What’s happening in this country breaks my heart

What’s happening in this country breaks my heart. It’s beyond sad and frustrating.  After all these years we’re still having the same inequality/racial issues that this country was experiencing back in the 60’s and way before then. We still have young people marching the streets chanting “No Justice, no Peace”.

The BLM movement makes me proud to see people of all cultural and ethnic backgrounds banding together for equality. Right is right, and wrong is wrong. Love is right, hate is wrong. Murder is wrong.

No individual has the right to condemn anyone of any color to death because of their past, present or future. I don’t care that Alton Sterling was a convicted felon (who did his time). I care that he was a human being who didn’t have to die in such a horrendous manner. I do not care that Philando was black. I care that no man should be shot in cold blood in front of his young child. I care that he was someone’s human being. I don’t care about the color of Dylan Noble’s skin; I care that he was someone’s son. I do not care that the five officers that were murdered were cops. I care that they were HUMANS whose lives were ended too soon by a hateful individual. They were all people with family and friends and coworkers. It only takes one sick mind to set back the collective goal.

I believe that the way society teaches us to see the black man as violent, ignorant, uneducated, lazy, irate, non human being is truly deceptive and heartbreaking. Yes, there are some men that are violent, ignorant, uneducated, lazy, irate and ______. Fill in the blank with whatever race you please, because any of them could fill in that blank.

It hurts when I see the comments of people who do not understand or choose not to see that the core of the movement is so valid and so real. BLM seeks equality, equality to a fair, unbiased trial and the equality of justice no matter what you look like or who you are. For too long now these stereotypes that we’ve perpetuated towards minorities have penetrated our legal systems, impeding the entire process. It’s not okay.

It hurts when I see some of these cowardly comments and posts. Wishing harm onto others that you THINK are wishing harm onto you does nothing but hurt both causes. We want peace, love, and most of all equality. Let’s try to understand, lets try to love one another. We, as the HUMAN RACE have to do better for one another.

The same red colored liquid runs through all of our bodies. We all matter, speak up for those who go unheard. BLACK LIVES MATTER.

"Be You! : Looking between the Black & White"

"We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them 

without removing some of our own skin.  -Andre Berthiaume

Every single person at one point or another has pretended to be something they're not. In the words of Televisions' Dr. House Gregory, " Everybody Lies." While some choose to cover this tempestuous habit with a veil of denial and excuses, and others simply embrace it for what it is, the question of  "to lie or not to lie" remains unresolved. 

This simple question is what lead me to these new series which is centered on a few key questions: 

Why do we pretend to be people/things that we're just not? 

Why can we not be who we are?

 Life has taught me that not only does it take time to accept yourself but it takes even more time to accept what you're not. 

At every stage in life, we see people that we aspire to become. Humans often yearn to mold themselves into whatever we admire. To some extent this can be a good thing, but the fine line between the two realms of aspiration and delusion is quite murky. 

With all that said, I've chosen to present myself as a guinea pig to society. I'm going to take off my mask one post at a time. Hopefully with each reveal, the skin underneath will heal under this new light of truth. 

Let me know what your (real) thoughts are!

This is one of my newest favorite songs. It's called " The A Team" by Ed Sheeran. It's one of those emotional songs that explores the less pleasant side of society. The story of the young woman in this particular song is quite heart breaking. However, her story reflects those of many others. Some Food for Thought: In the world, there are approximately 40 million prostitutes.

10 ways to make college cheaper

10 ways to make college cheaper:

 All my college students, check out this list to help you cut some costs!

I Want to...

I want to….

I want to be successful

I want to meet God

I want to take away my momma’s burdens and pains

A gentle soul in the midst of a clever mind

I want to go to heaven when I die,

Even though sometimes I don’t deserve to

I want to die old and happy

Go back in time and say I’m sorry

Most of all invincible is what

I want to be…

Josiane G.

Some Updates

Hey Guys,

 I hope you're enjoying the posts, I'm trying to do more human interest pieces but I'm afraid I'm having some writers block. So here's where I need you help. Comment on this post and tell me what you would like to read. What interests you, or even just tell me the hottest news these days! Remember after 1000 posts, A Thousand Pictures will not be active any longer, but no worries I've got more than a while to go!

I'm sorry: Does it really fix things?

I'm Sorry, You hear this all the time..but what does it mean and why do we say it?

A father misses his little girl's dance recital after he promised to attend. It was her very last recital of the year, and since he hadn't been able to make it to any of the eight previous ones, he gave her his word that he would be the first person there this time. They even pinkie swore on it. But he gets caught up in work and forgets. Later, as he walks through the doors into his home, his seven years old daughter races up to him in tears and screams "why weren't you there?" She wears a heart wrenching look of despair. The father shocked and feeling guilty, looks into her child-like brown eyes and says I'm sorry"

A wife is cheating on her husband of five years with a coworker. The affair has been going on for three months. The husbands becomes suspicious of his wife's sudden mood changes and disappearances and begins to question her whereabouts. When confronted the wife adamantly denies the accusations. Eventually, her conscious has had enough of the sneaking around and the deception. She confides in her husband; he is in tears. His heart is shredding into a million microscopic pieces; he is devastated. The wife silently whispers "I'm sorry".

A little 3 year old boy is diagnosed with lung cancer. The doctors do all they can, but ultimately, his disease is incurable. The boy has four more days to live. The doctor notifies the mother of the tragedy. The young teenage mother cries out in deep sorrow and despair. The doctor, in an effort to comfort her whispers, "keep hope alive, have faith" into her ear. The mother pulls herself together and go sees her son. Her tears begin to slowly trickle down her cheeks as she gently places her son's tiny hands into her own. She slowly shuts her eyes, as the tears descend, and murmurs, "I'm sorry."

In all of these scenarios, the phrase I'm sorry is used to display remorse and sorrow. lot of times, we do wrong to someone and we say "I'm sorry" to fix it. But is simply saying I'm sorry enough to mend the hurt that was inflicted on the person? In many cases the answer is no. Just like the way it takes time for a wound to heal, it also takes time for the heart to mend... honesty,Forgiveness and love are essential ingredients in speeding up the healing process.
The author Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.:)