Monthly Archives: July 2008

Have You Hugged Your Child Today?

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“Have You Hugged Your Child Today?”

July08-5Woman #1: You’re 26 years old and enjoying the joys of being a new mother.  You’ve also had a successful second year of teaching middle school and know that in less than a week you’ll celebrate your first Mother’s Day.  Then the principal comes to your classroom to tell you that something has happened to your baby at daycare and he is on the way by ambulance to the hospital.  And, in less than an hour, you’ve lost your joy.

Woman #2: You take pride in seeing your three grown children becoming wonderful adults.  You now have several grandchildren and couldn’t be more proud.  Although some of your kids have moved away, you still talk to them all regularly.  It’s a typical Sunday, until you received the call.  You middle child, age 32, was killed in a motorcycle accident in California.  His wife and four kids are at a loss.  So are you.
Woman #3:  Your kids are your heart.  It’s very rare that people see you without your 2 year old son and 4 year old daughter.  You want them to get more involved in activities.  Your daughter decides to play t-ball.  Her two year old brother loves to go to the games and watch.  As she takes a practice swing, he runs up behind her.  The bat accidently hits him in the chest and he never recovers.  This isn’t the way life was supposed to happen.
Unfortunately, these are all real Louisville mothers who have buried their children this year.  It’s hard when you watch these situations on the news, but when you see firsthand the people affected by these tragedies, it takes a major toll.  Each of these women personally affected my life and I know they are not the only ones with these experiences.  Even though I do not have children of my own, it makes me hope that we will all take time to appreciate our children.  So many people assume their children will watch them grow old (and hopefully not put them in a nursing home!).  However, we are unfortunately seeing that some of our children will not live to see that day.  Whether you have a strong, non-existent, or typical relationship with your children, take some time today to let them know how much you care and how proud you are of them.   Children, whether 9 months or 79 years old, can never hear that enough.  You’re never too young or old to hear someone say “I LOVE YOU!”

M.Y.  July 2008

Freedom Schools 2008

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’Freedom Schools’

CLICK HERE to watch the video of the children performing the song

July08-4

The higher you build your barriers
The taller I become
The farther you take my rights away
The faster I will run
You can deny me
You can decide to turn your face away
No matter, cos there’s….

 

Something inside so strong
I know that I can make it
Tho’ you’re doing me wrong, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone
Oh no, something inside so strong
Oh oh oh oh oh something inside so strong

The more you refuse to hear my voice
The louder I will sing
You hide behind walls of Jericho
Your lies will come tumbling down
Deny my place in time
You squander wealth that’s mine
My light will shine so brightly
It will blind you
Cos there’s……

Something inside so strong
I know that I can make it
Tho’ you’re doing me wrong, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone
Oh no, something inside so strong
Oh oh oh oh oh something inside so strong

Brothers and sisters
When they insist we’re just not good enough
When we know better
Just look ‘em in the eyes and say
I’m gonna do it anyway

*These are the words that are performed at during Harambee at 9:00am every morning during Freedom Schools – a literacy initiative for inner city youth.  They are powerful words.  Hopefully the students will believe the message and know that they can make a difference!
The words came full circle for me when I saw Ms. Janet at the event.  She works with pre-school programs. As she turned around to ask me a question, I said, ‘Do you know who I am?’  She looked at me and started crying, ‘This was one of my babies, Michelle Yeager!’  She made a difference on my life in my youth as the director of my after school program.  I was honored to see she was still influencing young lives, and she was honored to see the adult I had become.

M.Y.  July 2008

In the Name of Fitness

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 ’In the Name of Fitness’ 

July08-3-223x300Okay, I kept a secret from most of you and I am truly sorry.  After doing the figure competitions I decided to step up my game a little bit and ponder switching to fitness.  The main difference is that fitness also includes a two minute routine with five required skills: One arm pushups, side split, straddle hold, pike hold and high kicks.

So, I went and dug in the very back of my closet.  I had to look high and low – before the college years, before high school, before the Wave Nuveau, and  before menstruation started.  I went all the back in my closet to elementary school to pull out the tricks and skills I used to be able to do way back then.  The first thing I tried to do was a back handspring (a back flip).  Since I live alone, I had to think about what I would do if I landed on my neck.  So I put the cordless phone on the floor next to me and prayed for the best.  (You know that I was okay since I am able to write this column today!)  I then went to Alpha Cheer gym and had DeShawn spot me on some other skills.  I blushed after I did a tumbling pass and a kid in the gym said, ‘Wow!  I’ve never seen an adult do that before!’

In less than two weeks I was able to pull together a fitness routine.  DJ Que accomplished a miracle by putting together a mix of Michael Jackson songs for the music.  I also needed a performance outfit but didn’t have a lot of time.  So, I went to the costume store and purchased a cool looking gangsta outfit.  The top looked great and I added some material to some shorts to match at the bottom.  The most difficult part was getting through the two minute routine.  Every night I would go home and a different body part would hurt.  While ‘gym’ used to be my guy, ‘BenGay’ was slowing becoming my best buddy.

My first fitness competition was last weekend in Ft. Wayne, IN (see video).  Like always, I had a blast.  I was the only woman of color in the competition, but everyone was extremely nice.  While driving home, I really thought about how wonderful an experience I just had.  The last time I performed was over 2 ½ years ago.  My mother and I performed with a group of women for a Krewe party.  Even then I didn’t  tumble.  It was amazing to me, that at the age of 32 I was able to rise to the occasion.

Footnote: as fun and wonderful as the competition was, the next morning, my entire body was sore.  It ached to walk.  It ached to lie down.  It ached to ache.  But, with the help of a great massage and my buddy Bengay I am now back in training ready to hit that next pot of gold!  It is absolutely never too late in life to accomplish something.  Was there something years ago in life you enjoyed doing?  What happened for you to give it?  Why not do it again?  Try it just once and relive that passion!

Video of Routine

It’s my first fitness competition.  Where did those flips come from? Click on the photo to watch the video.

M.Y. July 2008

He Made a Difference

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“He Made a Difference”

July08-2Many of us loved to love him.  Others of us loved to hate him.  Some of us were just neutral.  Regardless of how you felt about Reverend Louis Coleman, everyone should agree that he spoke up for the rights of others – especially African Americans.

I was saddened to hear the news of his death on Saturday afternoon.  He was a close friend of my family and they always referred to him by his nickname “Buster”.   My grandmother had been a member at his church.  “Buster” was even a part of the funeral service for my father, grandmother, uncle and other relatives.   Whenever someone needed him at their side, he was always there.

I can’t honestly say that I didn’t agree with everything Rev. Coleman did.  There were some times that I would watch the news and wonder why he was making such a fuss.  It could have been the smallest issue, but in his eyes, no cause was too small.   I’d watch the infamous bullhorn as he and a group of protestors marched around various streets and buildings in the state.  If there was injustice going on, you can bet your money that Louis Coleman was there.

The weird thing I realized, though, was that although sometimes controversial, Rev. Coleman was the most dependable civil rights activist in our area.  If I read a headline in the CJ that sounded controversial, I knew without a doubt that Rev. Coleman would be one of the first people there to represent the ‘unheard voice’.  He never let me down.  He didn’t care if you were black/while, rich/poor.  If an issue needed to be brought to the surface, Louis Coleman carried the life preserver to keep it afloat.  WHO NOW WILL REPRESENT THAT VOICE?

Louis Coleman and his groups spoke my voice, even at times when I wasn’t willing to speak for myself.  I never personally protested, even when I knew there needed to be change.    You have to admire the strength he had for standing loud, strong and proud – even though it was often taken for granted.  But who is going to fill his shoes from our generation?  I think about my generation and wonder what are we really doing to strengthen ourselves and those around us?  We grew up and now live in an environment where we can flourish and are for the most part considered equal.  It hasn’t always been that way.  It hasn’t been that way for long.  We still continue to have struggles (just ask the folks out in our state that say they’ll never vote for a black person for president).

What will it take for us to be willing to take those stands for ourselves? How can we better ourselves to speak out for the ‘unheard voices’?  What do we need to do to ensure our continued progress?  How can we strengthen the entire African American community while decreasing the violence, disease, single parent homes and lack of education?  I know I don’t have the answers to all of these questions.  Hopefully as I go through life, I can be part of the solution!  Whoever knew that the death of our local civil rights leader would affect me in such a way?!
M.Y. July 2008

Monkey Kids

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‘Monkey Kids’

I will be the first to admit that I am fascinated with monkeys.  I think they are some of the greatest creatures ever created!  Their human-like characteristics are amazing and they are just a joy to watch in general. How can you not love a chimp?

I was watching television this week and there is a new fad going on in the US.  People that are unable to have children and even empty nesters are starting to adopt surrogate kids.  These aren’t just any kids.  These kids are actual monkeys.  One lady showed her monkey in her jean skirt and took her to the park to swing with the other kids in the neighborhood.  Others created monkey nurseries by painting the walls so the monkey would feel ‘at home’.

While watching the previews I thoughts I’d support people having monkeys.  Heck, I always wanted Michael Jackson to give me Bubbles as a birthday present.  But, the more I watched the show, the more I realized this was going a little too far.  These people did not purchase a monkey to raise as a pet.  They weren’t training them or creating an outdoor habitat.  No, these people really thought these ‘mon-kids’ were real.  They wanted the monkeys to take the place of children that no longer, or couldn’t, existed in their house.

Some owners realized over time that the home was not the best place for a monkey and they returned the monkeys to a monkey habitat.  They realized that although they were filling their own personal need for attachment, it was hurting the monkey in return.  How often do we do things to fill our needs without really thinking about how it can effect others around?  I know I’m guilty!  And while I can’t go back and change some of my situations from the past, moving forward I can take the time to look at both sides of the situation before making my decisions.

M.Y.  July 2008