“What would you do?” is a question that you could be asked about a million and one scenarios in life. It is such a frequently contemplated thought that ABC created a hidden camera television series based on the very question. Hosted by John Quiñones, viewers from around the world tuned in for 16 seasons.

When we think about the millennial generation and those that followed after, I guess we can say the question made it to big time after being monikered with a text abbreviation. Receiving a message asking “WWYD” internet given a send thought as it has become so commonplace in our vernacular. Now…let’s get into it.

We can all say what we think we would do in the most bizarre scenario. Using our best judgment, morals and ethics, we know what we think we’d do when faced with uncertainty. But life will always find a way to teach us as much as we think we know, we really have no idea until we’re knee deep in the situation. Or butt naked with it.

Welcome to Episode 80. Leave a comment, share & don’t forget to subscribe.

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“Mother, mother

There's too many of you crying

Brother, brother, brother

There's far too many of you dying

You know we've got to find a way

To bring some lovin' here today, yeah”.

In case you were born yesterday, these are the lyrics of the 1971 song by the one and only Marvin Gaye. In  the midst of social and actual warfare, what better question could have been asked? And yet here we are 51 years later and the question remains. 

What’s going on? Murder rates across major cities are increasing. The world is adjusting after, during or in the middle of a pandemic. Federal laws are being overturned after centuries. And to top it off, an anesthesiologist decides to sodomize a woman, and possibly many others, during childbirth. We all really want to know what’s going on?

Some crimes are shocking but not totally a surprise in this cruel world we live in. We hear unfortunate stories of kidnap, torture, and unspeakable acts of child sexual crimes. But to think, in a woman’s most vulnerable state, the moments when life crosses the threshold from womb to world, a medical professional uses this moment to carry out his sexual proclivity against her will is gruesomely horrific.

There may not be adequate language to express our feelings, but we do our best. The world’s events may not be pretty at the moment, but we dare to still ask the questions. What’s going on?

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Is anyone truly surprised when the government does what the government wants? Is there truly any limitations to what those in charge cans d will go if it’s to fit their own agenda? We witnessed surprise positive Covid results on a nationally televised broadcasted show for the sake of avoiding a certain line of questioning of Madame Vice President. So again, as we are in the immediate aftermath of the overturn of Roe V. Wade, are we truly surprised?

Regardless of your moral, religious, or other foundation of your beliefs, this is a moment in history that is ground shaking. Having a decision made in 1973 being overturned 49 years 5 months later does make one think - why now? We all know the government doesn’t make a move without financial motivation.  So again - why now? What’s really happening that we, the common folk, are unaware?

The choice to have an abortion is most times personal & carefully though our. Abortions are the chosen option for many reasons. Regardless if you’d beliefs are pro-life or pro-choice, can one truly be fully committed to one side of the other? Is it possible to think with your heart and still adhere to your morals if faced with having to make such a decision?

Although laws are printed in black and white, this conversation certainly isn’t a matter of black and white - pun intended. Conspiracy theorists can allude your population control, seizing election results or even helping yo “preserve white life”. Whatever the reasons behind the decision, this is a conversation that’s certainly going to get louder.

Join our conversation as we discuss our perspectives on a matter that is impacting lives throughout the country. Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.

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There are a few things that came to mind when you think about Utah. Salt Lake City to be exact. The same thought may come to mind when some people think of Islam. Sounds odd to think of Utah being the central location of Mormons in America and simultaneously think of Muslims. However, one thing in common is the belief in having multiple spouses. Better known as polygamy.

Most people refer to this ideology as a term used to reference men with multiple wives. However, polygamy includes both polygyny, men having multiple wives, and polyandry, women having multiple husbands. But in either case, how willing would you be to subscribe to this way of life?

In some cases, people choose a polyamorous life even before marriage. What some of us would simply refer to as cheating is actually an accepted practice amongst those practicing polyamory. The mutual agreement and understanding between partners should serve to establish boundaries that ensure all parties involved are consenting to sharing. But is it possible to do this wholeheartedly?

Some may attribute their acceptance of this lifestyle to the belief that monogamy isn’t realistic. Is that the case or are people just not ready to settle down?

Check out Episode 76 and let us know your thoughts as we share ours.

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If there’s any occasion in life that’s filled with nostalgia, attending a graduation ceremony certainly has to be high on the list. After all, if you give it some thought, we’ve all been part of at least one graduation ceremony at done point in our life. Whether pre-K, kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, junior high school, high school, or college. The pomp and circumstance of the occasion is etched in our memory. 

In 2023, attending graduation is not just a celebration of academic achievement, but a celebration of life - literally. In the city of Philadelphia, with a murder rate of almost 600 in 2021 and racing to best that number in 2023, surviving to graduate is an accomplishment in itself. As sad as it may be, this isn’t true for only high school graduates. With children being murdered in their early teen years, making it to high school isn’t always guaranteed.

Knowing how monumental an occasion graduation is for individuals and families, what memories do you recall from your experiences in school? Hearing commencement speeches give so much encouragement & accolades to the graduates, the thoughts of opportunities missed flood through the happy moments. Even more so, the consideration of having teachers and other school personnel that actually cared seems like such a foreign concept. Was that your reality?

Check out Episode 75 as we congratulate the Class of 2022 and reflect on our own educational experiences.

Join the conversation and let us know what memories you have of graduation.

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As a child, if you’re household was similar to ours, there were no expectations of privacy. The thought that you would be allowed to have personal space of which you could forbid others to invade may have been a dream, but never a reality. Just because this was the way many of us were raised, does it mean it was appropriate?

When we think of a privacy breach, in most cases we’re thinking of corporations like Home Depot, Target, Insurance companies, even airlines that may have let us know via news outlets that someone had gained access to what was supposedly secure data. But what happens when a privacy breach happens in your home?

As humans, not just adults, we all need moments of time dedicated solely to ourselves. We may call it “me tome@ or even self-care. As chi, these terms may not hd applied to these need for slave, but don’t mistake that yo mean children don’t yearn for the same space.

As parents, guardians, caretakers & village members, where is the online drawn between allowing children the respect of personal space and privacy? The immediate response may be that children don’t need privacy. Some may agree. Others may completely disagree. But if we were to ask children, it would be interesting to hear their thoughts.

What makes us afraid of allowing privacy is the fear of the j known. Compounded with access to the entire works via phones & computers, allowing children their privacy may be likened by some to letting them loose into the works unmonitored. A frightening thought! But what are we really afraid of? Is it that our children will misbehave or be at risk of those with bad intentions?

We don’t know if there’s a right or wrong answer. And we’re definitely not here to give parental advice. But the conversation was worth the discussion so we invite you to join in and give us your perspective.

Privacy?

Where to draw the line?

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When you think of your childhood, I

it’s guaranteed to be a mixed bag of experiences. Good, bad or indifferent, they all have some impact on who you are today. If you think about it long ago, you may be able to directly correlate a specific memory to something part of your adult makeup.

Despite not having the best upbringing from our perspective, there were pockets of happiness, laughs, and maybe a few lessons.  Reflecting on those memories can be cathartic. Hell, you might shed a tear. Through those tears you are able to view from a different lens how those moments have shaped your life.

Some questions we ask ourselves we may never be able to get real insight from our parents. Being born from children of the baby boomers era, it isn’t uncommon that sharing feelings, having deep conversations, & seeking mental balance was absent from our childhood homes. But we do the best we can to make sense of the memories and how it impacts us today.

Join the conversation & share your thoughts. Who knows, it may be cathartic for you, too.

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214. The number of mass shootings as of May 25th, 2022 in the United States of America. Of those, 27 occurred at a school. The place where parents across the country send their children to learn, play and grow. But instead, children are being killed. The latest of these atrocities happened in a town with a population of 15, 217 as of the 2020 census. But as of May 24, 2022, the population was reduced by 19 children and 2 adults. 

When is enough enough? When will there be change effectuated that will prevent there from being another town crippled with grief? Columbine, Virginia Tech, Red Lake, DeKalb, Newtown, and Uvalde. This is such a small number of mentions in comparison to the far too long list of cities and towns impacted by school gun violence. What needs to be done to stop the madness?

We all know laws have been created to stop crimes of all nature. And we all know those crimes are still committed. So what’s next? When is real action going to be taken to ensure not another child’s school memories are nightmares that haunt them for the rest of their lives?

While we continue to pray for comfort for the families of the victims of Uvalde, TX and those muttered in the Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, NY, we are holding our breath that this unfortunate cycle of events doesn’t knock on our own front doors. No matter where you are, we have to consider that nowhere is safe from someone set on causing harm. So how do we change the hearts and minds of those currently making plans to duplicate the devastation of the past weeks?

Let’s put our thoughts and prayers in action and have real conversations about what’s necessary to make a change.

Check out Episode 72 and join the conversation.

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Where do we even begin? The beginning would probably be best. From birth were all taught (for the most part) to love, honor and respect our parents. Even more so, maternal relationships are placed on a pedestal as the highest level of respect from a child, even when that child grows into adulthood. But what happens when experiences in life do not align with the societal norm and those parent/child relationships are fractured?

In this episode we take a look into one of the commonalities we share. Growing up in a two parent home wasn’t the norm in urban America in the 80s and 90s. But for the host & co-hostess,  this was life. However, there were no Cosby Show episodes at either address that we can recall. Maybe more episodes like Roseanne. Or maybe even Al Buddy and his crew. However you would describe it, it definitely left a mark in our lives that we are still trying to heal from.

Was it all bad? Certainly not. Moments of laughter, fun and “normalcy”, whatever that really is, can be recalled in splotches. But when the bad is so heavy, the unfortunate result is that it overshadows the good. The marks that are left become scars that sometimes hardened in a place, like our hearts, that are harder to soften.

Mommy and Daddy issues can affect every individual in a unique manner. And there’s no right or wrong to how you heal from the trauma. Join us this episode as we shed light into our past and as part of our healing process, speak our truths. 

Leave a comment and let us know your experience? How has your childhood and relationships with your parents impacted your life?

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Some people opt for the life of Oprah & Stedman. Not in the realm of her being a media mogul, or placing on the Forbes list in 5 categories including being one of many Billionaires, number 23 of the recognized Power Women, number 12 of America’s Self-Made Women, amongst the Forbes 400 and last, but certainly not least, one of the Celebrity 100 ranked persons. Nope. Not speaking of none of these worldly accolades. The life of Oprah being referenced is as an unmarried woman in a long-standing committed relationship. In many interviews, televised and published, Oprah has voiced the sentiments of many other in society, celebrity and common-folk. Some people just don’t want to be married. And as the current climate hears rallies of “my body, my choice”, it is the choice of those who opt out of jumping the broom.

But for those who have made the leap down the aisle to say “I Do”, what a life it is! It’s a magical feeling that can’t always be described which is probably what leaves those who haven’t taken the leap yet to wonder what’s the benefits of marriage?

You can probably ask 1,000 married couple and get 950 different responses. Not everyone may have a positive response which is predictable based on the divorce rate. Nevertheless, those of us living in marital bliss with tiny sprinkles of chaos here and there, have a thing or many to vouch for the veil. 

Admittedly, marriage is not for the faint of heart. It isn’t recommended for those unwilling to face the ugliest parts of themselves and be willing to heal them for the sake of being a better person for themselves and their partner. However, it is recommended 10 out of 10 if you are ready for God to bless your socks off.

Part of that healing process may look like pre-marital counseling and possibly individual counseling when and if it’s identified as a requirement for complete healing. Therapy isn’t easy. Healing hurts. There is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But as processes take time, tweaks, recovery, reiteration, and other steps along the way, so does healing.

Healing may be the buzz word that replaced energy and toxic over the last year as everyone is talking about mental health issues. In a world where we have endured a pandemic, daily reports of death tolls, inflation, global warming, black people being slaughtered by police, communities plagued with gun violence, all while trying to keep smoking, who isn’t dealing with mental health issues?  But is it really as widespread as we see posted?

How do we delineate between who needs rest and who needs to be rescued? As we hear the bell timing for all aboard the train to healing, let’s take a look at where do we take accountability for our own actions before self diagnosing.

Everyone should get the help they need. And resources are available. Check out Episode 69 and join the conversation.

Thank you for listening and or watching!

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