know thy boundaries & cherished people

I forget how blunt and opinionated I am--sometimes even to a fault. It has cost me countless jobs, friendships, good, stable working relationships. It's a part of who I am , why i'm so charismatic about so many causes, yet it also becomes my downfall. A quote I often think of is "what nourishes me also destroys me". I need to learn to bring it down a notch. I can't always say what is on my mind even when I think it's important to talk about it. I guess there is, indeed, a right and wrong time to discuss things. I was thinking about going into detail about a certain example that happened recently but I realize that sometimes these posts can become really lengthy and mundane. With that said, i'm going to bring it down a notch. This will be especially important if I do go into some branch of the service. I will get my ass chewed out, be singled out and alienated, if I choose to talk the shit I do now. Okay, moving on...

I've thought about writing about this for awhile...

while my posts often focus on the negative aspects of my life there are some defining, proud moments in my life. Here are some ppl who have influenced me in ways they cannot even begin to understand...

Father Frances Canfield, my Freshman and Sophomore counselor whom always looked out for me especially when my grades were slipping to the point of failing during my sophomore year of high school. He was my bedrock during high school and a man who has had a firm grasp on who I am today. I haven't seen him but a few times since high school and he has since retired to the Jesuit retirement home in the Detroit area.

Chris Tracey, a friend for life, whom continues to be a source of strength in these difficult and turbulent times for me. He imbues me with confidence and wisdom and my only wish is to emulate his pious life and find the same semblance of a life he has had.

Mr. Richards, he might not it, but he conditioned me to understand my spirituality during my senior year and understand the greater lessons life has to teach us. He listened to me as I cried during my senior Kairos about the tenuous relationship I have with my step-father and the fight we had in my bedroom just a few days before Kairos retreat in Canada.

Ron Young, a great friend from my youth, we share a familial relationship because of his grandmother and her daughter. When I was growing up I was at his grandma's all the time while my mother was working. His family has brought me up like one of their own. It has hurt me to see the disease that has taken his life. Being bi-polar, Ron still appears like himself, yet the mental faculties that at once made him a fun guy to hang around with now seperate us because he cannot trust anyone including his close family. I will never abandon our friendship, however.

I will write about some more people whom have influenced me another time.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

~Shawn