What More Can I Say?

So...I was there. I watched in person as Barack Obama and Joe Biden took their oaths of office (although some morons might argue that Barack's oath was tainted--due to Justice Roberts' slip up). It was weird...it felt like the whole world was at peace..yet I was nervous that something would happen. And all of a sudden, I kinda felt like all of the struggling that my ancestors and others' ancestors went through...it kinda felt like they were all watching what was going on through my eyes and like they were all cheering inside of me. It felt like, all of the times that I had been judged for the color of my skin had seen justice. It felt like we finally got our 40 acres and a mule...that sounds silly but that's how it felt. Even still..I don't know what to make of it. All I know is I want to do great things too...and I knew it was possible before, but this gives me even more fuel to keep going further and further until God thinks I've done enough....

And the best thing about it...I got to experience it with Ju. I saw the joy of a little kid in his eyes as the motorcade drove by and he saw Barack waving at him. I saw true happiness as the guy in front of us slapped five with his big ol' self at the swearing-in. I saw someone so steadfast in "doing what makes sense"...stand outside for hours upon hours upon hours in the freezing cold...to stand among millions to watch a jumbotron on the dusty mall. We walked for miles and miles..hungry, tired, sick and in pain. It was a great and momentous occasion...This was our Woodstock...our Million Man March...our Peace rallies against wars...this was our moment..we were a part of it...our voice was heard and we mattered.

And Bush..those people had it right..."Arrest Bush"...you deserved every boo, lack of a waving flag and obscene gesture that you received...it's unfortunate though that Barack has to pick up after your sorry behind. Good riddance.

But, next inauguration...we're watching it inside....maybe you can come over for the viewing party..lol

Peace.

ASSuming

If you find out information that makes you upset...you should go to the source and never assume. ALWAYS ask the person what's on your mind and give them a chance to explain themselves. Sometimes we take bits and pieces of a conversation and run with it. You'd be surprised..most of your conflicts probably come from misunderstandings. And..this bit of 2 cents applies to people older than you, same age as you and even younger than you. Shoot...I learned it from my 3-year-olds. Oftentimes, I want to yell at them, but instead I give them a chance to explain themselves and they have reasonable explanations for what they're doing. Food for thought.....

Peace.
:)

Snow

Snow pretty much sucks. It's aesthetically beautiful, don't get me wrong. But as far as functionality...if it's not going to create a state of emergency....the skies can just keep it as far as I'm concerned. I have no desire to make snowmen, make snow angels, or throw snowballs. Ok..maybe I do still throw snowballs. But, in the "real" world...work doesn't stop due to snow days. You still have to go..which brings me back to my first point--snow pretty much sucks.

Peace.
:)

Everyone ain't ya friend..

Nobody's perfect. That's the first step in having any type of successful relationship. But a friendship is one that must include and practice on a regular--honest & tasteful communication, respect for each others' feelings, commonalities and time spent together.

Now, I'm someone that has a hard time letting people go, but what I've come to realize is that..you can't hold on to everyone. Especially if they don't want to be held onto. The person that I was years ago is not the person I am today. Likewise, friends of mine from years ago are not going to be the same people today. A lot of the times though, that's what we hold onto. Old memories. Well, stop hanging on and take a good look at what's in front of you. If not, you'll end up playing yourself... Giving people the benefit of the doubt... Making excuses for them...Going out of your way to make the friendship work... Not accepting what is because of what you'd hope for it to be. Face it--It is what it is. You stopped being friends for a reason and chances are, the reason hasn't changed.

Hopefully, as your life moves along, you've filled that space with much more meaningful relationships. When you take a step back to reevaluate what's really going on, hopefully you'll see that everything you need is right there in front of you. It's not a good feeling to know that you need to let someone go, but it's a good feeling to know that with or without that person, you love and are loved by others regardless.

Peace. :)

I am the way you see me...so stop asking me

When I get engaged, I'll let you know. If I get pregnant, I'll probably blurt that out too. Until then, please stop asking me! As of right now, I'm in a happy, healthy and loving relationship and that's where I am.



It's weird. Not only do we torture ourselves (with all the worrying about the past and the future that we inflict on ourselves/feelings of insecurity, inadequacy, etc.), but others torture us as well. Misery definitely loves company. It's kind of hard these days to find people who are happily married and who have stayed that way for decades. It's a blessing to run across a couple who has stayed together for 20 years. But, people still are hounding me about when am I going to get married, don't I want to have children, what am I waiting for, blah blah blah.



Jeez people. You're not even happy in your own relationships, so why are you trying to corner me into getting into something that I'm not ready for? You already know it's hard. Obviously..you're struggling with it right now or have in the past. It's not that I don't want to get married, but it's that I want to get married when we're both ready. A wedding is a one day event. A marriage is a lifetime event (or anyway, I want mine to be). A marriage takes more than love and affection to see it through till then end. It also takes finances, a commitment to be selfless, maturity, and the list goes on! I'm not a complete nincompoop, but when I say I'm not ready, it's because I'm not and I don't think it's right to try to convince me or try to rationalize with me otherwise. When people get married who are not yet ready, they end up divorced. And, in my opinion, I think we have enough of that already. So, in due time............

Peace.

Making Decisions..We Need to Do Better!

So, as you all know, I'm a preschool teacher. Two days ago, a little girl in my class was smelling a little rough. So I asked her over and over again if she needed to go to the bathroom and she kept telling me no. Finally, I got her to go to the bathroom and long story short, she had pooped on herself. But, the poop was dry, which meant she'd been walking around in that all day long and that it possibly had happened HOURS before I got to her. She told me that it happened in the morning, she had told her mother, and that her mother had told her, "I don't care" stopped talking to her and then they proceeded to walk to school. Without attacking the mother, I told her what I was told by the child and asked if she knew anything about it. Of course, she told me "No..I don't know where she got that from, I didn't even know it had happened..maybe she was afraid she'd get in trouble." This mother is 21 years old with 3-year-old twins and a 6 month old baby...works a very low-paying job and has very little time to spend with her children. I think it's safe to say that she has not made the kind of decisions that would allow her to handle her responsibilities...
Next scenario. Sometimes when parents are young and unestablished in life, they are unable to provide for their children. The kids get bounced around from family member to family member and even school to school because the parent is doing their best to give the child the best opportunities possible. My thing is, if you decide to have a child, that is YOUR decision. Please don't force everyone around you to take on that responsibility. That is between you and the child's other parent. If the two of you cannot work it out so that the TWO of you are taking care of your children, perhaps you should reconsider having unprotected sex or deciding to keep your child. I'm not proposing abortion, but there are plenty of willing parents out there who want to adopt because they can't have children or just because that's a decision that they feel their family is ready for. It is not fair for your family and friends to have to bear the responsibilities associated with raising and loving a human being (that is not the choice that they would have made on their own)! A lot of young parents push their children onto their grandparents. Well, if you think about it...your parents are old enough that you have your own children. Don't you think they have moved on from the "parenting" phase and want to relax? But, now they can't because they have another mouth to feed. That's terrible.

Kids aren't just cute...they're in need of constant attention, love, financial attention, boundaries, a routine, a safe environment, a healthy diet, access to healthcare, room & time to play and just the freedom to be a child! Sometimes, people say, "I just want something that will love me!" Ok, so if that's the only reason you're having a child, what happens when the kid hits puberty and decides, "I can't stand you, leave me alone..." ?

I realize that I have been raised in a situation that is more favorable than that of some others, and I'm sure this skews my opinion but I deal with children everyday. I see their situations and many of these 3-year-olds and some of the people in my own circle have dealt with things at such a young age, that I in my 24 years of living have not had to deal with ever. They're forced to experience things that they shouldn't have to and they know things that a young child shouldn't.

Make better decisions about the partners you choose. Make better decisions about what you do with these partners and realize that once you have children, you have to grow up, be selfless and make decisions that will benefit your children. It doesn't matter if you're young. It doesn't matter if you've done all the partying and recklessness that your friends have done. At that point, get over it, because your child needs you. Don't make decisions that work for the short-term. Think about your children's and your family's future.

Peace.

unplanned pregnancy

Plans. You make 'em...God breaks 'em. He actually just laughs at them and changes the whole game up. Family Planning. LoL. How many people do you know that have gotten pregnant "by accident?" Teen pregnancy, boyfriends and girlfriends, cheating lovers, married couples who weren't "planning on it"--it just happened. Well, whether you planned it or not, it's never a mistake. Nothing is ever a mistake. Everything happens for a reason. Perhaps there's a lesson to be learned that you haven't yet learned. Perhaps there's a joy waiting to unfold. But at the end of the day...if God puts someone here and lets them stay here....they're not an accident. He easily can take them away. If He hasn't done so yet....you're not an accident. Embrace what is and not what should have been and you'll be much more content with your plot in life.


=)