My Inspiration (Jessica Rivera)

Life is something that cannot be enjoyed unless you can appreciate the beautiful environment as well as making connections with people of similar interest. The environment and mood in which you meet a person can determine making or breaking your relationship with that person. I remember the first time I met the 17- year- old Jessica Rivera, an extremely loving person that cares more for the life that surrounds her, including the life of tiny bugs, plants and animals.


I appreciate the things life has to offer, even the worst of days I try to see the positive. However, I started to get into the habit of doing environmentally friendly things after meeting Jessica. At the time, she was involved in multiple things: teaching children how to play soccer, community service at Margaret Tietz Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, planting trees every year in Central Park and even knitting in her free time.

One project I got involved with on Earth Day in April 2010 with Jessica was planting trees in Central Park. She showed me the steps it takes to transfer a small plant safely from one location to another. This was my first time doing something that had so much value to me. Sharing the experience with a friend, who I’m still close with two years later, shows that it helped us connect with each other better on a personal level.

I observed how delicately she handled each plant, lightly freeing them from any dust that collected on their leaves. She picked spots that had no other plants around in order to give the newly planted tree space to grow. She logically had everything figured out and in her eyes I could see that the work she was completing made her happy. I was extremely enticed by this teenage girl that was only a year younger than I was at the time. She encouraged me to write all my feelings down on paper. Sharing what I wrote afterwards was one of the hardest challenges. I eventually became comfortable with doing that when I built up enough confidence in my writing.

From that moment on, we became the best of friends. I felt such a freedom with Jessica in our daily walks in the park and visits to exhibits that I created a blog entitled “Life Is A Story To Be Told”, which housed all the poetry I wrote. Today, this blog has changed into so much more-- the title still remains the same, but it has developed into a masterpiece of my viewpoints of the world. The common topics I discuss in my blog posts can easily deviate and share connections with other topics you would never think of. The simple things found in life helped me develop as a person and realize that seeking answers and asking questions is not a bad quality at all. Furthermore, being open minded in the things we do today can open a door to new opportunities for us tomorrow. I would like to thank my best friend Jessica Rivera for showing me the path to writing by helping me discover myself through the things I wrote.

Birth Control: A Fairy Tale Gone Wrong

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced free distribution of birth control pills. These plans are put in place by Insurance companies using government funding to cover women’s health costs for birth control pills; something that would otherwise be paid out of pocket. Are you the reader wondering the same question: Can easier access to birth control pills promote better health for women? I appreciate the effort the government is making to help women out with such an expensive necessity, but are they going about the plans for this new health care act positively and not just doing something to make themselves seem like they care for the people?


Our teenagers today are the ones who pick up on the latest trends and fashions which has me extremely worried about what will come of our future generation’s health. Will birth control be the next trend? What is going on with the world? Have mothers forgotten the long conversations with their daughters about waiting until marriage? I personally remember the fairytales about the princes and princesses that in the end fall in love and live happily-ever-after. Looking at the influences that such fairytales may have on us females, it is not hard to figure out that a good portion of our lives will be dedicated to finding that special person. No matter the least unexpected places where you may meet that person, it all comes down to that blast of excitement knowing that this guy might be the one that keeps the soul happy that women want. Are we too caught up with the physical aspects of a relationship that we forget about who the person is inside? Since when did sex become priority number one in a relationship? The bottom line is that mom means well when she stresses the idea of waiting until marriage.

The whole controversy behind birth control is that it is too accessible and the only logical idea of the reasons why so many women use the pill is because they are not aware of the life threatening risks. Since the introduction of the pill there has been an influx of women’s diseases and maladies like never before in the history of medicine. The pill contains two types of synthetic hormones: chemically altered estrogens and progestins much like the hormones made by a woman’s ovaries. PMS or premenstrual syndrome had been discovered only about 10 years ago and the problem is caused by the culprit, birth control pills. Why birth control pills? To the body, the pill is a foreign and toxic chemical from unnatural substances. The progestin chemical in particular causes the ovaries to shut down production of natural progesterone and causes overflooding of a synthetic variation of estrogen and progestin. When the estrogen levels are disrupted and skyrocket this is when diseases and illnesses can be formed.

Fairytale or not, birth control pills, as well as excessive use of them will not make a woman’s life any less complicated than it already is. Instead, women should treasure their lives free of worry about illnesses that could have been prevented with closer attention to the things we are putting in our bodies.

Citymeals-On-Wheels Delivers A Difference

          Giving back to the community is an experience that you remember for a lifetime. Putting smiles on people’s faces I consider to be my duty as a human being. Not all of our lives are “fresh cut roses.” We have to ask ourselves, “How can I help my community with the power I hold in my hands?” If you really want to see or make a difference in your community, you have to be the one person to come forth and show those who feel God and the rest of the world has given up on them that you are still there fighting for their futures.

            It’s a different feeling to volunteer because you have to, than to volunteer because you want to. A person that goes out of their way to help, no matter how small, is a person that influences others positively, as well as a person who outshines all others. Our communities are places we respect highly because we live there, share memories, gather with family and friends and discover who we are. Our communities make us who we are and we must take the time out of our busy schedules to give back to them as much as we can.

            Citymeals On-Wheels is one of the largest Meals-On-Wheels programs in the United States. Citymeals serves 1.8 million meals to over 16,500 elderly people in New York. In 2011, more than 1,200 volunteers spent about 42,000 hours giving back to the elderly. The volunteers are there to talk and serve meals to homebound seniors that are left alone on holidays or are not able to cook for themselves any longer. There are 31 community-based agencies in New York and all are 100% dedicated to giving their time to raising money, to eventually give it back in food preparation and meals to the elderly.

            Gael Greene and James Beard founded Citymeals-on-Wheels in 1981 after reading an article about homebound seniors who were home on weekends and holidays with nothing to eat. The program’s first effort dates back 30 years to when 6,000 senior citizens received meals due to the program’s volunteers, who raised enough government funding as well as private funding in order to keep the program running.

            I volunteered at one of the Meals-On-Wheels sites at an elementary school on Thanksgiving Day of 2011 in New York City. It was quite an experience because not only did I help host, I was also able to walk around and talk to people triple my age and realized that no matter what someone’s age is you can still have so much in common with them. The elderly told me stories of their lives when they were in their twenties and they told them with great enthusiasm. Some lived quiet responsible lives and others lived wild adventurous lives, but each time I heard a new story I couldn’t help but smile because I could see that all they needed was for someone to listen and be there for them when they were alone.

            You can make a difference if you choose to listen, and then act. Also, these types of service programs in local communities are not established overnight. They first start with a person or a group of people that are motivated and together are able to unite and develop something worth fighting for. For example, look at Citymeals On-Wheels the idea of it all comes from a regular day event of reading the newspaper which turned into a program that raises millions of dollars each year to feed the elderly. Just imagine if you put some thought into something like starting your own local service to help give back to your local community. It can start a breakthrough of an awareness that is most important to you and can capture your neighbors' attention as well.

About Me

My diverse family has helped me throughout my years to understand and connect with people of different cultures. I was born and raised in Georgetown, Guyana; my Mom is Portuguese and my Dad is Chinese and black. I literally have all these cultures squashed together under one roof of my home in Queens, New York. No one person looks the same in my family, and I’ve been told many times my family and I have a strong Hispanic look. It can be a little ridiculous sometimes having to explain to people exactly what my ethnicity is, because the truth is I cannot possibly be defined by one word—unless there is a box that states ‘other.’ My whole life I’ve seen myself as an ‘other,’ which has me thinking about the different aspects of ethnicity and cultures. Are such words fair to describe a person? America itself is seen as the “melting pot” of cultures, so why try to label or distinguish ourselves amongst the chaos of people? I guess distinguishing ourselves is a way to give people an idea of how to act towards each other. In that case, labels are okay but labels used for racist comments about another’s culture are very inappropriate. Ethnicity is just as important as ones culture because it is a part of who we are as human beings. As a child, my parents have told me many stories about my family tree and the many ethnicities it contained. I learned to embrace my appearances and treasure the mixed blood that is running through my veins.

Guyana's Mashramani

Whether it is Trinidad and Tobago’s carnival or Guyana’s Mashramani, these festivities offer the best time to be in the Caribbean. The region, in general, is a beautiful vacation spot to do a wide range of things: honeymoon, spa getaways, cruises and safari adventures. Trinidad and Tobago is known for its amazing beaches and Guyana for its most diverse tropical rain forests.

Born and raised in Georgetown, Guyana, I have experienced firsthand the wild, crazy fun of Mashramani. It is an Amerindian word, specifically Arawak in origin, which basically means "a venture.” The Amerindians depended on the cultivation of cassava, fishing and hunting in order to survive. After the successful gathering of food, the Amerindian families gather around to enjoy the day in dance and music. Mashramani is exactly that; a celebration for all Guyanese people to come together as “one nation, one people” (Guyana’s motto) to enjoy a day of dance and music.

            

    
          The best part of Mashramani is the revealing, multicolored costumes. Everyone including myself enjoys the once a year, just being comfortable in their own skin. This celebration is a time to enjoy one’s culture and to hear the new releases of reggae and soca music. The date of the celebration is usually held on February 23. If attending, be aware of the nudity, wild partying and vulgar speech.

Dove Movement for Self-Esteem

           We all know the brand Dove, but do we know the self-esteem programs behind the name? Dove operates a unique foundation, women and their inner beauty. Dove is really trying to get their work out to millions by beginning where the education process begins, with young girls of all ages.

            The Uniquely ME! and It's Your Story – Tell It! Are two programs offered to Girl Scouts. The programs promote self-esteem and leadership among tween and teenage girls. It’s    Your Story – Tell It! Teaches girls that, through storytelling and creative expression, they can naturally find who they are as individuals. Building confidence inside and out to create future leaders of the next generation is what drives this foundation.

            Each year, a weekend is sponsored by the Girl Scouts and Dove to bring together all the Girl scouts councils for a Dove self-esteem weekend. The second annual Dove self-esteem weekend was held on October 21-23, 2011 to inspire girls to reach their full potential. The girls spend time with other girls their age, with similar self-esteem issues. The bond and friendships the girls experience there, and in any other of the programs nationwide, really shows the girls that they are not alone finding a positive self image. 

Bringing  encouragement and self motivation to women and girls nationwide is what the Dove Movement for Self-Esteem is doing and will continue to do until women are no longer affected by false beauty or false portrayals of beauty as confidence.

What Does It Take For One To Become A Writer?

            Browsing on the internet I came across this topic. I find this scenario extremely funny because not even twenty minutes had passed when I had my interactive media class that talks all about online writing and I still didn’t think to write about this topic. I enjoy this class very much because not only do we learn the tricks and inside scoops of how to possibly make money off of online writing, but we have special guests that have in some way or other got a foot in the door to encouraging people to follow their online websites. With enough views, one has the option to turn their small website into something huge.

  (Step 1) Mastering the craft

            Writing as a whole comes down to that one most important thing, mastering the craft. Being able to properly express yourself through words puts you on the right track, but being able to grammatically and structurally write well puts you in the fast lane.

  (Step 2) Practice

            If you believe anyone can be a writer, take that thought completely out of your mind because it takes a lot more than a Microsoft document and typing on keys to make a person a writer. One must be proficient in whatever skill they may hold dear to him/her to truly be happy and confident in what they spend their time creating. Writing is no different: practice, practice, practice is needed to get stronger and more fluent.

 (Step 3) Find your style of writing

            How do you feel most comfortable writing? Are you a person that likes hard core and straightforward facts? Maybe there is a fun side to you that likes to be silly. If so, don’t be afraid to share with others. Some people treasure their thoughts and believe that by expressing it in opinion pieces. Others prefer creative, fantasy writing styles. Discovering where you fall will help you focus more on knowing who you are as a writer, which eventually helps build your confidence in your own writing.
(Step 4) Check, double check and triple check your work

Editing your work comes down to intense concentration, making sure you applied the right word here or there and placing periods and commas in the right places. Check spelling as you read your work out loud because spell-check doesn’t catch everything. Pay attention to what is being written because maybe you meant to type a word you had in mind but you made a mistake by spelling another word that is spelled correctly. Then you realize the word makes no sense in the sentence. The more focused writer you are by catching your own mistakes, the more reliant and saleable you are. It’s like fast food, say McDonalds never screws up your order, of course you will keep buying food from them because you have nothing to complain about. The same goes for a writer if your editor has little to edit on your daily assignments, the more pleased he will be, and the longer you will have your job.

 (Step 5) Don’t be afraid to share your work

            Every writer goes through a phase where they want to lock themselves away to get better work done. However, with that isolation you become nervous for others to read your work. Also, insecurities can cause you to hold back sharing too. Think! Think! Think! is all I’m going to say because if you choose to hold back on something that could possibly be amazing in someone else’s eyes, you have just missed out on receiving compliments on your work. Not only is it nice to receive compliments but also it’s nice to see your work published in any way, shape or form. Seeing your name in bold letters next to your article puts a smile on your face and many times after that, you will learn to embrace it.

(Step 6) Branch out

This is one of the most important steps, so take what I say seriously. Some writers limit themselves when it comes to certain areas of writing because they feel “that’s it, I found my place in the world.” It never hurts to keep expanding your horizons and writing about things that you may have found boring. Again, think! How would you possibly know that something is not for you unless you tried it? If you did and then you absolutely hate it still, now that is a different story.