Hope Boulevard by J. Hope Suis

We are a world of words. They are everywhere. 24 hour news cycles. Endless social media streaming. Tik-Tok Fever (Not sure how the sound of a clock became the name of the fastest rising video sharing service.)We are showered with words, thoughts, ideas, agendas, philosophies, opinions, and viewpoints in an endless cycle. So what is the aftermath of all this information? What is the consequence of all those words? Life Is A Journey of WordsOne of the first sounds most newborns hear is the sweet voice of their mother. This sound (vibration) literally follows them the rest of their life. The longing to hear the sound of your mother's voice never goes away. Soon after, the race is on to teach that precious child as many words as possible. Children develop their first ideas about the world from their parents. Right or wrong, good or bad. Their consciousness is shaped by the very words overheard at the dinner table, in the car, and even through closed doors in hushed tones. A victim men…

Ok, I admit my experience with remote learning is limited to three days with my 9-year-old grandson. So I don't claim to be an expert.  I do claim to have been highly frustrated with the process.  It is my humble opinion that remote learning does a great disservice for younger (elementary age) children. They are not mature enough to understand or deal with this situation and so many are falling through the cracks. Many school systems were ill-prepared, if at all, and there is way too much responsibility put on the parent and the child to perform the duties of the education system. Now that I have said my peace, let me step down from my soapbox and offer some practical advice for those parents (and grandparents) who still wade in these waters every day to help their children learn. 1. Wear ClothesNow I did not personally have this problem, but I have heard the stories. Zoom classrooms use cameras. Cameras see things. And in the case of parents who forget this tiny detail, Johnny, al…

We have all dated someone we later called ‘crazy’. Whether that was a true reflection of their mental health issues (probably not) or a random statement regarding our personal feelings about the relationship (most likely), chances are you will again meet and date someone who suffers from a mental disorder.The truth is 1 in 10 of us will have a mental health issue in our lifetime. My personal feeling is that number is higher, but there is still so much stigma and shame surrounding the term that many suffer in silence. And while it is true that some mental illness is severe and not conducive to a sustainable relationship, those are not necessarily the norm. It is possible to have a loving, fun, and successful relationship with someone who is actively working on and treating their mental illness. There are still unique challenges to making a go of it and I’ll try to address some of them here. Were They Honest About Their Condition?Some people live in denial about their situation, and sti…