Yolande Barial
Your Words Project: Speaking on Purpose
Seeks to Enrich the Lives of Women through Spoken and Written Word.
510-589-6445
Filed under: Speaking On Purpose | Tagged: AskMePC - websdesign, Linda Lee, Love Made of Heart, Teresa LeYung Ryan, thanks, writing Coach Teresa, Yolande Barial | Leave a comment »
On Sunday, May 29, the scripture reference was taken from Hebrews 11:6 and the name of the words delivered was only two: God is…
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
The woman who delivered the message was an educated and refined sister, no doubt carrying many degrees and accomplishments galore. She spoke of the power of God and what we are called to do is to believe and have faith that whatever the situation God is really all any of us ever need. The faith that is needed to do anything in our lives is propelled by these constant two words God is…She spoke of experiencing the death of her mother, then her father, then her brother, then her sister and finally she experienced the death of her only child – a son. You could hear the gasps and the quiet spoken oh my God’s escaping out of mouths. Even through her pain, she knew that God is the provider – He is the mother to the motherless, and the father to the fatherless, the brother and sister to the brother and sisterless and the son to us all. She no doubt experienced moments that were too excruciating to even discuss, after all we are expected to bury our parents and even the death of a sibling is tolerable; however, the death of a child. One that came from you and into this world is a pain that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I cried as did most of the women and some men in the congregation. We felt her pain and yet we see her triumph. Her faith in the power of His words which clearly state that he can carry our burdens and walk with us through the fire – allowed her to triumph. In grief she excelled and she continues to walk by faith.
This kind of faith is what God is. Faith tells God that we believe. When I went to sleep last night, a part of me began making excuses as to why I could not go to church because I had so much work to do to get ready for my sons 16th birthday party. The other part; however knew, that regardless of the work, I had to go to church. I opted to go and as I did I felt renewed., I believe that having that desire to walk in His presence gets us through those times, when we don’t even remember how we got where we are and how we are going to move forward. Standing on his word and going to service to say thank you made the work to get ready for the party seem to fly by. I said thank you Lord for the friends and family and for the children that continue to uplift and buoy me for what life has given me and for those things yet to come. All I know is that God is…and that is enough.
Yolande Barial
Your Words Project: Speaking on Purpose
Seeks to Enrich the Lives of Women through Spoken and Written Word.
510-589-6445
http://www.yolandebarial.wordpress.com/
http://www.redroom.com/member/yolandebarial
http://www.examiner.com/motherhood-in-stockton/yolande-barial
http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/tag/yolande-barial
“Through her inspirational writings and spiritual poetry, Yolande Barial empowers women of all ages to be on purpose.”
Filed under: Speaking On Purpose | Tagged: God is, Yolande Barial | Leave a comment »
My sister lives in Richmond. In 2003 according to www.cityrating.com/crimestatistics.asp there were 38 murders in the city of Richmond. For Oakland there were 109 murders, for San Francisco there were 69, for Pleasant Hill there were 0 and for Tracy there were 2. I realize that these are super old statistics; however for the benefit of this blog post I will just use them to illustrate a point.
Around 11 o’clock my phone rang 2 different times – each complete rings. I was downstairs and when I came up and looked at the phone, my first thought was I wonder what she wants and then my second thought was she never calls me this late, something must be wrong. I called her back. She was crying, she was shaking, she was a mess! I went into calm mode and listened and spoke with love.
My sister was doing laundry on Saturday night and she heard gunshots. She said it was loud and she was afraid. She ducked down in the laundry room, pulled another lady down who was doing laundry to the ground, and called 911. The agent instructed her to stay in the laundry room until the police arrived. She says she was shaking, she was frightened and she was praying. When the police arrived, very shortly after the 911 call, they came and escorted her and the lady out of the laundry room and walked past the crime scene. It was a young man in his early 20’s who had been shot while sitting in his car. My sister described it like it was in the movies, where the body is riddled with bullets and all of the windows of the car are broken and shattered. This was in her apartment complex. When she called me she was incoherent and could hardly breathe, the pain in her voice, the fear, the disbelief – all I could do was ask her to breathe and take her time. She eventually was able to calm herself through my voice and her inner strength; the dialogue that she spoke to herself worked more than my words could ever have.
It got me to thinking about how casually murders are reported. Close your eyes and remember the last time you heard the news. The teleprompter reader’s voice gets lower, a sadness comes over his or her face and they read that there was a murder at approximately such and such a time and the victim was in his early 20’s, late teens or mid-40’s, whatever the age, death is death. The reader continues with an interview with the police officer on scene or a witness and then as quickly at this is out of their mouths; facial expressions change and the teleprompter reader now talks about the weather, the festival coming up, the latest happenings of Lindsay Lohan or Charlie Sheen and the death as well as the sad expression are gone.
People are murdered in real life and in television shows and in video games all day and everyday. We are so desensitized to it that we don’t even give it a passing ear, as we go about the business of taking care of our duties for the day as the tv blares in the background. Our subconscious picks it up and stores it somewhere and then our conscious mind has to leave it stored so that we can go on to more “important things”. However, we do this as adults with the full knowledge that there has been a transition of sorts in our mind and in order to remain healthy we have to compartmentalize the pain and the drama or else we will just lose it. We do this constantly as adults. What must it be like to be a child who does not have the benefit of aged knowledge that murder really should be something to fear? My sister was traumatized by this incident. All of the adults in her apartment complex that heard the shots and then saw the body were traumatized. She said because it happened late at night, the body was not removed until the morning. The dead young man was out there all night and no one came to mourn for him. Oh my. Where were all of his homies then? Where was his mom or dad? I don’t know, perhaps they came and were told to leave so as not to contaminate the crime scene. I don’t know the answer to that one. What I do know is that my sister has been affected by this incident. I am sure she relives this incident and yet she knows that it has passed and it will soon get better for her.
There is a phrase not in my backyard (nimby) which indicates as long as it is not in my backyard I don’t really have to care about it. Well times have changed. There are indeed towns where murder is not a factor and that is a good thing; however murder is always possible even in those cities that can rely on low statistics . One murder is one too many. Murder of our children is an abomination and one that our leaders who take away funding should realize is going to get worse. What is a child to do when there is nothing to do? Most children invent games; hide and go seek, four square, and hopscotch are games of the past, now our children keep their heads crooked and their fingers poised either on the controller or the cell phone or the Ipod or the gun or the drug or the knife, never looking up to see what the person who reads the weather teleprompter is saying and that is it is going to be a great day for going outside and enjoying the sun. Oh to go back to the time of our youths when hide and go seek and coming home when the street lights came on were really all we worried about. For my sister, this too shall pass.
Yolande Barial
Your Words Project: Speaking on Purpose
Seeks to Enrich the Lives of Women through Spoken and Written Word.
510-589-6445
http://www.yolandebarial.wordpress.com/
http://www.redroom.com/member/yolandebarial
http://www.examiner.com/motherhood-in-stockton/yolande-barial
http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/tag/yolande-barial
“Through her inspirational writings and spiritual poetry, Yolande Barial empowers women of all ages to be on purpose.”
Filed under: Speaking On Purpose | Tagged: crime statistics, God, murder, NIMBY, not in my backyard, retiring at 55, sister, Yolande Barial | Leave a comment »
I woke up loved and in love, excited and looking forward to the drive to church. The place where like-minded humans sit in different seats and worship the Lord. Rest. My children were left in bed! The singing this morning was off the chains! The choir hit every note and introduced the congregation to a sound that was magnificent. My best worship feelings arise when I hear words and music that move me. When I feel a tear coming and I feel my words coming out – the presence of the holy spirit has come. The pastor’s sermon was the Love of God. The scripture reference that he chose did not speak to me, the one that did speak to me was the one that was in the front of the church bulletin that morning. It is from 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 and it reads (NKJV):
1 Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court.[a] In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.”
In particular, verse 5 which told me to stop stressing about what another will or will not do. In time God will handle and will reveal what is the truth of a person’s heart. I needed that this morning. In these times when I am juggling so many balls in the air; paying bills, paying mortgages, taking care of kids and the lawn and going to work and dealing with others personalities, it can overwhelm. It has caused me in some respects to wish that my knight in shining armor would just come on and hurry up. However, knights are for fairy tales and if he comes riding in, I have to remember that even he and the horse are tired. After all riding like the wind, wearing full body armor, carrying a big sword, slaying dragons, and making key battlefield decisions can wear the average knight out. (smile)
God in this scripture is telling me, the Proverbs 31 woman, to remember I have never left you and I have never forsaken you. It tells me to continue to say thank you Lord as my mantra, to walk in faith and to know that He will provide and He will reveal all that is the truth for me. These words are like a blanket that warms me at night. In His arms I am enveloped in trust. He has always been my knight and he has never been too tired to let me know he has my back. God is the real ladies man. Like a woman he works tirelessly and as long as we sing his praises he will speak to us and let us know that everything is gonna be alright. And he added stop tripping gurl you are one bad mamma jamma!! I felt satisfied, renewed and refreshed. That is what going to church and gathering in an assembly of men and women who are seeking to know Him does for me. Collectively our yearnings combine and all of those cries internal and external are heard and felt and God works it all out for each one of our benefits. I will retire at 55 and this writing will be my supply.
Yolande Barial
Your Words Project: Speaking on Purpose
Seeks to Enrich the Lives of Women through Spoken and Written Word.
510-589-6445
http://www.yolandebarial.wordpress.com/
http://www.redroom.com/member/yolandebarial
http://www.examiner.com/motherhood-in-stockton/yolande-barial
http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/tag/yolande-barial
“Through her inspirational writings and spiritual poetry, Yolande Barial empowers women of all ages to be on purpose.”
Filed under: It is what it is, Speaking On Purpose | Tagged: God, knight in shining armor, retiring at 55, sunday, Yolande Barial | Leave a comment »
Her name is Amal Ahmed Abdul Fatah and according to every media source she was the favorite, the youngest wife of Osama. She was shot and took a bullet in the leg for her man. Come on, she really is no different from any young girl that is paid the least amount of attention by an upperclassman in school or the local high rolling drug dealer. This kind of relationship is nothing new. According to media sources she was married at 18 and has had 3 children by Osama who already had 15 children making his grand total 18 children by 5 other women. She was born in 1982 in Yemen. She is 29. There is something that happens to a young woman when she is made to feel special by any older man. In this case he was not just any older man, he was Osama bin Laden who was considered in the eyes of al Qaeda to be an honorable man who was not viewed as a terrorist. I don’t know whether Amal was in love with Osama or whether she was enamored with his power or whether she just made the best of the cards that she was dealt. After all she had no choice in whom she was to marry, in that she was given to bin Laden by her family.
This belief system that is nurtured by the older man, allows the young girl to do some of the craziest things ever to make sure that he knows that she loves him. This form of acknowledgement of the love of an older man is played out in everyday situations. Just think about how many times we have seen a young woman who will lie so that her older boyfriend won’t go to jail for a crime that he committed; the young woman who believes her man when he tells her that he did not sleep with that other woman; the young woman who knows that her husband is molesting her children and just lets it go because she doesn’t think that she can take care of herself without him; the woman who has fallen so madly in love with a man that she refuses to see that he is using her for money, for sex, for procreation or for fun. What must it be like to have children for someone who already has 15 before you?
I don’t know how she feels. No one really knows that. As people looking from the outside, we can speculate and write and speak about what we think that Amal thinks. She was expected to marry someone who her family chose. She was expected to fight for her man. She was expected to possibly die for her man. What I do know is she was an 18-year-old girl married to a much older man who had 3 children by him and she was shot in the leg. She traveled wherever he went and if she had an objection I am sure she kept it to herself. After all she is a mother with 3 children. Now she is a single mother with 3 children who is only 29 years old. Her life and the lives of her children will never be the same. She is a mother just the same and a mother who on this Mother’s Day has lost the only man that she has ever known as husband and whose children have lost their father. How many other young woman experience the same kind of pain and the same kind of loss of a man they loved blindly who now has not only gone from her life but the lives of her children. I am not at all condoning what her husband did. It was a terrible and cowardly act that affected the lives of so many people in our country. 911 is and will always be a tragedy. Amal can be seen as a victim also. A victim of a society that gave her life and her body to a man that she did not know. Who in the end couldn’t protect her or her children.
Yolande Barial
Your Words Project: Speaking on Purpose
Seeks to Enrich the Lives of Women through Spoken and Written Word.
510-589-6445
http://www.yolandebarial.wordpress.com/
http://www.redroom.com/member/yolandebarial
http://www.examiner.com/motherhood-in-stockton/yolande-barial
http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/tag/yolande-barial
“Through her inspirational writings and spiritual poetry, Yolande Barial empowers women of all ages to be on purpose.”
Filed under: Speaking On Purpose | Tagged: Amal Ahmane Abdul Fatah, bin Laden, children, love, Osama, teenage crush, woman, Yolande Barial | Leave a comment »
The Royal Wedding, ok? I think I believe people have lost touch with reality. I was watching and listening to this program where they were talking about all of the excitement that has been generated because of the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. To paint a picture the interviewer began by talking about the wedding of the Prince ‘s father, Prince Charles to Diana which occured in July of 1981. The commentator spoke about the fairytale wedding and wanted to give us a personal feel to the interview by interviewing women who had witnessed the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana in 1981 as little girls. These adult women began to speak in high pitched tones and bated breath as they described how they made sure they did not fall asleep before the wedding was broadcast. I believe the wedding was broadcast live in 1981. The wedding of William and Kate which is set for April 29, 2011, Saturday will be broadcast live beginning at 3:00 a.m. and the wedding is scheduled to take place at 6:00 a.m. So for the sake of this blog we will say the wedding time of Charles and Diana could have occured at around this same time. Which meant these little bated breath girls who believe that their Prince will come and swoop them up and marry them, woke up and watched this wedding broadcast at 3:00 a.m.
Now I like a good wedding as much as anyone, actually what I really like is a good reception; however, the wedding of Charles and Diana did not make me wait with bated breath and stare wide-eyed at the television set to witness their marriage vows spoken. All I could see through my young eyes was that here was this old man marrying a young girl and the bride-to-be, to me, looked scared. I don’t recall that she ever really smiled, the smile of joy; her smile appeared to be one of fear – like a deer caught in the headlights – impending doom.
As I am able to better put the words to the thoughts that I had back then, this wedding reminded me of an arranged marriage. The woman is chosen and has no choice.
Diana’s wedding was called a fairytale wedding. The train on Diana’s wedding gown was way too long and the prince did not appear to be happy. And no one even partied! What is a wedding without a slamming reception? Well if you are born in my family the reception is what makes the wedding worth attending. Buying the bride and groom a gift is akin to the cover charge at the door before you go into the club to party!
Prince William and Kate Middleton are getting married. The media is calling it another fairytale wedding. These same little girls that stayed up late to see the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana are now preparing their daughters to continue this tradition. There word, not mine. My phrase would be to consider this a humongous waste of time. Our daughters learn by our example. What we are teaching them is that watching is better than doing. We teach our daughters that if we are shallow they can also be shallow. We teach our daughters that there really is a prince charming and he may not come on a horse however he comes and allows us to have a “Pretty Woman” experience. I am happy for William and for Kate, don’t get me wrong; however wouldn’t it be nice if we as mothers put this kind of time and energy into sharing times, stories and warm hugs with our daughters instead of laying in front of a television oohing and aahing over a wedding that you were never even invited to in the first place. How about spending this quality time with our girls reading, talking, drawing, laughing and playing.
I think that is what Diana was trying to do, finally– laughing, enjoying, talking and for the first time I think she really loved. Sunday is the day the Lord has made. I will retire at 55 and life – wow, oh wow – it really doesn’t get any better than this.
Yolande Barial
Your Words Project: Speaking on Purpose
Seeks to Enrich the Lives of Women through Spoken and Written Word.
510-589-6445
http://www.yolandebarial.wordpress.com/
http://www.redroom.com/member/yolandebarial
http://www.examiner.com/motherhood-in-stockton/yolande-barial
http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/tag/yolande-barial
“Through her inspirational writings and spiritual poetry, Yolande Barial empowers women of all ages to be on purpose.”
Filed under: Speaking On Purpose | Tagged: charles and diana, kate and william, prince charles, Yolande Barial | Leave a comment »
Yolande Barial
Your Words Project: Speaking on Purpose
Seeks to Enrich the Lives of Women through Spoken and Written Word.
510-589-6445
http://www.yolandebarial.wordpress.com/
http://www.redroom.com/member/yolandebarial
http://www.examiner.com/motherhood-in-stockton/yolande-barial
http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/tag/yolande-barial
“Through her inspirational writings and spiritual poetry, Yolande Barial empowers women of all ages to be on purpose.”
Filed under: Speaking On Purpose | Tagged: belief in God, examiner.com, God, mom, Mother, Teresa LeYung Ryan, tracy pres, writer, Yolande Barial | Leave a comment »
It was a beautiful sunny day, the sounds of lawn mowers, kids riding on bicycles, the bass beats of a cars stereo and the smell of fresh-cut grass always ignite in me the desire to be outside. It was just that kind of day. As I walked across the street to retrieve mail from the locked mail box centrally located in our section of the block; the neighbor, who can single-handedly be called “mr. neighborhood watch”, approached me in his usual welcoming matter. He begins by asking me, did I know that the guy who lives in the house about 2 doors down is a convicted child molester? I responded with shock and that I did not. After much back and forth discussions between the two of us about what were the repercussions, the neighbor informed me that there were small children living in the house. I was more alarmed. He then told me he didn’t have a computer. I do, so I came inside, informed my fiancée and then the three of us went on the site and goggled Megan’s Law. After a few clicks on the keyboard, voila, there he was – code violations cited, age, birth date and a photo of him, which told us that this was the man! So, we then went back outside and told our next door neighbor, a young couple with one child, and the girlfriend proclaimed, oh yea, I already know that and that is why I don’t let my daughter play outside unless I am watching her. Before I could think about what I would say next I blurted out, when were you going to tell me, you know I have kids! She struggled to answer and finally just said, I thought you knew and then she added the phrase that people think will make it alright, “I’m sorry.” Then I asked her if she told her daughter and she said no. Wow!!
I immediately removed myself from the few neighbors that were talking, came inside and told my children that there was a child molester down the street, showed them the picture on-line and my fiancée and I both discussed what to do if he says anything to them and most importantly to never ever go to his house.
We then talked about Jaysee Dugard who lived in a neighborhood for years and had 2 children by her abductor and molester, the teenaged boy who was kidnapped and tortured at a house in a “good area” and countless other children who are violated daily by adults in their neighborhood. I stand to say that the reason why it happens in some of the best as well as the worst neighborhoods is because people don’t talk. The perception is that as long as I protect my own children, the other children will have to fend for themselves. Like the ostrich; our societies’ collective heads are buried under ground. Going deeper into that psyche is the belief that even though a family member or spouse has been accused and convicted of molestation, I still allow children to be in their presence and I keep the secret.
We as a society need to be ashamed of ourselves. We are as sick as our secrets. Perhaps the man raped and orally copulated a child under the age of 14 years old when he was 18 years old or when he was 30 years old, I am not sure; however what I do know is that I will always err on the possibility of protecting children – mine and yours. So, I say check out Megan’s Law on-line and see who is living in your neighborhood and in the neighborhoods of the school your children attend. And when you know that you know, let the neighbors know. If more people took action against evil, evil would disappear. www.meganslaw.ca.gov/
Yolande Barial
Your Words Project: Speaking on Purpose
Seeks to Enrich the Lives of Women through Spoken and Written Word.
510-589-6445
http://www.yolandebarial.wordpress.com/
http://www.redroom.com/member/yolandebarial
http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/tag/yolande-barial
“Through her inspirational writings and spiritual poetry, Yolande Barial empowers women of all ages to be on purpose.”
Filed under: Speaking On Purpose | Tagged: child molester, children, examiner, Megan's Law, sex offender, Yolande Barial | Leave a comment »
My favorite day has come and gone. On Friday I knew that on Sunday I would not be at service. I was tired, my children were tired and my sweetie was tired. Waking up on this day listening to each other and listening to children and to TD Jakes as he blared out of the television, the morning began as all my Sun -days begin with a connection with God and His many blessings.
In 2 minutes at approximately 2:46 pm, local time, and with a magnitude of 8.9 lives were changed. Japan will never be the same, the people will never be the same and the world as we know it will never be the same. The earth literally stood still and waters overflowed. The power of water moved can lead to destruction. http://www.disasterfunding.org/DisasterFunding.org.html
As I walk around my home, cooking breakfast, barking orders to children, laughing and loving; I find that this morning is no different from the morning that many had in Japan last Friday. Going about the business of living we just do things. We do not take the time to enjoy the doing, to give gratitude to those who we move through the universe with on a daily or even on a casual sometimey basis. Disasters that come unannounced do not allow for preparation. One must be prepared and ready before the unannounced arrives. There is a sound like a freight train, like a big bang and there is movement and things falling and being off-balance and the feeling of fear – uncontrollable. The shaking stops and the movement has shifted the environment into upheaval. What does one do when there is nothing that one can do? We see images of teary eyed women and men, disbelief emanates from their eyes, empty children, seniors in shock, masked men and woman and children wandering aimlessly looking for connection. Every Sunday I am called inside to connect with those I love and those who love me. This Sunday added something else – a man to take care of me. Unbelievable.
Japan serves as a reminder that worship and prayer and family and constant connection and communication with God are really all that there is to life. Being kind and ensuring that ones scroll is written where honor is spoken is what I strive for and what I know that my children, sweetie, divasisters, real friends and real family aim to achieve. As our earth moves underneath, may our resolve be to be better and do better, pray more, love often, dance always and giggle – for life happens and shifts occur. My Sundays are always good days.
Yolande Barial
Your Words Project: Speaking on Purpose
Seeks to Enrich the Lives of Women through Spoken and Written Word.
510-589-6445
https://yolandebarial.wordpress.com/
http://www.redroom.com/member/yolandebarial
http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/tag/yolande-barial
“Through her inspirational writings and spiritual poetry, Yolande Barial empowers women of all ages to be on purpose.”
Filed under: Speaking On Purpose | Tagged: divasisters, Japan, Mother, sister, sunday, tsunami | Leave a comment »
There is a song on the Recovery CD by Eminem entitled “Watch Me Burn”. http://www.eminem.com/lyrics/
Words are so powerful. His lyrics speak about a relationship that he has had with a woman and the listener is left with the feeling that this woman could possibly be either his ex-wife or his girlfriend. In the lyrics, he talks about a violent relationship that he has had with the woman and his feelings about why he is the way he is and his version of what love is and how he is able to love the woman based on his experiences and the fact that he recognizes his wrongs and is trying to be better. The energy that he speaks sounds angry and if the listener is not careful they will miss the pain. The words that are repeated and are the tag lines, if you will, that stick out in my mind are:
“Just gonna stand there
And watch me burn
But that’s alright
Because I like
The way it hurts
Just gonna stand there
And hear me cry
But that’s alright
Because I love
The way you lie
I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie”
How many of us can speak and write and express so eloquently about past wrongs? How many can then change the course of their lives by an action that requires hard work?
Eminem’s words are powerful. These words in “Watch me Burn” tells me that as a society and as media we sit in our offices and nowadays that could be an office in a building, in a park, in the car or in a bedroom propped up on pillows and write and broadcast and watch people self-destruct and report it as news. As of late, the media and the public have an insatiable appetite for watching destruction about Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Bobbi Kristina Brown and now Charlie Sheen. Does anyone remember reading about Roman gladiators fighting wild animals, men fighting men, lynching of black people, bull fighting, public hangings of “criminals” back when the west was wild? If so, the way in which we watch these celebrities self-destruct is similar, to me at least, of a family gathering together in any arena or park on a beautiful Saturday afternoon with a crowd of other like-minded-fun-loving-sanctimonious group who just wanna have fun and we eat, laugh, talk, watch and gossip about nothing and everything and watch as collective/cannibal as our fellow human is decimated, humiliated and killed by our inaction and lack of passion.
The keepers of the keys to the stadium are us. The time is now to say “hell no” and I ain’t gonna take it anymore! How can I as parent teach and model good behavior if all that our children see, hear, taste and smell begins with a teaspoon of hate. The celebrities are just a microcosm of the lengths we will go to, to avoid our own inadequacies. We look at young adults addicted to drugs and to alcohol and addicted to limelight at any cost and we do nothing. As media we report it and then the spectators read about it, talk about it over and over and over again on every radio and television station, on the internet, streaming on our phones and on the words we see crawling at the bottom of our television or laptop monitor that allow our subconscious brain to absorb this nonsense 24/7. I am a mother, a parent, a baby boomer, a woman and sister-friend whose brain is on overload. I remember for about 20 years I messed up. I mean I was productive and successful as far as a child could be until I was thrust into college. Here I thought I knew everything. I didn’t have a-tenth of the amount of money that these kids we report about have and yet I managed to pretty much self-destruct amid the opportunities that were right in front of my then poor self-image. I realize that as children we make mistakes and as adult Sheen is witness to, if not corrected – confusion continues. Had it not been for the grace of God and in the spirit of 2 police officers I would have completely spiraled down and perhaps not been here in this present form to write. To be able to recognize your own self-worth is hard enough when it is just you and a few people watching; however imagine what it must be like for your every waking minute to be broadcast, all of your missteps talked about and analyzed, what would it be like if the things that you had done one night as a youngster were broadcast over and over? Could you take it, would you take it and how long before you cracked? I have no clue; however as adults and as keepers of the keys we do have a sense of what it takes to get to who we are and yet we continue to perpetuate and report and destroy the young and sometimes the old as we don’t allow them time to grow up. Money does not instantly make you smart and allow you to make wise decisions. As Oprah has said about having a lot of money, what it does is give you opportunity. Depending on your upbringing opportunity can be manifested in many ways – both healthy and not so.
Words are powerful. http://www.oprah.com/spirit/The-Power-of-Words The manner that we speak and the way we speak brings emphasis to the words by our action or lack thereof. As a society of grown folks we should really be ashamed. We have all crowded into the arena of public opinion as people who look in the rearview mirror and underestimate their ability to back into the space and bump the car right next to it and drive away – we, this moral minded collective not-in-my backyard-public should just be ashamed.
Can we just allow these people the courtesy to grow up and sit back as Eminem has done and reflect and say, I know I did wrong and I will do better and if you let me I will be better. Stop “watching me burn” and help me.
As a woman on the road to retiring at 55, I am blessed to be able to say that I have benefited from this reflection and thank God that my public was just my circle of friends and family who have the ability to love me when I am up and love me when I am down. Retiring at 55 is a good thing.
Yolande Barial
Your Words Project: Speaking on Purpose
Seeks to Enrich the Lives of Women through Spoken and Written Word.
510-589-6445
https://yolandebarial.wordpress.com/
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Filed under: Speaking On Purpose | Tagged: Dr. Robin Smith, Eminem, Oprah, Recovery, retiring at 55, Watch Me Burn, Yolande Barial | Leave a comment »
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