A new year is upon us, and it is usually that time of year to reflect on where we we are at in our lives. Many love to take this time to create their resolutions for the coming year, while pessimists may say, "What is the point? You are only going to stop doing them anyhow...!"

I feel that IF soooo many people are taking time to go inward, reflect, and attempt to make change, that this time of year must be a positive one for the entire planet. It is said that 'thought has energy'. If millions are thinking to make change, do good, commit to self and others, than a positive shift must certainly be eminent each year at this time...

We have heard it so many times….”Competition is Healthy”.

Where would Coke be without Pepsi? McDonalds without Wendy’s? Stop and please think about it….and then applaud competition with me!

Our competition can make us who we are today. Competition gives us something to ‘model’ after and purpose to strive to do better. You may be reading this and rattling your head over some stiff competition in your life…

“Pusssssht…..pussssht…..pussssht” came into my dreams.

“What is that?”  I thought as I rolled over still half asleep in my rod iron bed.

That sound again, “Pusssssht”.

I quickly concentrated on the dream I was having. No, it was not in my dream… that sound was an awake sound.

“Pusssht..” I heard again.

Then I thought I heard people talking. I opened my eyes and looked at my clock. It was 6:45am. It was a summer holiday Saturday in my home when I was about twelve years old.   We lived on an acreage on the top of a hill, which overlooked the beautiful Sturgeon Valley...  

In light of Intl Coastal Clean-Up Day - Walking the beach one day I was shocked at the myriad of colourful litter I found washed up on the shore. I walk the beach almost every day, so I am used to seeing litter along the way, but this day in particular it seemed as if the ocean gods had spit up as much as they could find from their bowels and said, "Here - back atcha" to us humans.

I had my camera along with me and started to take photos of the trash I came upon, as I was quite enthralled by the types of trash I was finding. So varied I began to wonder how such items got to be there.

My mind started to wander... and I decided to write about three specific pieces of trash I came upon. I turned each piece of trash into a short story. Here they are...

My mother’s smell is the last thing I embrace as I take my excited but weary self off to bed. She’s been in the kitchen all night preparing food for the next day. My home is nothing but Christmas perfection! My mother reigns supreme at creating ambiance. The tree is stunning and the presents at its base come out at least four feet because of our large family of nine persons. Christmas carols play continuously on the stereo.

I’ve just finished watching “Scrooge” on the TV with my older brothers, and although it scares me so, I love it annually. I make my way through the kitchen and into the family room, which is dimly lit to show the tree and lights around the windows. The outside cold is unfelt by me in my cozy home of family memories. I walk past the candy tree – a fantastic favorite each year...

Well it's only been a couple months into hurricane season and there has already been quite a bit of action! I am fortunate to say that here on Grand Bahama Island we were unscathed by the recent storms, except for some power outages from time to time.

First there was Tropical Storm Fay which brought us a week of gloomy wet windy weather, which can be a refreshing change, but it did seem to ruin the final week of summer, at least for my daughters who were leaving for Canada to go to school.

The weather kept them in doors that week so they finally took time away from the beach and their friends to wade through the sea of their own lives that had accumulated in each of their bedrooms from their ten years living here in The Bahamas. I breathed a sigh of relief that FINALLY they were taking action for their upcoming travels...

The era of the computer-age speeds along. How could we ever function without it? If it were not for this wonderful machine we would  feel back in the dark ages. Today news and information is power, and it comes at lightning speeds  - speeds that some of feel we struggle to  keep up with... Some simply choose to not.

The choice is ours. I for one absolutely love it! Hey, it is my job to catch information as it is doled out across the planet on this world wide web. Times have changed. Today anything about anyone can be read by the masses in mere minutes - be careful what you put into print as it is now a thread on the multi-layers of the web called the internet. I urge anyone to do a Vanity Search on www.google.com and just see how your own name could be out there!? A Vanity Search is when you enter your own name on a search engine...

Being of Native American heritage, I use in my title a native saying that represents an interesting idea. Although quite obvious to some, it means that one should try and imagine placing themselves in someone else’s shoes to get a good accurate view of that person’s life in hope to bring understanding of that person. Another way of looking at this idea is to say,’ view with compassion’.

A few days ago an idea came to my mind, and so I took a piece of poster paper and placed it up in a common area of our home.   I wrote in big letters at the top of it, “I am thankful for…” and left a black marker there for anyone to use. I added a couple words straight away myself. I’ve enjoyed walking past this poster each day as my four children add what they are grateful for onto the paper.   Some things surprise me, but they all make me smile. Life is good!

We usually take a few minutes during our Thanksgiving dinner to state out loud around the table what we are thankful for.  It brings meaning to eating so abundantly and makes us remember the less fortunate, family, and friends and what life is truly about.

But Thanksgiving is just one day, and we can give thanks any day of the year...

Being in the media business, I know how fast word can now spread across the globe in this modern day. If you watch television news, you will know what I mean.   With today’s technology, news travels at the blink of an eye.   This is a wonderful tool for good – for informing one another of grave dangers, or spreading good cheer. Unfortunately with the good, also comes the bad.

To someone who prefers to uplift, than pull down, the grave news can be very disheartening and overwhelming at times.   Now, not only can I find out what ills plague my own community or country, but I can get detailed reports, or graphic videos or photos online of terrible things happening in other parts of the world...

After thinking we were going to have a stay-put summer, a sudden gift comes our way….and a chance of a life time results!  Just a note to let you know my four children and I have left to travel aboard the Atlantis II research vessel! There is more written about this historic vessel that was involved in the discovery of the Titanic.  We (the children and I, and the crew) will be leaving directly for Wood’s Hole (near Boston) where the ship was commissioned (1962) to be built by the Wood’s Hole Oceanographic Institute (world’s largest non-profit oceanographic institute)...