“You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own” – Michelle Obama

This quote from Michelle Obama got me thinking it’s time to speak up about the horrendous situation that the United States is facing right now. How in 2020 can it feel as if we have reverted to a time when slavery was legal, civil rights were not on the table, and brutal racism and xenophobia were pervasive? There is a lack of leadership in this White House but the fact is that open dialogue around these issues is only ever discussed when innocent black people are murdered, Muslims being banned from entering the country and children being stripped of their parents and left alone because they didn’t follow the legal immigration route have dropped off our conversation platter. We must discuss these topics openly and more often than not because WE NEED CHANGE!

It is no longer an option for those of us who live in a protected bubble to ignore what is happening to so many other people in our United States. OPEN YOUR EYES and look around you, there are people of all races, ethnicities, and genders here and we as humans need to work together to support each other and speak up.

This morning, I went out for my daily run quite early and I put myself in a person of color’s shoes. I had my face mask on, headphones over my ears, and I turned around to see if any car or person was behind me and then I started to cry. This happened because the notion of a person of color doing what I am doing but could be killed for a simple healthy act of taking a run is repulsive. I don’t want to live in a society which makes black and brown men, women, and children feel that because of what they look like on the outside determines their fate.

Did you know that humans all bleed red? Did you know that on our insides we have organs, tissue, a digestive system, bones, and muscles and color is irrelevant? If we look alike on the inside why does someone having different pigmentation on the outside mean they are somehow less important and are subject to the cruelty inflicted upon them? This needs to end and we need to do this together. It starts by opening our eyes wider and talking about it. I ask you to do that. Have that conversation with your friend, neighbor, family member, colleague, politician, and anyone you know.

#openyoureyes #blacklivesmatter

 

Recently, I went to see the movie “Crazy Rich Asians”.  I didn’t have any expectation on the movie but friends who read the book said it was a great story and were interested in seeing it on the silver screen. As the credits rolled and the film started, I got a sense I was in for a treat.  Immediately, I was impressed with the beauty and glamor of the cast. The wardrobe stylist Mary Vogt captures the innocence, fun, and personalities of each member.  In every scene the clothes tell a tale of how the main character Rachel Chu (Actress Constance Wu) is feeling in her journey of meeting her boyfriend’s family. At first she is presented teaching economics at NYU in plain/everyday clothes. Her boyfriend, to her great surprise, comes from a very wealthy family in Singapore. He pays for her first-class seat on a flight to meet his parents. She is now sitting in chic clothes. Her best friend from college turns out to be living in Singapore as well and helps her select fashionable attire to meet his family, especially his highly censorious mother..

The second and most important theme of the movie is how parental expectations play such a big role in every culture. The dramatic center of the movie is the meeting between Rachel and Mama (aka Eleanor). Rachel is obviously smart, classy, and feisty, but is she a match for Eleanor for whose son no woman is good enough? It made me think about friends and associates who have encountered similar challenges, and not always with a satisfactory ending. As the movie continued, it made me realize how lucky I am.

What all of us have in common no matter where we come from is the need to have our families like the partner we choose. It is crushing when you discover that the person you want to be with doesn’t live up to your families’ expectations of you. Most parents and siblings just want the best for their loved ones but at times can be tough and puts a strain on relationships when that partner is made to feel not a part of the family. And it begins and ends with the “choice”. Who do you choose? I don’t want to spoil the movie for you but it poses that big question of what is more important to any person – their family or their significant other? I want to say it’s easy and you pick both but sometime both sides don’t let you have it that way. Only you can make the right decision. Seeing the movie might help you understand what both sides face.

 

I want to welcome you to my blog Jumping Jasmine. In this blog, I am going to explore topics around fashion, sports, theater, and dining out in the Boston area. The name has significance to me in several ways. As a child, my favorite Disney movie was Aladdin, and as a teenager the store I shopped most at with my father was Jasmine Sola. The memories of riding into Harvard Square from Framingham on weekends with my dad continue to bring the biggest smile on my face. He would park at the Stadium and have us walk into the Square with the direct route to Starr Bookshop in the Harvard Lampoon Building. As we walked past HBS, my snarky nature was to remind him, “well you didn’t get into Harvard.” Instead of getting angry, he always laughed. I said this because at the time I was a terrible student in high school and after coming home from my first semester at college I was on academic probation. This didn’t stop my dad from spending time with me and not giving me grief on my shortcomings as a student. Did I mention he has a PHD from Washington University? It was important for me to name my blog after a special place my dad and I share as I wanted to honor our time together in my formative years.  Dad, because of how you never gave up on me, continued to support me, and helped me with my writing, this blog will be a constant reminder of our years spent together walking the square, shopping at Jasmine Sola, and perusing the old book shops. While the topics will change with each post, the name will stay!

 

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton