The Good news!

[RenParticipant]

I mentioned this in chat the other night, but I was asked to write about it in the forum, so here goes:

 

Good news #1

I work for a domestic violence shelter in Louisiana. often, we get calls from the national domestic violence hotline. This hotline is – as implied– a national number set up so that anyone in the US can get in touch with a shelter local to them.

Well, Thursday afternoon, I got this email, which was sent out to all members of the staff.

Just as an explanation: Kim is our shelter director and the biggest head honcho right beneath the board of directors, who really mostly act as public relations.

Rhonda is me. I go by Ren online and with friends, but my workplace doesn’t know about my transgender status, though I’m gonna have to tell them because they’ve been running head first into my art life, where I do use this name.

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Good Morning All:

Just wanted to let you know that not only do I hear when staff members do something inappropriate or that is not helpful to others, but I also receive calls when an advocate does an outstanding job.

I received a call from the National DV Hotline director this morning informing me that on February 2nd, Rhonda went above and beyond in assisting a woman from New Orleans who called the national hotline.  I was told Rhonda was very helpful in describing the local area and trying to meet this woman’s particular needs even though we did not have space.

The National Hotline was able with the help of Rhonda and her referral’s get this woman to a program who could assist.

Great job Rhonda!  Remember, how you respond and assist others is always noticed and does make a difference.

Kim
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The Director of the national hotline called our little shelter to praise me. All I can say is… *faints*

The lady I spoke to on the phone was a random hotline worker, just like I’m a phone worker… only she’s in a MUCH bigger operation. Somehow, her praise of me made it up a chain to THEIR head honcho, who then called us….

This blows my mind.

And Good news#2

A couple of weeks ago, I gave an oil painting to my shelter to sell at auction to make money. The painting–as soon as I walked in with it– was claimed by a local social figure and wife of a former state representative. (this auction is a BIG deal…)
She took the painting home, and I was set up (through old friends of mine after I talked about the sale on Facebook) with an interview with the local paper. Actually this isn’t just the local paper. This is the largest paper in the state. It just has mini sections for local areas. Well, I was set up with an interview for the Arts section of our local paper insert.  The interview was really long and good. aaaaaand the online version of the article was published the same day i got the accolades from the hotline. The article was less about my art and more about my philosophy. I’m still honored she took the time to write it, though. I suppose later there will be time to do more when I have more art out. (And she used my alternate name, too!) ^_^ The print version will come out next wednesday.

link: http://www.nola.com/community/st-tammany/index.ssf/2013/03/slidell_artist_ren_buidhe_is_t.html

• This topic was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by  Ren.

[Anonymous]

This is a feel good story, and it’s makin me feel good. Thanks for sharing. Good should always be shared.

And that painting is very special. I am an artist, my pissycatrist told me. I’m an artist but not a painter. As an artist I a look for and appreciate asymmetry and the golden ratio 0f proportional balance. I’m not about measuring out Phi, but it’s often there when something is beautiful to the eye. There is another more elusive quality that rarely happens as well as it has in this painting of the bayou, that is the spirit of the place. I’ve never been to Louisiana, but as a young boy I would fish from a row boat on the river behind our house. I had a spot like this. There was an old willow that had tipped into the river. The turtles would slide off when I came close. There was a bass living under that tree that I only saw once, it was big. Some mornings there would be just a hint of fog hanging over the river, just like your painting.

Thanks for taking me back.

[RenParticipant]

i’m happy that it did ^_^

The painting in the article wasn’t the painting I sold, unfortunately. I have that painting still and I also sell prints of it ! ^_^

 

I love Louisiana’s swamps, too. In fact I’m sort of attached to water. I could never live very far from it.

[Anonymous]

Ren -I am SO HAPPY that something GOOD is finally happening to you! Thanks for sharing your good news! You are such a special person and you definitely more than deserve to have good things happening in your life!

After reading your other post about being depressed and house bound, I so wished I had the financial means to just scoop you right out of that depressing, oppressive environment you are forced to live in and find you some place you could call your own – where you could thrive and feel completely free to be exactly who you are and/or want to be.

Congrats on the well deserved accolades you were given by the higher ups in the Domestic Violence arena! That speaks volumes about the kind of loving, caring, compassionate person you are. How I wish your family would see, affirm, and appreciate those great qualities in you!!

I hope this newspaper article about your amazing artwork (and your life philosophy) will be just the first step toward having a flourishing  art/writing career that can financially sustain you so you can leave home and finally just be YOU! And so you don’t have to live a nocturnal existence, unless you want to! All the best to you Ren!

[Author]

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