My parents meant well, but in some ways they have really made social development difficult for me. You see, I was home-schooled as a kid, and kind of isolated from all the rest of the kids my age. I never got to hang out with the neighborhood girls growing up, or to go to parties. When I had my first date – at the age of 16 – my dad gave me some simple dating advice. He told me that as long as you are polite to a girl and really act like a gentleman, it will always be easy to meet nice young ladies. Needless to say, his dating tips did not serve me well in life. I had little experience to go on when I got to college and wanted to go out and meet girls, and no good advice on dating. What was worse, I did not know where to go for dating tips. Most of the boys were eager to give out a dating tip to anyone who would listen, but they were always pretty crude about it. They had dating tips for men that basically all centered around how to get a girl to let you spend the night. I wasn't really interested in that kind of relationship, but I could not find meaningful relationship advice. The problem is that everyone wants to feel like an expert on matters of love. Everyone will offer you dating tips whether or not you ask. Whether it was my roommate commenting on the shirts that I would wear when I went out on dates, or my best friend talking about what movie we should go to, I could not find many people who did not have something to say. I still could not find any dating tips that I trusted, and now I was overwhelmed with a lot of advice that I did not want. I tried writing into a dating advice column, but that did me no good. They would not answer my question as it was not racy enough. Finally, I gave up on dating tips. I knew that whatever I learned about love and romance I would have to learn myself. It took me some time to figure out how to meet women, but I did figure it out. It turns out that, once you are no longer afraid to talk to them, it is easy.
January 8, 2009
dating tips
December 5, 2008
student loan debt consolidation?
The way that my debts have built up since college, it seems like I have been paying for the fun that I had. I remember how carefree life was. I had a student loan to cover most of my expenses, and a little bit of help from my parents on the side. Life was good until I was through with school. Like many members of my generation, I was unlucky. I graduated just as the dotcom bubble burst. I was highly skilled and constantly underemployed. My student debt grew and grew. consolidation rates were too high for me to afford with my current income. There was just nothing that I could do. Finally, something came through for me. I had a friend in the high-tech industry who hooked me up with a job. It was luck, and nothing else. I had the right connections. Suddenly, I could pay for my student loan debt consolidation. I can't tell you what a relief that was. I came out of college idealistic and eager to tackle the world, but the world was not ready for me. As soon as I entered the workforce, I was completely broke. My education did nothing for me except to make it hard for me to get low end jobs. The high end jobs were not hiring. My student loan debt consolidation had spiraled out of control. I had no money. It's tough to be hopeless at the age of 25. Getting the new job, along with the student loan debt consolidation, saved my optimism. It's strange to think how often it just simply comes down to money. Now that I have enough of it, I am fairly happy.
I signed up for a student loan debt consolidation, but it did knew very little good. Student loan
If you are facing high student loan payments, I don't have to tell you that things can be pretty bleak. A lot of the time, the student loan debt consolidation just doesn't go far enough. If you went to community college or a state school, things might be fine. If, however, you used your student loans to go to an expensive private school, you might be out of luck. Even with student loan debt consolidation, sometimes the payments are too high. If you cannot get a good job, you might be faced with thousands of dollars of debt perpetually hanging over your head. It can get pretty grim.
December 4, 2008
family reunions?
My sister and I have discussed going into business together for many years. We have talked about a variety of things. We both love to cook and entertain. I also love to research family histories. We decided that we would start a catering business that would specialize in family reunions. For an added fee we would complete a family history as well as search out lost family members. Our husbands thought we wanted to cater to too specific a market, but we soon discovered that there are many people that wanted to utilize our services. apart and one was for one hundred people and the other was for eighty. They were both held in a local church fellowship center. The fellowship centers had full kitchens so we prepared the food on sight. We cooked the day before the event as well as the same day. These family reunions were for three generations and did not extend out beyond first cousins. During the second family gathering one of the guests approached us and asked if we would be able to cater a larger party. She said that she and a cousin were trying to combine two family reunions that have taken place over several years. The reason that there were two gatherings held was that out of a family of thirteen children half went to live with one set of grandparents when their parents died and the other half moved in with the other set of grandparents. Half of the children were forced to change their last name to their mother’s maiden name. The two groups lived several hundred miles apart in two different states. This woman said that she had been doing some research, but did not have time to complete it. She agreed to hire me to complete the research. She also wanted my sister and me to combine the two family reunions and cater for the large group of two hundred and twenty people.
We began our business by catering two family reunions of friends of ours. The events were two weeks
My sister and I were very excited that we were able to book another event so easily. That was five years ago. We now have so many requests to cater and plan family reunions that we have had to turn down some of the business. All of our business has been word of mouth. In the five years we have never done any advertising other than having our telephone number in the directory. It is very rewarding being part of the family reunions because we get to watch relatives be reunited that in some cases have never met as adults. We feel our business goes well beyond providing food for a gathering, we help bring people together.
October 7, 2008
Head Start programs?
Head Start programs are designed to help very young children of economically disadvantaged families thrive in the school setting. The services are offered to preschool children in an effort to help them get ready for their kindergarten and elementary school experiences. The main focus of the organizations is to help preschoolers develop math and reading skills very early. Through Head Start programs children of disadvantaged families have an opportunity to learn some of the fundamentals of reading and math before their educational careers even begin. Children who get a good jump start in their reading and math skills experience more success than those who do not. Services for Head Start programs in some areas begin as early as birth depending on the family’s needs. The organizations recognize the importance of learning from a very young age. While the notion of learning beginning at birth (and even before) is not really a new concept few other agencies and organizations have offered services provided by Head Start programs. Getting a real jump start on education can begin very early in life and the services offered are just the thing children from disadvantaged families need. One of the most important aspects of the Head Start programs is family involvement. Parents are active participants in the planning and implementation of program services. Though the child typically goes to a building and attends preschool-type classes parents are still actively in the mix and they are encouraged to continue the interventions at home. Head Start programs do include many social development activities that prepare little ones for appropriate interactions once they reach school age. Social skills should not be overlooked and these organizations help children work on their interactions with others. It is never too soon to encourage your child to learn. Head start programs are fantastic tools to help children and families work together to live and learn.
The money collected for the developmental services for underprivileged preschoolers comes from grants. The Head Start programs fund agencies that provide the services to children in the community. The agencies are both non-profit and for-profit organizations that are equipped with the staff and supplies necessary to complete the mission of Head Start programs.
The little ones are not the only individuals who benefit from the learning experience. The Head Start programs are designed to help parents learn about child development as well as other aspects of bringing up a child. Topics include education, nutrition and social skills.
