When all you need to do is listen 2011

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport

Kansas City International Airport

I will never forget the time I used my free voucher. Like I've mentioned in my last journal I used my free voucher to go to a state that I had never been to before. I was interested in coming to the Volunteer state of Tennessee so I booked my free $350 voucher one way to go to Chattanooga, TN back in 2010. I don't want to get into a long story because I met a lot of people who the Lord had given me favor with while I was in Chattanooga a year. I was even working out there in Tennessee in 2010-2011 (I miss working for my boss, she was really cool). Anyway, let me get on with my story so my readers can understand why I try so much to be a really good listener when other people I meet are telling me things. It does not matter to me if you are younger than me or older than me I try to always listen to what people are telling me about anything that I don't know. It happened on January of 2011, I will never forget it. It was during the time of the snowstorms that hit New England and the Southeast such as Tennessee, Georgia, the Carolinas, and etc., got hit hard by the snow. I flew out of Bradley International Airport (BDL) from Hartford, CT on Delta Airlines connecting to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky in Hebron, KY (changed here before going to Tulsa, OK a couple of times and coming from Tulsa, OK) and my final destination would be at Kansas City International Airport in Kansas City, MO (love this part of Missouri and its beautiful). What happens at an airport while you are waiting for your ride? Well, you tend to meet people who are also waiting for their ride to pick them up like the woman I met did. I had my cellphone going on a year then (now 6 years) and my mom mainly called me or I would call her to let her know I made it to my final destination safely.

Meanwhile, I met a woman and we had a conversation (small talk). Now mind you it's a snowy day and Kansas City was hit with a lot of snow and that was what the woman and I was talking about. What came up is how Upstate New York, Michigan, Minnesota, etc. get flooded full of snow. I opened my mouth and mentioned Colorado boy what did I ever say Colorado for, lol. The woman said, "Hun, Colorado don't nearly get as much snow or nearly as bad snowstorms as the other states." I mentioned to the woman, "I didn't know that." The woman was also chatting on her cellphone but you could tell she is from Kansas City because Missouri is out in the Southwest (there are truly bold people in the Southwest). The woman said, "I have been to Minnesota, Colorado, and Michigan during the winter and trust me hun Colorado has the least snowstorms.”  I listened to the woman because she knew what she was talking about because I've only seen those states she's mentioned on TV winters when they get a lot of snow.

Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport

Charlotte Douglas International Airport

Starbucks

Girl Scout Cookie Frappuccino

Another Airport experience I had was on July 5, 2011 when I flew from Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport and connected to Charlotte Douglas International Airport flying on US Airways. I remember stopping by a nearest Starbucks in Charlotte. I was trying to decide on what Frappuccino (my indecisiveness happens a lot when I am traveling by myself & not with people when I'm at a restaurant) and the woman who waited on me was trying to recommend me a good Frappuccino so that I wouldn't keep other customers waiting in line to order. There was another woman who was working with her at the time at Starbucks and the next thing I knew it the woman said, "Order the girl scout Frappuccino it's the best and you will really love it!" I listened to the woman and said, "I will have the girl scout Frappuccino." The woman who recommended that I order the Frappuccino smiled at me. I remember enjoying this Frappuccino and it helped me decide on what I wanted to drink a Starbucks(Once I try something I like I tend to order the same thing whenever I'm at that restaurant). I can tell you that people tell me things whether it's just small talk or when I accidentally hear things I'm always listening. It comes to me the reason why people tell me things and it's because I always listen to people. Sometimes all people want is for someone who will listen to them. I enjoyed my Frappuccino up until the last drop and then boarded the plane to head back home to Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Hartford. A great Bible Verse on being a good listener is Proverbs 22:17 which say, "Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge." This Bible verse is great words of wisdom and I always seem to let it apply to me whenever I meet people who I have never met before.

How I got a $350 voucher from US Airways 2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Columbia Metropolitan Airport

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dulles International Airport

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bradley International Airport (BDL)

 

I will never forget when I got discharged from the Army Reserve (general but honorable discharge) I was in Fort Jackson, SC and was taken back to Columbia. I took a cab I remember back in 2010 to the Airport. Everything was all set I would fly out of Columbia Metropolitan Airport out of Columbia then I will connect to Dulles International Airport in Washington, DC and then I would connect to Philadelphia International Airport (well that was the plan), and back home to Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Hartford. The military booked the ticket so the Airlines that the military booked the tickets with were the most unpopular Airlines to people that being US Airways I can't complain because I didn't have to pay anything. Here is what happened, when I arrived at Columbia Metropolitan Airport I remember the cab driver telling me that I owed him $32 for taking me to the Airport. My family & I was used to tipping so I gave the cab driver $40 and left him a $8 tip. I made my connection from Columbia Metropolitan Airport to Dulles International Airport. You have to understand I've just been discharged from the military and I had a really bad head cold from going out in the field (in cool & cold temperatures mind you) and I had them check my bag full of stuff which I was able to keep that the military didn't take back from me once I was discharged. I was in Dulles International Airport in DC and discovered that the flight to Philadelphia International Airport was overbooked and when your connection is to an overbooked flight they are preparing to board immediately and you must be on that flight to make your connection. However, by some chance I missed my connecting flight to Philly.

 

Meanwhile, I had a chance to talk to a brunette hair woman, who worked at Dulles International Airport in DC. I was in a dilemma and I didn't know how I was going to get home because when the military does things you don't always know if you are going to be able to get another flight again because of a situation which I didn't know which occurred with my flight to Philly being so overbooked. It was nothing but the favor from God because the woman who worked at Dulles International Airport in DC said to me, "I'm going to give you a $350 voucher for you to fly anywhere for a year and I do apologize to you that your Philadelphia International Airport flight to Philly was overbooked and you were not able to go from there to Bradley International Airport. I am going to book a flight for you directly from Dulles International Airport here in DC to Bradley International Airport in Hartford for you." I was so grateful to get a free voucher and I thanked the woman for doing that for me. It was nothing but the favor of the Lord for sending the right person that worked at Dulles International Airport in DC across my path. When I arrived home at Bradley International Airport, I had a chance to talk to my mom on one of the phones at the Airport (this was before I got a cellphone yeah it's true, lol) and my mom had told me that my credit card was paid off because I had closed the account with Citibank (UPromise MasterCard) and everything and I was also helping out my mom those months I was away in the military in Fort Jackson, SC. I was glad that everything worked out and a really good Bible verse concerning favor in Proverbs 8:35 simply says, "For whoso findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord." My free voucher that was good for a year was good either round trip or one way. I made sure I put that voucher to good use when I chose a state I have never visited before.

The different experiences that happened to me 2009

I don't know where to begin because a lot happened during that year of 2009. First, I will start by talking a little bit about how Barack Obama defeated John McCain back in November of 2008. A lot of Conservatives during that year wished McCain would have been more aggressive because he had a strong Conservative woman as his VP in Sarah Palin. Me & my family were registered Democrats but were always Conservative so back in January of 2009 me & my mom decided to get out of the Liberal Democratic party and what it stood for because we were only in that party because my entire family was in that party. Me & my mom registered as Independents that year because in all honesty both the Republicans & Democrats have corrupt leaders in office (just being real). Secondly, I remember applying to a private school in Denver, CO back in 2008 for the spring of 2009 that year. I remember waiting to hear if I got in and that can be frustrating to hear whether or not if you got into a school or not. After about 3 weeks, I got a letter in the mail letting me know that I didn't get in (I found out about this back in March of 2009). So what do I do? Most people think the first thing you do when you hear bad news like that is panic right? That is the norm if you are not a Christian but for me that motivated me to try enlisting in the military. My mom was very encouraging and at 31, I figured I get in the military earn some income and help pay off my credit card debt. The Air Force National Guard was the first place I tried enlisting in. You don't just get into the military like that, you have to first pass your ASVAB test (you needed at least a score of a 31, the highest score you can get is a 99). The Sergeant started me off with a practice test and I scored a 31 on the practice test and he let me know that I was ready to take the real test at MEPS in Springfield, MA. 

Meanwhile, my big brother was visiting from California around the time I was scheduled to take the ASVAB test at MEPS. I called the Sergeant to let him know that family was visiting from out of town and if he could reschedule the test, then that would be great; well the Sergeant rescheduled for me to take the ASVAB test at a later day. Me, my mom, and my brother went to a banquet up in Sav-Mor Plaza in Bloomfield where Dorothy & Leroy's Southern homemade food was at then. Bloomfield high school invited all of the townspeople to come to the banquet and it was free food that year so my mom invited me & my big brother and we all listened to the speakers talk about what is happening in Bloomfield (my mom is the only one fascinated with Bloomfield). Well, not too long after my brother went back to California, I remember taking the ASVAB and I got a score of a 19 at MEPS; the Sergeant told me to come back in 60 days. What do you do when you hear bad news like that? Normally people get discouraged and find reasons not to try again but when you are a Christian you keep on trusting God and say "all delays are not denies." This happened to me I do believe in April of 2009. Well, I had a chance to figure out how I was going to enlist in the military after not scoring to get into the Air Force National Guard. Me & my mom decided to go to the Gospel Fest in Downtown Rockville, CT and if you read my journal about the Gospel Fest that I wrote about in Vernon back in 2004 you would feel like how I feel, that the Gospel Fest should have stayed in Vernon.

Meanwhile, after 60 days were up I remember the Sergeant in the Air Force National Guard referred me to the Sergeant in the Army National Guard to take the ASVAB test. The Sergeant in the Army National Guard had me take a practice test and said I scored a couple of points less than the 31 points on the practice test but felt that I was ready to take the ASVAB test. This test was going to be taken at a hospital in Newington, CT and not at MEPS in Springfield, MA. I remember taking this test and the Sergeant that took me to the hospital to take the test told me I missed a score of a 31 by 4 points. What can you do in that situation? Most people would complain and get discouraged and say "I'm totally done with this." As Christians you can only say what you can say when you tried your best under the circumstances and that being "it was not time for me to be in the military yet." So in July of 2009 I had a chance to reflect on what I needed to do to make changes for me as a person (basically I was trying to work on being a better version of me).  My older brother had been on his job working for the airlines (US Airways) a year then now 6 years. So here was the scenario, my older brother moved from Hartford to the Greater Baltimore Area of Maryland 2 years ago. I decided it was time for me to check out the Army Reserve because I was given the business by 2 Sergeants previously in my failed attempts to enlist in the military. Here is how God worked this out, my brother sent for my mom to watch his kids (my mom's grand kids and my nieces and nephews) in Maryland (The Greater Baltimore Area) in October of 2009 while my brother worked at the Airport.

Meanwhile, my mom's friend Miss Joan the same friend, who used to watch me and my older brother when we were little kids called my mom and me because her license plates & car was stolen and the police in Trumbull, CT told her that the information was reported there. Miss Joan called the Hartford police and the Hartford police let Miss Joan know that everything regarding her stolen car & plates was referred to them by the Trumbull police on Main St. in Trumbull. Anyway, to get over the confusion, Miss Joan needed me to ride with her because she didn't want to go all the way to Trumbull by herself because that is quite a ways away from Hartford and that's understandable. The Hartford Library printed out a map via directions and I rode with Miss Joan so she could straighten out things with the Trumbull police. When we came back from Trumbull, Miss Joan took me to this Jumbo Buffet Restaurant in Copaco in Bloomfield (Asian food). Well, my mom didn't know about me finally enlisting in the Army Reserve until after she discovered it when she came home that I was a soldier and that I got a score of a 37 on the ASVAB after many weeks of preparation. I never wavered from trusting in the Lord and a great Bible verse concerning trials & tribulations on how we should let them help us grow as a person in Romans 5:3-5 simply says, "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience: And Patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost." This Bible verse in Romans helped me to be so patient in trials & tribulations and also the fact the Lord helped me to trust him in those rough times now I am just learning to have that same attitude when things are not so rough (keeping the faith in both the good & and not so good times).

Paul on google plus

https://plus.google.com/107902871332382878541/posts

1.) Do you have a google plus account? Yes.

2.) How long have you had your google plus account? About 3 years.

3.) What do you like about the social networking website google plus? You can share photos, videos, blogs, some stories on google plus, etc.

4.) What do you dislike about google plus? It's a forgotten social networking website.

5.) Some people argue that google plus is not their "cup of tea" since You Tube and google plus merged do you agree or disagree? I can't say because I'm on Twitter, You Tube, and Pinterest more.

6.) Some people argue that You Tube now is not their "cup of tea" since You Tube merged with google plus do you agree or disagree? It all depends what people remember about the original You Tube before You Tube was sold. I can't worry about other people's disputes about a social networking website like google plus or You Tube because none of the changes have affected me going on either social networking website.

7.) Do you think that google plus is a good way of making friends? Yes especially for the active users of google plus.

8.) Do you think a really good profile on google plus determines if people will have a lot of friends yes or no? If what their interest or interests is the same as others than I think that has a lot to do with people making a lot friends on google plus or any other social networking website.

9.) If there was a way that you could help improve google plus what change or changes would you make to the social networking website? Instead of adding people to circles I would add people to friend's list & have a google plus blogging section for people who love to blog but don't have a blog website of their own.

10.) On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being you really don't like the social networking website google plus and 10 being you really like the social networking website google plus how would you rate the social networking website google plus? I am going to go with 8.