The Social Challenge

Quick blog post, but something very important to me:



I worked at Special Olympics Missouri for two years as their Public Relations Intern and as their Student Outreach Coordinator. Now, I serve on their Public Relations committee and meet on a bi-monthly basis to come up with new PR and marketing strategies that will further the message of this amazing organization.
Having worked for an organization that serves such an amazing population of individuals, I’ve come to really resent the word R-word It wasn’t a word that I used before working at SOMO, but now more than ever it is a word now that seriously erks me to the core every time I hear someone say it.

I was talking to a close friend and fellow SOMO employee the other day about a party that she went to. Some guy was talking to her and used the R-word. She politely told him that it wasn’t a nice thing to say and please don’t say it around her because of where she works. Even more importantly, Hillary is heading up a Missouri wide campaign to end the use of the R-word and feels very strongly about the cause because of her work with Special Olympics. This guy was indignant and rude and it ended up really bothering H and she had to leave. I’ve fortunately never had to stand up to someone about using the word – usually just saying that you feel passionately about Special Olympics and please don’t use that word around me works. I really respect H for standing up for what she believes in and not backing down to an ignorant, uneducated individual who uses a word with such an awful connotation.

I know this post is a little heavy and a tad bit soap boxy, but I saw a Facebook post by a sorority sister of mine and it made me think of my conversation earlier this week with H. Please go to www.thesocialchallenge.org and look at the live Twitter feed on the left hand side. I went to it and was amazed at how quickly the Tweets were updated and how many people used the R-word so nonchalantly. They say that the R-word is used 24,000 times PER DAY on Twitter. On a public forum where present and future employers can see, they throw this word around like it’s nothing – as if it’s as simple as saying “um” or “like” to fill a void in an otherwise incomplete thought. They drop it to describe themselves, someone they saw at school, someone on the bus, and people with actual intellectual disabilities. Log on to this website and take action against these people. You can actually tweet back to them and tell them to stop. Now, I’m not sure what kind of backlash the Social Challenge will see, but it’s an interesting experiment into exposing people for what they say and do on Twitter and actually having people respond and hold them accountable.

Okay, end of my rant. Back to work. HAPPY FRIDAY.

Werty Day

This weekend was all about Jeffrey because it was his TWENTY FIFTH birthday! 25! Holy cow! I can’t believe I’m allowed to be friends with people that are 25, let alone date someone that old. I know it’s really not that old, but to me, a 23 year old with the heart (and maturity, oops) of a 12 year old, it seems old. Good think ol’ J-Man is mature as can be. See the below pictures of Saturday’s Werty Day festivities for proof.






Happy Birthday J! Thanks for being the best birthday boy ever – hardly any crying. Love you and can’t wait for another fun year with my old man!

Happy Monday everyone! This was my afternoon distraction, so back to the grind of press releases, calendar updates, Facebooking, and copy editing. At least it’s gorgeous out my window.

Bon Voyage!

So, for the 15 followers of this blog, you know that I have this crazy obsession with every single one of my friends. When you're lucky enough to make it into my wolf pack (Thank you “The Hangover” for making this a well known saying) you become more than my friend. You become part of my family. With that comes all the fun, sometimes crazy, parts of my life; my job, my philanthropic endeavors (i'll ask you for money and your time), my family, my Mother (yes, she does get her own mention because believe me, you'll really get to know her), and every other part of my life.



One of those lucky wolf pack members is Miss Lindsey Rose Shindler. Lindsey and I have been friends since middle school when she saw me on the first day of 6th grade and thought I was a teacher because I was slightly more developed than the average 12-year old. Thanks Linds! We've played soccer with each other, shared our deepest, darkest secrets, shared some insanely good times, and had one month long fight that we still can't even remember what it stemmed from. Lindsey is part of my group of 11 girl friends from home that hasn't changed since high school. We went to seven different colleges – Mizzou, College of Charleston, University of Virginia, Georgia, University of Arkansas, Washington and Lee, and Vanderbilt University – and we're still as close as ever.






That was never more apparent as last weekend when seven of us came together for what I so lovingly deemed Linds Shinds Farewell Weekend in Memphis. Sadly for us, but excitingly for Lindsey, she is leaving this Saturday for London for an entire year. She's moving there to work in communications for a bank, travel, eat fish and chips, and hopefully fall in love with Prince Harry (she loves gingers!). The whole weekend was about Lindsey and us showing her how much we love her and that this year without her is going to suck, but we'll be here waiting when she gets back. If she'll have us.

I know all of you know Linds, but here are 10 things that make her an awesome, coolio chick.

1. The first time I spent the night she wanted to make love potions – of course I'd be friends with someone like that.
2. She's had the same email/computer/facebook/everything else password since middle school and it has something to do with an A*Teens member. Cool huh?
3. She can have so much fun by herself. One of her favorite things to do in high school was melting Jolly Ranchers and mixing two together.
4. Her mom makes the best pickled cucumbers (Not pickles – pickled cucumbers. Get it right!)
5. She comes as a package deal with some of the coolest parentals in the world -- David and Julie (we love you!)
6. She might be 23, but she still knows everything about the Disney Channel. And I mean everything!
7. She is one of the best listeners. She doesn't judge, she just listens. She just lets you get everything off your chest and feel 100% better.
8. She is one of those friends from home that even if I see her outside of Little Rock, she makes me feel at home again.
9. She is one of the most accepting people in the whole world. Seriously, she's friends with all of us. That's saying something.
10. And finally – She is so talented with makeup (pretty makeup, and scary/TV makeup)

So Linds – I love you. You're one of my very best friends in the whole wide world. Have so much fun in London, and I AM VISITING YOU IN FEBRUARY!!!!! So, get pumped! Peace.

Love, Marilyn.