If Mufasa were a man...

Oh, what a man he would be.

See this with me if you will.

Powerful simply by the respect that he commanded. Respect that obviously bore root in his kindness. Love, was easily given... shared; but discipline and correction did not fall to the wayside. He gave guidance and taught lessons. He ruled everything the sunlight touched (and even the elephant graveyard. You don't scare people in their own territory if you don't have that authority.) He protected, without a second thought, what belonged to him. Seized his responsibilities by the scuff of their neck. He was a defender... he died saving his child.... His children. He was King.

It dawns on me that if Mufasa were a man... he'd be Jesus. Then he'd be God.

Mufasa said Simba had forgotten him and therefore had forgotten who he was and what his duties and responisibilities were. Simba had a difficult time letting go of his past, and seeing his father in his own reflection.

All he needed was a reminder. He fought his enemy and won. Scar burned in the fire...

I'm sure you see what I'm saying here.

We all need reminders sometimes, of who we are and Who we belong to and Who we can rely on. To Whom we ought to pledge our allegience and lives. And thank You Lord that You can give us these reminders in places as simple as a cartoon.

I saw Lion King 3D this past weekend. And it has to be the best animated movie ever. I recited the lines and sang the songs right along with the movie. Then I tried to picture Mufasa as human, of course. I listed all the attributes that I thought made this penciled in lion appealling and I came to the word "defender" and that's where my reminder came.

(Phillipians 4: 6-7)
...That's all folks.

Common Courtesy

Mind your P's and Q's, help a struggling person with their [insert plural noun here], hold the door open for the person behind you (when the situation allows it), etc. There are so many rules that we have heard over the years about common courtesy. Perhaps, I use the word "common" too loosely and herein arrive at my point(s).  Courtesy is not common at all. More often than not, people are left to fend for themselves and have gotten so used to it that offered help or courtesy seems …suspicious.

Case 1: An old lady walking into my apartment building, was carrying what were very clearly, heavy bags in both arms. I offered her help. She quickly declined it. Then, considering she was ahead of me, she reached the door first. I side stepped her so I could unlock the door and hold it open. She slowly picked up her bags (which she had put down in a move to open the door herself… 0_o) and walked into the building. Not that I care that she appreciated it or not, but rather that really was the most awkward return home I have ever had, and considering I'm the kind to squirm at awkwardness on TV... well you can imagine. I'm not about to do that again soon.

Case 2: I have been at my new job for almost 2 months now and it's going well, thank you for asking. The people are friendly and very helpful and work is going smoothly (save the part that I actually need to ask for work to do to make my chargeable hours… anyways!) There is this one guy who I've worked with a couple times… He is the nicest person I have ever met.  Ever so often, I'd hear that phase and I'd think "yeah, so 'ever' means perhaps the last 2 hours, right?" But now, I see how that phase can be true. This guy has his own work load but would spend time drafting comprehensive instructions on how to do my work and walk through it with me. He'd pause what he's doing to answer my (numerous) questions AND help me find more work to do when I'm done. Even when 'stressed' he's still pretty cheerful all the time. He recently achieved a goal of his, so our manager took us to lunch and bought him a cake. This guy offered to pay and insisted on sharing the cake (like, he wouldn't take "no"). This time around, I was the suspicious one. I had to ask my manager later if he really was like that aaaaallllllll the time. The answer: Yes (at work anyway). Let's just say, I can work with this. :)

Now, both examples are related to human/physical interaction. In this generation though, it's all about the "e-nteraction."  But even there, there's got to be courtesy, right? Apparently not.

Included in my definition of online courtesy is responding to questions asked. Fortunately or unfortunately, there is evidence of the question asked (so no, "I didn't hear you" excuses) and if you talk about blackberries, there is even confirmation for the delivery and receipt of said communication. So, question sent, question read, answer…? ain't even pending. Hoh.

And I know I'm not the only one irked by this, as there is some courtesy left in some places...

The Do's and Don'ts of Walking Downtown…

This list shall, of course, be updated as I learn these things myself.
My source? Experience and the frigging heebie jeebies.
Lego!

1. Do NOT take off your cardigan no matter how warm it's getting. If you must, first check who could potentially catch up with you if they wanted to.  (Of course if your pits underarms are the source of the niagra falls…chale feel free.)
1b. Do NOT slow down.
2. DO keep your personal security item of choice, from pepper spray to alarms, in plain view. Celebrate it, twirl it, point with it if you must.
3. Do NOT give in. Repeat after me, "I think my phone number likes me better, it wants to stay with me."
4. DO wash your hands when you get home! Ugh.

Here's a question for you though… DO or do NOT pay attention to "them"?
I'm always torn because I'm worried if I utterly ignore them they might bore and like …jump me or something… O_O.
(From a safe distance diieeer, hoh, my friend, I'm not the cat you think you're calling.)

Disclaimer: If, of course, you ARE happy with whatever situation you are in and WOULD like a repeat of it with the added bonus of your CONSENT, please do not listen to me. Also…I can't guarantee this will work.

:D

Road Blocks

I have a lot of issues I deal with, and depending on who you ask, they'll agree. But I think my biggest issue, one that rears it's head over and over again, is pride.

I have never been the most social of people. I'm the one who'd leave happy hour early to go watch a movie (on my own) or lounge about with the sax playing as I skype the 1 person out of 54 on the contact list. I'd sooner text than call and I do not mind my own company (or so I try to make myself believe). As a result I have numerous "Hello, Hi's" that stay just that way. My friends who I would call and I can talk to, I can count on one hand and I wouldn't even need my 6th finger stub... Why? I'm not sure but it sure doesn't help my pride. In fact, I think it's fed it.

It's fed my pride, because it is the most difficult thing on earth sometimes to ask for help (for me at least). Everyone needs to ask for help. Doesn't matter who you are. But asking is easiest when you KNOW that you can. When you can anticipate (and you are very certain of) your helper's position on being willing to offer it.

It's easier to ask a friend for help / a favour because you know they wouldn't mind or even find they do, they like you enough to at least offer ideas on an alternative solution (right?). But when your friends number a handful, 80% of whom are hundreds of miles away… well, the world can be a very frustrating place. It's even worse when you can't bring yourself to believe that the Jack and Jacob "really wouldn't mind helping you out," so you can't ask because you don't want to put them out.

Result? You burn out the one person you probably CAN ask favours from, then think "OMDz I must be such a pest. I'm gonna stop asking and do this on my own." Frustration builds (a lucky few discover a remarkable ability to be resourceful). All for the lack of built and sustained relationships, pride becomes the limitless b**** leading you down a dark alley with an inconspicuous open manhole.

Some solutions must be obvious to you, right?
Sustain the relationships!
Ask, you never know.
Re-prioritise,
Drink more at happy hour?

Well… I am writing this post now, no?

No end in sight.

I have been MIA. Forgive me. A girl's been busy. Or trying anyway. I officially started proper work yesterday with EY after 2 weeks of training. Tiring.
Here's the jist. From day one: Tuesday Aug 2.

In office at 9, dressed in my short-sleeved gray skirt suit sporting a pale yellow tank underneath (EY pride ya know :D) 1.25 hr intro to the office, met various peoples, had lunch, went home. Lovely.
Now. 6 hrs later. 1 hr flight to Chicago for the rest of the week for 8 hrs of orientation a day! But why?! Last time I did that was when? JSS? A good number of us remembered those impromptu college afternoon naps… I must say the very first session was fantastic! And the hotel! And the new hire get togethers! Sushi! Sigh. Then came another flight back "home" on Friday night; only to fly out AGAIN on Sunday also till Friday. This time orientation went hard (and half over my head)! (And again that hotel! :D)

But anyhu. The official first day went great, I was given stuff to do and I did it all in good time and did it well (in my opinion; though my senior was like *shrug*) and then day two came along and it dragged like a pink and yellow raggedy ann doll pulled along by a little girl too short to hold it off the ground…

Holstee Manifesto …Share your Passion.

Source: Holstee

Who am I?

SO! In the grand scheme of things… I am currently doing nothing with my life.
Sure I just finished 4 years of college and I'm about to start work in 2.5 weeks and I have been "working" for 1.5… but currently I'm doing nothing… well except surfing the net. Where some things (on Twitter) caught my eye:

• "Lawyer, beggar, hero, blogger, social activist, and local demonstrator (keep your coins, I WANT CHANGE)" - @HeavnsMandate
• "Student, writer, thinker. Doer-in-the-making. Currently practicing my web-fu." - @LeGyare
• "Visual designer & creativity addict. #Print #web #inspiration #socialmedia, #innovation #typography #UX #advertising #strategy with a side of sassy." - @Grinblo
• "A thinker, a dreamer, a teacher & a professional non-achiever..." - @elidot
• "Digital Disciple, Advertising Geek, Thinker, Reader, Writer, Talker." - @oBiii

Note: The rationale here is if the account is not protected, including names is fine… right?

These are the Bio sections of people who I follow/who followed me, or whose bios simply caught my eye. Notice the pattern? Each of them are a number of things (other than "thinkers"). A number of self-defining things… Things that are important to them, or at least I'm assuming are important enough to include in a bio. What does mine say? 

"One love, one God, one way." - @KuiDee

I must confess now, though, that it started out as "One mind, one heart, one love" from Trey Songz's "One Love." It changed at the beginning of the year… I think. So it's importance, despite the words, has been somewhat adulterated…

The point I'm trying to make with this overtly verbose post is that, if there were a standard to composing Twitter bios, and that standard was to list all the things that you are which are important to you, I'm not sure I would be able to meet the criteria. I have heard from a number: new friends, old friends, family, that I have done things I should be proud of and I should "stop being so modest". But I do not think of myself as being, by definition, "moderate in the estimation of [my] abilities or achievements." 

Either way, I still wouldn't know what to include in my list of social, intellectual or creative ability / position markers. I have been alive for over 2 decades (bloody hell), a good chuck of this time has been spent by others teaching, molding, building, encouraging and loving me. Longing for some beautiful amalgamation of it all, which I am currently incapable of condensing into a single line bio…

So. 

What have I done/do I do that I feel is self-defining? 

That overlaps with being important enough? 

For which I can be, definitively, modest?

Better still, who am I? 

Thought I'd Share…

Things that make my toes curl with joy. :D It shall be periodically updated.

12/30/10
XXX vitamin water, hugs, sleep, lavender, fresh laundry, arms… did I say arms?, tactile bass music, Worthy, love, jazz, computers, friends, Ghana, cute old people, water, purple, suits, men in suits, books, dance, Neyo, laughter, mud between my toes, first snow fall, smiles, my parents, THE SAXOPHONE!, eskimo kisses, txt msgs, Apple computers, new gadgets, singing, kisses, kelewele, puppies!, cute babies, shiny cars, british accents, new friends, iStandAbove, old emails,
02/19/11
just-outta-the-shower freshness, men wearing Axe's Dark Temptation, flirting, fried chicken, waakye!, chocolate!, fleece blankets, stuffed dogs, Ghanaian jama!, tigers,
03/29/11
rain, thunder storms, warm blankets, hot chocolate, a cold Coke, steamed broccoli, cuddles, teddy bears, sweaters, scarfs, thick socks on wooden floors, amazing houses, warm showers, fluffy warm towels, bedtime, music that sings my mood,
04/3/11
a just cleaned room, God's love, sunshine, I Believe, comments on my posts!, good conversation, RIBENA!, I mentioned arms already right?, beauty, cake,
06/25/11
being surrounded by green nature, tree houses like this,