Why I Didn't Know What I was Supposed to be Doing with my Life

It's crazy when I get these little inspirations to write blogs.  So many monumental things have been happening in the past few days and I'm constantly thinking and taking it all in.

I'm graduating in five months. I finished my budget for my last semester of college. I completed my last RA training today. 

I'm going to be a little honest and say that last week, I was absolutely dreading coming back to Liberty early for RA training.  I get frustrated with having to sit in the same spot for hours, listening to things that I "feel" as though I already know.  Or I get mad when a training session would take 45 minutes, when I know that it could be taught within ten minutes.  My pride does that sometimes because I am a very direct person. I deliver things directly and I want things given to me directly or else I'm going to just tune it out and not listen.   It's that simple.  

So Monday morning, I was not very happy about getting up early and heading to training. I had to put on the "positive" attitude face and just "get it over with".   But after the first couple of hours, my whole entire approach towards it changed and I was deeply humbled.  To sum it all up (and I'll go into further details in a bit), it was exactly what I've been needing for the past several weeks, if not months, or years.

One thing that I have been struggling with lately is figuring out what I'm going to do next after graduation. I really don't know if you understand exactly HOW much of a struggle it is because I'm a planner, I have to have everything planned out or else I'm going to panic.  So not having a definite, concrete plan is tough, and I mean TOUGH.  

I think that being a double-major kind of set me up just a tad for the confusion.  I practically have double the options and I'm not sure which one to take.  I get all of these "great ideas".  I've been placed on the "consideration" table for companies to interview me for a job after graduation.  I've considered pursuing photography full time.  I've considered graduate school.  I've wanted to do SO much that I didn't even take the time to FULLY reflect and seek the Lord about exactly what He wanted me to do.  I'd just take an idea and it would sound good at the time and I'll go with it and was convinced at those moments that it was what God wanted me to do.  Then another circumstance may come up and I would doubt that decision and start to make another.  I would go back and forth with my plans for after graduation and I would never even take into consideration of what God actually wanted me to do.  I'd just "accept" the fact that God would reveal it to me when He wanted me to.  I made the excuse for how "He'd probably just tell me the day before graduation".  

But to be completely honest, I haven't placed my trust in Him over the past few months.  I figured that making the decision would be easy for me because I wasn't in a relationship with anyone and since I didn't have other people to factor in regarding where I wanted to go, I was good.  I was just "analytically" coming up with plans on my own so that I can be financial stable once I obtained my diploma.  That was it.  It became so hard because I have the desire and the skill to do so many things.  So if I were to take one option and focus on that, I'll be missing the others.  It became hard and stressful because I wasn't being led by what God wanted me to do.

The very first thing that was addressed in RA training that struck me hard this week was learning the differences between "being" and "doing".  That set the tone immediately because sometimes we tend to make what we "do" be the establishment of our identity.  Instead of allowing our identity influence what we do.  Our "being" is who we are.

Another toe stepper for me was in one of the breakout sessions that we did today. We talked about our strengths and how sometimes, in our sin nature, we seek to use our strengths as a means to influence selfish gain. That breakout session reminded us of the StrengthsQuest survey that I took about 3 years ago.  Every RA needs to take it before submitting their application, but I took it in my Freshman year.  I really only took the test to put into my application, so I never really read into the details that they gave us let alone remembered what my strengths were in case someone asked.  I've always been familiar with some of the strengths that I had, but never knew exactly what my "top 5" were and what they meant.

So I sat here and logged into the account to look at them.  Here they are with a brief description

Achiever

• Great deal of stamina and work hard. Takes great satisfaction from being busy and productive. 

Competition

• Measure their progress against the performance of others. They strive to win first place and revel in contests. 

Analytical

• Search for reasons and causes. They have the ability to think about all the factors that might affect a situation. 

Responsibility

• take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty 

Significance

• Want to be very important in the eyes of others. They are independent and want to be recognized.  

                          As a slight side note to me, one thing that stood out was that I want to associate with people that are       credible, successful, and professional.  If they aren't then I would push them until they are. Or would move on. 

I looked through them an IMMEDIATELY saw the places in my life where I act on these things for my own selfish gain.   For the Achiever trait, although I really enjoy relaxing, if I don't have anything to do, I get frustrated and angry.  I would constantly stress myself out to complete a goal in time. I would stay up all night, I would lose sleep. If I'm not physically working on it, I'm mentally working on it when I'm in bed. I have insomnia because my brain simply does not slow down. 

For competition, I am CONSTANTLY comparing myself with others. I'm super critical about myself and my work and I often doubt myself if I don't think that I can compare to another person with more experience.  To be honest, I thought the experience that I had out of college wasn't enough. I really thought that I wasn't going to get a job out of graduation because of the lack of so called "experience" that I had on my resume. Several of my peers excelled in those areas far more than I thought that I was so I just felt as though I didn't amount up to it. I came to the knowledge of how stupid that was when I actually started applying. I compare myself relationally with others.  I compare myself physically. I compare myself mentally. There are even times where I would compare myself spiritually.  I literally live a life of comparing myself to others in a way that is either feeling inferior or superior to them.

I'm so analytical that I would not take anyone's word for law unless I challenged it.  If I didn't challenge their logic directly, I would definitely do it indirectly.  There are things that I would REFUSE to do because of the fact that it simply did not make sense to me logically.  Another aspect to this is that I would not take risks unless I logically thought it all out.  I would have to think about all the outcomes and if I couldn't justify it by the analysis, then I wasn't doing it.

For responsibility I feel as though I have to be loyal to people that I know I shouldn't be.  Just because they have done something for me in the past, I should be obligated to be there for them whenever they needed.  Even IF it meant that I needed to be treated like crap for quite a while.  

Then lastly, there's Significance. I feel as though this one goes in so many different depths.  But the biggest thing is definitely my associations.  I hate being around people that don't live up to their potential.  But every so often, I have a few friends here and there that I'm constantly nagging and nagging until they can reach it.  I don't even care how my delivery is, I'm going to push them until it gets that way.   Another area is that I FEAR rejection.  Seriously, I am TERRIFIED of it.  This has come into affect with expressing my emotions and feelings toward situations or people. I feel as though I have to keep my emotions to myself so that I'm not vulnerable.  So that they won't be rejected. If I sense any ounce of possible rejection, then I'm not going to go with it.

But at the same time I have seen where these strengths are absolutely AMAZING when I take the time to operate in the ways of the Lord and not thinking about myself. I have to remind myself that these strengths are a gift of God.  I didn't just develop them on my own. God decided that He was going to give these to me because of the calling that He had for me. When I decide to allow my identity to be a reflection of Him instead of trying to be "Quayla", I can allow His calling to take root into my life and the lives of others.  Because, lets just tell the truth, I'm not all that great to begin with.  So I really have no reason to try to enforce my own identity. 

So with this brief detour, the one thing that has been stuck in my mind for the past few weeks is the word "passion".  I didn't necessarily know why.  It was just in my head and I was constantly thinking about that statement I heard in Convocation several months ago about "finding your sweet spot". Like a combination of what you're passionate about and what you're good at.  That midpoint and that's your spot.  But that just made everything so vague because I'm inherently good at more than one thing.  

What I asked myself constantly over the past few weeks was simply, "what am I passionate about?" I never took the time to answer that.  But when I sat through the strengths breakout session, I was able to learn about it so much more. To pinpoint it in a way that I never exactly thought I could.  

Regardless of where I'm supposed to go and what I'm supposed to do with my life after I graduate, it all comes down to a Passionate Mission.  Whether it's in the "secular" environment or if I'm working for a church ministry or wherever.   But figuring out your passionate mission would all come down to asking yourself these four questions:

What do I believe?
Where do I see brokenness?
Who am I sent to?
What will I do?

Those four questions automatically had something click for me. There are things that I believe, the brokenness that I am more prone to see that literally MOST people do not.  I have already been sent and drawn to a certain group of people. Seriously, today, it clicked. While I'm still putting details together, I think that it finally made sense with what I'm supposed to be doing long term   Literally, after spending almost 4 years debating about what I'm going to be doing after May 2014 it has never seemed to be anymore clear than what it does now.  

I know this is a lot to take in for one post, but as I'm ending this, I really came to a place these week where the Lord TORE me apart.  I don't even know how to fully explain it in every single detail.  But to think that the reason why I didn't know what I was going to do with my life is because I was focusing on things other than what the Lord was calling me to do.  I didn't invest the time that I should have asking Him to reveal it to me.  Because all it takes is to getting out of your pride and listening.  Because He does speak.

-Quayla

I'm Just Tired of Technology

This is a weird thing to say right about now.

I've been sitting at my computer literally all day for the past two days.  I haven't had time to really relax since I've been home.  As soon as I got in, I did a portrait session for a family, edited those pictures, a portion of a model casting and the last bit of the second wedding that I had shot in September.  Once I got all of those completed, I had helped my parents with some work literally most of the other days.  So it took me until yesterday (Wednesday) to finally have the opportunity to just sit and gather myself.

I tend to say this pretty often when I make an excuse for my need to relax, but I am very much introverted.  I enjoy the company of people in moderation, I prefer close friends and family so that I can have genuine conversations, but after a long day, weeks, and semester of being surrounded by people all day every day, I really just need to find that time to relax and get myself together.  I really enjoy spending time by myself too.

Usually, it would take me about a week to gather myself.  But this time, it only took me a day and a half.  After being so busy this semester, sitting around for 2 days doing nothing is pulling my hair out.  I'm literally telling myself how I HAVE to do something.  How I HAVE to find something to do because I just CANNOT sit here any longer doing the same thing over and over.

However, I find myself wanting to do something that doesn't involve technology.  All semester, I have literally done all of my homework with my computer.  My major requires me to use my computer so it is literally on nonstop.  The only time it is off is when I'm sleeping.  For probably the 6 hours of the night, IF that.  My phone is always near me.  When I'm at school, people are constantly texting or calling me.  I am constantly responding to e-mails.  It's neverending. So sitting here for the past two days playing video games, or watching a movie, yes is refreshing, but I want to do something away from technology for a change because I am so submersed in it as a broadcasting and public relations major.

So, my solution to this is to actually go outside.  I'm going to do a few projects this break.  Session with my sister and hopefully my brother, maybe working on a music video so I have something to edit.  I'm supposed to be working but that's becoming a bit complicated at the moment,  so I just need to use the resources that I have.  Then I will definitely be reading this break.

I really am tired of the technological aspects of life.  I think I really want to try the 24 hour challenge of not using technology for a day.  I think it'll be very refreshing for a change.

Well, this is just some random thought that I had.  Nothing super profound.

-Quayla

The Continuation of Doubt

I'm not really sure why I come to those moments where I continue to doubt myself.  Doubt the progress that I've made.  I often try to convince myself that what I've accomplished in the past few years just simply isn't enough.  I focus on what I don't have instead of what I actually do have.  I focus on what I want, instead of what I need.  Overall, there are just those moments when I see things that aren't necessarily reality.

So, why am I writing this exactly?  Why am I sharing this part of my life in writing?

I just wanted to express my thoughts.

What I've been battling with back and forth for the past few weeks is figuring out if I have enough skill to actually get a job after graduation.  I've asked myself, "Do I have what it takes?"  "Is my resume good enough?" "Where am I going to go?" "Will I be looking for a job for a really long time?"   It's just crazy because when I start to doubt myself, the Lord sometimes always brings me back to see the real picture.  He allows me to see things for what they really are instead of allowing myself to pull back because of fear.  I spent quite a bit of time a few days ago looking at jobs, sending my resume to a few places.  The crazy thing about it all is the fact that I actually got a call back from three of the places that I applied.  My resume applied to be considered for an interview.  When I had talked to them about it, one of them was still wanting me to come in for an interview for a Winter position and the other two will be keeping my resume on file for when it gets closer to graduation.  I mean, it's probably not a BIG thing, but the fact that I am being considered for a position in my degree field with my resume, that isn't even complete, encouraged me a bit.  It is just exciting to me of all the possibilities that could happen when graduation gets closer.

I'm still planning to do grad school and hope to find something in Lynchburg for the duration of those two years, but the plus about Liberty is that with it being online,  I could work anywhere.  So during the break, I will 1. be working on my grad school application as well as my GSA application.  The deadline for it is May 1.  So I'm going to probably give myself until around Mid-April to find a job.  If I don't find anything, then I will apply for GSA. That will be my last resort, because I would like to earn more money in comparison to what the GSA position has to offer. So that is all up in the air.

But even though I tend to panic because I don't think that I have enough to offer, God definitely reminds me of the gifts that He has given me.  He has also reminded me that I can't do anything without His guidance.  So it has been pretty cool to see how everything is coming about.

Well, this was a pretty short post.  It was just something that I wanted to briefly touch on.

-Quayla

My life lately

I've never really been one of those people that would post a completely heartfelt, emotional, transparent blog post.  To be honest, even though my plans for this post is to be just that,  I really don't even know or think I would go into something that deep.

I'm usually a person that is pretty level headed emotionally.  Even when I have some issues that I have to deal with, I've always been able to kind of leave it as that and go about my day to day routines without having them affecting me.  However, as things have gotten to reaching deadlines and have a large amount of things pulling at me, I just had to work so much harder to tackle them and continue to do what I needed to do.  To make the decisions that I needed to make with accuracy and clarity.  Things have gotten overwhelming and stressful and I literally had no idea how I was going to continue on with things.  Everything was just crazy.

To be honest though, there were those days that because of my stress levels, I began to devalue and degrade myself with my words.

• I'm a horrible person
• I'm ugly
• I'm a failure
• I have NO idea what in the world I'm going to do with my life.  How could I be 21 years old and not know?
• I'm going to be graduating in a matter of months and I have no idea what to do next
• I should quit school
• I'm single with no prospects; no one would even want me.  Why would someone be stupid enough to even want a relationship with me?
• I'm going to die alone
• What is wrong with me?
• Why couldn't I just have decided to be that person that made all kind of stupid mistakes?
• Can I just do anything wrong, once in my life and be okay?

The interesting thing is that a majority of the things that I began to think about and tell myself really had absolutely nothing to do with me being stressed or overwhelmed with my work.  It was just an area of my life where I allowed the devil to talk to me and tell me things that weren't even true. To be honest, those things are stupid for me to even think.

It's interesting because being at Liberty, I am so submersed in a place where getting a college degree came with an engagement ring and/or a husband (I've wondered a few times if I would be that 30 year old woman with a nice job but was single). I am in a place where so many people already know exactly what God has called them to do before they stepped foot into the first class of their college career.  I am in a place where people have lived lives prior full of their submission to a lifestyle and ultimately turned out to be okay and currently on fire for the Lord.

These are things that I have had to deal with throughout my time here.  And at the moment, I am none of those people.  I've never dated anyone while I was in college.  As a matter of fact, I've never been on a date period.  I was in an exclusive relationship once in high school, but it never really went past the whole aspect of "talking frequently" and just "claiming" that particular person as my boyfriend. So basically for most of my life, I've been single.

I've never really had much of a past.  Yeah there were some things that I have done that I would definitely go back and change.  However, I don't have that past or that "testimony" that everyone seems to have.  I wasn't a partier, or drinker, or sex addict.  I wasn't abused or molested.  I wasn't neglected as a child.  I had parents that loved and cared about me. Who had sacrificed so much for me.  I've wondered what it would have been like if I actually decided to "have fun" like the rest of my peers did in college.  Instead of being a studious person as well as going to a Christian school.

I've never known what God wanted me to do when I stepped in my first class on the first day of college.  The only thing I knew was what He didn't want me to do (AWESOME! =\).  I had no clear path set.  It was frustrating.

Although some of these things were frustrating to me, well all of them were frustrating to me at some point or another,  I was never truly affected by it when I got to college.  I had made the decision to not date in college.  When I got to my sophomore year, I already determined that I really was not going to be with anyone worthwhile there.  Yes, while I didn't understand why I made that decision at first (and to be honest I know that God had done things in my life encounters to ensure that I wouldn't compromise in that decision), I came to the realization that my senior year was the very reason why I was single.  While it is a really long story for me to share,  I do firmly believe that God specifically made me single for the very season that I am in right now.  Which heavily explains why I have experienced so much more opposition and attacks from the enemy in the places in my life where I appeared to be more vulnerable.

I knew that God was teaching me how to be patient and trust Him throughout my journey.  While I really wanted to have a clear path, God had never left me in the dark confused and unsure about the directions that I needed to take.  He has always proven Himself faithful and had revealed to me what I needed to do at the appointed times.  It is crazy because as I'm sitting here taking the next course of action in my life,  I feel as though God had clearly told me exactly what I needed to do in a further span of time than what He has told me throughout my entire time at Liberty.  I have a plan for next semester, a plan for the next two years.  Then a plan beyond that.  The crazy thing about it all, is that for the first time, it was something that I fully believe that the Lord had revealed to me to do.  While I don't know exactly every single solitary detail of each even and how I'm going to get there, I somehow know that this season that I will be entering in my life would be very fruitful.  And I don't know if I will ever be able to fully comprehend the magnitude of it all.

Even though I don't think it is some days, I know that God had preserved my life for a time as this. Even though I haven't experienced things in the way that other people that I know have, for some reason, He was able to still use me to minister to others that have gone through things I haven't.  He has somehow allowed me vulnerability with others and my openness to hear and develop relationships with them to be good enough.  I know it's not me. At all.  The craziest thing about it is how in my quiet times today, I came across Galatians 6:9-10

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

To be honest, I'm sure that I have come across this verse dozens of times and never had it really impacted me in the way that it has tonight.  It is hard some days to not give into temptation.  Especially at the age that I am.  Where the people that I have grown up with are doing things that don't line up with the way that we've been taught.  Where people give into their temptations and do things as though it doesn't affect other people.  My generation is a generation that only thinks about the present instead of the future.  Even though I do feel alone most days, I know that I will reap a harvest and be rewarded for not giving into the temptations that fly in my path.


I know this was super long, and I feel as though I should maybe stop here.  I'm really excited about what the Lord has for me within the next few years and even within the next few months.  I know it's great and I can't wait (well, I can ha)!

-Quayla

Making it through the final stretch-Update

Seriously,

I am reaching the 8 week mark of my Final Semester and I'm sitting here thinking about how fast it has gone.. and how fast the Spring Semester will get here.  How fast graduation will get here.  How fast it'll be when I have to begin working for the rest of my life.

It's crazy because as I'm sitting here thinking about all the things that are coming up,  it gets a little challenging to figure out what I'm supposed to do next and where I'm supposed to be going.

At first, I've wanted to go to grad school.  It seems to be the smartest "move" on paper because I can practically get an education for free.  But at the same time, I sit there thinking about exactly how smart of an idea would that be.  Do I want to continue on with schooling for two additional years?  Or do I want to just go out into the work force.  I know that going into Public Relations is relatively easier to do versus any other field.  The growth and demand of it is rapid and I just feel as though the sooner I can get to work, the better.  The more money I can make would be the better.  As of late,  I felt as though I should stay home and save money while I work.  But on the other hand, I'm kind of on the fence and I'm not sure whether I should just go out and be on my own.  If I should move somewhere outside of Richmond.  If so, where?

It's a matter of not being sure where God wants to place me. Even though I'm not panicking, it becomes really hard to not know what I'm supposed to be doing next and where I'm supposed to be doing it.  But at the same time, I'm perfectly okay with it.

It is hard to believe that in less than a year, this is what I will be doing.

The thing about my academics is that I have been being less and less motivated to doing my work.  I don't want to even think about what I'm supposed to be doing.  I am doing hw constantly and it's bugging me! ha.  But I'm kind of glad that my Philosophy class is almost done.  After that, I will only have to worry about Theology, which isn't NEARLY as time consuming and so much easier.  Then I'll have to begin working on my campaigns for class and other things.

Well, this is just a very random update on my life right now..

Senior Year Shenanigans-Where is my life going?

I'm sitting here just finishing up my hw that was due for tomorrow and today and I realized that I should maybe attempt to write a complete blog since I have been failing to do so with my personal life.   For me to be a person that loves to write, I just can never get myself to just write a blog as regularly as I want.  I probably should begin keeping up with it a little more.

Well I am entering my second week of my senior year and the only thing that I find myself thinking about is simply "what do I do next?".  Time is ticking.  If I decide to go to grad school somewhere other than Liberty, I have 3 months to have taken my GMAT and apply for the program.  This is to ensure that I receive Financial aid.  To be honest, I do not want to accumulate many loans in addition to my undergrad.  My plans for the longest time were to attend VCU's MBA program, but that would be about 10k and year.  So taking into consideration of that, I would be adding on 20k worth of loans.  As I'm thinking about it, I find it pointless because throughout my four years of undergrad, I will only be accumulating 25, 30k. For four years.  So pulling out 20k for two, just seems to not be the wisest decision.

As I'm going through the month that I have been back at Liberty, I feel as though it is the wisest decision for me to simply stay in Lynchburg to pursue my Master's in Communications.  It's crazy through it all, but I do apparently have more opportunities here than if I were to go elsewhere.  I could still remain an RA and I could possibly do GSA at the same time.  The Communications department at Liberty is revamping so much that it would be kind of crazy to not take the opportunity.  

But then there are those moments when I feel as though my time here is just about up. 

Then the other options are to just simply get rid of the Graduate School option and head on out into the work force.   I mean, being that I am graduating with a degree in Public Relations and Broadcasting, I really do not think that there would be any challenges in finding a job.  Primarily in the PR field.  Then my dad has stroked out the idea that he would like for me to work for him.  

There are so many options that I have right now that I don't even know what to take.  It's crazy because, if you know me at all, you know how much of a planner I am. You'll know that not knowing the path to my future is concerning to me.  

It challenges me to trust God even more.  As an 18 year old freshman coming to Liberty, I really expected my life to be all panned out in a certain way.  I expected to know exactly what I was supposed to do.

Being a senior and not knowing what I'm going to do next freaks me out more than anything.  Because I never thought that at 21, I wouldn't know what path to take.

The craziest thing though, is somehow, through all the uncertainty, I have a feeling of peace.  God's timing is perfect and I know that He hasn't left me wandering alone throughout all these years.  He has a sense of humor too.  Throughout RA training this semester, we sang this song, by Hillsong "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)".  I never heard it before, but the bridge of the song spoke to me more than ever.  I really couldn't find the song at the time, nor knew the title of it.  Then after we sang it, I would simply forget the lyrics.  Then for the next few weeks I just forgot about the song altogether.  Then I heard it again over the weekend and was like "I need to find that song" but I got so tired and again, I forgot.

Then today, a girl on my hall posted the song lyrics on her fb status.  Then I finally googled the lyrics and found it.  Then Ironically, we had worship for RA group and actually sang this song.  I literally almost hit tears. Because it was something that I really need to here, especially in the time of my life where I simply do not know where to go. 

"Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

and my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior"

That song humbles me. More than anything. It reminds me how much I need to cling to the Lord and allow Him to just lead me in the direction that I need to go. I am reminded that He has never left me. 

I never really thought the direction of this post would've gone the way it did.  Sometimes, I just write and my hands to go along with whatever. =)

-Quayla

It's All About Perspective

I kind of refrained from talking to a LOT of people about my thoughts on the Zimmerman Case.  I don't like mentioning controversial things on my Facebook and Twitter really.   However, I would sometimes mention things in my blogs (when I get the time).

This is what I tell people concerning Social Media in general though:

My Facebook is meant for entertainment.  I don't debate, nor create a forum for debate.  I don't condemn, nor create a forum for condemnation. 

If someone else wants to do that with theirs, then that's totally fine, but I personally have made a decision to not engage in those things.

Well, anyways, I really feel as though these outbreaks are due to a lot of misconceptions and a failure to understand someone else's perspective.  There is obviously a racial barrier still existent in our country that has shown itself evident in these two events:  

1. President Obama's re-election 
2. The George Zimmerman Case

I'm going to be honest and say that I have seen the true colors of a LOT of people: black and white with these two events alone.

- People were so adamant about voting "biblical values" when they themselves were not acting biblical.  
- People were causing rage and losing friendships with people because of differences of opinion and perspective.

I personally was not upset about the Zimmerman verdict. At first, I was more so insensitive and frustrated of the reactions of practically the entire country. Primarily black people.   I mean, cases like this happens all the time (black and white). Since I study media, I have come to understand that it's all about mind control.  The media literally tells people what to think and feel and how to act.  Especially when people don't know how to do their research.

I was frustrated because there are no outrages about black on black crimes. There are so many times when a black person is guilty, gets sentenced and people know the man was guilty.  Then they go "Free my man (or other words) Boosie!" I'm serious. I was frustrated because I started to crave skittles but had to refrain from buying them because I felt as though someone would've assumed I was protesting or something.

So either way, I'm like "how are we going to expect people to take us seriously, when we do things like this?"

I tend to keep an open mind and objective approach to news.  I mean, the ONLY people that know exactly what happened in the events leading up to Martin's death is George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin.  Martin could have very well threatened Zimmerman's life.  Or he could have very well been innocent. None of us know.  Either way, the family of both Martin's and Zimmerman's are changed. Forever.  

I'm not going to even go with the legal side of things and my opinion on the verdict. I'm not a lawyer and I'm not going to pretend to be.  I don't think that anyone of us should pretend that we are either.

As someone who has taken the time to get to know many people of many different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds,  I have come to understand that everyone has a different perspective of situations like these.  A different perspective of life in general. Over the years, I have learned that you don't ask a Puerto Rican if they're Mexican.  I've learned that you don't ask a Korean if they're Chinese or what "part" of Korea they are from. I've learned that a white person can be African. I've learned that I ONLY want an Indian or Arabian person making my sandwich at Subway, only a Chinese person for Chinese food. Or a Dominican person blow out my hair (that maybe a poor humorous attempt).  Maybe some of you don't know these things, and don't understand the tension that comes with the misconceptions. A lot of the tension comes from the fact that there is a lack of understanding of a another's person's perspective.  A lack of proper communication.  A lack of discipline. A lack of attempting to understand.

These two events have seem to surface into a black-white issue where:

White people don't understand why it's a big deal
Black people don't effectively communicate why it's a big deal

Then there's a bunch of ridicule going on and people acting uncivilized and rude to people when they simply do not understand!

So, why are these things a big deal?

I am one of those people that can say that I have been very fortunate to have the upbringing that I have had.

I have 3 siblings.  That are all from the same mother and father
My parents are still together after 20 years
I am less than a year away from obtaining a Bachelor's degree. 

Me and a few cousins on my dad's side are neck and neck.  But I will be one of the first (if not the first) to ever get that on his side.

I have never lived in the ghetto
I have rarely dealt with racial attacks/slurs


But I can't say that for every person. Just to mention my "black" friends alone, that number is very small. Statistically in America alone, that number is almost non-existent. So I personally cannot relate to a large number of black people in America.

I have a lot of friends of various races and I personally like to keep it like that.  But I'm asked sometimes by my friends about why these two issues are necessarily a big deal.  While I personally am not emotionally affected by them like most people of my race are, I can't deny the fact of the matter that they do affect people. (Again, I will mention that my upbringing is rare.)

My parents grew up in a place where police officers badly beat black people.. just because they were black. My parents are 40.
My grandparents grew up during the time period of Martin Luther King Jr.  During the time where white people killed black people.  Just because they were black. Where they couldn't use the same bathroom, eat in the same restaurants, you name it. My grandmother is 60.

It was the time period where even Christians felt as though it was okay to do those cruel things.  Yet now we have big pushes for pro-life which in some regard is a little ironic. Yes, things are changing, people are starting to realize more truth, but we still have progress to make. As people as a whole, not just race.

I could go on up my family tree.. but my generation through my family line has probably had little to no racial encounters.  However, I do know several people my age who have dealt with it.  Racism still exists to this day. While slavery ended in 1863 there have been so many legal difficulties for black people up until the 1960s.  So you're talking about over 300 years of a struggle, compared to the past 50 years of progress.

- Having a black president is a big deal because for generations black people have felt inferior. To have a black president was something that people have been told for generations would NEVER happen.  I'm not making this a political issue, you can agree or disagree with his policies all you want. That's not a topic of discussion right now.

- Having Zimmerman not being guilty was a big deal because there were times when the government have framed black men.  Or have made more efforts for a man in the legal system that isn't black to be free than someone that was.

Because of the issues of racial treatment of the generations before mine, I can say that black people have developed a case of racism themselves.  To be honest, black people today can be just as racist towards a white person, as a white person can be towards a black person today.  I hear it often and have personally been guilty of it myself  "don't do that, that's what white people do"  or "why do you act so white" or maybe "white people are so nasty." The list goes on.

To put this in a more widely relatable perspective. Think about someone that is scared to swim.  They go with their friends and they don't understand why that person is afraid of water.  Sometimes they tease and ridicule that person without fully understanding why they are scared.  After a while and over the course of their friendship, everyone will eventually come to understand that the person is scared of water because they have had a near death encounter with water. You wouldn't have understood that until the relationship is there.

That's how things are with black people in America. Things are like that for other races in other countries as well.  I can't personally speak for them because I don't understand the perspective to a deep degree.  After having generations after generations of bondage,  there are just specific things that mean more to black people than most.  It's just a matter of breaking through that barrier and trying to understand.

(I also believe that there is a significant amount of issues that are simply a spiritual battle. But, that is a slightly different topic.)

To those that think otherwise, there are black people that genuinely work hard for what they have. Whether it's a lot, or a little.  I hear a lot of people dog welfare and food stamps like the only people that get them are being lazy.  That's not true at all.  I know people that have had to utilize them that work hard and just need the extra help.  It's biblical.  We are supposed to help those that are in need.  

But there are people that abuse these things as well. I cannot deny that fact either. And to be honest, they will handle the consequences for that in due time. But to be honest,  there are people of every race that do the same exact things.

When it comes to black people, in my generation, I will say that the majority of deaths involving black people are usually done by black people themselves. I can't deny that either.  I also believe that when it comes to the next progress of black people as a whole, we do need to make a personal change.  

Racism is not going to end while racism is still being fed. 

Yes, people should demand respect regardless of what their race is.  But people should also make sure that they are willing to give it back, even when they are not being respected.  That's how we are to be judged by the content of our character.  Everyone should understand what is offensive to someone and what isn't.  Racism is a learned behavior.  A person cannot be born racist.

To those of you that are black, I do understand the hurt that exists when you're doing right and are being still being treated unfairly just because of the color of skin.  I understand how hurt some people may be with something like this case because, if you look through history the government has shown disfavor for black people. For generations. My generation is the first in this country that hasn't had to deal with a fraction of the generations before.

A white person, or simply someone that isn't black, of my generation is frustrated.  Frustrations come from just simply not understanding.  But then the frustrations come from lack of proper communication.  Frustrations come from what seems to be a double standard.  Are we (black people) holding a double standard? Understand the frustration, work through the frustration and help them understand exactly why things are the way that they are.  Not in hatred, not in disrespect, and not in disunity.

We shouldn't react in hatred towards people. While we should not ignore the fact that racism exists, we should not continue to embrace racism. As a black person,  a white person, a hispanic person, etc. We should not teach our children to hate people of another race.  Or to feel inferior or superior. We should not allow someone to suffer for something that the generations before them have done.  We should strive to break the stereotypes. We should strive to understand another person's perspective.

Our past should not negate our future.  Not every person of a race is the same as every other person of their own race.  But at the same time, don't act like a negative stereotype and get mad when someone treats you like that stereotype.   While we wait for people to catch on to treating us with the respect that we deserve, we as a whole should begin to act like those very people worthy of that respect.  It starts in our homes, in our mindset, in our actions.

I have learned this in one of my classes a couple of years ago.  Jesus' family line was cursed.  If you were to study through the genealogy of Christ, you would understand that very chapter in Matthew going through his family history is offensive to Jews, Israelis in general. Jesus was a descendant of some pretty messed up cultures.  Who knows the very tension that people felt against him when they knew where He came from. Just from his background alone.  But think about how He reacted towards them.



"Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”