Who And What The Hell Are We?

When you go to the cinema, sometimes you go to have fun with your friends and just take some time out for you. However, when I saw The Last King Of Scotland and Blood Diamond, I asked myself, who and what the hell are we?

Blood Diamond makes you wonder about the killing fields we create with our own hands. Give a man a weapon he can use and he will show you how creative he can get with it. People's hands being chopped off, I can stomach a lot of things but that was too much to handle. We have an estimated 200,000 child soldiers in the continent of Africa. I used 'We' because we all promised after Rwanda that 'Never Again' and this is one of such promises. Let our babies be just that, babies and our sons and daugthers the children that they are; promises for the future. Then again, maybe that is just a dream or should I call it wishful thinking?

I could go on and on but it won't make much difference. I would love to write about how I enjoyed sitting back to watch reality unfold in pictures but that would defeat the purpose these movies were made. Yes somebody got richer by making them. The question I would like to ask is who went home empty handed and how long will the continent of Africa supply us with horror stories that we turn into Hollywood blockbusters?

Feel free to draw your own conclusions on that.

Children Should Not Be Used in Armed Conflict by Mustapha Sesay, iEARN-Sierra Leone

Visit: http://www.childsoldiers.org/

http://www.childsoldiers.org/ourimages/12Mustapha.asp

Film images from various sources

Child Soldier Image from www.childsoldiers.org

Whose Propaganda?

When people queue outside in the rain in order to get their hands on some clothing item designed by a celebrity, makes you question what we live for in this day and age. Better still, what would make a person stand out in the cold, please don't forget it is still freezing cold? I am not against anyone wearing the latest trends. I sometimes think of myself as a little fashionista. No I don't work in the fashion industry; I just happen to know what looks good on me. That's right, I am that confident about it.

Now, let's get real. I am not calling any names but by now you get what I am talking about and come May another celebrity will be dropping her long awaited clothing line. Say no more. I can't get it round why people queue up for the sales and new clothing line. I'm sure they work. Did they take time off work for this special occasion? On the other hand, we are spending more money than we earn. Don't quote me on that, it's all over the news. Hence, you can't blame a girl like me for asking if some of these people are out there for the sake of looking the part when they are with friends or they go out.

Rest assured, I am not condemning anyone and we have all done it, a spot of emotional shopping but come on now, its time to wise up. Whose propaganda is this whole thing about the latest fashion trends? Does that mean you get rid of what was in vogue last summer to get this summers's must have?

I have no answers to these questions and I'm trying to figure it out myself. However, I have learnt my lessons from my days of wanting to be the Queen B when I walked into the room. It's not worth looking all styled and profiled with your account in the red.

I better stop now before I get a whole lot of people vexed and upset.

My question is still the same, whose propaganda is it and why are we empowering them to keep changing our wardrobe?

Growing Pains

Life is in seasons, autumn, winter, spring, and summer. The trick is to recognise the season you are in. If you don't then you might just get into a whole lot of trouble because you could easily miss the season of life you are in and the opportunity to grow. Spring is when the flower in your garden begins to blossom. Same way, when you are in the spring of life, you begin to blossom as an individual, your beauty radiates and you don't have to tell no one what is going on with you. They will see for themselves.

When summer comes, they will all see your light shine because in summer, you reap what you sow. Count it wise to sow dream-seeds before summer. They will stand you in good stead for the future. I could go on and on about seasons but there is that one season most of us aren't so crazy about; When it is so cold and you wish you were far away in some sunny city. Same way, life can throw you into the deep end of winter and while it isn't glamorous, it is important you recognise this is your time to be purged, pruned and distilled. That's right, get rid of some stuff you don't need. You know what I’m talking about, that guy you are dating, who keeps telling you he is going to change but you know he will never change because he has an excuse for everything he does.

This is the time of life when you get to discover who your friends are; it is in winter you know what you are all about and how much your heart can take before you get to the breaking point. I am not an expert on the business of living but I'll tell you this right now. Winter is no fun baby. That's right. It isn’t but if you just hang in there for one more minute, you might just surprise yourself.

This is the time of life when you get to discover who your friends are; it is in winter you know what you are all about and how much your heart can take before you get to the breaking point. I am not an expert on the business of living but I'll tell you this right now. Winter is no fun baby. That's right. It isn’t but if you just hang in there for one more minute, you might just surprise yourself.

Enough about seasons already, let’s talk about growing up. I had you going didn’t I? Come on now, stay with me, taking you somewhere. So what’s the 411?
Lately, I have been doing a lot of gowing up. That’s right and it hurts. I’ve learnt it is my rites of adulthood. I went through the rites of passage as a teenager but now I am an adult and it’s time to grow up. Lately, I have learnt so much about myself, it hurts to admit that there are habits and patterns ingrained deep in my conscious and subconscious mind. The thought of it is scary and it pains my heart that it took so long to realise all of this. However, I also have to tell it like it is and let you know that it is exciting to come to a place where you can finally say this is who I am. I like this about me and I don’t like this about me. It gives you the chance to change things and come to that place of actualisation.

The place where you say to yourself, I am free to be me because I have all that I need within me to make life work. Then you start doing things that take you one step further to the place you envision for yourself. Now you know you have always wanted to buy a house but this whole time, you have been busy living it up, getting the latest trends of clothing and shoes, well sweetheart, cut the cards up, pay the debts off and start paying yourself first. Get your finances in order.

Then there is the part of you that longs for some loving, yes that’s right, don’t get phony with me now and if your face dropped right there, pick it up and put it back on. Come on, tell the truth. You are entitled to it if that’s what you want. Don’t be embarrassed about that. It is perfectly normal. However, keep your emotions in check or they will mess you up. Speaking from experience and it’s all part of growing pains. One of the most important relationships you can ever have is the one with yourself. Spend some quality time on you and get to know yourself. No one else will do that for you. Trust me, I am telling you the truth right there.

I am no agony aunt neither am I qualified to tell you about life. I haven’t lived that long. I am just this 19yr old who loves life. If you believe I am 19, then you will believe anything in the world. This is the crux of it all, growing pains is about realising that we can’t go back and change our past and the decisions we made or actions we took. However, we can go into our future with a positive affirmation of who we are.

It is about taking a mental picture of your now and putting measures in place to move beyond it and into your tomorrow. Move past the regrets of your mistakes, the shoulda, woulda, coulda and start stepping up.

And so it is, your heart is healed not will be healed.
Your mind is creative not will be creative.
Your soul is joyous not will be joyous and your spirit is free not will be free.

Growing pains, it won’t kill you.