Receive, Give, Receive: The Cycle of Human Kindness

One thing that I have noticed within this past year about myself, is that I have patience for certain things. As a journalist, I can't wait to get my next gig. As a sister, I can't stand it when my family is not considerate of my feelings. So, what do I do? What I have been doing is ignoring what they say and treating them like crap. Since it's the month of Ramadan, I have come to realize that I need to treat my family and friends better. It's not all about me. It's about giving and receiving. Think about it. During Christmas people always say that "it's better to give, than to receive". Well, you can't receive something unless someone else is giving. These actions are codependent and interchangeable. Think about it. Most people want to be rich or wealthy in life because they want to go on fancy vacations and take care of family in friends. Basically, they want to receive in order to give and then receive again. It's a continuous circle of human kindness. It's not because of a certain religion. It's not because of a certain culture or race. People want to give and receive because it feels good(right) to do so. So don't be ashamed if you're on the receiving end most of the time. Just make sure you give when you can. I know I do. Also, sometimes you can give love instead of objects (money, cars, clothes, etc.).

The Help and Other Opinions

I went to see The Help last Thursday and was very amazed at how great the story line was. Yes the movie was centered around racism, but there was also an inspirational message. The message I got out of it was to always go with what you believe in. The main characters in this book came from two completely different worlds , but they both had the same issue. They were trying to undo wrongs and change the lives of others. They both helped each other create a voice and changed the way some people thought about the help. As for me, being black in America is still a challenge. I feel some people still don't understand why Blacks are not all they can be. In the movie a lot of the black folks had to choose between work and their educational future. Even though times have changed the black psyche has not. We still view ourselves as less than others. Yes we are confident on the surface but beneath we are still struggling to be comfortable in our own skin. We let our education and accomplishments define us in order to feel accepted in American society but we still wonder what others think of us. I know some people will read this and think that what I am saying has no grounds at all. It is easier for blacks to believe the norm about themselves, rather than the truth. I find it really ironic that in the movie it showed young black girls taking care of house, home, and children of white families. Here we are now and we still carry the negative stereotype that we are loud, promiscuous, uneducated, and bad parents. Whites back then never had to choose between education and family. They had it all if they chose so. The majority of blacks full-fill these stereo type because that's all we were allowed to be for generations. If we were any different they would get rid of us. The Help brought light to the plight of black people, and showed part of the reason why blacks are still angry. Other people benefited from our service and we have yet to get rewarded for it. Imagine what blacks would be like today if we were equal to whites in America back then? I'm sure we would have a lot more pride in ourselves. My best friend always tells me that I'm taking things too personal when I notice racist acts in advertising, media, and education. I do take it personal because it applies to me. Racism is still here people and it's not going away unless we challenge the people in power. We may laugh at racist jokes, but we know it's not right. By our laughter at these racist remarks we tell others that it's OK to be racist. I don't hate white people but I do dislike the fact that their hatred from previous generations towards black people has mislead ideas about black people to other races for generations.

This Week So Far

Sometimes I feel as if the whole world is on my shoulders and other times it's like I don't give a damn. This week has been fun with family and friends, but lacked a bit in the work arena. I think fear crept up on me this week. I now work in the financial and cleaning business. I like both because I get to help people while making new friends. The financial business is intimidating at times because people judge you non-stop, especially when you're new. What's great is that the company I work for is a very positive and supportive environment. I can really see myself growing in this company and have my own office in the next 4 years. I have been reading books on finance, looking at articles online, and listening to audio. One thing that I do notice is that there is always that one idiot that tries to out do you. You can't tell someone how to do their job if you've never done it. It's human nature to judge but it's just pure evilness to act on it in order to kill a person's spirit. I've had plenty of friends like this and they're still my friend. My aunt Sherry was wondering why I was still friends with them. I told her that these people don't know any better and that there is something going on in their life that's not working. They just wanted me to feel how they're feeling, but they went about it in the wrong way. I do forgive people easily because in both of these industries you have to. A cleaning position is not disgraceful but it has that reputation. There is a lot a trust for a person to let you come into their home and clean. You learn about that person, and they open up to you. The same goes for the financial business. It takes a lot of trust for someone to let you know what their financial problems are and admitting that they need help. Providing people with a service is something that is social and intimate and requires a positive mindset. I have the right qualities to be in both businesses, but I need to put my fears aside.