Family

This time of the year is insane. In around a forty day span, we celebrate a slew of holidays (depending on religious/cultural/ sanity backgrounds) and ring in a new year with the promise and hope of a better tomorrow. For most of us, this means that we will be spending a great deal of time with family over the next few weeks. In my family alone, we had Thanksgiving celebrations last week, will have Christmas get-togethers, then we will travel 9 hours to go to a cousin's wedding. Whole lotta family, not a lotta time.

Luckily, my family is pretty awesome, so it's not a burden at all. My dad's side of the family is full of wannabe (and should be) comedians. I can't remember the last time we were all together that we weren't in stitches from a story my dad or his siblings told (most of the time, at their spouse's expense). Even when we are going through a dark time or rough patch, just being in the room with them makes things seem warmer and a little easier to make it through. It's a pretty large group when we are all together. I have on that side of the family alone, 2 uncles, 3 aunts, 8 cousins (some by marriage), 3 baby second cousins (soon to be four), and a grandmother. Not including my nuclear family (Mom, Dad, Sis, and Me). The Kelly household is full (and I mean FULL) of fun and love.

My mom's side of the family offers a much quieter, yet just as warm and loving atmosphere. My two uncles and aunts are so kind and wise. My two older cousins and their NINE CHILDREN (yeah...they're both in their early thirties...go girls) live farther away, so getting to see them is always so sweet and fun. I mean, nine kids- it's not going to ever be boring. My two younger cousins and their step sisters (who are just as much family as anyone else)  live even farther away, so it's always really special when we are together. The visits are more spread out, but we still make the most of our time together. There's a whole lot of love there that you can instantly feel when you walk in the room. This is the group getting together for the wedding, and it is sure to be a fantastic weekend.

Since it is the holiday season, and I'm a huge fan of Christmas music, I immediately whipped out the Christmas playlists as soon as lunch was done on Thanksgiving Day and got into the holiday swing. One of my favorite CD's to listen to is the soundtrack to A Christmas Carol starring Kelsey Grammer as Scrooge. It's a musical (duh) that was created by some of my favorite composers and lyricists, and it really sets the tone for me of what this season is really about. There's one song called "Christmas Together" that causes me to weep every time I hear it. As I was driving (read- sobbing) down the highway the other day, one verse of the song really jumped out at me.

Gather and sing of this glorious thing

Known as Christmas together,

Families created by friendship

as well as by birth,

Yeah, my family is pretty awesome, but that doesn't just mean my biological family. I have some of the most amazingly talented, loving, compassionate, insane people surrounding me, and I am so grateful for that. I didn't jump on the whole "30 days of thanks" facebook post bandwagon, but I can pretty much guarantee that it would have been dominated by these people in my life.

It seems like so many people these days are so concerned with themselves- how do I make the most of myself? How do I get as far as I can? What can I do to be greater? That's not what it's about. I truly believe that our main purpose in life is to enhance and empower the lives of those around us and to all grow together. Looking back on the past year, I truly feel that I have surrounded myself with a group of like-minded folk who truly make my life amazing. THAT is what I am thankful for: my family.

Phone Calls

When you leave your house in the morning, I would imagine you do the triple spot check: Keys, wallet/purse, and CELL PHONE- that lovely little piece of technology we have grown to love/hate/love and rely on for all of our information needs. The cell phone is arguably the one piece of technology that has literally revolutionized the way we communicate with other people. So, let's discuss a little thing known as phone etiquette, shall we?

At my current job, I spend a good amount of time on the phone with clients scheduling appointments, answering questions, and other basic customer service type duties. Therefore, I am privy to many different habits and behaviors people have begun to adopt as "acceptable" while on a phone call. Here are my Top 5 Rules for Appropriate Phone Usage:

1. Volume Controls Are Your Friend:
There is a lovely little button (or set of buttons depending on your device) that will allow you to adjust the volume coming out of your headset and into your ear. Use it. Please. If you can't hear me, SCREAMING INTO THE MICROPHONE WILL NOT HELP EITHER OF US. In turn, I will be turning my volume control all the way down after dropping the phone in sheer and utter terror and pain from my ear drum bursting inside my ear cavity. This will cause us to miss out on important details, such as, "what was the purpose of this call" or "when was that deadline again"?

2. Explicit Language... Are You $#**!$ Kidding Me?:
As human beings we sometime reach a point where our vocabulary is exhausted of "civility" and "consideration" and we are forced to reach into the depths of our black souls to berate another individual with a slew of four letter words (or fourteen...people get creative, y'all). This probably isn't the best form of communication over the telephone. Firstly, it is a cowardly move- if you can't say it to my face, don't say it at all. Secondly, your story will end up being retold and ridiculed at dinner parties, bars, or even blogs... like this one :). Take the following interaction, for example:

Me: Good morning! This is Neill with ______. I was calling to....
Crazy Lady on the Phone: AVA! AVA! NO! GET OVER HERE! I'm sorry, I'm in a convenience store in another state and my four year old is...AVA! AVA! GO*****IT! What do you want?!
Me: Have a nice day! *click*

Yes, you read that right. May the Almighty bring down his wrath upon beautiful 4 year old Ava and the poor unfortunate phone operator who happened to call with good news at the wrong time. Example 2:

Me: Well, the $25 you paid initially was a fee to have our services....
Crazier Lady: That is BULL****! You are F****** scamming me, and I WILL be calling the Better Business Bureau to report your sorry A**.
Me: Well, ma'am that is certainly your right. Have a nice day. *click*

I wish I was making this up.

3. Know the Purpose of Your Call:
Thanks to the invention of voicemail, we do not have to take every call immediately as it comes through in order to retrieve vital information. Therefore, if a voicemail is left, common courtesy tells you that it is wise to listen before returning the call. However, when you DO return the call, remember that you are in control of the conversation. Observe:

*Phone Rings*
Me: Oh, this is someone I called earlier and left that lovely voicemail for. I'm so glad they got the message. *answers phone* Good morning, this is Neill, how can I help you?
Confused Teenager: Um. Hey. Um. Can I call you later?
Confused Me: Yes?...
Confused Teenager:.... .... *click*

Let us note that there was no commotion or disturbance that necessitated the abandonment of this call.

4. Remember That You Are Speaking to a Person, Not Big Business Incarnate:
Whether this is a business or personal call, remember that the person you are speaking to is, in fact, a person. They do not represent or inhabit your problem or concern. Do not take your aggression out on them, especially when it is YOUR fault the problem even exists.

Angry Father: This is ridiculous! You're telling me the only time I can come in before the deadline is on a Wednesday afternoon between 2 and 4? I work! Why do you not have schedules that are easier for me?

How inconsiderate of me to not have fifteen different options for you to choose from, and to overwork my employees who already work a 10 hour plus day, since you have decided to wait until 4 days before the deadline to have this done, when your initial appointment was set up by us 6 MONTHS AGO. Most of the time, it is necessary to refer to Rule 2 in this situation.

5. Make Sure You Hang Up:
Yes, I can still hear you griping and complaining about the inconvenience you are suffering for being so lazy in planning things after you THOUGHT the conversation ended or the voicemail shut off (yes, I will be out of the office for lunch for an hour- just like you. Rule 4. A person has to eat.). Don't make yourself subject to ridicule or discussion for saying things you thought no one was hearing. Oh, and by the way, don't leave your name either. It makes it all the more fun for me to complicate the process even more!

***NOTE: Should you write in to Dear Abby or Miss Manners, they may not offer the same advice. In fact they would probably condemn my sarcasm and frustrated (not bitter) tones. But, if you are reading this, you are probably in my group of friends who could care less what Abby or Manners has to say, so laugh on!***