Changes happen, and sometimes changes are painful. At my school, declining enrollment has put the squeeze on us. In order to keep from firing staff, the administration has tried to downsize by attrition. When a staff member quits, rather than replace that person, their duties are reassigned to others. As I said, changes happen. They are often uncomfortable and make us think outside the box, outside of our comfort zone. We are required to do new and different things.

One of my personal sayings is “We’ll make it work.” For the second year in a row, my assignment has changed. I’m not that comfortable with it, but I understand why the changes have happened. I still have a job, and I don’t take it personally. As a matter of fact, I’ve received kudos for the way I’ve handled the changes and the job I’ve done.

Enter negativity. I’m certainly not the only one who has been affected by change. Yesterday I was working with some others, one whose new duties are similar to mine. We share an assignment. She kept hovering over me, asking how I was going to do this or that. I said, “Just do it.” I don’t believe we need to worry about doing things the same way, as long as the job gets done. But she was so stuck on details. And she would jump from one idea to another. I had to say, “Let’s handle this first.” She is flightier than I am! Although she was driving me nuts (Just go away and let me do my work) that wasn’t the worst of it. Another colleague entered the room and the two began to complain big time about the changes, raising their voices and becoming quite irate.

I understand this is difficult. I understand that they are overworked; so am I. But I believe that bitching and complaining do no good. It tends to make one angrier and it doesn’t solve anything. I’m more of the attitude that if you’ve got to do it anyway, you find a way to make it work. It’s as simple as that. If you cannot find a way to make it work, you go into problem-solving mode. Ask others to brainstorm solutions with you. This is the situation. Find a way to deal with it. If you give it your best shot and just can’t do it, if you get no support from your bosses, find a way to survive until you can find another job.

My way of dealing with the extra pressure was to work longer hours. Hey, I didn’t really enjoy working 11 hours yesterday to try to get everything prepared, but you do what you’ve got to do. That’s just the way it is.

It’s hard to stay upbeat when you are surrounded by negativity.

It’s hard to fly with the eagles when you’re surrounded by turkeys.

"What are you?"
"I am a slave girl."
"What is a slave girl?"
"A girl who is owned."
"Why do you wear a brand?"
"To show that I am owned."
"Why do you wear a collar?"
"That men may know who owns me"
"What does a slave girl want more than anything?"
"To please men."
"What are you?"
"I am a slave girl."
"What do you want more than anything?"
"To please men."
Page 197 - Assassin of Gor

Does the above apply to me? Although I have never had this conversation, it is applicable. I am a slave girl. I do not wear a brand, although Master and I have discussed it. Someday I will get a tattoo. It will represent the brand that Master has placed on my heart by virtue of the impact he has had on my life and my soul. I do wear a collar. I do not know if others can identify who owns my by that collar.

After Master sent this to me, he and I had a discussion about the desire “to please men”. What does that mean exactly? How does it apply to me? On first glance, it looks like the slave girl wants to please all men, be a sexual slave to whoever wants her. Although I believe there are many submissive women like that out there, for me it is not the case. I wish fervently to please one man, Master Bennet. I do serve all men, in the sense that I serve mankind. I try to help all those around me as much as I am able. Realize, however, that serving means giving people what they need, not necessarily what they want. If I help a kid at school break the rules, I have not really served him. Sometimes my “serving” does not mean “pleasing”. But I try as much as possible to give others what they need.

I serve all of mankind, but I serve one man in particular. I serve my Master. I have a deep desire to submit to another, and I choose Master Bennet as the one I submit to. He is the one I serve, from whom I derive the meaning and joy of life.

I have invited Master to come next year at the time of the Iowa State Fair. How would that work? What would we do?

First of all, since the Fair is located in Des Moines, I would probably arrange for Master to arrive there. Here in the northwest part of the state, there are parks we cabins for rent for around $65 a night. I would see if I could find something like that. Minimum requirements include: a bed that sleeps two, a bathroom with shower, a kitchenette with a stove and refrigerator, and air conditioning. TV with cable and the internet would be great, but not required. I think we could live without the internet. If not, we could go to Barnes and Noble or some other place with wireless internet and get our fix. As far as TV is concerned, I know Master doesn’t go anywhere without lots of DVDs that we could play on his laptop. A cabin would give us a comfortable home base and allow us to prepare at least some of our meals instead of eating out all the time.

Now, as to the Fair itself, I would take my own advice about tips for the State Fair. Master and I would look over what is available and pick a day that has some extras that we would enjoy. As a matter of fact, I think we should pick two or three days, since we never know when the weather will cooperate. Because the Fair is a big place, I would suggest we arrive early and rent a scooter for him for the day. Then he and I could keep going as long as we wanted. I would, of course, buy tickets ahead of time. We would spend the time going from place to place, seeing all that Master would like to see (I have been there several times and have seen it all. Well, almost!). I’m not sure what places Master would particularly enjoy, although he said no Ferris Wheel or Bumper Cars after he eats. Lol There is Ye Ole Mill (aka, The Tunnel of Love). Perhaps Master would be interested in that.

The Fair lasts for 10 days. I doubt that Master would want to attend every day, even if the weather would wonderful. What else would we do while Master is here? We could visit my family, who lives near the Des Moines area. We could look around at what is in Des Moines that would be of interest to Master and me. Perhaps I could make arrangements to go to some local libraries and groups that Master enjoys. And, there is always the perfect day: no where we have to be, no time to be there. We could just hang out at our little cabin by the lake and enjoy the day.

Note: As this is the last day for the Iowa State Fair, it is my intention to make this my final post on the subject. At least for a little while.

Okay, I’ve been babbling (writing) on and on about the Fair for several days now. What if you wanted to visit the Fair? What would I suggest? In a nutshell, plan ahead and budget your money.

Although I know I would enjoy going daily (see my last post) I know that would not be a lot of fun for most people, so it’s important to plan you day at the State Fair. The First you should get a listing of what is going on at the Fair each day so you can see if there are specific things you are interested in on specific days. If you like horses, you might check to see when there are horse shows. There are nightly grandstand shows. Perhaps a favorite musician of yours is performing so you would like to go on that day. See if there is a day that has something specific that you would like to see.

If at all possible, go on a weekday. There won’t be as many crowds and you will enjoy the Fair more. Also if possible, go on a day with good weather. Yeah, I know, you don’t control the weather, but if you have several days available to you, it is worth it to wait if it is raining. As much as I like the Iowa State Fair, even I will admit it is miserable in the rain. If the weather is bad and you can delay your visit to the Fair, it would be a good idea.

The Fair can be a very expensive place. If you buy admission tickets ahead of time, you can save $3.00 a ticket, so plan ahead. The tickets are good for any day at the Fair, so it’s not necessary to know what day you will be attending. Also, if you don’t wish to spend a lot of money on food, you may pack a lunch. You cannot bring it into the fairgrounds, but you can leave it in a cooler in your car. At lunch time, just get a stamp on your way out the gate, go to your vehicle and enjoy a picnic, then head back into the fairgrounds for more Fair Fun. If you want to spend money on a special treat, go ahead. My mother used to say a visit to the Fair wasn’t complete without a corn dog and a wonder bar. Just remember, you don’t have to try one of everything. Your wallet will get thinner and your waistline will expand.

So plan your time, spend your money wisely, and enjoy the Iowa State Fair.

I

The Iowa State Fair runs for 10 days. I believe I could go everyday! But, you ask, what in the world would I do every day at the Fair?

First off, when I went to exhibits, I would take my time. I would not rush through any building or go any faster than I wanted to. I would get to look at all of the agricultural, craft, culinary and any other type of exhibit I was the least bit interested in seeing. As a matter of fact, with 10 days, I would probably at least glance at them all. I would have time to stop and examine an object more closely if I wished. I would walk up and down the isle of every barn (yes, I would enjoy that). I would take in some of the free shows that the Fair offers. I would more closely look at the offerings in the Varied Industries Building.

Since I like competition so much, I would spend some time watching different contests. I would watch livestock shows and culinary judging. I might make it to some of the sillier contests, like cow chip tossing. On a whim I might even sign up for one.

And, let’s not forget people watching. I’d love to have the time to sit on a bench and just watch the different people as they go by. There will be young families trying to handle small and easily bored children. Older couples will walk by hand in hand. The people who are involved in the fair, from competitors to security to carnies will come and go. I could just sit on a bench and soak it all in.

Since I had only 9 hours at the Fair this year, I didn’t do a lot of the things mentioned above. I tried to make a list and hit the highlights that mattered to me. But