Live To Tell Freestyle Story by Stella Carrier

Inspired by My Musical Interest in Madonna

Affirmations For Today’s Freestyle Story;

I’m learning to be in charge of my life regardless of what decisions others make in my life that affect me.

I wisely prioritize what is important in my life regardless of how others judge my level of putting my needs ahead of theirs

I become and get luckier each day.

My psychic abilities increase more and more each day.

I use the element of surprise to my advantage regardless of whether others consider my current endeavors mysterious.

I successfully venture down a path new to me as I uncover hidden information to my positive advantage.

I wisely know what to keep under wraps regardless of whether I’m working on something that others are interested in.

I successfully see through distortions and intentional/unintentional deceptions to wisely see what is important, true, andor previously hidden knowledge.

I shrewdly improvise and bend the rules to my advantage in all areas of my life.

Regardless of what critics say, it is important to sometimes put the needs of myself before others, especially when it comes to personal goals such as weight loss, moderating/reducing my facebook usage etc.

I understand that the most powerful people in the world carefully strike a balance between putting their own needs as top priority while wisely deciding which of the needs of others to reasonably fulfill.

Camille Campbell, Evie Jenkins, and Carly Harrison are women in their mid-40’s and live in the Washington D.C. area. Carly Harrison lives in College Park Maryland, Evie Jenkins lives in Bethesda Maryland, and Camille Campbell currently resides in Alexandria, Virginia. Carly Harrison and Evie Jenkins met each other at a Toastmster’s Club when working to improve their speaking skills. Camille Campbell met both Carly and Evie at a support group for unemployed women and they all became fast friends. These women would sometimes bond at one of the public libraries in the area, one of the D.C. area coffeehouses, andor at various places across the Washington D.C. area (Smithsonian American Indian museum, Smithsonian Naval Air and Space museum, Smithsonian National Postal museum etc. However, each of the three women were facing an important crossroads because their unemployment benefits were running out in a month.

Each of the three women tried to find new jobs in the Washington D.C. area to no avail. For instance, Camille Campbell almost got hired at the new MGM Harbor hotel as a housekeeper. The caveat was that the hiring manager claimed that they were not yet hiring due to a hiring freeze. However, she unintentionally met a thinner woman at a bus stop less than a mile away from the place who had been hired after her, with that job offer being the second job that she had in her lifetime (despite the mystery woman being a year older than Camille). Camille Campbell decided to avoid wasting her time filing a legal claim after the mystery woman admitted that she has not had to work much over the years because she had a husband who worked as a manager for over 25 years who took care of them both, including their children. Sadly, the husband ran off with another woman who was truthfully no prettier than the now single mother and even had kids herself, the woman just happened to be smarter with her money. Camille Campbell was child-free and had an amazing husband who treated her like a queen despite her weight. Additionally, not so much because of her being childfree but more because of their personality compatibility, Camille Campbell was certain that her marriage with her husband Harry was going to last. However, despite the MGM hiring setback, Camille decided to take meeting this single mother as a warning from the universe to put herself in a position to avoid putting her husband Harry in an unfair position of always having to financially carry them both. Fortunately, Camille Campbell had already started putting away money in her savings and was going to have a talk with her husband Harry on their future together involving their job and living residence goals.

Evie Jenkins and Carly Harrison were also married and child-free. Evie Jenkins has a husband who works as an adjunct professor at Montgomery College. Evie Jenkins discovered that her husband does not mind paying her way for one more year on the condition that she follow him to his job at Santa Monica college in Santa Monica California. Camille Campbell finds out on the same day as her MGM meeting with the single mother that Evie Jenkins is following her husband to Santa Monica College. On the plus side, Evie Jenkins finds a job as an administrative assistant at Santa Monica College and is able to easily enroll in classes for free at the college. Camille Campbell is happy for Evie Jenkins and prays to find a better way in her situation. This is because Camille Campbell is figuring out that she has to figure out what she is meant to do more than just her passions. Yes, some people are fortunate to have their life passions intersect with their life’s work. However, Camille knows not to just allow others to tell her what her purpose is because some of their well-meaning suggestions come from a classist place (supporters who tried to persuade her to go back to previous employment that viewed their employees as disposable and did not hesitate to allow the public to put them down for the company that they were employed at) or a sexist place (one well meaning and highly intelligent supporter honestly said what was wrong with her just allowing her husband to support her since they do not have children).

Carly Harrison was also child-free and married but her husband admitted that he may be forced to take a job overseas or outside the Washington D.C. area if Carly did not secure employment in time (due to the high cost of living in the Washington D.C. area). The idea of Carly Harrison living with any of her family members was not a good or healthy option because she was treated like a black sheep in her family. Carly Harrison made the call to Camille that she was leaving the Washington D.C. area for Norfolk Virginia. Camille was concerned for Carly because she was moving with just 1000 dollars to her name and no lined up job offer at the moment. However, Camille wished Carly well because she knew how it felt to have even just reachable dreams and to only have just a few friends andor family members to turn to for support andor understanding.

Two months later, Camille receives a call from Carly that she has found a job working in one of the cafeterias (the military calls it a galley) on the Norfolk Naval Base. The money allowed her enough money to move to an apartment within 2 miles of the Norfolk Naval Base and enroll in classes at Tidewater Community College. Carly is doing so financially well to the point that she is able to visit her husband in the Washington D.C. area once every two weeks and sometimes once a week. Camille is happy for Carly and even giggled when Carly admitted that she booked a stay at the Watergate Hotel in the next month for both her and her husband. Carly is also now in the tough but enviable position of getting accepted to both an online program at the University of Maryland College Park which would allow her to stay in Virginia but the only caveat is that she would have to pay more out of pocket money. Carly has also been offered admission to an online program at Old Dominion University in Norfolk Virginia but with more money offered to pay for her tuition, including a campus work study opportunity. Camille recommends that Carly talk to a mutual friend enrolled in Georgetown University’s Public Relations & Corporate Communications Program. Camille gives Carly her number with the gentle suggestion to admit that she got the number from her and explain why she is calling. Carly is happy for this advice and makes it clear to Camille that she enjoyed talking with her. However, she has to go because she has tickets to go to a Madonna concert with a female professor friend at Old Dominion University that same night. Rumor has it that Madonna is going to perform multiple hits from her Celebration Cd that night such as Revolver feat. Lil Wayne, Dress You Up, Celebration, 4 Minutes etc.

Camille Campbell goes back to the College Park apartment that night relieved that her husband Aaron wants to stay in the Washington D.C. area but he is supportive of her taking a job outside the Washington D.C. area if she feels the need to. That same night, Camille Campbell has a dream that one of Aaron’s relatives wait until just two months after Camille’s unemployment benefits to run out to entice Aaron to move in with them. Sadly, her and Aaron bicker over it in this confrontational dream and feels betrayed by Aaron’s family member to the point where she still loves the family member as family but is too scared to ever confide in the family member when it comes to something important. Camille intuitively understands even in this dream that moving in with the family member would be too risky for the marriage and her job prospects especially in the occasions that Camille would dare to assert herself. In the dream, Aaron gets offered the job but is surprised when Camille acts surprisingly calm in the dream when she sees a Canada Dry truck in the dream.

In this dream, Camille dares to go ahead and move to Canada within a month after seeing the truck. Moving and adjusting there is hard for the first year as she strives to make a living in Toronto Canada. However, she feels renewed bravery in not allowing critics to stop her because she is a natural born American who can always fall back on her American citizenship. In the dream, Camille enrolls in public relations courses as Centennial College and is even given a paid stipend to study in Jacobs University in Germany and finds extra money doing plus size modeling and a cashier at a food court inside one of the shopping malls at a military base in Germany. Camille sees herself lifting herself back up by applying and using some principles in the Ask and It Is Given book, various Inc. magazine articles, and she is even invited to a Ted Event (the invitation arrives in her mailbox in Canada from a mysterious donor). Camille’s dream even shows her how her new life in Canada is going to also help her make new and multiple friends from various occupations and walks of life; politician, labourer, party planner, community worker, gamekeeper, software consultant, tour guide etc.

Camille wakes up to her alarm clock and joyfully to the song Vogue by Madonna. Her husband was already up because he was understandably getting ready for work that was less than a 40 minute walk to his job. Camille figures that it is now or never to approach him as to how he feels and luckily they have five minutes to talk. Camille confides to Aaron the part of the dream where Aaron’s family member lures him away from the Washington D.C. area with a prosperous job offer. Aaron, in a kind tone, confesses that her dream is giving a true clue as to what is happening but he did not want to tell her sooner to hurt or anger her. Aaron even has the courage to admit that Camille should not take it personally because he would actually move other places (not just where the family member lives) if the price is right, but only if the money offer is right because he enjoys his job a lot in College Park, Maryland. Aaron is surprised that Camille admits that although she is surprised both of their happiness and well-being is more important to her than allowing an unnecessary fight to erupt, especially before the start of his workday. Camille is pleasantly surprised that Aaron gives his blessing for her to move if necessary and for his understanding why she would prefer to avoid following him to where the family member lives and why Camille would want to chart her own course. They lovingly hug each other and kiss as Camille waves to him one last time through their apartment window. Camille has now run out of her unemployment benefits but fortunately she has over 1500 saved from being resourceful with her unemployment benefits and legal side gigs. However, Camille now knows that she must push herself to make up her mind in the next 24 hours if she needs to follow a joyful dream to take a chance on life in Canada or maybe follow her friend Carly Harrison to Norfolk, Virginia.

https://www.orindaben.com/pages/rooms/affirmations_room/

I know what I love to do and I do it.

I enjoy my job.

Losing weight is easier than I thought.

My clairvoyant sight is opening.

I am in a state of inner listening and focused awareness in all I do.

My life purpose guides me in all that I do.

I experience many positive, uplifting thoughts.

I am one with my soul.

The cd I used in this story;

Celebration by Madonna

My past Amazon Review for Madonna’s Celebration Cd (fortunately I had the chance to purchase it on Amazon on October 22, 2009)

5.0 out of 5 starsMadonna's Most Recent Greatest Hits Compilation

ByStella Carrieron January 27, 2011

Format: Audio CD|Verified Purchase

As many others who enjoy Madonna's music, I have pretty much grew up listening to many of Madonna's songs. One of the first songs that I can recall hearing of hers was "Like a Virgin". I admit that I was definitely under 10 years old before being exposed to her music, but I found her music good to listen to then and I still do now. With this said, I have to agree with others who say that more of her hits could have been included in this collection. Every Madonna fan has their favorite songs that could have been included. For me, I wish that the songs "Fever"(from her Erotica album), "Rain"(from her Erotica album) and "I'll Remember"(for the film "With Honors") would have been included in the "Celebration" collection. I would respectfully say that she has had enough hits to at least have warranted a three cd set collection, rather than just two. However, I still feel that this collection is worth owning because of the diversity of songs included in the "Celebration" collection. For instance, the music listener is treated to her daring 80's side with the catchy songs of "Dress You Up"(a song about wanting to express one's desire for who they are attracted to) and "Burning Up"(a musical track about having intense emotions for someone). There is also a diversity of good songs showcased from the 90's such as "Vogue" and "Ray of Light". Madonna then put out some more music in the 2000's, which gave some good songs such as "Music" and "Beautiful Stranger"(song provided for the film Austin Powers:The Spy Who Shagged Me). The best way to determine if you are going to feel good from owning the "Celebration" collection is if you enjoy any of her music from the 80's, 90's, and the 2000's (due to the fact that music from these time periods are organized throughout the two cds).

Other Resources Used

https://www.yahoo.com/news/m/92585340-c244-334c-b910-557f0f4aea95/ss_17-inspiring-women-to-watch.html

Lifestyle

17 Inspiring Women to Watch in 2017

http://www.inc.com/melissa-studach/ss/12-phrases-that-will-make-you-appear-more-confident.html

12 Things Emotionally Intelligent People Say

http://www.inc.com/lisa-calhoun/17-inspiring-women-to-watch-in-2017.html

17 Inspiring Women to Watch in 2017

http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=04708b7a29891410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD

Toronto: Getting Here & Around

https://www.centennialcollege.ca/programs-courses/schools/school-of-communications-media-arts-design/part-time-programs/

Part-time Programs

http://www.smc.edu/AboutSMC/Pages/default.aspx

Welcome to Santa Monica College!

My husband and I use to live in Norfolk Virginia from part of 2008 until part of 2009.I’m using this link pertaining to Norfolk Virginia for one of my freestyle stories today.

http://www.cnic.navy.mil/regions/cnrma/installations/ns_norfolk/about.html

https://www.tcc.edu/academics/degrees/online

Tidewater Community College Norfolk Virginia