Becky

Phylicia Rashad

“I would tell [myself] not to be so preoccupied with looking for approval from other people. You’re never going to be anybody other than who you are, and who you are is greater than [you] imagine. The way that we think creates our reality—it’s very powerful… Who you are is not the way you look—who you are is who you are on the inside. There’s not a mirror in the world that can show you that. It is beautiful; it is amazing; it is awesome.” -Phylicia Rashad

Distant Love

This is crazy, but I love it. #TemShrug

President and First Lady Obama

“I’m your adviser,” she said. “It’s not appropriate.” Finally, I offered to quit my job, and at last she relented. On our first date, I treated her to the finest ice cream Baskin-Robbins had to offer, our dinner table doubling as the curb. I kissed her, and it tasted like chocolate.”-President Barack Obama on first date with wife, First Lady Michelle Obama

Love After Love

The time will come

when, with elation,

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door, in your own mirror

and each will smile at the other’s welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart

to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored

for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,

peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life.

-Derek Walcott

(Daisy Giles Self Portrait)

Black Women and Relationships

I ran across this video earlier today and thought I’d share it with my readers. The vlogger’s viewpoint is quite interesting and very rare, so check it out and let me know what you think.

Being Different

25 Before 25: The List

Since I’m about to turn 22 soon, January 29, I’ve decided to create THE LIST. What is the list you ask? The list is a formal listing of the twenty-five things I want to do before I reach the age of twenty-five (also known as the 25 Before 25). Get excited!!! As you will see below, it has some pretty neat stuff on it and it definitely makes for a pretty interesting 3.2 more years of living. The .2 is for the remaining time left in December before I turn 22 in January. Yes, let’s not ask about the math. Lol. Anywho, check in occasionally to see my progress and look out for some major fun and excitement!!

THE LIST

1. Graduate from college AND enroll in graduate school AND start my teaching career.

2. Change at least one of my student’s lives AND indulge in random acts of kindness–at least one per week.

3. Become financially self-sufficient AND get Dallas involved in the sport of his choice (anything besides football).

4. Visit a castle OR visit an African country.

5. Start a stock portfolio.

6. Attend a music festival.

7. Attend a Los Angeles Lakers game.

8. Learn to speak Spanish, fluently.

9. Finish a book every two months including a reread of some of my favorites like The Bible and The Giver AND read at least 10 banned books AND read The Hunger Games and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogies.

10. Expand my cooking skill set.

11. Visit London, Paris, and Italy (take gondola ride in Venice, preferably a romantic one).

12. Own a very expensive pair of shoes.

13. Run a marathon.

14. Develop and follow a workout plan.

15. Take Dallas to Disney World in California and Florida AND visit New York and Vegas. (I’ve been to Vegas, but not as an adult.)

16. Maintain The Guide to Scholarships, my personal blog, AND launch Within Reach.

17. Grow hair back out fully and continue natural journey, meaning do NOT cut, color, or perm under any circumstances.

18. Start a nonprofit OR be invited to join a nonprofit board.

19. Write a short story OR write a collection of short stories OR write a picture book OR write a novel.

20. Figure our what type of wine I actually like.

21. Try an exotic food I cannot pronounce.

22. See a Broadway musical AND visit an opera performance OR play.

23. Spend New Year’s Eve in Times Square of New York City.

24. Drink out of a coconut in Hawaii.

25. Buy a piece of jewelry to later use as a meaningful family heirloom.

Shihan on Def

“Fall in love with you in a different language and see if it still feels the same type love.”

This type of love though. It sounds like that God blessed type, real soul mate type, rib from my side type, real love type love. <3

Teach For America

This is just an update on the word I received from Teach For America a few weeks ago. Well, instead of using the normal communication devices that I use on a day to day basis, I chose to journal in my notes app on my iPhone. And here is what it looked like:

Pray, pray, pray
God is good!
Don’t forget to eat.
9:17 am – Anxious
12:30 pm – Go to class
1:25 pm – Heart sad
1:29 pm – Heart dropped
2:00 pm – Go to work
2:01 pm – Try not to constantly check status and email.
5:05 pm – Check status and notice some changes *FAINT*
5:10 pm – Breath Tem!! Breath!!
5:19 pm – Send William a message screaming one word.
5:34 pm – Try to pay attention in class
5:35 pm – See congratulatory letter on iPhone by mistake
5:36 pm – Receive final notification via email OFFERING ACCEPTANCE INTO TEACH FOR AMERICA AS A 2012 CORPS MEMBER!!!!!!!

Dear Temani,

I am pleased to extend you an offer to join the Teach For America 2012 corps! Your acceptance into Teach For America reflects your outstanding accomplishments, leadership potential, and commitment to expanding educational opportunity for children in low-income communities. -Sean Waldheim, Vice President: Admissions

It is easier to get into Harvard than it is to get into Teach For America! -New York Times

You are the best of the best! -Taylor Miller, Recruitment Manager: Alabama & Tennessee

Well, I hope you have enjoyed this post. I certainly am a happy camper right now.

Teachers and Their Hefty Salaries

Teachers’ hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work nine or ten months a year! It’s time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do — babysit!

We can get that for less than minimum wage.

That’s right. Let’s give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked; not any of that silly planning time, or any time they spend before or after school. That would be $19.50 a day (7:45 to 3:00 PM with 45 min. off for lunch and planning — that equals 6-1/2 hours).

So each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children. Now how many students do they teach in a day…maybe 30? So that’s $19.50 x 30 = $585 a day.

However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! I am not going to pay them for any vacations.

LET’S SEE….

That’s $585 X 180= $105,300 per year. (Hold on! My calculator needs new batteries).

What about those special education teachers and the ones with Master’s degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage ($7.75), and just to be fair, round it off to $8.00 an hour. That would be $8 X 6-1/2 hours X 30 children X 180 days = $280,800 per year.

Wait a minute — there’s something wrong here! There sure is!

The average teacher’s salary (nationwide) is $50,000.

$50,000/180 days = $277.77 per day / 30 students = $9.25 / 6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student — a very inexpensive baby-sitter and they even EDUCATE your kids!)

WHAT A DEAL!!!!