Week 3 The Goods, the breakthroughs, and the not so goods.

 Week three was an interesting week and I have experienced enough to write about each beat (Women's wellness and toxic relationships), and my thoughts on week three. 

Regarding wellness- I’ve begun a modality new to me- Pilates.  I’ve heard of Pilates over the years but for some reason never tried it.  That seems to be a current theme in my life at the moment… doing new things that I’ve thought of or previously encountered but never actually attempted. I’ ve learned about yoga although I haven’t really kept up with it.  I must say, I love doing Pilates and I am really seeing the gains.    It’s almost like a mixture of yoga and regular exercise.    It’s perfect for me because its low impact yet still yields big results.  I don't like high intensity workouts, but yoga was a little too slow for me.  I still have goals for the stillness of yoga but I am already seeing the gains from doing a nifty little Pilates glute workout called  “Clams.”  Super simple, quick and easy (for the working mom.)  My bum is beginning to see lift again.  Check out move with Nicole on youtube for these awesome workouts. I recommend pilates to any working moms.

In regards to toxicity, and toxic relationships, which is my other beat, I had an interesting encounter with a youth girl.  Without being specific, this youth is 15 years old and was chatting with me about her current relationship…. A relationship which is toxic.  She told me of how she knows they are in a toxic relationship but how she loves him and can't let go.  She went on to tell me about all of her past relationships, and from what I gathered, they have all been toxic.  She told me about her father and grandfather, who, from what I gathered, were terrible to her.  This youth girl comes from a rough background of foster homes, and abuse.  It reminds me of the direct correlation of the tendency to get into toxic relationships which most times is directly linked to certain types of familial trauma.  The girl and her sister had a breakdown in tears about the life they’ve lived.  These girls remind me of my younger self.  And so, I am making all these deep realizations.  

Remembering the young me, engulfed in toxicity.  And then there's the older me, the current me.  Still slightly struggling with keeping toxicity out, and always in pursuit of wellness and balance.  Maybe if I had had someone’s guidance at that age I would have made different choices. 

Well week 3.  The ethical responsibilities of journalists.  The importance of truth and the tendencies towards fallacies.  This chapter was intriguing, in fact I do find this read engaging.  In the second chapter truth emerges as the cornerstone of journalistic integrity. The authors emphasize the distinction between “truth” and “news,” highlighting the journalist’s obligation to provide accurate information to the public. They argue that accuracy is paramount, serving as the foundation upon which all journalistic elements rest.  The quote I chose to submit resonated with me deeply actually.

 “Even though again and again we fail, then attempt to get the facts; attempting to tell the things as they really are.  For at least reality, though never fully attained, can be defined. Reality is that which, when you don’t believe it, doesn’t go away.”

That last part especially, that reality doesn't just change or disappear simply because one does not believe it.  A profound statement that will stick with me.  This has made me more aware, going forward as a journalist, at some tendencies I have, to write on more positive notes.  I wonder what would happen if I, a part of the student newspaper here at UHMC, wrote an article about feeling discriminated against by a certain instructor last semester.  I would only be stating facts that occurred of course, but would I face backlash?  I wonder.

And lastly, the not so good.  Well, basically I chopped the tip of my thumb off last week.  That sucked but in the end I was grateful that more didn’t get chopped. I will miss that sliver of skin and nail that is no longer with us. 

 



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