Sometimes in life, you know when things are over and have no chance of being rectified. However, you sit and wait for a defining moment that seems to take longer than your next birthday. Anticipation swells in your soul as you imagine life at that particular moment. The thought of accomplishing your heart's desire sends you in a passionate thrust forward with your Eyes on the Prize. You know that no momentum can be gained by siting around and waiting for a miracle. So I ask you, "what are you waiting for?" It's time to stop waiting for the moment and define your own moment. Time is of the essence.
Almost 44 years after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and we continue to ask that one question that is a constant in our lives, which is regarding if we have really progressed as a people. When I say people, I don't mean one race, one sex, or one particular population. I mean we, the individuals that King wanted to walk hand in hand and exemplify that we can conquer anything, no matter our differences. The same we that is a constant in our minds, but have yet to be a complete constant in our hearts. People feel bad not for the execution of a historical figure, but for the souls that have committed the horrendous crime. Why not put down the badge of hate down and pick up the sweet, taste changing packet of equal?
King knew that with his great activities as an activitist, came great concerns for his life. It was irrefutable that he was a man of many supporters and many enemies. He knew that life could end before expected; however he took that charge and dealt with the consequences.
As you can see, I love watching and writing material on true events. This gives people a sense of what they should expect from the movie, article, or event that I had the pleasure of seeing, reading, or attending. In preparing for work, I decided to watch National Geographic: China's Lost Girls. I chose to watch this because I have always been interested in China and their population growth. I had also read or heard something about China's one child law and how they often gave up children with mental or physical disabilities. While this documentary did not address the mental and physical disabilities issue, it did address the one child law.
How tough would it be if you lived in a country where you were only allowed to have one kid? It would be even tougher if your first and only child had to be a boy, so he could work and take care of his family when they got older. Maybe you are reading this reaction and realizing that you do have a tough decision, such as the one stated above. Well, this is one of the touch decisions individuals in China have to, in order to control its population. This law, inacted in 1979 by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, is the very reason why males are outnumbering females, which could cause an increase in violence, rape, and anger issues amongst males.
I know after reading the information above, you are asking a lot of questions such as: What happens if someone decides to have a second child? Where is the female population going? And what type of socialize skills does a child have being raised with no siblings? Well, families that have more than one child have to pay a child tax. For all those others who do not want to pay the child tax, they give up their child or horrible things happen to that child, such as death. Can you imagine giving up your very own child or sentencing your child to death because of not wanting to pay the child tax or because you had two girls? Well, these are some of the issues and concerns that people in this country are facing. A lot of the female babies are being placed in orphanages and/or are adopted by American families. It usually takes up to a year for an adoption to be completed and can be as expensive at $18,000. While the price does seem a bit high, there has been many American families that have adopted female Chinese children. As for the question regarding the socialization skills for children without siblings, it seems that there has been an increase in obesity within the country. This can be attributed to the child being spoiled, playing video games, and not having an in-house playmate, as do others with siblings.
While this law does not seem to be changing anytime soon, as confirmed by Zhang Weiqing in 2006, the information is informative to those who are interested in adopting.
Ok, call me late, but I just watched Never Say Never for the first time. I would have watched it sooner, but I was focused on one thing when the movie was released; obtaining my master's. Well, now that I have my master's, I can get back to watching movies, writing books, and just enjoying live.
I want to say that Never Say Never was very inspiring. I loved how Justin's mother set the stage for him to be who he is today. She loved him and provided him with the necessary tools to go after his dreams. She is a great example of how mothers can make a way, despite the many challenges that may arise. Justin's mother also surrounded Justin around many talented musicians, who aided in his growth and development as a drummer and singer.
The movie displayed Justin as a sweet young man, who loved to have fun and prank people. He enjoyed life and being around his family, friends, and staff. The portion in the movie that I liked was prior to Justin getting signed. Scooter Braun, Justin's manager, told him not to say anything to anyone. When Usher arrived, Justin ran straight up to him and asked if he wanted to hear him perform his song. Usher said no. When Mr. Braun said something about speaking to Usher, Justin replied, "you said not to say anything to Jermain Dupri. You didn't say anything about Usher." How cute and witty. I definitely recommend this movie as a must-see. Check out the trailer below.
As many people look back on 2011 and make adjustments or strides to continue down their same path, I too have made many considerations when it comes to my life. This year marks a pretty big step in my life, where I will no longer be a part of a club that has helped me to develop into the young woman that I am today. This is the same club that many have tried to stay a part of; however reality would not let them hold that title forever. I will take my rightful place in the 30 and over club.
In joining this lovely group in May, I will have the pleasure of spending this wonderful occassion at the International Urban Book Festival, Cleveland with like individuals, who share my same passion and dedication to the craft. The festival is "aimed at educating and encouraging youth to read and author books. The festival will also bring together hundreds of book writers, role models and teachers of the literary craft." I ask that you come out and share this wonderful experience with me by stopping by the table, purchasing a book, and wishing me a happy 30th birthday.
Upcoming/Possible Events International Urban Book Festival San Francisco Book Festival Baltimore Book Festival National Black Book Festival
Today, I decided to watch a documentary on Netflix. This movie was called Page One, which documented New York Times and their strategies to keep their company afloat. David Carr, Reporter with New York Times, intrigued me the most. This was probably because I had a misconception about his abilities, which were based on his past choices in life. See, he was a recovering drug addict, which he openly admitted. He walked with his shoulders and head slumped down, which I attributed to his addiction. While judging him immediatel was wrong, I ultimately knew this was a common practice throughout the world. My attitude about him started to change, after seeing him in action and watching his previous choices in life, helping to mark him as the target of people's ridicule.
David definitely helped make the movie because of overcoming his previous indiscretions, his dedication in acquiring the truth, and his ability to flip the outcome of a situation. I highly recommend and encourage various people in the media, advertising, and publishing communities to watch this movie.
