The storm

Even in the roughest of times, can YOU create your own rainbow after the storm?

Its funny how people’s true colors come shining through when people are faced with a crisis.  Five nights ago, a terrible storm came through the area which left over a million people without power.   One thing that has come to my attention in these trying times is how much people take for granted, on a daily basis.   It is trying times like this that really allow people to be seen for who they are.

There are the individuals who think the world owes them everything, it is these individuals who will stop at nothing to see that they survive first, get their needs met, and do not consider anyone else’s needs when it comes to realizing their own. 

For the most part, my experience with this storm has been very enlightening for me in many ways.  It has really showed me how much we depend on technology, both, for survival, and to get through our daily routines.  I, personally would not change a thing about the past few days, even though these past few days, I have been a little hungrier, a lot hotter, and a ton more stressed, it has been an eye opening experience, one that has allowed me to reflect on many issues that surround myself, my family, my community, our nation, the world, and just plain old communications and relationships in general. 

Ok, I must first start by being completely honest with you all.  The first day after the storm, when I awoke at 9am and there was still no power, I was like “oh great, what now.”  I picked up my cell phone, no service, tried my computer, no service, no television, heck even my home phone wasn’t working.  I then grabbed some batteries to place in my century old boom box.  This is when I started to lose it a bit, when I realized that the radio wouldn’t even work.  I know this may seem a little ridiculous, but I’m not sure if it was the lack of communication (and not knowing what was going on out in the world) that had me more upset, or the fact that there was no music!  Now, after the fact, I would have to say that it was the “no music” that had me more aggravated than anything.  No matter what is going on in the world around me or in my life, it has never been something that a good song with a funky beat and some great lyrics couldn’t fix, and this was no exception!

I hopped into my VW, and was met by immediate gratitude as the noise from my XM satellite radio came bursting through my car speakers; this was one purchase that will never regret investing in.  Immediately my mood was heightened tremendously as I cranked up the tunes and headed towards town.  As I began my 45min. journey into town, I began to see the level of destruction the storm had caused, and as I arrived into town, I was surprised to realize that they, for once, had it much worse than us “mountain folk” did.

As I arrived into town, the level of destruction was fierce.  All of the stoplights were down, gigantic trees had fallen everywhere, parts of people’s homes were missing and thrown in the most unexpected places, utility poles had fallen on top of cars, there were no stores, restaurants, gas stations, or anything else open, and the whole city was completely out of power.  I was astonished as I drove, slowly, through the city…WOW; this storm had caused way more damage than I had originally thought.  A feeling of sadness engulfed me as I realized the extent of damage that the storm wreaked on the people of my community.

The majority of the mid-Ohio Valley’s residents are middle/lower class citizens who live week to week and sometimes just manage to get by (which isn’t a bad thing because they are some of the most generous and giving people even though).   Being from a hardworking community of middle/lower class citizen, which I too am a member, is one I am proud of because we tend to appreciate the things we do have that much more, and there is a strong sense of community and belonging among the people of this community for this very reason.  Many of these people will not be able to buy new food, fix the repairs on their homes and cars, or even stand to be off work for the days that the offices/buildings/factories will be shut down.  My heart reached out for these people, especially the ones whose homes and cars were destroyed, and who probably didn’t have more than the basic liability insurances on these items.

One example that really touched my heart was a family who is friends with my older brother.  They are a working class family with several children.  They rent their home, work hard, and do their best to raise their children with values, morals, and kindness.  As I drove by their home, with my brother, he pointed out to me the fact that the second story of their rental home had blown off of the structure and had landed in their driveway, on top of both of their cars.  My brother told me that after the storm, they walked outside and was devastated to see that their home was basically gone, their cars were destroyed, and then to top it off, the winds took away part of their fence and their dogs were also gone.  This broke my heart, to know that everything that people have worked so hard for was gone in an instant. 

As I continued on my drive, witnessing the destruction, my mind shifted from one of sadness and despair to one of gratitude and love.  As I drove through my communities, I saw families, together as a whole, sitting on their front porches laughing, joking, playing games, then there were the smaller children playing in the sprinklers in attempt to cool off.  No one was indoors, behind a computer, television, or gaming system, but rather, families were connecting in meaningful conversations and working together to repair and rebuild their homes and communities.   

As I turned each corner, there were more and more people pitching in to help one another, as I witnessed these people connecting to support on another, the sights filled me with the utmost joy.  This is all that I have ever wished, dreamed, and envisioned for the people of our great world, to sit back and enjoy the small things in life, time with family, butterflies resting on a flower, a dog chasing its tail.  Just an overall gratitude for surviving the storm, and the blessing of sitting face to face with their loved ones.  These are the things that blessings are made of, connecting with loved ones, the community, and their “higher power,” to realize that, hey, as long as we are lucky enough to still be standing on this great Earth, there is absolutely nothing that we can’t overcome as long as we put in the effort, all of our hardships will be overcome. 

In my opinion, people should be thankful because it is incidences just like this that give us the hope and strength to carry on, figure out a way, gain knowledge, ask for help, or reach out to others in order to gain that resilience that allows us to keep strong and carry on, no matter what is thrown in our paths!  In fact, it is situations just like these, throughout my life, that I have had to face that have made me into the strong and independent woman that I am today.  There were times, in my past, that I used to say “why me” but now, I thank god for those incidences because they always taught me a valuable lesson, you just have to choose to see it that way!

My interactions with others have been a mixture of good and bad, throughout the chaos that the storm has created.  Some people choose to focus on the bad aspects of the storm and the damage it has caused, which is getting them nowhere, and only adding to their misery because they are attracting more negative energy back into their lives.  Then there are those individuals who choose to see the storm in a positive light, “well hey, no work, yippee!  Guess this means card games with the kiddo’s and time to run in the sprinkler!”  These individuals are not allowing themselves to be weighed down by their thoughts even though they have just as much stress and worry as the other individuals.  I mean, how often is it that people have off of work for an entire week in the month of July?  Sometimes we must choose to leave things in the hands of our Gods, and focus, instead, on the here and now.  What can be done to fix things, if anything?  If you can’t do anything about the problem, why not choose to focus on the one thing that is most important in life, time that we have with our loved ones. 

I have heard that thus far, 12 people have died in this storm, in our area, including a man who had a tree fall onto his car and crush him to his death.  Now think about it peoples, are those jobs, paying the bills, that fabulous new addition that you put on your house, or some extra work that you may have to do really all that bad?  Imagine this man’s family, who, not only have to deal with the mess of the storm and its aftermath, but to lose a loved one at the same time, and trying to plan for that.  Please take a minute and try to be thankful for the things that we do have. 

Has anyone ever thought that maybe, just maybe, it is high time that we stop worrying about things like money, materialistic goods, status, power, wealth, titles, jobs, etc. and start to appreciate the small things that we take for granted each day?  The things, that we may not even realize that we are doing at the time, like giving our undivided attention to our children when they are talking to us or trying to show us something, or stopping to smell the roses and appreciate the natural beauty that we are blessed to have in our lives to enjoy.  With the natural disasters that this Earth has been dealing with for the past few decades, you would think that most people would learn to appreciate things like these, because without our beautiful and healthy nature, we would have no world……without a healthy environment, we wouldn’t have life of any form, or a place for organisms to survive if we continue to take these things for granted!

It is like the people of this world are slowly but surely doing it in.  Almost like a drug addiction, more and more, but yet never enough.  More waste, more wants, more technology, more toxic waste that is produced from these wants, more more more!  Where does it end and when is it too late?  Shouldn’t we just be happy with the simple things like being able to share joyful memories with loved ones, being alive and healthy, being able to enjoy all that mother nature has provided us,  and for being able to live our lives in freedom?  If we cannot learn to appreciate these things, there will be no us, eventually!

In my opinion, most of the things that we want in life are not needs, they are wants.  It is these wants that tend to destroy, both, the world and the people in it.  Most of the time, it seems to me as if what people “want,” isn’t really what they want at all, in fact, their wants seem to revolve around some type of competition.  Everyone trying to compete with the jones, our country competing with other countries, always, people trying to outdo one another or worrying about how they will appear in someone else’s eyes.  Whether it is for power, greed, status, money, or popularity, it is as if everyone is trying to outdo the next.

 Let’s talk about power for a moment, because this is a topic that just seems to get under my skin.  First of all, in my opinion, people who try to exhibit power or control others are just plain lazy individuals.  You cannot get anywhere by pushing or shoving someone around so that they will do or be the way you want them to.  When a person approaches a situation in this manor, it is a temporary fix and will backfire in the person who is “in power’s” face.  If you ask me, these people (controlling and authitarian), no matter what title or how much power that they hold, are just plain lazy and incompetent!

 A person with real power has the power to control themselves, to always act out of love, kindness, compassion, and forgiveness no matter what they are being faced with.  Rather than try to control someone through force, these individuals will mentor, role model, support, encourage, teach, and relate to others.  Yeah, this is a longer and more exhausting and consuming process, but like they say, good things never come easily.  These are the strong individuals, the ones who can go and go and go, never giving up hope that a better world, or a better way is out there.  No matter who tries to knock them down, discourage them, kill their dreams, or obstacles they are up against, they persevere and create a much stronger group, nation, world, or culture.

 Now, WHO TO YOU SEEMS MORE POWERFUL? 

(1) The people who push, give orders, act out of fear and hate, compete with others, and HAVE to have control and power no matter who they hurt physically, emotionally, or mentally in the process,

OR

(2) The individuals who act out of love, and no matter what situation they encounter, they always act out of love, understanding, and acceptance and no matter what, no other person or situation is ever able to change this about them! 

In these crisis times, there have been the people who push their way through, cut in front of you for those loafs of bread or tank of gas, do not wait their turn at the broken stoplights, and would basically fight you tooth and nail for survival.  These individuals (which I have seen quite a few in the past few days) remind me of those “mean and selfish” people.  You know, the individuals who have to try to degrade, bully, talk bad about, be mean, etc. to/about others in order to look good or get ahead.  The ones that are not confident enough in themselves and their abilities to reach the heights of others, so much so that they have to knock down others to bring them down to their levels.  I advise these individuals to think again, because these people that you feel the need to degrade are usually the kind of people who do not break under pressure or do they allow their self-concept to be affected by others opinions of them.  This is exactly why they are at the conscious level they are, therefore, not able to be knocked down to your level.  RISE UP, try harder, give everything your all, never think you know it all, always realize there is more to learn and people that are better and smarter than yourself and always strive to compete, only compete against yourself to do better.  Anyone can do it, but it can only happen when you focus on you, only you, and working within your limits to do, and be the best possible version of yourself that you can be.

For those selfish individuals that I have encountered during this storm (like the woman who cut in front of us all at the BP on Rayon Dr. for gas), you may have all the resources that you need for survival; however, I have all the things that I will ever need, myself respect and my pride.  Never, ever would I stoop to your level, even if I thought/ believed that the world was ending, I would never give up my conscious and soul in order to survive because one day, when this world does end, those type of things aren’t going to get you anywhere anyways.

For my fellow lovers, if you are ever faced with a crisis or “survival of the fittest” type scenario like this, please do not let your love, morals, ethics, character, and values fall to the wayside because in the end, it is these things that will open up the gates to an eternity of happiness and love with others who mirror yourself, not the tank of gas, the last bit of water, or the last morsel of food!

Once we give up this power, we open up the gates to growth and success.  We realize that we need others, we need our earth, we need a clean and healthy environment, we need support, we need encouragement, we need happiness and joy in our lives, we need to become aware of who we are and all that we can accomplish in this world, for ourselves, for our loved ones, for our Earth, and for our future generations but in order for this to happen, we must live out of gratitude and love.  Love for our planet, love for others, and most importantly, LOVE FOR OURSELVES!

Be thankful, focus on the good, try you’re hardest, accept your weaknesses, and most importantly, realize that we are all in this together.

If you find yourself unhappy, you must journey within, because nothing outside of yourself is going to complete that void and bring you happiness.  Unhappiness means that there is a part of you that is incomplete or missing, which means there needs to be change, and no one else can figure out exactly what that is, but you! 

So instead of that new purse (that you have to kill all those animals to make...rrrrr), that new car (that burns all that horrid gas and produces harmful chemicals that kill all of our beautiful nature), that diet coke that you “must have” (yet throw away the bottle so that our world becomes consume with waste), the need for oil (to produce all those goods by machine yet dumps into our beautiful and vast oceans), that bag of trash (that you spent all that time containing to the one bag, yet throw it out your car on the side of the road), all the things we do not recycle (that eventually go into the ground and are consumed by us through the water), and everything else, that money “can buy,” TRY TO FOCUS, inwards instead and figure out what you are missing in your life that you have to cover up with materialistic goods.

Imagine a life with clean air, healthy foods, serene nature, no toxic waste/spills, leisure time with loved ones, running through fields of flowers, feeling the sunshine beat on your face or the gentle wind kiss your cheeks…shouldn’t these be the things that bring us the most happiness, yet we are doing all that we can to see that it is taken away from us forever!

MAGICà    LOVE, LIGHT, LAUGHTER, & PLAY....& IN THE END THERE WAS…….BLISS<3

LIFE IN A SMALL TOWN, NOTHING LIKE IT (DIFF BETWEEN PEOPLE FROM THE CITY AND PEOPLE FROM THE COUNTRY) ...GENERALIZATIONS OF COURSE

PLEASE OTHERS, IN TIMES OF CRISIS, DO NOT LET YOUR LOVE, RESPECT, MORALS, DIGNITY, AND COMMON COURTESY GO TO THE WAYSIDE <3  AND WITH THAT, MY THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Growing up in the Metro Area (Maryland, D.C., and Virginia), I very much grew up as a “city girl.”  I was exposed to many different things, some good and some bad, by being raised in such a populated area that had lots of different subcultures.  Moving to West Virginia about four years ago was very much a culture shock for me, and it definitely took some getting used to.  Being born in West Virginia, you would have thought that I would be a little bit more “in tune” with the way that things work in small towns; however, I had no idea just how different it would be.  Now, I feel very blessed to say that I have the best of both worlds running through my veins.  I can put on a designer dress and stilettos, attend an art gathering, jazz/cigar bar, and enjoy a night full of dancing and socializing in the “big city,” or I can throw my hair back in a ponytail, put on my worn in converse, and hit the hills on a dirt bike, coming back with mud dripping off my eyelashes!

Life, in both areas, are almost polar opposites, it is almost like you are living on complete opposite ends of the earth.  Life in the big city is very fast paced, people are always “go, go, go!” and do not take the time to enjoy each moment or take the time to stop and help a person in need.  Traffic is horrendous, and you could possibly wait an hour to get into traffic from a side street because people will line up so tight that there is no way they are letting you in the line of traffic or you are able to pull into it yourself.  It is almost as if “each man for his own.”  People, in my opinion, seem more accustomed to worrying about their selves, instead of how their actions may affect someone else.  I think this comes from the culture that many cities have created because they are reacting to others actions instead of following their heart, intuition, or what they feel is “right.”  Also, many individuals possibly hear what is one the news, which compared to our small town in W.V., is filled with horrific incidences and crime which could possibly keep people wanting to mind their own business and not become involved in the things happening around them, out of fear that something bad could come of it.  Now, although my perception is mainly negative about the people who live in cities, this is just a generalization because I know many fine people who are kind, generous, trustworthy, compassionate, and caring that live in the city, but in ratio, the number of rude people far outweigh these kind individuals, in my opinion.  Now, living in the city definitely has its benefits also such as exposure to different cultures, races, ethnicities, experiences, and FOOD (haha def. one of my favorites).  There is never a dull moment in a city with choices that range from zoos, aquariums, NFL football games, Major league baseball, NHL hockey games, tons of musical experiences and concerts, museums, circuses, shopping and nightlife, variety of restaurants, and tons of fun filled activities available for children of all ages, including us J  Being exposed to all the different races, cultures, and ethnicities is something that I feel most grateful for living and growing up in the city.  My friends were people from all types of cultures, religions, social statuses, backgrounds, and countries.  This helped me to recognize the beauty in all different types of individuals and the realization about how much we can learn from one another.  Most importantly, this is where I learned that no matter what a person looks like, where they are from, what religion they practice, how educated they are, what there financial bracket is, etc. ……….. the only thing that matters, when it comes down to liking and caring about someone, is the size of their heart and their ability to be humble in realizing no one of us is any better than the rest.

Now let’s take a look at life in the country.  When I was younger, say 8 and under, my idea of fun did not revolve around playing Nintendo, watching TV, IPODS, or any other electronic that adults in the city like to shove in their child’s face out of fear of letting them outdoors to be exposed to possible kidnappings, child molestation, or peer pressures.  Our ideas of fun very much revolved around “exploring,” and “inventions.”  By inventions, I mean that we invented our own fun which, in my opinion, is a huge thing when raising kids.  I mean yeah, we could have children who are educated and learn how to do something well, or we could encourage creativity and have a child who invents the “next biggest thing” or idea!  We would explore caves, fossils, different types of minerals, rocks, bugs, or animals as well as use free and easily obtainable materials and sources to create inventions, make contraptions, build tree houses or forts, or to create new games to play.  It was never a dull moment.  From the time the sun rose, to the time it settled behind the trees, we were out roaming the mountainsides, fields, rivers, and forests.  From catching lightning bugs, and swinging from vines,  to blowing the fuzzies off of dandelions (to make a wish, and truly believing they would come true), our sense of fun never revolved around the need for money, expensive toys, or anything outside of our own imagination…..talk about fabulous!  Now, although this is all wonderful, fast forward to life as a young adult.  People tend to get pregnant and married at a much younger age here in the country.  They miss out on so many great opportunities and experiences that the world, outside of the countryside, has to offer.  Many people seem (this is a generalization) to be less accepting to people of other races, ethnicities, and cultures, and are very closed minded when it comes to anything outside of the way that they were conditioned by their parents.  There is very little diversity in the country, and not a whole lot of new experiences and opportunity to gain knowledge as to all the many different types of jobs, opportunities, colleges, people, music, or geographical landscapes that this gigantic world has to offer.  I think if more children, in the country, were raised with true awareness of the world around them, many more would hopefully choose to not get pregnant or married at 17, and instead go to college and open up the many different doors and paths to explore the world that surrounds them.

Now although I am looking at this “lack of exposure to the world” in a bad way, it can also be a good thing.  First of all, the drugs and exposure to crime is less, resulting in a lesser chance of a child becoming involved in gangs, drug dealing or usage, or the “wrong crowd.”  This is not because the country does not have these things, but more so because the ratio of people are far less in the country, which makes them less able to get “lost in the crowd,” or become just another person, student, or child without a name, a personality, a background, or a family, which many times can happens in a bigger city.  Also, another good thing about the lack of exposure too many things would be the fact that it seems to be a major cause for families and communities being “tighter” and more supportive of one another.  In the city where it is “go, go, go,” families rarely have the time to do the most important things in life, the things that will make a strong family, a good moral, ethical, and value system for their children and families such as family dinners, sitting around playing board games, swinging on the front porch swing, just talking about what is going on in their lives.  In the city, it is as if every minute of every day is accounted for and activities are “penciled in,” which can cause people to be so concerned with making it to the next activity, keeping on time goal, keeping up with the neighbors, competing with others, or becoming successful in their lives and jobs, that they lose sight of all the beautiful macro seconds of everyday, the events and experiences that truly matter, CONNECTING WITH OTHERS!  In the country, where there is less to do, people take the time to stop and talk to their neighbors, to help someone that is broke down on the side of the road, help an elder cross the street, hold the door open for someone, lend a hand, and create a sense of belonging and community.  In my opinion, this is what life is all about, and is the main cause of inner peace, contentment, and joy that no amount of money, social status, label, title, or materialistic thing could ever come close to in terms of worth!

And of course there are the issues of landscaping differences between the city and the country.  In the city, things appear to be “dirtier,” whereas things in the country are more natural resulting in a perception of cleanliness.  Cities are, many times, filled with tall building, congested areas, many streets, and tons of litter which is understandable considering the amount of people who are squeezed into the tight little areas.  In the country, the view is spectacular, the lush green rolling fields and hills, the wild flowers that grow in the most random areas, the sunsets behind the mountains, the mist that rises above the trees in the morning, the way the moon seems a thousand times bigger in the country, or the way the sky is so clear that it is as if you can reach out and grab the stars.  These are the things that I love most about living in the country, the sense of belonging and being at one with nature, and its elements.  There is certain peacefulness and tranquility that comes from this that could never be found in the city!

One thing I miss most about where I grew up in the city is the open waters.  I very much grew up as a water baby, it is my ultimate peace and there is nothing in this world that I love more than the ocean.  Growing up within blocks of the Chesapeake Bay allowed me to connect with the world in ways I would never be able to explain, in fact, it was the only way I was able to feel at one with one of my creators, Gaia (Mother Nature).  When life was becoming tough, or I was becoming overwhelmed with things going on in my life, I could go down to the bay and stare out over the water, possibly swim and become one with the waves, or just meditate with the infinite waters as my focal point, either way; it was how I was able to keep grounded.  This is the one thing I miss most about living in WV, there is no water here, not the waters I am used to anyways..More like mud holes…yuck, so when I go to Maryland to visit, the highlight of my trips is the time I get to spend on the bay, swimming with my nephew and niece, Garrett and Julia.  In fact, for years, every time I have gone home to visit them, we spend much of our time at Cape Beach (cape st. claire), which is a local community beach that sits on the Chesapeake Bay.  The beach is close to my sister’s home and one in which she is very much a member of their community.  I have never had any problems when I would go to this beach and spent many hours just playing in the sand, swimming out to the bowies with my nephew, or doing handstands in the water with my niece, either way, it was a time for me to let all the cares and problems in life sort of melt away and just be surrounded with that which I love most, family and the open water.

This past weekend, when I happened to be in Maryland for a few days for an unexpected trip, I attempted to take my nephew and niece to this local beach to enjoy an afternoon of fun and pleasure, as we usually do on our excursions; however, I was met by incredibly rude, selfish/greedy, hateful, and mean people.  The people who live near the little community beach, (a man with a bald head) came out of his house and told me that I could not park on the side street.  I apologized, thanked him and my nephew, niece, and I began to get into my car and move it.  He came to the end of his driveway and said to me, “you shouldn’t even be here; I bet you’re not a member of the community.”  My reply to him was, “no sir, I am babysitting these children who are,” and he said “yeah right, that’s what they all say, and then they come and leave their beer cans and cigarette butts.”  My reply to him, “sir, I do not smoke, I do not drink, I do not do drugs, and I use Jesus as my role model, we are just trying to enjoy some fun on the water.”  He came to the end of his driveway and got very loud and irate and said, “You’re all perfect, we are all perfect, get real.”  I knew, at that moment, to just get in my car before I said something I may regret.  I couldn’t believe it, I had been coming to this community beach for years, I was with two young kids, I am very respectful and polite, and I just wanted to enjoy the bay, which I terribly missed.  I got into my car, and I burst out in tears..I just couldn’t understand how people could be so mean, greedy, and unwelcoming; this is something I am not used to at all.  You see, in WV 99% of people would welcome you with open arms, and give you the shirt off their backs, and never ever in a million years would they deny you something that they knew would make you so incredibly happy yet not really affect them in any way.  WOW, I thought, this just confirms my feelings of “city folks” being rude, selfish, and only out for them.  Two days, in a row, I tried to go to this beach and was met, both times, by two different individuals who told me I did not belong there.  What gets me even more is my sister helps out with all of their local community events in their community, participates in the parades, helps out with the “strawberry festival” that is held every year at the beach, and her children go to school and play various sports in that area, so they are VERY MUCH A MEMBER OF THAT COMMUNITY. 

One thing I am very proud of is my ability to hold it in, and not act on my emotions, no one will change me, and I will continue to meet rudeness, hate, or any other “devilish” ways with love.  I will not allow myself to mirror their ways, nor will I allow myself to react to their behaviors.  I take pride in knowing that I am true to no one but myself and the fact that I will never let anything anyone says or does to me change the way I act…which is out of love.  I am not confident with the person I am, nor do I have anything to prove to anyone about who I am or what I stand for.  I know myself better than anyone else who may claim to, and I can tell you. I am darn proud of the person I am, my actions and choices, and more so, my ability to always act out of LOVE!

This blog is meant to be somewhat of a shout out to the people of WV.  You were leery of accepting me into your community at first, but you have always shown me the benefit of the doubt!  The sense of belonging and community that I feel here is much like that of a large family.  People here are supportive, caring, kind, and always looking for ways to serve and help others.  I hope you all realize what a wonderful gift you guys offer to the world!  Here where people may not have the nicest homes or cars, the best paying jobs, or a college degree…but they have much much more…way more than all you city folk will ever have, the ability to share, help, give back, and you support and encourage one another, these are the qualities that you are sending to your youth, no matter what type of education or jobs they have, they will be raised with these qualities which mean far, far more than anything, especially in this critical time for our nation and economy.  Those city folk who have nice new beamers, and big homes, but are selfish and greedy, you know what, when things collapse, it is going to be us that stand strong because we are UNITED and cherish and love one another just as much as we do our own families.

I always say that there is nothing we can’t do….US, a million lower status, lower financial bracket, but huge hearted people with good intentions, will rise far above those few individuals in the world that own 80% of it, because when it comes down to it, money cannot buy true support, love, belonging, and sincere, honest, and trustworthy individuals.  I’m sorry to be the one to break it to you, but just because people have money, it does not mean that you can get all that you want…yeah, you may be able to buy those supporters, friends, legal team, campaigns, real estate, etc. but when it comes to it, you really can’t buy people, and guess what, if you can, then you are buying people with absolutely no moral, ethical, or value guidelines….lol not quite the type of people id ever want on my side!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And that is for my fellow lovers, the ones that believe in hard work, supporting one another, second chances, compassion, reaching out, and sharing what we do have in order to make a better world.  It’s the people who try, whether it be through hard work, encouraging/inspiring goodness in others, helping others to have their needs or overcome challenges, or just a kind word or gesture….Please, please, please do not let anyone ever change that in you because the world terribly needs people like you will stand strong in the face of adversary, challenges, and oppositions!  God bless <3