GIVING ALL OR NOTHING

The world is filled with people who believe they have the answer to all things that are happening around them. They try to be helpful but in the process they get carried away in their goodness. It is time for us to see that while we want to be "good" we can end up hurting those around us.

I had the unfortunate situation at hand yesterday to see a young girl who seemed quite out of place. When I asked her what was the matter tears rolled down her cheeks. To the average person, this is a sign that it is time to move away. To me, it has become as common as a smile and now my reaction is to hug the person. So, I embraced her and continued to speak to her as I gently led her away from where we were to a more comfortable area.

The bottom dollar is she lives with her relatives since her mom has passed away and now in her early teens she is faced with the reality I had a few days ago myself. Life would probably have been different if her mother was alive! The love she recalls recieving from her mom is nolonger there. The affection she now craves is absent. What can she do?

There is very little that she can do. The reality is that if the person who has now become her mother-figure does not offer affection to her, she can do nothing about it. This is a terrible reality because on the long run she may look for love in all the wrong places. This is what we need to understand or we can lose our teens because we are busy doing the best we can without getting too involved in their lives where giving love is concerned.

So while we offer to take care of others let us remember they are only humans and they may require ALL of us not only the part we want to give. If we are not going to give all, then maybe we should consider not offering to be there in the first place.

Remember, we must give because we feel good about giving NOT because we will get in return. Give freely. It may come back to you in another way.

Yours sincerely,
B. Ysaguirre

NINE DAYS TO GO TO GENERAL ELECTIONS IN BELIZE

It is loud and it is clear. The last time I wrote about the upcoming election I was saying that the reds had the town covered in their propaganda. Well, let me make a change today and say the blues have now come along and done their thing! Each lightpost now has a blue where there is a red and the flapping of the flags at night as the breeze blow in from the bay is distracting me indoors.

I am still looking forward to the day when elections will be all over and we can get back to the business of the day - our lives as calmly and happy as we can.

A student told me tonight that he thought there would be some deaths after the election votes were counted. I am sadden by this thought and I hope we can see the elections go by without bloodshed.

While all this is going on and while everyone rushes off to try to get a piece of the campaign pie, I am still worried that we have not understood nor will we ever, that this land we call home is one of the few places in the world were freedom and the power to do just as we please is still alive. I don't expect that to change but I do hope that we are able to appreciate the freedom we have.

So, Belizeans, as you prepare to head off to the polls on Feb 7, remember that this country was built not by blood but by the sweat of many who tolied the land from dawn until dusk. Remember that we were once slaves but now are free. We were once a colony but on we are an independent country. We are BELIZEANS. A PROUD PEOPLE, WITH A PROUD PAST AND THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING A PROUD FUTURE IS IN OUR HANDS.

At the end of the day we must be able to remember that this land is our home and we MUST work hard to keep it free and safe. We must work hard to make this jewel as priceless as we can.

LET US BUILD A BETTER BELIZE TOGETHER. LET US SEE WHAT THERE IS TO SEE IN LIFE AND IN OUR COUNTRY. WE OWE IT TO OURSELVES. WE OWE IT TO OUR CHILDREN.

COMENTARIOS DE 1955 QUE NOS AFECTAN HOY

(NOTE: ALL PICTURES DOWNLOADED TO THIS PAGE FOR THE PAST WEEK ARE OF SCENES OF COROZAL DISTRICT, BELIZE CENTRAL AMERICA)

Comments made in the year 1955!
That's only 52 years ago!


"I'll tell you one thing, if things keep going the way they are, it's going to be impossible to buy a week's groceries for $20.00."

"Have you seen the new cars coming out next year? It won't be long before $2, 000.00 will only buy a used one."

"If cigarettes keep going up in price, I'm going to quit. A quarter a pack is ridiculous.

"Did you hear the post office is thinking about charging a dime just to mail a letter?"

"If they raise the minimum wage to $1.00, nobody will be able to hire outside help at the store."

"When I first started driving, who would have thought gas would someday cost 29 cents a gallon. Guess we'd be better off leaving the car in the garage."

"Kids today are impossible. Those duck tail hair cuts make it impossible to stay groomed. Next thing you know, boys will be wearing their hair as long as the girls."

"I'm afraid to send my kids to the movies any more. Ever since they let Clark Gable get by with saying DAMN in GONE WITH THE WIND, it seems every new movie has either HELL of DAMN in it."

"I read the o t her day where some scientist thinks it's possible to put a man on the moon by the end of the century. They even have some fellows they call astronauts preparing for it down in Texas."

"Did you see where some baseball player just signed a contract for $75,000 a year just to play ball? It wouldn't surprise me if someday they'll be making more than the President."

"I never thought I'd see the day all our kitchen appliances would be electric. They are even making electric typewriters now."

"It's too bad things are so tough nowadays. I see where a few married women are having to work to make ends meet."

"It won't be long before young couples are going to have to hire someone to watch their kids so they can both work."

"Marriage doesn't mean a thing any more, those Hollywood stars seem to be getting divorced at the drop of a hat."

"I'm afraid the Volkswagen car is going to open the door to a whole lot of foreign business."

"Thank goodness I won't live to see the day when the Government takes half our income in taxes. I sometimes wonder if we are electing the best people to congress."

"The drive-in restaurant is convenient in nice weather, but I seriously doubt they will ever catch on."

"There is no sense going to Lincoln or Omaha anymore for a weekend, it costs nearly $15.00 a night to stay in a hotel."

" No one can afford to be sick anymore, at $35.00 a day in the hospital it's too rich for my blood."

"If they think I'll pay 50 cents for a hair cut, forget it."

HELPFUL TIPS EVERY WOMAN AND MAN SHOULD KNOW

Peroxide, who knew? (Safer and Healthier than Bleach)

This was written by Becky Ransey of Indiana (a doctor's wife), and I want to share it with you. She was over recently for coffee and smelled the bleach I was using to clean my toilet and countertops. This is what she told me...

I would like to tell you of the benefits of that plain little ole bottle of 3% peroxide you can get for under $1.00 at any drug store. What does bleach cost?

My husband has been in the medical field for over 36 years, and most doctors don't tell you about peroxide. Have you ever smelled bleach in a doctor's office? NO!!! Why? Because it smells, and it is not healthy! Ask the nurses who work in the doctor's offices, and ask them if they use bleach at home. They are wiser and know better!

Did you also know bleach was invented in the late 40's? It's chlorine, Folks! And it was used to kill our troops. Peroxide was invented during WWI in the 20's. It was used to save and help cleanse the needs of our troops and hospitals. Please think about this.

1. Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit it out. (I do it when I bathe.) No more canker sores, and your teeth will be whiter without expensive pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash.

2. Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of peroxide to keep them free of germs.

3. Clean your counters and table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.

4. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.

5. I had fungus on my feet for years until I sprayed a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry.

6. Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for five to ten minutes several times a day. My husband has seen gangrene that would not heal with any medicine but was healed by soaking in peroxide.

7. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system like bleach or most other disinfectants will.

8. Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture whenever you have a cold, plugged sinus. It will bubble and help to kill the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes, and then blow your nose into a tissue.

9 If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for ten minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly.

10. And of course, if you like a natural look to your hair, spray the 50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through You will not have the peroxide-burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, faddish, or dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually, so it's not a drastic change.

11. Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help rid boils, fungus, or other skin infections.

12. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour it directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.

13. I use peroxide to clean my mirrors. There is no smearing, which is why I love it so much for this.

I could go on and on. It is a little brown bottle no home should be without! With prices of most necessities rising, I'm glad there's a way to save tons of money in such a simple, healthy manner!

This information really woke me up. I hope you gain something from it, too.

WORDS OF WISDOM PART II

Life is a dream and living is reality.
It can break you or it can make you.
It will hurt you and it will bring you joy.
Either way life is just that - LIFE!
B. Ysaguirre

The more talking and thinking, the farther from the truth.
Seng Ts'an


What is happening here and now is obstructed by happening itself; it has sprung free from the brains of happening.
Dogen


You will always exist in the universe in one form or another.
Shunryu Suzuki


You must accept the truth from whatever source it comes.
Moise Ben Maimon


To live life you must first know who you are, what you are and how you can make you. better. The Belizean woman has many potentials but first she must know who she is before she can move into life and living. Brenda A Ysaguirre (Belizean)

FIGHTING FOR A PIECE OF THE BELIZEAN PIE

It's a peaceful night in Belize. Most Belizeans are asleep as I sit in front of this computer and decide what I am going to write next. It is actually 2:34am as I begin this page. I guess we are all focused on the political force that is carrying us with it as we near the end of another battle for power. Who knows where it will all end and who really cares? As we fill our pockets( I haven't gotten anything YET) with all the goodies that come with campaigns, I smile. A drive through the town of Corozal where I live is filled with the two major parties propaganda. The reds and the blues have done themselves proud. I must say that the red had gone head over heel in their bid for a chance "to bite into the pie".

What is obvious is that there is a lot of unrest among the masses. I have tried to make Belizeans understand that this is a battle we do for the politicians and not necessarily the right thing to do. Neighbours are fight with each other and the joke of "here flies a red flag or a blue flag "or "now much bigger mine is" or "how many I have out" is all getting to be too much.

So, I am counting the days for it to be all over but in the process I guess I should stop and count the days too that are left for me to go vote! 12 days to go!!

I guess the focus we have learnt to have over the years where politics is concerned has made us gotten a little harder.

EXPECT NOTHING AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED!!!

Smile on the street as campaigners go about their task of attaining votes.

Keep the manifesto of both parties and as the winner of the election accomplishes the things they said they would do place a check mark on it. If at the end of their term of office they have not accomplished at least 50% percent you should know what to do the next time round.

First time voters, especially 18 year older should have nothing to say about the party they are against. You are either too young to know what the hell you are talking about or you are using the thoughts and sentiments of others. You are just a pawn in this politicial garbage. Mnay of you haven't learnt to wash your clothes yet and you want to talk about progress ans jobs. PLEASE! I have been there and done that and the bottom dollar is this is Belize. Land of NOTHING MUCH MORE!!! WE JUST AREN'T A WEATHLY COUNTRY ANS I DOUBT VERY MUCH IF WE EVER WILL BE.

So wake up young Belizeans and listen before you speak. It is idle talk that have caused wars. Listen to the silence. Be the silence.

Yours sincerely,
Brenda A. Ysaguirre

--

FIGHTING WITH YOUR SPOUSE IS GOOD FOR THE RELATIONSHIP

(an article from LifeScience.com - Just imagine the many who have been doing this for years and they did not realize the good they were doing for themselves!!!!)

A good argument with your spouse could be just what the doctor ordered.
Preliminary results from a survey of married couples suggest that disputing husbands and wives who hold in their anger die earlier than expressive couples.
"When couples get together, one of their main jobs is reconciliation about conflict," said researcher Ernest Harburg, professor emeritus with the University of Michigan School of Public Health and Psychology Department. "Usually nobody is trained to do this. If they have good parents, they can imitate, that's fine, but usually the couple is ignorant about the process of resolving conflict."
So while conflict is inevitable, the critical matter is how couples resolve it.
"The key matter is, when the conflict happens, how do you resolve it?" Harburg said. "When you don't, if you bury your anger, and you brood on it and you resent the other person or the attacker, and you don't try to resolve the problem, then you're in trouble."
The findings add to past research showing that the release of anger can be healthy. For instance, one study revealed when people are angry they tend to make better decisions, perhaps because this emotion triggers the brain to ignore irrelevant cues and focus on the meat of the matter. Individuals who express anger might also have a sense of control and optimism over a situation, according to another past study.
Bottled anger adds to stress, which tends to shorten lives, many studies show.
In the current study, the authors suggest a combination of factors to explain the higher mortality for couples who don't express their anger. These include "mutual anger suppression, poor communication (of feelings and issues) and poor problem-solving with medical consequences," they write in the January issue of the Journal of Family Communication.
Over a 17-year period, Harburg and his colleagues studied 192 married couples in which spouses ranged in age from 35 to 69, focusing on aggressive behaviour considered unfair or undeserved by the person being "attacked." Harburg said that if an attack is viewed as fair, the victim doesn't tend to get angry.
Based on the participants' anger-coping responses to hypothetical situations, Harburg placed couples into one of four categories: both partners express their anger; the wife expresses anger; the husband communicates anger while the other suppresses; and both the husband and wife brood and suppress their anger.
The researchers found that 26 couples, meaning 52 individuals, were suppressors in which both partners held in their anger. Twenty-five percent of the suppressors died during the study period compared with about 12 percent for the other remaining couples.
In 27 percent of the suppressor couples, one member of the couple died during the study period, and in 23 percent of those couples, both died during the study period. That's compared to only 6 percent of couples where both spouses died in the remaining three groups combined. Only 19 percent in the remaining three groups combined saw one partner die during the study period.
The results held even when other health factors were accounted for, including age, smoking, weight, blood pressure, bronchial problems, breathing and cardiovascular risk.
Harburg said the results are preliminary, and his team is now collecting 30-year follow-up data. He expects the follow-up to show almost double the death rate compared with the preliminary findings.