Here today in New York it was announced that the MTA Metropolitan Transit Authority has planned to raise the fair again.
This goes for Buses, Subways, Toll fares and Long Island Railroad travel.
If anything, transportation fares should be reduced. They need to be going down instead of up!
Prices on everything as it is are already sky-high, exceeding the limits of people’s pocket books.
Soon the entire cost of living will be too expensive for any of us to live by.
There are all kinds of seats to sit in.
However, if we had a choice of three- the hot seat, the common everyday routine seat, or the money seat- which would you sit in?
I would sit in the money seat as the money seat would generously aid me in whatever everyday routine that may be common to me while the hot seat could get even hotter when I sit my ass in it.
A piece of chocolate or a piece of fruit looks so much better in a pregnant woman’s hands than a cigarette, or alcoholic beverage.
Braids can be a lovely style of adornment to the head of hair.
I used to like when my hair was put into French braids in my youth- the look is very becoming in adults too.
I learned to bread around nine years of age through observing others then practicing on my doll heads.
Later in life I began to braid hair for others- some even paid me to do their hair.
Someone had recommended I do braiding on the side during my twenties to make extra money but that really was not my thing I would only braid hair for certain people when they asked as a special favor to them while they were nice enough to compensate me for my time.
People were active and about last night, crowds in the stores doing last minute shopping for Christmas dinner, Christmas presents, and whatever else.
It was cold and windy out, but I braved through the brutal temperatures to pick up extra food and toiletries to cover me for the weekend.
As a child, and far before my time, parents told their children about Santa Claus as well as the tooth fairy.
The tooth fairy I never believed in as the concept made no sense.
I liked the idea and the impersonations of Santa’s at school or at the mall. The actors on television, the animations that portrayed Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, Santa’s elves and Santa’s reindeer- I mean who did not love Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?
But when it came to the story of Santa Claus being real, I had my doubts.
I wanted to believe he was real as a kid; however, things just did not add up for me.
Number one, Santa was too heavy for the reindeer to carry his sleigh- and what was there to keep the reindeers able to fly up into the air?
Number two, we did not have a chimney in my family home so where was Santa Claus going to slide down?
It all sounded good for imaginary fun or entertainment, nevertheless, the notion was not easy for me to agree with even at a young age.
I decided to test what I had been told. On Christmas eve I sat up in the two front attic windows of my home before midnight. When midnight came, I did not see Santa, his sleigh, or reindeers loaded with gifts making their way over my neighbors’ rooftops.
I said to myself, “He’s not coming”, Santa Claus’s not showing up a confirmation to the doubts I already had.
After I made my way from the attic steps outside the door, my youngest aunt had said to me inside the hallway, “Toya- there isn’t any Santa Claus”.
My mother laughed when I informed her about my investigation and ended her humor with “Your nosey little butt up in that window”.
It was better for me to know the truth anyhow because it was more exciting for me as a child to have my own parents buy me gifts than to have some old guy who flew in the sky.
Smoking itself is bad enough. It is even worse when a woman smokes while she is pregnant.
Some women do not mean any harm as smoking is a hard habit to break no matter how hard they try.
Nevertheless, smoking can cause serious health problems to unborn babies like heart murmurs, and so on.
Yes, some heart murmurs in young babies naturally close on their own, yet everyone is not always so lucky along with other problems such as chronic asthma and other respiratory problems that may result in life-threatening events.
When I regularly worked in retail we had sales advertised just about every day- latoya lawrence
Well, today, many around different states took, and are still taking advantage of the after- holiday, next-day holiday sales, to lure eager customers into emptying their loads of wallets and pocketbooks.
I am glad to not be a part of that notorious hustle and bustle.
There is nothing wrong with shopping from time to time or shopping frequently if one can afford to spend.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with treating oneself.
I am one into wise shopping when I take part and indulge.
It is good to pick up items ahead of time at a low price to store up things that we need for later use.
This action saves one money and gives way to better convenience and financial budgeting.
It is good to take advantage of a sale or bargain when the opportunity presents itself.
Nevertheless, I was never one into the craze over Black Friday.
I never intentionally went shopping on that day, I never understood the impulse the draw had on many.
I worked at quite a few department stores and still was not tempted to hunt for a deal.
I hated how our managers instructed us employees who had certain major positions to be at the stores by 5am to get the sales floor ready to prepare for the surge of customers before the doors to our retail outlets opened.
People literally tore the store up in their haste and disorder.
I used to hear on the news how some people were killed during stampedes caused by those who were in a rush, carelessly bombarding their ways through the crowds of other impetuous people.
I remember standing out in the cold while it was still dark outside one November, the day after Thanksgiving. I was waiting early that morning for a bus to catch, all for the sake of a job needing me to be there to help line up things for Black Friday- it was so ridiculous.
Thanksgiving is a day celebrated once every year.
A time of gathering for family and friends to spend quality time with one another and to enjoy the feast at a table giving thanks for everything that they fortunately have.
I stopped officially celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas around the age of twelve along with certain other holidays.
To me, they were just ordinary days that were commercialized.
Like I have said many times before- every day is a day to be thankful.
Christmas is really in honor of the birth of Jesus, not a day symbolized to give out and to receive presents.
Easter is about the resurrection of Jesus not a day to acknowledge the relation of any “bunny”.
Nevertheless, Thanksgiving serves a purpose.
Not the purpose in the design of false stories of history or for profit, but for the purpose of a reminder.
A reminder to always be grateful and to show gratitude to God.
There are people who hide behind their smiles. One never knows what is truly on their mind.
They disguise themselves as friends when they are really strangers.
I heard it said that a stranger is just a friend we have not yet met.
However, if one was to ask me, I would tell them: A friend “unknown” to me is a stranger I would never want to meet. While a stranger who I do “recognize” is one I have already met.
Don’t judge by the frown turned upside down, judge by the inside turned outside in.– latoya lawrence
Some people are so in a hurry to attend to their daily schedule that they leave the house without eating.
I am guilty of this action myself. Even when I do have the time I may not eat.
If one does not eat or drink something before they leave the home, be sure to pack or grab something nutritious to keep up energy levels.
It is important to fuel the body with nourishment especially when continuously out on the go.
Be healthy, be free, aware- yet unaffected by any negative energy.- latoya lawrence
It is no secret how people will smile in one another’s face then talk behind their back.
I have had people talk about me then come back to me to talk about the ones they talked about me to!
All of this childish shit that many adults do that I never had time for even when I was a child.
I have always been a straight up person. I don’t talk behind people’s back; I will tell them how I feel straight to their face. I have been this way all of my life.
Sure, everybody talks. However, everybody does not backstab each other.
There is a difference between harmless discussion and outright gossip or rumor spreading.
I never cared what anyone said or thought about me. I am a carefree spirit regardless of backlash or anybody’s opinion or attitude toward me.
I do not look for, and I definitely do not need the approval of others or to be accepted by others.
I approve of and accept myself and that is all that matters to me, but most importantly I am sustained by my Lord.
I never hung around a crowd, only dealt with a chosen few.
I know how people are, how many of them can be. I have that gift of insight.
I am a loner who has true friends. Yet a loner who can be alone without truly being lonely.
I always loved and treasured times spent by myself.
Never let the words or actions of others define you or destroy you. No one has any power over one unless one gives others the power over them.
This topic is nothing new yet something still going on. And, it will continue to take place.
It just no longer is startling anymore after years and a decade or two.
Now it is common or expected depending on particular behaviors and lifestyle choices.
Of course, age does not exclude one from contracting a sexually transmitted disease.
There are many people, younger and younger walking around with curable or incurable sexually transmitted infections.
I am talking about from the ages of nine on up.
Aside from youngsters who are responsible, who learn from their errors, who attempt to be more careful in the long run- there are the unscrupulous ones.
Those who have accepted their conditions yet are bitter, full of despair, and do not care.
Some are even nonchalant without resentment, but with the attitude of indecency.
People of any age can have the frame of mind where they feel they have a disease that they will freely give away to as many people as they can, especially if it is a deadly disease.
They figure they are dying so they will take others with them.
Some even think or believe if they infect another person that they can be with them or always go back to them in a relationship.
Then, there are the plain crazy ones who are low, dirty, and crude as an everyday part of life.
I am fully vaccinated yet I still continue to wear a mask at all times when I am out and at work.
It doesn’t bother me if others choose not to wear a mask.
To each his or her own.
In the beginning of the covid crisis when everyone was panicking, I hated wearing a mask. I only started to wear them when it became mandatory.
Now that everything has calmed down, and masks are no longer a requirement within all places as they once were, I have gotten used to wearing them since it’s been so long.
I, of course, still hang the mask down to my chin regularly to breath clear air. The masks can be rather suffocating at times.
I have never had Covid (thank goodness), hopefully, one day there will be no more mask-wearing at all in regard to Covid precautions, and no more susceptibility to it.
Last Sunday, on August 21, 2022, I was on my way to work.
A black guy who sat in a parked white-colored style jeep asked me for directions to a restaurant (a place called “Top Romain”) within the area that I had never heard of.
He asked me about three times, I told him “Never heard of the place. If I did, I would let you know”.
This guy thanked me, and I walked about my way.
Afterwards I had a funny feeling about him. At first, I wasn’t going to respond to him, and I should not have.
Yet, what is the harm in helping someone find their way unless one gets a bad vibe from them.
Some people do play games.
Three or four blocks down ahead, this same black guy was parked on the street by the curb. He uttered to me, “I don’t know where it is”.
Obviously, this guy circled the block and drove ahead to catch up to me.
I completely ignored him as I kept on walking.
This could have been a sicko randomly looking for someone to rape, kidnap or who knows what else.
Or he could have even been sent. If so, I could definitely pinpoint from where since I have no enemies around and have not had any problems with anyone except for a few jealous people at my last Amazon job.
I had never seen this guy before. I called the police right away and gave a description. I don’t play that nonsense.
He could be a danger to others just in case he already committed some vile crime already within the distant past or present.
I know that everyone who may want to eat healthy cannot always afford to.
Prices for everything is sky high these days. It is hard to just get by sometimes.
There are fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts that are priced reasonably when sales aren’t being advertised.
It is beneficial, necessary and even vital in some circumstances for one to eat at least one or more fruits and vegetables a day every day.
Everything that may smell good, look good, or taste good may not be good for one to consume.
The same goes for in dealing with people but, that is another story.
One may be busy on the run, get hungry, or need to eat.
It may be too hot to cook, one may be tired, or even just a bit lazy.
Whatever the reason it is perfectly normal.
One may just want to order out, desire some fast food or stick some packaged frozen cuisine in a microwave, saucepan, or conventional oven and eat.
The only thing is these foods whether from a restaurant or our local supermarket may not offer the best ingredients or are prepared in ways that are not suitable to our health.
There may be excess sugar, sodium, fat, artificial flavorings, chemicals and so on.
One just has to be careful in deciding on what to purchase and consume when it comes to eat-out and take out.
There are healthier options out there nowadays, although these type of stores or restaurants may not always be within a location near to us.
Nevertheless, if we’re going to eat certain fast foods do it in moderation and with precaution.
What we may take for granted early on with our health and body could affect us later on in the long run.
No one wants that.
Authentic Expression: LaToya's Health And Wellness Lifestyle Blog 