The Queen City

I am committed and determined to begin "Rebuilding Our World" and what better way to start then in my own backyard. As a lifelong resident of Plainfield, New Jersey better know as the Queen City, I know all to well how a town could go from a thriving community to an unrecognizable one. I remember when I was a pre-teen, every Saturday my friends and I will go downtown just to walk around. Armed with some money (often times no more than $10) we will go and window shop. We had Macy's, Youthtown, PedEze and who could forget Dee & Dee's (where we would buy $5 socks) and afwards go to Casanova Pizza for lunch. Ahh I remember those days so well. Now when I go downtown Plainfield, there is a cell phone store every other store, a million restaurants and the moral of the city is low. None of my money goes back into the community because there is no where to spend the money. Okay, maybe a meal at Bill's Luncheonette or a quick pick-up from Dee & Dee's, but nothing more. If my kids need clothes I go to Watchung Square Mall, need food go to Watchung Blue Star, sneakers, you guessed it Watchung! And I am guessing it's the same for most people. Come on Plainfield we have to get it together. Enough of the complaining, get involved! Volunteer your time for a kids sports team, start a block association in your neighborhood, go to the board of educations meetings! Know the people in your community so we could get back to what Plainfield used to be. A vibrant city that our children could grow up in and cherish their own "Saturday Memories".

God's Calling

Okay I have been going down a long and winding road in terms of figuring out what I want to do with my life. I am 35 years old and have extensive experience within the workforce, however most of the positions I held, didn't move my spirit. I will often count down the minutes until it was time to leave and trurthfully wasn't very productive, therefore I wasn't much of a help to the company's overall objectives anyway. However, it wasn't all torture I held plenty of positions in the non-profit industry and that is where I found myself the most happiest (although at that time I didn't realize it). But with this unvoluntary hiatus that I have been on for the past 7 months (was laid off from my temporary position at Johnson & Johnson) I come to realize that my love is in helping people. I love helping out at my kids' schools, with extra curriculum activities and giving advice. I also have the most passion for the black and urban communities. It makes my spirit do somersaults and that's what it's all about! I am on a mission to improve the lives of black and urban communities through all aspects of the black experience (family, community, economics, health, spirituality) and I will not feel guilty about doing so. I love who I am and the legacy that my race of people leave to the world. I just want to continue that legacy by making my community stronger, one village at a time.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime" Chinese Proverb