Ugh, why do I have to be so philosophical? I need to, ahem... revise my previous post.
In my attempt to convey my very deep and intricate feelings, I may have come off cold and misleading. By no means did I mean to imply that I do not want the issues "to invade my own life." The issues are my life. The very aspects of. this. life. that have taken hold of my heart and soul and forced me to open up my eyes and become aware, forced me to make the choice to either stand up and fight, or turn the other cheek and blend in with the unsuspecting crowd... have formed my own life, not invaded it.
And for that, my friends, I am eternally grateful. Maybe I'm just in a different mindset at this hour, but I am privileged to walk that fine line previously mentioned. Some days I play Three Little Birds repeatedly, and some days I play Africa Must Wake Up. That's just my life.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Count Your Blessings
Yet another Marley tribute... Count Your Blessings is the title of a track on the Distant Relatives album by Nas and Damian Marley.
The song is inspiring, for sure. A clear reminder that we should be grateful for our blessings. Let go of your negativity. Absolutely words to live by... words of wisdom... BUT, sometimes when you are aware (because you have made yourself aware) of people's hardships and society's ignorance AND you have made it your own journey to bring awareness to the issues and make.a.difference... your heartache and personal struggle to reach your goal, is exhausting. Did you follow that? Yet, if you vow to count your blessings, live life to the fullest, don't worry, be happy... aren't you, in a sense, abandoning the fight? Don't get me wrong now, we all have those days... good and bad. I will be the first to admit that I get weak and those thoughts creep into my conscious mind, reminding me how blissful ignorance truly is. I don't wake up every morning ready to start a revolution, but I do wake up every morning aware. I just find it hard to walk the super thin line between fighting for what you believe in and letting the negativity invade your own life. It's a difficult road... this one less traveled. Has someone said that before?? =) Anyway, those are my thoughts for today... take them for what they are.
I would like to end on a don't-worry-be-happy note though... my struggle aside...
I LOVE my children.
I LOVE my husband.
I LOVE my family.
I LOVE Africa!
I love China.
I love God's orphans and I will change some lives, I will.
I am blessed to be touched my music.
I love our earth and I am grateful to be here.
I love when the cool breeze blows across my cheeks and I feel the presence of my God in the air.
I LOVE being me!
I love being aware... I love the opportunity to make a change.
I am soooo blessed!
The song is inspiring, for sure. A clear reminder that we should be grateful for our blessings. Let go of your negativity. Absolutely words to live by... words of wisdom... BUT, sometimes when you are aware (because you have made yourself aware) of people's hardships and society's ignorance AND you have made it your own journey to bring awareness to the issues and make.a.difference... your heartache and personal struggle to reach your goal, is exhausting. Did you follow that? Yet, if you vow to count your blessings, live life to the fullest, don't worry, be happy... aren't you, in a sense, abandoning the fight? Don't get me wrong now, we all have those days... good and bad. I will be the first to admit that I get weak and those thoughts creep into my conscious mind, reminding me how blissful ignorance truly is. I don't wake up every morning ready to start a revolution, but I do wake up every morning aware. I just find it hard to walk the super thin line between fighting for what you believe in and letting the negativity invade your own life. It's a difficult road... this one less traveled. Has someone said that before?? =) Anyway, those are my thoughts for today... take them for what they are.
I would like to end on a don't-worry-be-happy note though... my struggle aside...
I LOVE my children.
I LOVE my husband.
I LOVE my family.
I LOVE Africa!
I love China.
I love God's orphans and I will change some lives, I will.
I am blessed to be touched my music.
I love our earth and I am grateful to be here.
I love when the cool breeze blows across my cheeks and I feel the presence of my God in the air.
I LOVE being me!
I love being aware... I love the opportunity to make a change.
I am soooo blessed!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Marley Mama's thought of the day
Have you ever thought that the "facts" that you imply not to be racist, because you believe them to be "fact," are actually the misconceptions of a society who's ignorance has blinded them to the exceptionality of each individual?
Travis' First Day
In my excitement to post Travis' pictures, I forgot to add how he handled his first day... emotionally. So, for documentation, here is the run-down...
We entered his classroom together, hand in hand, and searched for his name among the cards on the attendance chart. He found it easily and turned it over. Then, we slowly and timidly made our way to the backpack area where another little boy was sobbing. My heart was hurting for him as he begged for his mommy.
Travis found his hook quickly and Mrs. Vincent came back to welcome us as Trav hung up his book bag. Mrs. Vincent took the lead in guiding Travis around the classroom for his daily school duties as I quickly and quietly knelt down for a lil kiss and hug good-bye. I watched my little angel as fear gripped his heart and tears welled up in his beautiful eyes. It took everything in me to not burst out in tears myself. I knew he was upset, but I assured him Mrs. Vincent would take good care of him and I would be back soon. I slipped out of the classroom knowing that my baby wanted me to stay. As soon as I got out the door, I couldn't stop my own tears. How hard it is to let our children grow up, especially when they need extra encouragement to let go of our hands.
The next hour went by quickly and I couldn't have been more excited to see Travis come through those doors! Mason and Austin were waiting with me, happy to see their brother again.
And then... there he was. My sweet, shy, loving little Travis looking content as can be, to wait in line with his friends. He came out, took my hand, and was seemed unfazed by the events of his first day of school. I was so proud of my boy... as I always am.
We entered his classroom together, hand in hand, and searched for his name among the cards on the attendance chart. He found it easily and turned it over. Then, we slowly and timidly made our way to the backpack area where another little boy was sobbing. My heart was hurting for him as he begged for his mommy.
Travis found his hook quickly and Mrs. Vincent came back to welcome us as Trav hung up his book bag. Mrs. Vincent took the lead in guiding Travis around the classroom for his daily school duties as I quickly and quietly knelt down for a lil kiss and hug good-bye. I watched my little angel as fear gripped his heart and tears welled up in his beautiful eyes. It took everything in me to not burst out in tears myself. I knew he was upset, but I assured him Mrs. Vincent would take good care of him and I would be back soon. I slipped out of the classroom knowing that my baby wanted me to stay. As soon as I got out the door, I couldn't stop my own tears. How hard it is to let our children grow up, especially when they need extra encouragement to let go of our hands.
The next hour went by quickly and I couldn't have been more excited to see Travis come through those doors! Mason and Austin were waiting with me, happy to see their brother again.
And then... there he was. My sweet, shy, loving little Travis looking content as can be, to wait in line with his friends. He came out, took my hand, and was seemed unfazed by the events of his first day of school. I was so proud of my boy... as I always am.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
One hour
If I had just one hour with Damian Marley... well it's inappropriate to say what images really run through my mind, but let's just say he is a brilliant, incredibly amazing man... and leave it at that.
If I had one hour with Mr. Marley, I would have so much to say, so much to ask. I want to discuss the Rastafarian movement with him. I want to know his personal beliefs and opinions. I am intrigued and curious. I want to know how he can truly believe that Haile Selassie is the second coming of Jesus Christ?
With all the truths and facts revealed, how can you still believe that Haile Selassie was divine? What do you believe to be true about the famine in Ethiopia and if Haile Selassie knew? How can you believe Ethiopia is Zion yet claim the divinity of the man who adamantly hid the famine and allowed for the painful deaths of so many Ethiopians, in order to preserve his reputation? I wonder if you would claim that the media distorted the reality of what was really going on in Ethiopia and thus caused the downfall of Haile Selassie? What do you believe about the apparent death of Haile Selassie?
I'm not being combative here, I'm genuinely curious what Mr. Marley would have to say.
Fundamentally, Damian Marley and I believe in the same things. Incredibly, we have a lot in common. I absolutely believe that the media does a disservice to society. How can the average man distinguish what is true unless he decides to research and determine the honesty of each individual media claim? And until your eyes are opened to the lies being shoved down your throat, you don't know that you should have been researching those claims in the first place. I get it. But it is our duty, and our RIGHT to decide for ourselves what is truth. Don't you dare let the media's stereotypes and vast generalizations be the only education you receive before choosing your path in this life. Please.
I also truly, deeply love Africa. I absolutely believe and appreciate that every man, regardless of skin color, culture, religion etc. came from Africa. It's particularly difficult to be white and hold this belief to be true. What this means for me is that although personally, I did not make the choices to deem people of color to be a lesser race and thus worthy of slavery, torture, and death, my ancestors did. Although I live every single day of my life, educating and fighting for the rights of other races, I will always feel shameful about my ancestry. That is hard. I actually can't believe I just let those words come to fruition on my monitor, but it needs to be said. Any white man who does not feel some shame about the mistakes (and mistakes is an understatement) of his ancestors, obviously doesn't understand the extent of what God's human beings had to endure at the hand of the white man. That said, today is a new day and a new opportunity to make good on those faults. Our hearts beat the same, our blood bleeds the same, and today we must unite to make a change.
Furthermore, though I do believe in the dishonesty of our media, I also think it is ignorant and damaging to suggest that the media's depiction of the lives of many, many Ethiopians in completely inaccurate. Many Ethiopians are, in fact, starving. And although I agree that the media never shows the amazing, incredible, beautiful aspects of Ethiopia's history, culture, and society, it is important for people to have their eyes opened to the devastation in the country, as well. Reform needs to start now for Ethiopia. Enough people have suffered and died. The rest of the world will never, ever be able to see the beauty that is Ethiopia if she does not save her own people first.
What I would give for the knowledge of how to start reform for Ethiopia...
So, Mr. Marley's lyrics are extensive, genius, and enlightening... but they are also limiting. The album, Distant Relatives, leaves me questioning him and wanting to know more. Brilliant?... absolutely. Frustrating?... absolutely. If I had just one hour with Damian Marley, we would have a lot to talk about.
If I had one hour with Mr. Marley, I would have so much to say, so much to ask. I want to discuss the Rastafarian movement with him. I want to know his personal beliefs and opinions. I am intrigued and curious. I want to know how he can truly believe that Haile Selassie is the second coming of Jesus Christ?
With all the truths and facts revealed, how can you still believe that Haile Selassie was divine? What do you believe to be true about the famine in Ethiopia and if Haile Selassie knew? How can you believe Ethiopia is Zion yet claim the divinity of the man who adamantly hid the famine and allowed for the painful deaths of so many Ethiopians, in order to preserve his reputation? I wonder if you would claim that the media distorted the reality of what was really going on in Ethiopia and thus caused the downfall of Haile Selassie? What do you believe about the apparent death of Haile Selassie?
I'm not being combative here, I'm genuinely curious what Mr. Marley would have to say.
Fundamentally, Damian Marley and I believe in the same things. Incredibly, we have a lot in common. I absolutely believe that the media does a disservice to society. How can the average man distinguish what is true unless he decides to research and determine the honesty of each individual media claim? And until your eyes are opened to the lies being shoved down your throat, you don't know that you should have been researching those claims in the first place. I get it. But it is our duty, and our RIGHT to decide for ourselves what is truth. Don't you dare let the media's stereotypes and vast generalizations be the only education you receive before choosing your path in this life. Please.
I also truly, deeply love Africa. I absolutely believe and appreciate that every man, regardless of skin color, culture, religion etc. came from Africa. It's particularly difficult to be white and hold this belief to be true. What this means for me is that although personally, I did not make the choices to deem people of color to be a lesser race and thus worthy of slavery, torture, and death, my ancestors did. Although I live every single day of my life, educating and fighting for the rights of other races, I will always feel shameful about my ancestry. That is hard. I actually can't believe I just let those words come to fruition on my monitor, but it needs to be said. Any white man who does not feel some shame about the mistakes (and mistakes is an understatement) of his ancestors, obviously doesn't understand the extent of what God's human beings had to endure at the hand of the white man. That said, today is a new day and a new opportunity to make good on those faults. Our hearts beat the same, our blood bleeds the same, and today we must unite to make a change.
Furthermore, though I do believe in the dishonesty of our media, I also think it is ignorant and damaging to suggest that the media's depiction of the lives of many, many Ethiopians in completely inaccurate. Many Ethiopians are, in fact, starving. And although I agree that the media never shows the amazing, incredible, beautiful aspects of Ethiopia's history, culture, and society, it is important for people to have their eyes opened to the devastation in the country, as well. Reform needs to start now for Ethiopia. Enough people have suffered and died. The rest of the world will never, ever be able to see the beauty that is Ethiopia if she does not save her own people first.
What I would give for the knowledge of how to start reform for Ethiopia...
So, Mr. Marley's lyrics are extensive, genius, and enlightening... but they are also limiting. The album, Distant Relatives, leaves me questioning him and wanting to know more. Brilliant?... absolutely. Frustrating?... absolutely. If I had just one hour with Damian Marley, we would have a lot to talk about.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Nas and Jr. Gong
On Tues., I went to see Nas and Damian Marley perform live at Sonar! I was lucky enough to spend the evening with two awesome ladies, Stacey and Jessica! We had a friggin' phenomenal time... in fact, that's a vast understatement.
If you have spent more than 35 seconds with me, you know that I believe and preach equality of all people. I lead by example and no longer have to make an effort to do that. It's natural. Imagine if you will... me (5'2") in a sea of towering men. I literally was surrounded by approximately 6 men, towering over me at probably 6' or more each. I'm talking shoulder to shoulder here, figuratively of course since my shoulder was level with their ribs. Anywayyyy, petite pale skin chick jammin' in a crowd of brown faces. Now imagine us all sweating profusely, jumping, raising our hands up, dancing, singing... sweating again, because it was that HOT. Now imagine me with the biggest, cheesiest smile on my face. Imagine me closing my eyes and loving every minute. Imagine pure joy and relief that someone else in this world believes what I do. Equality. That we are all made perfectly. That we have the power within ourselves to surpass all odds and overcome all obstacles. That God is good... great! And we should be living our lives according to His will. That we are free. That we need to stand up for our rights, but we need to stand up for those who need our help, as well. I could go on forever... seriously.
The musical collaboration of Nas and Damian Marley is nothing short of genius. The show was incredible... a life changing experience.
If you have spent more than 35 seconds with me, you know that I believe and preach equality of all people. I lead by example and no longer have to make an effort to do that. It's natural. Imagine if you will... me (5'2") in a sea of towering men. I literally was surrounded by approximately 6 men, towering over me at probably 6' or more each. I'm talking shoulder to shoulder here, figuratively of course since my shoulder was level with their ribs. Anywayyyy, petite pale skin chick jammin' in a crowd of brown faces. Now imagine us all sweating profusely, jumping, raising our hands up, dancing, singing... sweating again, because it was that HOT. Now imagine me with the biggest, cheesiest smile on my face. Imagine me closing my eyes and loving every minute. Imagine pure joy and relief that someone else in this world believes what I do. Equality. That we are all made perfectly. That we have the power within ourselves to surpass all odds and overcome all obstacles. That God is good... great! And we should be living our lives according to His will. That we are free. That we need to stand up for our rights, but we need to stand up for those who need our help, as well. I could go on forever... seriously.
The musical collaboration of Nas and Damian Marley is nothing short of genius. The show was incredible... a life changing experience.
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