The Lampshade Writer

For most of us, social distancing is taking a toll on our mental health. Being lock away in the house with very limited face to face interaction can be difficult for most people. The Coronavirus has dampened many of us social life; imagine how freeing and therapeutic it was to go to the mall, visit your favorite restaurants, or just going out for a drink with your buddies and girlfriends. Then all of a sudden, you're unable to. Even people who are introverted are complaining that it is becoming overwhelming being locked away at home doing the same thing everyday.  In light of the Coronavirus people has being doing everything to keep sane. From watching YouTube funny videos, Tik tok, Instagram, Twitter and snapchat. Here are a few Coronavirus images to keep you on your toes. Remember not to take anything too seriously. Laugh if you must. It helps to rid the loneliness away. Plus laughter is the best medicine, and you don't have to worry about the side effects. While some of thes...

Written By: Gavin Jones I’ve seen glory, I’ve seen praise and I’ve seen worship.  I’ve seen a woman wrapped up, caught up in the principles and precepts of the heavenly. I’ve seen glory, a daughter, a sister, a mother who was shunned for unknown reasons. Tears after tears running for no apparent reason. I’ve seen glory. I’ve seen the glory days: days when hurt, pain, and hunger consumed her face, the glory days when her heart ripped right open and her lips cried why? I’ve seen the glory days of the shivering, rocking and fasting.  I’ve seen the glory days of success wither away: dreams turned into nightmares, dusk became dawn, and dawn turned into darkness.  I’ve seen a woman wrap her children in unconditional love, love without boundaries, love that channelled the only way she knew how. Shouldn’t there be some merit for the lives and souls she saved?  I’ve heard the sound of glory, the whispering sound of an angel saying "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and ...

  People who influence my voice Several people saw my potential long before I did. They might have even recognized some potential I hadn't noticed I had. My older sister, (my number one role model) played a key role in the development of my self esteem. Because of her, I continue strive to be better despite others' opinion of me. Lance, an A level high school student, once told me I was talented and I should consider public speaking. He was the leader of the debating team at his high school and he told me to consider debating. I understood what he was saying but I doubted myself. I also thought about what others had said about me in the past and the way they degraded my voice. Lance gave me an opportunity to let my voice to be heard. He wrote a debate speech for a competition he wanted me to enter. On the day of the competition I knew I had it in me; I knew it was time to show everyone my voice was important. I won the debating competition with the speech Lance wrote and final...

As a child, I always knew I had a voice, but that voice was often silenced by others. Despite the forces that contributed to my voice being suppressed, I was determined to let it be heard. And so, my voice has gone through various stages. Now that I have been asked to describe the changes and stages of my voice, I have finally realized that even though I had a voice, it was controlled by someone else. Stage One I would call stage one my childhood voice. During this stage of my life I was heard. I believe I was understood and that everyone paid attention to my voice. My family and peers listened to me. I believe at this stage I was also able to speak-up and represent myself. If I can remember clearly, I was able to express myself without being silenced; everyone listened to my voice. This undivided attention to my voice did not last very long. As I grew older, I was often told that I talked too much. Stage Two Stage two was when a lot of changes started taking place. It was a ...