The Post About Pretty - Part 2

I wrote yesterday about conflict and my distaste for it. Surprisingly, there is a confrontation of which I am fond. Well, fond may be too strong a word. It's a confrontation I know benefits me so it's not worthy of a jamie-empire-strikes-back.

My closest friends - accountability partners, if you will - are not afraid to confront me with my own drama. I can be bringing the verbal throw down and I will feel a light tap on my shoulder from one tiny redhead. Or I can be blogging a one-two punch and I will get a gentle reply from one petite cougar. They are not afraid to get in my face about the stuff that should have no place in me, around me, or about me. The beauty? I may get defensive for a nano-second, but I know they are working for my good, so I exhale. "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

You can't have this type of relationship with everyone. But you should have it with at least someone. And ideally, someone you don't smooch on.

The Post About Pretty - Part 1

I generally avoid conflict. The people pleaser that resides full time in my lovely mother has a summer home inside of me. I have coined a term: "wrap it in pretty." The concept is simple - try to communicate things in such a manner that drama is almost impossible to occur. I have developed it into an art form, with much success. My co-worker calls this being "Southern." Of course, she means it as a negative, because we can find ourselves wrapping things in so much pretty that we can no longer discern the real message. We sacrifice the truth in order to keep feelers cozy and unharmed. The downside to avoiding conflict.

To me, being "Southern" or just plain rude, is sharing the conflict with everyone but the person directly involved. We wrap it in "pray for me" or "I'm confused about..." when really we are just assembling our front line for when the real battle begins. It's all about having people on your side. And know that I'm as guilty as the next in using this military technique. However, God is pretty clear on this one: 'If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, JUST BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.' Matthew 18:15

You can't argue with God who designed or Bill Withers who wrote or Will Smith who sampled - "Just the two of us, we can make it if we try..."

The Post About Highway 157

My colleague and friend Michelle were headed to Florence, AL on Monday night to present information about adoption to prospective families. Visit http://www.heartgalleryalabama.com/ for more info!

While enroute, we are 99% confident we saw a drug deal go down in the highway median. We actually stalked the dealer and dealee for about a mile and then decided we were already going to be on the news for the recruitment event and there probably didn't need to be a footnote that said "drug bust vigilantes shot on the way to adoption exhibit."

Immediately after our run-in with crime, we saw this billboard:

Just say no.

The Post About Traffic

I pride myself on being a good driver. Say it with me "Jamie is a good driver." See how that sounded so "right?"

Well it is only partially true. I really don't speed or tailgate or fail to use my blinkers or u-turn or rubberneck. These are all habits of a good driver. My failure comes in terms of multitasking while driving. I have been known to do the following while behind the wheel:

• Putting on makeup.
• Talking on the phone.
• Texting on the phone.
• Googling on the phone.
• Reading a magazine
• Watching a movie.
• Changing clothes.
• Collating folders for a presentation.
• Straigtening my hair.

Probably not the best choices.