Our Daily Walk
Who Said We Do Not Need To Have A Dialogue About Race And Racism In This Country?
What will it take for race, racism, and race relations to become as much a part of the issues to discuss as healthcare, housing, and employment?
One can hardly consider themselves current with anything going on in this country, or their own communities, if they are unaware or oblivious to the incidents that occur all too often that are at a minimum insensitive, a show of ignorance, lack of concern, or downright racist or bigoted.
I can hardly consult any news outlet today, without confronting several reports of some racist or race-related incident.
Family Reflections: Combining Ethnic Heritages
It has been a year since the passing of one of my favorite people in the world, my paternal grandmother. For some reason, I never assumed she would one day "not be around" for me to speak with, make jokes for and hear her infectious laugh, and ask questions about what my father was "really like" when he was young.
It is still hard to believe, but on the anniversary of her death, I now realize that she would want me to celebrate her life, as she did each moment I had the opportunity to know her.
Last week, I took her photos and laid them upon my dinner table.
The Holiday Celebrations Are About Giving, Not Receiving
Think back to the holiday seasons of your childhood. Now focus in on your very favorite holiday memory. Are you thinking about that shiny new bike brought by an invisible man in a red suit, or the look on your mother’s face when she opened those fuzzy slippers that you carefully selected and paid for with money saved from your allowance? It seems that the warmest memories of holidays past have little to do with how much loot we accumulated, but with the delight associated with surprising others with the perfect gift.
Happy Holidays To All From USARiseUp.com
As we pause this Holiday Season and enjoy family and friends, it is also a great opportunity to share and learn something about how others, different from us, celebrate during this time of the year. Explore the meaning of those celebrations, enjoy the decorations and ornaments, sample some foods.
What a great time to enjoy and enrich our experience in better understanding each other.
To learn more about other cultural and religious celebrations during this time of year visit the following links:
Eradicating Racism One Encounter, One Opportunity At A Time
Each of us could takes steps as we go about our daily lives to advance the eradication of racism and racist behavior in both our American and global society. We only need the will and courage to address it whenever the opportunity arises.
We can also create our own opportunities by taking a stand whenever racism rears its ugly head in our presence.
There are individuals and communities, albeit not enough, that are making the effort. A few recent events are worth noting.
Interracial Dating And Marriage: Even Love Often Cannot Overcome Race And Racism
There is a refrain from an old love song, which goes: “Love and marriage, love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage….” What the song doesn’t say is, “That depends….” Neither love nor marriage necessarily goes together if the two people come from a different race or ethnic group.
Understanding The Boomerang Generation
A growing trend in American households is the rise of the Boomerang generation, young adults who after a brief period of living on their own return home (or “boomerang”) to once again, live with their parents. A 2010 study by the Pew Research Center cites a rise of 2.6 million more multi-generational American households within a one-year period, from 2007 to 2008 and identifies young adults (between the ages of 25 to 34) as most responsible for this trend.
Living In The City May Be Hazardous To Your Health
The incessant car horns, a hot, steamy asphalt maze of streets and sidewalks, air clogging pollution, and the fast-paced life of the city can make even the most patient person skittish and stressed. In fact, the stresses of city life can be harmful to your body. Research conducted on 32 German adults using an FMRI machine, found that city dwellers’ brains react differently in two areas when undergoing stress tests.
Summer Fun With An Environmental Focus
With so many choices for summertime fun, consider going green with an eco-friendly focus. Although you cannot ensure a green summer for the entire planet, each person’s contribution will reduce at least a little of the carbon footprint in our world.
Creative kid fun with an environmental awareness angle:
- Create an organic garden and learn how to compost. It’s easy. Backyard gardening teaches kids about eating healthy and self-reliance.
Touches Of Beauty In Our Daily Lives
In a world turned upside down by tornados and tsunamis, as well as a downward spiraling economy, it is hard to find a dose of hope and faith in our daily lives.
Instead of trying to chase after the hard times in life, we should stop and search for the small moments that creep up on us in the most unusual places - especially on the walls of a school.
