THANKFUL!

Yesterday I watched BORN INTO BROTHELS. I wanted to see this flick for a while now. I wasn't disappointed and highly recommend it. I liken it to CITY OF GOD. Both films/documentaries shed a little light on the conditions some CHILDREN are born into and then how they play the hand they were dealt. Amazing to me. At such a young age, making life/death decisions that the majority of American children would "cry till they die" when faced with. A great testament to the will within us all.

I keep hearing this statistic HALF OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION LIVES ON $2 A DAY. Think about it. It puts our minimum wage into perspective; no matter how tough we think we have it here in America, there are people that face death everyday. And not from HEART DISEASE AND CANCER. It's famine and diseases caused by poor hygiene. I have been to two places that would fall into this economic category: MOZAMBIQUE for a month and a half and PANAMA for a year. If this is completely new to you, I would recommend checking out HOW UNEQUAL CAN AMERICA GET BEFORE WE SNAP

The above brought me to realize how much I've been been focusing on what I don't have and what I feel I'm losing lately. So I want to just share a few reasons why I'm THANKFUL.



Being born in the United States is definitely a blessing of some level. Although I have so many "complaints" about this country, the mere fact that I can express this dissent publicly is part of why this country is so great. A big reason why people want to come here so badly is privacy. The real American Dream is "leave me the hell alone." Something we definitely take for granted. I also see being born here as a blessing because we have no choice in the matter. It's random for the most part and should not be overlooked. Some think that because they were born here, they have some kind of superiority over those who did not. That I have a problem with. Just being born here doesn't give you any kind of entitlement.

My name, Jose. There's so much more to a name. If your name isn't Jim, Bob, Mike, or Bill, your name is pretty much a different paradigm. My elementary school years were spent in a "Black school." And being called Jose in that environment was ok and actually worked to my advantage. Even though my skin tone would easily fit into the Bob/Bill category, just having the name Jose gave me "different" status. In the 9th grade, I moved to a "primarily White school." Even though my personality can fit into any "group" or "clique," it got to the point where my life was much easier just to go by the name Joe. On top of the questions coming from other kids, I had questions of my own. Then later in life, it's kind of amazing to experience the difference between "Jose on the phone" and "Joe in person." All these challenges gave me a greater insight into the prejudices and discrimination people face. And like with anything, you are more interested when you are a victim of something to want to change it.

I also consider being "artsy" a blessing. As much as I love to write, and consider it art, WORDS have limitations. And those who only express themselves verbally are limiting themselves. Artistic expression taps into other parts of the brain that also need release. We do not think in words; there are so many other aspects of our being outside of words. I'm sure everyone has gone through a time when they were so emotional about something and couldn't "find the words." For example, crying may be the best way to express how you feel at that time. Whether making or observing art of any type brings an emotional reaction. That's why it's so easy to categorize it; you can feel the emotion put into it by the artist. It's universal. Those who can't understand the arts are usually parallel to those who believe they can only use 10% of their brains.

Those are just a few of the things that I am thankful for. It's not all inclusive by any means, but they are worthy of my gratitude.



P.L.U.R.,
zAy