ClydeStyle

Tag: ability

  • Living with a disability

    Although it is not talked about much, July is Disability Pride Month, and specifically, July 26th celebrates the signing of the American Disabilities Act (ADA).

    In America, we don’t do a good enough job taking care of this population. Similarly, we don’t take care of seniors either. Like everything else, money and status matter so that despite how rich of a cou try this is, we fail to take care of our most vulnerable.

    It is not even on the radar for most people. If you don’t have a disability or you’re not helping to take care of a person with disabilities, their care would not be on your mind.

    Five years ago, I was stricken with a bacterial infection that eventually made me a bilateral below-knee amputee and killed my kidneys. I am also on dialysis. Medicaid has been a blessing to me as I am taking 17 pills per day, and the prescription bill alone would be hard to afford.

    As long as I stay in the network, my health expenses are covered. But let’s talk about the coverage. I wear prosthetics and  ,  like everything else, if you have money, you will be up and walking close to normal. If you are poor, it’s an entirely different story.

    I have the lowest form of prosthetics available outside of a pirate’s peg leg. It takes me nearly 500 percent more energy to take a step than a healthy person. More advanced prosthetics could get me closer to 50 percent if I had the money.

    Because of this, many people, in my case, don’t even attempt to walk because of this. Imagine not having legs and trying to get around and do things. Even with assistance, it is difficult.

    Technology should make life easier for everybody. We decide to always bring cost into it. So what then is the benefit of being in the richest country?

    Shout out to all the caregivers who donate time and energy to help the disabled. We will pray together for things to get better.

  • How we measure greatness in sports

    Yesterday, the field of 68 was selected, and what we know as March Madness is now set. This is the favorite time of year for all basketball lovers, but especially those who are partial to college basketball.

    In my lifetime, I have seen some very dominant players in five different decades. There is always the argument over who is the best pound for pound player. I have never actually weighed in on this publicly because none of the mentioned superstar players ever played for any of my teams (I am and will always be a proud Detroit sports fan)!

    My opinion is based on the law of firsts. What I mean is there is something to say about being first. In the 50s and 60s, no one had more wealth than Jean Paul Getty. He was an oil tycoon and was able to sustain his wealth by making a deal with Saudi Arabia to be able to drill in the “neutral zone” between the country and Kuwait in 1949. This paid huge dividends for him, and he was the first to do it. There is definitely a benefit for being the first.

    In basketball, we talk a lot about the mystique of the Celtic dynasty in the 60s and how great Bill Russell was. However, much less is said about the innovation of coach Red Auerbach, who was a genius. So many aspects of today’s game came from him. Before Red was coaching, teams tried to build by having the best players and allow for natural talent to win games.

    Red understood that basketball was a team sport, and individual accolades could not trump great team play. Auerbach would be the first to utilize the sixth man and use bench players to maintain momentum.

    He emphasized defense and passing, and he revolutionized the fast break. When he started implementing these ideas while everyone else was basically competing in playground basketball, the Celtics thrived, winning a record 11 championships, which is the most of any franchise because of Auerbach.

    Wilt Chamberlain was the best big man of all time because he could do things no other big man could do. For a 7-footer, he was faster, stronger, more athletic, overly coordinated, and, of course, taller than everybody.

    They changed the rules to make it fair for the other players, and Chamberlain still dominated. Is it his fault that he was born with more talent than anyone else of his time?

    During Michael Jordan’s career, he had a similar scenario. As a 6-foot-6 guard, he was by far the fastest player, could jump the highest, and was quicker. The overall game of basketball sped up because of Jordan. No one could come close to guarding him, and his stats prove his dominance over the league. Jordan had a 48-inch vertical leap, and no one could come close to that. This fact alone made him the most explosive player in history. Again, the first.

    There is no other player like LeBron James. He is also the first of his kind, and his stats show his dominance. The reason James has played so long is that he is the perfect athlete. His speed, strength, coordination, and mental toughness make him the perfect athlete. He could have played any sport and dominated. So, to compare these players to each other makes no sense. They came from different times, and they all have one thing in common: Their greatness has everything to do with them being the first of their kind and having the particular skill and talent that each player had.

    This is great news for the fan because all we have to do is enjoy the talent and be thankful that we are around to admire it! Enjoy March madness!

  • Judges Thomas and Alito are just the tip of the iceberg

    Life constantly proves that we are flawed. As a part of our moral development, we should seek to excel in integrity, goodness, truth, and character, but we have lost our way.

    If we can no longer expect our Supreme Court justices to be honest, how can we expect it in other courts? It seems that there is always a problem when people don’t speak out against injustice. We made that a habit in our country, and it still hinders us today.

    The only thing needed to start a revolution after slavery ended would have been for whites to stand up and acknowledge wrongdoing. If some would have just called it as they saw it because never is it ok to make people property.

    During the Civil Rights movement, our legislative, judicial, and executive branches had a golden opportunity to move our country light years ahead by simply speaking up for what is right! Today, there are horrible police practices that many police, if they were not guilty themselves, could denounce as evil, but they stand silent. Some of the districts that our children are supposed to be educated in are failing. Some of that failure is “teacher failure,” but no one is saying that. Prison conditions in America are deplorable, and very little is being done to change it. Veterans still don’t have all of their promised benefits, but again, we are quiet.

    It’s hard to name an area of interest that isn’t corrupt. Pastors in churches are taking advantage, and some are even getting paid to sell a bad version of hope. And even in the presidency — from Trump to Biden — there are major struggles with integrity and truthfulness.

    Sadly, it seems that we declared independence from the wrong things. Where we should have set ourselves free from lies, laziness, selfishness, and bigotry, we embraced these and would go on to forsake fairness, honor, moral virtue, and serving others. Our freedoms are not for the better but the worse in America. We are free to dishonor our constitution and look out for number one — self!

    There are more justices guilty. We will see more police brutality, bad teachers, and corrupt politicians. And unless there is accountability being enforced, America will implode from within. We won’t have to worry about foreign enemies destroying us. We’re killing ourselves.

  • Life with a twist…

    What if we were all born with severe handicaps? I mean, literally, each person born was blind, mute, and lame and as you grew older, you had to prove to God that you were worthy of being healed.

    Sounds crazy, right? To think that you could earn such things from the Almight God is absurd given that he never worked that way. But it does place a unique value on your right to live, doesn’t it?

    It seems people here have such a sense of entitlement and walk around like they own the planet. We don’t take care of it, but expect it to function normally despite our abuse. We allow dysfunction in such an unhealthy way. What makes it unhealthy is that we are not ignorant of the dysfunction. Instead, we allow it.

    Injustice is another allowance. We allow it until it happens to us. Things are unfair on purpose, and greed is way out of control. So, it would be interesting if we had a scenario of proving our worth. The handicaps would make us accountable to our abilities. I would have to be worthy of sight. Simply put, if all I’m going to be with sight is greedy, then I’m not worthy. If all I would do with my voice is cause mischief, teardown people, talk hate, and be rude, then I am not worthy of a voice.

    And then if I gain these items, at any time I could lose them again in folly. I thought of all this because I wanted to see if there was a scenario that would make the world a better place. The thought was that losing these precious things would bring our attention to our wrongdoing and would rehabilitate us. I thought this would be the proper motivation and would deter evildoers.

    Well, this year, in February, three Sudanese men were sentenced to hand amputation for stealing. This was the first time in almost a decade that the country’s courts handed down such a sentence. They do the same thing in Somalia and other countries, yet stealing still takes place.

    It would seem that God giving us intellect was for the purpose of giving him glory as a faithful creator. Instead, we have squandered our gift, and we’re set on a course to destroy ourselves.

  • Keep your empathy; give compassion!

    I believe the single greatest thing we need in our country is compassion. We all go through things, and we tend to forget when we see someone else going through things that we’ve been there or have had similar problems.

    If we were more compassionate, we would see laws and policies that would help individuals recover from mistakes instead of just allowing us to waddle in them. What if we did have a country that was set up for everyone to succeed?

    Currently, we have political parties who either want to forget the past as if it didn’t greatly affect our present day and another group that wants to keep those struggling handicapped by offering them a little something for their troubles but not enough to solve anything.

    Compassion has two parts to it. The first is to have a sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress. Then, allow that to motivate your desire to alleviate it. Empathy stops at the first part.

    It is a sad commentary when we have to plead to the world for compassion, but that is the case. We have some people who are really on hard times – some are dealing with self-inflicted wounds, and others were victims of circumstance. To change this, it has to be done individually because the collective republic doesn’t give a damn. So, what can we do to show compassion?

    1) Be a resource to the people around you. People don’t know what they don’t know.

    2) Decide on a certain amount of money you will give away each week and don’t exceed it, but give liberally with it.

    3) Make sure that the people who are closest to you are doing well to the best of your ability. Make sure you are doing well first, then them.

    4) Use your influence to gather partners with you in this crusade. A group of successful people can really make a difference in a community.

    5) Commit to being the voice and an ally for the less fortunate, especially when dealing with the powers that be.

  • The power of our integrity

    The division we face in this world is directly related to our integrity. Let me explain. Integrity is the state of being whole and undivided. Our divisions come from a response to what is happening and the blaming of opposing sides.

    For example, Republicans are convinced that President Joe Biden is bad for America. A growing population believes the Republicans are holding back our country. Depending on what side you fall on, you will pick up the disagreements where they left off. You will be outraged because they are. You will play out their thoughts with your aggression as we saw at the insurrection on Jan. 6.

    Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. It’s moral uprightness. You see, this allows me to maintain my moral integrity even when my favorite party goes rogue.

    Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris ran on a platform that promised to improve our criminal justice system. Now they could still do something but the fact that it’s not even being discussed is disappointing. Further, under this administration, we are doing more for Ukrainian refugees than we are for American citizens who are struggling. Congress recently passed legislation that allows Ukrainian refugees to collect social security benefits — to the tune of more than two grand per person in the household.

    Social security is a system that the beneficiaries have paid into over time. This would mean that our hard-earned dollars are going to help them and not the folks that it was intended. And neither party has solved the problem of making sure all eligible veterans receive their benefits. There are too many who are homeless.

    Integrity is the element that should stop a person from grabbing a firearm and harming innocent folks! If you cannot look at the various arguments without losing your cool, you have an Integrity problem.

    What Dr. Martin Luther King was trying to do with the civil rights movement was take people with integrity to look at society’s problems systemically and find nonviolent ways to solve such problems. He was quite successful in doing that.

    Today America needs an integrity check and begin to solve its problems in the best interest of all people. If not, we will destroy ourselves from the inside.

  • Happiness is still two kinds of ice cream

    Are you happy??

    Well first let us define our terms because sometimes we confuse happiness with joy. Joy is a feeling of great pleasure and happiness and it’s based on a response to a known stimulus. Jesus is Lord of us all. That is a fact to all who believe and as long Jesus maintains his current position as both Lord and Christ, we will remain full of joy despite our current circumstances.

    Happiness is similar. It is a feeling or showing of pleasure or contentment toward a situation or circumstance. Both joy and happiness begin in your brain.

    Not to get too technical but Endorphins are created in your pituitary gland and hypothalamus, both located in the brain. Endorphins are a type of neurotransmitter, or messenger in your body. They attach to your brain’s reward centers (opioid receptors) and carry signals across your nervous system which tells the rest of your body you’re happy. Imaging studies suggest that the happiness response originates partly in the limbic cortex. Another area called the precuneus also plays a role.

    Dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin along with endorphins are the hormones that are responsible for our happiness. Dopamine is the main contributor as it is stimulated by compliments, good decisions and anything that makes you feel good.

    So a song or movie can change your mood or you can just decide to be happy or sad. You can choose to be angry or any of the emotions. Someone can commit an offense against you and instead of being angry, you can choose to be content. You don’t have to respond with anger — that’s just the first choice of your flesh when something happens but like a radio station in the car, you can choose another station when you don’t like the song.

    This process is a higher level of self-control which is possible to achieve. You would be teaching your body how to wait on you for the response instead of selecting the reaction for you. It takes practice but you can do it. One exercise I use to help me in this process is to practice the emotions often when there is no stimulus for them. I can be angry when I want to and I can be happy when I chose to as well and I can feel it in my body.

    The title of this blog simply means that happiness simply requires a cause to be. I keep a happy cause locked and loaded in my mind for when I need a different response to things — all facts, no fluff.

    Give it a try and see if we can make the world a happier place together!!!

  • Resolution over already???

    It is not uncommon to have ended your resolutions prematurely. Most who make resolutions fail to see them through. They were made with good intentions I’m sure but either poor planning, lack of desire, or it was too difficult, we start them and it doesn’t take long to snap back into last year’s habits.

    Don’t beat yourself up about it. In most cases it really just means you must take smaller steps. No one’s humanity enjoys cold turkey resolutions. You have to start somewhere so that needs to be something easier to handle.

    Many people are seeking to lose weight and for many it is because of health problems or to avoid future problems. You know you need to lose weight but do you really want to? All resolutions look good on paper, but in your heart of hearts is that really what you want?

    If you are 40 and you have been big all of your life, how long do you think it will take to get small? Definitely not likely in a year because the discipline is not there. And without professional help and support network — forget it!

    The bigger question is what do you do now? Do you try again? Do you select something easier? Do you even have to have a resolution??

    Someone planted a seed which said that if you are not moving forward then there is something wrong with you. We are all supposed to strive to be the be person we can be — who said we had to do that?

    Maybe your resolution should be all about making your own decisions. You should decide what happiness is for you. You should decided what type of lifestyle you want and live it! It is when we are trying to change for other people is where it becomes problematic.

    Love yourself enough to make small changes in your life to improve your well-being but don’t become obsessed. How you look, your job status and your bank account should not be our measuring sticks! Our character, integrity and servant hood should be the standard of person we become.

    Children are looking at us and they will take on our trials and tribulations. They need to be taught what is right as defined by you (I mean they are your kids). You control their level of involvement with social media and the greed of this society. You can choose to be different and raise children that will be productive citizen and not self-absorbed mini me’s that struggle each year with resolutions because they think they are not enough. Balance is key!

  • There is nothing like a good. . .

    There is nothing like a good teacher. Our educational system has a lot to be desired especially when being compared to foreign countries we’re not even in the top 20.

    But a truly good teacher is hard to find. Good being defined as one who unconditionally treats the children as little sponges that can absorb anything. These teachers change lives, inspire kids and builds confidents. They make learning fun and they make no distinction between the children. They do everything possible to make sure no child is left behind and they keep our kids safe.

    There is nothing like a good first responder! Whether you needed a firefighter, police officer or a paramedic these folks are gamechangers. They jump in the middle of tribulation and trials without regard for their own well being. They are selfless. They will be there when you need them without bias or fear. These individuals make the uniforms mean something and they are a blessing in any community. My heart still hearts for the Evalde, TX children who could have used such warriors but couldn’t find any. God bless our first responders.

    There is nothing like a good pastor! Someone who will lay down his life for his sheep. One who gives the right counsel in the time of confusion, a strong word in the moment of doubt and is a comfort to those in fear. A good pastor always prays, hopes, loves and endures. He has studied his craft and doesn’t live a contradicting life. He smells like sheep! Thankful for the pastor!!

    There is nothing like a good parent! It’s not easy to make a home and there are many broken and dysfunctional families in America but God bless the parent that keeps his family safe, provides a decent living, loves unconditionally, demonstrates and develops character, integrity and faith among the children. A good parent knows what the child needs before the child does. They nurture, teach, provide comic relief and empowers their children. Good parents teach their kids not to be bullies, to respect themselves and others, to work and play hard and most importantly to know Jesus. The parent is responsible for maintaining the sacred bond and trust between the parent and child for as long as they live!

    And finally, there is nothing like a good neighbor!! One who shows themselves friendly. A person who is helpful, resourceful and positive. A good neighbor cultivates a relationship that benefits both parties and does things never expecting any credit for it. A good neighbor keeps and eye on their surroundings to make sure it’s safe for all and they know when to get involved and when not to. Good neighbors build strong neighborhoods and even elevates the property value! Long life the good neighbor!

    Hopefully this blog as got you thinking of other good people in your life that are making a difference and to remember to give them their flowers before they die. 2023 is a good year to begin showing gratitude for the wonderful people God has place in your life!

  • No rest for the guilty

    Guilt is the fact of having committed a specified or implied offense or crime. The feelings surrounding this fact are what bothers us the most. It’s not just the uneasy feeling but there is a definite sense of darkness that seems to follow you when you’re guilty.

    It’s always been hard to accept when we are wrong. No one enjoys it. It proves that we missed something or that we are not as smart as we thought we were. It places doubt on the future and makes you hesitant to go forward.

    Some of us get so down that we feel we ought to be punished. We even go to great lengths to ensure our punishment. One of the hardest things in life is to forgive self.

    I used to manage hospices and I recall on several occasions where I had to convince a patient not to attempt to punish themselves. There were folks who were dying of cancer and upon understanding that they were terminal and were gonna die, they wanted to refuse pain medication in an attempt to punish themselves for past sins.

    Guilt is the reality that we are human. It proves we’re not perfect and gives us an opportunity to mature. Guilt provides another chance to make good on life and react to the learning curve. We should embrace our guilt and learn from it. Guilt should not be in control but should serve as a guide or teacher to it’s participants.

    Allow guilt to do it’s job and be thankful. If you are able to realize your wrongdoing you are already much better off.