THE MOST INTERESTING TOPIC THIS SEMESTER.....
I am going to have to say that it was the sex trafficking. I was moved by the man who would not give up looking for his wife and appalled at the audacity of people thinking that they have any right to sell another human being. I thought that I was bothered by slavery before the Civil War but this takes slavery to a whole new level. In many ways it is the same but in a day and age where we really do know better it jsut blows my mind to think that this can happen so frequently. The "justice" systems in these countriesis also a mind boggler as they really don't seem to care what is going on. In the video we watched, the man admitted to selling a woman into sex slavery and the judge pretty much shook his finger at him and told him to stay out of the cookies!!!! REALLY?!?!?! It was like, "ok so you sold a lady, who was raped and beaten repeatedly all because you sold her to a nasty 'ol pimp, right?  Well don't let me catch you do it again." It was clear that it would happen again and that again, nothing would be done. I was shocked! And it was all recorded and streamed across the internet!!! I hope karma bites these people where it counts!

I think that there are several things a woman can do to protect herself. For starters, there is no such thing as "too fit" so a self defense class will be a double bonus as you will get in a workout while learning super stealth ninja moves that will help keep you safe. And who doesn't love a ninja? Really? Second, we all know that cell phones can cause some super nasty brain tumors and most people can't walk and chew gum at the same time so texting should be out as well. Be aware of your surroundings! Look at the people you pass. Notice their faces so that if something does happen you are more likely to give the coppers and accurate description of the bad guys. Its all about knowing what is going on and knowing that you do have the power to defend yourself if you need to. Having confidence in your capabilities is key to defending yourself. keeping calm is another key element. If you start to panic, you are much more likely to make a really big mess of things. Keep a calm cool collected demeanor. Not only will this thow your attacker for a loop, it will allow your totally awesome self defence plan to take effect! So....get fit, get a plan, pay attention and kick some bad guy bootie!

Mental Illness

Mental illness affects millons of people worldwide. In some cultures people who diaplay mental illness are assumed to have demons inside or to be possessed. From a very personal perspective, I think mental illness is one of the most debilitating diseases a person can live with. A person with mental illness is not sick in the textbook version of illness. It is something that never goes away. It is something that haunts them everyday of their lives. My mother was diagnosed as bipolar when I was just 6 years old. For the majority of her childhood she was the "bad" child and was assumed to have been acting out all the time. Her parents were high society and having a child with a mental illness was taboo so she went undiagnosed until her late 20's. My childhood was significantly altered because of her illness. She couldn't hold down a job for long because of the debilitating depressve episodes. There were days that it was literally impossible for her to get off of the couch other than to go to the bathroom. I learned very early on how to take care of myself and my brother. I could cook dinner for my family by age 9, and I always got myself up and ready for school in the mornings. When I was in high school I spent my Friday nights taking care of my mother instead of going to pep rallies and football games. Her depression angered me most of the time. I felt like I was being robbed of all the "normal" things that kids should be able to do. My brother couldn't handle the constant rollercoaster and moved in with my father when I was 15. I just couldn't leave her all alone. The summer before my senior year in high school, I became pregnant with my son. That was the same summer that my mother, in a drug induced high, pulled out a 9mm and shot herself while we were having a conversation. It came out of nowhere. For the longest time I was angry with her for doing something like that in front of her own child. It took me a reaaly long time to realize that she wasn't doing it TO me but to herselef to escape from the daily pain she suffered through all of her life. Looking back I realize that my mom taught me a lot. I know that I will never do to my child what she did to me. I will never rely on drugs to make me feel better. I will cherish each day that God gives me and I will cherish my child. I will be thankful for the determination she taught me. And more than anything else I am thankful that she taught me to be a strong, independent, self-sufficient woman. I am 35 years old and am completing my degree (a feat many thought would never happen!). I will be successful and I am a great mom. She wasn't the greatest mom but she did the best she could with the cards that she was dealt. I cannot imagine what it must be like to wake up everyday and be angry that I had to do it all over again. That is what she had to deal with and I thank God everyday that I do not have to suffer the way she suffered. I realize now that the petty things I suffered as a kid paled in comparison to what she dealt with. I hope she has found the peace she speent her life searching for.

Healthy Children

Rachel Cowley-Portillo

Sep 6, 2012 - Limited

For this blog post I chose to write about how we as a society can encourage adolescents to make healthier choices. I am no spring chicken but I can say that when I was a kid, the best part about summertime was being able to stay outside all day and yes, I drank water straight from the hose! I cannot seem to get my teenage boys outside without threatening to take away video games and television permanently...

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For this blog post I chose to write about how we as a society can encourage adolescents to make healthier choices. I am no spring chicken but I can say that when I was a kid, the best part about summertime was being able to stay outside all day and yes, I drank water straight from the hose! I cannot seem to get my teenage boys outside without threatening to take away video games and television permanently. When I do this, they immediately pick up their phones! I look around and see a plethora of enabling parents but no positive reinforcement for making the healthier decisions. Some of the things that I have done this summer are, buying healthy snacks that are readily available and privilege rewards for active non-tv time, and I do these things with my kids! I make sure that if I am going to have a snack, I DO NOT grab a sugar filled snack cake with no expiration date, I grab fruit or have a glass of green tea. I have made it a ritual to take "dark walks" with the boys and our 3 dogs. This has become a time where we talk about what is going on in our lives, the things that are bothering us and the things that are making us happy. It has become a bonding time for us. I'll admit that there are days that I am just not up to it, either because of a long day at work or too much homework, but the disappointment on their faces when I say no to something that I started in the first place quickly changes my mind and I feel so much better after our walk that I forget why I said no in the first place. I think that leading by example is the best way to encourage anyone of any age to make better choices. I also ask my boys if there is a better choice that they could make when they grab a soda out of convenience rather than koolaid or water. I have taken advantage of my knowledge about the effects of soda on the body to explain in detail how they are really messing things up if all they drink is soda. It might be easier for me not to buy snack cakes or soda and thus remove the possibility for them to have these things, but that is NOT teaching them to make healthier choices, it is just preventing them from making a choice at all. I want them to enjoy these things but in moderation while making the healthy choices a priority and the not so healthy choices a treat or luxury. As it shoiuld be!

introduction

Rachel Cowley-Portillo

Sep 1, 2012 - Limited

Ok, I am supposed to introduce myself to the class, and I am so short on what to write at this point that I refuse to make any promises as to the content of this blog. It goes without saying that my name is Rachel. I am a 35 year old mother and wife. I have 3 adorable dogs which have in their own right become my children as well. I have a tendency towards strays of almost any kind and this includes...

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Ok, I am supposed to introduce myself to the class, and I am so short on what to write at this point that I refuse to make any promises as to the content of this blog. It goes without saying that my name is Rachel. I am a 35 year old mother and wife. I have 3 adorable dogs which have in their own right become my children as well. I have a tendency towards strays of almost any kind and this includes teenage kids that have lost their way in this ever changing world. I have a passion for making sure that they always have a place to go where all presumptions and judgements are left at the door and un-edited common sense is spoken without ANY sugar-coating! I am a great listener and can offer words of wisdom that was gained by making my own fair share of mistakes.
I am a health studies major and am hoping to gain a better understanding of the complexities of women's health during the course of this class. i know that women are much more different than those of men and since I am a woman, I'd like to understand this a little better. I think that this class will be imperative for me to be an effective health educator, especially if I plan on focusing on any woman's health topic.
My "one" thing that makes me unique is that I refuse to quit no matter what kind of stress or obstacles might come my way. It would have been really easy for me to quit, give up hope, or otherwise let myself go sooooo many times, but it just isn't a part of who I am. Now I will say that I have the occasional "DIY" project that crashes and burns, but for the things that really matter you can count me in as a team player no matter what!!
that is all.....

The birds and the bees

I think that a child is ready for "the talk" when he or she begins asking questions about sex or begins making comments regarding his or her friends who have spoken to them about sex. It is important to have a comfortable place that will be free of distractions when a parent decides to broach the subject of sex. I am a firm believer in teaching abstinence, but not abstinence only. It is important to be completely honest and make sure that your child knows that they are free to ask any, and I do mean any, questions that they may have. At the point that a child is ready for this talk, he will know the basics of the physical act of having sex, but a brief review is never a bad idea. It is not uncommon for peers who are unsure themselves to misinform regarding this subject.  Discussions about sexually transmitted diseases, especially those like HIV, AIDS, and herpes that are incurable, methods of protection, and the fact that each partner is equally responsible for being prepared and providing protection. I know that when I had this talk with my own son, we used the computer to look up pictures of the effects of STIs as well as any associated symptoms. I expalined that not all STIs had visible signs and symptoms and that not all people who have an STI know it or will tell you. He was full of questions and I made sure to answer all of them honestly and without judgement. I also made it very clear that IF he thought he was ready to engage in sexual acts, that it was important for him to protect himself.At this point we discussed contraception, in our case condoms were discussed. We also discussed pregnancy and the responsibilities that go along with that. He knows what it is like to be the product of a teen pregnancy as I gave birth to him on my 18th birthday. While in my mind it was the best birthday present ever it has certainly not been free of its own set of complications. I explained to him that I wanted better for him and his children and that waiting would to have sex until marriage is best. Thankfully, he made the decision to wait until he finds that "right and special" person and thus far has abstained. I feel completely comfortable in the fact that he knows that I will always be here with and open mind and free of judgement should he ever feel the need to talk about this again.