A Mother's Survival Techniques Against the Jungle of Life
I’ve only really had one vacation, so it’s clearly my best. This doesn’t mean I should give up topping it. I am grateful. There are a lot of families who never get to experience a vacation.
Click on the link below to hear me tell you about it. You be glad you did!
Most incredibly magical ten days!
Now that you know mine, tell me what aired on your amazing getaway!
Describe one positive change you have made in your life.
I have always been vocal about my dissatisfaction with the way I was raised. My siblings and I grew up in a household that lacked both financial stability and emotional support. While we did engage in family activities, the underlying emotions were often discordant. The fleeting moments of happiness could not overshadow the prevailing sadness, and even during the joyful times, we felt a sense of indebtedness.
One year, as a 15-year-old, I saved up over $1000 from babysitting all summer with the intention of buying a grandfather clock for my parents. I eagerly awaited the moment to order it from the JCPenney catalog, picturing its chestnut color and the sun and moon rotating with the hands. I was filled with excitement, imagining the recognition I would receive for this significant contribution. However, my parents needed the money to cover a bill and asked to borrow it, promising to repay me.
As Christmas approached, I grew eager to order the clock, only to be given a used 10-speed bike instead. While I was grateful for the gift, my joy faded when my dad revealed it was purchased for $25 at a yard sale, instead of repaying the money I had saved. This revelation made me reflect on my own parenting style, realizing that while I may not have taken money from my children, I may have inadvertently made them feel like they had to earn my love out of guilt.
This realization led me to understand that my children did not choose their circumstances, I chose to bring them into this world on my own, and they should not have to earn my affection. It has taken me this long to recognize that I owe my children a great deal of respect, and that I love them unconditionally. I acknowledge the mistake of perpetuating the cycle of behavior inherited from my parents and have decided to break free from this pattern. I hope I get that chance.
At age 23 or 24, you’ve probably heard me speaking about the retrograde and anterograde amnesia I got to experience. The humorous thing is that after watching so many romantic movies about “damsels in distress” discovering their forever man, I wished I had it too. Believe me, those movies were lying! It’s nothing like that!
The way I had it happen was from a prescription that I shouldn’t have been taking, prescribed by a physician I didn’t know. But, hey! She’s a doctor—she certainly knows what she’s doing when she tells me my mind is screwy, because when she asks how I feel, I say, “okay.” Apparently, I should have broken into a song and dance from Mary Poppins!
Reaction: anterograde and retrograde amnesia.
My entire life, it seems I’ve been working at regaining and retaining my memory so I can function, you know? My memory used to be unbelievably great! I had a mental rolodex with phone numbers, movies, books, and practically anything I wanted to recall later. And I decided I wanted it back. What did I do? I worked at it—HARD! And—I finally did it!
If you’d like to hear me explain in a five minute, one-sided conversation, here you go! Just don’t say I didn’t warn you…
Where would you go on a shopping spree?
Although The Matrix is a gymnasium, presumably named after the 1999 blockbuster film, I would shop ata grover store with this name if there actually was a place for purchasing merchandise that was straightforward labels. A spree works be better.
Imagine having a choice between top designer clothes with obvious tags and poor quality, like a BMW built with Volkswagen parts. Is that a thing? And would people be just as happy if the name alone establishes the quality? Yeah, I’m aware that it should…
What if salesmen had a new law in place signifying they were required to take a “vitamin” each day that verifies they’re honest? If they are dishonest, their blood pressure continues rising until their head pops off! All I know is that if those car salesmen spend a great deal of time alone at the bar, there’s a reason they’re being avoided, right? No white shirts allowed!
What would this progression do to sales? Would there be heaps of junk at the junkyard, full of blown-up salesmen’s heads? Or would lot owners begin scouring the market for honest salesmen? Perhaps they’d find that one in a million sociopath who can fool the system and still make bank!
My store, The Matrix, only sells food. That’s right! The only store with nothing on the shelves containing GMOs, saccharine, or any other man-made preservatives for screwing up bodies while making a profit. Everything would be made real. And when I use that term, it also means that these “free-range birds” with a one-foot by one-foot area to walk in would also be disallowed. The cattle would be purchased from farmers that had enough grain-covered land to nourish their animals without injections. Yes, my friends, it would be a dystopia, wouldn’t it? And it’s certainly going to cost more. But it’s just being aware of whether you’re choosing the red pill or the blue pill, so at least you have a clear understanding of what you’ve chosen to purchase. Would you shop here?
When personal values and political structures collide, one man cannot serve two gods, even if he’s the United States president. Quite honestly, all that will happen if TikTok is laid upon the chopping block is the country will turn upon itself. With incomes governed by wealthy investors and businesses of political power, the only hope for someone in the United States to survive is entrepreneurship; many of whom originated via social media. By closing off the valve of oxygen, panic will undoubtedly ensue, and an uprising will occur to remain alive.
However, Biden simultaneously discourages post-high school education with the ability of lower-paying jobs not requiring degrees. Is this in answer to all the student loans the government has been squashing? If so, does it not seem as if ignorance is the goal? Because all of this, combined with blacklisting books at rates 33% higher than the previous year, has a mysteriously familiar ring to it, doesn’t it?
And let’s not stop with Biden, because as scary as he is, there’s certainly worse! Remember in school, when others dared to sit facing a mirror in the dark and mutter the words, “Bloody Mary” three times? That’s the negative vibes I get from saying the Republican Party contender, so my better judgment urges my silence here. But that doesn’t mean the Tic Tac popping predator must remain silent quiet to prove my point. Let’s allow him to speak for himself with the few, yet simple, vocabulary words of a third grade bad boy.
Should we entertain the idea of enticing Morpheus into a leadership role within the government? The notion of President Morpheus sparks a new curiosity – what potential lies in store for our children under his guidance?
Do you believe in fate/destiny?
Being a hypnotherapist, who was previously involved in a religious group that manipulated its followers’ beliefs into providing for the leaders, my understanding of the power each of us holds in our own minds proves overwhelming. The thought of Fate having a hand in our own actions isn’t as hard to come by as believing a being, whom no one has seen, has given us control and is watching to make sure we choose correctly—by following ten rules that no one can wholeheartedly follow.
In us taking responsibility for our actions, blaming no one else, and accepting the consequences that fall upon us, we will do what we feel is correct: no need for following ten out-of-reach goals.
Treat others in the manner you wish to be treated—not feeding them what you eat; rather causing them to feel what you feel by giving them nourishment they appreciate, the same as you would enjoy it.
Fate and destiny? Create your own surroundings by giving those around you a reason to be happy. By doing this, you will create your own happiness and a fulfilling future.
If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be, and why?
If I could be someone else today, I would choose to be the pre-amnesia Michelle from high school. This version of myself would carry the heavy burden of realizing the betrayal of family and the deceit of doctors, leaving me to navigate life’s challenges alone. The bitterness of sacrificing my dreams for the sake of others, only to be left stranded and forgotten, would fuel a deep sense of regret and resentment. I would feel the weight of lost opportunities, the agony of starting over repeatedly, and the burning desire for justice against those who have wronged me. In this alternate reality, I would be consumed by a fiery determination to break free from the chains of my past, to reclaim my identity, and rather than seek retribution for the injustices inflicted upon me, glow like a burning ember on a cold December night. I want them to understand I will not die, defeated.
Who are your favorite people to be around?
Imagine yourself on the main level of a towering building, riding an elevator to the top. As passengers come and go, two individuals who entered with you remain until you reach your intended floor.
Upon entering, Person A greets you warmly with a smile, a gesture of welcome, while Person B gives you a quick once-over before dismissing you without a word.
A woman with a toddler in a stroller boards, looking flustered as she struggles to fit in with the crowd. “That stroller is too big for this many people,” Person B declares, “You’ll have to wait for an empty car.”
Person A exits, but then notices that by turning the stroller to the side, everyone fits in perfectly. As the woman reaches her floor and prepares to leave, she thanks Person A and wishes them a pleasant day.
The elevator continues its ascent, but suddenly the lights flicker and the car comes to a halt. In an attempt to lighten the mood, you make a humorous remark. Person B responds with a string of curses, blaming foreign craftsmanship for the malfunction. Person A calmly points out a door in the ceiling that could serve as an escape. They suggest boosting you up to the opening, and together you manage to wriggle through the hole to safety.
Emerging through the door into the shaft, you realize you are just below your intended floor. The flashing red lights and blaring horn signal that all is not well. “We should wait for instructions from the authorities. They’ll know how to handle this situation,” Person B insists.
“In an emergency, we need to act quickly and help each other,” Person A asserts, turning to you for support. Together, you decide to forge ahead.
On the rooftop, a helicopter hovers with a dangling harness, offering a chance for escape. “Let me go first,” demands Person B, “I’m the president of a bank, and my survival is crucial.” However, you, a single parent with two young children, find this reasoning lacking.
Person A steps forward, always thoughtful and strategic. “I am single and on the verge of earning my Ph.D. in environmental science to combat pollution. Please, go first and send the harness back promptly!” With that, you’re strapped in and take off.
Without hesitation, you rise up into the waiting chopper, unstrapping as quickly as humanly possible for the next passenger just as the building begins to crumble. The two remaining individuals understand that only one of them can be saved, and they wave their arms in desperation.
In this critical moment, as the helicopter only had time to accommodate one more person, you must decide who to save. Will you choose the bank president, driven by self-preservation, or the dedicated scientist working to make the world a better place? The choice is yours to make, a decision that reflects your values and beliefs.
Toby Keith was an all-loved American entertainer what sang from his heart, thought with his brain, and his stomach ended up literally eating him. Stomach cancer. But, you may be asking, “How can someone who affords the best food ever die from eating such choice meals?” The answer is both in how the meat is pumped full of shit, to make more meat and more money faster, as well as red meat’s adherent negative impact on our digestive system from the beginning.
Cavemen did eat meat, but they were more prone to eat berries and beans during the warmer months.)
The fact is, Episode 2 of You are What You Eat: A twin experiment, reveals how greed encroaches on our health by breeding unhealthy cattle herds, not just consumption, but green gasses and global warming caused from overproduction of livestock.
With cattle being crammed into tiny places to eat, burp, and crap, is it such a surprise that agriculturists warn of such high contents of methane gas? What happens when you eat it? Red meat is the highest causation of cancer in the world—and goes doubly for the United States.
So the next time you dig your teeth into the gigantic and juicy burger, take care to remind yourself of the quality and quantity of which that Russian Roulette bullet contains. You may even want to rethink your food order.
Why am I talking about this now? Three days ago, while losing a bit of weight via healthy food and minimal exercise, hamburger was brought by my daughter’s good friend. But they decided to eat something else. I used it for a meal. The following day, my body pains kicked in, I have a horrific cold, and I can’t seem to separate myself from the restroom for more than an hour. There’s no doubt in my mind what the guilty additive was which caused this effect, and continues with climate change. At this rate, horrifically terminal issues will begin dire and irreversible situations within a decade!
What relationships have a positive impact on you?
While every relationship has an impact on me, my outlook is a bit different than most.
My article is going to be a little bit different than at least 95% of the other articles that you read today. That’s because, after taking five different versions of the 150-180 question exam, every single time the Enneagram stated I am a 5-8-4. The curious aspect of this is that “my type” actually suggests me as someone who must have proof of everything before jumping aboard. Coincidence? I think not!
Being that this 5-8-4 type is the least common, I’d wager to say that anyone and everyone who’s ever had anything to do with me would wholeheartedly agree with my stubbornness and my ability to reveal my exact thoughts, even if they don’t welcome it. And of all the people I’ve encountered, I am happiest to have intersected with each and every one of them.
Describing to you all the good people such as Vicki, Cio, Bonnie, Josh, Roger, and countless others who have done selfless and sometimes life-saving things for others, it is expected to thank them. And I am certainly not saying that I am not thankful – I absolutely am! But does my perception of gratitude surprise anyone when somebody does something for me?
What about my opposition? Tilisha… oh, there are others. However, I am a firm believer that when something negative happens, dwelling on it gives the event power over me. But the power my nemesis was striving for is not only gone, but I finally realized it was never there. So you see, that’s what I learned from her. And believe me, all negative energy can be transmuted into positive energy if I simply stop and consider what I’ve learned from the experience. From that day forward, I act accordingly, and not only am I well-informed, I’m genuinely happier because of it.
Throughout my life, whether dealing with ex-husbands, ex-lovers, ex-friends, or someone who gives me the finger as they honk their horn, there is something for me to gain, even if it’s just laughing to myself because they think they have power and I know they don’t, which in itself is my own reinforcement.
While you may not be able to stop the impact, you absolutely have the power to redirect the force of it.
So whether we learn to repeat things for a positive outcome or avoid them so that we never have to encounter them again, every single person we encounter in life provides us with something we can use so next time is a little bit better. Would you not agree?
Mother in the Jungle 
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