WiredThinking is a monthly publication featuring various articles from different writes around the world, all young people.

Not much to say except there is a new article up and more new things are to come, keep a look out for all the new stuff to come.

I for one want nothing to do with that way of being. I observe people doing certain things they do, acting certain ways they act, listening to certain things they listen to, and even talking certain ways they talk, because its “how they’re supposed to be” or sometimes even how they aren’t, but how they wanna be. Sometimes people are even afraid to improve their way of being because the way they think they’re supposed to be doesn’t allow for them to change for the better.
Whether those “how I’m supposed to be”/”how I wanna be” mindsets are based on one’s race or one’s financial position or anything else —it’s pure foolishness.

Why should we allow stereotypes, and social “norms” to define who we are supposed to be as individuals? It’s past time for us to not be afraid to be our own people and not let racial stereotypes and messed up expectations and “norms” define who we are or who we become.

One’s skin color in and of itself can’t define one unless one lets it. Where one lives cannot define one unless one lets it. Even what you listen to/the way you’ve grown up talking cannot define you unless you let it. While I don’t deny those factors will impact your life, it comes down to you deciding what your values and character are going to be, that will truly define you.

For example, why the heck should I, my own person, Joylene Andrea Hunter, speak primarily in ebonics (slang talk) that is soo associated with the black culture? That wasn’t primarily what I was surrounded with as a child and so that’s not the way I’ve grown up talking. So even though I can honestly say that I have the ability to speak mainly in ebonics, and could change the way I speak quite easily at this point, I choose to speak the way I speak, and sound the way I sound.
If someone else speaks a lot in ebonics, that’s his/her perrogative, but they don’t have to speak that way if they don’t want to.
I’m not defined by the way I speak or where I come from and neither are they, and I absolutely hate it when people try to limit me or others to those ridiculously outdated stereotypes and “norms”.

Another interesting question I sometimes ask people, is… How the heck do you “act” a color?” Someone may say to me, “Girl you need to act more black”. Or “Why you wearing that preppy, ‘white people’s clothing?’”or even “You’re soo proper.” But when it comes right down to it, last I checked to be a strong black woman or a strong woman of any race, you don’t have to fit into the mold of woman for that race.
I don’t have to fit into the stereotypes of being a loud, attitude-bearing, outspoken black chick. I definitely don’t say that to say there’s anything wrong with black girls who are like that, b/c there are different types of people in every race and sex, and regardless of those factors, none of us are defined by those things. There is beauty in diversity, even within a race. It’s ok to be different from the majority of people in your race.

The same kinds of things are said to some white people “Why you dressing like a wanna be gangsta?” or “Why do you listen to rap?” or “Why are you talking “like a black person?”—>(which is such an erroneous statement I must say again). Again the same principle applies, if a white person talks or dresses a certain way, or listens to certain music, that’s his/her perrogative when it comes right down to it. That shouldn’t define who he/she is as a person.
I’m also tired of the term “wigger”. Not only do I find that terminology to be offensive…but it’s also downright s-t-u-p-i-d. It’s really just adding a w to the N word. Sure, a white person may conform to the behavior/way of talking that many black exhibit…but that doesn’t necessarily make it a negative thing.

It’s also extremely ridiculous and offensive when people use the N-word. Especially when black people use it. Black people using the term shows ignorance and disregard for what our ancestors went thru. It doesn’t make the term any more acceptable or any more positive. There really is nothing positive about that term. In and of itself, the word is not bad…it is the things associated with that word. I’d encourage everyone, regardless of your race, to watch Kunta Kinte. If that doesn’t open up your eyes as to how negative the term is, I dont know what will.

Even today, when one says it (regardless of one’s race), one cannot honestly say it leaves them feeling good or accomplished…it’s just flat out idiotic.
It also gives people of other races the impression that it’s ok to use that word. Some even say stuff like, “They call themselves the N-word…so why can’t we?”. And that is ridiculous as well. Just because people are displaying ignorance and foolishness…doesn’t mean everyone else should do the same b/c it “seems ok”. Two wrongs still don’t make something more right or acceptable.

As people, we need to realize race, background, certain terminologies, and “norms” don’t define us in and of themselves — unless we allow them to.
It’s one’s spiritual, mental, social, even emotional upbringing, one’s values, one’s experiences and reactions to those experiences, and one’s character that defines one, ultimately. And those things can be changed for the better/worked on.

For example, the ways one talks and or acts naturally can typically be traced back to how they were raised, things they may have experienced/listened to, and the people they grew up around. Of course some behavior is learned and even the way someone talks can be learned…but even then it doesn’t define anyone.

This is an amazing effect, which makes me wonder “Why are celebrities impacting peoples lives so much?” Just what is so important about a celebrity that keeps us looking at them, wanting to be like that, changing our lives to mirror theres? Is it really that serious that we have to focus on celebrities so much and not more on the love of God?

I honestly believe that everyone should look into themself and see what is missing. Our saviour died on a cross many years ago, so that we can have a chance at eternal life, but instead with all the wonderful things hollywood masks our eyes with we’ve lost sight of that. Personally I could care less about what a celebrity says or does, at times I do feel strange because it feels as if I’m the only one who feels this way. Am I really the only one who feels this way? What makes how I feel or those who feel similar to me different from the rest of the world?

Many questions will go unanswered each and every day, week, month and year that a person lives, its impossible to avoid and the sad part is thats just the way life goes. So what can one do to keep there hopes up, to keep there faith in God strong, to be positive in such a negative world? Well surprisingly the answer is quite simple, the answer to a question that is asked ever so often is to just treat God like a friend, why you might ask, well its because God is YOUR friend, he did everything just for you. Tell him your hurt and your pain, your joys and the things that make you happy, stick with him throughout everything in life and you will never be dissapointed. Because before there were celebrities there was God, and after the people of glam and fame are gone God will still be there.

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April
Please pray for me to be able to understand Algebra I math. And to be able to pass my chapter one test that I took.

In spite of my conservative nature, I tried something extreme six months ago-I joined an Old Testament Bible study with a few friends in my youth group. The idea to join struck me following a disastrous football practice.

As we broke the huddle, I prepared to block for a play headed for the right side of the field-or so I thought. Upon the snap of the ball, I hightailed right, while everyone else sprinted to the left. Within seconds, I felt like a lonely farm animal wandering aimlessly in the pasture.

My teammates’ snickers faded when Coach Newman yelled, “Shriner, get off of the field, and don’t come back till you know your plays.”

Totally embarassed, I sheepishly walked to the locker room.

Digging into the playbook

Later that night as I sat in my bedroom doing homework, I happened to glance at my nightstand. Sitting next to my play-book was the Bible I took to summer camp. Sadly, I hadn’t opened the Bible since the start of football season.

For whatever reason I picked it up and leafed through a couple pages. A thought popped into my head. Just as my football coach confronted me about not knowing my plays, I felt as though God was asking me, “How well do you know this playbook?”

The thought hit me between the eyes. I professed to be a player on God’s team-yet in all honesty-I knew very little about His playbook. My devotional diet consisted of scriptural nuggets, while my soul starved for biblical meat.

And so the Old Testament study started. Ten students stayed after school to meet with my youth pastor. We dove straight into Genesis, and within minutes, I was hooked. He made the ancient material come to life.

I had no idea the Garden of Eden was close to modern-day Iraq. After tracing the line of Abraham through Ishmael, I clearly understood that Hagar’s sin could partially explain much of the fighting in the Middle East. It shed new light on American soldiers patrolling the streets of Baghdad.

After watching portions of The Prince of Egypt, we discovered the biblical story represented more than a Walt Disney classic. Moses liberated the Jewish slaves from the Egyptians, but his heroics were not permanent. Pharaoh’s rule launched a long line of persecution targeting followers of God-from the Roman Empire to Hitler’s Holocaust, to the halls of my high school. Following Christ comes with a price tag. The ancient pages of Scripture were showing their modern-day relevance.

So what have been the results? Did I become a spiritual encyclopedia that gushed religious babble at cafeteria lunch tables? Absolutely not, however, it did change my actions in a few significant ways:

I started reading my Bible. My youth pastor bribed me the first few weeks by promising a trip to my favorite restaurant if I did all the reading. It worked, but after a while, I really wanted to do it. I felt less desire to play video games or talk on the phone.

I shared my faith more. It’s like anything else with teenagers-if we have the “inside scoop” on something, we want to talk about it. I was even surprised at how well others received my thoughts about God and the Bible.

I gained confidence. I don’t like to admit weakness, but sharing my faith was scary. Fortunately, Scripture reminded me that Moses, Job, and Esther experienced fear. God called each of them to acts of courage in spite of their apprehension. Time after time, God used the ordinary individual to do extraordinary feats.

I became more aware of my actions. No sin is without consequence. Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden. The Israelites wandered for 40 years. King David’s adultery resulted in Uriah’s death. Understanding the relationship between sin and justice will wake anybody out of a spiritual slumber.

In only three months we crossed the Red Sea, were imprisoned in a den of lions, and even flew on the wings of eagles. The typical teenage thrill-seeker probably doesn’t look between the hardbound pages of the Bible for an adrenaline fix. But in the end, I found God’s Word extremely thrilling and fulfilling.

David Long has worked for Youth for Christ in Fort Wayne, Indiana, for 13 years. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his wife, son, and daughter, and he likes to cycle. He writes from Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Original Article taken from

http://www.insightmagazine.org/cover/index.asp?issueID=20071643