Dear New Employee Trump

Dear new employee,

Your 322,762,018 bosses welcome you and wish you well on your challenging new job.  Let me introduce you to those who you work for.

Half of us are women.  Please remember that more than 3 times the number of people that showed up to celebrate your first day came out to tell you that women matter.  Those same people told you that people with disabilities matter.  LGBTQ people.  People of color.  People that belong to the same church as you and people that don't.  People that believe in a higher power, and people that don't.

And you also work for people that didn't show up to march in the streets.  The people who just want a job.  The people that want unborn lives to be protected.  Some people that want to get richer, even if it means destroying the earth for their grandchildren.  You work for them too.

Please make wise decisions that will help all of people you work for, not just some that think like you, look like you, or are as rich as you.  Please remember that your words matter.  Evil dictators are listening and just might pick a fight with all of us because of what you say.

And more than anything, please remember the rules.  You have the freedom to speak your mind, but remember, we do too, and you work for us.  The press will be watching you - they have the right to report on what you say and do, honestly and fairly.  ALL the press - not just the media outlets that agree with you.  We, your bosses, have the right to performance reviews, and if some of us don't like what you're doing, we have the right to tell you.  That might take the form of removing some of your buddies and replacing them with new employees.  We also have the right to take to the streets if we disagree with you.

This is a temporary position, and we will be watching.

Trump – Best Thing That Ever Happened to Us?

It's no secret I'm not a Trump supporter.  Even if I was a conservative (I'm not), I would abhor his character.  As a frequent world traveler for work, I hear what other countries say about us; how we've become a laughing stock at best, and isolationists on the brink of nuclear war at worst.

But today, as I watched the hundreds upon thousands of people worldwide march in solidarity, peacefully, with love and grace, I felt hope.  Not because they were marching, but because they were awake and paying attention.  If this movement continues, perhaps people will start to believe that they too can make a difference.

This change isn't easy.  It isn't comfortable.  Friends you've known for years unfriend you because of your views.  Things get heated; fake news is treated as gospel if it fits your idea of how things are.

Today, while millions marched, Trump visited the CIA.  In front of a wall with stars signifying men and women who died in service of our country, Trump first praised Fox News.  Then he said how much he liked the Intelligence community, claiming that he was never against them, and nobody loved them more than Donald J. Trump.  The rest of his speech he spent talking about the dishonest media, and how reports of the low attendance at his inauguration were untrue.  And how many times he's been on the cover of Time.

This was day one.  Meanwhile, North Korea is planning to test us.  Meanwhile, ISIS is watching.  But let's focus instead on the HUGE crowds The Donald saw - had to have been 1.5 million cheering him on.

And Trump tweeted while Washington burned.

 

 

 

New Year, New Goals, Give Back

It's a new year, and many of you might have written resolutions for 2017, like lose weight, pay off bills, or get in shape.  Here's a thought for you.  How about adding some volunteering to that list?  The only thing it costs you is your time, and what it gives back is absolutely priceless.

If you're parents, what a great gift to give your kids.  If they're old enough, they can volunteer too, and learn a lifetime of lessons.  Just an hour a week playing with the cats (we call it socializing), means that we have information to give a prospective adopter, like does it get along with other cats?  Is it a lap cat?  Playful, or a 'sit in the sun' kind of cat?

At  The Marshmallow Foundation in Detroit Lakes, our volunteer needs are many.  There always seem to be folks that want to work with the dogs, but the cats struggle, as they do in shelters all over the country.  There's the manual labor of cleaning the kennels of course, but there is so much more needed.  For example, we need a list of foster parents, who are willing to take a kitty home with them that otherwise won't survive in a shelter environment.  Someone that we can teach to administer fluids if necessary, syringe feed, or just give love and warmth.  When we get a cat that has been injured or is obviously sick, we seek out a rescue to take them, and have transported as far as Wisconsin to get them the necessary care.  But this time of year, the rescues are as full as we are, and sometimes have to say no.

Maybe you want to help, but are afraid of getting attached, or have an allergy.  Another volunteer opportunity that we struggle with is grant writing.  We miss out on thousands of dollars simply because we don't have the time to research the available grants and apply for them.

Maybe you're a sales person - how about helping us fund raise?  We are ALWAYS raising funds.  It might be as simple as selling raffle tickets or calendars, or more involved like organizing one of our fundraisers or putting together our annual calendar for 2018.

Are you creative?  We'd love to sell t-shirts, but again, who has the time?  I took a stab at designing one, using the Bonfire.com service.  I KNOW you can do better than I can!

Now see, I just gave you a bunch of great New Year's resolutions, and none of them cost a cent.  If you're in the Detroit Lakes area, please check out the website for The Marshmallow Foundation, and fill out a volunteer application.  Call or Facebook us to set up a time to have a tour of the facility, or talk about volunteer opportunities.  We'd love to have you on the team!