Happy Thoughtful Thursday to you! Long time, no talk to! Today is a good day and I just wanted to say hello, share a few things with you and see what you think!

As far as my living to be healthy, I have lost approx. 16 pounds and still going! I have 21 more pounds I’d like to lose by the end of October. My personal trainer who is married to a military man had to follow her husband to a new assignment in South Carolina. Additionally she is now 7 months pregnant and our time together would have come to an end sooner than later. However, she left me moderately equipped to continue on my own. But…as good as she was, I want more! I have decided to hire another trainer for just a few weeks. She refers to herself as “super trainer extraordinaire”! I can’t repeat what others call her! Lol. What I know is, she is tough! I would like one more round of working with a trainer, especially one that is going to push me beyond my limits and make me mad and glad at the same time!

I can tell you, I feel better, (hopefully) look better, have more energy and display more confidence! I wish there was a magic pill to make the weight melt off and tighten up all my loose, sagging, jiggly parts! But to achieve a permanent place in the Diva Hall of Fame, I must work and work hard! Lean cuisine, water, treadmill, elliptical, ball, weights, bands, etc! And I won’t stop until I reach my goal! Pray with me!

Now for my BIG news! Remember all my sad stories regarding my wedding pictures? You remember, me not getting my pictures and then not getting my refund? Well, if you recall, I did finally get my money back and I bought a 50 inch flat panel TV that I lovingly refer to as my wedding pictures. The recovery of my refund came when I inboxed my photographer’s wife on Facebook. You know the saying: Behind every great man there’s a great woman? Well, behind my photographer was a great woman who took me seriously, handled the situation and refunded my money! But there’s more! Last week I got an inbox from her requesting my address. She said she had a gift for me. Yesterday I received a package.  My wedding album! Oh my goodness! It is beautiful! Absolutely gorgeous! Amazingly, his work is exquisite! I am so pleased! More than pleased! Of course I would have preferred it on time but it still brings me joy today!

Here is the lesson I learned. I could have gone to more extreme measures and did ugly things to recoup my losses. But I didn’t. In the end I am just as pleased with my pictures now as I would have been then! Maybe even more so! I am so appreciative and will cherish each and every photo and… my 50 inch flat panel TV! Ain’t God Good!

Holla back!

This is the front of my photo album.

P.S. – anointedphotography.com

P.P.S. – My Anniversary is July 14th….and now I have pictures to prove it!

Happy Thoughtful Thursday to you! It’s been a while since we’ve talk hasn’t it? I have been extremely busy at work and at home. Just to give you a brief update of my life changing “striving to be healthy” progress, well…the skirt I have on today isn’t squeezing the life out of me! I haven’t worn it since I don’t know when! I haven’t had any major weight loss but I have tried to be consistent in staying the course and can feel slight gradual changes! My biggest challenge is my husband! He hasn’t been moved to change his lifestyle yet so when he sweetly ask me to take a trip to the Dairy Queen with him, I say yes and try to order the lowest calorie treat I can!

I go to the gym at least three times a week and do weights, ab exercises and the treadmill at home 5 – 6 times a week. My trainer is phenomenal! However, she is PCSing (leaving with her husband for an Army reassignment) the end of May. I have her until then and hope to know what I am doing and can continue to train myself when she leaves. I can remember when I first started training with her. I was so self conscious about people watching me trying to mimic her instructions and do the exercises without looking totally stupid. She assured me, most people start off like that but after a while, they don’t care. Tuesday when I was there doing my training, my closest co-worker was in the same room doing his thing. For the entire time I was in there I didn’t notice him at all! Not until the next day at work did I know he was in that room! Why? Because I was in the zone!!! I no longer care who is in the room or who sees me doing what! I have a goal and even if I feel like I’ve gotten off track, I keep going. I want to start running but I have to really work and work to build up my stamina! Currently I run about 2 good minutes and need oxygen!

My goals:
1. To be thin enough to see the bones in my chest right below my neck.
2. To have Angela Bassett arms.
3. To be able to do 10 one hand pushups like Demi Moore did in the movie GI Jane.
4. To do at least a mini marathon sometime in 2011.
5. To RUN a mile without the thought of stopping or needing to stop.

I do feel much better about myself even though I am no where close to my goal… YET but just moving and sweating thrills me! I love to sweat! Last Saturday morning I did my first Zumba class!!! Can somebody say Amen?! Talk about a workout! I haven’t gone since, lol, due to schedule conflicts but I will! I won’t give up! I’ll keep you posted! I do need cheerleaders. I love support and challenges so if you wanna scream “you go girl” I’ll take it! If you want to join me, I’d love to have you! If you just want to watch, stay tuned! I plan to be as sexy as possible by my cruise sail date, October 24, 2010!

On a serious note…I’m always thinking. Today I have just three random questions, all to do with Christianity. Some of these might actual be questions that really need to be full fledge posts but for now, we’ll just make them questions.

1. As a Christian, is it ever alright to cuss? I went to see Tyler Perry’s new movie and I know from hearing him talk, he is a Christian and tries to make God the central point of the positive messages conveyed in his movies. But in this one, he did cuss quite a bit. Cool? Not cool?  What about a person that is a professional actor and that is their one and only job. Most scripts today call for some cussing. Is that alright? Does a multi-million dollar Christian have the same requirements as a regular Christian?  (Ok, many of you who read this may be cussers whether it is: habitual, chronic, social, for entertainment purposes only or part of your normal daily conversation/talk. I guess I am not talking to you but more the ones who think it is not Christianly to cuss.)

2. As many of you know, I grew up old school. And let me start off by saying, I am proud of the nuts and bolts of my character stemming from traditions and old school. With that said… if I am at a party/gathering and they are doing the electric slide – no bumping and grinding, no pelvic gyrations, no nasty dancing, etc – as an old school, Pentecostal Christian who was raised not to dance, can I join in and take three steps left, three steps right, three to the back, with a front dip, a back dip and then swirl around (something like that.  smile) without jeopardizing God’s pleasure with me? (Can some old school folk that were raised like me weigh in on this one?)

3. Disclaimer: I am asking this question because it came up in conversation having NOTHING to do with me, my father or anyone in my family AND recently I heard the same discussion question on talk radio. What is the pastor’s wife place in the church? Should she be allowed free reign? Should every pastor’s wife be co-pastor/associate pastor/assistant pastor just because she is married to the man called by God? Should the pastor’s wife be held to a higher standard and expected to carry herself in a different manner than the other sisters in the church? And lastly, what happens when the pastor’s wife isn’t friendly, engages in cliques, causes dissension in the church, runs members away, turns the unconditional love the people had for the pastor into conditional love and destroys his livelihood all because she is, first and foremost, his wife and he refuses to do anything about her behaviors?

Holla back!

Happy Thoughtful Thursday to you! It’s a good day! I’m doing well and hope you are too! Yes, this is a long post today, but please read it all. Maybe it will help save a life!!!

Did you see Oprah Monday? I had seen previews and purposely set the DVR to tape it. It was about driving while talking on your cell phone and texting. Wow… It was a sad show. There was a wife and a daughter whose husband and father (two men traveling together) were killed due to a young man driving while texting. Surprisingly, the young man who caused the accident was on the show also. As it goes with life, he was not part of the accident he caused and he walked away without a scratch. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail, community service and a few other mild punishments. But he was remorseful and very sorry for his actions. Although the two women lost their loved ones, I almost felt sorrier for the young man whose life is forever changed for being the catalyst of taking two lives.

Rarely do I get mad at Oprah but I was getting irritated because every time she addressed the young man about the situation she would ask questions or make statements like: “how do you feel about killing two men”? Or “after you learned you killed two people…”. I’m sure it was not easy for him to come to the show and put himself out there like that (he teared up and shed a few tears) and then to have Oprah keep making statements saying he killed the men, well I just thought it was insensitive and unnecessary. With years of interviewing skills surely she could have opened her vocabulary to a more compassionate way to address the young man. As he said and I can imagine is true, he has to live with what he did for the rest of his life! It haunts him and he can’t make it go away! But that is not why I’m writing.

I just could not believe the horror stories and statistics I was hearing. Not only did they talk about texting, they talked about simply talking on your cell phone while driving. Here are the stats. Talking on your cell phone while driving, is equivalent to driving while drunk. Chances of getting in an accident are 4 times greater when driving while talking on your cell phone. The same as while driving drunk. Chances of getting in an accident while texting and driving are 8 times greater!!! What are you going to do?

Oprah came on the screen at the end of the show making a plea to us not to use our cell phones while driving. She asked for a commitment. I have made that commitment. What she said and it’s so true, we all think: “I can handle it! That won’t happen to me! I got this!” Well… the young man on the show responsible for the death of two men said the same thing! He thought he had the skill down pat! But when he looked up one day and had crossed over the line on the highway, thus causing a fatal accident, he knew different! And I am guilty! Although I am not a 20 year old, I still fall within the “texting frenzy” age of 18 – 49 and I am by no means a shabby texter! I can hang with the best of them!!! I’ve been known to crack the 1000 mark in one month! Uh huh… And if I do it while driving, and I have, I am wrong! Living and working on a military installation kind of keeps it all in control because driving and talking on a cell is not permitted and carries a fine of $75.00. And yes, I have been pulled over once for driving while talking on a cell and was blessed with only a warning. Done with that! Next!

I can’t remember all the stats they quoted on the show but I do remember them saying that 6,000 people have died due to cell phone related car accidents. That is 6,000 too many.

One more thing. I do have one question about all of this. Weren’t the first non-land line phones car phones? Weren’t we encouraged at one time to use mobile phones while driving? Now we aren’t! With law after law coming into effect, what use to be the newest and greatest recommended innovation is becoming a no no. Because here’s the thing, forget the devices that allow you to talk without actually holding the phone in your hand, that is not what they are talking about! They are saying, studies have shown that talking while driving period is a distraction and wrong! It doesn’t matter if you have an ear piece, Bluetooth, or the real fancy systems where you are connected through your car’s system, don’t do it! Talking in and of itself is distracting. I must concur. I use to ride with a coworker to different cities. He would be hands free on his phone and I would be pointing at the exit and he would just by pass it time and again. He wasn’t texting. He wasn’t holding his phone in his hand. He was simply talking on the phone and he was distracted. I did it myself the other day, drove right pass my exit because I was caught up in my conversation. And several years back, I was that one that had an accident due to talking on my phone. Being engrossed in my conversation, I gauged what block I was on incorrectly and an SUV hit me on the back end of the driver’s side of my car. I went to the hospital but was blessed with only a giant bump on my head. Had I not sped up when I saw him coming, I might not be here writing this to you and imploring you to change your lifestyle and habits, and NOT use your cell AT ALL while driving!

I love to talk on the cell phone on the highway when I am driving alone and I think straight highway driving is safer than city driving but I am going to try to stick with my commitment and not cell and drive! It could be a matter of life and death!

Holla back!

Welcome to Thoughtful Thursday. Today I have a mixture of five random questions, thoughts and concerns. You’ll see by my list, I’m all over the place but it is a good day! Despite my circumstances or the circumstances surrounding me, I’m employed, I’m healthy, my family is employed and healthy, I’m happy, blessed and highly favored of God! Here we go.

1. I am so sad about the catastrophe in Haiti. My husband, brother, sister-in-law and I stopped there during our cruise in 2007 and got to see a snippet of that country. To know that so many families are destroyed and devastated is heart wrenching! I pray help is there and more is on the way. I pray the hurt recover and the sick are healed.  I pray every need they have will be met!

2. Is it possible that Bill Clinton really said: “A few years back, this guy would be serving us coffee” about Barack Obama? Not the man that, until this election, was deemed the closest thing to a black President we would ever have! …and are President and Mrs. Obama really alright with Clinton and Reid’s comments or is the high road just for public view?

3. Why is 99% of the Facebook community called to preach on Facebook!!! Holla!!! FINALLY a platform for all the “wanna bes” TO BE!!! Er’body is soooo deep on Facebook!

4. Why do SOME of those called to preach on Facebook, preach one day and cuss and say awful things the next? I have seen pictures and words and exchanges from kids and adults that surprise/shock/astonish/alarm me!

5. A few weeks back I brought a book that I just started reading January 1. I arbitrarily ran into it and bought it without much thought but am so impressed I wanted to share it with you. Some may already know about it. It is called: 30 Days to Taming Your Tongue. What You Say (and Don’t Say) Will Improve Your Relationship. The author is Deborah Smith Pegues. Great book! It is a quick and easy read. You only read one, 2 – 3 page, chapter a day and it takes about 5 minutes. She writes beautifully and everything she writes is based on scripture! It is written to be read in 30 days. Apparently I am on day 14. So far I have read about:

• The Lying Tongue
• The Flattering Tongue
• The Manipulating Tongue
• The Hasty Tongue
• The Decisive Tongue
• The Argumentative Tongue
• The Boasting Tongue
• The Self-Deprecating Tongue
• The Slandering Tongue
• The Gossiping Tongue
• The Meddling Tongue
• The Betraying Tongue
• The Lying Tongue

Today is The Cynical Tongue and tomorrow is The Know-It-All-Tongue. Truly I have enjoyed reading this book! Truly I have been whipped and shamed by seeing myself when reading this book but I will continue to read it and see myself in some chapters because I am determined to be better and do better! I may have to go another 30 days and reread it all again, but I intend for it to get in my spirit and be a part of who I am! I don’t want my tongue to be my demise and the reason I don’t make heaven my home!

FYI: This author also has many other “30 days to…” books including:
30 Days to a Great Attitude
30 Days to Taming Your Finances
30 Days to Taming Your Stress and many others

If you don’t get any others, I recommend this one! And there is a workbook that goes along with it!

Be blessed and holla back! I want to hear your thoughts on my five random thoughts, concerns and questions!

Today I’m happy and I just wanted to share!  I hope you are well and succeeding at whatever you are attempting to accomplish.  I hope your dreams are becoming reality.  I hope everything is working out the way it is meant to work out. 

Here are the five things I think you should know.

-The first thing you should know: my three year old Grandson can recite The Pledge of Allegiance! Holla! …and he can count to 80. (of course he can!  by the time he was two he could say and identify EVERY letter of the alphabet!)  Grandmother loves it!

-The second thing you will know by the time you get to the first thing: once your children grow up, being responsible for a three year old, even for a few hours is challenging! Holla! I explained to my Grandson what “wearing Grandmother out” means!

-Here is a big thing you should know: I was in Indiana when Jim Caldwell, coach of the Indianapolis Colts, took out the stars of the team and demolished their winning streak. As a born and bred Hoosier, I was not happy! Tomorrow is not promised to ANY of us thus my theory is, play big or stay home! And do it, everyday of your life, for each and every occasion!!!

-I’m sure you all know this one: recovery from the Christmas holiday takes longer and longer every year! Getting back in the swing of things after Christmas is a baby step process!

-The most important thing you should know: the year 2010 holds no greater promises for me than 2009 did! My blessings nor my break-throughs nor my fortune is tied to any particular year! It is tied to me and my faith and my actions and my motivation! 11:59 pm on December 31, 2009 was just as important to me as 12:01 am on January 1, 2010! I don’t believe the hype and neither should you! How disappointing to wake up in 2010 believing a miracle is going to fall out of the sky simply because it is 2010 instead of 2009! I appreciate every sermon and message I’ve heard that tells me to turn the page and step into a new glory and has promised this is my year but the funny thing is… I’ve heard it all before! And I have had hard times at some point of every year and I have been blessed and received miracles at some point of every year! God and His promises and blessings are true yesterday, today, and forevermore! This year, last year and next year!

Those are the five things you should know!  I encourage you to share the things you think we should know and as always, leave your comments, thoughts and opinions!

Holla back!

Happy Thoughtful Thursday to you and Happy Holidays! I trust you are relaxing in the spirit of the season and embracing every good feeling this time of year exudes in the atmosphere! In all the excitement and shopping and gift giving and goodwill, I hope we always remember… Jesus is the reason for the season!

Today I have five random questions for you. Five things that are either perplexing to me or irritating to me or both! Anyway, I’m stumped. Maybe you can help! Come back and give me your feedback on these five random questions.

1. Why do people call you AT WORK and say, “What you doing”?
2. Why do I have to put on my turn signal to merge onto the highway when I have nowhere else to go but onto the highway?
3. Why do people who say they are Christians take “Christ” out of Christmas and substitute Him with an X?
4. Why do SEEMINGLY intelligent people send out emails/texts that say forward this message to 10 people and you’ll receive this or that (usually money) and if you don’t forward it and break the chain, you will go broke?
5. Why are the Jacksons doing a reality show?

Holla Back!

Thoughtful Thursday….

Although I don’t remember taking part in a lunchroom food fight growing up, I just can’t see it as a reason to: arrest 25 kids ranging in age 11 – 15, handcuff them, put them in a paddy wagon, take their mug shots, put them in jail, suspend them from school for 2 days and give them a misdemeanor on their record! Here’s The New York Times version of what happened at a middle-school in Chicago, IL last Thursday.

25 Chicago Students Arrested for a Middle-School Food Fight
CHICAGO — The food fight here started the way such bouts do in school lunchrooms most anywhere: an apple was tossed, a cookie turned into a torpedo, and an orange plunked someone in the head. Within minutes, dozens of middle-school students had joined in the ruckus, and spattered adults were ducking for cover.

By the end of the day, 25 of the students, ages 11 to 15, had been rounded up, arrested, taken from school and put in jail. A spokesman for the Chicago police said the charges were reckless conduct, a misdemeanor.

That was last Thursday afternoon. Now parents are questioning what seem to them like the criminalization of age-old adolescent pranks, and the lasting legal and psychological impact of the arrests.

“My children have to appear in court,” Erica Russell, the mother of two eighth-grade girls who spent eight hours in jail, said Tuesday. “They were handcuffed, slammed in a wagon, had their mug shots taken and treated like real criminals.”

“They’re all scared,” Ms. Russell said of the two dozen arrested students. “You never know how children will be impacted by that. I was all for some other kind of punishment, but not jail. Who hasn’t had a food fight?”

The students were released into the custody of their parents on Thursday night, the police said. They were also suspended for two days by the school, the Calumet middle-school campus of Perspectives Charter Schools, in the Gresham neighborhood on the South Side.

Diana Shulla-Cose, president and co-founder of Perspectives Charter Schools, said that an on-campus police officer had called for backup as the food fight escalated and that the resulting heavy police presence had led in turn to the large number of arrests.

Ms. Shulla-Cose described the entire episode as “unfortunate” and added, “We don’t take this lightly.”

She also said the school was working individually with the families of students who were arrested to support them through a difficult time, and through the process of getting the youths back to classes.

School officials met with parents on Tuesday to explain the events from their point of view. But some parents questioned what they saw as the random nature of the arrests.

“My daughter said someone threw an apple at her, so she retaliated,” Shirlanda Sivels said. “I said, ‘Why didn’t they grab you, too?’ She said, ‘I don’t know.’ She didn’t feel good about it, seeing her friends taken away.”

If the charges are not thrown out when the students go before a judge this month, criminal justice experts said, the accused will most likely be sentenced to community service or probation. Since they are juveniles, their records would remain confidential until adulthood — 17 under Illinois law — at which point the arrests would be expunged.

So here is my question, don’t we have more serious things to worry about than a middle-school lunchroom food fight? Maybe the goal was to psychological scare these children into being good citizens the rest of their lives. Maybe the goal was to eliminate future lunch room brawls with peas and carrots. Maybe the goal was to nip it in the bud before it turned into a “real” fight but whatever the reason, in the words of my spicy niece Kandace, “it ain’t that serious”!

What do you think? Holla back!

Hello and welcome to Thoughtful Thursday. It’s been a while! 

Are you going through anything today? Does it seem like as soon as one crises is over another one piggybacks it and there you are again? But maybe this is a good time for you and you are floating happily on God’s mercies! I hope so but if you are like me with little trials, medium sized tribulations and monumental troubles and you wonder when it will end or how you will make it through, first of all I recommend Jesus. He is the “be all, end all”! But as you go I have three songs I want you to get and listen to!

The first two songs are by my girl that I should have showcased weeks ago. The ever awesome Whitney Houston! She’s back and has two songs that are wonderfully inspiring and motivating. One is clearly talking about God and Him being the one to look to when nothing else works. That song is called: I Look To You. (Surprising written by our own, R. Kelley) The other is a kick in the butt we all need when we are having those “woe is me” valley experiences and it feels like we are all alone. You know when all you want to do is feel sorry for yourself. Listen to: I Didn’t Know My Own Strength! That will get you motivated to stand up straight and come to attention and know you are all that! And the third song is from Maurette Brown Clark and it is called: It Ain’t Over Until God Says It’s Over. I dare you to play this one over and over and over until it settles in your spirit and you truly know, it ain’t over until God says it’s over! My, my, my! It has ministered to my spirit too many times to count! It seems as if the DJ are locked into me and know exactly when to play it for me and straight to me! REGARDLESS of what you are going through – sickness, laid off of work, going through a divorce, children in jail, mind playing tricks on you, whatever – just know; the impossible is God’s chance to work a miracle!  It ain’t over until God says it’s over! Keep praying until your victory is won!

Here are the words to these three songs! Be blessed! Holla back!

I Look To You
As I lay me down
Heaven hear me now
After giving it my all
I’m lost without a cause

Winter’s storm has come
And darkened my sun
After all that I’ve been through
Who on earth can I turn to?

I look to you
I look to you
After all my strength is gone
In you I can be strong

I look to you
I look to you
And when melodies are gone
In you I hear a song, I look to you
About to lose my breath
There’s no more fighting left
Sinking to rise no more
Searching for that open door

And every road that I’ve taken
Led to my regret
And I don’t know if I’m going to make it
Nothing to do but lift my head
I look to you
I look to you
And when my strength is gone
In you I can be strong

I look to you
I look to you
And when melodies are gone
In you I hear a song, I look to you

My levees are broken, my walls have come
Crumbling down on me
The rain is falling, defeat is calling
I need you to set me free

Take me far away from the battle
I need you, shine on me

I look to you
I look to you
After all my strength is gone
In you I can be strong

I look to you
I look to you
And when melodies are gone
In you I hear a song, I look to you
I look to you
I look to you

I Didn’t Know My Own Strength
Lost touch with my soul
I had no where to turn, I had no where to go
Lost sight of my dream,
Thought it would be the end of me
I thought I’d never make it through
I had no hope to hold on to,
I thought I would break
I didn’t know my own strength

And I crashed down, and I tumbled, but I did not crumble
I got through all the pain
I didn’t know my own strength

Survived my darkest hour, my faith kept me alive
I picked myself back up, hold my head up high
I was not built to break
I didn’t know my own strength

Found hope in my heart,
I found the light to life, my way out the dark
Found all that I need, here inside of me
I thought I’d never find my way
I thought I’d never lift that weight
I thought I would break
I didn’t know my own strength

And I crashed down, and I tumbled, but I did not crumble
I got through all the pain
I didn’t know my own strength

Survived my darkest hour, my faith kept me alive
I picked myself back up, hold my head up high
I was not built to break
I didn’t know my own strength

There were so many times
I wondered how I’d get through the night
I thought I took all I could take
I didn’t know my own strength

And I crashed down, and I tumbled, but I did not crumble
I got through all the pain
I didn’t know my own strength

Survived my darkest hour, my faith kept me alive
I picked myself back up, hold my head up high
I was not built to break
I didn’t know my own strength

It Ain’t Over Until God Says It’s Over
I know the odds are stacked against you
And it seems there’s no way out
I know the issue seems unchangeable
And that there’s no reason to shout
But the impossible is God’s chance
To work a miracle, a miracle
So just know

It ain’t over until God says it’s over
It ain’t over until God says it’s done
It ain’t over until God says it’s over
Keep fighting until your victory is won

He never said it would be easy
But you’re a winner in the end
Jesus defeated all your enemies
Way before the fight began
But the impossible is God’s chance
To work a miracle, a miracle
So just know

When people say you can’t, remember
He can, He can
When you don’t know what to do
Please remember
He has the master plan
He will free you from your sin
And give you peace within
So hold your head up high
You’re gonna win
You’re gonna win

Keep fighting, keep praying, keep fasting
It ain’t over, no (repeat)
Keep fighting until your victory is won

Good Morning! It’s a good day for me! Today is my Friday as the military gives us the option to take the day before a holiday off as a “training holiday”. Of course I took it and don’t have return to work until Tuesday!

On this Thoughtful Thursday I don’t have anything heavy to talk about, just a few random hypothetical questions.

1#. Don’t you hate to see (typically) a woman walking outside around the track talking on her cell phone! I am a woman but that drives me nuts! Are they really there for the workout or is it just a show to say they were at the track?

2#. This is a two part question. Part #1. Should one person correct another person if they are mispronouncing a word? Which is more humiliating, having one person tell you subtly that you are pronouncing a word wrong or finding out you having been pronouncing it wrong and nobody told you thus lots and lots of people heard you and possibly made fun of you? Part #2. Why do people say conversate!!! Seriously, it might have been Ebonically cute at one point but how much harder is it to say converse? Converse actually has one less syllable than conversate and conversate is sooooooo not a word! And… (heavy sigh) (this ones goes to deep places in me I can’t even described) why do people say scary instead of scared!!! Awwwww….! Let me give you an example. “I don’t like haunted houses, I’m too scary.” OMG! Or “she won’t go with us, she is too scary.” Lord have mercy! The correct word is scared! Here is my question on both these words; do people think it is cute to say these mispronunciations? I will give you this; those words are at home and familiar with certain groups of people and I am going to leave that there but still… how intelligent is it to be in a suit and tie talking to educated people saying conversate? Is that cool or is that plain ignorant? And trust and believe, people hear you and take mental note of the fact that you can’t speak appropriately! They may never ever say anything, but they hear it! I heard, in passing, a hip hop song recently and it had the word conversate in it. Dragging your nails across a chalkboard would have had the same affect on me!

3#. Ok, this may be a whole other post but let me ask anyway. Why do (typically) men, when given the choice to turn the corner into the lane they will need to be in to turn within a block or so, choose to turn in the opposite lane and then have to strategically cross oncoming traffic to get into the necessary lane to turn? And this occurs over and over and over! Same actions, same outcome! And even more simply, while on the highway, why not move into the lane of your upcoming exit now, a mile ahead of time when there is no traffic, versus waiting until you are 500 feet from the exit with endless traffic and no way to get over, thus causing a bottleneck and potentially dangerous maneuvering event!

#4. Why do individuals at a place of business call another place of business, knowing it is a place of business and say, “someone just called me from this number and I am calling back to see who it was.” Seriously? And let me add one more thing to that, when you tell them many people use this “business” line and I can’t pinpoint who it was that called you they say, “ok. I will check my messages. I haven’t checked my messages yet.” I just sit there in awe of that whole experience and want to explain to them how this stupid it was!

Me personally, I CANNOT stand it when someone calls me and says, “someone just called me from this number.” I just want to sit there quietly on the phone and see what they will say next or how they will squirm out of what is really an awkward situation but to be honest, I don’t think it is awkward for them. Check this out, I know people who will pick a day, any day and go through their call ID and call every number that they don’t recognize! And there are repeat offenders! (and I’ll be honest, it is usually family, lol) When I get these calls, when responding I have to steady my voice and take out the aggravation I feel and cheerfully say for the 19th time, this is Kathy, what can I do for you! )

I try never to call back numbers I don’t recognize. If I do, there has to be a good reason! My theory is, if it was that important, they will leave a message and ask me to call them back.

#5. Why do people like me feel uncomfortable with only four questions and have to come up with one more question to even it out? I function best in groupings, even if only in my mind. So question #5 is, is do I have a form of OCD?

These are just some of the things that have been on my mind lately. Things that make me go hmmmm….. Maybe you can help me and give me some answers to my random questions on this Thoughtful Thursday! We’ll talk soon! Holla back!

Is freedom of speech alive and well or are we becoming a sensitive country always demanding an apology?

Serena Williams: “If I could, I’d take this ******* ball and shove it down your ******* throat.”

Joe Wilson: “You lie!”

Kanye West: “Taylor, I’m really happy for you. I’ll let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!”

On this Thoughtful Thursday all I want to know is: if someone speaks out/shows off publicly, and it is directed at one specific person, should we the public expect an apology, or is the apology only due the person the violent/unkind words were directed at?

Should Joe Wilson have been expected to apologize to the nation or just President Obama? And he did and when Obama accepted his apology, should that have been the end of it? Should Serena Williams have only been expected to apologize to the line judge or were all tennis watching fans due an apology? (as I shake my head) Should Kanye West have only been expected to apologize to Taylor Swift or the MTV viewing audience at large?

While I think the most disrespectful of the three was Joe Wilson, I do slightly understand his knee jerk reactive words (although they probably were somewhat premeditated). I am not agreeing with Serena, but I do get her overwhelming surprise when a call of this nature, at this point in the match was called (rarely, if never, is this type of call made at this point of a match). But for the record, I have no understanding whatsoever for that stupid, idiotic, foolish, childish, overbearing, rude, over-the-top stunt Kanye West pulled! Ridiculous! Maybe after some of your comments, I will be more explicit about how I really feel about his shenanigans!

But what do you think? Should public figures be held to the standard we demand or should they be allowed to make human mistakes and rectify those public mistakes in their own way? And… do you think these public displays will have a permanent negative impact on their careers? Personally I think Serena and (unfortunately) Kanye will bounce back from this with little to no repercussions, Joe on the other hand…not so sure. What do you think?

Holla back!