Long Time Wondering

Why is America...no lemme rephrase that...why are a lot of Americans so obsessed with guns? I mean America has many obsessions such as sex, drugs...and fast food (lol), but I just don't understand the gun thing. Not gonna elaborate on it, but it was just something I'd been wondering for a long time. Hmm...

A Little Psychology

I consider myself a positive person...I guess I try to project positivity towards others. I've tended to always be like that. But that doesn't necessarily mean I am always optimistic. Sometimes a bit of pessimism leaks into my psyche...and sometimes more than I'd like. But then a thought crossed my mind. Can you be both optimistic and pessimistic?

Of course, me being the curious person that I am, I decided to briefly look it up. Personal optimism helps with self-esteem and psychological well-being, and physical and mental health. However, some scholars have suggested that even though optimism and pessimism seem like opposites, they do not function that way psychologically. Having more of one doesn't necessarily mean you have less of the other. In life we need both in equal supply. Life is all about balance. Yessir!

To sum up my findings, I found this quote. :)

"Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute."  ~Gil Stern

A Big Fat Hmmmmmmmmm...

What happens when there's a low voter turnout? People like Governor Bob McDonnell get voted into office and try to bring Virginia back to the civil rights era. I mean, that's what it seems like.

In the 90 days or so that the governor has been in office, he has brought forth one oppressive thing after another. First, the governor and the Attorney General eliminate benefits for homosexual state employees and ban anti-gay discrimination laws in in public colleges and universities. Why take away peoples' civil liberties?

Then, Governor McDonnell decided to name April Confederate History Month. The last time this was instituted was when Republicans governors held office eight years ago. Okay, fine. Let it be Confederate History Month. But having no mention of slavery and its role in the Civil War in his proclamation is troubling. Even the last governors that instituted this, made a mention of slavery. Yes, Gov. McDonnell issued an apology and made a change a few days later, but he had earlier told the Washington Post that slavery was not "significant" enough to be included in the proclamation. Hmmm. He also stated that the sole intention of the Confederate History Month proclamation was "to promote the study of our history, encourage tourism in our state,...and recognize Virginia's unique role in the story of America." Slavery played a HUGE role in the Civil War and Confederate history. How could you make this "mistake" and even state that it's not significant? Hmmm. And is this really supposed to encourage people to visit Virginia? A Democrat who was a supporter and major contributor to McDonnell during his gubernatorial campaign condemned the proclamation stating: "The complete omission of slavery from an official government document, which purports to be a call for Virginians to 'understand' and 'study' their history, is both academically flawed and personally offensive. If Virginians are to celebrate their 'shared history,' as this proclamation suggests, then the whole truth of this history must be recognized and not evaded." So true. No one is expecting Gov. McDonnell, or anyone else for that matter, to be held responsible for the crimes committed long before they were born, nor should they feel guilty, but it should be remembered as a major part of our history.

Now, what could be next you might ask. Well, a few days ago Gov. McDonnell told of his plans to add another step for nonviolent felons to have their voting rights restored. They will be required to submit an essay outlining their contributions to society since their release, "turning a nearly automatic process into a subjective one that some say may prevent poor, less-educated or minority residents from being allowed to vote."

Under Virginia's constitution, people convicted of a felony automatically lose the rights to vote, serve on a jury and own a gun. About 300,000 felons who have served their time do not have those rights. A governor can restore those rights to felons who appear to have redeemed themselves. Only Virginia and Kentucky require permission of the governor to restore voting rights to felons. Majority of states automatically restore voting rights after a sentence is completed. In Virginia, non-violent felons are able to apply to have their voting rights restored by filling out a one-page form with information about their arrest and conviction.

But now, the current governor wants to add another requirement. Soon, Gov. McDonnell will start requiring nonviolent offenders to write him a letter "explaining the circumstances of their arrest; their efforts to get a job, seek an education and participate in church and community activities; and why they believe their rights should be restored." And then the office of the governor's counsel will judge whether they are contributing members of society. If these non-violent felons ARE able to write a letter/essay, then who's to say that they won't cheat and lie in the letter just like they did to get themselves in jail? How could you know that someone has been rehabilitated enough from reading a letter? And apparently, if they can afford a lawyer, they could have the lawyer write it for them. How's that fair for those who can't afford the same? Some groups that work with felons have worries that applicants will be intimidated by the essay and will not bother to apply. It's already tough enough getting voters out to the polls, but this will not improve it any. What was wrong with the current form for voting rights renewal? The whole thing just smells a bit fishy. Hmmm.

All this while Bob McDonnell has been governor for about 3 months. I am not judging him, as I don't know him personally, but I do not like many of the things he stands for. I decided to learn more about his beliefs and learned a few startling things. First, he attended Regent University, a private university founded by the televangelist Pat Roberston, which was originally named Christian Broadcasting Network University. Hmmm.  Then I read about his thesis he wrote in school, outlining a 15-point conservative agenda and the Republican Party's vision for families. This agenda includes opposition to abortion, support for covenant marriages and tax policies that favor heterosexual families. Hmmm. He also described "working women and feminists 'detrimental' to the family." Hmmm. He also criticized the legalization of the use of contraceptives. Hmmm.

I do not know all, nor am I claiming to know all or what is best, but this is sad. All this just saddens me because instead of thinking what would be for the good of the majority of people, this man is imposing his own beliefs on everyone. Yes, he did get voted into office, but why take away peoples' rights? Why bring light to a tainted history and 'honor' soldiers who fought to perpetuate a system that could never have functioned without constant and deliberate cruelty towards other humans? Instead of disenfranchising people, why not help uplift and better the society? Let's leave homosexuals alone and not ostracize them. Let's try and help people understand them better so that we can all get along. Let's try and implement better programs to rehabilitate felons, so that they become well-functioning members of society. And just as important, let's not impose religious beliefs on others.

I hope no more of this continues, from him or anyone else. We shall see, though.

7 Long Years

So...today I went swimming for the first time in 7 years. Yes, 7. Wayyyyyy too long, considering the fact that I absolutely love water and swimming and I was even on the swim team one year. lol It had been so long since I'd been in any body of water, that I didn't have any swimsuits. The only one I had was from when I was on the swim team...when I was 15! And...it fit! lol I need a new one, though. And...I still know how to swim! lol Like I'd forget. The only thing is I don't have the swimming stamina I used to have. Gotta work on that!

Oddly, and proudly, though...I learned I still have the skill for holding my breath for a long time. I used to be able to hold my breath for a minute easily and sometimes up to 1:15, which is really not THAT hard. For some reason though, when I tried this time, I was able to hold it for 1:36. I shocked myself! (Not on the first try, though.) My father used to be able to hold his breath for over 3 minutes when he was younger, and I think I got some of that skill. Well, at this point I'd say half of his skill. Ba-dum TISH! lol I know, I'm corny.

I'm looking forward to more water adventures...and maybe more goals! :)

Womp Womp, Not Really

When I initially hurt my foot, I was like..womp womp! Fail. But soon after, I realized that it's not the end of the world, and because I have lots of patience I will get better before I know it. I was right! My foot is now so much better! This morning I would have ran the 5K I signed up for 6 weeks ago, but now I have another goal...I plan on running one sometime next month. Crossing my fingers! :)

Fun, Warmth and Frustration

This weekend, I went to Blacksburg to visit my family and friends. I stayed about 4 days and I had a great time seeing all the people that I love. It really was great, and I even considered staying longer as my brother and cousin bugged me to do, but I had already extended my stay by a day, and I thought it would be best to go home. I was causing a distraction to them, and I also had my mother's car, which she wanted back. So yes, this weekend was Fun.

What added even more to my happiness was the warmth this weather is bringing. This Saturday was quite warm, but man oh man...today was even warmer in Blacksburg, but by the time I got into Nashville late afternoon, it was 80 degrees! And the next few days are supposed to be in the low 80s too. Wow! I'm loving this Warmth. :)

Now, I'm trying not let this "bad news" overshadow the joy of Fun and Warmth, but it's going to be a bit hard...at first. I have been very active the past 6 months, and especially more so these past 3 months and I love it! Also, I have fallen in love with running and made some running goals for the near future. Unfortunately, about 2 weeks ago I somehow injured my foot while playing Tag barefoot with my little cousins in their big, marble-floored house for a long time. Me pounding my bare feet on that floor was NOT a good idea, but I got caught up in the fun. I ignored the pain the first few days and ran on it. NOT a good idea. Then I decided to rest it for like 4 days, and it felt just a tad bit better. Then I went to Blacksburg for 4 days and did not take care of it at all, as I didn't want my foot to hinder my freedom and fun. NOT a good idea. Now I am paying for it, as I am home and limping. Ugh! I can't do any outdoor activities as I had planned on doing when the weather got warm...and most of all I can't do the 5K next weekend, that I signed up for 5 weeks ago! This causes me quite the Frustration, but I realized it's not the end of the world. I will do other activities to occupy my usual exercise time, and I will also keep on weight lifting. And after resting up my foot, I will be back to my old self! I can't wait!

Even though I can't run the 5K, I'm going to keep up the countdown. :)

Goin Back to My Roots

Those who know me well, know that I've always been proud to be Ethiopian. Not only do I have the general pride anyone would have for their heritage, but I'm always proud of the history that Ethiopia carries. On top of that I'm also proud of my family history.

I think it's very important to go back to your roots and learn the history of your family - your people. Find out about your heritage, your ancestry, your genealogy - your roots. People always say by knowing our history we can successfully move into the future. But when they say that, the "our" is usually referring to people as a whole. Plus, that's what I was told by teachers when I complained about history class. However, most people never really know their own family histories. There are many reasons for that, as some may be adopted, some may not have records of family, and some may not even care. But I think it's important.

I have always been told stories of my family and genealogy, but it is only when I got in my 20s, and especially recently, that I got really interested in it. The past few weeks, I have been watching a new series called "Who Do You Think You Are?" where celebrities trace back their genealogy. It is so interesting and the effect that finding out about their relatives has on the them is amazing.

Lucky for me, a lot of my family history is documented a good ways back and there is also a family tree going back about 200 years on my father's side. (It kinda helps that my dad's side of the family is related to royalty.) I am glad for that, but it is all written in Amharic so it makes it hard for me (or my cousins) to read anything. I am determined to learn as much as I can, though. A few days ago I went to visit my grandmother (my mom's mother) and help her out with some things, and the whole time while I was there she randomly decided told me about her life. She told me about her childhood, her struggles as a very progressive and independent woman in a society that didn't nurture that, how she left her kids back home and came to the US for school in the sixties and the discrimination she faced, how it was when the communist military took power in Ethiopia during the mid-1970s, etc. I had never really heard her story, so I was quite engrossed. It was a nearly two-hour conversation, but it wasn't enough. I can't wait for another chat! I've always known my grandmother was a strong, passionate,  intelligent, determined woman, but hearing about how she got where she is with all her struggles made me appreciate what I have and made me want to be a better person.

This is why I think it's not only important to know your heritage, but it's also really interesting! I know for some it may not be easy or accessible as it is for me, but I hope more people will find out more about themselves through their ancestry. I find it so fascinating, and I love learning about other peoples' heritage and ancestry, too!

Whenever I get the chance, I plan on asking my grandparents more about their lives, and their history. I am fortunate to have 3 of my grandparents alive, and they carry so much knowledge and many stories with them, that it would be a shame if I didn't get their firsthand accounts - and in the future pass it on to my children...if I have any. :)

As far as going back to my roots, I really wanna do that again...literally. I wanna go back and visit Ethiopia again. Unfortunately, I can't see that happening anytime soon.