Are you "typical"?

Today, in defending his earlier comments about his grandmother, Barack Obama defended his grandmother by saying she's a typical white person. He said that as a typical white person, when she's walking down the street and sees a black male, she might be afraid based on how she was raised etc. I wish I could find you a good link to the news story, but here's at least one: http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MDg1MTk0YjQ2YjI1ZDBhNDYzMTA4Y2NhMDA4ZWRlOWU=

I am assuming he is referencing a black male who may not look like he just walked out of an office building......so with that in mind......
what do you think about when you are walking alone down a street and you see someone like this pass? I am going to be brutally honest here. Let me preface by saying I have had the amazing opportunity to work at 2 inner city Atlanta ministries: SafeHouse Outreach which ministers to the homeless and City of Refuge particularly in the areas of their children's ministry in very low-income areas of west Atlanta.
It totally opened my eyes to a world I never knew and that I was admittedly a bit frightened of, but literally only out of ignorance, not out of the color of their skin. I now view an opportunity to speak to a homeless man downtown and wish him good morning as perhaps the only kind words he will hear that day. I view it as an opportunity not to be scared, but to minister. I shouldn't fear that homeless man, I have shown him the courtesy that I show any other person I would greet on the street. There's nothing to fear in saying hello especially when you do it out of the love of God. I have treated him with the respect of wishing him "good day"; after all Christ came so that this man could have life abundantly the same as for me. Now maybe sometimes, when I say good morning he might ask for a dollar and how you handle that is up to you.
When I worked with these men, and had the opportunity to serve them a hot meal, many of them (90%) would look me straight in the eye and say "thank you m'aam, God bless you" That humbled me in a way that I can't truly explain in words.
YOU....YOU know the difference between a man who is just on hard times and a man that might mean you harm. In 2008, at least those of us that live in urban areas, I believe we have the instinct to know the difference.
So to my "caucasian" friends, Ladies, Gentlemen, I ask you, are you "typical" like Barack Obama says that we are or will you view an opportunity when you walk past a black man just like you would anyone else?

I heart taking photos

One of my favorite hobbies is taking photographs. I got a new digital SLR--a Pentax --about 6 months ago and I adore it. As much as you can adore an object....
I'm considering taking a photography course at a local college to really learn all the incredible things I can do with my cam. I think I have a pretty good "eye" but I could do a heck of a lot more if I knew all the cool things I could do with exposure, aperture, shutter speeds, etc.
but regardless of my desire to improve my skills, you can check out my current skills at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10613660@N04/

Stand by your man?

If you've been under a rock today, you can visit http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,336493,00.html for the full story behind Governor Elliott Spitzer's fall from grace today. So anyway,



I believe wholeheartedly men deserve to have the full support of their wife through thick and thin. I am reading a book right now with my small group called For Women Only by Shaunti Felhan. (highly recommend it) This book among other topics addresses how important it is for the man in our lives to know how great we think he is and that no matter what, we support him, love him and are proud of him. We are called to be his #1 cheerleader. This is not only seemingly common sense for a healthy relationship and/or marriage, but what God has called us as women to do.

But today the First Lady of New York went above and beyond and did what I view completely unnecessary: stand by her man! Here he is a former prosecutor of crime and the Governor of one of the country's largest states but above all, a husband admitting infedility with a WHORE! I personally think this would have been one press conference she could have let him handle ALL BY HIMSELF. Shame on him for having her there.

My heart and prayers are with her as she experiences the loneliness of a broken heart and my prayers are especially with the 3 Spitzer daughters who have been completely let down by the man who should be the safest and probably is the most important man in their life. I can only imagine their devastation.

10 Random Things about me

Per Everyday Carrie's challenge to write 10 random things about myself here goes:
1. I have 3 ft tall bamboo in my condo that I've grown and nurtured since it was about 6 inches tall and it's been repotted twice. I love it!
2. I can not read music.
3. I've worn glasses since I was 8 and contacts since I was 12.
4. I've been known to cry during a really good hallmark commercial.
5. I can't recall the name of every guy I've kissed.
6. I REALLY want a motorcycle. A Harley Davidson, but the next best thing would be a man with a motorcycle to ride on.
7. I can not sleep well in a completely quiet room. I have to have a fan or some other type of noise maker.
8. I don't know how to iron....I view it as a completely useless task.
9. My favorite places to shop are TJ Maxx and Marshalls.
10. I sleep with a goose feather pillow which I have had since I was a tot and the pillow is way older than I am. We think at some point before I was born, it was my grandfather's, but we're not entirely sure. But! I do change the pillow casing on it often and I buy the expensive kind.