A thousand mile journey begins with the first step

I've been thinking of starting a blog for some time now. Actually, my inspiration came from the movie, "Julie & Julia." I liked the idea of how sharing what she was going through and her insights not only helped her, but might have helped others that read her blog. So, I thought, why not? Why not toss out what few tidbits of useful information I gain through my own trial and error, in the hopes that someone out there might be saved from some modicum of error.

It's easy to say "They should or should not...", but I think that it takes a little more gumption for a person to stand up and voice his or her opinion, realizing that not everyone, if anyone at all, will agree. So, while today is my first post, I haven't much to toss out there aside from the timeless adage that "you get what you sow." For example, the whole scandal of the alleged bribery regarding the gambling issues here in the state of Alabama. Not being a fan of gambling, I find it ironic that these people "took a gamble" and, for all practical purposes, lost. After all, credibility is an incredible power. And once lost is almost impossible to ever fully regain.

What did I take from all of this? (And I do try to learn from the mistakes of others) I want to practice what I preach. I want to be a woman of integrity so that when I say that I will or won't do something, there will be no question as to whether I will or won't. My word will be as good to people as a signed contract. I have no idea what will be the outcome of this investigation. I just know that those people will feel the implications of their actions or inactions for years to come. And because of that, I will guard my own actions more closely, trying to always remember to take the time to think things through. Could explain the importance of critical thinking skills. Which could be the topic of my next post. What if schools went back to focusing on teaching such things as critical thinking skills, honor, integrity, pride in one's own accomplishment, and developing self-worth in conduct, every day behavior, and the work of one's own two hands instead of focusing on tests scores that really mean nothing. More on that tomorrow...