Vegas

My grandmother and I went to Vegas once, or twice when I was just 18 years old. On this one particular trip we were riding the bus back to our hotel. On the bus ride we started to talk to this lady who was sitting with her daughter. My grandmother and I are NOT shy. So, in an instant we were talking with this woman, and her daughter. 
       After we acknowledged how adorable her daughter was, and after I gave the young girl some peachy-o candy, (I LOVE CANDY!) we started to talk more and more. The lady was talking about going pan-handling with her daughter. I hadn't ever heard of a pan-handler. Sure, I saw those struggling, and asking for money on their signs around Vegas, but I didn't know there was a term they used for themselves; or really that society gave them. After about a thirty minute conversation we learned so much about this woman. 
* She was a single mother.
* She had three children, two school age, one not school age (the one with her.) 
* Her braces were broken because she couldn't afford to complete her orthodontist appointments. 
* She had to take her daughter with her 'pan-handling' because she couldn't afford day care.
* Her likes, dislikes, the better parts of Vegas. What not to miss, what to not even think about doing, etc. 

After our conversation, my grandmother and I looked at each other. We knew we needed to give her some money. We handed her a $20, to which she said, I didn't tell you all of that for money. We KNEW that that wasn't the reason. We were persistent, to which she took the money. We then invited them to meet us at Freemont Street that evening around a set time. She said she would be there, with all of her children for us to meet. She said she knew that her one girl would absolutely adore me. 

We finished our day, and finally arrived to Freemont Street and after about thirty minutes of walking around we saw this woman, with her son, daughter, and youngest in a stroller. To see how happy they were just to be with each other was beautiful. Her older daughter hugged me, and we had some conversation before we went our separate ways. 

Sometimes you meet people you will NEVER forget. This lady is just one person I am thankful to have met in my lifetime. Sometimes you are put in people's lives for reasons you don't ever really know; or find out. 

Social Work has been such a large part of my life, before I ever knew there was such a thing. I am beyond blessed, and beyond thankful, and so happy that I am doing what I love. Also, that I have had experiences like this that I will never forget. 

Black Eye Children, Indians, and Baby B.

A week or so ago my little cousin Baby B, over heard a conversation my aunts A and L had. Well, we thought he was not listening, but watching T.V. Let me just say, we were wrong. Whenever you are talking about something you don't want children to catch on to they sure catch on! Except it's funny because what we were talking about turned south really quickly when he started to explain it to us. 

Actual conversation (not verbatim): 

A: 'Black eye children, look it up!'

L: 'Oh man, I forgot about that.'

Me: *google ... search ... Black Eye Children ... Images ... 'oh my'.

A: Yeah, if they come to your door DO NOT let them in.

*Conversation, yadda, yadda*

A: 'Indian's wipe their feet when they go inside their homes, as to not invite any unwanted presence in their homes.'

Me: 'That's interesting and good to know.' 

Conversation dwindles.

Baby B's version of the conversation (verbatim):

BB: 'Don't trust black people, they could be Indians.'

Roar of laughter, and an attempt to explain that this is not true. 

This folks, is why I am a social worker. This folks, is why you need to not speak poorly of any person because your children will pick up what you say and twist it, or copy exactly what you say. *Although we weren't speaking poorly upon any person, just simply discussing horrifying 'real' or 'fake' BLACK EYED CHILDREN. Please be warned, do not look this up unless you are alright with being terrified for a week, month or years later. 

PASSION

My passions are not simple, they are quite complicated. My passions are deep, my passions are from deep within my soul. My passions didn't just happen. My passions define me. 

1. Social Work

   a. Global Social Work

   b. School Social Work

   c. Disability Studies

   d. Women's Studies

   e. Everything else regarding social work, because it all ties in together one way or another. 

I am bless to have found Social Work. Social Work defines me, as a woman, as a human, as an american. If it weren't for Social Work I wouldn't be the person that I am today. I am thankful, from the deepest part of my soul, I am thankful.

2. Finding/Searching for a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

   a. For Jt

   b. For Christopher

   c. For every current person affected with this or by this horrible disease.

   d. For every future person affected with this or by this horrible disease.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy took my best friend, by baby brother, and my favorite person, Jt, from my grasp on 11/02/2013 around 3 AM. It will one day take my other brother, Christopher. Both of these boys are so important to me, and just because they are gone does not mean that the fight doesn't continue. They give me the strength to get out of bed each day and greet the world with a smile (on most days.)

3. Africa

   a. Ghana

   b. Building an orphanage in Africa

   c. African smiles

   d. African laughter

   e. African spirit

   f. The children of Africa.

   g. The culture of Africa.

   h. The happiness in Africa.

To be honest, Africa is where my heart is. Africa is where I will one day live. I believe that I was once an African, maybe in another life. My soul connects with each African that I meet, and when I read books on Africa I have deja vu. I love everything regarding Africa, especially all of the happy people.

4. Humanitarianism

   a. Being pro-life

   b. Being pro-choice

   c. Being pro-same sex marriage

   d. Being pro-immigration reform

First of all I have to thank the universe for giving me Social Work. Without Social Work I would not be a humanitarian. I LOVE people. I LOVE culture. We all have a truth. Your truth is just that, your truth. When we take a deeper look, we look past each person's individual truth. No matter your truth, no matter my truth, one thing is certain. We must give others the rights that we wish for ourselves, and for our future generations.

 5. Passions that only affect me:

   a. Coffee

   b. Wine

   c. Sushi

   d. My fiance

   e. Education

I don't know how I would get through live without the above five things. They bring me so much joy, happiness, and love. They help me through my hard times, good times, and I know they will be there at the end of the day, despite everything else. If they haven't been there and/or won't be there they have brought me to where I am today. I am eternally grateful for my fiance, and for every single one of my teachers, for without them I wouldn't be able to be me. Their passion has assisted in my passion, there is no way to every re-pay them besides being the best person that I can be. 

Here I am, begging you to get out and find your passion, find a new passion, or fine tune the one you have already found. It's important to have some one 'double-dog' dare you to do something once in a while, and I have officially given you one for the year. Think about it; write it down, preferably somewhere you will see it each day. My mirror is the best place, as I look there each day, and I am bound to see it. Have fun with it, and really dig deep to your soul and find your passions.

 

ADVICE

People give advice whether you want it or not.  Here is one thing I promise you, the advice I'm about to give you, you will never forget. 

Don't ever let anyone dull your sparkle.

This means to never give your power over to someone else. That moment you give your power over to someone else is the moment that your sparkle begins to dull. 'Power' can mean many things, and you can define your power, that's not up to my discretion. 

If someone does end up dulling your sparkle, know that you can get it back. This is totally up to your discretion as well. The time it takes isn't what is important. What is important is that you do it, in whatever means possible. 

I listen to music, I surround myself by those that I love and that love me. I sing, I dance, I drink coffee, I drink wine ... I do, just as I am asking you to do. I do whatever it takes, by whatever means possible. It can take me anywhere from a few moments up to weeks to regain my sparkle, but I do it. That's the important part. The important part? You don't have to do it alone. 

TRUTH

My favorite thing to do is re-arrange things in my life, or in other words it is my way of simplifying.  Recently the thought came to me that I needed to start a new blog.  Start fresh and clean. Start something new. Something so new that my soul can feel electrified, and replenished. Start something that I will be excited for. Not a blog that holds my inner-most feelings, like a diary journal, but something more cohesive.

My favorite quote I have ever read is, 'TO WRITE IS TO BE VULNERABLE.' As a human being, vulnerability is a difficult word; almost taboo. I want to be a vulnerable writer. I want to break it down for the world as a whole. To be vulnerable is wonderful. Vulnerability is not something to be ashamed of. Never apologize for simply being you. A HUMAN.