OP / ED & PHOTO CREDITS ANDREA DIALECT
THE OBSERVATION BOOTH
BOSS MOVES
Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned… again! Hey you, I’m dotting my forehead, crossing my chest as I tap below because I did it again. 2023 will be flat-lining, and it’s fading fast. Sadly, I can’t recall what I said I’d accomplish when 2023 came on the scene. I can’t recollect those so-called resolutions, so I dropped the ball again. I’ve finally come to realize that the wish list should come with a clause. 2024 can be seen around the bend, and those numerals sound futuristic. How the heck did we get here in 2024?
This year, I’ll pull on my big girl sweats and be bold enough to embrace the power and beauty of not knowing all the details and asking God for guidance. So, I’ll digress back to the Numero Uno when embarking upon 2024. I don’t know where I’ll be growing, but I look forward to falling in line as I walk down that road as I follow God’s lead.
Just like one of those youngins trailing behind a teacher when leaving the classroom and heading for lunch; Quiet, hungry, and compliant. Yep, that’s going to be me this year, believe me you. That’s where and how I’ll grow and where I will go. Wherever he leads, mouth shut, eyes open, back erect, arms dangling at my side. What about you? Where are you growing, and where will you be going? Whatcha gonna do in 2024?
Captured in the short below is one of the things that I have been prompted to do. I wanted to share it with you this week. Enjoy!
Happy New Year’s People. Health, happiness, love, peace, and prosperity to you and yours always. Be blessed!
VIRAL VIDEOS
Age and a strong physique were his only sins. He’d been taken out of school a couple weeks shy of his twelfth birthday, and although he yearned to go, he knew that the show of emotion brought about grave consequences. So when that little, old, rickety bus was seen coming up that back road to collect his younger siblings (the females, having been the right gender, and the others, males of the proper age), he hid himself. Past occurrences always reminded him that he’d made that mistake before . . .
(Do You Know Someone In Crisis? – Be A Lifeline – Call Or Text 988)
ONE IN THE BUSH
When numbers of surplus spilled off the lips of others as a means of support, I’d shun the whispers of sarcasm that were playing in my head, while gripping my stomach to buffer the tickles of a painful humor.
Certainly, there would be a time when the little eyes that gazed up at me in total dependency would grow up. Now, with a couple of those apron strings having been cut, I thought it was somewhat safe to say that my time had come; I’d already made my reservations to rendezvous with self-indulgence.
I was determined that nothing would spoil this trip, but I have yet to carry out my plans and they’ve already been sabotaged. Like many others, I found it easy to overlook the crisis we are in regarding our youth.
After raising my own, I felt I had done what was required of me, which made it all justifiable. See no evil, hear no evil, speak none was my method of approach. Had I known that one man’s story would connect me to such an ordeal, in that case, I would have used the formula! Yet now, in my being somewhat curious, I wonder if currently, from his position, this man still finds the silence of that little girl peering through those bushes all those dreadfully cold winter mornings all those many years ago to be an act of kindness or her assuring eyes to be a promise of comfort. Clearly, his present state forces me to believe that a tattle tale can be of good use; furthermore, accountability can be pretty convincing, especially when silence has become a noose around your neck.
Even if I were to squander all my hard-earned money (considering the size of my humble nest egg) and, despite IT, my still having to borrow and beg the rest, I might have enough to buy myself an aesthetically appealing plot of aloofness. I know for sure that the compelling force of reality is beyond restraint. Oh, how I long for green grass and birds chirping at my window at my early rising. Any ole escape will do, be it mountainscape, landscape, or seascape; besides, who wants to be yanked out of sleep mid-slumber, rudely awakening in a scene where ruckus is obligatory and ugliness oftentimes commonplace?
Shielded only by their wounded egos, ours run for cover, forced to live in the underbrush of an existence. No matter the theatrics, they remain hopeful when searchingly gazing out at us, using every tactic imaginable to make us aware of their plight. But we overlook the signals of distress, never lending a hand, and hope soon fades. Get a grip! Neither our silence nor our useless babble is considered an act of kindness. Lack of focus makes “the nuances of facial expressions and body language” obvious. Thus, brief sentiments of affection add insult to injury, and our assuring eyes are certainly not of comfort.
We’ve been idling here for way too long. We still misinterpret age as an indicator of maturity and/or competency and when we look at physique. automatically assume strength. “No child left behind” is a helluva catchphrase, especially when, seemingly, the majority ain’t expected to leave. But if we are to continue as a people, they must survive. The truth of the matter is, somebody’s just gonna have to stay! And all the care packages and monies in the world left or sent ain’t gonna do us a bit of good if those most capable don’t remain here (be it mentally, spiritually, or physically) to divvy the stuff up. Boy, do I want to go? I’ve already booked the trip, for just me, myself, and I. But I know in my heart of hearts that, now that I know that they are there [in the underbrush]. I can’t leave!
DO YA KNOW THAT?
ju·ve·nile de·lin·quent
A young person who habitually commits criminal acts or offenses.
What is major depression in adolescence?
Instead, major depression is a persistently sad or irritable mood that affects a child’s thinking and behavior at home, in school, and with peers. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that more than 10 percent of adolescents ages 12-17 experience major depression in a given year.
Which age group has the highest rate of depression?
The age-standardized prevalence of depression among U.S. adults was 18.5% (crude = 18.4%) (Table 1). Age-specific prevalence of depression was highest among those aged 18–24 years (21.5%) and lowest among those aged ≥65 years (14.2%).Jun 16, 2023
What countries have the highest youth suicide rates?
Lithuania has the highest rate of adolescent suicide – a leading cause of death among 10-19-year olds in rich countries – followed by New Zealand and Estonia. Physical health: Obesity and overweight rates among children have increased in recent years.
What country has the least suicide?
At the opposite end of the scale, Cyprus recorded the lowest standardized death rates for suicide (3.5 deaths per 100 000 inhabitants), followed by Malta and Greece (both 4.0), Italy (5.6) and Slovakia (6.9). Sep 8, 2023
What age group has the highest rates of alcohol abuse and addiction?
The percentage of people who were classified as having a past year substance use disorder, including alcohol use and/or drug use disorder, was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 compared to youth and adults 26 and older. Jan 4, 2023 (Google.)
Disparities in Suicide
Suicide and suicide attempts are serious public health challenges. These events can have lasting emotional, mental, and physical health impacts, as well as economic consequences. They can also impact people who struggle with their own risk of suicide and/or mental health challenges (called lived experience).
Suicide and suicidal behavior are influenced by negative conditions in which people live, play, work, and learn. These conditions, sometimes called social determinants of health, can include racism and discrimination in our society, economic hardship (such as high unemployment), poverty, limited affordable housing, lack of educational opportunities, and barriers to physical and mental healthcare access, among others. Additional factors that can increase suicide risk include relationship problems or feeling a lack of connectedness to others, easy access to lethal means among people at risk, experiences of violence such as child abuse and neglect, adverse childhood experiences, bullying, and serious health conditions. – https://www.cdc.gov
The Observation Booth is utilized as a space for Andrea Dialect to stumble through, which aids in life and brand development. It can also be used by readers, subjects, and features to assist or advance our world or their own. It is a peek into one’s world from the outside. It is also for the development of content.
Everything printed here is in draft form; thus, error is welcomed and to be expected. Everything is constantly evolving, is her mantra. Seeing the work in printed format is the initial step and is quite valuable and therapeutic for developing all forms. Like Everything, Andrea Dialect uses this space as a test lab for test study and a test subject.
Here you will also find influencers, professionals, and muses who are considered “clay” who lend their image to change as doing us proud who are contributors to the upward progress of human progress. It is a platform for the growth, inspiration, motivation, and development of herself, her subjects, and her readers. Enjoy!
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