Equal Play, Equal Pay

IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN WHO PLAY SOCCER, YOU NEED TO READ THIS. AFTER YOU'VE READ IT, TELL YOUR SON THAT IF (OR WHEN ) HE MAKES THE UNITED STATES MEN'S SOCCER TEAM, HE'LL EARN $68,000. THEN, TURN TO YOUR DAUGHTER AND TELL HER THAT IF (OR WHEN) SHE MAKES THE UNITED STATES WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM, SHE WILL RECEIVE $15,000. GO AHEAD. I DARE YOU. I DARE YOU TO IGNITE THAT SPARK. CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE PEOPLE. CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE . . . .

There are differences between men and women when it comes to athletics. As a female who grew up playing sports, I was very aware that my performance on the court or the field did not matter in the eyes of most people. I learned to play because I loved the game and stopped counting the number of spectators in the stands. However, times are changing and, therefore, changes need to be made.
Last summer, the USWNT won the World Cup in Canada. I watched every game and loved every minute of it. The final match between USA v Japan was the most watched football match in US history. 764 billion people watched that match on television with me. Another 86 million viewers globally accessed that match on computers or mobile devices.
In the Men's 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the US Men's Team made it to the round of sixteen before losing. They received $9 million dollars from the US Soccer Federation. In the Women's World Cup in 2015, the US won the World Cup. They received $2 million dollars from the US Soccer Federation.  

If the US Women's Soccer team can shatter TV ratings, all of their hard work, dedication, and sacrifice deserve to be awarded. The number of fans who enjoy watching women's soccer has increased exponentially. I may have stopped counting the number of people in the stands as a young female athlete, but my dream of playing with the great Mia Hamm was just that- a dream. I think it is time to start counting the spectators in the stands because these women deserve to be treated fairly. I BELIEVE in #EQUALPLAY #EQUALPAY!

I would have sucked as a bonnet wearing, huge dress swaying, latrine digging, river washing woman.

Top 10 reasons I was not a pilgrim:
1. Electricity
2. Running water
3. Appliances (washer, dryer, fridge, oven, microwave, etc.)
4. Flushing toilets/plumbing
5. Shampoo/ soap/ toothpaste/ toothbrush/ feminine products
6. Shelter
7. Beds/pillows/blankets
8. Jeans and t-shirts
9. Automobiles (however, the pilgrims probably never dealt with traffic)
10. Coca-Cola
Bonus reason: The Crucible (I'm 99.9% positive I would have hung.)
I would have sucked as a bonnet wearing, huge dress swaying, latrine digging, river washing woman.
The sad truth is that there are things on my list that are unknown to so many. I take for granted the fact that I can flip a switch and have light, turn a handle for water, and have food for every meal. I can read. I went to school. I can vote. I can speak out in public. To know that I take so much for granted is something I need to change. 
There are millions of women my age who no nothing of comfort or security. They are abused, tossed aside, and forgotten. This holiday season, my wish is that somehow, someway, I can make a difference.

Cadence, Rhythm, Melody

when i am LOST in the letters and words of writing, i FIND a cadence that allows the rhythm and melody to take form in syllable and sound. when it is finished, when my writing has become a symphony, i can almost hear the conductor set his baton on the stand just before he turns to the audience and takes a bow.-T.B. Williams

Side note: Out of Print is one of my FAVORITE stores. Their mission: "As the landscape of how we read and experience literature continues to change, Out of Print is dedicated to celebrating our favorite stories while promoting literacy in underserved communities.

Each product sold donates a book to a community in need through our charity partner, Books For Africa. It also supports the authors, publishers and artists who made these iconic works an integral part of our lives."

Life Changing and Thought Provoking

10 Must Read/Life Changing/Thought Provoking Books:
1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee 
(Equality vs. Discrimination /Justice vs. Vilification/ Humanity vs. Cruelty . . . My favorite book of all time.)
2. Lord Of The Flies by William Golding
(Discovering the "real" you)
3.The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
(A contemporary parable)
4.The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
(Anti-Slavery/Pro Friendship)
5.Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
(Two words- Gilbert Blythe)
6.Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
(A refreshing outlook on life and death)
7.Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl
(Surviving, overcoming, and then making a difference)
8.Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck
(The true cost of protecting those we love)
9. Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
(Tearing people and families 'apart'heid)
10. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs Of A Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
(Loss of innocence/ humanity rediscovered)

These books are so good you'll forget you are actually reading: They taste like chocolate malts topped with whipped cream; They sound like the strum of an acoustic guitar. They feel like sun on your face after a long, cold winter. They look like strawberry milk skies at the end of the day. They smell like freshly bloomed lilacs after rain in the spring. Let your senses discover . . .