The Heroin "Crisis": Where's the War on Drugs?

I googled two drugs this morning followed by “crisis.” One drug was crack and the other was heroin. There was something interesting that I noticed. Heroin was paired with crisis more frequently than crack. One of the first and only instances that I saw “crack crisis” was directly related to “Black America.” I’ve read several articles and interviews regarding the Heroin crisis. It seems that the crisis is affecting people of all ages. I’ve seen responses from professionals in an array of fields including the paramedics, law enforcement, and social services. Some states have declared the crisis as a state of emergency, providing funds to aid for treatment. Police officers have been said to guide those who overdose or are caught with paraphernalia to treatment centers as a diversion to arrests.

I’m reading the testimonies of families who were grieved to learn that their loved ones died from overdosing. There have been appeals to government officials and other authority entities to request treatment opposed to incarceration or other punitive actions. Drug addiction is an uphill battle that has taken numerous lives. I empathize with families who have watched their loved ones’ lives diminish before their eyes. However, I can’t shake the question: Where’s the war on drugs? Mandatory sentencing?

SocietyMarisha MathisMay 19, 2017Drugs, War on Drugs, Crisis, Heroin, Crack, policy, politics

Beauty for Ashes: 1 Year Later

I saw a facebook memory recently. It was a post announcing that I would be releasing my first book. My mind “timehopped” to how I felt when I posted the cover art for the project. I was literally nauseous. Not that I find one type of nausea more enjoyable than another but, this was a terrifying feeling. I posted the cover art as a form of accountability for myself to eliminate cold feet. From there I continued the final writing stages and I spoke to God rather frequently regarding preparing my heart and the hearts of the readers. I wouldn’t dare try to front like there wasn’t any excitement in the mix because there was some of that too.

Even as I write there are so many memories flashing that it’s hard to decide which I should describe next. I’ll begin with the process.

Life Hacks for Depression

Depression is something else! It's something that many people have wrestled with at some point. Either past or present. There are some who are unaware that they are or have been depressed. There are others who are in denial. I’ve heard some argue that they don’t get Depressed. My interpretation of such is that they may not necessarily know what they've experienced; however, I believe everyone encounters Depression at some point in their life. Depression tends to have a negative connotation within some cultures. Thus, some people are reluctant to share their experiences.

My Truth about Small Beginnings

I saw a post on IG recently that read “Every great artist started as an amateur.” This spoke volumes because I am notorious for focusing on final products. I remember when I began writing spoken word, my brother told me that there were two keys to being a dope poet: “prayer and practice.” I secretly thought surely that could not be the foundation of his excellence; there had to be something else he was doing to produce the leaps and bounds in his art like he was. Time has backed his claim and I have come to see it true in my own life.

I’m a vivid dreamer: night dreams, daydreams, or visions. I dream big. This is where my conflict comes in with small beginnings.

JourneysMarisha MathisJanuary 11, 2017Growth, development, new beginnings, vision, projects, consistency

Seasons and Cyles, Cycles and Seasons

2016 has been an interesting year for me. It was far better than the other few years before. It was full of untapped potential. That is probably the most annoyingly noteworthy thought about 2016: the amount of greatness afforded to me that I did not use. Even though there have been moments of frustration and wasted chances-as well as wasted resources, (time, energy, mental space, and money), there have also been milestones and life-changing events to take place. I’m grateful for that.

This year I learned a lot about myself as well as a lot of lessons. I took writing in my journal to another level and the results were amazing.

JourneysMarisha MathisJanuary 2, 2017Seasons, Cycles, Lessons, Life lessons, growth, Healing, Freedom