I Was Just Thinking...

I saw this picture of Paris Jackson today and it got me to thinking about Michael Jackson's kids and where they are now. You know how a picture or a story gets you thinking about people that really aren't in your realm of life, yet you can't stop wondering what happened to them?

A quick internet check on Paris finds the 17 year-old beauty seemingly happy and attending a private boarding school in Utah. She certainly has turned out to be a beautiful young lady, and social media pictures show her to be dating.

Her 18 year-old boyfriend, Chester Castellaw, is a soccer player for the Real So Cal youth soccer club. When not away at school she resides with her grandmother, Katherine Jackson and cousin Tito in California and her two brothers. She seems to be doing much better since her reported suicide attempt when she was 15.

Her brother Prince Michael also seems to be faring well.

The Loyola Marymount student, 18, is focusing his studies on a career in film and television. Reportedly a great student, Prince is said to be committed to his studies and focused on receiving a degree. Good thing because as the heir of his father's vast estate, he will need a good head on his shoulders to navigate all that entails. Talk about pressure. Let's keep our fingers crossed he stays the course. I think it would be a great testament to his late father.

Last, is their brother, Prince Michael II, "Blanket" who is 13.

Reportedly bullied for his name "Blanket", he changed his name to Bigi Jackson. Blanket, as he was known by his family, is said to be quiet, funny, respectful and helpful to others. Here's hoping he can live a somewhat normal teen aged life.

After reading and reporting all of that, I am left to wonder why I care? But strangely I do care-Michael Jackson's children were the young and  innocents caught in the madness that was his life. I could be wrong, but it looks like his mother is doing a good job raising his children. And as I said before, it would be nice if despite it all, the 3 kids turned out to be decent, happy and successful adults. As a parent, that's the best you can hope for.

Up In a Puff Of Smoke

I feel like we are living in a bad Dan Brown novel.

Could it be that twice in my lifetime I will witness the Papal Conclave? It's fascinating. On Feb 28, 2013 Pope Benedict XVI resigned officially as the Pope, leader of the Roman Catholics of the world. This was seen as a dramatic turn of events since he is the first Pope to do so on his own initiative since Pope Celestine V in 1294.

History in the making, but I have to wonder why? I'm not sure we will ever know the answer to that. Since John Paul's death in 2005, I have witnessed the Papal process twice. It's the stuff of DaVinci Code makings, and like the book, I'm not quite sure there aren't any sinister doings going  behind closed doors. How could there not be? It is the Catholic Church we are talking about here. God forgive me....

Today it is expected the Vatican will announce the date of the 2013 Papal conclave, and lets hope it happens soon. The Catholic Church has a holy opportunity to make a statement here, and try to pick a Pope for the people. A Pope who is modern and yet understands the rich traditions that are at the basis of our faith and will help us to heal the deep wounds from the scandal. Because let's not kid ourselves, Roman Catholics across the world have been steeped in shame for quite some time. We have lost our faith in our faith and the time has come for Vatican penance.

Here's one Catholic who will be watching with interest, excitement and yes, reservations and caution. I pray for a modern leader that will save face for us so that we can move forward and hold our religious heads high.

Otherwise it will all just go up in a puff of smoke.

Keep The Faith

Dear God,
My prayer for 2012 is for
A fat bank account & a thin body.

Please don't mix these up like you did last year.
AMEN!

It All Started With The Apple

Tell me it isn't so.

Tell me that it's not true because after all I have been through and I SHOULD know better, I still have the hopes and dreams of a woman who is optimistic about love and marriage.

Tell me that it's only a few bad apples that spoil it for the rest of us.

Tell me anything, "because I'm still kinda touched by 'your word is Oak thing'." (obscure Jerry Maguire reference) and your public declaration of love as "having my back".

Tell me to grow the f*ck up because as history proves, it all started with that God dammed apple.There's no two ways around it, because it's always been there and temptation is indeed, the fruit of all evil.

Another one bites the dust.

In this still-breaking story, the public obsession with salacious, celebrity infidelity takes yet another ugly turn. This time, America's newly crowned sweetheart is at the center.

Oh, Christ. Not that it's any of my or anyone else's business, but are we to believe that these new allegations, by some tattooed vixen, for money, fame, or whatever are FALSE? Do we really care? Yes, we do because somewhere inside of us we were all pulling for this mismatched couple to be happy. Sandy certainly looked happy. Sandy certainly sounded happy. Jesse doesn't look so happy (in that photo). It's ugly and only going to get uglier. In public. My heart goes out to her.

Who knows, maybe they had an agreement. Maybe she has some tattooed love slave on the side too. I would never venture to guess what is acceptable for others in a marital relationship, but I can tell you that it's not what I would agree to. Here's the thing, Adam couldn't resist the temptation and allegedly neither could Tiger or Jesse, so maybe a little piece on the side isn't so tragic.

Grow the f-up Candy, and smell the dirt in the garden. Who the hell am I? Joan of Ark? Am I asking too much for monogamy and fairy tales? Damm Cinderella and her happy ending and Snow White too. They can all go straight to hell. It's that friggin apple and it's not like we weren't warned. It's always been there. In the beginning of beginnings. Maya Angelou once said, "When someone reveals himself to you, you better listen." Did Adam not set the bar for the male species?? And right out of the gate too, so there would be no questions. Insurance for his homeys.

The way I see it serpents, vixens, lust, greed and temptation will always be prevalent, it's how one chooses to handle the temptation that speaks volumes about one's character.

And really, who wants to be married to a character?

On The Flip Side

There are two sides to every story.
Yesterday I wrote about the horrors that some teens are capable of.
Today I'm sharing the flip side of that story.

Maybe it was fate, karma or whatever you want to call it, but when I got this in my email today, I knew I had to share it with you.

There is a huge rock near a gravel pit on Hwy 25 in rural Iowa. For generations, kids have painted slogans, names, and obscenities on this rock, changing its character many times.

A few months back, the rock received its latest paint job, and since then it has been left completely undisturbed. It's quite an impressive sight. Be sure to scroll down and check out the multiple photos. (all angles) of the rock. I thought the flag was draped over the rock, but it's not. It's actually painted on the rock too.

Here's the artist: Ray ' Bubba ' Sorensen.

Congrats Bubba. You have redeemed my faith in teens.