Each day I live, I am more and more disenchanted at how apathetic we, as human beings, can often be toward one another. Seriously, whatever happened to truly preferring others over yourself? You don’t necessarily have to move mountains for someone else, but a kind act toward someone (even when they don’t need it) can be a great pick me up for both the giver as well as the receiver.
While writing this, I’m swiftly reminded about a message that a Preacher at Church recently delivered. He was addressing how people have a tendency to talk “past” each other-even the people we love. For instance, we might speak to one another, but the conversation is heavily superficial and thus not edifying. Even with our close friends, we too often discuss the surface issues, while the other party is suffering with something very intense and could use an aural shoulder to lean on. Indeed, most of us could learn to listen more as opposed to spouting from the mouth (Lord knows I could).
Now certainly I wouldn’t be foolish enough to suggest that we should just run out and tell everybody all our problems. I know that we all have our group of people that we trust with confidential issues, and we surely need them. However, when was the last time that you truly expressed deep concern for them or inquired about their aspirations, for their benefit? And every once in a while, it doesn’t hurt to be as concerned for others in your life that you aren’t as close to.
So, I was on my lunch break the other day running errands. I needed to FAX some info to a couple places. I found myself in the local Kinko’s parking lot. While walking inside I noticed a checkbook on the ground of the parking lot. My immediate, seemingly American-apathetically driven, reaction was to just leave it. I mean, “Hey, they’ll come back and find it once they realize its missing…right?” And then I thought, “Well someone else will find it and return it to them.”
Thank God I finally came to my senses and was like “Dude, they might really need that.” So I picked it up. “What to do next?,” I asked myself. Still, I wanted to pass the “responsibility of kindness” on to someone else. I thought, “I’ll give it to the people at Kinko’s to give to these people.” And I guess that was a step in the right direction, but still quite weak.
Finally I got my mind right. I thought to myself “I can return it to these people myself, ‘cause if there’s 1 in 6 Billion people that can be trusted to return their stuff unmolested, it’s me.” (Not to be haughty at all, but just to keep it real.) And honestly, what was it gonna cost me? All I had to do was make a phone call and decide on a meeting place and time; hardly life-altering inconveniences.
I called the number on their checks, left a message (a process that took about 30 seconds), and received a phone call from the owners this morning. We decided on a meeting place after a brief conversation (about 2 minutes) describing what we looked like to each other. I arrived at the rendezvous point and waited there for a couple minutes.
The owners, both husband and wife, showed up. We spoke for less than a minute. The husband explained how he didn’t even know he lost it until I called, and both of them expressed their gratitude. We kindly said goodbye, and that was that.
Amazingly, however, it was among the best interactions I’d had with anyone in a long time even though we were complete strangers. And call me a complete sap (you know, the kind that likes romantic comedies or a guy who saw too many after-school specials), but I honestly felt so great just returning their lost checkbook to them. They didn’t offer me a dime, a candy bar, or even have a card of thanks prepared; all they offered was their extreme gratitude, and that was wholly enough for me.
I felt even better after the rendezvous than I did when I found out that I passed one of my toughest exams (that I’d studied so hard for) just a few days ago. While I was returning to my job after the exchange, I was so cheery that I had to question why that was. I mean, I didn’t gain anything by returning their item to them; so why the glee?
Then I began to ask “When was the last time that I just did something for someone totally for their benefit?” It was the only logical question to ask, because I couldn’t recall the last time I was so happy for gaining absolutely nothing.
I guess that’s my point in writing this blog. There seems to be too much “me” centeredness going on these days and not enough “us” concern. Truly, helping them made me feel great, so I guess I did benefit. And I am heavily ashamed at myself for even entertaining selfish, apathetic notions in the first place.
Clearly there’s not enough selflessness in this world today (I don’t think it’s just me that could be more selfless), because the simple fact that I even noticed how nice it is just to be nice means that I’m not always as nice as I should be. In my opinion, we should be so considerate of others that it’s not a “newsflash” when we are.
In closing, I guess I can just implore who’s ever reading this to not allow apathy towards others to perpetuate in your daily life. Because simply put:
It’s so nice just to be nice!
-Maelstrom
Friday, May 20, 2005
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Gitmo, the Qur'an, and the Real Crimes
This past week, there have been many protests throughout the Muslim world concerning a report from Newsweek that a Qur’an had been desecrated by American troops at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The protests have resulted in at least 15 reported deaths, and there seems to be little sign of them dying down anytime soon. I've got so many thoughts on this topic, I almost don't know where to begin.
I take issue with anyone killing others under the guise of religious fervor. I also have a serious problem with religious intolerance and disrespect in a country that's supposed to be a Democracy. Finally, I have a serious disdain for sidestepping serious issues to cover up potential corruption. Unfortunately, the worst of each of these scenarios seems to be playing itself out.
In my opinion, the report opened the door for Islamic Extremists to cause a frenzied response from less extreme Muslims. To be sure, many of the protests that we are seeing now were already planned by the extremists, but the report gave them the opportunity to start the cantankerousness a couple weeks early.
And why all the noise now? There seems to be no significant outcry or protests when Muslims attack other Muslims inside Mosques (often destroying the structures and killing dozens); a crime that I would also imagine destroys many copies of the Qur’an as well. Maybe this is a simplification, but it seems to be a bit similar to Black people getting all bent out of shape when a White person uses the “N” word, but seem to have no serious aversion to Blacks calling other Black people by that term of denigration. Point being, if it’s wrong to desecrate, destroy, or disrespect a copy of the Qur’an, then it’s wrong no matter who commits the act, whether a US soldier at Guantanamo or Shiites/Sunnis blowing up each other’s Mosque’s. And I’ll never understand why people have to kill other people when they’re offended racially, religiously, or otherwise; that seems so irreligious to me!
That being said, I think there are several crimes being committed here, and there is a seemingly strong effort by the Bush administration to gloss over the serious travesty that this case should bring to light. There has been heavy pressure from the White House for the magazine to retract the story. So now Newsweek has officially retracted the story, two weeks after they wrote it. The White House has said that this retraction is a good “first step,” but that the magazine needs to go further.
Here’s what I think happened. I’d bet top dollar that someone indeed desecrated a copy of the Qur’an at Gitmo (Guantanamo); that would be consistent with some of the other reports that slip through the media from time to time about the base. So someone at Newsweek actually grew some balls and decided to report on the heinous actions that some US interrogators are taking against prisoners there. If not for the worldwide protests, the story probably would’ve gone under the radar, and it wouldn’t be a top news story today. The protests, however, have raised concerns at the White House that people might actually pay attention to the injustices that are occurring at Gitmo. So instead of investigating whether or not this report is true, the Bush administration calls for the magazine to retract the story (a very backwards approach to an incredibly incendiary claim).
It would seem to me that if the report has a shred of credibility, that the first recourse would be to find out if it’s true (if so, punish the guilty parties), not shut the magazine up as if they were making things up. To that end, I think it’s important to note that the magazine had two weeks to retract the story if it were false, and didn’t until pressured by the administration. Also, NEVER has it been said that the report was false, but that it is being retracted on the basis that there was apparently only 1 source, who MIGHT have gotten the report wrong. And most incriminating, the story was sent to Pentagon officials for review prior to being published, and not a peep about the Qur'an desecration claims was made for 11 days-after the protests began (although there were other criticisms about the report according to CNN). Now if that doesn’t sound shady, I don’t know what does.
By placing the blame on the magazine, however, the Government is taking the focus off of the reports reality (which is incriminating in many ways if true) and making the issue Journalistic integrity. A very wise move if you don’t want to answer the bell on prison corruption. Let’s just call it another Weapon of Mass DistrAction.
I think the real crime here is the religious intolerance, the apparent inhumanity, and the unlawful detaining that has been in existence at the Cuban base for over 3 years now. Although we haven’t seen pictures from Gitmo like the ones we’re so familiar with from Abu Ghraib, intimidation and humiliation seem to be in use there as well. Several reports have indicated that female prison guards have done such things as smeared ketchup on male detainees, pretending to be on their period (clearly with the knowledge that this is an incredible offense to Muslim men). Other reports specify that female prison interrogators have rubbed their breast up against the male detainees. And there are numerous other accounts of female guards and interrogators using their bodies in various ways to “get information” out of the detainees at Gitmo. Yet these reports have been squelched, and I’m sure the Bush administration is afraid that further light may be made of them in the wake of the Qur’an desecration claims.
Ultimately though, I think the greatest crime is that the United States has captured hundreds of prisoners, labeled them enemy combatants, and kept them under US custody without access to lawyers for years. A few dozen prisoners have been released; having spent a couple years there, after it became completely clear that they weren’t members of the Taliban or al-Qaeda. I’d imagine that large sums of the prisoners there have the same testimony, but we’ll never know as long as they can’t be represented before a court.
Two things are particularly disturbing to me about this. First and foremost is the fact that these detainees aren’t allowed access to lawyers. Since when does this nation, which preaches Democracy, not allow for due process of law; which implies the usage of lawyers, judges, and a courtroom? The other disturbing reality is this label of “enemy combatants,” which allows the United States to ignore Geneva conventions because enemy combatants aren’t represented by a State or Country (a necessary qualification under the Geneva conventions). If people aren’t accounted for under Geneva, then that opens the door for a wide range of “legal abuses” to happen to them.
I find it to be an interesting ironic instance: The USA hates Communism and Cuba, but we have a base on the Cuban Island (Guantanamo). What do we do at that base? Carry on like communists: detaining people, denying them a lawyer or representation, persecute them religiously, and abuse/humiliate them.
I just hope that this unfortunate occurrence of religious disrespect brings to light the many atrocities that are going on at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I hope the Bush Administration fails in their attempt to dodge the international bullet of responsibility for detainee mistreatment. And I truly hope that our policies concerning enemy combatants and prison detainees will finally get an ethical overhaul. Too many offenses have been made, and too many lives have been lost for us to continue to look the other way.
-Maelstrom
I take issue with anyone killing others under the guise of religious fervor. I also have a serious problem with religious intolerance and disrespect in a country that's supposed to be a Democracy. Finally, I have a serious disdain for sidestepping serious issues to cover up potential corruption. Unfortunately, the worst of each of these scenarios seems to be playing itself out.
In my opinion, the report opened the door for Islamic Extremists to cause a frenzied response from less extreme Muslims. To be sure, many of the protests that we are seeing now were already planned by the extremists, but the report gave them the opportunity to start the cantankerousness a couple weeks early.
And why all the noise now? There seems to be no significant outcry or protests when Muslims attack other Muslims inside Mosques (often destroying the structures and killing dozens); a crime that I would also imagine destroys many copies of the Qur’an as well. Maybe this is a simplification, but it seems to be a bit similar to Black people getting all bent out of shape when a White person uses the “N” word, but seem to have no serious aversion to Blacks calling other Black people by that term of denigration. Point being, if it’s wrong to desecrate, destroy, or disrespect a copy of the Qur’an, then it’s wrong no matter who commits the act, whether a US soldier at Guantanamo or Shiites/Sunnis blowing up each other’s Mosque’s. And I’ll never understand why people have to kill other people when they’re offended racially, religiously, or otherwise; that seems so irreligious to me!
That being said, I think there are several crimes being committed here, and there is a seemingly strong effort by the Bush administration to gloss over the serious travesty that this case should bring to light. There has been heavy pressure from the White House for the magazine to retract the story. So now Newsweek has officially retracted the story, two weeks after they wrote it. The White House has said that this retraction is a good “first step,” but that the magazine needs to go further.
Here’s what I think happened. I’d bet top dollar that someone indeed desecrated a copy of the Qur’an at Gitmo (Guantanamo); that would be consistent with some of the other reports that slip through the media from time to time about the base. So someone at Newsweek actually grew some balls and decided to report on the heinous actions that some US interrogators are taking against prisoners there. If not for the worldwide protests, the story probably would’ve gone under the radar, and it wouldn’t be a top news story today. The protests, however, have raised concerns at the White House that people might actually pay attention to the injustices that are occurring at Gitmo. So instead of investigating whether or not this report is true, the Bush administration calls for the magazine to retract the story (a very backwards approach to an incredibly incendiary claim).
It would seem to me that if the report has a shred of credibility, that the first recourse would be to find out if it’s true (if so, punish the guilty parties), not shut the magazine up as if they were making things up. To that end, I think it’s important to note that the magazine had two weeks to retract the story if it were false, and didn’t until pressured by the administration. Also, NEVER has it been said that the report was false, but that it is being retracted on the basis that there was apparently only 1 source, who MIGHT have gotten the report wrong. And most incriminating, the story was sent to Pentagon officials for review prior to being published, and not a peep about the Qur'an desecration claims was made for 11 days-after the protests began (although there were other criticisms about the report according to CNN). Now if that doesn’t sound shady, I don’t know what does.
By placing the blame on the magazine, however, the Government is taking the focus off of the reports reality (which is incriminating in many ways if true) and making the issue Journalistic integrity. A very wise move if you don’t want to answer the bell on prison corruption. Let’s just call it another Weapon of Mass DistrAction.
I think the real crime here is the religious intolerance, the apparent inhumanity, and the unlawful detaining that has been in existence at the Cuban base for over 3 years now. Although we haven’t seen pictures from Gitmo like the ones we’re so familiar with from Abu Ghraib, intimidation and humiliation seem to be in use there as well. Several reports have indicated that female prison guards have done such things as smeared ketchup on male detainees, pretending to be on their period (clearly with the knowledge that this is an incredible offense to Muslim men). Other reports specify that female prison interrogators have rubbed their breast up against the male detainees. And there are numerous other accounts of female guards and interrogators using their bodies in various ways to “get information” out of the detainees at Gitmo. Yet these reports have been squelched, and I’m sure the Bush administration is afraid that further light may be made of them in the wake of the Qur’an desecration claims.
Ultimately though, I think the greatest crime is that the United States has captured hundreds of prisoners, labeled them enemy combatants, and kept them under US custody without access to lawyers for years. A few dozen prisoners have been released; having spent a couple years there, after it became completely clear that they weren’t members of the Taliban or al-Qaeda. I’d imagine that large sums of the prisoners there have the same testimony, but we’ll never know as long as they can’t be represented before a court.
Two things are particularly disturbing to me about this. First and foremost is the fact that these detainees aren’t allowed access to lawyers. Since when does this nation, which preaches Democracy, not allow for due process of law; which implies the usage of lawyers, judges, and a courtroom? The other disturbing reality is this label of “enemy combatants,” which allows the United States to ignore Geneva conventions because enemy combatants aren’t represented by a State or Country (a necessary qualification under the Geneva conventions). If people aren’t accounted for under Geneva, then that opens the door for a wide range of “legal abuses” to happen to them.
I find it to be an interesting ironic instance: The USA hates Communism and Cuba, but we have a base on the Cuban Island (Guantanamo). What do we do at that base? Carry on like communists: detaining people, denying them a lawyer or representation, persecute them religiously, and abuse/humiliate them.
I just hope that this unfortunate occurrence of religious disrespect brings to light the many atrocities that are going on at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I hope the Bush Administration fails in their attempt to dodge the international bullet of responsibility for detainee mistreatment. And I truly hope that our policies concerning enemy combatants and prison detainees will finally get an ethical overhaul. Too many offenses have been made, and too many lives have been lost for us to continue to look the other way.
-Maelstrom
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Let's talk Accountability
So very briefly, I’d like to consider the role of accountability in our current government. Frankly put, there seems to be very little, if any at all. I’ll start the discussion with the reality of prison abuse at both Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, and US prison detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
I’m quite sure the average person has seen plenty of instances where employee incompetence has led to the termination of their Supervisors. Any sports fan knows that sub-par play amongst teammates can cause a great Coach to be fired, often unjustly. This just seems to be the way things work. If you’re in charge, and your unit of workers fails in their mission, then both you and your workers are responsible for the failure of the whole. And as the figure-head, it is highly likely that your workers failed because they weren’t given the proper guidance by you. So you get the blame and the pink slip.
Let’s take, for example, the recent corruption scandals at companies like Enron, Tyco, and WorldCom. At the end of the day, accountability and responsibility for corruption didn’t fall on the shoulders of the lay-workers who had first-hand contact with the customers, but rather at the feet of the CEO’s. The question is then, why doesn’t this “common-law” logic of responsibility work with high-ranking officials in the Armed Services and in the White House.
In the past few days, judgments have been handed out concerning the heinous acts of prison abuse at Abu Ghraib. And of all the people to punish for the crimes that took place there, the only significantly high-ranking military official punished was a woman, Brigadier General Janice Karpinski. (As a sidenote, it never ceases to amaze me how a minority is seemingly always to blame for major criminal acts, whether minority by race or by gender.) You mean to tell me, that with that ominous humiliating circus going on in that prison, the only person who knew about it was this woman? You mean to tell me that the only person that should be castigated for these crimes is Karpinski and a handful of low level Army Private’s? How criminally unjust!
And with respect to Guantanamo, where is the outrage? I could write volumes about the label of “enemy combatants” given to the detainees there, which essentially allows the USA to forego the Geneva Conventions with respect to treatment (I mean, did we forget that enemy combatants are human too?), but maybe I'll tackle that another time.
However, we should not overlook the reality of the reports we have heard (those of us who dig through the news like a dog searching for a bone) coming from there. And to be kind, I won’t be very graphic about some of the things I’ve read. But to give you an idea, apparently female officers there are using their “female cycle” against the Muslim men at Guantanamo to offend them, in a sick attempt to pry information out of them. And Newsweek just reported that a copy of the Qur’an was desecrated at the base, which obviously infuriated Muslims in several countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Palestine.
And that brings me back to the original point: Who is going to take responsibility for these criminal missteps in detainee treatment? Who will take the blame for such lack of international integrity? Apparently no one with the power to change these things.
In my opinion, whether or not Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and company knew about all of these atrocities, there should still be serious reprimanding. If they didn't know about it, then that indicates that there is a lack of good management skills. And if they did know about these things, then there is some very serious corruption amongst high ranking military officials.
How can we in this great nation allow the weak and defenseless to be charged with these crimes? Why do we allow Rumsfeld, Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez (who helped author laws that lend themselves to prison abuse) to skirt around the reality that they are the guilty parties? It's truly a shame that low ranking officials have to take the fall for their pusillanimous and incompetent management of a fatally costly war.
As Spiderman’s Uncle Ben pointed out, “with great power comes great responsibility.” So those in positions of power have to bare the responsibility of deviant actions by those that they have power over. And why not, they take the credit when things go right?
-Maelstrom
I’m quite sure the average person has seen plenty of instances where employee incompetence has led to the termination of their Supervisors. Any sports fan knows that sub-par play amongst teammates can cause a great Coach to be fired, often unjustly. This just seems to be the way things work. If you’re in charge, and your unit of workers fails in their mission, then both you and your workers are responsible for the failure of the whole. And as the figure-head, it is highly likely that your workers failed because they weren’t given the proper guidance by you. So you get the blame and the pink slip.
Let’s take, for example, the recent corruption scandals at companies like Enron, Tyco, and WorldCom. At the end of the day, accountability and responsibility for corruption didn’t fall on the shoulders of the lay-workers who had first-hand contact with the customers, but rather at the feet of the CEO’s. The question is then, why doesn’t this “common-law” logic of responsibility work with high-ranking officials in the Armed Services and in the White House.
In the past few days, judgments have been handed out concerning the heinous acts of prison abuse at Abu Ghraib. And of all the people to punish for the crimes that took place there, the only significantly high-ranking military official punished was a woman, Brigadier General Janice Karpinski. (As a sidenote, it never ceases to amaze me how a minority is seemingly always to blame for major criminal acts, whether minority by race or by gender.) You mean to tell me, that with that ominous humiliating circus going on in that prison, the only person who knew about it was this woman? You mean to tell me that the only person that should be castigated for these crimes is Karpinski and a handful of low level Army Private’s? How criminally unjust!
And with respect to Guantanamo, where is the outrage? I could write volumes about the label of “enemy combatants” given to the detainees there, which essentially allows the USA to forego the Geneva Conventions with respect to treatment (I mean, did we forget that enemy combatants are human too?), but maybe I'll tackle that another time.
However, we should not overlook the reality of the reports we have heard (those of us who dig through the news like a dog searching for a bone) coming from there. And to be kind, I won’t be very graphic about some of the things I’ve read. But to give you an idea, apparently female officers there are using their “female cycle” against the Muslim men at Guantanamo to offend them, in a sick attempt to pry information out of them. And Newsweek just reported that a copy of the Qur’an was desecrated at the base, which obviously infuriated Muslims in several countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Palestine.
And that brings me back to the original point: Who is going to take responsibility for these criminal missteps in detainee treatment? Who will take the blame for such lack of international integrity? Apparently no one with the power to change these things.
In my opinion, whether or not Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and company knew about all of these atrocities, there should still be serious reprimanding. If they didn't know about it, then that indicates that there is a lack of good management skills. And if they did know about these things, then there is some very serious corruption amongst high ranking military officials.
How can we in this great nation allow the weak and defenseless to be charged with these crimes? Why do we allow Rumsfeld, Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez (who helped author laws that lend themselves to prison abuse) to skirt around the reality that they are the guilty parties? It's truly a shame that low ranking officials have to take the fall for their pusillanimous and incompetent management of a fatally costly war.
As Spiderman’s Uncle Ben pointed out, “with great power comes great responsibility.” So those in positions of power have to bare the responsibility of deviant actions by those that they have power over. And why not, they take the credit when things go right?
-Maelstrom
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Simply The Best!
So for my first installment in the month of May (sorry to keep you waiting…life’s been rough), I have the esteemed honor of writing about a topic that is dear to all of our hearts: Mother’s!This weekend we celebrate Mother’s Day. Now I know that you’re reading this, and probably thinking to yourself that you have the greatest mom in the World. Unfortunately you’re wrong. I have the World’s greatest Mom, and there’s simply no debate about it. But I’ll get to that in a bit.
Among the many underrated and underpaid positions that exist in the world, being a Mother has to be at the top. Let’s start with 9 months of pregnancy. I couldn’t imagine how difficult that must be. And I’d imagine that the pregnancy isn’t even the most difficult part, but rather the actual process of giving birth has got to be a beast. Then you go from the hospital bed, to the baby bedroom; changing diapers, breastfeeding, long nights rocking the baby to sleep, and a whole bunch of other things that I don’t remember putting my mother through.
And amazingly, in that space of time from the cradle to High School graduation, “mother” has endowed you with all the necessary tools that you need to survive in this world. Undoubtedly “mother” could be synonymous with “sacrifice.” A mother is always concerned with how she can help her progeny succeed in life, and how she can cultivate her child’s skills and abilities. Honestly, just thinking about it, I can’t imagine what a grand undertaking being a mother is. It must be daunting, but I perceive incredibly rewarding as well.
That brings me to the Number One Mother in the World. Mine!!!
Anyone that’s spent an hour with me will testify to my genuine admiration, respect, and love for my mother. She has been the backbone of my family through hard times, the voice of wisdom for her siblings (most of whom are older) in tough situations, and the catalyst for all my success (indeed my siblings success as well). I can’t say enough for how truly amazing she is to me, and how I supremely admire her strength, her quick-wit, and astuteness.
Married at the age of 19, mother of 4 by the age of 32, my mom lost the love of her life, my father, when she was only 38. Nine-years-old at the time, I did not understand the magnitude of what it meant for my mother to lose her husband; not to mention the fact that she was left with four children to raise, including 3 boys.In retrospect, I have an idea of how devastating that must have been (and certainly still is) for her. However, NEVER did my mother let us (my siblings and I) feel that desolation that she must have been feeling in her heart. And in all honesty, I think, had she remarried at that time, we would have held animosity in our hearts over it because we loved our father so much. So keeping silent in that regard, never even bringing another man into the home, my mother charged forward; consistently equipping us with everything that we needed to be successful.
I can imagine that it has been a lonely existence for her in many respects. And I know the course that life has taken for her has been far from easy, but my mother has always had a positive outlook on life, with her faith and trust in God. There were times when I know we barely had anything, but my mother, in her wisdom, was able to stretch a few dollars and make them go a long way. She is amazing.
I do emulate her in many ways. In fact, I wish I could think like her in a lot of ways. Watching her has made me to understand the struggle of women in society, and certainly the struggle of black women in society. I marvel at how many people she knows, from all walks of life, various social backgrounds, all over the country. I honestly believe that everyone from my hometown of nearly 100,000 people either knows her, or is just 1 degree of separation from knowing her. I’m thoroughly glad that she taught me to respect people’s backgrounds, beliefs and convictions.
And it would be a shame for me not to mention the many memorable occurrences in the home. In the kitchen, she could cook up a storm (often with the food she taught us to plant and grow in our garden). When my siblings and I were out of line, she wasn’t afraid to apply the rod of correction. And certainly she worked hard to earn enough money such that we could have everything we needed and many of the things we wanted.
The juggling act that she managed so well is quite amazing. She even found time for each one of her children specifically. I remember for years, every night I would sit beside her bed, and she and I would just talk for two and three hours at a time. Those were precious moments (that she constantly reminds me of, because they don’t happen nearly as often since I’ve moved away).
When I look at my 2 brothers, and see all that they are today, I know my Father would be proud of the job she’s done raising these boys into men. And when I see the precious gem that my sister has become, I know that my mother was the perfect example for her.
Certainly I could write many more volumes on just how excellent a mother my mother is. I will say that I am glad that my mom didn’t take her role as “mother” lightly. Too often people today do. And too often do people engage in sexual behavior which gives rise to motherhood, without considering the magnitude or gravity of what it means to raise a child. Parents should be honored to be parents, and thus respect the role in that manner.
So to all the mothers out there who are living the honored position of Mother. I do commend you and do say to you Happy Mother’s Day.
And to the Number One-bar none-no one else can compare-Mother, my mom, I say Thank You for raising this boy into a man. Happy Mother’s Day, and I love you!
-Maelstrom
Among the many underrated and underpaid positions that exist in the world, being a Mother has to be at the top. Let’s start with 9 months of pregnancy. I couldn’t imagine how difficult that must be. And I’d imagine that the pregnancy isn’t even the most difficult part, but rather the actual process of giving birth has got to be a beast. Then you go from the hospital bed, to the baby bedroom; changing diapers, breastfeeding, long nights rocking the baby to sleep, and a whole bunch of other things that I don’t remember putting my mother through.
And amazingly, in that space of time from the cradle to High School graduation, “mother” has endowed you with all the necessary tools that you need to survive in this world. Undoubtedly “mother” could be synonymous with “sacrifice.” A mother is always concerned with how she can help her progeny succeed in life, and how she can cultivate her child’s skills and abilities. Honestly, just thinking about it, I can’t imagine what a grand undertaking being a mother is. It must be daunting, but I perceive incredibly rewarding as well.
That brings me to the Number One Mother in the World. Mine!!!
Anyone that’s spent an hour with me will testify to my genuine admiration, respect, and love for my mother. She has been the backbone of my family through hard times, the voice of wisdom for her siblings (most of whom are older) in tough situations, and the catalyst for all my success (indeed my siblings success as well). I can’t say enough for how truly amazing she is to me, and how I supremely admire her strength, her quick-wit, and astuteness.
Married at the age of 19, mother of 4 by the age of 32, my mom lost the love of her life, my father, when she was only 38. Nine-years-old at the time, I did not understand the magnitude of what it meant for my mother to lose her husband; not to mention the fact that she was left with four children to raise, including 3 boys.In retrospect, I have an idea of how devastating that must have been (and certainly still is) for her. However, NEVER did my mother let us (my siblings and I) feel that desolation that she must have been feeling in her heart. And in all honesty, I think, had she remarried at that time, we would have held animosity in our hearts over it because we loved our father so much. So keeping silent in that regard, never even bringing another man into the home, my mother charged forward; consistently equipping us with everything that we needed to be successful.
I can imagine that it has been a lonely existence for her in many respects. And I know the course that life has taken for her has been far from easy, but my mother has always had a positive outlook on life, with her faith and trust in God. There were times when I know we barely had anything, but my mother, in her wisdom, was able to stretch a few dollars and make them go a long way. She is amazing.
I do emulate her in many ways. In fact, I wish I could think like her in a lot of ways. Watching her has made me to understand the struggle of women in society, and certainly the struggle of black women in society. I marvel at how many people she knows, from all walks of life, various social backgrounds, all over the country. I honestly believe that everyone from my hometown of nearly 100,000 people either knows her, or is just 1 degree of separation from knowing her. I’m thoroughly glad that she taught me to respect people’s backgrounds, beliefs and convictions.
And it would be a shame for me not to mention the many memorable occurrences in the home. In the kitchen, she could cook up a storm (often with the food she taught us to plant and grow in our garden). When my siblings and I were out of line, she wasn’t afraid to apply the rod of correction. And certainly she worked hard to earn enough money such that we could have everything we needed and many of the things we wanted.
The juggling act that she managed so well is quite amazing. She even found time for each one of her children specifically. I remember for years, every night I would sit beside her bed, and she and I would just talk for two and three hours at a time. Those were precious moments (that she constantly reminds me of, because they don’t happen nearly as often since I’ve moved away).
When I look at my 2 brothers, and see all that they are today, I know my Father would be proud of the job she’s done raising these boys into men. And when I see the precious gem that my sister has become, I know that my mother was the perfect example for her.
Certainly I could write many more volumes on just how excellent a mother my mother is. I will say that I am glad that my mom didn’t take her role as “mother” lightly. Too often people today do. And too often do people engage in sexual behavior which gives rise to motherhood, without considering the magnitude or gravity of what it means to raise a child. Parents should be honored to be parents, and thus respect the role in that manner.
So to all the mothers out there who are living the honored position of Mother. I do commend you and do say to you Happy Mother’s Day.
And to the Number One-bar none-no one else can compare-Mother, my mom, I say Thank You for raising this boy into a man. Happy Mother’s Day, and I love you!
-Maelstrom
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