Trees stand tall swaying side left right fast slow breeze constructs movement leaves obeying the wind trying not to blow away maple elm fir oak spruce birch pine retaining the treescape with beauty evergreen erect regal towering
Canopy preserving abodes families cleaning the air providing shade too pine needles falling on rooftops lasting fragrance by nature beautiful to the eyes suited for picnics summer hot days play eat smile rejoice breathe
The poem titled, Sweeping Treescape is written in response to the prompt.
What Is the Biggest Misconception About Human Connection?
Human Connection
We make all kinds of connections in the world. We connect with each other in person, by email and online. Do you ever stop to think about these connections and how they are formed? Some of us connect by a common interest; say music for example. We might have a quick conversation with someone at the record shop. Yes, there are still some around. But outside of that, the conversation is null and void.
Does it mean that since the two of you love the same kind of music that you are friends?
The misconception is the thinking that because you are in agreement with something or someone, that you have a deep connection. I’ll give another example. If you see someone who wears the same type of clothing as you, you assume that the two of you are the same. I caution that this is a misconception. Just because someone looks like you, does not mean that the two of you think alike or have the same interests and can form a bond on just the outer looks alone.
Another misconception is that if a person does not really talk to you often but you cross paths with them, that they do not care for you or are not fond of you. Sometimes, it can be that that person is shy or afraid to spark up a conversation. Do not assume that because you see someone frequently and the two of you exchange few words that there is animosity.
We can also confuse a person doing a nice gesture for us as their way of inviting us into their lives. It can just be that; a nice random gesture.
What I am trying to get at is that sometimes we connect with others solely based on one mutual interest. Does that mean that we can relate and connect with them in most other areas of life? Values such as their beliefs about family, marriage, children. Their opinions about politics. This is always a slippery slope. Maybe they have different beliefs on religion that are opposite from what we believe in.
Can you answer this? What is the biggest misconception about human connection?
Connections are the link The link that binds Binds 2 places or two things What things and places?
The gap between resentment and love Bridging the gap between the two takes what? Connections
Resentment is coming down really fast Over the edge the water cascades down The bridge there as a buffer Mediating between resentment and love
Once love is conquered Renewed love starts to flow Water under the bridge moves Just as fast it tides below
Communication bridging connection The bridge of communication leads to understanding Understanding opens hearts wide and far Once hearts are open; the bridge leads to loving-kindness
Flowy Water Under the Bridge is written in response to the picture prompt.
A holding season is a time when we are less active. If you are someone who has to fill up every day with event after event, but now you are slowing down. You are in a holding season. Maybe you like to run the streets and fill your calendar with things to do and places to go, but are doing less of that; you are in a holding season.
A holding season gives us opportunity to slow down and frees up our mind to explore other things.
What lead you to your holding season?
💲Money- You are low on funds and need time to build your savings again. This means you are spending less and are at home more. Take this time to do some things around the house. Maybe finish that project you started months ago. Straighten your closets or clean out those junk drawers. You know those junk drawers😄
🚘 Transportation- You do not have a car right now. Maybe it is having repairs done or not running like it used to. You are now thinking twice about where and how often you travel. Taking a cab or using ride share costs money and can add up quickly. You are in a holding season. Use this time to evaluate and think of other creative ways to fill your day.
🏥 Family/medical leave- Being away from your job to take care of a family member or your own medical needs, places you in a holding season. Use this time to come up with other things to do. Things that you wouldn’t otherwise have time to do because you are usually working. If you used to read books, start that again. If you like to do crafts, start that hobby again. You get where I’m going with this.
A holding season forces us to reimagine and rethink our lives. The day to day. We start to gain clarity about how we are spending our time. Whether or not we can make small changes. This can be a good thing for us moving forward.
When the holding season is over you can decide if you will go back to the things you did before. Maybe you might decide to live differently. It’s up to you.
Children are a blessing. Seeing how they grow up and take their first steps, their first words. The feeling is indescribable. They grow and prosper with love, care, emotional and financial support.
The video message titled, Whose Baby Is It, is about those parents who feel like they should not financially support their child. Instead, use government benefits before taking responsibility.
Write in and share what your thoughts are on the subject. Do you think the system should be used and abused or should those absent parents step up with child support?
Video Message- Whose Baby Is It
Thank you for stopping by and your continued support.
Procrastination is something that we have all done at some point in our lives. It is that putting off of something that we need to do. But why? The cause can be many.
Don’t procrastinate. Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?
What does procrastination mean?
The act of delaying or postponing something.
Why do we do it?
Fear– we put off doing things because we are afraid that we might get it wrong. We might fear being made fun of if we do something and we make a mistake. Making a mistake is not the end of the world. No one is perfect so we cannot expect to never make a mistake in life.
Not knowing what to do– If we are faced with something that we need to do, we might not know what to do or how to do it. Therefore, we hesitate or stall. Being unsure of the necessary steps can hold us back. At this point, we might consider gathering information and then making a move.
Unimportant– When the task is not important to us, we figure why the rush. No need to act on it immediately. It can wait until later. We might view it as unimportant because we do not want to do it.
Lack of managing time– We know we have to be somewhere on a certain day and we need to prepare. We wait until the night before. This puts us in the mode of damage control. Because we did not give ourselves enough time to prepare, we are now trying to compensate for the work we did not do beforehand.
How can we get over the procrastination hurdle?
Complete tasks in stages– If we know we have 6 days to prepare for a meeting or presentation. Break the project down into increments each day, so that it is manageable and less overwhelming.
Rethink the way we prioritize– Look at the tasks at hand in a different way. If you usually wait until the 25th hour, rethink it. Start on tasks a few days earlier. Tell yourself that this is something that must be done, so get an early jump on it. Start right away when you realize that this is something that is unavoidable.
Schedule specific time– Set aside an hour or two each day or once a week so that you can work on the specific task. This way, you already know that on Mondays and Thursdays from 10:00am-11:00am, is set aside specifically for the task. Put it on your calendar or white board so that it is in sight. This is your reminder so there is no excuse to miss a deadline.
Get rid of distractions– Distractions like playing video games, watching TV or “doom scrolling” on the internet can be major distractions. These things get in the way and cause us to waste time when we could be working on our task. Maybe we can do the task first and then if we want to do those other things, we can put those “distractions” off until after we have done the work.
Can you think of a time when you let procrastination take over? It can get in the way of real progress at times. Making us feel like we cannot accomplish things when we constantly put things off. It is not too late though. If we recognize the signs and rethink it, we can certainly do it!
The attached article, The Game of Life; Are You Playing Offense or Defense? is also about how we manage things in life. It might provide some insight and give information about how we can do things differently. Check it out.
Remnants of hot summer days Remain in my heart Days of double dutch, tag Jacks, dodge ball, have made a depart Lessons of friendship, community Acceptance, family and humility Still lovingly lingering Hardships, trials of life Showing no immunity Gratitude, compassion, thankfulness Rising steadily
Remnants of Childhood was written in response to the W3 #164 prompt.
Life is a series of learning experiences, events and emotions. In this video message, I talk about choosing to have a good day when you may not be in the best of moods. If you have absolutely no reason to be ill, ask yourself why. This might be a good time to talk to yourself and talk yourself into a better disposition.
(Previously recorded on June 20, 2025) Video Message- Why Have a Bad Day
Vinyl albums- Public Enemy, Duke Ellington, McFadden & Whitehead
Music is a universal language. Jazz, rhythm and blues, rap, gospel, house, soul, rock and roll, disco and go-go. Some of these styles of music are a fusion from multiple genres. While some don’t want to admit that, just read the credits and you will discover. Groups that you thought might have been considered a “black” group, have some origins from other cultures.
Nonetheless, June is Black Music Month or African American Appreciation Month. President Jimmy Carter declared it in 1979. However, it wasn’t until 1998 that it was officially acknowledged.
Music has a way of getting a message across in song. Some people use it as a way to express their feelings. A way to release and purge. Music also brings about feelings of happiness. Others use it as a way to promote consciousness or bring awareness to the injustices going on in the world. Music has a way of uniting and bringing people together, no matter where you come from. It is so uplifting to hear the right song and it gets you singing along or dancing.
It amazes me how much music has changed over the years. New styles and artists emerge. Languages change too. Meaning the way artists enunciate in their music, sometimes you can’t understand a word. Some songs sound like the chorus is just on repeat and not many lyrics to it.
The one thing that I noticed is that songs in today’s time are much shorter. Back in my day, songs were an average of 8-12 minutes. Today, songs are averaging less than 5 minutes. To me, that is a snippet! Oh well, what do I know right?! Music can make you dance, cry, sing, smile and so on.
Tears of Understanding- A poem about judgments and cultivating relationships. Building relationships with people can sometimes be hindered by unfair judgments. We can avoid assumptions about each other by taking the time to have a conversation or simply asking a question.
Tears of Understanding- A Poem video message
Please don't misunderstand what's that you hear yeah, smothered tears tears tears
Please don't misunderstand not being heard, but seen instead seeing me me me
Please don't misunderstand seeing me is not my clothes not my hair and definitely not my face nah nah nah
Please understand my brotha, my sista Black woman I am Boricua I am
My complexion mine your complexion yours my inflection mine mine mine your perplexion yours yours yours
Please understand you will never understand the whys, I give benefit of doubt because it was not given to me
Underestimated Misjudged Misunderstood Even hated
Please understand my silence, my strength to the underlying slick tongue the slick tongue that takes jabs at my person
Please understand, no overstand my shoes you cannot walk in they were not made for you your shoes not made for me
Even still, you hold your truth I hold mine, the same but different tears tears tears, of not sadness
Tears for you you you Judgments you hold for me are really for you you you Understand?!
The affirmation for this morning is choose happiness and have a good day.
Yesterday is gone and today is here. Whatever happened yesterday, don’t let it weigh you down today. It was in the past and is now behind you. Now is the time to look up and look at today and ahead. We can choose to be happy. We can choose to have a good day. You decide on the fate of the day you want to have.
Take a moment to think about where you are in your health journey.
🏥 Medical- Has it been over a year since your check up? Need to schedule a physical? Take time out to schedule that appointment. Remind men in your family and your friends to get a check up as well.
🍲 Diet- this is a good time to think about the foods you eat. Are there things that you can remove from your diet and substitute for a healthier choice?
⛹🏾 Exercise- are you getting enough? Small steps can be the start of making better choices for longevity and a better quality of life.
❤️🩹 Mental Health- Feeling stressed or overwhelmed? If so, try to remove those stressful things or delegate those overwhelming tasks.
Don’t forget to do something that you like and makes you smile.
As always, thank you for reading. 🙏🏼 Stay well and be blessed! 💕
