Be Careful What You See in the Past

There is no turning back at certain points of life, other than to remember the past as opposed to living the past.

Behavioral Scientist Dr. Steve Maraboli has studied life and talks about the difficulties that are presented to each of us, "Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient."

The author also wrote in his book "Life, the Truth, and Being Free," “Sometimes life knocks you on your ass... get up, get up, get up!!! Happiness is not the absence of problems, it's the ability to deal with them.”

Today, don't look back with regret and what-if's, but instead look forward with what you learned from the past.

One Love

“Good morning neighbor, hello friends,” he said as people passed by failing to notice him or to listen to his music.

Despite the blind tourist, he continued to play, “One love, one heart Let's get together and feel all right...”

His message was simple, yet too complex for the outside world to grasp. Everything from his songs of coming together to his note that was taped to his guitar that read, “Restore the Black Community,” he was all about coming together.

In his old and worn guitar case river rocks held three dollars down that some had carefully placed. The case like his guitar, appeared to have seen better days. Regardless, it held the musical instrument just right and the guitar itself told a story only he knows and remembers.

His name of Yehoshua is often spelled Jehoshua. If you look deeper you will see that even his name has a message.

Jehoshua was a figure in the Jewish Torah and also the central person referred to in the Book of Joshua.

In the Book of Joshua, he gives a speech about what must be done for Israel to live in peace. God commissioned Joshua to take possession of the land and warned him to keep not only faith, but outlined the need for obedience to the law.

“Let them all pass all their dirty remarks (one love). There is one question I’d really like to ask (one heart) - Is there a place for the hopeless sinner - Who has hurt all mankind just to save his own?”

— Bob Marley

Violence, Trauma and Children

Black, white, red, tan or brown… those who live a life of violence, hurt, crime, addiction, relationship issues, etc. typically have one thing in common: Childhood trauma

I have been thinking about this project I came across in Chattanooga. It is in an area that is known for violence, increased arrests, drug sales, etc.

The project is called FACE to FACE and it shares thoughts of children in East Chattanooga by way of art.

It is always interesting to me that some of the most talented youth live in some of the most crime ridden areas of America. The arts is their escape from childhood pain experienced at home, an escape from the violence they witness on the street – art is the safe place for some.

The painted faces on the red, yellow and blue backdrop are self-portraits of the youth involved in the project. Some of the quotes written are their thoughts on violence.

One of the thoughts put into words:

“I live in East Chattanooga and I am affected by the poor housing. The lack of education and the lack of recreational activities for our youth. Also, there is a lot of drugs and gang violence. But on the real, East Chattanooga is rich with deep history and people.”

The brick archway was once the entrance to Delanie Park and later the Highway 58 Drive-In Movie Theater. Now, it is an overgrown field, but perhaps an open field to more positive growth in the city.

This mural was put together between 2013 and 2014 and still stands in 2018 with natural growth, but without vandalism.

In closing... Black, white, red, tan or brown - - those who live a life of violence, hurt, crime, addiction, relationship issues, etc. typically have one thing in common: Childhood trauma

“Many abused children cling to the hope that growing up will bring escape and freedom.

But the personality formed in the environment of coercive control is not well adapted to adult life. The survivor is left with fundamental problems in basic trust, autonomy, and initiative.

She approaches the task of early adulthood ―― establishing independence and intimacy ―― burdened by major impairments in self-care, in cognition and in memory, in identity, and in the capacity to form stable relationships.

She is still a prisoner of her childhood; attempting to create a new life, she re-encounters the trauma.”

— Judith Lewis Herman