Tag Archives: Accountability

08.19.17
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Hot Topic #22: A Week Since Charlottesville – Now What?

MLK

Image Credit: Notable Quotes

It’s taken me a full seven days to even begin to fully process what exactly happened in Charlottesville last week, especially since the historic city is only 2 1/2 hours from where I live.

Here’s a synopsis of what exactly happened, from Thursday, August 10th, through Monday, August 14th. I tried to write this in my own words, but I also used the timeline of events from news station WJLA.

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On Thursday, August 10th, two days before the “Unite the Right” white nationalist demonstration is scheduled to occur, event organizer Jason Kessler files a federal lawsuit against the city of Charlottesville, Virginia. The city moved the planned rally from Emancipation Park to McIntire Park.

—

On Friday, August 11th, a federal judge rules in Kessler’s favor. The rally is moved back to Emancipation Park, still scheduled for the next day.

On Friday evening, a group of white nationalists, carrying lit torches, march through the University of Virginia (UVA) campus.

—

On Saturday, August 12th, several hours before the rally’s scheduled start time, the rallying white nationalists and a group of counter-protestors arrive at Emancipation Park. Shortly before noon, violence erupts. Law enforcement quickly declares “an unlawful assembly” and works to disperse the groups as peacefully and as swiftly as possible. The Governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe, declares a state of emergency.

Around 1:30 p.m., a silver Dodge Challenger plows into a group of counter-protestors. One woman, later identified as Heather Heyer, 32, succumbs to her injuries. Nineteen others are injured. After the collision, the car is put into reverse and speeds away, as a crowd chases after the driver.

A press conference is held at 6:00 p.m. Governor McAuliffe vehemently condemns the white supremacists, and commands them to “go home.”

By Saturday evening, the driver of the Dodge Challenger has been arrested. He is identified as 20-year-old James Alexander Fields, Jr. Law enforcement announces three other arrests – Jacob Smith is charged with assault and battery after punching a reporter in the face; Troy Dunigan is charged with disorderly conduct after throwing things into the crowd; and James O’Brien was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon.

—

On Sunday, August 13th, dozens of rallies and vigils are held. The Governor of Virginia, along with other Virginia lawmakers, are seen worshiping in various churches throughout the state, and encourage others to do the same. “Unite the Right” organizer Jason Kessler attempts to hold a press conference. Kessler is heckled by the crowd, tackled to the ground, and one man is arrested for spitting in Kessler’s face.

Interviews are conducted with those associated with Fields. Former teachers and classmates state that he was obsessed with Nazism, and held those beliefs starting in high school.

—

On Monday, August 14th, Fields appeared in court. No bail was set. The Department of Justice opens a civil rights investigation into the car attack.

“If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention”

~ Heather Heyer

This was Heather’s last Facebook status before she died.

After the horrific events in Charlottesville, immediate attention was focused on the remaining Confederate monuments and statues around the country.

One of my former professors, Elizabeth Hall Magill, penned a powerful blog post:

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My friend Becca posted this Facebook status on Wednesday, August 16th:

“You cannot claim to be a Christian yet worship these Confederate statues so much that keeping them up is more important to you than respecting that it pains your fellow humans to see oppressive people glorified. God said it best:

‘Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the Lord your God.’ –Leviticus 19:4

Every statue will come down. Anyone with compassion will support that.”

I wanted to include multiple sources of information surrounding these events:

There’s so much information to process.

Here’s what I personally believe:

  1. I’m sad that all of this has happened. I’m sad that Heather Heyer died. I’m sad the two Virginia State Troopers died in the helicopter crash outside of the city. I’m sad that many others were injured in the car attack. However, I’m also filled with hope. I feel like these events are a bit of a turning point for our country. In the last week, suspects have been identified and swiftly arrested, charged with crimes that they egregiously committed. People have come together, to stand together, and say, “Enough is enough. We will not tolerate this. Racism has no place in our country.”
  2. There’s a lot more work to do than just rallies and vigils and speeches. I hope the positive movements do not lose momentum. I hope people continue to push and press for change!
  3. The American people have a right to protest, but if, and only if, said protest is legal. Meaning, the proper permits have been obtained, and it is peaceful / non-violent. The second it becomes unlawful, law enforcement can and should step in and disband the group. In addition, protesters should meet with city officials and local law enforcement beforehand, if at all possible, to make sure everyone is aware of everyone’s intentions. Communication is key!
  4. All Confederate monuments and statues should be removed in a legal and peaceful manner. The city of Baltimore, Maryland, accomplished this successfully, just this past week. Other cities are beginning to follow suit. Confederate history belongs in museums, not in public places. The only exception that I personally make to “public places” is cemeteries where Confederate soldiers are buried and remembered. There’s more of those cemeteries in existence than you think.
  5. I encourage everyone to educate themselves. I don’t want people to follow a particular opinion just because it’s popular or it’s all over the news. I want people to look inside themselves, deep inside, and figure out how they’re feeling about all of this. If you’re angry, tell someone. If you’re sad, tell someone. Write about it – Like I am right now. Don’t be afraid to express yourself. Now is not the time to hold back. We need more voices, more actions, to make sure changes occur. If the American people don’t want another Charlottesville, we need to stand up. We need to stand up together and make change happen!

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All that said, what I just wrote is my own opinion. These are my beliefs.

I am a Christian woman, and I strive every day to be more Christ-like. I want to do as much good in the world as possible. But, I also want to pay attention to the issues in my world, and in the world around me. Turning a blind eye does absolutely nothing. That’s part of the reason why I wrote this post. I believe in the power of prayer, but I also firmly believe in the age-old saying, “Action speak louder than words.”

Personally, I applaud my friends and colleagues who were in Charlottesville a week ago, determined to counter-protest against the white nationalists and white supremacists. I think that is a powerful and respectable statement to make. Not everyone has the strength and courage that you do.

To conclude, I want to try to answer the question I posed in the title of this blog post – Now What?

For me, I think changes are already occurring. Changes started on August 11th and August 12th. But, as I said earlier, I hope the positive movements do not lose momentum.

I hope that, eventually, all cities in the United States peacefully and legally remove their Confederate statues and monuments, or relocate them to Confederate cemeteries. I hope museums are able to further educate people about the Civil War and the role the Confederacy played. The war officially ended in 1865, but I feel like, some days, we’re still fighting a portion of it, in 2017.

Here’s a few resources that I found helpful:

Together, we can make a difference.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.08.17
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Commentary #55: A Must-See, Incredibly Powerful Message from Beautiful Seventh Grader’s Slam Poem

Slam Poetry

Image Credit: The Odyssey Online

I found the video below on Facebook recently, and it spoke volumes to me:

Background: At the end of this past school year (The video was posted on Facebook on May 25th), this beautiful 7th grade girl at Queen Creek Middle School delivered this incredibly powerful slam poem. This was part of the end of her 7th grade writing class.

Caption from 12 News: “When a 7th grade writing class at Queen Creek Middle School presented poems for their end of year assignment, one student stood out with a powerful message.”

It’s been viewed over 33 MILLION times.

According to the public comments, this beautiful young lady is named Olivia.

Her teacher publicly commented on the video. His name is Brett Cornelius. He was the one recording Olivia’s performance, and obtained her parents’ permission before sharing it.

“She presented this for almost every single 7th grader. They were moved to tears, as was I. She’s brilliant beyond words, and this poem is just the icing on top of her perfectly cooked cake. What’s even more incredible is that she worked on this for over a month, truly digging into the raw depths of teenage hood and expressing her feelings of the good, the bad, and the ugly of walking the halls of the school as a young woman. She’s humble and honest, that’s for sure. I’m proud to have met this little lady!”

“I am her teacher and that assignment was one I went back and forth about assigning for weeks. Obviously, there are no regrets. She transferred to our school, so unfortunately I was not prone to her incredible educational aptitude, but we worked tirelessly to give her creative outlets to express herself. Her parents advocated for her the entire way, too. She’s a blessed child, that is for sure. Thank you!”

It’s hard to hear some of her words, but her message is profound.

I think I’ve watched this video at least a dozen times since I shared it to my own Facebook timeline on Friday, July 21st. And, every time, it’s given me chills and brought tears to my eyes.

—

This doesn’t apply to just middle school, or just 7th graders, or just girls.

Yes, Olivia directly addresses middle school girls, but her message is more powerful and more far-reaching than that.

I saw myself in Olivia’s words. I saw myself in Olivia’s voice. I saw myself as Olivia struggled to hold back her emotion. I saw the tears in her eyes, as I felt tears in mine.

—

I saw myself in middle school – Glasses, braces, acne. Experimenting with makeup, but not allowed to wear much of it. Trying to be my own person, but also wanting to fit in.

I saw myself in high school – Exchanging my glasses for contact lenses. No more braces. Wearing makeup a bit more often, but not too much. Trying to keep up with the rigors of IB, while not showboating to the kids in orchestra and gym who were the regular kids.

I saw myself in college – Finally, freedom! But, with that freedom, I also endured a four-year-long abusive relationship. When I finally saw the light at the end of my junior year, I saw a shell of myself. I was broken. My confidence had vanished, although I’m sure I was still super enthusiastic on the outside. Deep down, I knew I needed to leave, to escape, but I was also terrified that no one else would love me, no one else would want me.

I even saw myself now, in the present day – I struggle with body image. I struggle with the fact that I’ve gained 25+ pounds since graduating from college six years ago. I’m getting better with my eating habits, and I drink far less soda than I used to. I drink at least 75 ounces of water every day, if not a little bit more. I only consume alcohol sparingly now (The good stuff is expensive, haha!) I know that my day job is a major contributor – I’m behind a desk eight hours a day. I wear makeup almost every day, but I don’t feel like a clown. I feel grown-up and professional.

But, I’m also a human being. I have feelings. And it’s okay to have these feelings.

—

The point I’m trying to get at is Olivia’s message is important for EVERYONE to hear. Maybe that’s why it’s been watched over 33 million times. What this amazing young woman wrote and performed (by memory, no less) is a reminder to everyone that we hide behind our true selves.

For me, personally, I don’t want to be so afraid. I don’t want to be so scared of or disgusted by my body image. I want to embrace it, as best that I can, at least. I want to continue to be confident. I don’t want to fake it until I make it as much anymore. I want to be as genuine as possible.

Can I do that? I know I can.

Olivia, you’ve certainly inspired this 29-year-old. Let’s do this. Thank you!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.01.17
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Getting Personal #78: August Goals

We have arrived at the peak of summer. It’s my birthday month! But, I’m also excited because we’re in the home stretch, headed toward fall. Yay!

Here are my goals for the month of August:

  1. Register for the fall semester.
  2. Donate blood.
  3. Clear out the clothing clutter, once and for all.
  4. Celebrate my birthday!
  5. See The Dark Tower.
  6. Write at least 300 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo attempt.
  7. Move my bookcase from my parents’ house to ours.
  8. Update my resume and LinkedIn profile.
  9. Make a series of home improvement blog posts.
  10. Make the Succulent Sphere craft for Savy.

Here’s the breakdown:

Register for the fall semester.

  • This is happening on Friday! I’m absolutely determined to make this happen!

Donate blood.

  • Blood drive #101 is on Saturday!

Clear out the clothing clutter, once and for all.

  • My thredUP donation bag is scheduled to arrive this week!
  • I’m so excited to finally clean out! Our closets need it!

Celebrate my birthday!

  • I’m excited to take the day off from work and thoroughly enjoy it.
  • I’m making my regular pilgrimage to LUSH Handmade Cosmetics and Barnes & Noble, plus meeting Al and his co-workers for lunch!
  • My parents are taking us out to eat sometime this coming weekend – Spaghetti Eddie’s!
  • Al’s parents are supposed to stay with us during the second weekend of August, so hopefully we can get our parents together then, too.

See The Dark Tower.

  • Al is more excited for this movie than I am (Stephen King’s epic book series), but I’m intrigued!
  • Plus, who can resist Idris Elba?

Write at least 300 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo attempt.

  • I felt so good at the end of July – I just want to keep going!
  • Making time for it makes such a big difference.

Move my bookcase from my parents’ house to ours.

  • This will be a significant step in making my office complete!

Update my resume and LinkedIn profile.

  • Piggybacking off of last month, this is something that I desperately need to do. Five years is way too long!

Make a series of home improvement blog posts.

  • This is long overdue, so be prepared for lots of Before & After photos!

Make the Succulent Sphere craft for Savy.

  • Link coming soon!
  • Savy saw this video when I shared it on Facebook and tagged her, and I’ve offered to make it for her!

Do you have any goals for the month of August?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

07.31.17
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Getting Personal #77: July Goals Recap

July felt like one of the longest months to me, but I think that’s because of two weeks of suffering through AC issues (Now gloriously fixed!), and we didn’t have many plans during the weekends. However, the end of the month always seems to sneak up on me!

Here’s the link to my July Goals post:

—

Ready?

Here we go!

  1. Clear the clothing clutter. — Semi-Achieved.
  2. Start designing my custom American Girl doll cabinet / storage unit. — Semi-Achieved.
  3. Register for the fall semester. — Did not accomplish.
  4. See Spider-Man: Homecoming. — Accomplished!
  5. See Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. — Accomplished!
  6. Write at least 200 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo attempt. — Accomplished!
  7. Work toward weekly meal planning. — Accomplished!
  8. Set up a consistent cleaning schedule. — Accomplished!
  9. Update my resume. — Semi-Achieved.
  10. Publish a bigger variety of blog posts. — Accomplished!

Here’s the breakdown:

Clear the clothing clutter. — Semi-Achieved.

  • I got it a bit more organized and clearly divided.
  • I tried everything on, just to be absolutely sure!
  • This past week, I just ordered a Donation Bag through thredUP – I love that what I put into this bag, when it arrives, (including Al’s stuff!) will help our local Big Brothers Big Sisters Foundation! There are three local charities that we can choose from, at any time.

Start designing my custom American Girl doll cabinet / storage unit. — Semi-Achieved.

  • We took measurements of a standard American Girl doll box.
  • Al is starting to work it up on the computer, using Adobe Illustrator.

Register for the fall semester. — Did not accomplish.

  • This is happening, just later this week!
  • I called the academic advising department two weeks ago – They don’t make appointments, they only take walk-ins (Of course they do).
  • I’m prepared to sit on campus all day on Friday until this happens. I’m tired of waiting!

See Spider-Man: Homecoming. — Accomplished!

  • We saw this on Thursday, July 6th! It was a later showing, and we were both really tired on Friday at work, but it was COMPLETELY WORTH IT.
  • It’s one of the best movies with Spider-Man, in our opinion.
  • It’s a movie that I think would make John Hughes proud.
  • If you haven’t seen it, we both highly recommend it!

See Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. — Accomplished!

  • We saw this last weekend – A Sunday matinee.
  • It was good, overall – Not anything spectacular.
  • The CGI was stunning and mind-blowing.
  • The story – Not so much.
  • We’re both a little sad that it flopped at the box office.

Write at least 200 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo attempt. — Accomplished!

  • Drumroll … I wrote approximately 452 words!
  • I feel awesome. I’m hoping to keep this momentum going!
  • Current word count: 10,662 words.

Work toward weekly meal planning. — Accomplished!

  • We sat down and mapped out the month of July. We basically picked one meal per week, and then I adjusted the recipes I had accordingly.
  • One of our favorite recipes now is Creamy Parmesan Garlic Mushroom Chicken.
  • The first time I made it, I followed the recipe step-by-step. It was really good!
  • When I made it again this week (Monday), I grilled the chicken on our George Foreman grill after marinating it for over 24 hours with olive oil, water, salt, and pepper. Instead of spinach, I used a whole head of broccoli. Absolutely delicious! I made enough for us to have ample portions for five nights.
  • This week – Taco salad!

Set up a consistent cleaning schedule. — Accomplished!

  • I took a pen to our Chick-fil-A calendar in our kitchen, and basically alternated Kitchen, Bathrooms, and Floors on every weekend. I wrote it down for every Saturday, but I give myself all weekend to make sure whatever it is gets done.
  • I’ve also noticed that I now feel less stressed because I’ve broken it down in this way!

Update my resume. — Semi-Achieved.

  • The main thing I did was write down the highlights of my current job, and the skills that I’ve learned while working for Riverside so far. I just need to condense it down into something that’s resume-worthy.
  • I’m not planning on leaving my current job anytime soon, but I know that it’s a good idea to keep my resume updated and refreshed.
  • I also need to overhaul my LinkedIn profile.

Publish a bigger variety of blog posts. — Accomplished!

Final Thoughts:

  • I was able to put Accomplished next to six out of 10 goals! Yay!
  • The three goals that were Semi-Achieved: I’m happy with my progress with these goals.
  • The one goal that I did not accomplish: I’m okay with this – I’ll be able to mark it as officially Accomplished at the end of this week!

What about you? Did you have any goals for the month of July?

Come back tomorrow to see my August Goals!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

07.28.17
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Hot Topic #21: The Confounding Congress

Congress

Image Credit: AZ Quotes

Disclaimer: This post contains strong language.

Hey there, readers. Bear with me. This post is probably going to be long-winded, basically a stream of consciousness, and likely have a significant amount of profanity in it.

You’ve been warned.

As a result of a spirited discussion with my wonderful husband last weekend (Note – Not spirited as in angry or anything. We typically tend to agree on most things, including politics and things going on in Washington), I’ve been inspired / motivated to write out some thoughts about our United States Congress.

Simply put – It’s completely fucked up.

And it has been for a LONG time.

Meanwhile in Congress

Image Credit: Meme Center

I decided to read through the entire U.S. Constitution.

Friends, it’s been way too long since I read this (I think the last time I read it in full was, begrudgingly, for my 10th grade IB Government class). I’m glad that I took the time to read it – It was like another education.

The Patriot Post

Image Credit: The Patriot Post

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Here’s some highlights:

“All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.” (Article I, Section 1)

“The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.” (Article I, Section 2).

“The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, [chosen by the Legislature thereof,]* for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.” (Article I, Section 3).

“The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.” (Article I, Section 6).

“The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.” (The 16th Amendment – Passed by Congress July 2, 1909. Ratified February 3, 1913.)

“No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of representatives shall have intervened.” (The 27th Amendment – Originally proposed Sept. 25, 1789. Ratified May 7, 1992.)

They’re fighting over healthcare, but they all know that they’re completely exempt from whatever legislation that eventually passes?

I say that every member of Congress should have to go through the same process that all of the other Americans in this country go through to sign up for healthcare. They should experience the hardships that so many others face!

There is no “employer-sponsored healthcare” in this instance – That’s only for people who work for businesses that offer health plans to them. Period!

Wouldn’t it be great if Congress also couldn’t vote for themselves?

I wish that every member of Congress could be knocked down a peg, so to speak. I wish we, the people, could mandate that every single member only makes $7.25 an hour. Yep, you got that right, make sure that those serving in Congress only make minimum wage.

Oh, and you’re capped at 40 hours a week. No overtime. Nothing extra. And during those 40 hours, you get your work done. If your work isn’t done … You can be fired. Kicked to the curb. If you’re kicked out, then you have to go back home and start all over. Plenty of Americans have gone through layoffs, corporate restructuring, and being fired. Why should members of Congress just be able to sail through?

You get two weeks of vacation per year – That’s it. No more ridiculous recesses that last WEEKS. Recess is for those in elementary school.

No more housing allowances – That’s only given to those who serve our country in our armed forces. Period.

Back to healthcare for a minute. Since you, as a member of Congress, only make $7.25 an hour – You have to choose your healthcare like anyone else who only makes minimum wage. Yep, that makes you have to take the time and go on Healthcare.gov or go through the exchanges to find your health plan.

Oh, and you have to make sure your spouse and all of your children are covered, too.

Not so easy now, is it?

Oh, and whatever happened to serving in Congress actually being a service to your constituents and this great nation?

If I remember correctly, not too long ago, there were no career politicians. None, zero. There were farmers who were elected in Kansas, businessmen elected in Arizona, dentists elected in California – Those men (and later women) maintained their households, jobs and/or businesses, and lives in their constituencies. When their work was done in Washington, they went back to their families and jobs and businesses at home, and worked with their constituents to help their districts change for the better. These men and women didn’t have apartments or houses in Washington, Virginia, or Maryland. They went home to Kansas, Arizona, California, and so on!

Congress_meem

Image Credit: PolitiFact — Based on numbers from 2014, this is nearly 100 percent accurate. *facepalm*

If you stuck with me through now, thanks for reading! I try really hard to not get political on the blog. But, sometimes, something makes me really mad, and the best way that I cope is to write about it!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

07.16.17
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Hot Topic #20: Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church

Pope Francis

Image Credit: AZ Quotes

To start researching for this post, I simply put the following words into the Google search bar:

sex abuse in the catholic church

On just the first page of results, this is what I found:

Note – For all my blog posts involving research, I do my best to cite multiple sources that are credible.

It was absolutely overwhelming to see the hits from that simple six-word inquiry. Google started to complete what I wanted after I had only typed “sex abuse.”

—

As I was beginning to compose the structure of this post, I thought of two recent forms of “entertainment” that specifically focuses on this topic:

  1. Spotlight
  2. The Keepers

I’ve seen Spotlight (2015) three times now, and it’s one of those movies that’s made a lasting impression on me. I was pleased that it received recognition, critical acclaim, and a few Oscars. Despite the plot centering on something so horrific and sickening, it quickly rose to near the top of my all-time favorite movies. It’s a well-written, well-cast, and well-performed motion picture. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend that you do so. I have a feeling you will come to the end of the movie a changed person. I know I’m glad that I went to see it in theaters, and watched it several times since then.

I recently wrote a blog post about The Keepers (2017). It’s a decent documentary series that was created by Netflix, and another one that I recommend that people watch and (attempt to) digest. While not nearly as good as Spotlight, in my opinion, it’s still something valuable to see.

Here’s a few sources I found on Spotlight and The Keepers:

I was raised in the United Methodist Church, but I have attended many other churches of different denominations throughout my life – Baptist, Catholic, Congregational, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and United Church of Christ.

I knew certain aspects were different from the United Methodist Sunday School and traditional 11:00 a.m. services that I attended nearly every Sunday, unless we were traveling or visiting family. Most Sundays until I went off to college, you would find me in a church. For example, I tasted my first Communion wine while attending a local church service with Christine Anzur and her family after a weekend sleepover in elementary school, and I nearly gagged. I was inherently used to King’s Hawaiian bread and Welch’s grape juice every first Sunday of the month at Aldersgate. I knew a few devout Catholics, and learning about Mass, cantors, and priests was fascinating and intriguing.

As I grew older, I started to have a lot of questions.

  • What is celibacy?
  • Why were priests celibate?
  • What made them different from our pastor or minister? We had a female associate pastor when I was growing up (And we have a wonderful one now!), but why wasn’t a woman leading any of the Catholic churches?

Things like that. As a child and a teenager, I felt confident that I could trust the pastors at Aldersgate – They were all married men and devoted to their families.

I don’t remember the first time I heard about sex abuse in the Catholic Church, but I do clearly remember that my mind immediately starting racing with thoughts like, “Why? Why on Earth would a man of God do something so horrible? And, why haven’t we seen more of this in the news?”

As an adult, I’m finally starting to realize how deep and wide this cycle of abuse has run. I’m glad that priests, cardinals, and other officials are starting to be charged with these unspeakable crimes, but I know this is a never-ending saga. This is only the beginning.

Exposes, so to speak, like Spotlight and The Keepers, are glancing just the tip of this massive iceberg. This is bigger than what sank the Titanic. At the end of Spotlight, viewers are shown a list of places around the world where major abuse scandals took place. It was something immensely powerful. I already felt immensely sick from watching the movie, and seeing that long list just turned my stomach even further. It compelled me to do more than just watch the movie multiple times. It’s inspired me to do more research on the subject, and write blog posts like this one.

This is such a deep topic that I feel like I can’t possibly cover everything that’s happened over the years, or say everything that I want to in this one blog post.

For now, I plan to keep researching, watching / reading the news sources that I trust, and follow any new developments. I hope to publish another blog post, with hopefully some more good news, at some point in the future.

I also intend to watch more films and documentaries, as well as look into other forms of media, to observe the different portrayals of this incredible saga.

This is a tough topic – One of the toughest that I’ve attempted to write about since starting this little blog of mine. I hope what I have written / presented is informative, to say the least.

I welcome any constructive comments, as well as recommendations of any compelling or interesting sources that you have come across.

Thanks for reading!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

07.01.17
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Getting Personal #74: July Goals

July Goals

Image Credit: Pinterest

Here we are! Summer in Virginia is in full swing. Hot and humid!

Here are my goals for the month of July:

  1. Clear the clothing clutter.
  2. Start designing my custom American Girl doll cabinet / storage unit.
  3. Register for the fall semester.
  4. See Spider-Man: Homecoming.
  5. See Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
  6. Write at least 200 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo attempt.
  7. Work toward weekly meal planning.
  8. Set up a consistent cleaning schedule.
  9. Update my resume.
  10. Publish a bigger variety of blog posts.

Here’s the breakdown:

Clear the clothing clutter.

  • Piggybacking off of last month, we’re trying to clean out our closets. There’s a lot of things that don’t fit / we don’t wear anymore.
  • We just need to bag it all up, and head to the local thrift stores.

Start designing my custom American Girl doll cabinet / storage unit.

  • This is going to be my birthday gift from Al. I’m so excited!
  • I’ve been designing it in my head ever since we started talking about it last weekend in the car.
  • I’ll finally have a functional / beautiful way to store my dolls and their clothes / accessories.
  • This will be a fun project that we can work on together!
  • I promise pictures!

Register for the fall semester.

  • Once the replacement Longwood transcripts come in, I’m making an appointment on campus to make sure everything is taken care in terms of transfer credits.
  • After that, I’ll talk with Professor Pedigo to make sure everything is squared away.
  • Then, I can finally register for Legal Writing!

See Spider-Man: Homecoming.

  • We’re definitely going to see it on Thursday, July 6th!
  • Depending on how the first show goes, we may go see it again with friends.

See Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.

  • I was initially skeptical about this one.
  • But, after watching several YouTube videos and reading more about it, I’m excited to see it!
  • It looks super trippy, in a good way. I’m excited to see how they interpret the graphic novel.

Write at least 200 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo attempt.

  • I was re-reading what I’ve written so far, and I’ve been jotting down some thoughts. I’m excited to add more to the story, bit by bit.

Work toward weekly meal planning.

  • After looking at our budget recently, and finding out earlier this week that we need to replace our HVAC system, I’m motivated to start meal planning in a notebook.
  • We have several good recipes that we like and use a lot, but any new ideas and welcomed and appreciated!

Set up a consistent cleaning schedule.

  • This is another thing I want to put in writing, or on the calendar in the kitchen.
  • I need to make time every weekend to do some cleaning, so stuff like dust doesn’t pile up.
  • We have our laundry and sink / dishwasher routines down cold, but vacuuming / dust mopping / dusting – Not so much.
  • As an adult with my own house, I’m now starting to understand why my mom had me do certain things at certain times every month – It really helps!

Update my resume.

  • In talking with Professor Pedigo at the blood drive last month, she’s offered to help me update my resume. She keeps student resumes on file for lawyers needing help, and other job opportunities.
  • She also recommends to update it every six months, so I’d like to get in the habit of doing that now.
  • I also want to update my LinkedIn profile, and a few other professional things this month.

Publish a bigger variety of blog posts.

Do you have any goals for the month of July?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

06.30.17
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Getting Personal #73: June Goals Recap

June Goals Recap

Image Credit: Fueled By Carrots

June is over!

Here’s the link to my June Goals post:

—

Ready?

Here we go!

  1. Celebrate our 100th blood drive! — Accomplished!
  2. Refresh/update my summer wardrobe. — Semi-Achieved.
  3. See Wonder Woman! — Accomplished!
  4. Celebrate Nick and Savy’s engagement/upcoming wedding! — Accomplished!
  5. Attend the 10-year high school reunion with my IB classmates. — Accomplished!
  6. Celebrate Mom’s retirement! — Accomplished!
  7. Buy bikes! — Accomplished!
  8. Visit the library at least once. — Accomplished!
  9. Work to write between three-four Book Reviews. — Accomplished!

Here’s the breakdown:

Celebrate our 100th blood drive! — Accomplished!

  • We had an excellent blood drive for #100 on Saturday, June 3rd.
  • I was FINALLY able to give blood – Happy dance!
  • We collected 60 units total, which is excellent for a summer drive. Historically, the summer months are the worst for the Red Cross and other blood banks, because there are less donors.

Blood Drive 100

The awesome cake my mom bought at our local BJ’s!

Refresh/update my summer wardrobe. — Semi-Achieved.

  • I’m mainly happy that I moved/re-organized my fall/winter clothes! Those are stored away until the seasons change again (It won’t be long!)
  • I also moved some spring/summer clothes into my closet, and organized those properly.
  • Next: Go through the huge hamper at the bottom of the closet!

See Wonder Woman! — Accomplished!

  • I’m so glad we went to see it. It was AWESOME!
  • Gal Gadot is a FREAKING ROCKSTAR.
  • If you haven’t seen it, it is highly recommended!

Wonder Woman

Al’s caption on Facebook, June 4th: “Going to see Wonder Woman with my Wonder Woman.”

Celebrate Nick and Savy’s engagement/upcoming wedding! — Accomplished!

  • We had a great time at their house, as we always do.
  • Al’s parents drove us there, and my mom came with us!
  • It was an awesome reunion – Seeing Mia, Crystal and Steven, Jeremy and Chelsea, Rachel and Jason, Kudu, and others!

Attend the 10-year high school reunion with my IB classmates. — Accomplished!

  • After a few challenges, like changing restaurants, 18 of us (11 classmates, 7 spouses, and Sean’s not-so-little brother) gathered at Waterman’s at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront on Saturday, June 17th. We had a great time!
  • Thanks, Sean, for setting this up!
  • We had to wait an hour and a half for a table big enough to open up, so a bunch of us gathered on the boardwalk for a while. We stood in a huge circle and had a great time catching up and reminiscing. It was really great to have that opportunity, because by the time we got in the restaurant to eat, it was hard to hear everyone!

Markus Miller

Markus was smart to hand his phone to our waiter! This is one of the better photos. It was so great to see everyone! Image Credit: Markus Miller.

Celebrate Mom’s retirement! — Accomplished!

  • We celebrated at Spaghetti Eddie’s with my parents on the last day of school.
  • The school had a wonderful end-of-the-year luncheon, where Mom and several other retiring teachers and staff were recognized.
  • A photo mat was passed around the school and signed for my mom, and all the messages were so sweet!
  • She received a wonderful send-off after 23 years at Chittum Elementary.

Buy bikes! — Accomplished!

  • We were able to support a fantastic local business, SCAT Bikes – And, they’re only a few miles from our house!
  • In one Saturday, we purchased two bikes, two helmets, a bike rack that works for both of our cars, and a fancy adjustable bar that makes my bike more stable when transporting it.

Bikes

Al took this photo last weekend before we hopped on. We love riding around our neighborhood – Very safe and quiet. We certainly work up a good sweat! The only change we’ll make is better bike seats!

Visit the library at least once. — Accomplished!

  • I went twice!
  • I picked up The Man in the High Castle and The Lost Symbol, and then renewed The Lost Symbol. I’m deep into that one now, and loving it! Trying hard to finish it before next Saturday!

Work to write between three-four Book Reviews. — Accomplished!

Final Thoughts:

  • I was able to put Accomplished next to eight out of nine goals. I think this is a record! I was so excited when I started counting!
  • The one goal that was Semi-Achieved: I’m just happy that I got things organized. I still have some more work to do, but that’s fine by me!

Did you have any goals for June?

Come back tomorrow to see my goals for July!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

06.02.17
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Getting Personal #71: June Goals

June Goals

Image Credit: jenny collier blog

Welcome to June! We’re basically halfway through 2017 – Already! Time is flying by.

Here are my goals for the month of June:

  1. Celebrate our 100th blood drive!
  2. Refresh/update my summer wardrobe.
  3. See Wonder Woman!
  4. Celebrate Nick and Savy’s engagement/upcoming wedding!
  5. Attend the 10-year high school reunion with my IB classmates.
  6. Celebrate Mom’s retirement!
  7. Buy bikes!
  8. Visit the library at least once.
  9. Work to write between three-four Book Reviews.

Here’s the breakdown:

Celebrate our 100th blood drive!

  • It’s TOMORROW. Wow!
  • This should be relatively easy: Successfully donate, and then party!

Refresh/update my summer wardrobe.

  • I need to go through all my clothes this month – Put away all the fall/winter items still in my closet, sort out the ones that need to be donated, and make sure the rest isn’t hiding in suitcases!
  • I definitely need a few more pairs of shorts that actually fit!

See Wonder Woman!

  • I’m so excited to see this!

Celebrate Nick and Savy’s engagement/upcoming wedding!

  • Their fun and creative “Stock The Bar” party is this weekend!
  • They always put on a great party – Tons of food, loads of friends, and usually shenanigans and live music!

Attend the 10-year high school reunion with my IB classmates.

  • Scheduled for later this month, I’m excited to get together with several of my IB classmates and their spouses/significant others.
  • Lots of us have kept up through Facebook over the years, but it’s really cool that we’re all gathering together in-person!
  • Fun fact: The restaurant we’re going to was the same place where Al and I had our first date!

Celebrate Mom’s retirement!

  • Mom’s cleaning out her classroom, for good.
  • We’re excited to celebrate her long career as an ESL teacher!

Buy bikes!

  • This has been on our list every since we bought our house.
  • Luckily, there’s a bike shop just a few miles from us.
  • We took a trip there a month or so ago, so we want to go back and actually buy!
  • We’re excited to live in a neighborhood where we see families walk, run, skate, and ride their bikes and scooters.

Visit the library at least once.

  • My ultimate goal is to do this at least once a month going forward, but I need to remind myself!
  • Since the library near my house has limited hours, the best time for me to go is on Saturdays.

Work to write between three-four Book Reviews.

  • I have one review in the pipeline, and I’m almost done with another book!
  • I have a good feeling that I can power through at least one more book, maybe even two!

Do you have any goals for the month of June?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

05.31.17
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Getting Personal #70: May Goals Recap

photo36

Image Credit: My Be AH Vida

It’s hard to believe that today closes out month #5 of 2017. The month of May was very exciting – One of the busiest months yet!

Here’s the link to my May Goals post:

—

Ready?

Here we go!

  1. Celebrate Melissa’s graduation from William & Mary! – Accomplished!
  2. Attend Tidewater Comicon. – Did not accomplish.
  3. Visit TCC to review my transcripts, make sure everything is straight, and apply for graduation! – Did not accomplish.
  4. Attend PEO Virginia State Convention. – Accomplished!
  5. Research more uses for essential oils. – Semi-Achieved.
  6. Celebrate Mother’s Day! – Accomplished!
  7. Make at least three new recipes. – Accomplished!
  8. Help prepare for our 100th blood drive! – Accomplished!
  9. Figure out a new, effective workout plan. – Accomplished!
  10. Read at least three new books. – Semi-Achieved.

Here’s the breakdown:

Celebrate Melissa’s graduation from William & Mary! – Accomplished!

  • We took a road trip up to Richmond on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.
  • We had so much fun at Marisa and David’s house! Their house is gorgeous, and the renovations/expansions turned out beautifully.
  • There was so much food! Melissa’s mom sent us home with tons of leftovers.
  • We thoroughly enjoyed celebrating with Melissa, and meeting many of her friends and colleagues. We stayed a bit longer because we were engrossed in conversations about Star Trek, and Harry Potter!

Attend Tidewater Comicon. – Did not accomplish.

  • Since Melissa’s graduation party fell on the same weekend, it wasn’t worth the money to go this year.

Visit TCC to review my transcripts, make sure everything is straight, and apply for graduation! – Did not accomplish.

  • I blame my mess for this! I could not find the transcripts that I purchased a while back, even though I searched many places!
  • I just need to buy two more transcripts, and make another appointment.

Attend PEO Virginia State Convention. – Accomplished!

  • This was one of the best weekends I’d had in a while.
  • Cindy was a great carpool buddy!
  • There was so much good food!
  • The business was conducted and the entire weekend went smoothly.
  • We celebrated over 20 “Golden Girls” – Apparently 1967 was a great year for PEO!
  • I was thoroughly exhausted after driving six hours round trip on Sunday, so I came home, got into my comfy clothes, and watched Undercover Boss on Netflix until bedtime.

Research more uses for essential oils. – Semi-Achieved.

  • I want to do more research every month, but I’m happy with what I’ve learned so far.
  • The fabulous woman who got me turned on to oils in the first place – April – sends out emails every week!
  • Thanks to a tip from a friend on Facebook, we put “Purification” on our new air filter, and the whole house started to smell amazing!

Celebrate Mother’s Day! – Accomplished!

  • We had a wonderful Chinese take-out dinner with my parents. The weather was gorgeous, so we ate on the porch! We also brought leftover cupcakes from Melissa’s graduation party from the night before.

Make at least three new recipes. – Accomplished!

  • Baked Crispy Honey Lime Shrimp – Yummy!! This is one of our new favorite recipes.
  • One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta – Really good. We had leftovers for a week! I won’t make it super often, since it’s loaded with calories (think 6 cups of milk, three types of cheese, etc.). But, it tasted awesome!
  • Pork chops with Smoky Applewood marinade – Amazing!

Help prepare for our 100th blood drive! – Accomplished!

  • This was fairly simple – Lots of moral support, and a few editing suggestions.
  • We’re raffling off a $100 VISA gift card courtesy of the Red Cross!
  • If you’re in the area, come out on Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.!

Figure out a new, effective workout plan. – Accomplished!

  • Thanks to bodybuilding.com, I have a new 30-day workout plan in place!
  • After just two days at it (yesterday and today), I’m super sore and I struggle to climb the stairs, but I’m sweating more at the gym, and I’m even starting to sleep better!\
  • I’m excited to learn some new moves, and re-build some strength!

Read at least three new books. – Semi-Achieved.

  • Book #1: Book Review #31: “The Da Vinci Code”
  • I finished Book #2 recently, so I’m planning to publish Book Review #32 by the end of this week.
  • I’m just a few chapters away from finishing Book #3, so I expect to publish Book Review #33 some time next week!

Final Thoughts:

  • I was able to put Accomplished next to six out of 10 goals. Yay!! I feel super productive, and proud of myself!
  • The two goals that were Semi-Achieved: I’m pleased with my progress with these goals. Looking forward to doing more in June!
  • The two goals that I didn’t accomplish: There were multiple circumstances that prevented me/us from achieving these goals.

Did you have any goals for May?

Come back tomorrow to see my goals for June!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂