The Bottom Line

The bottom line is this:

We all come into the world with no control

Of how our skin will look

Of what gender we will be

Of who our family is

Of the place we are born in

That is ultimately what makes us all equal. It's the actions we choose to take and represent ourselves as from that moment forward that separate us from each other. 

Thoughts. Prayers. Eternal hope. To Charleston and beyond.

{Image Credit: Chuyen Blue via design is mine}

Bridges and Roads

"Men build too many walls and not enough bridges."--Isaac Newton

St. Louis is a city of neighborhoods, inhabited by people who love them enough to wave hyperlocal flags from their front stoop. It's a city where driving is a necessity, lest you attempt to figure out the limited in accessibility (and understanding ) Metro system. Cities and suburbs are separate, not only in theory or geography, but as explicitly laid out by local politics. Yet they are emotionally immeshed. Here lies the fundamental problem. The "not my neighborhood, not my problem" mentality many people have living in St. Louis City/County regarding parts of the region that have seen demise.

As the old adage goes though "all roads lead to home." The closer you get to this destination, where ever it exactly lies for you, the more vividly you can see the truth in this. Where I live in South City, I can take Hampton Ave. or Kingshighway to directly turn on my street. If I were to go home from work, without using the highways, I would go down streets such as Compton Ave., Boyle Ave., Newstead Ave. I can't speak negatively about this because frankly, I don't know these streets well enough to. Do most people? I would have to guess not based on the sole fact that no major businesses, landmarks or otherwise rest on those streets. You could argue for Compton and Boyle, but again could you (see the map images below)? Mind you these are in the City, an area that should for all intents and purposes, be dense in traffic and business.

Of course there are plenty of other streets here where business and community thrive. Some even that have been dug from the depths of near despair. These streets though need everyone's help to continue seeing prosperity and life. They need bridges. Streets that connect one neighborhood to the other by way of local entrepreneurs opening up doors and lots. It's absolutely fantastic to be a city of neighborhoods, each one being unique in its roots and tradition. It adds to the overall diversified culture of the area. We can't, or shouldn't, brag about them to the extent we often do if they're not being explored as they ought to though. So open up your door, walk to your car and see something you either never saw, or haven't seen in some time. Then think about what it would take to get you there more often. I'll bet you it lies in accessibility, convenience, and - the underdog - frame of reference. All concepts our behavior and actions have the power to change this.

Pinterest Plights

For your entertainment, a new round of Pinterest Plights.

Layered cake

Clam linguine

Homemade tomato sauce with penne pasta

Pizza with egg

Pink milkshake

Spicy Garlic Ginger Noodles

Sprinkled layer cake

Getting Inter It

It all started with chat rooms didn't it? This need to feel connected and converse, often times with strangers. Somewhere between AOL and the iPhone though things sort of leveled out, and we got personal with texting. Then #FOMO happened. Apple and Google caught on, and group conversations reemerged. This is fantastic, as more often than not three or five people are more funny than two. How awkward is it though when, for convenience sake, someone texts the group chain about plans for the weekend and only three out of the seven people on it are living in that city? Well perhaps it's not awkward so much as it is irrelevant/annoying.

The point is, did we get lazy and lose interest or just lose interpersonal communication? I enjoy most to all modes of communication. For as much of an old soul as I am, I do feel fortunate that I was born in such a time where so many open wires exist. It helps to enhance my know-it-all nature when I get sent articles, sites or restaurant recommendations people forward along to me. On the other side, it nurtures friendships and offers a sense of pride to that person when I can offer something to them that I thought they may find of interest.

Often I think we shy away from this in general. We think someone may feel we're weird, or the groupthink psychology goes into effect. If no one else is doing it, then I shouldn't. Other people are though in some ways or the other. Maybe not everyone, but some people. After all, how did a group come together in the first place? One person was friends with one person because of shared interested who was friends with another person and so forth.

The worst thing we can do to our friends is let interpersonal communication fall to the wayside. It doesn't foster trust, and it certainly does not cultivate anything exciting or interesting to talk about on Monday mornings. So here's a challenge for the week: the next time something reminds you of someone, be it a song you heard or Buzzfeed post you skimmed through, share it with that person. See what happens. Then keep going. Get inter it.

{Image Source: Wit and Delight}

Making Days Remarkable

Found in last week's Modern Love column, I think this quote perfectly encapsulates what little we know of life's purpose. To me this applicable to people, passions and path.

P.S. A similar lovely quote from one of the best, Woody Allen's Annie Hall.