Helpless in Fresno

(A true, never before told story)

• Step One: Know that you are in exactly the right place right now.

• Step Two: Know you can have a clean, cozy, peaceful home.

• Step Three: Know that you’re not alone.

• Step Four: Know that when you take a thought, add feeling to it and take action, you can’t fail. 

                                   Here’s one woman’s story:

After a routinely chaotic, scavenger hunt for matching sox, clean underwear, clothes, shoes, coats, books and lunch money, her son, a third grader and her daughter a first grader missed the school bus.

That was pretty much the Brace Family routine. 

For breakfast, Mrs. Brace had served them apple pie and ice cream, telling herself it was healthy and contained all the food groups.

The baby (16 months old) was happily playing in Pico’s (a Doberman, Labrador mix named after the cul-de-sac they lived on) water bowl with the head of one of her sister’s Barbie Dolls. 

You KNOW things can change.

Her husband had ceremoniously huffed off to work as the manager of a popular, chain restaurant with only the front of his shirt ironed and wearing damp underwear because they were the only clean ones available. They'd been part of a load of whites that had been washed but hadn’t made it to the dryer. He’d pulled them from the mass of whites stuck to the inside of the washer.

As he stormed out the door he bellowed a serious ultimatum; “Get this place cleaned up or I’m outta here!”

Once the kids finished their pie and ice cream, she threw on a knee length coat over her pajamas, rolled the pant legs up to hide the festive pink elephants resting on clouds on her pajamma bottoms, pulled on a wig used just for covering bed hair and hunted for her car keys and purse.

The kids were late for school and she had to go into the office with them. The secretary in charge of tardies knew her well. ‘Thank God for the long coat and wig!’ she thought. She felt horrible. She wanted an organized home and had read what little there was on home organization and it hadn't helped. On her way home the car radio played a sad love song about a lover long gone and she cried. Then something magical happened! A commercial came on the radio advertising the Link Care Center.

“We care. We know and understand what you’re going through. No matter what your problem, we have qualified counselors to help you now,” the kind woman’s soft voice floated over lovely, peaceful organ music.

Mrs. Brace wrote the number in the dust on the dashboard and as soon as she got home, she called.

       “Ring, ring, ring?”

 
“Link Care Center how may I direct your call?”

“I need to talk to a counselor. I heard your advertisement on the radio and I was wondering how much it costs for your help.”

“I’ll connect you with someone in counseling, one moment please.”

“Dr. Doe’s office, how may I help you?”

 “I’m a slob. The house is trashed, I’m always late and it’s affecting my children and my husband and I feel guilty because I’m a full-time homemaker and I’m not making a nice home for my family or me. I need someone to help me get organized.”

“Oh I’m sorry, we don’t have help in that area, perhaps you could find a book to read on the subject.”

If she’d had the nerve she would’ve snapped, “What d’ya mean you can’t help me? The lady on the radio said you can help ANY problem!”

But at that time in her life she didn’t have the confidence to stand up to anyone.

Fast forward three years

There she was appearing on television across the country with her sister touting their book; the first get-organized book written from a reformed slob’s point of view. Sidetracked Home Executives: from pigpen to paradise.

I am Mrs. Brace. I divorced Mr. Brace after 15 years of a nightmare marriage and raised my three children alone. As a single mother with minimal help financially and almost nonexistent help with sharing the raising of the children, we managed to survive and enjoy a wonderful life. That’s because I got organized.

Fourteen years later, I married a man with two children and together we have 12 grandchildren. Today, I’m Pam Young.

I Googled the Link Care Center and found it’s alive and well in Fresno, California and I’m sure it still doesn’t help disorganized people. It’s magical to me to see that out of a real need and desire, the answers were within me, not at the Link Care Center and not in a book...yet. I never dreamed I would write a book that could have helped me back then.

We all know we can do what we put our minds to doing and when we seek help from those who have had similar problems and have found answers, we’re on the path to success. If you want a peaceful, clean, happy home and you know in your heart that it’s possible to achieve, I can help you get organized just enough to please you. Together, let’s create that home you know you can have.

If you liked this article, I think this blog I wrote will help you get started with a plan.  http://blog.cluxborganized.com/you-can-get-organized-using-these-3-key-ideas 

Love,