The Writing Room

Yes by JBF Yes – the little word that heals or wounds The fragile heart’s respite From friends’ capricious masquerades That cripple, that entice Like sleep the weary eyelids shade From the sun’s taxing rays. Yes, the word that accentuates Our deepest joys and fears.

Are you following your passion or are you following the money? Ah, your passion! Some of you feel compelled to follow your passion. Your passion is that thing that you believe that you were born to do. It is that thing that gives you most joy in thinking about it and actually doing it. Your passion is what you believe to be your calling, your vocation in life. Your passion gets expression, oftentimes, in the career paths that you choose for yourselves. Some of you have chosen to be teachers, religious leaders, nurses, doctors, farmers, business persons... The list of career paths that you have chosen is quite extensive. You have chosen your career paths, your passion, because you believe that you have been called to them. You have chosen to follow your passion. You have chosen to do what gives you joy. There is a problem, though. Sometimes following your passion puts pressure on significant others to "make do" with what they consider to be the inadequate contribut...

I know everything by JBF It’s mine I did it I will do it. I know everything What I say is true Don’t question it Don’t dismiss it I speak truth I will rant if that’s what I’m doing I will speak my truth I speak for the oppressed I speak for the stereotyped I speak for the misunderstood I speak for them They are me I am they I will not be silenced I will speak our truth I will speak the truth And you must listen.

You have accomplished a goal. People compliment you. Y ou are proud of that accomplishment but before you can savour it, someone chooses to point out why your accomplishment is really not an accomplishment, or that it is no "big deal".  You may have had an experience like this when someone tries to rob you of your joy. This person is aptly referred to as a "Debbie Downer". As you continue to go through life, you are going to meet at least one. Where are the “Debbie Downers”? You will meet them in your homes. You will meet them in your places of work. You will meet them in school. You will meet them at your places of worship. You will meet them in your recreational spaces. You will meet them on social media platforms.  You will meet them everywhere you go.  Who are the "Debbie Downers"? They are your relatives.  They are your friends. They are your neighbours. ...

If you were asked, "are you engaged in the world's oldest profession?" what would your answer be? "No?" If you seriously think about it, though, what you are rejecting surely qualifies as a profession, if we agree that groups take on the title of profession by virtue of their professed expertise in a particular endeavour. I'm sure that this expertise that this profession claims requires much knowledge and skills, albeit a very specific set of esoteric knowledge and skills, to effectively achieve the objectives of that job. The division of work in societies If you have just a tiny bit of interest in history and the development of society (civilization?), you will remember that way back in the history of the world, our ancestors in order to survive the harshness of the environment in which they found themselves divided labour among the sexes. The males, by virtue of their perceived strength, their dexterity with a bow and arrow among the other virtue...