let's talk about: stuff

Well hello there interwebs, I'm here today for a moment to introduce a series, segment, something or other thing. I'm not sure what to call it exactly other than the title I've given it: "Let's Talk About...". 

Yes, I know it smacks of unoriginality, desperation, the hope of attracting new readers and fill in snarky comment here. In any event after nine years of writing here I think I'm finally finding my voice. There are times, even though this is my area to freely express myself that I hold back and I think it's time I stop that and start talking like me. Soooooo... 

Whenever I feel like chiming in on a timely topic or a new interest pops up, I'll tag it with this headline and go from there. Maybe it will start a dialogue or maybe it will just sit here until something crazy happens in my life and people Google me to see what I was thinking. Eh. In any event, I like to talk so Let's Talk About stuff.

Soapbox

Image found on flickr

When someone cares about race relations or gender issues in America, can we stop shaming them for it?

You know what I mean too. Many of us who have access to my feed know me and the people I hang with. The beautiful thing is we're all different.

Stop trying to pick a side saying only one side is right and the other all wrong. I'm not talking about gray areas either bit not everything needs to cause a polar divide.

Calling for justice for Mike Brown but that doesn't mean I hate authority. I weep every time I hear about officers or other civil servants who perish in the line of duty.

Just because I'm paying attention to Ferguson (and all the other places in America where people of color still face daily discrimination) does not mean I'm not aware of so many other issues like the plight of Iraqi Christians.

Sidebar- what about all the others who refuse to convert who are being massacred too? Do you care about their eternity or just the Christians?

Back to the matter at hand, this whole perfect victim thing is baloney! That guy who shot up the movie theater I Colorado, his narrative in the media was about how smart he was. The man killed people, injured people and I'm sure left emotional scars but he was taken into custody alive, not wounded.

You may ask what does that have to do with this? I'm play in the card many others are- it's called distracting. If people can bring up the fact that Brown liked rap music, and the lack of fatherhood crisis and the "nobody riots when cops get shot" then we miss the opportunity for dialog about the current issue.

All of these other things need to be addressed bit not when asking for justice not just for Mike Brown but for many men of color. This militarization of the police for should concern us all. What are they having to deal with that its come to this?

Look the desire of my heart is for unity. My prayer is that we would love and another deeply. But I'm not going to ignore the elephant in the room and hope it goes away, it hasn't and we have to deal with it.

I hope the members of the Church would come together and bring solutions not other distractions. I hope instead of staying in our own boxes we would break through to love.

As you hear all these accounts and see a video of a theft, that the officer didn't know about, remember Brown was someone's son, family member, friend.

You can relegate him to deserving to die for a petty crime if you want.

You can say it's because I'm black so I can't "really" see what's going on.

You can have your own opinion and I'll continue to have mine.

But while you're busy trying to pick a side, and prove a right versus wrong, I'm going to be here praying for all the families involved,  yes including Officer Wilson.

I'm praying for my city and its officials and my nation. I'm getting involved in it, serving in some way to move things forward.

*still on the box*

this originally appeared on my Facebook page

no more small thinking

By now we all know I struggle with thinking less of myself than I should. I think one of the reasons I do this is to keep myself from being a know-it-all jerk, but that's no excuse. I have to learn to balance confidence that is encouraging versus arrogance which is disparaging. I finally see this as another skill to develop, as I would time management.

Today I find myself at a crossroads of decision making. The options before me are all good but which is the best? And I know my choice is wholly dependent upon how I view myself. One of the paths is a little easier than the other and does not require as much from me but that is not what beckons to me, we also know I am a fan of the "hard way". No the choice comes down to my decision to do what's risky and to believe that I can do what I've been preparing to do. I have to decide that even though I may not "feel" like I'm ready that I am more than ready.

For the past six weeks I've been encouraging myself that I am well able to do the tasks and face the challenges before me. There are times that my mind wants to subscribe to the lie, things would be "easier" if I was really doing the right thing. Silly, I know. I recently decided to break out and try something different and its great but I have to push beyond the boundaries of the lies I've allowed myself to believe that place limitations on me.

Right before I decided to write this I was developing ideas for a campaign strategy for a business as an exercise. I was writing down ideas when I realized what I was doing. Did I mention before that I was creating content for an actual client? I am sitting here right now developing ideas that will go nowhere for the sake of practice, yet I even had a moment of hesitation about which path to take for my future. Again, silly.

Well, I suppose writing this out has helped. Decision made. I'm going to take the risk and I already know I'm going to grow. Thinking small has kept the greatness within and I am of the mind that each one of us shining as the star we are to be provides illumination for others to see the path to become the light they are to be which keeps it all going. I will not make a decision that impedes another's progress.

I would like to encourage any who would read this to do the hard things that challenge and develop you. It's like working out, when we first start a new regimen it's uncomfortable, we look goofy and it flat out hurts. But through time, training and consistency goals are achieved and our outlook changes on what we believe we can accomplish. Thinking small keeps us locked into small places but daring to believe and a willingness to put in work will see our capacity and perhaps our responsibilities expand.

i dare you

I may hang my head, but it is only to weep
I may release pained tears, but I am not weak
I may not be who you think I should be
But that is not my concern because I was born to be free

I will take in this environment with all its caustic air
And yet I will choose to breathe out life and love and care
No one ever told me that this life would be fair
And so I walk with caution, facing each day like a dare

You'll look at me time and again and make unrealistic demands
To accept you with your faults and give you chance after chance
But if I'm ever amiss, I'll have to raise my hands
And hope against all hope that this is not my last dance

I am a human just like you, being
I want my generations to have a future worth seeing
So can we all decide to no longer defend
This deathly hatred between us because of the difference of our skin?

©2014 Aisha Nichole Willis