| Belinda Howard Smith |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD |
| Post Comments Here: |
I remember being at an amusement park, standing in
line watching and waiting for the carousel to stop and
for my turn to get on. I would follow the rotations of
the carousel anxiously trying to decide which of the
colorfully painted animals I would rush to mount as
soon as the conductor took my ticket and allowed me
through the entrance gate. Would it be one of the
elephants, horses, or perhaps the llamas? Even the
elephants were each uniquely different with multi-
colored saddles and beaded headdresses dipping
between their eyes.
Blinking lights, loud festive music, and the smell of
cotton candy filled my senses. When it was finally my
turn to board I didn’t always get the ride I wanted.
Sometimes someone else beat me to it and then I’d
rush to another animal and then another until I finally
settled for whatever was available. It was
disappointing to discover that my animal was one that
stayed stationery and didn’t move up and down. If I
had only gotten one to the outside edge I could have
felt free in the breeze watching the crowd whirl by
instead of crowded into the center where the younger,
less experienced kids rode with a parent standing next
to them for comfort.
Have you ever thought of life being like a carousel
ride? Life isn’t what we had dreamed and sometimes it’
s downright disappointing. There have been times in my
life when the ride was so awful I wondered if I didn’t
step onto the wrong ride and I could hardly wait for it
to come to a stop so I could step off and get onto
something better. On the other hand, some rides are so
much fun I didn’t want it to end. I know that I am not
alone. We all have ride experiences that were
surprises, scary, or supernatural. This page is about
some of my rides in life.
Some rides you just have to make the best of, like
getting into the center of the carousel when your
animal doesn’t move. One of those for me is Mental
Illness. I don’t have it, (though some of my friends and
family members may contest that claim). However, let
me clarify, I did ask to have mental illness. I asked
“The Conductor” to let me trade that ride with my
daughter. But the answer was “no.” I’ve lost a brother
and two cousins to suicide. Mental Illness is a
nightmare of a ride. But there is hope and the ride has
its benefits. Mental Illness affects everyone.
“Everyone” means you, too. I hope you will read the
articles and resources on mental illness. No one should
ride this one alone.
An exciting ride is Mission Trips. I have had the
privilege of taking several short-term mission trips to
Eastern Europe, primarily Ukraine and Moldova to
teach conversational English. Read up…you may decide
to take that ride, too. You will be encouraged by the
stories.
I love stories and I know you have stories to tell. Feel
free to share them on the bulletin board!
line watching and waiting for the carousel to stop and
for my turn to get on. I would follow the rotations of
the carousel anxiously trying to decide which of the
colorfully painted animals I would rush to mount as
soon as the conductor took my ticket and allowed me
through the entrance gate. Would it be one of the
elephants, horses, or perhaps the llamas? Even the
elephants were each uniquely different with multi-
colored saddles and beaded headdresses dipping
between their eyes.
Blinking lights, loud festive music, and the smell of
cotton candy filled my senses. When it was finally my
turn to board I didn’t always get the ride I wanted.
Sometimes someone else beat me to it and then I’d
rush to another animal and then another until I finally
settled for whatever was available. It was
disappointing to discover that my animal was one that
stayed stationery and didn’t move up and down. If I
had only gotten one to the outside edge I could have
felt free in the breeze watching the crowd whirl by
instead of crowded into the center where the younger,
less experienced kids rode with a parent standing next
to them for comfort.
Have you ever thought of life being like a carousel
ride? Life isn’t what we had dreamed and sometimes it’
s downright disappointing. There have been times in my
life when the ride was so awful I wondered if I didn’t
step onto the wrong ride and I could hardly wait for it
to come to a stop so I could step off and get onto
something better. On the other hand, some rides are so
much fun I didn’t want it to end. I know that I am not
alone. We all have ride experiences that were
surprises, scary, or supernatural. This page is about
some of my rides in life.
Some rides you just have to make the best of, like
getting into the center of the carousel when your
animal doesn’t move. One of those for me is Mental
Illness. I don’t have it, (though some of my friends and
family members may contest that claim). However, let
me clarify, I did ask to have mental illness. I asked
“The Conductor” to let me trade that ride with my
daughter. But the answer was “no.” I’ve lost a brother
and two cousins to suicide. Mental Illness is a
nightmare of a ride. But there is hope and the ride has
its benefits. Mental Illness affects everyone.
“Everyone” means you, too. I hope you will read the
articles and resources on mental illness. No one should
ride this one alone.
An exciting ride is Mission Trips. I have had the
privilege of taking several short-term mission trips to
Eastern Europe, primarily Ukraine and Moldova to
teach conversational English. Read up…you may decide
to take that ride, too. You will be encouraged by the
stories.
I love stories and I know you have stories to tell. Feel
free to share them on the bulletin board!
Tootsie Roll
| PASSIONS: |
Click to View
the Video
"DEPRESSION
AS WE AGE"
the Video
"DEPRESSION
AS WE AGE"
| Video of English Students In Kharkov, Ukraine |
| PASSIONS |
