Alone but not lonely

When I say that I feel alone, I don't mean that I physically feel alone. I feel that the way that I think and the way that I see the world is different from the way that a lot of people see the world. I feel like I am a prisoner being held hostage by my own thoughts. It doesn't matter how much I try to escape them, they always follow me and they will never let me get away. I often wish that I didn't have the urge to want to change the world. I often wish that I wasn't obsessed with finding out how humans came into existence, and what our purpose is in life. I often wish that people could see the world the way that I see it, and realize that by uniting, and setting aside our differences we could make this world a better place for us all.

If you saw the movie called the matrix then you could understand how I feel. I see people going to work everyday , and slaving their lives away only to continue to struggle. I see wars being fought, not for our freedom, but to benefit the wealthy and those that are in power. I see big pharmaceutical companies keeping cures from the public, because there is more money to be made by managing our illnesses instead curing them. I see people being forced to sell drugs, rob people, live on the streets, and live paycheck to paycheck because the monetary system is flawed, and designed to create these problems. I see people voting during election season not realizing that their vote means nothing at all. I see the media and the government manipulating the public on a daily basis. I see all of these things, but I see so many people that don't see them happening, or they see them happening, but they are too afraid to stand up and make things better.

As I said before, I am a prisoner being held hostage by my own thoughts. I used to be different and I used to think differently. Now I feel like I am trapped in a world surrounded by mental slaves, and I feel that it is my duty to wake up as many of them as possible. There are times that I want to go back to the days where I didn't care about any of these things, but if I had the chance to do that I am positive that I wouldn't do it.

WANTS VS NEEDS

I often hear women say that there are no more good men in the world. When I hear that I instantly feel the urge to correct them. There are a lot of good men in this world, the reason that a lot of of women can’t find a good man is because they let their wants over power the things that they need in a man. This can easily lead to a woman giving her heart to the wrong man. The outcome is usually her thinking that all men are the same due to her poor choice in men.

These type of women think that they NEED a man that looks perfect, has a lot of materialistic things, or one that’s popular and makes plenty of money. All of those things are not needs, those are wants, and a great deal of women tend to confuse those two things.The only things that a woman “needs” from a man is for him to treat her like a queen, love her with all of his heart, have goals to become successful. He should be faithful and respectful, and he should always do what he can to keep her satisfied. Those things that I just listed are the only things that a woman  really needs from a man, but when you let the things that you want in a man overpower the things that you need in a man you tend to end up with a man that will only be in your life temporarily. 

I am not saying that you shouldn't look for a man that possesses some of the things that you want in a man, what I am saying is that you should put your needs first and realize that even if he don’t have the things you want in a man you could still build a strong relationship off of him being able to fulfill your needs. When you go for what you need in a relationship you will start to attract good men, and realize that you were wrong when you assumed that good men didn't exist anymore, and you will see that you were just looking for the wrong things, which lead to you finding the wrong type of men.

Suicide: Not the Only Choice

Imagine feeling so alone that you cry yourself to sleep every night. Imagine the feeling of being trapped, and whenever you attempt to escape, those invisible shackles that are holding you in place start to get tighter. Imagine going to school every day, and being bullied, and enduring that type of pain and torment on your own. Imagine the feeling of living paycheck to paycheck, and barely having enough money to provide for your family.

After you imagine that, I want you to imagine being stuck in that type of situation for the majority of your life. After spending many days and nights, racking your brain in an attempt to find solutions to your problems, you began to feel like there is no logical solution. Imagine having everything that you could ever want; now what if, one day, you lost all of those things that you cherish. Maybe you’ve never experienced any of those situations, but there are so many people that do experience those types of problems every day. Imagine if those situations or similar ones forced you to want to commit suicide. 

According to the World Health Organization, over 800,000 people, worldwide, commit suicide each year. Now, think about this, on average, one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds throughout the world. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that; “over 2.2 million people made plans to commit suicide in 2013, while more than 1 million people actually made suicide attempts that same year.” It is clear, by looking at those numbers that suicide is a serious problem. No one deserves to be bullied, and pushed to a point where suicide is the only option for them to find peace. And no one should have people in their life that insist that they care about them, but when they see that this person is on the brink of committing suicide, they ignore the signs until it is too late. It saddens me to know that we live in a world filled with so much hatred and cruelty, a world filled with so people that lack empathy.

There are many risk factors for suicide; some of those are certain mental disorders, depression, drug and alcohol abuse, and being a victim of bullying. Those are just a few of the things that force some people to live in a prison, not a physical one, but a mental one. And some of those people find it hard to escape that prison while they are alive, so they see suicide as a way to permanently escape the pain that has been inflicted upon them.

I had an in-depth conversation about depression, with a woman, prior to writing this article. She had attempted suicide twice, and when she is stressed, she cuts herself. I asked her, what a person can do to help her lose the urge to hurt herself. She told me that she had been abandoned by most of her friends and she feels alone all of the time. She proceeded to tell me that something as simple as a person speaking to her and asking her if she had a nice day could transform her mood from bad to good. Nowadays we tend to walk right pass people without even speaking to them, but speaking to them, as simple as it may seem, might be the one thing that would prevent them from hurting themselves.

I too was in that situation before. It was the summer time and the year was 2005. My friends and I weren’t as close as we used to be. I had lost my job, I was going through problems with my family, and I felt as if the whole world was against me. I tried my hardest to get back on track, but nothing was working. One night, as I sat alone in my room with my gun in my hand, I started feeling like death had to be better than living in this cruel world. I was extremely close to ending my life, but something inside of me was telling me that suicide wasn't the answer. I can't explain the feeling, but at that moment I started to realize that I had a lot of reasons to put down that gun. I will shed a little more light on what those reasons were, and hopefully it will help someone who is in a similar situation. 

When people are contemplating suicide, they are usually only thinking about themselves, and their pain, and they are being driven by those negative emotions. You should stop and think about how your death will hurt those people that love you. Think about your mother, father, brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews; imagine how much pain they will feel if you ended your life. Even if suicide was to solve your problems, would you really want to leave your family stuck in this world, hurting, because of your actions? These are some of the thoughts that crossed my mind.

Nothing in this life is permanent; things are always changing; remember that, and realize that those negative feelings will only exist temporarily. You must gain some sort of self control, so that you can prevent your emotions from consuming you. This is not easy at all, but it is possible.

Practice meditation, there are many different forms of meditation, but I highly suggest Isha Kriya yoga/meditation. A simple Google search will lead you to many videos that will guide you while meditating. Devise a plan that will help you get from where you are in life to where you want to be. Try to accomplish something every week that will help you turn your plan into reality. Please, realize that you can't turn your life around overnight, but if you are patient and determined, nothing in this life will stop you. 

You are unique, and one of a kind; look around you there is no one else that is exactly like you in the entire world. Not only that, but you have been given a gift, the gift of life; don't throw away the gift that you were given by ending your life. You should also know that we were all put here for a reason; we all have a purpose in life, which means that you are just as important as anyone else walking this earth, and never let anyone tell you that you are not.  

To the children are that are being bullied; talk to someone. Even if you can't talk to someone that is close to you, there are many websites that can direct you to people that are willing to help you overcome the way that you are feeling. There are many suicide hotlines that will offer you help. The worst thing that you can do is keep those feelings to yourself, because one day you will get tired of holding it in, and it may lead to you hurting someone or hurting yourself.

Even if you are not suicidal, but you are reading this, I have something to tell you. If you see a person that might be showing signs of being suicidal, don't ignore them, talk to that person. If talking to them is not working, try discussing the issue with someone close to them, so that they may convince them seek professional help. And last but not least, parents teach your children about bullying and the negative impacts that it could have on the person that is being bullied. And I would suggest that you teach them to help those children that are being bullied. Even if it is their friends doing the bullying, teach them to do what they can to stop it.

Being able to identify a person that is suicidal is very important. I will list some signs that you should look for, and if you encounter someone that is showing one or more of these signs, you should get them help immediately.

·         Talking about dying and how easy things would be if they weren’t alive anymore

·         Isolating oneself from society and losing interest in the things that they once enjoyed

·         Constantly talking about being a burden to others and how easy life would be if they weren’t around anymore

·         Sleeping too much or too little

·         Changes in behavior, such as becoming violent, or taking risk that could result in them losing their life

·         Becoming emotional for no reason, and randomly crying or showing signs of sadness

·         Making comments on social media about being tired of living or how life has become too much for them to handle

After reading this article, ask yourself if any of your friends or family members is suffering from any issues that could lead to them harming themselves. If someone that you know is suicidal, or even if you think that they are suffering from a condition that will make them want to harm themselves, reach out to them. Show them that you care, and try your hardest to show them how they can benefit from getting some sort of counseling. If they are refusing your help contact the suicide hotline immediately. Call 800-SUICIDE (800-784-2433) or 800-273-TALK.   

Try to remain friendly when you are out in public, and speak to as many people as possible. Remember, by speaking to people in public and being polite, you could possibly save a life. It would be illogical for me to think that we can prevent every suicide, but I know that there are many suicides that can be prevented, and together we can save a lot of lives. 

Fighting For Equality-Fighting Against Discrimination

African Americans, Feminists, and the LGBT community all have one thing in common; they are all fighting for equality. For years, there have been people from different walks of life, organizing, forming groups, and fighting for equality. Most of those groups have seen a substantial amount of progress in their fight for equality, yet the fight for equality seems like a fight that will never be completely won.

Numerous groups that are fighting for equality have condemned the criminal justice system for their unfair treatment of African Americans. According to a report drafted by the sentencing commission, African Americans were given sentences that were 10% longer than whites who committed the same crimes. According to Project America: “black males have experienced the highest rate of imprisonment—6.5 times that of white males and 2.5 that of Hispanic males—of the three major races in the United States.” One in six black males has been arrested as of 2001, and those numbers are rising and are expected to change from one in six to one in three.

African Americans are also trying to put an end to the racial disparities in the unemployment figures. Recent reports compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statics, states that: the unemployment rate for African Americans is 11.0%, while whites have seen their unemployment rate drop to 5.1%. Hispanics are caught in the middle, with their unemployment rate currently at 6.9%. Please, remember that the unemployment rate is always higher than the percentages released by the government, due to the exclusion of those people that have dropped out of the workforce, because they were unable to find employment, retired, or they are in school and not working. To make matters worse, African Americans are still becoming victims of racial profiling, which has become a serious issue in the black community. By looking at those figures, we can clearly see why African Americans are constantly fighting for equality, while fighting against discrimination and racial profiling.

Women are fighting for equality and battling discrimination. This fight has been occurring since the 19th century, when the first wave of feminism was created primarily to fight for equal political rights and to show people that women deserve to be treated like human beings, instead of being treated like property that could be owned and controlled by men. The fight for equal political rights for women started with the American Women’s Suffrage Movement, which ended in 1920, the year that women were granted the right to vote.

Second wave feminism came alive in the 1960s. Second wave feminism focused on more than political rights; women were fighting for equality in the workplace, and at home. They brought awareness to the economic doctrine of comparable worth, which was also known as equal pay for equal value. The concept of comparable worth is that jobs which require similar abilities, skills, and educational backgrounds should pay the same wages. A person’s gender, age, or race should not be a factor when it comes to comparable worth. Second wave feminism also focused on reproductive right, issues involving domestic violence, rape marriage laws, and education. Second wave feminism ended in the 1980s. Getting the equal pay act passed was one of the greatest accomplishments of second wave feminism.

By the time that second wave feminism had ended, feminism had spread world-wide, and women from all over the world were seeing a substantial amount of progress in their fight for equality. Third wave feminism started in the 1990s, and it is still active today. It focuses on eliminating gender roles, and stereotypes, while shedding light on atrocious treatments of women of color, and transgendered women.

LGBT is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered. This movement was created in the 1990s for the sole purpose of achieving equal treatment in a world where they are judged for their sexual orientation. Throughout history there have always been people that fought for equal rights for those that were a part of the gay community. They have came a long way, and accomplished a lot over the years. In 1779, Thomas Jefferson created bill 64, part of that bill made it illegal for men to engage in sexual intercourse with other men. Men who engaged in such acts were to be castrated as a punishment for their actions. Here we are now, in 2014, and politicians are supporting same-sex couples on their journey for equal rights. And one issue that the LGBT community has been advocating is the passing of laws that will make same-marriage legal. Their hard work has paid off tremendously. Same-sex couples are currently allowed to marry in 16 countries, and in 30 states in the United States. Their fight for equality is still going on, and every day they have to deal with being discriminated against, because some people let their ignorance lead them to judge people without really understanding them or the problems that they are faced with.

How can we rid the world of these problems, and create a world where all people are equal? First, we need to realize that creating groups isolates those people in that group from everyone else, and that will usually create more problems. People that are excluded from those groups, the ones who are deemed as being the oppressors, will usually form their own groups to attack and degrade the group of people that are fighting for equality. There is the NAACP and then there is the KKK, Feminist groups and anti-feminist groups, the LGBT community and religious groups that are constantly causing problems for them. These situations make reaching the highest level of equality close to impossible. Every step that they take to progress, there is always someone trying to stop them.

Groups that are fighting for equality should consider uniting and taking on their problems as one large group. Imagine black men and women standing side by side with white women, and they are all fighting for equal rights together. Imagine some of those black men, and women of different races that are religious, standing side by side with members of the LGBT community, and they are all fighting for equal rights together. This will show the world that a person’s race, gender, or religion should not prevent them from having the same rights as everyone else. By forming one group, comprised of people that are facing similar issues, each of them will have the opportunity to see what everyone else is dealing with, and it will give them a chance to see beyond their differences and realize that we are all human and deserve to be treated equally.

As the people in this group learn about each other’s struggles, they will be able to go out into the world and educate those people that they have a lot in common with; I am talking about the ones discriminates against other people, and contribute to the high level of inequality that has infected society.

None of us are born hating anyone, or judging people simply because we think that they are different. These types of behaviors are learned at a young age and they become ingrained in the minds of children that grow up in aberrated environments. This also means that humans have the power to unlearn those behaviors. We can’t force parents to raise their children a certain way simply because the negative things that they are learning is wrong in the eyes of most people. What we can do is redesign the educational system, and teach children how to relate to other cultures. Students in grades K-12 should be learning about discrimination and why it is imperative that they do not condemn people for being different.


Bullying is a huge issue in schools throughout the United States, and being a bully as a child can lead to becoming an adult that causes the types of problems outlined in this article. Many of those incidents involving bullying force the victims to commit suicide, or hurt those people that are bullying them. The only way that we can combat this behavior that students are learning at home or in other environments outside of their home is to teach them how discrimination and inequality hurts others. We need to show them that being different don’t make you a bad person, but it makes you unique, which is an amazing thing. Students should be able to learn about the problems that people went through in the past, because society chose to degrade those groups of people that didn’t fit the image of what they deemed as being normal. They must learn from our mistakes, because if we don’t teach them these things while they are young, we will minimize our chances of breaking this vicious cycle of inequality, hatred, and racism that has taken over the world.