Ok, so, on Facebook, where we all get our information these days, someone posted a picture of a billboard. It read, “Monica Lewinsky’s ex-Boyfriend’s Wife For President!” The person who posted it thought it was funny. I do not. Before you get entrenched in politics, I am going to go on the record as saying I am not a fan of Hillary Clintons politics. I am however a woman, and on that has been cheated on and I don’t find this kind of demeaning sign funny.
Let me tell you why, as women we should be protecting each other, lifting each other up and only wanting good things for each other. Hillary did not deserve the very public humiliation she received from this time in her life. To constantly bring it up and throw it in her face every chance we get not only denigrates her accomplishments as a woman, it denigrates all of us. What we are saying by posting these types of things is we thing she deserved what she got. I do not believe any woman deserves what happened to her, she was very publicly humiliated, she chose to stay with her husband, and I hope she made him pay for his horrible choices.
As a society, as women, we have chosen to make her pay for what her husband did, and constantly remind her of it.
Why, as women, are we doing that? It is unconscionable; we really should be a sisterhood. Why are we not? Why do we look at another woman’s misery and insist on adding to it? If you disagree with her politics, her opinions, her actions, then blast her for those, not what her husband did to her.
This type of continued need women have to belittle each other, to knock each other down a peg or two, appalls me. Why? Is Anthony Weiner’s wife going to be subjected to this type of denigration? By other women?
One more reason I love Mary Kay, you don’t find this type of thing happening within our ranks. You find it in corporate America, a lot, in my J.O.B. there is a woman who is hell bent on ruining every woman in the office.
She needs Jesus, although I have found that a lot of the women who claim to have Jesus have this inane need to tear other women down.
Stop it, just stop, stop stepping out with men, who are taken, stop putting down women that have been cheated on, stop gossiping about your sisters. Instead lend a helping hand, reach out to each other, when you see a woman down, no matter the cause, lend an ear, a shoulder or hand.
It costs nothing to lift up a woman in need; you gain everything, self-worth, gratitude, and an eternal friend. We all need friends, we all need each other, this world was not designed for us to walk alone in it. And I do not mean in a romantic way, it takes a village, it means more than raising children, it takes a village for us all to survive. We must depend upon one another for survival, we all have different gifts, we all have different talents, I can do something someone else can’t and vice versa.
So when you see those types of things, no matter how tempted you are to laugh, remember, if you are willing to laugh at someone else’s misery, the person posting will probably laugh at yours.
God Speed Good and Faithful Servant
Keep looking up, cause that’s where it all is; those are the words that ended the morning show I listen to 5 days a week since 1994. That is when I started listening to Kidd Kraddick in the morning; I was there for bath time with Caroline, and yes the creepy version bath time with Kellie.
I have had the pleasure of calling in several times over the years and once my daughter; Elizabeth Anne called into the show. To rat me out for letting her eat popsicles for breakfast. I wonder if she remembers that. I was mortified.
When my children were young, during the school/work week, television wasn’t allowed during the morning rush, it was Kidd and crew that started our mornings.
I could always count on him to not say anything that I would find hard to explain, or anything inappropriate when the kids weren’t in school. As a matter of fact, there were times Kellie would say school rule when things looked like they were going a different direction and Kidd would save whatever it was until after school bells rang.
I could always count on them to make me laugh, to make me cry, to inform and entertain me. He has always made my work mornings enjoyable, bearable and on Fridays he started the weekend off right with Flush the Format.
Elizabeth called me last night and said had I heard, I had not, I ran to the computer to see if it was just a horrible hoax or the truth. This man, who seemed like a part of our family for so long was gone, it was true. Kidd had gone to be with God, and yes I fully believe he did go there, he lived his life as an example of how a Christian should be. Giving selflessly to children and their families that needed a break, to forget they were ill, broken and tired. Over the years I have listened to the Kidd’s kids stories, been moved to give, moved to tears and moved to action.
I know it sounds strange to say a DJ, that I have never met in person (I have met Kellie) was like a member of our family, however that is what he was good at. Coming into our homes, cars and workplace, comforting, relating and informing, he was never brash, always soothing and even while doing does that make me crazy he never made anyone feel less than. That my friends is a gift, to get people to tell the crazy things they do in secret and make them feel normal about it.
My heart goes out to his daughter and to his ex-wife; even after divorce he said not one bad thing about the mother of his child. That is a real man, on air he said she was the best thing that ever happened to him and just because their marriage didn’t last forever, their relationship would.
I will miss you an inordinate amount Kidd Kraddick, you gave so much of yourself that I believe you wore your heart out here on earth. I am positive God said to you well done and welcome home. I know you are there with the mother and father you missed so much after their passing.
My prayers are with your family and your radio family.
Irritated
As most of you know nothing gets me riled up like infidelity, there is now something going around on Facebook (where we all know is where I get my information) about how devoted Brad Pitt is to Angelina Jolie. I’m sorry; these two sicken me, if he was such a wonderful man, then where was the devotion to his actual wife?
However, according to Pat Robertson it was acceptable for Brad Pitt to cheat on his wife because he is good looking. Angelina Jolie has been quoted as saying that she cannot wait to show her children Mr. and Mrs. Smith because that is the film that shows their parents falling in love. Hmmm, wasn’t Brad Pitt married to Jennifer Aniston at that point and time? Didn’t Jennifer Anniston visit Brad on the set of that movie? Yes to both, it also means that Jolie met Jennifer, knew Brad was married and went after him like a tornado goes after Oklahoma.
I have been the victim of a woman seeing what I had and going after it with a vengeance. See, want, take, that is the philosophy of these women, don’t think you are safe from that kind of vicious attack. If someone perceives your life as something they want, and they have no morals, they will take it.
I don’t want to even see a film that these two are in anymore, that is how much they sicken me. Before you go off on some tangent about how brave Jolie is having a mastectomy, please know that the test she took and the surgeries she had, the normal, average woman in this country and many other, could never afford. EVER.
Much less the plastic surgery afterwards to replace her breasts, I don’t believe there was anything brave about what she did. She is wealthy and privileged; she can make these choices, where we cannot.
I will continue to not see their movies; I will continue to be sickened by the very public, poor treatment of Pitt’s first wife. The way they continue to want to slap her in the face every chance they get. Especially Angelina Jolie, you won, ok, you got the man, I hope it is worth an eternity in hell for you. What God has joined together let no man, or woman put asunder. Those words are there for a reason; God so hated infidelity it is mentioned twice in the top ten. Do not commit adultery and do not covet what is your neighbors. This is it people, don’t think these two are romantic; the couple that was so romantic to me were my parents and grandparents. They stayed together during the dust bowl, during the depression and they worked together, through good times, bad times, sickness and in health. That is what romance is, not cheating and stealing.
My Mary Kay Exerience
I have arrived back home after being at Mary Kay Seminar for three days, first off I have to say the Hyatt in Downtown Dallas was absolutely wonderful to us. From the people that made sure I was kept in coffee to the ones that made sure we had enough towels in our room, you made sure we were taken care of and spoiled. Love you.
Walking into the arena was difficult, this was the last place I spent a significant amount of time with my friend Sandi. I managed to keep it together until the Awards ceremony, you see this is what she and I loved together, she would call and ask what I was wearing and most years I would keep her guessing. Then when I walked out in what I had chosen she would say well, Angela Barsi, and I knew I had chosen well. Then she and I would ohhhh and awwww over the fabulous gowns and beautiful shoes, pointing out what would look good on the other. It was hard, and I was happy I had left off the mascara. After a complete meltdown I was then able to enjoy the show, looking at the beautiful gowns and fabulous shoes, thinking which ones would look good on me and which ones Sandi commandeered for herself in Heaven. Because if anyone can, trust me, it’s Sandi.
I learned a lot, some very exciting products are coming out; I can’t wait to share them all with everyone. Especially the new Clearproof line, it is specially formulated for our customers who battle acne. It is awesome, they have tested the products on people who battle this issue and the results were nothing short of amazing. An overused word, I know, but apt here.
I attended an incredibly fun White party, where everyone wore white and boogied to some really great old school music. My music, Earth Wind and Fire, The Commodores, and the list goes on.
I found out my wonderful Mary Kay sisters had nominated me for our unit’s Miss Go Give. It is the highest honor one can be recognized for in Mary Kay. I am humbled beyond belief; to be thought of in this way by my peers is extraordinary.
Mary Kay Seminar
Sunday I will begin my Mary Kay Seminar experience. I know, not my first time at this rodeo, however it is my first time without Sandi. The last time I was there was my last time with her, that time I was the only one from her personal team to go. We got to spend major amounts of time together, it is a gift I cherish to this day.
This is not going to be easy, however, with Wanda, Faith and Louise I know we will be ok. We all have such wonderful memories of our dear friend that I know together we can not only celebrate our lives in MK we can celebrate the woman that brought us together as friends.
A lot of people have a hard time understanding the relationship we all had with Sandi. They don’t understand we were friends long before she brought me into the Mary Kay world. She was a mentor, friend, sister and huge influence in my life. We shared our sons with each other, we shared details of our lives, when my mother passed a way she shared her mother with me.
She never had a daughter, she used to tell me that if she’d had one she imagined that daughter would have been like my Elizabeth Anne. Sandi took great delight in the fact that Tessa’s middle name is the same as hers. One day I’ll tell Tess about my friend Sandi who was glamorous, smart, beautiful, funny and above all loyal.
My Opinion
I have kept quiet on one of the biggest dramas gripping our nation for some time, on purpose. I wanted my thoughts to be cohesive, the key here my thoughts, I wanted to be able to articulate what I feel with clarity and forethought.
I don’t typically go off half-cocked, I am a fully loaded and ready to aim kind of girl, an apt metaphor for what I am going to say here in the next few paragraphs.
On February 26, 2012 George Zimmerman took the life of a seventeen-year-old teenager with his whole life ahead of him.
Last weekend a jury found him not guilty of all charges, because the state of Florida did not make their case.
Here are my thoughts on the whole, horrible thing; first of all I believe George Zimmerman is a foolhardy individual with little regard for authority. He proved that when the 911 operator told him several times not to leave his vehicle, when he left the vehicle, told him to get back in it.
George Zimmerman had every right to call the police; in all honesty if I see someone acting suspicious, no matter the color of their skin or gender, I will call the police. I will not follow them, even as a neighborhood watch person, he over stepped. I understand he was frustrated at what seemed like a lack of police protection at several robberies in the area, however, he was not an officer of the law, and he was a regular citizen. Being in a neighborhood watch does not make you a cop, it does not give you the authority of someone who has been through years of training, and who has taken an oath to protect and serve.
He should never have followed that teenager at all; there would have been no confrontation if he had followed a simple directive. Stay in your car.
At 17, we have all done stupid things, we have done things we are not proud of, some have done illegal things. Does that make us thugs? Does that make us punks? Does that warrant being shot?
At that age, I will admit, I was no angel; I was rebellious, obnoxious, loud and at times rather unpleasant. I drank underage, which is illegal, I snuck home, if someone had seen me in the dark, they might have thought I was breaking into my own home. I am happy no one shot me, I grew up in a state that would have been a possibility, shoot first, ask questions later.
Florida didn’t do their job, this was not a murder 1 case, in my opinion, and it is my opinion, this should have been tried as manslaughter all along. By them adding the charges later, it sent a message to the jury that they couldn’t make their case. I believe it had a lot to do with the outcome.
I believe that every action has a reaction, has a consequence, I do not believe that George Zimmerman has paid the price for his crime. I do believe he committed a crime, double jeopardy being what it is, there is no way to retry him. He has not shown remorse, while I understand that by apologizing to the parents that is admitting guilt, which he will not do. If I had been his attorney I would not have let him. However, by telling the parents, I’m sorry for what happened, perhaps telling them I regret my actions, I regret not listening, it might have comforted them. By not showing remorse, he is driving that hurt a little deeper.
Whatever you believe, whatever your opinion is, a young man is dead that will never know his potential. He will never go to college, he will never get married, he will never father children. His mother will not have his grandchildren to play with; my heart breaks for her as one mother to another.
If you don’t agree with me, that’s fine, if you feel the need to comment, please remember I do moderate and to be respectful.
Changes
Change. A small 6 letter word, yet we all go through them every single day, we don’t even realize they are happening. We go through physical changes, emotional, mental the whole gamut.
Some changes are so subtle we don’t even realize they are happening until its too late.
I look back to when I was on high school and the way I looked. It is so sad to look at pictures and realize that was the best I was ever going to look. I feel like I wasted my looks, I didn’t understand the power they had. It’s too late for me to skate by on my looks. I have to rely on my brain. Thank God He had the foresight to know I would lose those looks and had me develop my thought process.
Really it was my grandfather who planted that seed by teaching me to read at 4. My dad, who taught me to argue with logic, if I had not been equipped with these skills, reading, thought, argument and logic I shudder to think what would have happened if I had been relying on my looks when they disappeared.
I look at society today, the women that young girls are looking up to and it is scary. You see beautiful women that have absolutely no thought process whatsoever being touted as role models.
Parents with young daughters should turn off the television and introduce their daughters to Mary Shelley, a published author at a time women were not being published. Especially with the subject matter, she wrote a horror story. That still lives on today, her mother was Mary Wollstonecraft was a respected philosopher. Another well educated, well spoken, insightful woman at a time women were not being educated.
So turn off Disney, turn on the written word, teach your daughters it’s great to be pretty (I myself have the most beautiful daughter like ever) but having a brains and beauty is a truly awesome combination.
Rain
I awoke to rain, life giving, life affirming blessed rain. Rain renews my soul; it is what gives life to the planet, to all of us. From the ground up, it refreshes us, renews us and is the affirmation that life goes on.
I pray that the rain washes away all of the ugliness and brutality if just for a moment from all living things.
I find the rain soothing, a balm on my soul, it cleanses me, almost like snow does, I find it calming.
I know this is going to sound strange, but maybe not, when it rains I sing Nothing But the Blood, I equate the rain with washing away of sin. Yes, I know the song says blood, not water and if it were raining blood, well, that would be apocalyptic in nature. It’s a metaphor for how I feel the rain cleanses, I believe God uses the rain to cleanse the earth much like the Blood of Jesus cleanses our souls. It’s my belief; you don’t have to agree with it, it’s how I see things not you.
I had the best day yesterday, very relaxing, I didn’t do a whole lot, I got my eyebrows done, now I can wear my contacts without being embarrassed, got some things at the store. Then came home and read, an actual book, not an ereader book. I love real books, the feel, the smell, the weight; it is nothing short of wonderful for me. I love the written word, I am always in awe of someone who can put pen to paper and use his or her imaginations to make my imagination come to life. When the person can actually string a sentence together. Please do not get me started on one of the worst written books on the face of the planet today. I still cannot believe anyone read that horrendous piece of, well, garbage. Once again, it wasn’t the content it was the writing.
On that note, I shall leave you all to finish my book; I need to find out what happens at the end.
Happy Birthday Alex
Today is a special day, I know what you are thinking, well, yeah, it’s Friday, it is indeed, however, today is Thomas Alexander’s birthday. We always knew his middle name would be Alexander, it was tough choosing the first name, however, I am proud to say it is after the very first one of my ancestors to come to America on the Testerman side.
It is a day I remember well, we were so excited to welcome him the nurses thought we were in to have our first child, they were shocked to learn he was going to be our last. I think he came into this world smiling, he did it fast, he would wake up smiling. He never woke up crying, Elizabeth Anne nicknamed him Mr Sunshine Face because of it, she would run to his room and say “mommy, Mr Sunshine Face is awake!” I think Jeffrey was just happy to have another boy in the family, this way he was not outnumbered.
He quickly became just as adventurous as his brother and sister, making me wish I had 4 sets of eyes and 4 pairs of hands, always full of life, wanting to explore.
Today he is 22 and still has that smile, still wants to explore the world, learn new things and remains one of the top three things in my life I am most proud of.
He not only works two jobs but he goes to school as well, he is a daredevil in a truck, car or motorcycle, which makes me nervous. He has thought provoking ideas and we have these great conversations, even if we don’t agree on some things, he still knows how to intelligently debate his side. I am so proud of that, he is passionate about his beliefs and not afraid to voice them, however, not belligerently.
So, happy birthday son, I love you more than you will ever know, you make me proud every day that goes by.
Bad Day
Ok, so, today as I was walking into work someone walking behind me said dang who has that big booty? That was me, the woman who said it meant it as a compliment. That is not a compliment to me, it has sent me into a tailspin, my self esteem is in the dirt. It already lives there as far as my body is concerned, and now it is just gone.
Telling a woman she has a big butt does not go over well unless the woman is dating Sir MixALot, I am not dating him.
This just makes me want to live on exlax and water for the next six months. I don’t even want to see what I look like from behind to elicit such a response.
Just so you know, if you are my friend, never, ever, tell me that!
I already know I am as fat as an elephant, so disgusting, no one should even look at me. No selfies for me on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, maybe a picture of my feet, if they are not fat that day.
Angie World 