The (Colored) American Dream

So In the above clip I share my experiences as I have tried to pursue the "American Dream" and was made painfully aware of the reality of the different standards set before me. I want to share my experiences as to help someone going through and in need of the truth.... "Colored girl, you are not crazy,You are just colored in an environment where color is a big deal".... you are not alone....

Dear Soldier

Today I read a story about a young soldier that was killed 2 months after his first son was born, and it lead me to question the nature of the sacrifice, especially for young black American soldiers. By all accounts, I know many friends that have enlisted at some point of time…. Commonly lured by the security, opportunity and prospect of assistance with higher educational costs. Most of those that I know never joined because they love this country and want to fight on its behalf….. matter of factly when the time for duty came.. they found themselves upset, unprepared and fearful of all that was at stake. Me personally, I don’t feel like there is any cause worth dying for… especially for this corrupt, deceitful, greedy, oppressive country. I find it an abomination that we actually will present ourselves as an example as affairs nationwide in this country are in disarray. How dare we try to organize issues abroad while Americans suffer? It is irresponsible and I would never ever jeopardize my life or my family to represent a country in which my black people have a very checkered past. Recently, I have been teaching my African husband about slavery, as he is completely amiss about such topics as the Klu Klux Klan, freedom riders, lynching just to name a few, an abomination that this country is yet to try to make right. Even within the military I have heard stories of racism among soldiers that fight on the same platoon….. wear the same uniform…. Represent the same country. It is that very fact that would never allow me to shed my blood. Period. I sympathize with the many black soldiers that have met their demise in our military and their families. And perhaps if you are considering joining the military, I encourage you count up the costs, and if the cost is indeed too high, I encourage you to refrain from putting your most precious commodity of life on the line for a country that stands for all the things that we do.. I ask you to question whether our influence is needed at this current time, or if it would be more wise for us to order our environment first before trying to mold other countries. The below clip showcases some of the challenges that the families of militarily experience as well as a heartfelt surprise. 

Associated Costs… what you must know

"Family Drama" Theme..... resolved in 2 hours? I think not!

      Drunken off media, many of us have a false understanding of how life works and the magnitude of our decision making. I have even suffered from outlandish expectations as well as many of my friends. As we enter the next decade of our lives, many of us find ourselves unfulfilled with no direction. All of the goals that were set before us by our parents or society (Getting married, having children, completing college, starting a business, beginning a career, etc……) we have engaged in and unknowingly brought more challenge upon our lives, whereas we expected these milestones to provide some level of bravado or accomplishment. What our media has failed to convey is that life is a continual process in which you will never arrive, and that preparation for the future is unavoidable. However with Jesus you can achieve some level of balance, less him you will simply continue to chase your tail. You see, perfection on Earth is a concept that will never come to pass…. Perfection will only exist in Heaven. Once you understand that the situations you are experiencing are happening because they were destined too.. you can save yourself boundless amounts of sorrow. Now…. Let us not forget how the imminent weight that our decision making plays in to shaping our world. If you are a mature adult, you can honestly assess your life and see how your decisions or lack of good decisions have brought you where you are. If you chose the path of disobedience (pursuing a bad mate, neglecting career planning, postponing education, not establishing a rainy day fund, disobeying God’s word, or just plain going against the grain…) you will often be frustrated by where you are.. and what you have, and if you are immature, you will envy those around you that have the things that you lack. However obtaining these things is not nearly as hard as disobeying. You cannot simply choose what you want, and expect things to fall into place.. You must seek wisdom and direction from God, and if you rather map out your own plan… Good luck to you. Hell is full of people that chose to do “their own thing” over choosing to do God’s work. If you think that your existence is about self gratification you are a fool. You are purposed by God, and anything you choose to do outside his will, will not get you satisfaction much less his blessing. Is it odd that often times the kids that were nerds in school become successful, meanwhile the social butterflies wilt quickly without the sham of their parents providing? Our media does not promote this idea… and keeps so many lost by the expectation that we can have it all without any area suffering otherwise known as the ‘American Dream’. This idea is FALSE ,FALSE, FALSE, hence why it Is so impossible to obtain. Life ebbs and flows, its natural. Some of us actually have good lives, good marriages and good careers, but are discouraged because our life doesn’t fit the ‘mold’.

Bad guy/good girl.... Fun, but at what cost?

 

How to snap out of it:

I would seriously encourage you to challenge yourself to put some space between you and the prevalent media influences (T.V, Music and Internet) in your life. I don’t watch much T.V, but I use the computer daily. On average I was using facebook for 2 hours daily, and finding myself extremely frustrated, depressed and unhappy. I decided to cut ties for a while, currently I am on a Facebook hiatus for six months started in January 2013. Almost instantly, I felt better about myself, began to use that two hours for other things, and didn’t feel inadequate due to the comparisons social media subliminally feeds us. If need be, one has to get drastic. Secondly,

I would encourage you to critique and analyze certain themes that you see prevalent. For instance the bad guy/good girl in movies… It always works, right? WRONG. Think about this very story in terms of people you know or even a situation you found yourself in. Lastly, understand that the media is entertainment only. If certain themes are especially bothersome, cut them out entirely. My Pastor (Jeff Haygood of Living Word Church, www.livingwordcolumbus.org) always says.. “You turn into what you look at. So if you don’t like what you see, change the vision”.

Wealthy man goes for the hood chick? Nope!