Stay Prayed Up....?

I often wonder about the state of "black folks" in America. Just when I think that maybe we have made some progress, I realize that we have quite a long way to go. This morning, I was at the gym and a lady came up to me and asked me how to do a certain exercise. I showed her and then we began talking. I told her that I was new to the area and did not really know anyone, then we started talking about Georgia and "it's ways." This particular part of Georgia is almost 60% African-American. The poverty rate is so high, that a major car company decided not to build a plant here, which would have created a ton of jobs for people in the area. They basically said that people here are not smart enough for us to bring our plant here. As we are talking about this and other "black issues," the woman states, "you really have to stay prayed up if you want to make it in this state." Meaning, you have to pray to God that you make it and hope for the best. I found this statement to be very interesting.



If we could actually hear the voice of God, I doubt that it would say, "stay prayed up and hope for the best." I think it would say, "get off your lazy ass and make a difference." The slave mentality has allowed us to accept the state of our current condition. As long as we believe that there is hope in the after-life, we care less about what happens while we are present in our physical beings. The farther south one travels, the more this mind set becomes quite evident. Accept the way things are and hope they will get better. I become heart broken when I think about the way some people are living. People are working full-time jobs and still living on welfare, babies are born and being tracked for a system of violence, jail and drugs by the time they are 3 years old. Students in school are slipping through the cracks , and teachers are becoming frustrated with behavior problems and pressure from administration.



All we can say is "stay prayed up?" I have never in my life observed so many people in one area that seem to be clueless about their condition and that don't realize there is something better out in the world. I also wonder about how I would be if I grew up in a different place and I did not have parents who cared about my education, were educated themselves and dared me to come home with bad grades.....would I be saying the same thing the woman at the gym said? I guess only God knows...meanwhile, I will pray, not to sit around, wait and hope for the best, but for the endurance that I need to have to continue my journey on the road to a better life each and everyday. I want my life to be extraordinary while I am alive to see it! Don't you?

38 cents

Those grapes rung up at $1.88/lb. I know the sign said $1.50/lb. who cares about 38 cents anyway? Me! In my former life, I would have let it go and paid the difference. Even though I used to work at Wal-Mart, (my favorite store) so I know how screwed up the signs can be!
The grapes were the last items that she rung up. It was like a slow motion action scene. My eyes widened as I saw $4.23, flash across the computer screen. You would have thought it said, $423.00. I calmly stated, "the sign says 1.50/lb, not 1.88/lb. If that is what they are ringing, I don't want them." The cashier non chalantly said, "they are 1.88/lb," without checking anything! I don't know what made me think that she would care. The couple in front of me forgot to pay for an eye glass case that the husband was holding in his hand and they admitted it. you would have thought the cashier was personally insulted by the way she rolled her eyes at them. She apparently had a problem with honesty, like so many people do.
Well, I did not want the people in line to gang up on me and it was starting to grow by the minute. I backed down and had her take them off of my ticket. My total bill came to $7.15! This is when I realized two very important things.
1. I am finally at the point where I am sticking to a very tight budget
2. I am so broke!
Anyone who sends back grapes over a 38 cent difference is crazy right? Now my mind starts replaying all of the events in my life that led me up to this point. Starting with the most recent decision of putting my boyfriend out, paying his mother's cell phone bill, sharing a car for years, and indebting myself to the IRS. On top of this, running up credit cards, and spending money with no rhyme or reason.
I don't feel ashamed one bit to put this out there. I have nothing to hide. Even as I write this, I know that people will judge me for my past actions. Oh well! For me, this is opening up a door to success. In fact, I am proud of myself. I figure, hey, maybe it can help whoever is reading it. This little 38 cents revelation opened up a wound to a lot of memories that I wish could be erased. In the past, these little annoying things called tears would have welled up and rolled down my cheeks, or shame would have kept me from speaking about it. On my drive home, from the store, I realized that I have two choices.
I can wallow in my own filthy misery, or I can make an instant change. I choose the latter. Thank you to the cashier at Wal-Mart for this revelation! I'll come back through one day when I have an extra 38 cents:)!

The Right to Water?

On my quest this morning to find an appropriate activity for International Children's Day, I came across an interesting article. First let me explain "International Children's Day." A day started by the United Nations to "promote ideas and the charter of welfare for chldren around the world."
http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/children_day/

My objective for the month of November, is to conduct a program for the library that will integrate these ideals...I ran across an article while searching through Google. It is basically an article discussing whether or not "the right to water" is recognized as basic human right! Some places do not believe this to be the case.

In my ignorance, I just assumed that water was something that was a given. Who would question the fact that as a human, we need clean water to survive! Recognizing clean water as a human right would put an obligation on some international governments to provide it!
Check out the article further if you are interested..
http://www.unac.org/en/library/unacresearch/2007RightToWater_e.pdf

The next time you turn your faucet on to sip on that cool drink of water, think about the people in the world who do not have a faucet.
The next time you complain about the funny taste of the water from the sink, think about the children who don't have a toilet.
The next time you complain about your water not getting hot, think about the mothers who can't bathe thier babies.
Do we have a right to water.....

Time

If I could stop time, I would.
To ease all your troubles and fears.
To whisper in your ear that it is okay and triumph is near.
To let your senses linger in the moment of undying ecstasy and endless joy.

I would erase the worries of the natural world, and restore your mind with snapshots of the future that is sure to come.
I would remind you that the struggle is not in vain, and each minute is a stride toward imminent bliss.

Human time is a deceitful entity, that can lead us off our track.
But patience is a virtue that can help get us back.

Heaven

A place that we all want to reach, yet we forget that heaven is in our hearts.
If we are living now, why not live to the fullest, reach our highest level everyday.
Why must heaven be a place far away?
Each day, every moment is a miracle and a chance to fulfill a greater destiny.

This blog site is dedicated to those who understand that heaven is who we are everyday...

Hurul-Ayni