He is the only one in his family who has NF....And his parents are in denial and refuse to take him to the doctor.

We were on break together...And he had his head on the table.  I asked him if he was okay, and he tells me that he gets really bad headaches.

"Is this normal...?" he asks.

My motherly instincts kick in and I slide my chair over to him.  I told him about my headaches...and that he needs to communicate to his parents about this.

He has never had an MRI....And he asks me what they are like....And we spend the rest of our break talking about tumors and headaches.

Part of me whats to hunt down his parents, and shake them...and MAKE them care!  I understand being scared and not wanting to deal with this.  I get the thought of wanting to shove this in the corner and and ignore it.

That's what my parents did.

I get the fear and guilt.  But fear and guilt do NOTHING but make things worse.  Especially when you are using them as excuses.

The other day this boy and I are passing each other at the time clock...He told me that he told his mom that he met a lady at work who also has NF....He went on to say that him and his mom are going to the doctor next week to talk about his headaches.

I was so happy!

He said THANK YOU to me......"For what...?" I asked.

He said...."For talking about NF and not being afraid....For helping me not be afraid...And maybe...for helping my mom not be afraid...."

This folks, is what it's all about--

THRIVING WITH NEUROFIBROMATOSIS!