My Fyshbowl Blog

What has social media created? It has created a hunger for attention. A need to be recognized and have our egos fed. The constant feedback and acknowledgement from others, whether they are family, friends, or strangers. The desire to have our opinions heard and agreed with.  Social media and technology forums gives average folks spaces to become instantly famous. It is a space to show off unique skills, whether it be cooking, dance, or artistic talents. It is a place to entertain with comedic skits, memes, make-up and hair tutorials, the videos of the not-so-random acts of kindness, or simply posting a beautiful face with the hopes of going viral.  YouTube, Tik-Tok, Instagram, Twitter, Periscope, are just a few of the applications available today that allows regular people to share ideas, insights, hobbies, skills, and whatever they choose with the world. While these platforms have the potential to bring joy, laughter, and educate. There is also great potential for spreading u...

                                                   If those in power really cared, we would not find ourselves in a world where we have to spell out that "Black lives matter" and "children do not belong in cages." We would not be debating whether or not women and people of color deserve equal pay. Healthcare for all would not be debatable. In the year 2020, we would not continue spending more money on military, policing, and prison systems than we do on education, housing, and food production. The health, safety, and overall care of our children and elderly would be prioritized over all else.  As Nelson Mandela stated, "There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." If the way children have been treated in our society throughout history says anything, it screams out blatant im...

Ask most people what they want in life and they  will tell you that they wish to be happy, loved, and successful. Many people want these same things for their children. Ask them how they define happiness, love, and success, and you may get a few different answers. To some, happiness is determined by where one lives, the material items they possess, ability to travel, experience leisure activities, and entertainment.  Love is often equated with being married or in a relationship with a so-called soul mate and surrounded by family and friends that care for and support us. Success is also gauged in a variety of ways. Too often success is defined by the amount of money one makes, societal status, careers, and popularity.  It seems as though our society is obsessed with being successful and happy. There are hundreds of self-help books that offer the keys to unlocking our potential and finding true happiness. Then there are the motivational speakers preaching prosperity through...

 Before I ever became an educator I was called to encourage. So much of my teaching is rooted in a place of bringing hopefulness and inspiration. It does not matter whether I am working with preschool aged children or college students, the need for connection and motivation is necessary. People have a need to express themselves, to be heard, and acknowledged. By listening without judgement, we allow others to let us into their worlds where we can see who they are. In most of my experiences, people want to be heard and do not necessarily want input. We can simply validate their feelings by allowing them to express themselves and voice their truths. This is how trusting relationships are formed. By being present and open to seeing and hearing what is communicated, verbally or otherwise.  Being observant, a good listener, and discerning, is a skill that I was born with.Throughout my life these skills have helped me avoid many dangerous people and situations, while leading me wher...

If you do something for sixty-six days it will most likely become a habit. Sixty-six days, researchers say. Is this why I cry every day? I cannot remember a day that I did not cry over something. I fall sleep pondering issues of the world. What can be done to make improvements? I wake up to new additions to my list of things to analyze and correct. Where is my lane? Do I have just one lane or many?  Being human gives me all the permission necessary to have a heart towards all of humanity in its many forms. Although, we have one heart, there are multiple chambers, valves, and vessels, taking in and bleeding out. As with everything in our lives. We take in everything in our surroundings through our senses and try our best to make sense of the information. Some things bring us negative reactions while others, positive. Then there are the numerous stimuli that our spirits are unable to contain or define, so we reject those.  In times such as these, I become bot...

Why are people beautified, dressed in their "Sunday" best, placed in caskets they spend thousands of dollars on, only to be buried in the ground? Tombstones on plots of land memorializing bodies that have perished. Aren't our bodies mere shells of our existence? Haven't our souls and spirits left our bodies the moment we die? What better ways can we utilize money and land to memorialize our lives after death?  My understanding is that many practices continue simply because they are inherited, not understood or questioned.  Note: When I die, please donate my organs to save lives and any unused remains to science. My spirit will be long gone from my body and will serve no purpose lingering on this earth taking up physical space.  If the living want to remember me, then do just that, but from any location on the globe. I will not be looking down on this earth, watching over the living, I will be in paradise, living my best (after) life.  I cannot bec...

Where does this obsession with appearances come from? Our constant comparisons to others in not only our physical appearances, but also, materialistic, status, relational, and otherwise. Honestly, it baffles me. That is why I feel so oddly about this time of social media. I am who I am and look how I do. I do not care to take selfies with filters or post pictures boasting about my accomplishments or material objects. In an age of plastic surgery and filters, we are competing with unnatural expectations of beauty. I would much rather people see my heart and mind through my words and actions, than to care about what I look like, where I live, what I drive, or what I "do".  I am envious of every person that has high self-esteem and feels comfortable in their physical bodies. I have never been that person no matter what shape or age. This is what childhood neglect and abuse often does. I hate my body for the type of attention it invites. It does not matter how attractive...