Girls, Boys, and Everything in Between: Gender and Families in a Changing World

For those that don't already know this, I run a tutoring business for extra cash. (Insert Sales Pitch Here: Triumph Tutoring - moving education beyond the traditional classroom. All subjects. All grade levels. Contact me for more details. More information available at triumph-tutoring.weebly.com.) Sorry guys...can't miss an opportunity :)

So, yesterday I started tutoring two little girls (sisters) for the first time. One of them needs help in 8th grade math, science, and English, and the other needs help in 4th grade math, science, and reading. The dad is a single father, and he has the girls during the week, while the mother sees them on weekends. Just from the first 2 hours of meeting with this family, I learned quite a few things and developed a few questions.

1) Fathers are just as capable of being successful single parents as mothers without losing their masculinity.  In two hours, I watched this father finish putting together a desk, straighten up a house, fold laundry, pack school lunches, and then cook dinner while simultaneously watching ESPN on the living room TV. He seriously wore me out just by watching him run around like a chicken with his head cut off. Because seriously...I had nothing but a feeling of admiration for him at that point since I know that as fast as I can get many things done when necessary, he definitely had me beat. Hands down. Also, not only was he doing things that not many men would do, but he was doing things that not many women would do in such a short amount of time. To say that he is less of a man because he was doing "feminine" work would be appalling to me because I cannot imagine the strength it must take for a person to properly raise children by themselves, no matter what biological organs they possess beneath their clothing. He was in no way less masculine, but he was what appeared to be a pretty respectable individual. And kudos to him for placing the TV in a place where he had a straight shot view of it from the kitchen stove. Well played, sir. I took note for sure.

2) Divorce really does have negative effects on children, no matter how amicable the separation is. From the conversations that I have had with the father thus far, I have gathered that his divorce from his wife and their subsequent handling of their shared children has been pretty amicable but also fairly recent. The girls are still able to have consistent relationships with both of their parents. So, one would think in a situation such as that, compared to the horror stories we commonly hear about divorce, that there would be very limited negative effects on the children. However, when working with them (again, only for two hours so far), I have already noticed some negative effects that the divorce has had on them. The 4th grader was in constant need of reassurance that she was doing a great job and was very, VERY attention driven. I was able to gather that while her father is doing what seems to be an amazing job thus far of making sure that they are taken care of, the girls commonly go long periods of time without direct, one-on-one attention, making her attention-starved. On the other hand, the 8th grader was very withdrawn, and at one point, when I asked her a question about a math problem that she had gotten wrong, she sighed and in a very defeated voice said, "not like it matters...nothing matters anymore." Her sadness was seeping out of her pores into her entire being, and I just wanted to give her a hug and tell her that everything was going to be okay. But it was fascinating to me that even though their parents had split amicably and ensure that they do not lose either parent completely, there were still noticeable negative effects on the children. I was also intrigued by the differing effects on the girls.

3) Fourth grade girls ask a lot of questions, and young teenagers today are definitely more open-minded. So, I'm a butch lesbian. I'm used to being mistaken for a guy from behind or shoulders up. Common, understandable mistake. It doesn't upset me anymore, and as long as a person isn't rude about it when they realize I'm a female, it honestly doesn't bother me. I'm not a female that wants to be viewed as a male, but I understand where the mistake comes into play. With children, I'm even more understanding because they haven't usually been exposed to anything but feminine females and masculine males, and they are socialized that that is the way it's supposed to be. So, my being is completely foreign to them, bringing about a lot of confusion when they see me. Confusion naturally leads to questions. I've been asked questions before about my being, but I've never been in one-on-one environment with a 4th grade girl for two hours in which she had ample opportunity to ask me whatever she wants to. If she was my child, I would have no problem answering any question she had without missing a beat, but when it's not your child and you aren't sure what the parent does and doesn't want their child to know...well, you tend to come up empty. Thank goodness for the 8th grader.

So, the 4th grader's questions went something like this:

4th Grader to Me: Why do you look like a boy?

8th Grader to the 4th Grader: Samantha...don't be rude. You don't ask someone that. And she doesn't look like a boy...she's obviously a girl.

4th Grader to Me: But your hair's short...and your shoes look like boy's shoes...

(Before my 4th grade girl defenses kicked in with "THESE ARE NOT BOY'S SHOES!!! I GOT THEM IN THE GIRL'S SECTION!!!)
Me to 4th Grader: Well...I like my hair short...and these shoes are comfortable...

4th Grader to Me: But it makes you look like a boy...

8th Grader to 4th Grader: You can't look like a boy if you aren't a boy, Samantha. Is she a boy?

4th Grader: Well, no...

8th Grader: Okay then. She's not a boy. She can wear whatever she wants and have her hair however she wants, and she will never be a boy. Doesn't mean you have to wear it or cut your hair off.

Needless to say, I was very thankful that this tutoring session involved two girls, one of which answered all of the other one's questions that I had no idea how to answer at that point. Which brings me into my questions for the day:

1) I know all of the answers about my "gender variance" that I would provide to my own children when confronted with them. But if confronted with these questions again by a young child that I am working with, what is an appropriate answer that would provide the child with clarity but not impede on the parents' wishes for what their children are exposed to? I am particularly interested in knowing what the parents out there would want their children to be told in such a situation. But I need all the answers I can get...even if you aren't a parent now, what would you say if you were?

2) We live in a world today of changing gender roles and family structures. But even when I am exposed to them as someone who challenges traditional gender roles myself, I still find myself in awe of their existence and judging them based on my traditional assumptions. So, are we ever really immune to tradition, even if we are someone who is non-traditional ourselves? 

3) As cliche as it sounds, children really are our future. Are we doing enough to cater to their needs and emotions in a changing world? Today's children are growing up in a world where divorce is common, single parent families are acceptable, and gender is less traditional than it was in the past, but there are still traditional aspects of society that they are equally exposed to. So, in a sense, today's young children are in limbo so to speak. What are we doing to help them specifically in a transitioning society?

Beyond the Surface

Much like we all are, I'm a creature of habit. Good habits. Bad habits. And all the habits in between. As such, I tend to go to the same stores and see the same employees. Most of the time, I don't care to know their story; I just want my stuff so I can go on with my day.

In our society, most of us live this way. We operate as robots on a mission, always hurrying to get nowhere special. We either don't care about the true substance of others, or we are too afraid to ask out of fear of being seen as the oddball who asks way too many personal questions.

For the most part, we hate going beyond surface talk with people that we aren't really close to already. We don't want to expose ourselves to others and become vulnerable. I can also guarantee that each of you, like me, have many people in your life that you might see and hang out with on a regular basis but that you know absolutely nothing about beyond their name, favorite alcoholic drink, favorite song to dance to, and what they like to order at Chili's.

We know nothing about who people truly are in terms of their values, beliefs, or dreams. We truly live in a world of disconnected connectedness. Thank you, Facebook. We are not only terrified to intensely question the world we live or ourselves, but also those around us. We aren't only afraid to think, but we are also afraid to feel. True, it's easier to not know things most of the time, but it's also less rewarding.

So, since I'm hoping that we will all be spending a lot of time together through this blog in the future, for this post, we are going to go beyond the surface and get to know each other a little better as real people. I will answer the 35 questions below about myself, and then, I hope that you will answer each of them about you.

Here we go:

1. Given the choice of anyone in the world (dead or alive), whom would you want to have dinner or coffee with? What three questions would you ask them?

Martin Luther King, Jr. (1) When you majored in sociology in college, did you have a plan as to what you were going to do with your life? (2) Was it hard to stay non-violent when you and your entire race faced violence at every turn? (3) If you wouldn't have been assassinated, what additional work would you have done for civil rights?

 2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?

Not famous. But remembered positively. 

3. Before making a phone call, do you ever rehearse what you're going to say? Why?

Never really considered it "rehearsing", but if it's an important, professional call, I have caught myself thinking about what I was going to say before making the call, so I don't forget anything. 

4. What would constitute a perfect day for you?

Wake up next to my love. Coffee. Breakfast & news. Go downtown and park. Walk and ride the tram all over. See the city. Go to museums and bookstores. Have lunch at a coffee shop. Write. Go home and have a movie night. Sleep next to my love.

5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?

Sing to myself on the daily. Sang with my nephew today. He doesn't judge me...lol

6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you choose?

I would choose to retain the body of a 30-year old...because my mind would strengthen with age but my body would weaken with age. With the strongest, wisest mind possible, and a strong body, I could do more for the world for those 60 years.

7. If you could find out for absolute certain when and how you will die, would you want to know?

Absolutely not. 

8. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?

Everything...I have a roof over my head, food to eat, an amazing woman that loves me, and a great family. 

9. If you were told you only had 24 hours to live, what would you do in that time?

Go to the ocean at sunset with my love and write as much as I possibly could. 

10. What's your astrological sign? Is it accurate?

Taurus. Accurate for the most part, except the part about being materialistic. I'm not at all. 

11. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one quality or ability, what would it be?

Time travel. 

12. Is there something that you've dreamt of doing for a long time? Why haven't you done it?

Opening a coffee shop/bookstore. One day, I will, and I will run it full-time when I retire. Just haven't had the financial ability or time to yet. 

13. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?

Becoming the person that I am today. 

14. What do you value most in life?

My mind. 

15. What is your most treasured memory?

My grandfather sitting me on his lap the Xmas a month before he died to give me my present (a watch) and telling me that he was proud of me and to never forget that I could and would do anything in life that I wanted to do. 

16. What is your most terrible memory?

The day my brother committed suicide. 

17. What does friendship mean to you?

Family by choice. True friendship to me is more than acquaintances. It's establishing such a deep connection with a person through life experiences that they might as well be a blood relative. And no matter how long you go without seeing or talking to that person, you would always take a bullet for them because you love them as a person. 

18. How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people's?

My family is very close. We were raised that way, and I am very thankful for the happy childhood that I had with my siblings and cousins. It taught us the importance of family and that being poor doesn't mean that you can't be happy. 

19. How do you feel about your relationship with your partner?

She is truly the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I will love her completely for the rest of my life.

20. What was the most embarrassing moment in your life to date?

Hitting a tree while riding a bicycle and breaking my arm. 

21. When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?

In front of my love and by myself months ago. Haven't had a need to cry since then. 

22. If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven't you told them yet?

I would like to think that I wouldn't have anything to regret because I hope that I have already let the people that I love know how much I love them and respect them. 

 23. Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?

My laptop or flash drive to save all my work. 

24. If you could choose the sex and physical appearance of your soon-to-be-born child, would you do it?

No. I would want my child to know that it didn't matter to me what they were to look like before they were born, I knew that I would love them completely regardless.

25. Would you be willing to have horrible nightmares for a year if you would be rewarded with extraordinary wealth?

No. Wealth means very little to me. 

26. If you got your hands on $1 million, what would you do with it?

Buy a $125,000 house for me and my love. Spend $50,000 on two new cars for us both. Open a coffee shop/bookstore with $150,000. Set aside $250,000 for our retirement to build interest in CD's/IRA's/stocks/etc. Start college funds for my love's children and my nephew with $150,000. Start a foundation for mental health in my brother's honor with $50,000 and a grassroots organization for true political change by the people, for the people with another $50,000 . And with the remaining $175,000, I'd pass some of it on to my parents and sister, donate to various charities, and travel.

 27. What is your biggest fear?

Failure. 

28. What is your biggest regret in life?

Not being there more for my brother. 

29. When you were in high school, what did you want to be when you grew up? Is that what you do now?

I wanted to be a pediatric orthopedic all the way through high school. As a child, I used to wrap ace bandages around any limbs I could find...dolls and humans. Then, realized I wasn't going to make it through watching autopsies in medical school and fell in love with sociology. 

30. What kind of music do you listen to?

Mainly Indie. Second to that would be alternative rock. 

31. Favorite song, movie, and book?

Song - Dare To Believe by Boyce Avenue; Movie - tie between The Green Mile, 300, and V for Vendetta; Book - 1984 by George Orwell

 32. What is your comfort food?

Chicken and Dumplings...but not with the flat dumplings, the round ones please lol

33. If you opened a non-profit organization, what would it be?

A foundation for mental health & a grassroots organization for true political change by the people, for the people

 34. Are you religious or spiritual?

Yes, I'm religious. 

35. What political party do you identify with the most?

Independent. Used to be a Democrat, but I've realized that all political parties are completely flawed. 

Alright guys...you're turn. If you haven't already done so, you will need to follow my blog from this page and create an account. Talk to me :)

Should America Only Be Schooling The NFL On Domestic Abuse? Or Should The NFL Be Schooling America on Economics?

With football season starting and the recent media attention being paid to Ray Rice and domestic abuse, it seems to be an excellent time to talk about football. America's sport. We absolutely love it, many of us religiously. Tailgating. Beer. BBQ. Camaraderie. Competition. Loyalty. What is there NOT to love? Except for maybe that one interference call the ref made against the Texans yesterday...bad, bad call ref...but we still won :) We could talk about the extreme barbarism embedded within it and what that says about Americans and violence. Or how violence is a normal way of life for the players, and domestic abuse from one of them really shouldn't be all that shocking to us. Or we could get into the ridiculous amount of money that players are paid in the NFL and how that contributes to young boys in high school placing all their hopes and efforts into playing professional football one day, to end up empty handed and without a back-up plan as adults. And subsequently working at McDonald's and on welfare. Or even how our education system unjustifiably fails high school football players when they pass them through their classes just to keep them from not being able to play football that season. We could talk about all these things...but right now, I want to talk about the extreme irony in America's sport being one with a economic system such as the NFL's. America is a capitalist nation, and our system as the world superpower has been the primary driving force behind creating our global capitalist world as well. In modern-day times, we could even go as far as saying our deregulated, uncontrolled capitalist system. Our corporations are defined as people with rights by the law, just as you and I. Our banking industry and Wall Street now literally control our lives and the entire economic structure. Our government is aligned with the banking industry and Wall Street, serving their interests over ours - evident when our government bailed them out with our money. We believe in the power of extreme consumption, credit, massive wealth inequality, and most importantly, working to survive. Welfare? Nope. Not unless you're old or disabled. Universal health care? Absolutely not. If you're going to die, you should've had a job with health insurance or a bigger savings account. Sharing wealth evenly across the population? Now, that is just plain, flat out, despicable talk. They should've worked as hard as I did, and they would have the awesome life that I have. Those lazy, uneducated, unskilled people that are already using all of our taxpayer dollars are not going to get their hands on my hard-earned money. Survival of the fittest, mutha fuckas. Further, we demonize alternative systems that don't function the way we function and that don't view human life and well-being as a commodity like we do. Because this is the best way to live. The only way to live. And our country's prosperity and power in the larger world is proof of that. Oh wait...well, it WAS proof of that... The other systems - socialism, communism, or any modifications of them - were not as successful as our capitalist system because God was looking out for us and bestowed extreme wealth on us for doing things the right way. He wasn't looking out for the rest of the world because...well...they just sucked. Yet, we LOOOOOOVEEEE American football, and anyone else who doesn't...well, they suck, too. And ironically, the NFL has a...waaaaiiiit for it...socialist/communist economic system. I will pause for a second while you soak that in......... Now, you want to know how I figure this. Three main reasons. First, the NFL has a revenue-sharing system. A big pool of money owned by the entire NFL that is distributed evenly amongst the teams by transferring revenue from higher-earning franchises to lower-earning franchises each year for them to pay their players and expenses. The salary cap for each team is the numerical figure calculated each year after the revenue is redistributed across all teams. Second, the NFL Draft. The first pick is awarded to the lowest ranked team, and the highest ranked team receives the last pick, allowing the teams that need better players to realistically compete to be able to obtain them, and thus allowing each team to have an equal chance of winning the Super Bowl each season. Lastly, the well-being of the players is not considered something that they must earn based on their performance or earnings in the sport; it is something that is their inherent right as a player in the league. If a player is injured, it doesn't matter if they are a good player or a bad player, or how much their contract is worth, when it comes to getting treatment. They are simply a player that has the right to be treated to health and put back on the field. So, each year in the NFL, each team has the same amount of money to work with, each team has a relatively even shot at the championship, and human well-being is a right, not a commodity. This, my friends, is socialism/communism. "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need." As Americans, we argue against socialism and communism by saying that balanced wealth distribution would encourage individuals not to work. Does it do this in the NFL? Nope. Those guys bust their ass every, single day to win. Their reason to work hard stems from them being part of a team that needs them to be successful for the entire team to be successful, as well as them each being valued monetarily and in health to the same extent as everyone else in the league. We also say that it would discourage competition. Does it do this in the NFL? Nope. Our teams fight to the death to win the Super Bowl. Having equal ground upon beginning the season only provides them (and the fans) with a sense of hope for success. If anything, it makes them work harder and compete more because they know that they truly have a shot, opposed to being filled with a sense of defeat before beginning. We idolize American football. Maybe it's because we like seeing people get beat up when competing. Maybe it's because we just like the way the game is played. Or maybe...just maybe...it's because we (unknowingly or subconsciously) like the realistic hope of winning that our teams have each season...the fair competition...the balanced playing field that the NFL economic system creates for our teams that we wish we had in our everyday lives as Americans. The American Dream no longer exists because of our uncontrolled capitalist system, and our country's economy has plummeted and will likely plummet even moreso in the near future. But our favorite football team has a realistic shot at winning this season. And if not this season, that realistic shot will be there once again next season. And yes, it is true that everyone wants what they can't have, but in this case, we could have it if we wanted it. We have it in the NFL. Many of us just aren't aware that this is the case or that balanced wealth distribution is capable of being more successful than a capitalist system. So, instead of us only schooling the NFL on domestic abuse (which yes, we should also be doing that), maybe the NFL should be schooling the rest of America on economics as well. Until next time...

Resurrected

I started this blog a few years ago as an outlet for my mind, and needless to say since it's apparent from the gap between blog postings, I abandoned it after a short time. I originally titled it "Questions About Everything" because at that point in my life that's exactly what I believed I was filled with. But I had absolutely no idea that I was only questioning the world and not myself, which gets us nowhere in the end. I was in my early 20's, still in college, studying sociology (which should come with a warning sign that says: "WILL MAKE YOU BITTER AS YOU LEARN ABOUT THE DARKNESS OF THE WORLD"), and living in a world that, no matter how much I enhanced my mental capabilities, I could not understand. Yet, just like every other young adult, I thought I knew it all. I was a self-proclaimed secular humanist that you could not win an argument with. I believed in the good of mankind and the ability of humans to fix the world we live in. But I wanted nothing to do with a higher power, Christians, or anyone that didn't want to give the coat off their back to the homeless man on the corner or that didn't agree with gay marriage. What would Jesus do?!?! Well, not what you're doing for damn sure!!! I spoke out against inhumanity, hypocrisy, judgment, and all things evil, and in the meantime, I had allowed the hypocrisy and ugliness of the world to turn me into someone that was no better than those that I was speaking out against. I justified my judgment towards those different from me by the fact that they hated me for who I was because of their misunderstanding, making it okay for me to do the same. I convinced myself that my heart was pure, my mind was clear, while everyone else in the world just couldn't see the truth. While the entire time, the truth was that I didn't know myself completely, and I was behaving in the same way they were - judging something that I did not fully understand. In sociology, some of the things that we study are labeling, stereotypes, subcultures, and ethnocentrism. I had realized how others labeled me, but I had not realized how I had labeled others. I had realized how others had stereotyped me as a young, educated, lesbian, non-Christian, but I had not realized how I had stereotyped others. I had realized the negative aspects of the Christian culture and the uneducated culture, but I had not realized the negative aspects of the non-Christian culture or educated culture that I willingly affiliated myself with. I used my view of and place in the world to measure the immorality behind everyone that was not the same as me - ethnocentrism at its finest. I had truly become a sociologist. I studied the rest of the world while forgetting that I, too, was just another part of it, contributing to it everyday, not just in my studies or writings, but also in my behaviors. And while I thought I was doing the world a favor, I was actually contributing to its ugliness even more. Then, something unexpected happened...something that completely turned my world upside down...in August 2011, while I was off at college, my younger brother...my best friend in the entire world...ended his life. No matter how cliche it sounds, this personal tragedy changed my life. I went through stages of emotion: first blaming him, then blaming others, and then blaming myself. First, I selfishly blamed him because he left me. He was the only person that fully understood me more than I understood myself, and I was then forced to live without him in a world I didn't like. He abandoned me. Then, I blamed the mental health system and society as a whole for destroying such a beautiful soul. After that, I blamed myself for not being there enough for him or noticing the "signs". This stage of focusing on myself and my imperfections did something to me...it broke me down to the point where absolutely nothing else mattered, not the groups I affiliated myself with, not the amount of knowledge I had in my mind, to the point that I was forced to reevaluate myself and search for comfort and understanding elsewhere since obviously nothing within me at that point was substantial enough to bring me peace from the enormous amount of guilt that was killing my soul with every breath I took. Everything that I was as a person was gone. I no longer cared about work. My education seemed pointless. Even my writing, the one thing that had always saved me, was empty and unfulfilling. I even went through a time of attempting to drown my feelings out with alcohol and drugs. Didn't work. I even started going long, unhealthy periods of time without eating, and then binging, so the pain that I felt from being incredibly hungry at least reminded me that I was still human. Still no relief. And toxic relationships. Nothing. I was emotionally unhealthy. Heartbroken. I had hit rock bottom, and I couldn't find my way back up. Talking to someone about it seemed pointless then because it didn't help him to talk to someone when he needed it. There were two things that saved me. One healed me at a systematic, mental level and the other at a individual, personal level. The first: one night in January 2012, I was up late, listening to music, attempting to drown my feelings out with M.J. (Michael Jackson of course...lol), when I picked up a Bible. Thinking back, I have absolutely no idea what sparked me to do so, but I did. I spent the entire night until the sun came up, jumping from scripture to scripture, searching for current news articles on my laptop, and reading the work of Nostradamus. As crazy as it sounds (and I know it does), somehow, some way, my scientific, mathematical mind found emerging patterns connecting the word of God, the prophecies of Nostradamus, and current events that proved to me that God did exist. One of my biggest issues with Christianity had always been the lack of scientific proof of a higher power, but by the end of that night, my mind could not dispute the extremely low probability that scriptures written thousands of years ago could have effectively predicted the occurrence of modern-day events without the influence of a divine power. In turn, this completely opened up my beliefs for reexamination. The feeling that overtook me when my mind finally reached that point literally brought me to my knees. I had no idea who I was anymore. What I did know is that I was then a self-proclaimed Christian, and I realized that it was possible for me to find fault in organized Christianity and human mistake in the world around me, without denying the existence of a higher power. God initially created the world, but He is not responsible for what it has turned into - we are. My mind and heart did a complete 180, and I not only felt that it would now be my job to work to fix Christianity through my studies and writing, but I also received a sense of comfort in my brother's death. It was okay that the world didn't make sense to me and that I was emotionally broken. There was something morally good out there that didn't wish for the world to be the way that it is now. The second: Toxic relationships. I had convinced myself that I deserved nothing better and that healthy relationships didn't exist. In the middle of being caught up in them, my current partner...my love...emerged in my life once again and ripped apart everything that I thought I knew about love and life. She challenged me. Even when I didn't want to be challenged in my brokenness, she pushed me still. Convinced me that I do deserve a healthy love. A love that builds you up and supports you and loves you for all your imperfections. She made me smile again when nothing else could. She never gave up on me, and she will truly have my heart forever. Because if another person can love you when you don't love yourself at your worst, then they deserve you at your best. My soul belongs to her now. These two things brought me peace with my brother's death when nothing else could, but they also opened me up to an enormous amount of self-questioning that was long overdue. I realized that I was not making the world a better place as I once thought I was. Nor could I blame his death on the world alone or myself alone - suicide is actually the fault of the entire world, myself included. My questions about the world around me and acknowledgment of its ugliness are in no way gone, in fact they are strengthened, but I now place myself within that world as well. I realize that if the world is going to become a better place, then I have to simultaneously become a better person. As humans, it is most comfortable for us to not question anything. Ignorance is bliss. It is slightly less comfortable for us to question the world but not ourselves, but it's still fairly comfortable. It is completely uncomfortable for us to question both the world and ourselves. But change never comes from anything comfortable. And change in the world today is much, MUCH needed. Over the past few years, my soul was resurrected. Now, this blog is resurrected as well. But this time I will ask questions about everything...myself included. And I invite you to question yourself and the world along with me. Until next time... P.S. My book America's Fall & The Fight To Rise Again will be published soon. I will keep you posted and hope everyone checks it out :)