Giving Thanks

I haven't blogged in a while and let's just say that I have been extremely busy with school, work and helping my mom with what little I can concerning the house fire. My blog has never been far from my mind though and I have thought of all the ways I could 'come back' after such a long time away. I have been working on a couple new posts to catch you up on what's been going on in my life, future goals and perusing blogs -new and old- to show some blog love.

Today though, I would just like to acknowledge the spirit of the day and say Happy Thanksgiving to you all. God Bless.


-Image courtesy of Thanksgivingcards.blogspot.com

I'm back......Hump Day.......and a little blog love

Well, actually, I didn't say I was going anywhere so you probably didn't even miss me so I don't know. I spent a couple of weeks with my mommy in Trinidad taking care of details of remodeling our home. Tedious work to say the least. All wasn't bad though. The scenery, as always, was to die for. I will post in the near future in more detail just as soon as I download some awesome pics.

Today is ALL about blog luv. While I was in Trinidad there was little time for blog reading as I would regularly do here. Since I returned I have been playing catch up on what some of my favorite bloggers have been up to. Anilia's blog, Motivated Sista, as you can probably guess by now is all about motivating women to, as she says, "pursue their dreams and live the best lives possible". I love that! I am at currently chopping away at some goals myself, including my desire to get a masters ( just as SOON as I fill out the application) and its great to read positive posts that are along those lines.

When I got back, her most recent post was "You Are All That Matters" and all I can say is that it hit H-O-M-E! I do not know Anilia ( I act like I do huh, I'm using her first name all willy nilly) but honestly I swear she wrote this directly to ME. Afraid of success, afraid of failure, afraid to leave my comfort zone...Check ....Check....and Check. I personally am very guilty of having Imposter Syndrome and try my best to remind myself that I am WORTHY but honestly one wrong word from the right person and my self-esteem could be shaken for weeks sometimes even months. After reading that post I pulled out my calendar and started planning my application in three small steps. It's due in November so keep me honest.


Today, as it turns out, is her first blog anniversary and so to celebrate head on over to Motivated Sista and show her some love. If you're feeling really good, take a moment to fill out the survey -click here for the link- she has listed to help her make the blog even better.

Have a great rest of the week


P.S. Before you comment.....Yes, the photo WAS random and No, it is in no way related to the post....it just expresses how I felt today

Rushing to Judgment and the Shirley Sherrod incident

I called it an incident but honestly I don't really know what to call it. A woman lost her job and has been vilified in the media so it is more than an incident. If I can think of something better to call the incident, I will do so at the end. The story as you now know goes loosely like this. Ms. Sherrod gave a speech about her view on race and referred to an incident in her a past - an A ha moment if you will - at an NAACP event. The event, which happened back in March, was taped and someone decided to slice and dice it to make it look like she was a racist. One look at the video and one could see that it was 'put together'. Nevertheless, in the end, the cleverly packaged video made its way to the forefront of all three of the cable news networks. Quite understandably at first glance there was outrage. I'm sure we all agree that NO one should use their position of power against anyone.

Everybody wanted her head on the platter for what appeared to be racist remarks against a white farmer. NAACP denounced her actions. She was subsequently forced to give her resignation by pulling over on the side of the road and texting it. Her superiors wanted it quickly because they didn't want the story to appear on Glenn Beck. She went on the various news stations pleading her innocence, asking everyone to watch the ENTIRE video and .......well.....24 hours later everyone was given access to the video in its entirety and the story gets even deeper. It was not as it originally seemed.

It turns out the 30 second clip was actually a small PIECE of a much LONGER video and Ms. Sherrod was indeed telling the truth. Her comments were essentially taken out of context. It dawned on NO ONE in the news media, at the NAACP or in the Secretary's office to 'further investigate' this situation. Every one acted FIRST. Had everyone wait just ONE DAY .....

I would love to know how we got to this point. As a undergraduate journalism student, we were always told to check and re-check facts. Granted, we all understood if it bled it led but check the facts nonetheless. I also know as a consumer that many a story makes its way on to television and print news and not all the facts are presented. And I am by no way implying that this is some sort of malicious conspiracy but when a reporter only has a minute and 30 seconds to tell a story, only so much is going to get in. It is after all being told from the presenter's point of view. Something will be left out. I'm sure someone reading this will probably wonder what I left out.

This incident has many facets including the initial position the NAACP took their claim of being 'snookered', how the administration chose to handle the situation ( texting a resignation?seriously?) and last but not least how we as a society look at this.

I think without a doubt we can all think back to a time when we have all acted hastily without all the facts and the results were horrendous. Personally, I can think of a more than one. Watching this play out on television over the last 48 hours, all I could think of was how sad it was that everyone hit first and asked questions later. This is not to say that we know EVERYTHING there is to know about this situation but I think if we give it time we will continue to learn more. I think this is textbook teaching moment about rushing to judgment but honestly I think it will go over most of our heads. I hope as we continue to watch this unfold we will bite our tongue the next time someone angers us, or makes a decision we don't like or chooses a position we don't like. Take a moment to see their point of view. LISTEN.ASK QUESTIONS.ASK MORE QUESTIONS. In the end this may ultimately help YOU save face. Remember that your response or reaction to a situation could have grave results.

This is my two cents....What say you?

And the reference to this as an incident will stand. As long as it took me to write this post I still couldn't come up with anything.

Making today rich....Becoming a Better Me

I trust everyone had a great 4th of July, I know I did. I hung out with my mom and my nephew. We had a roti and went down to the park for Houston Caribfest. I didn't plan on going to the park. Spending money to get sunburned and sweaty just didn't seem appealing but my nephew wanted to go so that was that. I originally planned to just sit around and enjoy the sunshine after the many days of rain courtesy of tropical storm/depression Alex. It was a beautiful day!

The 4th also marks our move to the Houston area. Thirty years ago yesterday, my mother made the decision to leave NYC to escape an abusive relationship. She left with two small children and a suitcase a piece. No one knew where we were and it stayed that way for six months. Ultimately it was not meant to be and he wormed his way back in her mind and they, through the years violence still prevalent - are still together today. I thought a lot about this on yesterday and the only two people I could talk about it with were both unwilling and incapable of going back to that moment.

I obviously have my own feelings about this relationship as I grew up watching everything unfold. It hasn't helped my life overall and more importantly my life PERSONALLY. It has left me very jaded. I think a lot about how it has affected me and realise that being bitter just leaves me ...well.....being bitter. No one cares about the past. Everyone who has had to listen to the story, and a story I can tell,always ended up saying to me - "Get over it Mel. Its going to eat you up!" Over the years I have always said I was 'over it' and tried to move forward but some way some how, I always end up letting a thought, one sometimes 10-15 years old get the better of me. I am getting to the point where I really do want to move past it.

My girlfriend Stephanie gave me a daily meditation book for my birthday in 1997 and I recently pulled it out and starting using it again. I missed a couple of days and had a moment to pick it up earlier today. Today's meditation was, "If you are willing to deal with the past, you can make the moment you are in rich." It also goes on to say we cannot get away from our past. It also mentioned something about denial. Needless to say it made me think of all the times I have said to my self that I would deal with my feelings of anger and hate and hostility. I also think of all the things I want to accomplish and moving forward and I know deep down that nothing will change until I do.

Another Milestone....and some blog love

Yep...I can't believe another anniversary is upon me. Time really waits on no one. I had many hopes for this blog when I started it and well....let's just say I haven't accomplished many of them. I have learned alot. What I have learned most of all is that its REALLY hard to blog. Blogging takes a.lot.of.time. Time I seem NOT to have. Tons of topics cross my mind and blogging in the middle of the day seems impossible. Waiting until I get home to blogs blows my momentum. I haven't found a happy medium but as with everything else, in becoming a better me, I will continue to keep trying.


I also realized that I am not the only one who runs into the problem of trying to blog and continue with day to day life. I have come across several bloggers who run into the same challenge but still manage to do a great deal with their content. When you get a moment check out this 20 something college girl who started blogging at Think and Grow Chick to document her journey in this thing called life and providing a guide for chicks just like her who want to do EVERYTHING.

Show her some blog love

Happy Birthday to me....

I know I know...same song, different dance. I have been silent for a minute and I waited until the end of the day but I am trying to finish up my last two courses so blogging has been literally put on the back burner. I just wanted to pop in and say Happy Birthday to me!

As my course winds down, I will try to post some things. Having a birthday puts a lot of things in perspective..

Later

My thoughts and prayers...

...are with those affected by the earthquakes that hit Haiti today as well as those headed to the area to provide assistance. Appeals for aid are underway. I tried to find a couple of links to post here and was unable. I will update this post once I find them. See the CNN video below of Raymond Joseph, Haiti's ambassador to the United States and Wyclef Jean's uncle discussing the quake.

Weekend Blues..weight blues..just blues

Cold weather is no joke. It makes you want to hibernate and stay in bed.....ALL.DAY.LONG. I did this practically the entire weekend.

Hope all is WARM where you are....prolly not. This weekend has gone on record as being one of the coldest. Reading twitter posts let me know I was not alone. All the Tweeple from the South, who regularly see temps in the mid to low 60's this time of year, were all a chatter about the weather. At its lowest point it was in the 20's here in Houston. I ventured out at the highest point - about 46 degrees- Saturday around 3 and quickly rushed back in. Needless to say for those of us not use to this type of weather, I got little done. I tried to complain to a girlfriend who lives in Pittsburgh and she stopped me in my tracks, told me it was 11 degrees where she was and changed topics. Allrighty then. I had no comeback so I let her change topics. Hopefully this coming week will bring milder weather.

The weather has also wrecked havoc on my workout plans. I would like to at least do a drive by on the gym. It is difficult to get into a decent routine with weather like this.I suppose if I had some sort of routine before it may not have been as difficult to disrupt. Who knows. I am not claiming negativity with this situation or being whiney but I need to get it together. All I can process is 184.184.184.184. In case you are wondering what those figures represent its.... wait.....hold for it...it my weight. There I said it. WHEW! glad that's out. They say acknowledgement is the first step to recovery so..there it is. I think by far acknowledging being overweight with a BMI of 29 has been really hard. I didn't compile a new years resolutions list (translation I didnt commit to anything per se) but since my weight has pushed me to being a borderline diabetic I am more focused on getting something done. I have been given until April to "show improvement" so I need to get it going. I thought about rearranging my apartment so I could work out in front of the television. My cable company has work out videos "on-demand" so since I am paying for cable, the workout videos are there and it could be a start. We will see

I just watched the Joel Osteen on BET a little while ago. The message this week is having a good opinion of yourself, #447. Again, no resolutions but I really need to put this in check. I am my own worst critic. Here's a link to his site incase you want to check it out. I think its only up for a week so get on it.


Have a great week everyone...Bundle up

Happy New Year!!! 2010 is here...

Can you believe I am up? I definitely cannot. Its an hour into the new year and it crossed my mind to drop in on my beloved but very much neglected blog. I spent the last day of the year completing the final details for my apartment. I also went to Mass with my mom. I had plans to have a drink to ring in the new year but that did not materialize. Does that mean I didn't need it? I wonder...

I for one am glad to see 2009 go. I felt stagnant at a certain point in 09 and found myself hiding my personal wishes and desires for the needs and wants of others. This year there will be none of THAT. TRUST!

I didn't do much in the way of resolutions. I guess I kinda just made one. Not really. The above is more like a vow. Anyway, back to resolutions. Every year around the end of November I use the remaining space in my planner to come up with resolutions. My resolutions surround being a better me - losing weight, volunteering more, write more blog more, that kinda thing. For whatever reason it just didn't seem right this year. My plan is to take it one day at a TIME.

So with that I will end. Keeping it short and sweet. I wish you all the best for the new year. For those of you who diligently follow your resolutions congrats and good luck with them this year. For those of you who are on my bandwagon, let's try and keep each other motivated.


Happy New Years Errybody!


P.S. To my one and only friend that I know born on January 1st - New Year's Day- Happy Birthday DJ Aggravated!