I Am Undone

This Revolution Is For Display Purposes Only

Meiko Seymour — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:37:35 +0000

I’m scared.

The political climate of our country right now is one that is so sharp, I’m afraid its going to take us a great deal of time to come back from it…if we can…if we choose to.

We’ve had the ability in the past to dream a dream and to create the Ford Motor Company and General Motors and lead the nation in innovation and progress forward with these ideas and the ideals of a free people. We’ve had the ability to make our future and our present. We’ve had the ability but as of late, we’ve seem to not care that we don’t have it.

All I can hear is chatter. No action. No movement. All I can hear is talk, rhetoric, with nothing to back it up with. What ever happened to the ability to dissent? What ever happened to the creative ways of getting things done? What ever happened to “do and ask later”? Its gone, its missing from the citizenry. We’ve forgotten how to say “I have a dream” or to march or to not get up from our seats. We’ve forgotten how to be a citizenry that CHOOSES how we WANT to live rather than have the politicians choose. I think that we have forgotten how to make cars. We’ve forgotten how to dissent.

Now we have politicians in office who refuse to tell the truth about policy so that they can be reelected. They’re in washington playing the game of politics which in turn is a game of life and death for all of us Americans. The town halls have become shouting matches and a game in themselves to see who can hurl the most obscene name calling towards members of congress. I can no longer trust either party to really govern. They’ve become our worst nightmare.

Change can only come once we, the citizenry take action. Words may no longer be enough. We are a citizenry that are embarrassed at our representatives. We are a citizenry who is angry at the lack of action. We are a citizenry who are tired of being used in stump speeches and as examples to show that politicians are “in tune with ordinary citizens”

We’re bleeding out. Where is the real revolution? Will the real dissenters please stand up…and be brave and be bold and use their voice and their legs and their fists and their everything. Be passionate and use let it be your guide.

Aside #49- Happening Now- February to Current

Meiko Seymour — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:57:17 +0000

I’ve started a new daily (and sometimes multiple times a day) tradition where I tweet a picture showing exactly what is happening in that very moment. These pictures can be of places I am at, food I am eating, people that i am talking to, etc. And every week I will combine them and put them in an Aside post. So here is my week in review…

Aside #48- We’re So Far Away

Meiko Seymour — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:42:27 +0000

This makes me so happy.

A Single Father, A Rare Breed

Meiko Seymour — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:33:17 +0000

I began a conversation recently with a new friend about his life and the complexities of our society and where he fit in. He began mentioning that he had a son (and for the sake of privacy I will leave names out) almost 2 years old. I was shocked to say the least.

To be honest I am not quite sure why I was shocked. I live in a society where people have sex and children are made. That’s a given. That’s a fact. Thats a reality. I simply was not expecting this though. You see we’d spent previous conversations talking about Florida and Orlando and UCF all of which we both have common interest in. We had spent previous conversations on how little my knowledge was of football yet I found myself passionately rooting for the Saints. We’d spent previous conversations on politics; our likes and dislikes. No kid was mentioned. No complexity of life was revealed until now. So I was shocked when I heard it.

My friend has a son who is almost two years old. He showed me a picture and of course it made me smile. It made me smile because he had a picture of his kid. I just don’t believe fathers do that, you know, carry pictures of their kids around. Mine certainly never did. Anyway, I asked him if the child was planned. He responded with a no. I asked him if he was scared when he found out he’d be a father, he said no. He later pointed out that the child lives with him for the most part and he takes care of him nearly all by himself. I was floored. Does this really happen? Are there really single father households? I mean statiscally I know that they exist but wow. My friend needless to say does not make very much money from what I can tell. I imagine having to pay for doctors visits, food, housing, day care, electricity, car, etc. How?! How do you do it? he has no family support or anything. I asked if he’d sought out government help and he said no, too complex and complicated, a reference to his ongoing situation I’m sure.

What has kept me up the past few nights is that he has chosen this. He chose to be a father. He chose to love his son enough to do what needed to be done, to do what’s best. He chose to man up and handle his responsibilities. That’s so rare. So rare.

Cant Escape The Nigger: Aint I A Woman

Meiko Seymour — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:06:55 +0000

“If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these together ought to be able to turn it back and get it right side up again”

Aside #47- My Current iPhone Apps (picture post)

Meiko Seymour — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:30:25 +0000

I just wanted to share with everyone my current apps on my iPhone that I love and enjoy. Each picture is a different apps page on my phone. They have made my phone more productive and enjoyable

Aside #46- Happening Now January 18-24

Meiko Seymour — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:39:12 +0000

Dear President Obama #17- Has It Really Been A Year?

Meiko Seymour — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:00:51 +0000

When President Obama took office in January, he asked that Americans write into the White House to give advice about the country. So I recently decided to write a letter to the president with advice or thoughts that I wanted to share with him, in hopes that one day I would hear back and just maybe my thoughts may influence him…

Dear President Obama,

You know, I was just asking someone the other day where the year had gone. It seems like it was just yesterday that I watched on TV President Bush and Laura Bush take off from the South Lawn on Marine One (which was not designated that at the time since he was no longer president). It seems like it was just yesterday that Beyonce was singing At Last at the Inaugural Ball while you and Michelle danced. It seemed like it was just yesterday that you were busy appointing new Cabinet members including Hilary Clinton as your new Secretary of State and Tim Geithner as Treasury Secretary. It seems like it was just yesterday that just about 3/4 of the country supported you and were excited. It seems like it was just yesterday that we all had hope and change on our minds.

It has been an interesting first year though. You’ve had to tackle various issues including the economy, war, healthcare, race, critics, Republicans, Democrats, and the like. You’ve given great speeches such as the one in Cairo, Nobel Peace Prize, and the address to fathers. The White House has played host to amazing cultural forums and performances, of which it has not done before. So much in only a years time.

Ive been reading commentary on your first year in office and listening to them nitpick everything all day. Im not going to do that. Instead, I want to encourage you. Everyone needs encouragement sometimes. Why should you be any different?

The first year was rough Barack. It really was. Its not going to get any easier. However, the one thing that I trust during this second year, is your ability to take what you have learned and apply it to whats coming and push forward. America elected you. We elected you obviously for various reasons but most importantly because we felt at the time that you were what this country needed. We felt that you were bringing fresh ideas to an otherwise stalemate of monotony. And though many have wavered in support for you, and I will admit certain things you have done I have not been a fan of, there are those of us who do not regret that decision to vote you into office. I know that I did not vote to see you change everything around in a year. I voted for you because I believe in your tenacity and strength and skills. I believe in your ability to set the tone, set the pace, lead by example and discover and apologize when you are wrong. Politics will be politics and Im not interested in it at all. What i am interested in is making my beloved country Safe, free, and prosperous. Im interested in making it attainable. Im interested in doing whatever it takes to see us back on top. There are those of us who trust your ability to lead. So lead. But be sure to listen to us along the way. The citizens know what they want and sometimes even know whats best without a daily national security or economic briefing. We are writing you. We are speaking on the television shows. We are showing up to the town hall meetings. We are voicing our desires and we are verbing our needs. So pay attention.

You will fail in many endeavours. But fail brilliantly. I dont expect you to be a perfect President. I expect you to show up. I expect you to do what you feel is best. I expect you to trust yourself, your heart, and those that you have put around you to advise you. I expect your yes to be yes and your no to be no. I expect you to try. Just try…and then…..

…we’ll go from there.

My friends and I are planning a trip up to DC in February. Give me a call this week sometime so that we can schedule a day to meet up and grab drinks.

American Citizen,

Meiko

Martin Luther King Jr, In Memoriam

Meiko Seymour — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:09:13 +0000

Aside #45- Happening Now…Jan 11-17

Meiko Seymour — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:00:16 +0000