Wednesday, November 9

Without Preamble

I'm not a super political person.  At least, that's what I told myself before this election cycle.  Ok, that's what I told myself before last week.  My 'Path to Enlightenment" so-to-speak started when I was borrowing my roommate's car on the way to work and the NPR station was on.  Then I caught a few episodes of House of Cards.

  Then I watched The Purge.  Yikes.


 Then I started reading up on this Utah 3rd party dude, Evan McMullin. 

It was a mess!  All this He Said/She Did/3rd-Parties-are-a-waste business.  Apparently no one in the history of anything ever can hold a different opinion and not be attacked with a digital pitchfork, but I digress.  I voted early for my candidate.  Now don't get all crazy, all these hasty generalizations, and assuming stuff.  I did not because of my race, income, region, religion, or because my reproductive organs are on the inside of my body.(I'm kind of partial to Susan Sarandon's "I don't vote with my vagina.")  I voted for the person who I thought represented closest what is important to me.  That person was not named the President of the United States and I don't regret my voting choice.

Anyway, so I was listening to PBS NewsHour and checking the Google update every couple of minutes as I was finishing work.  I get home, turn on CNN, and I listen to a man I have come to respect after just a few minutes of hearing him speak. 

Van Jones.  He is one of the most well-spoken and gracious people weighing in on election night and I agree with a lot of what he said.


We are in a such a state right now.  It's in our best interests as individuals and as a nation- all of us 'normal,' 'average Joe' Americans- to stand together and stand up for each other.  I think many people voted for Trump because of fear:  Fear of a corrupt and impregnable government, fear of losing our individual freedoms, fear of a fading and less relevant Constitution, fear of being vulnerable to the gamut of terrible things happening in the rest of the world.  While I don't believe that fear should be the driving force for electing the next POTUS, this is our reality and we have made our decision.  

We can choose to move forward, to be kind and respect all humans, and to disagree without resorting to petty name calling and mockery.  We can choose to use our energies to get involved in making a difference rather than complaining that things didn't go the way we'd have hoped.

Mostly, though, we can still choose to be the people fighting to 'form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote general welfare, and [strive to] secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity."

Wednesday, March 20

Raise Your Voice, Child!

I've always wanted to write, I just never knew what to say.  I figured maybe I would have to be super clever, or talk about trending topics and all that garbage.  Really, I just want to share my opinion in the hopes that it can make someone else's day a little bit brighter and their load a little easier.

Let me introduce myself.

"Good (insert time of day)!  My name is Danielle.  Some people call me Danny.  I don't have a preference....well, I really prefer Goddess Divine, but it doesn't seem to be catching on.

"I was born and raised for the most part in Virginia Beach, VA.  I've also lived in 5 other states.  I have a huge and mostly dysfunctional family, but the food is always great!

I play a variety of musical instruments which will probably make their way onto this blog.  What can I say?  I am my Father's daughter.  I'm full of sass and spice.  This typically manifests itself as the voice of a black woman.  Think of Angela Johnson's "Bon Qui Qui," "GloZell." or Tyler Perry's "Madea." That's me.  All day.

"I'M A MORMON.  I love Jesus.  I also love Heavenly Father.  A whole lot.  My faith is super important to me.  I'm not fixin' to get cacahuates (crazy) on anyone, so don't get your britches in a bunch.  I will mention from time to time the 18 months that I served as an LDS missionary in Chile, Washington, and New Jersey because I learned some great life lessons.

"I have the tendency to speak random words in Spanish because there is simply no better way to say them.  I'll put the closest feeling of the word (because the actual definition doesn't usually convey the feeling) in parenthesis.

"I have brown curly hair, blue eyes, and a laugh that just won't quit.  I'm tall and love wearing high heels."

That's me in a tiny nutshell.

This blog isn't much, but it's real.  It's honest.  And it's going to change your life.