The Real World...

I watched a couple episodes of The Real World from seasons in Washington DC and New Orleans this weekend. I am always interested in the sociology of meshing people from various backgrounds and experiences together in the same living quarters. I’m a fan of Big Brother and Survivor, too. It’s a situation I would never be able to survive!

For those of you who may not be aware of the story line for The Real World, there are typically about eight cast members between the ages 18-25 who are picked to live in a house together and have their lives taped. The show has been running on MTV since 1992.

As many of you might imagine, throwing a group of strangers in a house together often includes many of them hooking up, many of them pursuing their dreams of being in the spotlight and often several verbal altercations. I find the show rather entertaining.

But this weekend, as I watched the episodes, I couldn’t help but wonder when it was that I stopped thinking I could do anything I wanted to do. I watched this group of housemates pursuing all the dreams they had and it made me think. I remember in high school I was interested in photography and wasn’t at all shy about talking to other professional photographers and thinking that I could work for any newspaper or magazine that I wanted. I just went for it. In college, I wanted to work for the newspaper and I did. I wanted to write and I did.

I watched the cast member, Callie, pursue her dreams of being a photographer while in Washington DC. She didn’t know what she was doing, but was willing to learn and not be deterred.

Another cast member, Andrew, wanted to draw cartoons for the Washington Post. He called and got an appointment with one of the editors and talked about what he needed to do to get published. Although he didn’t get published in the Post, he was published in the Washington Times. Again, nothing seemed impossible.

I started asking myself, what’s changed? Maybe it’s age.  Maybe it’s money. I guess when I was in college everything wasn’t about money. I wasn’t paying the mortgage, so it didn’t matter if I was being paid a little or a lot to do what I wanted to do.

Maybe it’s geography…I don’t want to move to follow my dreams. Then again, dreams…. I think I stopped dreaming about the possibilities that life holds when I got a “real” job! I just float through life because I’m content. The bills are paid, I have good friends where I work and I like my job.

I guess this blog has been a little rambling, but I can’t help but wonder…

Does anyone else feel like this? Unsure of when we hit reality and stopped thinking about all the things we could possibly do?   

At times it was as if I was competing on The Amazing Race…

As my friend Brenda and I ran through the airport in Jacksonville, Florida yesterday, I felt for a moment like we were competing on the reality TV show, The Amazing Race. If there were teams behind us, we would have smoked ‘em.

It was 10:22 when we checked in at the airport and asked the lady at the counter if there was any way we could take an earlier flight than our 4:40.  We had gotten off the cruise ship and had nowhere else to go so we hoped to fly standby on the 1 something flight. On the computer, she pulled up a flight that would leave at 10:52 and proceeded to tell us that we would never make it. We asked if we could try anyway. After all, we had nothing to lose.

We checked our bags and began finding our way to Gate C2. We were on our way, optimistic we would make it. Until we hit security. Hmm…. Too many people in front of us, our passports were in hand and my tennis shoes were unlaced. But we weren’t moving. Seconds ticked away and suddenly our hopes were crumbling. And then, with a stroke of genius and a bit of luck, Brenda asked if we could cut. Again, we were off and running through the terminal with my tennis shoes in my hands! We got to the gate just as the last person was getting on. Sweet victory!

Instead of going through our original connection in Nashville, we ended up in Philadelphia. Neither one of us had ever been there and thought it would be alright if we had to hang out there for awhile. We got out at E11 and talked to the gate agent. She said we were just in time to make the next flight if we hurried to E9. We ran over there to once again walk on the flight that was boarding. What luck!

We made it, but our bags didn’t.  Instead of getting home at our originally anticipated time of 10:30ish, we made it to Midway at about 2pm. We had no idea if our bags were on the flight that would come in at 4:30 or the flight that would come in after. Luckily, they were on the first flight and we were back in South Bend by 8pm.

If we had been on the show, we surely would have taken first place and been awarded some type of Travelocity trip to some exotic region. Instead, we weren’t awarded anything except that anticipation of another trip in two weeks to Charleston.

I have to say that during the Carnival Cruise to the Bahamas there were at least two other times I thought our actions resembled The Amazing Race.

If you have ever been on a cruise (maybe it’s just carnival?) you know that they take pictures all the time around the ship and then post them in a gallery for all to see. You walk from wall to wall with thousands of pictures trying to find yours to purchase.  Well, as Brenda and I were searching for our pictures, I thought that it would be a great challenge on the show to show the contestants a picture of two people and make them find the ten pictures throughout the gallery resembling the people. I should be a reality show challenge creator!

The other time was in Nassau when we were trying to find some places to eat with local food rather than the tourist type of food. We asked a lady in the store where we could go and she had a thick accent and some broken English. We got bits and pieces. Finally, we asked someone else who said to take the number ten bus to the fish fry and look for the restaurants. Better yet, we took a cab and asked him and he mentioned they eat at Fish Fry, which we later found out is an area of restaurants, and Twin Brothers is the best. It was a bit of a challenge and also reminded me of the show.

We had a great, quick vacation on the boat and with plenty of fun in the casinos and the different ports. If I ever make it back to the Bahamas I’m looking for the stand by Atlantis, located just off of the ferry boat where the lady made us a drink called Goombay Smash. Probably the best frozen cocktail I’ve had in awhile!

For now, we’ve not been eliminated from the race. We may not have won first place, but we’ve got another few vacations to look forward to. I’m lucky to have friends who like to travel.

My thoughts on the movie, Courageous

In the last six months I’ve seen the movies Water for Elephants and The Help, both movies were suggested by my friend Brenda. Both were good movies, well worth my time and money.

Today, I suggested we see the movie, Courageous. As the movie scrolled through the credits, Brenda and I agreed that I am banned from picking movies for awhile. It wasn’t worth the time or the money, in my opinion.

It was my understanding that the movie was about four police officers who were working toward finding a balance between work and home life. It sounded like a somewhat interesting plot, and I always appreciate the good scenery of men in uniform.

The writers introduce four officers and their family situations. All were typical representations of today’s family units, a family of four with a wife, husband, young son and daughter. Another was a single dad who hadn’t yet met his 4-year-old daughter because he was running from the responsibility of being a father. The third man had a wife and three kids and was new to the department, trying to fit in with his new partners. Finally, the last was a divorced husband who saw his young son every other weekend and was struggling to survive paying child support and his own bills.

As I relaxed in my chair, popcorn in hand, I watched as the story line unfolded as the one officer was faced with the death of his 9-year-old daughter. The death brought led him to question what type of father he had been to his daughter, what type of husband he was to his wife and the role model he was for his son. In his time of sorrow he turned to God for help.

Over the next hour and a half the men decided to write a resolution proclaiming their wishes to be honorable men and honorable leaders in their homes. Here’s where I had an “issue” with the movie!

The writers went a little overboard drawing direct conclusions between each man and his quest to acknowledge God in his life. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in God and I understand the need for religion, but a little Bible lesson goes a long way. The repetitiveness of their message that God makes all possible was overkill. I was thinking that this two hour movie was the equivalent of six months of Sunday sermons. For a moment I flashed back to the bad after school specials that I hadn’t seen since I was in third grade.

I won’t go into more detail about the various sub plots in the movie for those of you who may still want to see the movie and make your own decision about whether the amount of God references was too much.  I’m curious to know what others think about the movie.

As for me, I believe the overall message of including God in one’s life and being a positive mentor for others is a great message. I just wish the writers would have illustrated the lesson rather than beating me over the head with it.

"But...it's tradition"

I spent a few hours on Monday driving slightly left of the center line. Nope, it wasn’t because I had over indulged in alcoholic beverages or because the alignment was off in my car. Instead, it has become a tradition it seems on holidays. I was in a parade.

As I drove down the road, I not only thought about the people in the parade, but also the people watching the parade. I wondered how many of them spend every Labor Day at the Blueberry Festival or participating in the parade.

What makes something a tradition? Is it the family and friends that add to the event? Is it the repetition that once you have done something it then becomes a tradition the next time you do it?

My nephew Sam is eight-years-old and he has a fantastic memory. Since he was a very little boy he would remember things that we did as a family and each year after when he would visit LaPorte he would refer to the traditions we had. My dad would pack a cooler on the boat with ice cubes and popsicles and Sam knew that along the ride he could have a popsicle and throw the ice cubes in the water. Apparently this was great fun for him and it has become a tradition.

There are a few traditions I remember from my childhood. Looking back, it’s kind of a shame that as my brother got married and had children of his own, they have kind of ended. Christmas Eve was always a huge night of tradition in my family. We’d have a really nice dinner and then go to church and miraculously while we were gone, Santa would make his way into the basement and leave presents under the tree. My parents would watch Kel and I open them and play with our new toys for hours.  I’d line up my Strawberry Shortcake figures and he would line up his Star Wars men. I have great memories because those times were what Christmas always meant to me.

As I think of other traditions like how we spend the Fourth of July, I wonder if our traditions were focused solely on holidays. Hmmm….

I’m sure they weren’t, but I’ll have to ask my brother and my parents about some of the others.

I know that at least for Sam, they aren’t. But I know each family has their own set of traditions and they don’t seem to be culturally or necessarily geographically based.  What traditions do you remember? What traditions are you starting on your own or with your family?

A walk to remember...

I went for a two mile walk tonight and by most standards, I didn’t blaze any trails. Yet, I think it was one of my more successful walks.

Last month I signed up for a half marathon walk in Savannah, Georgia on November 5^th.  I did it for mostly selfish reasons because I felt I needed a healthy goal to strive toward. So tonight, I knew I needed to walk, but I had been out with friends and didn’t really feel like going.

But on my walk, I was thinking about how the 13 mile walk in Savannah would go. It isn’t my first time walking 13 miles, nor my second, so I kind of know what to expect. Except this walk is a little different because I walked the others to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. 

So as I walked, I enjoyed the thoughts of who this walk could honor. What will give me the push in miles 8 and 9 when I feel my thighs tingle a little? And that is when I thought about Destinee Smith, my Aunt Pammie, Jody Ryan, Brady Burkhart, Joe Agostino and Carol VanBraune and all of the other courageous cancer survivors I have met over the years.

I know many of you are probably tired of hearing about the importance of blood donation and what I do for a living, but volunteering for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is something I started many years before I set foot in South Bend Medical Foundation.

When I was in high school I worked in the kitchen for LaPorte Hospital. I was a junior in high school when I met my very best friends for the next several years, Michelle Reese and Jody Ryan. It wasn’t long after I met Jody that she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Her struggle was so courageous that I don’t think she’ll ever really know how much respect and admiration Reese and I had for her. And her fight paid off and I am glad to say she overcame cancer. And because of her, it was shortly after I started college that I became interested in volunteering for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

It was then that I met Carol VanBraune and Joe Agostino. Carol was in remission and Joe had recently undergone treatment for his cancer. I can’t tell you how impressive their attitudes were to me.

About 10 years later, I started at the Foundation and I am honored to be able to know the cancer survivors who have benefited from units of blood and platelets such as Destinee Smith and Brady Burkhart.

So tonight, on my walk, when I wondered what could push me on my 13 mile walk, I thought of these people. Of how they sat for hours on end getting chemo treatments and how much I’ve learned from each of their stories. Talk about perseverance and determination!

So as I walk in Savannah on November 5^th, I’m proud to say that I won’t be walking alone, but with those who have walked in much bigger shoes than I will and I’ll know how lucky I am.

Passion for assisting others leads Jamie McGraw to SBMF

I know several people who love their jobs, but I also know several people who would rather be anywhere than at work.

I also know one person who would work around the clock if he was allowed and I’m not sure it would matter to him whether he was getting paid $3 an hour or $8 an hour. He eats, breathes and dreams South Bend Medical Foundation.

Jamie McGraw, 25, has worked for the Foundation for the last three years as the Blood Donor Attendant at West Edison. South Bend Medical Foundation in conjunction with Logan Center has established a partnership to create opportunities for work placement. Jamie has Down Syndrome, a condition in which extra genetic material causes delays in the way a child develops, both physically and mentally.

Each morning, he boards the bus and travels to work for his 7:30am start. Clad in his white South Bend Medical Foundation polo shirt, Jamie is proud to welcome donors into the blood donor center. His goal is to assist donors so that they have a good experience and want to return.

With a smile on his face and an eagerness to please, Jamie offers each donor an assortment of juice and snacks. He knows the importance of his position.  But this isn’t his only duty. He puts medical supplies away, makes sure the snack totes are refilled for the remote blood drive team, makes cold cloths for donors who suffer from reactions, and makes the coffee and hot tea. It’s all in a day’s work for Jamie.

But it isn’t the work that motivates him to do his best every day, it’s his co-workers.

“My favorite thing is that I love my colleagues.  They’re nice and friendly and they dress appropriately,” said Jamie.

His enthusiasm for his work and even for life is contagious.  He’s even a little bit of a marketing guru. If you call his personal cell phone and are transferred to voice mail, you’ll get a message urging you to donate blood at South Bend Medical Foundation.

It’s a message that comes from the heart and one he knows is important.

“I have donated blood five times. I started because my dad had cancer so I wanted to donate blood in his memory,” said Jamie.

Two years ago, Jamie contacted the marketing crew at the Foundation and told them he thought that every donor should get a turkey when they donate during November. It was amazing how many donors flooded the centers wanting to donate blood so they could receive the Thanksgiving turkey.

And although Jamie has a great amount of passion for his current position, he admits that he wanted to work in the donor area so he could get experience working with people and serving them beverages and making them comfortable because his goal is to work for the airlines as a flight attendant.

He’s active in Logan Center and recently served as the chairman of the Logan’s Run.  He also is an usher at St. Joe Parish. One thing is for sure, Jamie is a motivated employee at the Foundation and he clearly loves his job.

Come meet Jamie at our Edison location Monday – Friday between 7:30 and 3:30. He’ll take great care of you!

Never Forget

If you ask just about anyone who is old enough to remember where they were when news that JFK was shot, they can probably tell you.

If you ask anyone where they were on September 11, 2001, you’ll probably get an answer as though it was yesterday.

I had moved that weekend from LaPorte to my apartment in South Bend. I had taken that Monday and Tuesday off to get settled and had talked to a friend at work when she told me that a plane had flown into one of the towers at the World Trade Center.

In a matter of seconds, I hooked my TV up and started watching the coverage.  There was mass chaos as people were unsure of where their loved ones were.  So many people were on their cell phones that many people were unable to complete their calls. Many were trapped in the city, unable to get home because the subway was shut down. Soon, all planes would be grounded and millions of people were stuck in airports across the United States.

At the South Bend Medical Foundation, people lined up around the building to donate blood. They waited for hours because they wanted to do something to help those injured in New York. So many people wanted to help that we had almost too much blood. For days, people showed their support by flying the American Flag, wearing red, white and blue pins and donating money to those affected by the terrorist attacks. We vowed we would never forget.

Unfortunately, 10 years ago we had lines wrapped around the building, while two years ago we were alerting the news media because donations were so low that we had fallen to a one day supply of O negative blood. Last year, donors beds remained nearly empty again and our supplies fell drastically.

This year, South Bend Medical Foundation will mark the 10 year anniversary of the tragic events in New York by hosting a blood drive in honor of Katie McCloskey and Kathy Hawk Nicosia. Both were natives of South Bend and both graduated from Adams High School. 

Katie’s friends and family have established a scholarship fund in memory of Katie at Adams High School. South Bend Medical Foundation will donate $5 per unit collected to the fund.

If you would like to show your support for our local fire and police agencies and honor Katie and Kathy by donating blood, sign up for an appointment to donate blood at the South Bend Fire House, 1222 South Michigan Street on Sunday, September 11 between 10am and 3pm. Appointments can be made by calling 574.234.1157 or by signing up online at http://bit.ly/911HERO. 

Many donors are still eligible to donate even if they are taking medications. If you have questions about your eligibility please contact 574.234.1157 or donors@sbmf.org.  Volunteers will be on hand to provide activities for children if you need to bring them while you donate.