Can Healthcare Truly Be Reformed?

Today I attended a leadership development conference at work and it really brought some thoughts to mind as they were going over the financial aspects of our healthcare system.  One of the PowerPoint slides shown was a chart reflecting how the American tax dollar has been spent between 2006 and 2011.  Surprisingly, the majority of our tax dollars are spent on “Entitlements”.

Courtesy of http://www.prairiefirenewspaper.com

You may wonder what this is.  It is an estimated fifty programs such as social security, medicare, veteran benefits, etc.  So I was thinking to myself while this discussion is going on to a time in 2005 when I was diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism and was extremely ill.  Because of the effects of this medical condition I was terminated from my place of employment for medical reasons but given a nice severance package and an insurance extension for 3 months.  Unfortunately, in those three months my condition only worsened and I lost an extreme amount of weight.  Imagine a 32 year old woman shopping for Depends because I could never be more than five feet away from the bathroom door.  I also think about the aspect that I know people even in my own family who have never worked a day in their lives … still live their lives through Section 8, the DCF system, collecting a check and food stamps every month.  I ended up moving from Atlanta back to Miami in 2005 because I was no longer medically able to take care of my children.  I needed my mother’s help.  As my condition worsened over the months, I applied for temporary social security just to get some form of insurance so I can see a doctor and get the proper medical treatment I needed in order to get better.  Of course, Social Security denied my claim saying that my medical condition was treatable.  Uhm … no crappadoodle .. I know it’s treatable but without insurance how can I receive treatment?  Yet, I watch as they diagnose our children with ADD or ADHD, give them a prescription and label them as having a mental issue that qualifies them for Social Security only because the child wouldn’t behave in class or at home.  This is not to say that every child labelled with ADHD is not in need of proper support and assistance but every child that acts up isn’t ADHD.  This leads me to say that the reason we are in a deficit is because the government is handing out in some cases to people who really don’t need it.   How do I know?  I watched a family member raise all seven of their children off of the government with five out of the seven children receiving a social security check each month.  Now here’s my problem …

If I’m getting up every morning going to work .. working hard .. making a decent salary all things considered to raise my children .. why can’t they?  With five children ages ranging from 10 – 22, people say, you never got child support?  No.  Why not?  Because my lame ex-husband refuses to pay and the State of Florida is pitiful with enforcing child support.  As long as he fakes as if he doesn’t make much or have a job at all, I get nothing.  Even though I know that he has more than enough to help contribute to raising our kids.  People ask, why not apply for food stamps or government assistance?  Well, maybe it is because I cannot live my life waiting on a check once a month and when that check is gone I’m dead broke wondering where my next dollar is coming from.  I can’t live like that.  I have to work because I like nice things and I don’t need no one taking care of me in order for me to get it.

You ever drive by these public housing projects and see cars in the parking lot that look better than yours?  I do.  I wonder to myself how is this even feasible … How is it that I go to work and bring home a five figure income over the mid 50’s, live in a gated community, pay taxes and my own bills with no one’s assistance but my own and these people may pay $25 a month in rent and drive a car that cost more than mine?  Something is truly wrong with this society … this government … and the way the government decides to help those who really may not even need it yet deny those who may be going through a spurt of issues and may just need that extra $100 a month in food stamps for three months until they get back on their feet.  Am I bitter?  No.  I’m more like confused how the government thinks that this is okay.  What happened to the days where case workers/managers actually went into the home and surveyed the family’s situation and needs?  How can we try so hard to feed children on the other side of the globe when our own children here in the United States are starving and barely receiving the nutrition and health care they need to survive and become productive and independent adults?  When is someone going to take the reigns and put in place NOW something that will benefit us in the long run.  The American deficit is the fault of whom?  In my opinion, all these people who live off the government who are more than capable of getting off their butts and working for what they want and need.  Let the government help those who are trying to help themselves.

They charge so much premiums per paycheck for us to cover our families with medical insurance yet they want to detour you from using it.  It’s like giving you a present and then slapping you on the hand each time you reach for it.  This truly makes no sense but hey, who am I?  Just another taxpaying citizen trying to stay afloat.

Thank you for reading my thought of the day.  Do take care of yourselves and continue to be blessed.  Maybe one day someone will have an answer for those lingering questions.

~Dade~

Does Perseverance Really Pay Off?

Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote (Courtesy of http://steve-dave.typepad.com)

I was watching Looney Tunes® on Cartoon Network© the other day and it happened to be a snippet of the Road Runner and of course being chased by Wile E. Coyote.  As I sat and watched over and over again as Wile E. Coyote was duped by his own creations I wondered to myself ‘Is he over thinking his processes or is he just the dumbest smartest coyote I’ve ever seen?’  I continued watching this episode.  Wile E. threw a grenade down from the mountain top and somehow Road Runner head came up and knocked the grenade back up to Wile E. where it blew up in his face.  And as we all know, the episode then switches to yet another attempt which ultimately fails.  He mixes up this green concoction and gives a small amount to a mouse which takes off running like Speedy Gonzalez.  Wile E. looks at this as a successful invention.  He then takes the container and drinks all of the mixture expecting the same results as the mouse but of course it was fifty times more intense.  End result?  Epic fail.

Wile E. Coyote (Courtesy of t3.gstatic.com)

I ask myself, what are we learning from his antics and failures?  Why doesn’t he just give up?  Has he ever tasted a Road Runner bird to know if they even taste good enough to go through all of this?

Well the final conclusion I came up with is PERSEVERANCE.

(Image Courtesy of http://www.animationgallery.com)

Perseverance allows people to remain consistently on course and focused on the task at hand.  There is a great saying that I find people repeating and is becoming more and more true.  You can never truly know what success feels like until you have failed.  In my opinion, if Wile E. Coyote does find a way to successfully capture and roast Road Runner, he will then reap the success of his rewards.   Not only for creative artists, but in everything people do, we must have perseverance to reach our goals.  If you continue to stay on track, you will succeed.  My perseverance is in creating a successful graphic design firm one day that goes beyond freelance work.  But in order to reach that final goal, I must still continue to push forward and take every opportunity seriously no matter how big or small.  Even the smallest client want to have a wonderful outcome.  I continuously fight with myself wondering if I should worry about if I’m getting paid enough for the troubles of what my smallest clients look for.  But then I think to myself that every job … every opportunity is a notch on my belt.  What if I was someone’s “small client”?  How would I want them to treat me?  I would want to be treated as their ONLY client or their FIRST client.  We can learn a lot from our small clientele.  They have dreams and aspirations just as we do and I’m sure somewhere in their lives they are pushing their level of perseverance in order to succeed.  Do not take your small clients lightly.  They can become your biggest fans!  Looks like Wile E. Coyote can use some more inventive ideas to continue to his goal.

Until I created this post, I wasn’t even sure if Road Runner birds truly existed so I had to google it and find out:

(Courtesy of http://www.desertusa.com)

If this little bird is what that coyote is getting all beat up for, we need more prey in the desert!

Thank you all for reading and have a wonderful day.

~Dade~

Tough Love is Tough on Both Ends

I’ve been sitting all day thinking about a situation I had with my oldest son yesterday.  We clashed a lot because he grew up wanting to do the opposite of what I asked of him.  He turned 22 in January.  He’s been gone from my home for about 10 months now.  We got into it because he wouldn’t go to school or get a job so I told him he had to leave.  It was time for some serious “draw-the-line” tough love.  Yesterday I spoke to him for the first time since he left and I realized just how much I’ve missed my son.  Is he my only child?  No.  He’s the oldest … my first-born of five.  At one point on the phone I couldn’t understand what he was saying only to realize that he was crying and through the tears he was trying to say that he missed his brothers and he missed all of us.  He said he had to go and he hung up.

Picture courtesy of Rizwanasharaf.com

The tears began to stream down my face because I love him so very much and only want the best for him.  I realized that I missed him more than even I would admit.  I couldn’t stop crying and thinking about my son and the struggles he was going through.  I wanted to jump in my car and drive to Fort Myers to retrieve him.  But of course, I knew that wasn’t the most rational thing to do.  You see, when we argued he would always say he was a grown man and lived his life the way he wanted to.  Well, me putting him out was my way of showing him what it meant to be a grown man.  Grown men take care of themselves.  Grown men work.  Grown men take care of their family.  Grown men make grown decisions 24/7 and not just when they felt like being “grown”.  My son didn’t understand that.  His definition of “grown” was I do what I want when I want and you aren’t supposed to say anything to me about it.

I laid in bed last night asking myself, has he truly learned from all of this.  Does he realize the mistakes he has made and is he willing to do what is necessary to improve his life.  If I moved back in with my mom, I would still have to abide by the rules of my mother’s house.  It’s common knowledge.  I raise my children to understand that my rules are just that MY rules.  When they get their own place and pay their own bills then they can call shots under their own roofs.  That’s fair right?

I have come to the conclusion that tough love is not just tough on the child.  It is also tough on the parent(s).  We have to stick to our guns even when our finger is a little shaky on the trigger.  I miss him.  I want to bring him home.  But I do not want to go through the same stressful situations as I did when I put him out to go take care of himself.  Hopefully tonight I can sleep better than the night before.  He is still heavy on my mind because I know he’s struggling out there in the world on his own.  But if I continue to allow him to do those things I do not approve of and say nothing, he will never respect the rules of my home.  Number one quote ..  If we accept the behavior, we promote the behavior.

Thank you for reading! 🙂

~Dade~

To Service or Not to Service … That is the Question

One of the best skills I’ve learned since being in the working environment is to always exceed the customer’s customer service expectations.  You only get one shot to make a lasting first impression and it follows you throughout your contact with a client or customer.  This morning I had a terrible customer service experience and it pretty much ruined my day.  I am so customer service oriented that my expectations are well above today’s mediocracy.  Maybe I expect too much from the world but if I can provide the best customer service experience to those I come in contact with every day, so can everyone else.

An example of poor customer service.

On my way into the office, I decided to stop by the doctor office of my primary care physician to make a doctor’s appointment.  I step up to the window and told the lady at the front desk that I do not have an appointment nor am I trying to see the doctor today.  I just want to make an appointment to come back because I do need to see Dr. Milligan.  The young lady advises me that she has patients to check in first so I will have to sit and wait until she’s done.  I look around the office at the patients currently there.  Two patients are filling out paperwork and there is an elderly couple sitting, talking amongst themselves and waiting to be seen.  Okay.  I’ve assessed the room and I leave the window and sit down to …. wait.  So I wait … and wait … and wait … *look at my watch* … and wait some more.  Five minutes have passed and finally the young lady at the front desk tells me that I may now come to the window to receive an appointment.  I walk back to the window and she asks me am I a patient here already.  I say yes, I’ve been here before.  She says do you have your insurance card.  I tell her I do not have my insurance card on my person because I just want to make an appointment.  The card is in my laptop bag in the car.  She says to me that she cannot make me an appointment without the insurance card because she needs the group number and that’s the new policy.  *silence* … Is that it?  That’s the best customer service you got?  Wow.  Now I’m upset.  The entire time she had me sitting there waiting for her to check a patient in, I could have ran out to the car, retrieved the card, and came back to sit and wait some more.  Providing someone with half #*#$ information not only brings the entire smooth flowing process to a halt but it also can put a wrinkle in someone’s day (such as myself).  Now, I’m not a perfectionist even though my friends would definitely disagree with me.  But if I give my best everyday to those I come in contact with, don’t I deserve the same?  Well I intend to write a letter to Dr. Milligan letting her know that her front desk customer service staff SUCK!  Of course not in those exact words.  I will always be the professional that I am and end my letter with a smile.

When you are in the business of providing a service to a customer, every point of contact is just as important as the previous.  At Baptist Health, when you walk into the building and up to the counter to receive a service, there is a sign on the desk for all to see.  It reads “Director of First Impressions”.  This is a constant reminder to the staff that your job is just as important as the one behind the closed door.  The experience the customer receives will last forever and a day embedded in their mind as a reminder of either the “worst”, the “just okay”, or the “best” customer service they’ve received in a long time.  Every where I go, customer service is always in the back of my mind and I’m always attentive to the level of service being provided to me.  I expect to receive the same level I provide.  Are my expectations too high?  Am I asking too much?  Well if we don’t reach for the moon, we would never pay attention to the stars right?  I’m going to sit here and sip my lemon tea and calm my nerves while I go on with the work of the day.

Take care everyone and I pray you don’t end up with a bad customer service experience today or this week like I did.  I don’t think the full moon is out so you may be safe … for now.  Be blessed.

~Dade~

Lingering Over A Project

Even though I am spending alot of time at my regular job today (Telecommunications Supervisor for a hospital), I did accomplish alot yesterday.  It was very productive to say the least.  I accomplished two things:

(1) I was able to finish the Happy Feet Baby Nursery Collection for IMVU’s catalog ..

This is a nursery bundle collection created in a Happy Feet theme for the IMVU Catalog.

46 pieces total … WOWZERZ!!!  … Beautiful outcome … For those who are not aware, IMVU is a 3D Chat community that I joined back in 2009 when I was going through a divorce and nothing better to do at the time other than kids, work and school.  Within the year of joining, I started developing/creating for their catalog.  It has been a lot of fun and allows my creativity skills in Photoshop and Illustrator to stay on point during “down time”.

Thennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn after creating the room and loving it so very much, I decided to make a matching pajama set for the IMVU Ladies:

Happy Feet pajamas created for IMVU catalog

P.S.  Don’t judge me (LOL) .. I make a lot of money from the credits I make from people buying my products on this virtual game.  I then resell the credits I make for cash.  It may not be as prosperous as Second Life would be but SL’s interface sucks!  <— My independent opinion.  I rather dot-to-dot my way through a scene than concern myself with walking around virtually like a real life person.  Too much work, not enough fun!  <— Sounds like life.

(2) I was able to do a quick Wix wedding e-vite for two of my favorite people:

IMVU Wedding Evite for WickedXpoZure and ClaSicXpoZure.

Even though the Happy Feet Nursery Collection contains 46 pieces happily, it was a lingering and long process.  After the 30th piece I was ready to quit.  I was bored of it already.  Penguins began to bore me.  The colors began to bore me.  But I was determined to finish it.  I put on a little music and was able to jam myself to the finish line.  What I have come to realize about myself is that if I linger over a project for way too long, I become bored of it.  This then turns into a “rush” job and even though it may get me through the boredom, my conscience gets the better of me.  Then, as in my previous post, I have to find those (horse) reigns and pull myself to a stop as a reminder that this is my livelyhood and if I’m willing to rush through something that isn’t as important.  What will happen to those opportunities that require complete concentration on until the job is done?  If I’m now starting out as an official freelance graphic designer and am bored already, what does that mean?  Of course this projects aren’t as challenging and some I can do with my eyes closed.  But I’ve got to put my best foot forward now so that it remains ahead of the game.

I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions on how you get through lingering and sometimes even boring projects.

So what’s next for Dade Graphix?

• The folks at Impact Designs and Signs in Homestead, Florida finished my car magnets so I’m going to go grab those today and see how they look on the outside of my vehicle.  Don’t worry, I’ll take pics!
• The folks at Unger & Kowitt Traffic Law put a smile on my face today with some great news on a situation that I’ve been dealing with for a few years now.  So even though this is way off topic, I recommend if you are in the vicinity of Dade & Broward counties and in need of assistance with traffic-related dilemmas to look them up.  They are great.
• I’m going to complete the male version of the Happy Feet Pajamas today and do some for the Ladies and Fellas of IMVU for the Princess Jasmine Nursery Collection I’m working on.
• I have to go to my online class today for 3D Studio Max and see what I can learn today about 3D Animation.  This is after I get off from work at the hospital.

Wishing you all a blissful and creative day today!

Pulling On the Reigns

Whether you’re a graphic artist or designer, painter, illustrator or animator, one of the toughest challenges in the creative world is to know when you’ve gone too far with a design or when you haven’t gone far enough.  Some of the most dreaded words I can hear from a client is ‘I’m not sure what I want’.  It is not that I don’t have the creative mindset to bring several different ideas from multiple directions and let them choose the design that best fits the client’s need.  In some cases, the best work created has come from those clients that hand over the reigns and allow the designer to do what they do best.  Even being the perfectionist that I am, even I have had to stop and stiffen the bit, stretch out my neck and pull on the reigns and rethink a design solution.

There are multiple levels of design which is usually determined by the client(s) we have the opportunity to work with.  Keep in mind, the below information is only my theory based on my experiences.

Big businesses love crisp and clean designs.  They want the results straight to the point without curves and within boundaries.  This can cause a delay in the design process.  The paper and pen sits on the desk twiddling fingers while the designer rethinks their creativity … pondering if that ‘too little’ design concept is enough for the big business mindset.  Not much thinking outside the box here unless you’re standing with one foot still inside.  This is my “more effort/less creativity” theory.  There are pro’s and con’s in everything we do and in this business, even more weight on both levels to consider.  The pro? The client. The notoriety. The accomplishment.  And with every design project, the results.  The con?  You can easily be chopped off a project if your design concept is not going in the right direction.  Failing is not an option.  So brush off that sketchpad and get back in there to save your client who is counting on you and also to save yourself from the embarrassment of being CHOPPED (love that Food Network show).  Track down that briefing you casually tossed in the corner.  Reread it until you have a complete understanding of what the client has asked for in this design project.  If afterwards you still are unsure about what they want, then it is best now to admit it within yourself and contact the client for additional input.  Now, if you can’t find that briefing at all, my friend, there are bigger issues here than we realized. Handling big business as a freelance designer takes a huge amount of effort and determination.  I have not had the pleasure of handling such a huge force of clientele but I am trekking my way there!  There is definitely nothing wrong with starting small and growing big!

My “more creativity/less effort” theory?  Small mom & pop shops.  In my experience, these small businesses appease to their immediate surroundings.  They are hardly willing to think outside the box (without a good hefty push) let alone realize there is a whole wide world just waiting to be tapped into by the business, services or goods they offer.  What I adore most about mom & pop clientele is their passion for what they do and their ability to know people by their names instead of by which visitor number they are today.  One of the most enjoyed projects I’ve had the pleasure of doing is with a mom & pop coffee shop.  The serenity of sitting at a dinette table just outside the storefront sipping a hot and delicious cup of coffee while watching customers scamper in and out of the coffee shop with their iced coffee, lattes and espresso.  As refreshing as this was, it was definitely not Starbucks.  I rather enjoyed the simplicity (and price) of it.  Seeing the owners greet the ‘every day buyers and frequent flyers’ was definitely a sight that I was taking in.  This was customer service at its best.  The customers definitely hurried in and out but once in, the coffee shop seemed to be their moment of reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the day.  I came to an understanding of just what these coffee shop owners needed.  Simplicity.

Mario's Latin Cafe located in Homestead, Florida

That day I gained a new perspective for the fresh starters, the mom & pop shops and those places that allow people to just … be.  Thank you mom & pop shops for reminding us what customer service and quality is all about.

That day I pulled on the reigns and scrapped my initial design concept for what the clients really needed.  Sitting there working on my second cup of coffee, I came up with the perfect solution to their design needs and made myself a small bit of pocket change in the process.

So the next time your stuck in a creator’s block and can’t seem to move past it.  Pull on the reigns, take a step back and rethink your design.  Is it too little?  Is it too much?  Understand when you’re overthinking the process or when you haven’t thought about it enough.  Creativity is not easy unless you love what you do.  Don’t be afraid to pull those reigns because if you don’t know how to stop yourself from making an epic fail design, who will?  Take care my friends.

Solid Decisions

When do we as adults make up our mind to take action to better ourselves and/or our situation?

Well I made that decision a few days ago when I went to work at my fulltime job and came home in tears and headaches of frustration.  I am 40 years old and although I’ve been side-lining my graphic design, I felt it was time to get the ball rolling on what I love to do so I can slowly and surely take a step away from what it is I have been “having” to do.  Thus the creation of Dade Graphix.  In that same step, I found this great website I wanted to share with the world.  Why find something great if you cannot share it! *smiling*

Because I use my graphic design skills to be a Pro Developer on the 3D chat community IMVU, I decided I would learn 3D Studio Max so that I can create 3D meshes instead of just developing over meshes created by other.  This would be more cost-effective and in turn I can accumulate more money (by reselling the IMVU credits I make .. long story .. anywho).  I googled everything I could and even talked to some online technical schools who taught 3DS Max and found it to be costly (anywhere from $1900-$4000).  I won’t lie .. I prayed on this because I was getting discouraged.  The next day I was googling around and found this website:  AutoDesk® CADLearning.  What I found on this website is that they will teach you the basics of certain AutoDesk programs for free .. other intense programs for just $99/year.  That’s not the best part.  They give you the student-version of the programs for FREE!  Yes, for free.  I was so amazed that I didn’t believe it was possible .. but AutoDesk did just what they said they would do.  Give you the tools needed to learn this program.  Now, if you already know how to use the program, signing up for the class would be a waste of time but for someone such as myself who knows NOTHING about 3D Studio Max, this has definitely been an experience worth repeating.  Every time I reach a milestone I find myself clapping in excitement because I’ve learned and accomplished something new.  So I wanted to share that tidbit of information with you just in case you are also interested in learning an AutoDesk program whether it be for 3D Animation, Architecture, Interior Design .. you know .. all those wonderful DIY and HGTV shows you watch on Bravo .. this is a perfect way to start.  At 40 years of age, I don’t want to sit in someone’s classroom learning things I’m not trying to learn just to get to what it is INEED to learn.  Moving on … *chuckling*

Every day I wake up now, I find myself with a sense of purpose.  My purpose?  To be the best graphic designer I can be .. to grow my company to insurmountable size .. and to wake up every single day of my life thanking God for giving me the opportunity to do what I love.  The time is now.  I’ve spent (and in some cases wasted) so much time raising children, worrying about others, thinking I could not accomplish what I’ve been wanting to do that I forgot about what was really important for me .. for my family .. for my community.  I hope you find this read interesting and in some cases useful.  I hope someone stumbles upon this and find it inspiring.  My story does not stop here my friend.  It is just beginning!

Take care .. be blessed .. Happy Easter!

~Dade~