Sumaira McCloud

Okay- I know I am not the only person this has happened to... I walk into the gym pumped up to do some cardio because God knows I prefer elliptical running over concrete- and I see a plethora of empty machines and think YES! ALL THIS IS MINE! I AM THE CHOSEN ONE! I feel as if I have just won the lottery! No one around to bug me! I can pick any machine I want, the world is MINE! And then...it happens....about 10-15 mins into my awesome playlist and furious running on the elliptical someone decides to join my party... THERE ARE SO MANY EMPTY MACHINES. WHY ARE YOU CHOOSING THIS ONE NEXT TO ME? YOU ARE RUINING MY FOCUS.  So many things running through my head as I continue to run on this elliptical. Bonus workout, my brain? No, we are not racing. Why do you smell like that? Wait, do I smell like that? What is your intention? Am I an asshole for getting annoyed? Did you just fart? Why did you do this? Why are you running so fast and you just started?

Jealousy…let’s define it. According to Dictionary.com: Jealousy is resentment against a rival, a person enjoying success or advantages etc or against another’s success or advantage itself. If this is the case, why do we often experience jealousy from a loved one? Weird, right? Well, too bad the reality is that many people do get jealous of their friends and family. It is quite unattractive... but it happens. Few people are obvious about their feelings of jelly while others can keep their jealous feelings a secret…that is of course a secret for a small time, it begins to show soon! I have been jealous before. Truthfully, most of my adolescent years were wasted being jealous of things or other people. The root of my jealousy, and majority of most people, is insecurity. When a person feels inferior or believes they lack some quality or trait that others have. I was so incredibly insecure and unsure of myself at all times. I yearned for approval from everyone I w

Going into this internship a few weeks ago, I knew very little about laws, court systems, non-profits, and Victim Advocates. I had a small understanding. Laws exist, Florida has their own laws, the court is there to determine outcomes of defendants, non-profits are companies that normally work without the intention to make a profit and Victim Advocates are people who help those that are in need of help. Right? Boy, was I wrong about that last one. On Google after searching "Victim Advocate" the definition appears: "Victim Advocates are professionals trained to support victims of crime. Advocates offer victims information, emotional support, and help finding resources and filling out paperwork. Sometimes, advocates go to court with the victims." For a generic answer, fine, that's acceptable. But let me take a moment to further explain what exactly the VA's at Compassionate Family do. I would say for their job, but that's a bit insulting. This is

I must say. The most common misconception about working in a restaurant is that the number one problem is customers leaving bad tips. This is not true. We do hate those people (especially if we gave good service) but, the most common aggravation and frustration and reason for most servers to quit restaurant after restaurant (while struggling in college or what have you) is poor excuses for managers. If you're reading this and you are a manager at a restaurant, only take offense if the next few bullet points relate to you and your behavior. If not, keep up the awesome managing and try to rub off on others. How to tell if you're a sorry-excuse-for-a-manager:  You hate your job You get upset when servers "who are below you" are in school or working toward anything to brighten their future since they do not have the desire to stay in restaurant world for ever, like you have chosen/been forced into doing. You are petty; you cut hours on the servers who need t