Tropical Island

Last winter, I sought refuge from the cold, snowy weather by going to Germany’s magnificent Tropical Island. Tropical Island is an indoor beach that was created in an old hangar on the outskirts of Berlin. It has lush green gardens, restaurants, entertainment, overnight camping, large sauna area, sand, and a nice, blue skyline beach. Everyone must admit it is a great get-a-way to forget about the snow unless you are not comfortable with your body. Paradise island is not a nudist beach, but it is enjoyable to nudist, as I discovered.
On the way to the beach, I told my son that we could actually spend time in the sauna. It had been several months since we had sat in one and was looking forward to relaxing in the heat. When we arrived, the admissions clerk asked if we wanted tickets to the beach area only or the beach area and sauna. Being excited about the sauna, I declared we wanted both. We paid for our tickets and headed straight for the sauna.
As we walked around the sauna area, my son and I commented on how nice everything looked. There were plush, green plants everywhere. You could tell a great deal of attention had been given to the design of the area. Everything was very clean and the walkways were decoratively arranged; which gives credence to the saying, “You see what you want to see.”
My husband asked, “Did you see that old man?” My mistake was to ask where. He nodded in the direction he wanted us to look. It was at that moment that all the naked bodies came into view. How did we walk so far into the sauna area without noticing? Naked bodies were everywhere, kids, adults, young, old, smooth, wrinkled, firm, flabby; any type of body you wanted to see suddenly could be found. We were the only ones with suits on. But I had a simple solution we would just turn around and go back the way we came.
We reversed our tracks and started down the sidewalk. Unfortunate for us, the farther we walked the deeper into the sauna area we were, or so I thought. It seemed as if it took us forever to find our way out of the area. After that experience, I was finished, enjoying the remainder of the facility was out of the question. You could have taken me home that very moment. So, as much as I hate the snow, I haven’t found enough hatred, this winter, to take me back to Tropical Island YET.

The New 40

This morning as I slugged through the snow getting to work; it occurred to me that although I feel great and am trying to look good, I really am looking forward to retirement. Then, just as suddenly, it occurred to me, the new 40 may not be to my advantage. What if your congressional representatives decide since we feel great, we look great, we need to work an extra ten years. In other words, everyone will have to work until their plastic surgery needs plastic surgery. And here I was thinking my teeth whitening, varicose vein removal, tummy tuck, Botox injections, face, butt and breast lift meant I could prance around on the beach in my new spanx bathing suit and pretend to be 40 again. I never thought I would need them to work another ten years. Dang looking young and vibrant!

Vanity Fair and the Future of America

Many people are in an uproar over the photo in the latest edition of Vanity Fair presenting the future faces of Hollywood. Instead of being angry with Vanity Fair and missing the important, invisible message included in the photo itself, everyone should redirect their anger. Vanity Fair did what Kennedy stated in the sixties. The difference in the two is Kennedy used war as the indicator for racism. He stated that war was for poor whites and Black people. Vanity Fair is telling America that if you don’t wake up, this is the direction in which America will revert. Let us replace the word Hollywood with decent jobs, decent education, decent housing, decent schools, etc., and the message is telling you that if you don’t get your education and economic house in order, you will be left on the sideline as one of the invisible people. There will be two categories of people, the haves and the have- not, much like in third world countries. For those of you who have had the privilege of visiting a third world country, you have recognized much of the decline in American standards for many years, even during the economic boom. As for Vanity Fair, don’t be mad at the message, be mad at the messenger and do your part to effect forward, progressive change in America.
For those of you who do not understand what I stated in the paragraph above, let me make it a little clearer. Historically Black Colleges and Universities are constantly pressured to close their doors or unite into one larger university. These universities have educated many students who could not otherwise afford an education; the majority (60 – 80%) of which are on financial aid. Without the HBCUs, approximately 30% of their entire population will attend college; the 20% whose parents pay their tuition and the 10% other universities might accept on scholarships. No education, no training (most U.S. companies do not have the on-the-job training programs anymore) equals what type of job? Desperate times will force you back into maid, nanny, cook, gardener, etc. type positions. When I list these positions, I am referring to people as employees, not as business owners. In a desperate situation, you will do these jobs for minimum and/or below minimum wages. The truest way to equality is through economic and educational affluence.
Wake-up people!!! The Republicans and conservative Democrats’ new slogan is, No hand up, just an empty hand out.

Removing Haiti's Children

The situation with the missionaries in Haiti leaves me with mixed emotions. One part of me has sympathy for the ordeal that the missionaries are going through. You want to give the missionaries the benefit of the doubt and believe they really do have good intentions. But there is a very large part of me that rejoice in the fact that the Haitians stepped in and took control of the situation.
Regardless of your intentions, you cannot circumvent the law, especially when it comes to children. Many places have laws in effect to prevent people from rushing in and removing children in cases of disaster. These laws were established for the protection of children in situations such as this. If the missionaries are allowed to walk away with the children, you open the door to child molesters, child slavery, and child trafficking.
People in desperate situations will do desperate things in hope that their children will have a better life, which is why child slavery is so prevalent in Haiti. Parents often give their child to strangers with the promise of a better education and better future; but in reality, for many this is an empty promise. Once the child leaves home, that child is left to the mercy of the strangers, regardless of their true intent.
If anyone wants to help the children in Haiti, they should do it in Haiti or send contributions to the country. Haiti is in such disrepair, that the jobs created in the rebuilding process should leave Haitians in a better position than before the earthquake. Why the rush to separate kids from their parents? Help the family unit if you are serious about helping. Americans would have been outraged if organizations had rushed into New Orleans to separate children from their parents. Should we feel any different about the Haitians? We should not wish upon other children what we are not willing to do to our own.