More and more I have come to realize how important "time" actually is. For me, everyday there is a struggle between the things that need to be done, and the amount of time in the day.  As a young person with few responsibilities or dependents, when the conversation would include the phrase "there just isn't enough time in the day" my brows would furrow with doubt. Fast forward 30+ years, and with the responsibilities of a family and an aging family member, I see this as a simple truth.   As I approach  the big 5-0 next week, I have become even more conscious of the "value" of my personal time and who I spend it with.

For several weeks I have contemplated joining a club in Camden.  The motivation was to meet individuals, who have some of the same interest as I do and to gain more knowledge into that passion.  After researching the club on the Internet, an email was sent to the state headquarters, whose president promptly returned a response, with the email address and name of the  chapter president in my town of Camden.

Three weeks passed before the Camden president returned my email, and as I read this email I quickly learned that membership into this club, was by invitation or referral only. Really? This is the year 2012.   I had to wonder what made this individual state this fact so quickly in the body of her email.  Perhaps it was my name, as many people upon hearing or reading my name for the first time, assume I am an African American.

Immediately my amature detective antenna arose...just who were these individuals who comprised this organization?   My trusty fingers went to work.  Finding the presidents profile on Facebook was simple and I was immediately transported into this ladies life and what she deemed important. Whether or not we like to admit it, our Facebook profile is a mirror into our soul.

 Hers was a life of parties, horses and events. There were no pictures of her family, or of books that she had recently read. There was nothing on her profile that led me to believe that this individual was the type of individual that cared for others, or had an interest in any social issues effecting the world today. I had to ask myself, was this the type of person I wanted to share my valuable time with? Would this be the type of person that I would want as a friend?  I might also add that there was not one reference to the club, or to the subject matter of that club, on her facebook page. Hmmm....I thought that said a lot!

 It wasn't that long ago, that I believed that it was fine to allow an unlimited amount of  people into my life, either through church, Ted's wrestling program or various clubs and associations. However, every person that you allow into your life affects you and shapes you as a person. With this in mind, along with the realization of the great "value" of my spare time, I have finally realized the importance of taking a step back, and sometimes just saying no thank you.

I am certain that you are just dying to know what I did with that email from the club's president.....well I deleted it. I didn't even bother to respond, as I would not want to be in a club that was discriminating or was in some way demeaning to individuals.  I decided that I didn't need to open the door and let that group in.  I just said no....and it felt good.