alexis in the city

how to get bloggers to work with you

i’ve been working on a long, lengthy post on the insights i’m gaining while reading “jesus for president.” however, my faithful, amazing computer that had been with me on my journey for nearly two years (can you tell i was attached!) died over the weekend, taking with it the post i’d been writing. since then, i have NOT been motivated to start all over. in the absence of a post for over a week (gasp!) i’m linking to my internet friend’s blog, breaking even.

i’ve worked with her on behalf of clients in the past, and she’s reviewing the book by the woman i work for now. her post is on how marketing people (like me) can get bloggers and writers (like her) to work with them. she uses me as an example of what to do to encourage the afore-mentioned partnership, and i must say i’m quite flattered :-).

since i don’t talk that much about what i do professionally on this blog - although i mean to! - i thought this would be a good chance for anyone interested to get an idea of what i spend my hours (and hours) doing - and why i can legitimately spend most of my day on facebook. read her post here!

being necessary

i always wanted to be “necessary” in my jobs or my career. not in the way that a relief worker is necessary - or people will starve - or in the way a surgeon is necessary - or people could suffer and die - but simply in the ways that related to my job. i guess everyone probably has a bit of that desire, but i’d venture to say that i went further out of my way than most people to convince myself that i WAS necessary: i’d sit in on meetings that i didn’t really have to be a part of, i’d come in early to work - even when i wasn’t asked - if there was a crisis and they needed extra help, i’d volunteer for all the special projects, train the new hires, etc. etc. and not because i was trying to get ahead or because i was trying to get in good with my bosses, but because i really wanted to believe that what i did was a necessary function.

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i’m a pro at turning down jobs

i’ve started writing guest blogs over at collegefinance101.com, and my first post is on the “art” of turning down a job. i’m practically a pro at doing this, as i’ve refused a disproportionate amount of jobs considering the length of my career - so when should you turn something down, and should you ever rufuse employment in a recession? here’s an excerpt from the post:

I’ve turned down about as many jobs as I’ve taken, and yes - some of them have even been offered during this recession. Yet, I haven’t once regretted the decision to pass on a certain offer. These decisions haven’t always been easy (some have!), but I feel confident I’ve made the right one largely because I know I have a game plan that I’m sticking to. While each decision to accept or turn down a job is very personal, there are a few guidelines that can help when you’re on the fence about a position. A few things to consider…

continue reading the rest of the post here.

a revolution of hope, peace and change

i’ve been looking at two ideas put forth in mclaren’s book, “everything must change,” in response to a theocapitalist society. i.e., an economic structure where capitalism is king, where we look out for number one - either as a country or as individuals - and where we are deaf to the cries of the people that this hurts.

the two ideas being 1). the idea of jesus as a rebel, dedicated to bucking the socio-economic norms of his day, and seeking to lead us today in our quest to do the same and 2). the idea that these actions will lead to a revolution of hope. here mclaren tackles an idea that may sound hokey and superficial on the surface:

“it’s clear .. that we will not be complacent. … instead we will tell the truth about systemic injustice, as jesus did, and defect from it at every opportunity.”

mclaren goes on to say:

“more and more churches, thankfully, are showing a concern to show kindness or compassion - helping the victims of injustice through trips, giving to social needs and so on. but the number of individuals and churches focused on doing justice remains disproportionately low. depending on how you look at it, that could be an indictment, or an opportunity.”

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so if we’re not 1950’s housewives, where does that leave us?

i’ve been tackling the ideas put forth in a chapter of a book called “the excellent wife” - mainly that it is a woman’s role - and an issue of black and white - to stay home and tend to the kids and the house. i went into (great) depth on the refutation of these ideas in three separate posts here, here and here.

so to wrap it up, i go back to the issue at hand:  i don’t think there’s a reason, biblical or otherwise, that the weight of all the responsibilities of the home should fall to the woman if it’s not something she enjoys or feels strongly like she should do.

i’m not naive enough to think that we never have to do anything we don’t enjoy. but if you really hate, say, cooking (as i do), and your husband likes it, why not let that role fall to him? or if you can’t stand doing dishes (and who doesn’t?) why not find a mutually beneficial compromise with your spouse? to make a sweeping generalization that anything in the domain of the home falls to the woman refuses to acknowledge that each marriage has its own way of working, its own dynamic.

to venture into anecdotal territory, i mentioned that my mom didn’t work after my sister and i were born, and i appreciate her for this. she did, however, have a career as a school teacher before we were born. the fact that she worked hard to pursue something she enjoyed influenced how she raised us and how i viewed my role in the world, and as a potential wife in a potential marriage. she was self-sufficient and on her own for a while and this sense of individuality and accomplishment - who she was before she was a mom - did a lot for the importance i placed on MY individuality, as a kid AND as an adult. this, to me, was worth its weight in gold, much like her presence during our childhood.

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