The Name is too Familiar not to Take Notice!

Why is America so outraged by the incident with Michael Brown?  I read one report where there were two fatalities a week in America from 2006 to 2012 with incidents similar to that of Michael Brown.  Why so much national attention for this case?

Well in retrospect I think there is one main underlying reason, the familiarity of the name.  A search for how many people there are with the name Michael Brown in Missouri returned a count of 2,269.  Personally in my lifetime right here in Hampton Roads I have seen numerous people named Michael Brown.  Michael Brown is the name of someone a lot of people have lived next door to, went to school with, went to Church with, were best friends with.  Michael Brown is an every day All-American name.

I think every time we hear the name "Michael Brown" in the news it pulls at the heart strings.  What is even more daunting is that the names used separately impacts the familiarity even more with people we know as Michael and don't even let me get started with Brown.  Brown is not only familiar as a last name, it is familiar as a crayon color we learned as early as two years of age.  What color is this?  Brown.  Brown is normally one of the first colors on the color palette that children get right.  The brown dog, the brown bag, there have been numerous children books written for toddlers which heavily use the word "brown".  Heck there is even a sitcom now which is very popular entitled "Meet the Browns."

We have seen a lot of cases in the news of horrific proportions but normally they are attached with names that are sometimes difficult to pronounce.  Furthermore a lot of times it is hard to recall the first and last name.  Even a two year old will probably be able to pronounce and remember the name Michael Brown.

For decades we have had some very famous Michael's who we grew up with.  I remember as a child watching good times and how I adored how the young "Michael" and the affectionate way his mother on the show always said "Michael".  One of the young civil rights activist I had ever witnessed.  And how he would strut around with his chest held out proudly and stood up for what he believed in.

Also, thinking of the name Michael brings to mind the nickname commonly associated with Michael, Mike. Now who doesn't know at least one Mike?  Do you see where I am going with this.

When I heard the results of the second autopsy report today it brought tears to my eyes.  It seems as if the young man was killed execution style.  Now there is a third autopsy being ordered.  The first autopsy they acted like they couldn't count.  The second autopsy they acted as if they couldn't count accurately.  My heart goes out to the friends, family, and acquaintances of Michael Brown because this third autopsy I feel is going to cause more heartache than the previous ones.  

The plan for more leaders to show up in Missouri on Wednesday is a great idea.  The people in this town need a voice to deliver a message that the people are not alone, the police force is not alone, this is and should be one united country which upholds the freedoms of all its citizens.

I am praying that justice is served to the point to comfort the fears, souls, and spirits of all those who are enduring this injustice first hand.  I pray they receive the healing they need to move on and choose peace over violence so they will be around to enjoy justice when it is served.

My heart goes out to the Mother of the victim, Michael Brown, and the father too.  I hope they are made whole from this tragic loss of their son and it eases the pain which is clearly on their face.  If pain had a face I think it would look a lot like the pain on this mother's face and the heartache which shows on the fathers face.  How horrific to know your son was shot down in the street like a wild dog that had mauled someone.

As a mother I wonder what was her last conversation with her son was like.  I wonder did they hug and say have a nice day.  Did he give her a kiss on the cheek and say "I love you Ma!".  Did she encourage him to get out her house because he was getting on her nerves.  Did she challenge him jokingly to go and stay gone? Can you imagine interacting with your son and later finding out it was the last interaction you would have with him on this earth.  How much more did she want to hold him, how much does she wish she was there to console him, how come the things which seemed so big when he was living like cleaning his room, making his bed, taking out the garbage, getting good grades mean so little now.

The opportunities to spend more birthdays, more holidays, more mother son days together will no longer transpire on this earth.  Questions like whether or not to leave a plate at the table for him.  Do you leave his room in tact or box it up.  Do you live in the same complex where your son was shot down or move on.  A child brought into this world by the grace of God and lost to the world at the disgrace of man.

What if they bickering about something really petty.  Could you imagine the pain and hurt from a last moment not being a lasting moment you want to remember?  All I can say is My God, My God, My God.

God help us all because it really seems America is at war with itself.  I thought we had come a long way with race relations.  When incidents like this occur it makes me wonder how far have we really come in regards to race relations.  

What Do You Do When You're In A Jam?

For me I imagined my life at 50 to be a little different and now I'm wondering if I ever really even imagined what life would be like at 50.  This upcoming week will make 20 full years I have been in my current residence.  My home has served as a welcome mat, a revolving door, a domain for two elderly family members, a place for first birthday parties, and a myriad of other things.  What have I learned over those 20 years?  I've learned a lot.  They say there is no test without a testimony.  I have welcomed people into my home who I once considered friends and confidants.

Over the past two years I've spent most of the time in my home alone.  Over the past eight months or so I've welcomed a male friend in my home.  To be honest if I could have my choice of whom I would like to spend the rest of my life with it would be him.  I love his chocolate skin tone, his dry sense of humor which is unlike most brothas, his confidence, and his independence.  I also adore his his intellect and the way we can sit and talk for hours over a cup of coffee and carry on a meaningful conversation.

But I feel like I'm in a jam.  He's been super sweet to even entertain spending time with someone who really has nothing to bring to the table to compliment or enhance and not deplete what he has.  I believe in pulling my own weight.

The thing I love about him the most is he reached out when others pulled back.  I see the phrase "real men" used a lot in context online.  Some people look at what is on the surface to define what a real man is.  I look to see what a man is doing in the trenches.  He has done the work.  And for me personally with being unemployed for almost a year it is tough on me and it hurts like hell to have to let someone who seems to be the prescription the doctor ordered to go unfulfilled.  Just to have someone partially in your corner when everyone else has turned their back on you afraid you might ask them for something because you're unemployed was to me really a blessing.  A lot of times people see what is going on on the surface but they don't see what is going on behind the scenes.

I'm in such a jam and I need not only the prayers of prayer warriors but all the sinners prayers I can get too. There is a whole lot of rebuilding to do.

I am in a jam and I know faith, hope, and perseverance will continually give me the strength to push forward. and keep standing.  I need a opportunities and fast breaks to open up in a lot of areas in my life.  I've been looking for jobs and Lord knows I have applied for many.  It seems to some I am not doing a thing.  Trust and believe I am.

Pray in agreement with me that God will bless me and my family members who are in need of prayer too with the jobs, stability, and business opportunities to succeed.  I am a true believer if there is more than one gathered together in agreement it shall be done.

The dress I have on in this photo was taken on a Friday night.  Normally on Friday nights I go and workout and do a couple hours exercise.  But that old familiar phrase "how do you expect things to be different if you keep doing the same things" so I decided to change up and do something different.  I haven't been out in years.  So I got dressed up and went to my uncles house hoping to get an invite to a birthday party.  But when you're broke and folks know you're broke they don't want to hang with you.  Especially when you're going to a pricey spot.  I thought wearing the dress I have on in the photo would serve as a little hint that I may be broke but I had clothes before I became broke and I can dress up and look presentable to go out. Some people just have no mercy for broke folks.

The look on my face is my missing my boo who even though it may be only about once a month he would come chill with my broke self when he was in town.  I'm missing him and the conversations we would share over a cup of coffee.  The last time he was at my house he asked me "do you have a job yet?".  And it sort of seemed like he showed me a tough love side of him.  I knew it would eventually become an issue.  Good grief it has been a while and I still have no job.   I hope to be in a better place real soon and out of this jam. I am really getting bored being around the house playing dress up.  I'm ready to dress up in business attire and go to work.

My Favorite Dress Not For Looks but Feel

Does this dress make me look fat?  That's a popular question for women.  I am wearing my favorite dress in this photo.  It may me look a little bigger because the material is soft and the way it is designed it has a lot of extra material in it.  It does not cling to my dimples. 

:Let me tell you, my family detests seeing me in this dress.  I love it on those days when I really want to feel relaxed.  The material is very soft and light.

I happened upon buying this dress one day when I was dress shopping a couple of years ago when I was gainfully employed.  It was in a section with some other dresses I saw that day.  It so happened one of my daughters was shopping with me that day and she liked the dress.  And she also picked out another colorful dress for me that day which was paisley.  I felt in love with the way it felt when I tried it on.

Is it not amazing how we often judge things by appearance only.  Just imagine how many things we pass up because of the way it looks.  Heck, we even often pass up people who may have been ideal for us because they weren't tall enough, they weren't skinny enough, they didn't have enough flash, they were too plain, they didn't fit the image we thought our prince charming should look like.

Well this dress looks like something I would have made in a sewing class in grade school.  You know one of those sewing classes where you piece together different pieces of material to make a garment.  I call in my peasant dress.  A couple of people have told me they totally dislike it for that very reason.

I'm trying to learn to take on more challenges that go outside of my norm to venture and do some things different.  I think it was a bold first move to post a photo of me in this attire.

Like the saying goes, you can't keep doing the same thing and expecting different results.  I am switching up and doing some things different because I definitely need some things to happen a lot differently.  I'm tired of being broke having been out of work on a steady basis for almost a year now.

My focus right now is going to be getting some further education in hopes to network and meet with new people.  I am also going to be concentrating on taking my business from a hobby to a success.  And I definitely know that is going to require a new angle all together.  Since 2005 I have always paid out way more than I probably come close to recouping if I keep doing things as usual.  I would say business as usual but when I think of business I think of making money.

I am still looking for a full-time position where I can be gainfully employed.  My business itself is pretty much a growth venture or at least that is what I want it to be.  When I start selling as many domains, hosting accounts, etc. as the big domain registrars, I will probably be old enough to collect social security by then.

But I do hope to pick up some clients in the very near future who can utilize my customized services in getting  a website designed and developed by me.  I really want to earn and keep a whole  lot of business.  One of the first websites I ever designed was for a Church.  I would welcome the opportunity to set up websites for a Church, club, just about anything someone, a business, club, or group would need a website for.  My prices are negotiable even though they are already very reasonable.

What's your favorite garment?  It can be a conversation starter to let me help you get started with having your own web presence if you don't already.

Do You Have A Website Name? If Not, Why Not?

Let's Get Started!  

1. Go to Websites4Sell.com (do you recognize the swimsuit model?)

 

2.  Register a new domain name.  Enter the name you would like to have for your domain in the text box (I have placed a red arrow on the screen shot).  Then click the search button. 

3. Availability.  Hopefully you will get good news that the domain you typed in is available.  Either way, you will be presented with other recommendations.

4.  Keep it Moving!  Select the "Continue to Cart" button until you come to the final screen which will have a "Proceed to Checkout" button.

5.  Review Your Order! Very important step before you spend your money!

6.  Confirm and Pay!  Payment Method Options will be available

7.  Check Your Email!  After the sale you will receive a thank you and a confirmation email with instructions on using the new product(s) you have purchased.  I hope you enjoy your purchase.  Keep the momentum going. 


I hope you enjoy your new website!  If you want to share it with others reading this post add a comment and include a link to your new website.

Thank you!  Please refer me to any businesses, friends, enemies, acquaintances, or people next door looking to have a website or purchase web products.  Feel free to contact me at (757) 932-0053 if I can be of any assistance.