What do you think about media depictions of disabled people?
Ableism: Discrimination Against Disabled People by The Wheelchair Teen
Ableism: Discrimination Against Disabled People by The Wheelchair Teen
How To Write Your Own Mental Health Prescription
Facing The Words Can Help You Heal
Thank goodness this pandemic is coming to an end. Now you can write your own mental health prescription. Are you ready to get yourself back to normal? Or am I the only one who still thinks that plausible? Being cooped up in the house all day and night can make anyone crazy.
Me personally, I’m dying to get out of social confinement. I speak to people whenever I get the chance. You have to feel for the people living alone or the ones living with their significant other who’s driving them nuts. The pandemic has been challenging for all of us.
Have you taken the time to reach out and check on other people? That’s important in this day and age. Just asking a person the simple question, ‘how are you doing?’ may cause them to reflect on themselves. You ever notice any of your friends or family members acting strange. Don’t be afraid to check up on them by asking a simple question or sparking up a conversation. My question to you today is . . .
“How are you?”
Every weekday morning, I flip the television on to listen to Good Day LA, channel eleven news while I get dressed. I’ve noticed the uprise in gas prices, property taxes and violent crimes. The increase in the cost of living is only one possible motive behind the chaos. However, mental illness may be the major cause of many mass killings, hate crimes, and the overall increase in gun violence. The stress of everyday life takes a toll on our mental health.
June 15th is the day our local counties will officially be released from COVID restrictions and we can all go back to what we perceive as normalcy.
Mental Health Awareness
The state of the world is in a mental health crisis. May is Mental Health Awareness Month according to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI). So you should take the time to acknowledge your state of well-being as well as others. Instead of just going steady on the Ferris wheel, hop off and take a moment to examine yourself. Then use your better judgment for those around you.
Recently, I watched a couple of episodes of the Apple TV special, The Me You Can’t See, with Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry. Have you seen it? It’s fairly inspirational. The documentary focused on interviews with a diverse few people from around the globe such as celebrities, healthcare professionals and children who’ve experienced trauma. These interviewees share intimate reflections of their mental state while enduring some of their most trying obstacles. This particular documentary tears down the stigma of mental illness and portrays it as a more universal phenomenon.
Mental health awareness and the normalization of these types of illnesses provides an opportunity to address it. Especially since depression can lead to suicide. You ever feel like you don’t have the same privilege to live free or pursue happiness like everyone else? Do you feel that there’s nothing to be happy about?
Maybe you can find comfort in knowing that a lot of the world is feeling that way.
Depression
Depression is a common mental illness worldwide, affecting more than 264 million people of all ages. Therefore, you’re not alone. It’s a completely normal illness to overcome. For me, depression is like being stuck in a box that I can’t escape. If you’ve been experiencing depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress seek out mental health professionals ASAP. You’re not weak. There’s nothing wrong with taking care of your mind. After all, it’s a terrible resource to waste. Isn’t it great that the world is past the days of performing lobotomies to treat melancholia? Treatment isn’t that awful anymore. There’s much better research contributing to specialized therapies that can help ease the pain.
Write For Your Own Good
Writing in itself is a method of therapy. It’s an expression of self, through creative thoughts contrived into words. You can reveal so much with words. One of the most intimate forms of writing is keeping a diary or a daily journal. Growing up, my diary was one of my best friends. My darkest secrets lived there.
Now as an adult, I spend more time writing tactfully and critically with compassion. Writing helps me dig up what’s deep down inside and it’s an outlet for the good, the bad and the ugly emotions. Sometimes seeing the situation in front of you, from your own perspective, sheds light on the illness. So, you can face it and figure out what your next step will be.
Meditation or Prayer
Regardless of what you believe in, meditation and prayer is a sacred place where anyone can visit. These two practices accommodate your writing like a knife adheres to a fork and spoon. If you’re having thoughts of negativity or a jumble of active thoughts flowing through your mind, let it out so you can see it. It’s never good to hold these things in, but rather to analyze them and soul search.
I like to meditate or take the time to brainstorm before I write so I’m not wasting my time at a loss of words. Expression of one’s emotions is essential to a healthy mind and it matters how you express yourself. You are responsible for your own actions. Take my advice. Work out your brain by writing whatever comes to mind. It’s an amazing outlet!
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Bus No. 20
Flash Fiction
Anthony Holden was the guy I wanted to marry. All I had to do was ramble around the corner to catch the yellow school bus to see him. It was our first day of seventh grade at Cesar Chavez Middle School when the driver opened the flappy folding doors of the bus. I stepped up the two stairs and peered over at all the rowdy children, throwing paper balls across the seats.
Magic happened when his ogling eyes met mine. Seconds dragged into minutes while my heartbeat pumped overtime. The whole world was in slow motion. Birds chirped in the morning air, vigorous teens chattered in their seats and orange sun rays shined through the windows. His brown sugar skin, little peanut head, and bright puppy dog eyes made him distinctive. Denim jeans covered his legs and those of the antsy boys in his crew.
Nervous was an understatement. I zoned in on him, not wanting to halt but rather search for a seat to fit in with everybody else. I’d fallen in love before I could even scan the rows for a vacancy. I’d never been so anxious to find a seat in my life. His eyes were burning a hole into the side of my face as I watched him in my peripheral vision. I rushed into the first open seat I saw in the front of the bus.
If I were a cool girl, I’d have tried to sit next to him, but I was only a shy one. I sat my bookbag on my seat, glanced up and rolled my eyes at him. He couldn’t have me already. If he wanted me, he was going to have to chase me. For the rest of the ride, I felt butterflies swirling around in my tummy like the wheels of the yellow bus, rolling us to school.
Every morning and after school, we’d see each other on bus twenty. Our friendship quickly developed and Anthony revealed that he’d fallen in love with me on the first day of school. Between the green rubbery seats, we talked, kissed, and socialized with our friends. He asked me to be his girlfriend and I turned him down because I was too afraid. I didn’t know the first thing about boys, but it wasn’t the first time I’d liked one. He took the rejection hard, but he still walked me home.
I stuck my house key into the door, but I let go of it when the knob turned from the other side. When my father peeked his one eye outside the cracked door, Anthony jetted off down the street. For me, that sealed the deal on us ever having a boyfriend and girlfriend relationship. Yet, we were still friends who loved each other deeply.
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K.B. Krissy
A Write Life
Repost: Clubhouse On Apple Makes The App Exclusive
Social Networking Groups Are Worth The Invite For Authors
Have you heard of Clubhouse? Well if you haven’t I want to be the first one to give you a review. Right now, it’s only open to Apple users, but it’s a very noteworthy application. It’s like the party line, online. The platform consists of a moderator and an audience. The Clubhouse moderator can invite guest speakers from the audience onto the stage to add insight into the conversation. Basically, it’s a party line with a moderator controlling the opportunity to add commentary into the channels of community discussions.
Some might say this is a waste of time, but open-minded people will beg to differ. Not saying that if you don’t spend countless hours on Clubhouse your not open-mind. That wouldn’t be a true statement. I mean to say that you need to learn about Clubhouse, if not for the sake of discovery, then for the sake of knowing how valuable the advancements in technology are.
Just yesterday, I spoke with someone I’ve never met in person from Berlin. We discussed self-publishing from a business perspective. We talked about book proposals, book clubs, mentorships, hybrid publishing and marketing. We spent hours in a group talking about what is most important to us and that is writing.
If any of my readers have an apple phone or devises. I would advise you to get on Clubhouse. It’s a great outreach tool.
We Deserve An April Fools’ Day
Spring Fever Unwinds Among Everyone
April Fools’ Day is only the kickoff of a playful season. The fun holiday reminds us to be lighthearted and take on the day with ease. The weather is really what’s fooling us. It’s very unpredictable and yet beautiful.
The birds and the bees take over the sky. Flowers bloom as greenery grows all around us. Trees catch the breeze and keep us from shivering while protecting us from ultra-violet sun rays. It’s the changing of temperature that invites us to begin planning for summer vacations. The skies are usually blue and the tides are only a few inches high. Thanks to the seasons, the earth grows with us every day.
Is It Raining On April Fools’ Day?
I’m certain the rain is coming down if you live in the northern hemisphere. Or maybe you live in the deep south, and when too much moisture condenses in the air, a tropical rain shower comes and goes within minutes. No worries. Rain is beautiful too. April showers bring about May flowers.
The best thing nature could do for us is to cleanse us for a fresher tomorrow. The earth refreshes and rejuvenates itself just as humans do. We call it, ‘Spring Cleaning’. A cleansing that’s so necessary it has its own season. Not just inside our homes, but also within our personal lives. We get rid of toxic people and relationships we could do without.
Now that the pandemic is gradually ending, we all need a good laugh. The month starts off with pranks and brings about a sense of ease. Finally, we’re closer to a break from work and the normal routine of things. We have the opportunity to start again and meet new people while we’re out. As the weather changes, so do we. If we’re lucky enough, we may even get to have a spring fling.
Like all the youngsters who head to the beach to party, we all just want a Spring Break. A week that encourages us to exercise outdoors and get some Vitamin D from the sun. Women begin showing more skin, roaming about in their spaghetti straps and maxi dresses while men ride around on their bicycles wearing nothing but skin-tight biker shorts. It’s as if we all feel the need to make changes with nature. April contains only one day for practical jokes, but it’s the season that actually fools us.
