Thursday, July 26, 2012

Starfish and Signs of Hope

Starfish from a water dive with PBA student Ryan Winston. 
One of the many wonders South Florida has to offer is it's abundance of marine life. In particular, starfish have always been one of my favorite parts of aquatic life, besides dolphins. Recently I went to Phil Foster Park next to Peanut Island, just north of downtown West Palm Beach.  It was just an ordinary day of diving, snorkeling and boating, but the sight of a particular starfish caught my attention and triggered a memory of an old story.  

Back in high school, a close friend of mine also had a strong fascination with starfish; she would make doodles of them on paper, buy starfish earrings, and basically made starfish her trademark.  At our high school graduation, she spoke to our class about why she admired these marine echinoderms.

She shared a portion of "The Star Thrower" by Loren Eiseley:
An old man had a habit of early morning walks on the beach. One day, after a storm, he saw a human figure in the distance moving like a dancer. As he came closer he saw that it was a young woman and she was not dancing, but was reaching down to the sand, picking up a starfish and very gently throwing them into the ocean. "Young lady," he asked, "Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?"  "The sun is up, and the tide is going out, and if I do not throw them in they will die," she said.  "But young lady, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it? You cannot possibly make a difference.  The young woman listened politely, paused and then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves, saying, "It made a difference for that one." The old man looked at the young woman inquisitively and thought about what she had done. Inspired, he joined her in throwing starfish back into the sea. Soon others joined, and all the starfish were saved.
This simple children's story is comforting for me to think about after seeing so much tragedy through news coverage of the shootings in Aurora, Colo. during a showing of the film, "The Dark Knight Rises." When hearing of the shootings, as with all tragedies, it was difficult not to be pessimistic about wrongdoings in the world. During times of crisis and pain, it can be difficult to see how good can survive, similar to how in the "The Star Thrower" it was difficult to see how throwing one starfish back in the water would make a difference.

However, with the story, I am reminded that one person's good morals can outweigh any amount of bad attitudes in the world. The one person throwing the starfish back in to the water is the one that makes a difference.

Finding that orange starfish during a day of diving was a symbol to me of the goodness in the story shared by my high school friend. I know I will make an effort to look out for "starfish" to save this summer.  



Wednesday, July 18, 2012

My Summer Job at Chick-fil-A

Famous Chick-fil-A logo
When you come to Florida, what's the one restaurant you usually become well acquainted with? With more than 150 Chick-fil-A quick-service stores in Florida – third most in the country – it's not difficult to understand why there are four locations within driving distance of where I live.  There's even an express Chick-fil-A right on campus at PBA!

This summer, I had the opportunity to get a closer look at the phenomenon Chick-fil-A has created. Last spring at PBA's Career Fair hosted by the Office of Career Development, I was hired by a Chick-fil-A store for the summer. Throughout my years at PBA, I have known many people who worked with the company and loved the environment.

This made me extremely encouraged when I was about to move from my office job in the Development Office at PBA to the fast-paced environment at Chick-fil-A. Not to mention, PBA students are extremely appreciative for the competitive hourly rate set for PBA students, graciously given at to those working at the Palm Beach Lakes and Okeechobee-Turnpike locations.

PBA Students Chris Collier and Alyssa Osbron at Cow Appreciation Day
Chick-fil-A is almost like a culture, especially for students at PBA. For example, on “Cow Appreciation Day” customers who dress from “head to hoof” as a cow, which is the restaurant's mascot, receive a free meal. My friends from PBA made sure to visit me at work on that day!

The best thing about working at Chick-fil-A isn't that I receive a free meal on the days that I work (although that is amazing), it's being able to work with other students and creating a bond. Whether it's during a slow moment filling up the freshly squeezed lemonade or during an absolutely packed lunch rush on the register, Chick-fil-A has created a team for me to work with and rely on.

Chick-fil-A has also provided me with an outstanding work ethic and job training. There is a lot more behind the “It's my pleasure” phrase used; it shows the respect and happiness that we give each customer during their experience at Chick-fil-A. Also, as employees we better understand the value of a dollar, especially when used for prepping and serving food.

Overall, it has been a blessing working at Chick-fil-A this summer!   What kind of fun jobs have you had for the summer?

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Life Can Be Like Fireworks on the Fourth of July


Fireworks from "Fourth on Flagler" over the Intracoastal.
The Fourth of July is always an important time of remembrance for our country. For this year's Fourth of July holiday, I saw a spectacular  fireworks show at the "Fourth on Flagler" event in downtown West Palm Beach. The show was above the Intracoastal along Flagler Drive, right in front of the PBA campus.  

According to the website of The Massachusetts Historical Society, on July 3, 1776, John Adams wrote the following in a letter to his wife Abigail regarding the celebration of Independence Day:  
"It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore."

Seeing the illuminations or fireworks is my favorite part of the holiday. As I watched the show with a group of friends, I thought about how my life has been like a bunch of fireworks in the sky -- each role I have in my life is like each individual firework.  

Lately, I have been thinking about how to juggle life as a student, daughter and sister, friend, an employee, a young woman, and life as a Christian.  And in the juggling, some of my friendships started to diminish, it was frustrating to see them fall apart.  Luckily, I was able to get together with those friends for the fireworks show, and we regained momentum. 

All of these roles that "light up my life" are each like the different fireworks, which lit up the sky on the Fourth of July in colors of blue, white, green and red.  Ultimately, it takes a lot of planning for a fireworks show to look good, and it takes just as much time, if not more, to organize my life for it to turn out good, as well.  Additionally, even though each individual firework looks good in the sky on its own, together, they create an amazing show. As much as I would like to focus on being perfect in one role of my life, I remind myself the different roles I have keep me well rounded.


I know that a lot of planning for the fireworks in downtown allowed the thousands of people in attendance to enjoy a spectacular event. Although everything in my life does not seem to add up all the time, just like how it's possible for the fireworks go off at the wrong time, I know with a little practice God will help my life come together like a beautiful illumination.