Hey there! Remember me??? The author of this blog?? Thank you for hanging in there and sticking with me! And now... on to today's post.
I am a member of several ceramics groups on Facebook. I LOVE the camaraderie and the friendships established in these online forums. By and large, the ceramics community as a whole contain some of the most giving and kind hearted people I've met (physically and virtually). Always more than happy to share their tips and tricks of the trade, technical knowledge, and even answer the questions you never knew you had when it comes to the business of pottery. In one of these groups, another pottery commented about a poor experience he had with a fellow ceramicist when he stopped by their studio/workshop. The conveyed experience struck a cord with me, reminding me of an experience I had as a very new potter myself.
My husband and I were driving back to my parents house in Virginia after an appointment with a neurologist. We were supposed to visit Luray Caverns, but I was not feeling up to it and was upset because my health would not allow us to enjoy this excursion we had planned after my appointment. Well, my hubby being the awesome man that is, saw a sign for pottery, turned around, and took me to the studio. Mind you, pottery/ceramics is NOT his thing.. but he indulges and supports me in all my endeavors...he even listens when I start talking "geek speak" clay style. The owner, who was also the potter, and I bonded over our mutual service in the military. The items on the shelves were gorgeous, and we were looking for something to take home to remember our time in Virginia. I don't remember exactly how it came about, but I mentioned I was a novice potter just learning the ropes. I think I may have asked him if he used commercial glazes or made his own, because the colors were gorgeous. I was accused of trying to steal ideas, and I would garner no respect in the industry as a thief, and was all but kicked out of the studio! I was flabbergasted!!! What had I done wrong? Did I offend him somehow? Are those taboo questions? I was clueless, no idea. I was after all, a NOVICE. Rather than taking the time to even tell me what it was I'd done wrong, we were kicked out of his studio, Mill Creek Pottery. From what I've read, they may do a lot for the community hosting fundraisers and such, and the general public like them. But when you are that RUDE to not only a fellow veteran, but a member of the same craft, there is no professionalism there.
Thankfully, I have not let this singular experience jade my views on ceramics as a whole. Know what the funny part is? I don't even throw on the wheel anymore due to health issues, and am transitioning to sculpture! No where close to being his "competition". To me, the ceramics community is like an extended family; much the same as my fellow active duty service members and veterans are my brothers and sisters. If you don't want to answer my questions, or your glaze recipe is one you've honed for the last 4 years and don't want to share it, that's fine! I promise, I won't take offense! Just ask Jon Puzzuoli (I LOVE his blue and white whirlpool glaze.. but that's a closely guarded secret as that's one of his signature lines....and ya know what? THAT'S OKAY!) But he wasn't an asshole when telling me. I've met so many wonderful artists, both potters in the traditional sense of wheel thrown functional ware, as well as sculptors... that may be a post in and of itself... bringing all these amazing people to your computer screen... :-D
Anyway, the point of all this... is that there are bad apples in every family. But I am sooo very glad that I did not let this man ruin my views of the ceramics community as a whole because 99% of m are pretty awesome!
Showing posts with label veteran. Show all posts
Showing posts with label veteran. Show all posts
Monday, December 8, 2014
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Erasing a Stigma
It seems that the tragic passing of Robin Williams has brought light to an epidemic many of us have been fighting in the shadows. Why has it taken the death of someone famous for making millions of us laugh, to bring public awareness to a disease that we have been plagued with for hundreds of years? Current data suggests that 22 Veterans take their lives... a day. 22 people who survived military duty (combat or not), whose demons eventually won out. That statistic is thought to be wrong amongst recent veterans returning from the OIF/OEF conflict. Many of those take their lives as a result of PTSD. The public at large seems to think this is a new phenomena, but there are several items to take into consideration. During WWI and WWII, and early battles, Soldiers had several weeks to decompress from the tragedies of war. Spending weeks together with fellow brothers who had seen the atrocities of war, being able to vent their fears and anger to one another without fear of being judged. They had time to come to terms with what our nation asked of them during these times. Then the came home to their families never to speak of it again. Now, when our time at war is done, we get on a plane, fly home, have a week of "reintegration" and are asked to get back to our daily lives. Now, there is a stigma that if you seek help or treatment you are weak. It can undermine a career by imparting the notion that you are not fit for command or a leadership role because you are unstable. When we are separated from service, and our employers find out that we have PTSD, all the can think is that we are going to snap and go on a shooting rampage because we are unstable.
These are the stigmas that make talking about mental health illnesses difficult. It is easier to deny anything is wrong than to admit we have demons we are battling. Depression is only one symptom of PTSD. There are many more. Irritability, anger, lashing out, becoming withdrawn, insomnia, flashbacks, sadness, anxiety, and so many more. Suicidal thoughts come with the territory. Those of us strong enough to ask for help, are often shot down. "So many people have it worse than you. You shouldn't be depressed". "Just be happier". "Remember you have a family, don't be selfish". A lot of people just don't know how to talk to or respond to someone when they say they are depressed and may be contemplating suicide. For people who have never been that far in despair, they just don't understand. And that's OK. But dismissing the other persons' feelings is not the way to help. Let them know that you are always around to listen, that you care. Just knowing you have people in your corner can be the life jacket that person is looking for.
When I was sent back stateside from Iraq, I was not medevac'd. I was sent via space-a. I had to wait around Kuwait for 2 weeks for a seat to become available and for my unit to fix the paperwork they screwed up on. When I got back to Atlanta, no one from my Rear-D unit was there to pick me up. No homecoming welcome. I had to take a cab from the airport to Fort Benning, a nearly 2 hour trip. I checked into my hotel, and was told to report to work 6 hours later. They initially tried to chapter me out on a bad conduct mischarge...which is funny because I didn't have a single negative counseling statement....that I knew of. Come to find out, 3 had been written while I was in limbo, and where I was supposed to sign, my squad leader had written in "Soldier Unavailable to Sign.". More on this at a later date...thankfully I had a few docs that stood up for me, and pushed me through the med board process; I was eventually medically retired out of the Army 13 months after returning home. I was treated like shit, because everyone in my unit thought I was faking it, trying to get out of deployment. I had been there for 7 months, and wanted to make the Army a career. I had no support. No friends. No family (locally). I was at my wit's end. Thankfully, I had my family's support. I would call my mom bawling my eyes out, because I just couldn't take it anymore. I wanted to give up. So a week after returning home, my parents and 2 youngest sisters drove from VA to GA to come see me. Give me much needed hugs and emotional support. They stayed for a week. Without them, who knows what would have happened. My mom reminded me how strong I was. I'm a Mayo, damn it. And that means something. I had my son who needed his mother. And I had something to prove. That no matter how much you may beat me down, degrade me, make me feel like nothing; I'm not going anywhere. I know in my heart what the truth was/is, and I'll be damned if some ignorant, judgmental, self-serving, assholes were going to take that away from me. I haven't written a lot about my time in service, or what happened to me while deployed and upon returning home. But over the next few months, I think I'm going to let ya'll in. I think it's important for people to know and recognize that this shit does happen. And if it's happening to you, you're not alone. There are actions you can take, and recourse for those who think they are above it all.
Tonight, I just wanted to open the door. Let people know that if you're struggling with PTSD, depression, or any other issue, there ARE people who care. If you need someone to talk to, I AM HERE to listen to you. All you have to do is reach out. You are stronger than you think you are.
If you or someone you know is struggling, there are options. Sometimes the most difficult thing to do is to ask for help. You don't want to burden loved ones with your issues. I'm here to tell you, it's not a burden.
These are the stigmas that make talking about mental health illnesses difficult. It is easier to deny anything is wrong than to admit we have demons we are battling. Depression is only one symptom of PTSD. There are many more. Irritability, anger, lashing out, becoming withdrawn, insomnia, flashbacks, sadness, anxiety, and so many more. Suicidal thoughts come with the territory. Those of us strong enough to ask for help, are often shot down. "So many people have it worse than you. You shouldn't be depressed". "Just be happier". "Remember you have a family, don't be selfish". A lot of people just don't know how to talk to or respond to someone when they say they are depressed and may be contemplating suicide. For people who have never been that far in despair, they just don't understand. And that's OK. But dismissing the other persons' feelings is not the way to help. Let them know that you are always around to listen, that you care. Just knowing you have people in your corner can be the life jacket that person is looking for.
When I was sent back stateside from Iraq, I was not medevac'd. I was sent via space-a. I had to wait around Kuwait for 2 weeks for a seat to become available and for my unit to fix the paperwork they screwed up on. When I got back to Atlanta, no one from my Rear-D unit was there to pick me up. No homecoming welcome. I had to take a cab from the airport to Fort Benning, a nearly 2 hour trip. I checked into my hotel, and was told to report to work 6 hours later. They initially tried to chapter me out on a bad conduct mischarge...which is funny because I didn't have a single negative counseling statement....that I knew of. Come to find out, 3 had been written while I was in limbo, and where I was supposed to sign, my squad leader had written in "Soldier Unavailable to Sign.". More on this at a later date...thankfully I had a few docs that stood up for me, and pushed me through the med board process; I was eventually medically retired out of the Army 13 months after returning home. I was treated like shit, because everyone in my unit thought I was faking it, trying to get out of deployment. I had been there for 7 months, and wanted to make the Army a career. I had no support. No friends. No family (locally). I was at my wit's end. Thankfully, I had my family's support. I would call my mom bawling my eyes out, because I just couldn't take it anymore. I wanted to give up. So a week after returning home, my parents and 2 youngest sisters drove from VA to GA to come see me. Give me much needed hugs and emotional support. They stayed for a week. Without them, who knows what would have happened. My mom reminded me how strong I was. I'm a Mayo, damn it. And that means something. I had my son who needed his mother. And I had something to prove. That no matter how much you may beat me down, degrade me, make me feel like nothing; I'm not going anywhere. I know in my heart what the truth was/is, and I'll be damned if some ignorant, judgmental, self-serving, assholes were going to take that away from me. I haven't written a lot about my time in service, or what happened to me while deployed and upon returning home. But over the next few months, I think I'm going to let ya'll in. I think it's important for people to know and recognize that this shit does happen. And if it's happening to you, you're not alone. There are actions you can take, and recourse for those who think they are above it all.
Tonight, I just wanted to open the door. Let people know that if you're struggling with PTSD, depression, or any other issue, there ARE people who care. If you need someone to talk to, I AM HERE to listen to you. All you have to do is reach out. You are stronger than you think you are.
If you or someone you know is struggling, there are options. Sometimes the most difficult thing to do is to ask for help. You don't want to burden loved ones with your issues. I'm here to tell you, it's not a burden.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Freedom Fest 2014 - Fort Kent, Maine
In exactly ONE MONTH, you want to make sure you are in Fort Kent, Maine! For what, you may ask? Why FREEDOM FEST, of course! This event holds a near and dear place to my heart. It is an outdoor concert to raise money for a Veteran Museum and Community Center to be built in Aroostook County, Maine. This event is a joint project of Martin-Klein American Legion Post 133 and the Fort Kent Historical Society, and has been in the works for nearly a year. Why should you make the trek out, you ask?
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
A Woman in a Man's World - Part 1
(NOTE - I don't have many pictures from bootcamp/AIT... a lot of my military pictures come from my time in Iraq. Just FYI)
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Liebster Award Nomination!!
I'm honored! Natalie from Magic Jewellery nominated me for the Liebster Reward. What a nice surprise for sure!! hehe
What's the Liebster Award:
The word Liebster- a German word- translates to dear, favorite, love .
It's an award for (mostly) up and coming bloggers with 200 -or less- followers that is given by fellow bloggers.
- List 11 random facts about yourself. check
- Answer the 11 questions provided by the blogger who nominated you.
check - Nominate other bloggers for the award who have 200 followers or less.
- Create 11 questions for your nominees to answer.
check - Notify the nominees of their nomination (of course!)
Monday, September 9, 2013
Mudita Monday - 9 Sept 2013 - Salty Dog Tactical
Good Monday morning to you all! I hope you had a great weekend, and there weren't too many football widows out there.
When a Soldier becomes a veteran, the transition may seem seamless and easy to the onlookers. But in reality, the transition from military to civilian life is difficult at best. I miss my army life, I won't lie. There are MANY veterans who start their own business once getting out of the military. You're in control, and you don't have to worry about fitting into the social norm that society dictates. Our social norm isn't well understood by those who haven't served. ANYWAY, I'm getting off topic.. Today I want to share with you a veteran owned business, Salty Dog Tac
tical.
Salty Dog Tactical, LLC is a small disabled veteran owned business that is a retailer in medical supplies, out door & sportsman equipment and tactical gear. They are based out of Pennsylvania. You can find them on FACEBOOK. They help fulfill a need for civilian service industries for people such as firefighters, paramedics, police, etc. They post GREAT tips and information daily on their Facebook page, which really is helpful to know. Please find them, tell them I sent ya, and support a small, veteran owned business. I wish them all the best of luck, and sending positive vibes for success!!
Happy Mudita Monday!!
When a Soldier becomes a veteran, the transition may seem seamless and easy to the onlookers. But in reality, the transition from military to civilian life is difficult at best. I miss my army life, I won't lie. There are MANY veterans who start their own business once getting out of the military. You're in control, and you don't have to worry about fitting into the social norm that society dictates. Our social norm isn't well understood by those who haven't served. ANYWAY, I'm getting off topic.. Today I want to share with you a veteran owned business, Salty Dog Tac
Salty Dog Tactical, LLC is a small disabled veteran owned business that is a retailer in medical supplies, out door & sportsman equipment and tactical gear. They are based out of Pennsylvania. You can find them on FACEBOOK. They help fulfill a need for civilian service industries for people such as firefighters, paramedics, police, etc. They post GREAT tips and information daily on their Facebook page, which really is helpful to know. Please find them, tell them I sent ya, and support a small, veteran owned business. I wish them all the best of luck, and sending positive vibes for success!!
Happy Mudita Monday!!
Monday, July 1, 2013
Mudita Monday - Angie Blevins
I could not be more happy for, or more proud of a dear friend of mine! She is a retired veteran of the US Army and the US Air Force (I believe?? Correct me if I'm wrong Angie... Sorry if I am! You know my memory sucks! hehe)
Angie Blevins is an inspiration in more ways than one. Not only did she serve our nation, retiring from the US Army as a MSG (E-8), but for the last 3 decades she has pursued her love of painting/drawing. She is a very talented water color painter and sketch artist. Some of her sketches have been used by local law enforcement officers and have actually helped catch the person of interest she was brought in to sketch! Her mediums of choice are oil, ink, and pencil.
Keep on keeping on Angie! I LOVE your work, and value our friendship greatly! You are an inspiration to many!
You can find Angie on her webpage and through Facebook:
WEBSITE : http://www.rtist4u.com/
FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angie-Blevins-Art-/265653300169153
MUDITA!!
Angie Blevins is an inspiration in more ways than one. Not only did she serve our nation, retiring from the US Army as a MSG (E-8), but for the last 3 decades she has pursued her love of painting/drawing. She is a very talented water color painter and sketch artist. Some of her sketches have been used by local law enforcement officers and have actually helped catch the person of interest she was brought in to sketch! Her mediums of choice are oil, ink, and pencil.
Keep on keeping on Angie! I LOVE your work, and value our friendship greatly! You are an inspiration to many!
You can find Angie on her webpage and through Facebook:
WEBSITE : http://www.rtist4u.com/
FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angie-Blevins-Art-/265653300169153
MUDITA!!
Friday, June 28, 2013
Friday Fun - ABC Get to Know ME!
So going along with the theme, I figured Friday would be a free for all. Gives me leeway to write about my life, family, and miscellaneous items that might not otherwise fit. Today's Friday Fun tidbit is an "ABC Get To Know Me Quiz" that I found on The Little Owl Shop Blog (THANKS! :) ) So here goes! Hope you learn something about me and perhaps are inspired to do the same.
Q. Quote from a movie: "Hakuna Matata" = No worries! Yes, from The Lion King. :) But it's a great quote/phrase to live by. Live life for today. No sense stressing about yesterday or tomorrow. Yesterday is in the past and you can't do sh*t about it, and you don't know what tomorrow will bring...so again, why stress about the unknown??
Z. Zoo Animal: I love the beautiful colors on all the exotic fish... and the peacocks. The peacocks remind me of the mythical phoenix...of which I have a large tattoo of on my arm.
A. Age: 29
B. Bed Size: Queen...and it's not big enough! With myself, my fiance, my son, and my service dog Kane all trying to pile into one bed sometimes...it can get crowded! haha
C. Chore that you hate: scraping/grinding kiln shelves and putting kiln wash back on. Time consuming and has to be done outside. Non pottery related... I hate doing the dishes! Always have... but now, standing that long to wash the dishes is physically painful... but on the good days I still try to help my honey out. He takes such good care of me. <3
D. Dogs: 2; my service dog Kane, and my fiance's dog Charlotte. Charlotte stayed down with his parents when we moved up north though. She has a lot of health issues and needed to be closer to the vet...AND... his mom and gram just didn't want her to go.
E. Essential start to your day: Coffee!
.jpg "Shawna and her service dog, Kane, at a restaurant in Virginia.") |
| Kane and I at a restaurant in Virginia. |
F. Favorite Color: Blue and a dark amethyst purple.
G. Gold or Silver: Silver/white gold
H. Height: 5'7"
I. Instruments you play: In middle school I played the french horn...and taught myself some basic piano back in HS...but that was 10 years ago..
J. Job Title: Retired Disabled Veteran. AKA Differently-abled Veteran Ceramic Artist in Training. Only been doing this 1.5 years, but it has fast become my passion.
K. Kids: I have an 11 year old son from a previous marriage. Hope to add to that sometime in the future.
.jpg "Hummingbird perched on our patio chair. May 2013.") |
| Hummingbird perched on our patio chair. May 2013. |
L. Live: Northern Maine, about 10 miles from the border of Canada.
M. Mother's Name: Kathy.
N. Nicknames: Na-Na. One of my younger sisters couldn't say "Shawna" when she was younger...so she called me "na-na" and it stuck. Everyone in my family (mom and sisters, dad not so much) calls me by it. My fiance's pet/nickname for me is "love monkey". There's a story behind that one as well... Maybe I'll get into that one in a later post.
O. Overnight hospital stays: Several. First one was when my son was born, another one about 8 years ago, and 2 in a 1 month time span while deployed to Iraq. Again, maybe I'll elaborate more on those on a later date.
P. Pet peeve: Ignorance. Racism. People being judgmental in general. Live and let live.
R. Right or left handed: Right handed!
S. Siblings: 5 by birth, 1 by marriage. :) I have 5 younger sisters ranging in age from 27 to 15. And as of August 10, 2013, I will have an older sister. :) Sister-in-law by technicality, but she's great and I love her just the same. :)
T. Time you wake up: It really depends on the kind of night I've had. If it's been a bad night and I'm up with leg pain, it will be closer to noon. Most of the time I go to bed when I'm tired and wake up on my own. Recently though, I've been trying to get on a somewhat normal schedule so I can wake up with my son when he starts school in the fall.
U. Underwear: The comfy kind! :)
V. Vegetable you hate: Not a big fan of kale...I like most veggies... thankfully I'm not a picky eater.
W. What makes you run late: My memory. Another "side effect" of Iraq. My short term memory is HORRIBLE. We have to stop half down the drive way after we leave to go someplace at LEAST once because I forgot something in the house that I need.
X. X-Rays you've had: Oh good lord... WAY too many! Ankle, knee, foot, entire spine/neck... MRI's and CT scans of head and body...
Y. Yummy food that you make: I can't cook anymore. :( My left hand has weakness in it, and I have a tendency to forget stuff. Add on top of that the inability to stand for long periods of time... And my culinary days are limited. BUT on my good days... I make a mean stuffed porkchops that my fiance LOVES.
Well there! Those are some pretty random questions! I hope you've learned something you didn't know about me and had a good chuckle...or at least smiled!
TTFN!
+(800x600).jpg) |
| Working on some fine detail work. :) |
Monday, May 27, 2013
Mudita Monday - 27 May 2013
Ya know...despite all my set backs the last few years and the people who have done wrong by me...I have many people to be happy for, to be "unselfishly joyful" for. But today is not a day of joy. It is a day of remembrance. Remembering all those who have fought before our generations (as well as those current) and paid the ultimate sacrifice. To remember those veterans you may know in your community. Some may be silent about their service, and other are vocal about their experiences. It's time to remember that this freedom, that the government is trying to infringe upon, was not free. People who believed in freedom for the people, free of government and religious directives and interference; fought for their rights to live in a nation they wanted to raise their children in.
This is probably one of the more politically tinged posts I have and will ever post. But this is important to me. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines all have continued to fight for that freedom since the day the Declaration of Independence was signed July 4, 1776. Please remember to thank a veteran today. If you see someone with a Korea hat on walking down the street, thank them for their service. If you see an OIF veteran in a wheelchair, thank them for their service. So I guess you could say, for today, my "mudita" or unselfish joy, is in the joy and happiness of other veterans, who are living life one day at a time, the best they can and the only way they know how.
Thank you to those active duty as well as all the veterans in my friends and family circle!!!
Kathy Mayo
Joe Mayo
Tracy Anderson
Cory Smith
Chris Degen
Don Anderson
Bud Anderson
Archie Maze
Barney Degen, Sr.
Cory Charpentier
Amanda Broomfield
Jody Cope
Christina Dickson
Kandi Wilson
Kimberly March
Brandy Barraza
Nicole Phelan
Sheldon Yamasaki
DeShon Bell
ALL 3/3ID Dogface Soldiers!
And to anyone I may have missed, I am sorry! You know my memory sucks!! heh
This is probably one of the more politically tinged posts I have and will ever post. But this is important to me. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines all have continued to fight for that freedom since the day the Declaration of Independence was signed July 4, 1776. Please remember to thank a veteran today. If you see someone with a Korea hat on walking down the street, thank them for their service. If you see an OIF veteran in a wheelchair, thank them for their service. So I guess you could say, for today, my "mudita" or unselfish joy, is in the joy and happiness of other veterans, who are living life one day at a time, the best they can and the only way they know how.
Thank you to those active duty as well as all the veterans in my friends and family circle!!!
Kathy Mayo
Joe Mayo
Tracy Anderson
Cory Smith
Chris Degen
Don Anderson
Bud Anderson
Archie Maze
Barney Degen, Sr.
Cory Charpentier
Amanda Broomfield
Jody Cope
Christina Dickson
Kandi Wilson
Kimberly March
Brandy Barraza
Nicole Phelan
Sheldon Yamasaki
DeShon Bell
ALL 3/3ID Dogface Soldiers!
And to anyone I may have missed, I am sorry! You know my memory sucks!! heh
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