A Perfect Day at the Ballpark

Yesterday was a perfect day. The weather was hot, but not humid. We started the day at a graduation party for a dear friend’s son. We stayed long enough to enjoy food and rich fellowship with friends and then we left for the ballpark. Camden Yards in Baltimore is a beautiful park. We looked for our seats and they were on the shaded side of the park. Perfect for me. The kids immediately went out to the concession stands to get ballpark hot dogs, funnel cake and fries. Cold water was enough for me. One fact I have failed to mention is I hate baseball I think I can trace this back to childhood. I grew up in the era of one television and it was black and white. My dad was a postman and he was off on Mondays. So during the summer my sister and I would be watching something on the one television and my dad would say turn to Channel 9, I just want to see the score, and we knew then it was over. He would sit down and watch that game to the bitter end, and growing up in Chicago watching the Cubs the end was mostly bitter, but that’s my digression back to my perfect day. So what could make a day at the ballpark perfect for me? It was a time to just relax and laugh with my husband and children. A time to simply chill, and as they say smell the roses. We as a society don’t do it often, but it is good feeling, and I hope everyone has one perfect day this summer.

Outdoorafro.com has a mission: get African Americans off the couch and into the Great Outdoors

“Some see Rue Mapp as a 21st century John Muir of the African American community. A vocal outdoor enthusiast whose ideas are frequently sought by the White House, Mapp understands how nature can nurture not only our physical, but emotional well being.

An Oakland, Calif.-based mother of three, Mapp also knows that families that engage in healthy outdoor activities like hiking, biking, swimming and camping can strengthen their relationships, while combating diabetes and other health problems that result from sedentary lifestyles dominated by computers and other electronic devices. Everyone talks about the healthcare crisis facing this country, a crisis that is particularly acute in the African American community. But engagement in the Great Outdoors is something anyone can right now to improve their physical and emotional health. They just have to get off the couch and do it.”

Unfortunately, black Americans are perceived to have little connection with the Great Outdoors. “How often do you see black people hiking in Yosemite, or sitting around a campfire in a family campground? Not enough.”But Mapp is working to change that. Through her website, OutdoorAfro.com, Mapp is starting a movement to get black America into the Great Outdoors. She’s doing this by networking African Africans who already have an interest in hiking or biking or camping or other activities with other African Americans with similar interests.

The idea, she said, is to encourage African Americans to network with each other and become more involved with outdoors. OutdoorAfro.com is not only a forum to discuss the need for outdoor engagement, but a planning tool for organizing outings. “It’s as if she’s creating a black Sierra Club, said Danielle Lee, a colleague of Mapp who has watched Outdoor Afro grow from an obscure website to one that is frequently accessed by people across the country.

Mapp has also partnered with the California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds and Camp-California.com, which is helping her publicize her efforts in California and across the country.

But between running OutdoorAfro.com and making trips to Washington D.C. to provide input on initiatives ranging from Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign to providing ideas to the Department of Interior on ways to engage African American families in outdoor recreation, Mapp realizes she needs more soldiers to fight alongside her.

“I can’t do all of this myself, she said. So Mapp has taken the next logical step: She has recruited a dozen people like her who share her passion for the outdoors. But these folks are not just advocates. They will also organize outdoor activities across the country, from day hikes to overnight camping trips.“Nothing like this has ever been done before by the black community, at least
nothing on this scale,” Mapp said. Her “team leaders” will initially organize trips on a quarterly basis. But the effort could grow beyond that. I am blessed to have found a group of like-minded people who can help me literally move African Americans into the outdoors in greater numbers.”

Outdoor Afro’s regional team leaders include:

Karen Bayard, a Salt Lake City, Utah-based college professor and community health educator.

Beky Branagan, an Outdoor Skills Facilitator who teaches Girl Scout Leaders about camping. Based in Arizona, she has an M.S. in Recreation Administration and served as a medic in the US Army Reserve.

Sherrita Cole, an Oakland, Calif. Resident mom of a toddler, property manager, and hair care blogger.

Melissa Danielle, a New York City resident who promotes healthy lifestyles and wellness through her work as director of Central Brooklyn Wellness.

Nkrumah Frazier, a biology research technician at the University of Southern Mississippi and Hattiesburg Green Living Examiner who is focused on the latest science and environmental research.?

Karla Frye, a Jefferson City, Mo. resident who works as manager of urban initiatives for Missouri State Parks. Frye has previously worked as a journalist, a research analyst, public relations consultant and university professor.

Danielle Lee, a St. Louis, Mo. scientist and blogger specializing in mammalogy, ecology and animal behavior.?

Zoe Polk, a San Francisco, Calif. resident and human rights attorney.

Alisha Pye, a Los Angeles, Calif.-based Pilates instructor.

Cliff Sorrell, a Bay Area based landscape architect, assistant Scout Master and Cub Scout leader.

Viva Yeboah, resides in Chicago, and has recently embraced outdoor connections through her participation with Girl Trek.?

Charles Yellowday, a Bronx, N.Y.-based social services professional.

All 12 regional leaders will be organizing day hikes, camping trips, bicycle rides and other activities on a quarterly basis in the Oakland / San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York City, Jefferson City, Mo.; and Atlanta areas.”

For more information on OutdoorAfro.com as well as camping opportunities in California and across the country, please visit http://www.Camp-California.com and http://www.GoCampingAmerica.com

Deion Sanders has wife arrested for attacking him, but did he help publicize the incident via Twitter?

Deion Sanders had his wife Pilar arrested for assaulting him. If she did then perhaps an arrest was warranted, but he also tweeted out pictures of him and his sons filling out police reports. It is one thing when a news agency takes a photograph for circulation, but to tweet what has to be a breakdown in your own family seems a little over the top. Read the linked article and share your thoughts.

http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-falcons/deion-sanders-says-wife-1424841.html

140 Characters could spell Doom

Earlier this week I wrote a post about the Indiana school system’s decision to stop teaching cursive since children do more texting than writing. This cartoon could sadly be a look into the future.

Christmas 2010-Why I Believe

The gifts are unwrapped and it is time to start cooking. Everyone is happy with what they received.  We are so blessed and so thankful because we know the real reason for the season, and we believe in the miracle of Jesus. Throughout the year I will debate political topics and often after reading some of the comments I might have a change of heart, but I don’t debate my faith. You either believe or you don’t. That’s the beauty of it you can accept it or reject it, it is up to you. Now it is time to stop blogging and start cooking. To Everyone who reads the blog have a Merry Christmas and we’ll get back to politics next week.

Do You Miss Christmas Cards?

I can remember my parents getting hundreds of Christmas cards, but that was when they cost next to nothing to mail. For the past few years I received less every year. I know we live in the tech world, and people can email, post on Facebook, and send out tweets, but it was something about receiving those cards that added to the magic of the holidays and I miss that.  Even when you get an electronic card you are afraid to open it for fear it contains a virus. You didn’t have to worry about acts of terror when you received a card via snail mail. Some of the cards had photos of the kids and you could see how they had grown from year to year.  It is hard to see how companies like Hallmark are surviving. It’s just another thing to file in the “remember when” file which seems to be growing increasingly larger.

What is “Bullycide”?

While watching CNN today I heard this new term bullycide. It was coined by a writer for the Daily Beast. She said it is bullying someone to the point that they feel the only way out is suicide. This term was used while they were discussing the Phoebe Prince suicide. Prince endured relentless bullying by students at her high school, and now the students face criminal charges regarding their activities, but were they responsible for her death? The school officials have been taking the heat for not doing more to fix an intolerable situation. In this case the girl’s mother said she approached the schools with her concerns on two occasions and they did nothing to resolve the situation, but what should they have done? Have you visited a high school lately? Teachers are no longer the respected oracle of learning they once were. They can simply ask students to do certain things they can’t demand because if they did that they might be interfering with the child’s civil rights. So we have tied their hands, but now we think those same hands should be able to fix this situation. We can sympathize with the family of prince, but we also can only wonder what kind of home life did the child have? She was transplanted from Ireland to the United States. It is very difficult for teenagers to leave their friends when they move across town this girl was forced to move to another country. The move had to have significantly impacted her life. Lastly, did the parents of the bulliers know their children were doing this? When my son was in middle school I had to take and pick him up from designated bus stop. One of the parents asked me if I could also drop her son off after school and I did for months. Later in the school year that parent called me and told me that she had been called to the school because her son had been accused of bullying another child at the bus stop. She said the school was threatening to not allow her child to ride the bus. She as well as I could not believe her child had been accused of doing this. A few weeks later I was talking to another parent and she told me this same kid had actually been bullying my son. When I questioned my son he admitted that this was in fact true. I was stunned because I had been driving a bully around in backseat. The level of bullying was not at all like what Prince encountered, but the point is parents are clueless if children refuse to tell them, and the parents of the bulliers might have actually been blindsided by the accusations. There are a lot of questions that need to be answered and not just sweeping gestures. Indicting the children and blaming the school is not going to bring Prince back, but actually looking at all angles might help prevent future tragedies.

Volunteering: Helping someone besides the people that live with you

 I lost my job last summer and since that time I have been looking and doing freelance projects. I decided that this was also an excellent time to volunteer to help someone other than the people living in my home. Today I started my volunteer work at a local food bank. I was there for a couple of hours and in that time the agency had serviced a Hispanic family, a white family and a black family. What did they all have in common: the need for food.  Some seemed a little embarrassed to be there. These are people who are used to taking care of their own needs, but now they find themselves reluctantly asking for help. Some of them have been coming for years and they had a slight air of entitlement. It was an eye opener, and I only wished members of Congress could actually spend some time with citizens in need. Perhaps it might be the catalyst needed to do something for the citizens instead of arguing while nothing gets done.

Thanksgiving 2009-Why I am Thankful

This Thanksgiving is different for me. In July I lost my job and have not found a new one yet, but in spite of that I am still very thankful. I am thankful that I have a supportive family and loving friends who have been a constant source of emotional support. I am thankful that my family is healthy and the dreaded swine flu has not stopped by my home. I am thankful that our  extended family will be arriving tonight for the holiday. I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to share my thoughts with you for almost two years. I am thankful that I live in a country that allows me to share my uncensored and unfiltered opinions everyday.  I am also thankful that you take the time to read my blog. I would say God Bless America, but He already has. So I will ask for His continued blessings on all of you, and I will just say Enjoy your Turkey Day and try not to eat too much!

Have Parents Just Given Up?

This post is a departure from politics, but it is an issue that is on my mind. Yesterday I had the opportunity to watch Oprah and I sat there in total disbelief. She had two 14 year old children who sat there declaring their love for each other. That’s not the unbelievable part. The fact that their mothers were sitting there with them and boy’s mother had bought condoms for him for when not if he had sex with his girlfriend. Prior to their appearance another guest a sex therapist was telling mothers how important it is for them to tell their daughters about the joy of self-gratification. Now, I am not sitting here with my head in the sand and thinking if you don’t discuss sex with your children it will not happen, but as a parent I will take a stand and a 14 year old child is not ready for a sexual relationship. This is on par with letting minors drink at home because you know they are going to drink so some parents say they are more comfortable allowing them to drink at home. When did parents relinquish their parental rights? When did the children start running the home? I still believe that parents have to set a standard in the home and continue to instill good values into their children. I concede that children have minds of their own, but I will continue to share what I believe and not simply give up because everyone else has.