IslandMode

Earlier this week I came across the Tribune and on the front page was a gruesome story that not only shocked me, but scared me out of my whits! It was a story about an influx in young girls being pregnant; and this was not one of those teenage pregnancy stories, this time it was about 10 year old girls being pregnant!

Yes- 10 years old! With some cases being the cause of incest!

I strongly believe that sex is taboo in our country and it's hard to talk about it when everyone is shying away. So I'm here to do my part. Let's talk about SEX, it's misconceptions, information and everything in between. The Next 7 post will be geared towards sex and everything I think every young adult should consider when making that next step. Hopefully some of this information can be useful to grown people as well.

Before making decisions as it pertains to sex it is important to

1. Talk about it with someone mature and/ or experienced. Get advice about making the decision and ask as many questions.

Communicating with God is of a greater importance. Clearly sex out of wedlock is prohibited in God's books but if your are feeling urges or being pressures, set aside some time and talk to Him; He'll understand.



2. Talk to your partner. Are you ready to move to the next level? Why are you ready to have sex NOW? Are you having sex to fix an issue? Are you prepared mentally and physically?



3. Talk to yourself. And no, I don't mean the crazy way but be sure to constantly evaluate in your mind Why? When? with who?

4. Talk to someone in authority or someone you can trust. If you are being fondled in a way that makes you uncomfortable or by someone that shouldn't be touching you, talk to someone that can do something about it like a police officer, guidance counselor or family member.

Don't allow fear or shyness keep you from being safe in your sexual endeavours. The choices you make will determine your happiness in life.

Earlier this week I came across the Tribune and on the front page was a gruesome story that not only shocked me, but scared me out of my whits! It was a story about an influx in young girls being pregnant; and this was not one of those teenage pregnancy stories, this time it was about 10 year old girls being pregnant!

Yes- 10 years old! With some cases being the cause of incest!

I tried to figure out how is this even possible? Where are the parents? Who are watching these children? Why aren't they being fed the right information for healthy sexual lifestyles at the right time? The questions went on and on but with no answers. But I do have a few questions I attempted to answer myself.

My first thought about this issue is the way society treats sexual information. For some reason, sex is taboo. Taboo is defined as: 'a strong social prohibition (or ban) relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and forbidden based on moral judgment and sometimes even religious beliefs.' And ofcource with our nation being 'A Christian one' the talk and idea of sex may make some noses turn up and some eyes wander about. But this cannot help us as a people in no way. In my opinion, one of the biggest issues about sexual misconceptions is through the lack of information.



If children don't know the facts about sex or feel comfortable enough to even talk about it or ask the right questions about it, it's going to take us an even longer time to eradicate this issue.

Another plight that keeps us from overcoming this matter is bad parenting. There is no way to tackle this issue without looking at the way children are raised which is through their parents and guardians.

When I was growing up my mother never shied away from the sex talk. Before I even wanted to know or talk about that stuff with anyone she was there to feed me the information I needed and I can assure you that if I didn't get it from her my aunts and uncles put it in my head. With that said, I totally understand that a lot of children do not have that structure at home so this is where society comes in, in my opinion. At some point we are all responsible for the upbringing of our children. Have we forgotten about 'it takes a village to raise a child' ?



Our ancestors lived by that. Where one parent fell off another was there to help guide and raise children and some may argue that we don't live in a time like that anymore but there are other factors that make up this important group.

Without a doubt, media plays a huge role. There's no hiding that media most times have more power than anyone and anything in our society. So why aren't we going straight to that source and molding it to help our children be more informed?

Why aren't there messages portrayed constantly on our television (whether locally or internationally), radio stations, magazines; etc. All the messages that are heavily pushed are geared towards adults. If we make it a selfish market our children will be left behind.



Our children are our future and we have to be sure to take care of them. It is my hope that we stop shying away from the important stuff, quit sugar coating the truth and say what needs to be said. Let's not forget that curiosity make a lot of people do silly things and with the fast minds of our young people we need to help train them in the midst of it all.

I want to do my part so the next 7 post will be about sexual misconceptions, information and everything in between. Questions people may have wanted to ask and desperately need answers to. It's heart breaking to see what is happening to our children. Let's help them out.

This weekend past I got the opportunity to meet a few family members on a three day trip that was filled with great memories.

It's always refreshing to be around nice people but it was absolutely great being around family, that made me feel comfortable, accepted and welcomed.

This trip really made me realize the importance of family and a supportive unit. Seeing the way my cousins and parents supported me in every possible way and ran to my rescue if needed was a secure feeling. Watching how close my younger cousins were was a great feeling and knowing I have that back at home with my parents and sister was even a greater feeling.

This is an ode to family, the ones that stand by you no matter what differences occur. Always remember to be grateful for the ones you have, you never know when they'll be gone.



'You can kiss your family and friends good- bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you'- Fredrick Buechner