Brett Fish, Author at 1Africa

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Culture

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August 25, 2016

Do you see the marginalised people around you?

I walked past a lady in a wheelchair collecting money for some charity the other day. I couldn’t even look her in the eye. I knew that if I looked her in the eye then she would physically ask me for money and I would feel bad about saying no. So, I walked away and felt bad for not recognising her dignity. She did call out a “Hello” and I did mumble out a response as I went by, but by then it was too late.

When I’d bought my stuff (this happened in a mini mall where she was in the corridor between the shops) I stood at the entrance of the store I’d been in looking at her. She was about 100 metres away, and couldn’t see me. She looked sad and lonely, and desperate, and I knew with everything in me that I really needed to go and apologise for not recognising her as a person, regardless of whether I gave anything or not.

But I didn’t. It was a complete fail of a moment. I was too scared or embarrassed about, I don’t even know what, and I really got it wrong.

How often do we do that?

The cashier running up your groceries, the petrol attendant filling your car, the man trying to sell you something or collect your rubbish at the traffic lights, the woman with the child begging for something to eat. The disabled and the lonely, the old and the young. Who are the people who we don’t even take a moment to stop, look them in the eyes, smile and wish them a good day.

Because the right thing for me to do with that woman in the wheelchair was not to give her money for whatever it was she was collecting for. That would have been nice, but that was a choice I was free to make or not make. But by refusing to really acknowledge her and show her some warmth and affection, by refusing to take a moment to make eye contact and perhaps ask her name and wish a good day upon her, I actually lost something in myself.

A small piece of my humanity chipped off and dropped to the floor, and unless I interrupt that (by making a much more concerted effort next time) it will get easier to do and my humanity will be even less.

Whether you believe in Jesus or not, that for me is one of the biggest things that comes through so many of the stories we have of Him.

That He always saw people.

He noticed them, recognised them, acknowledged them, and more often than not beckoned them in, or went over to them. The people who the crowds and religious leaders pushed to the side, Jesus seemed to make extra effort to be near.

We see this with women (who in the time Jesus lived were seen as less than) and children. We see it with the lepers and the blind, with the Samaritans and the woman with the bleeding problem (and thus unclean). We see it with Zacchaeus the tax collector and with the demon-possessed man. Again and again Jesus reminded us that God sees us and responds to us with love.

I hope to do better next time

I go to that mini mall quite often and so I will definitely be looking out for that woman next time and will hopefully do a much better job at really seeing her, even if just for a minute.

I tend to be much better with cashiers and petrol attendants, looking them in the eyes, addressing them by name if they are wearing one or asking them if not, and just exchanging a few words of greeting and hopefully life. “I hope you have a great day!”

With people at the side of the street, again I try to be friendly and get it right most of the time. I rarely give money in those situations but you can still see someone, greet them, and have a positive exchange or even a bit of conversation.

I know I have to get better at this. How are you doing?

The ‘To Do’ List: Goodbye, procrastination

Brett Fish

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August 22, 2016

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The ‘To Do’ List: Goodbye, procrastination

I wanted to remind myself to make a “To Do” list for this coming week but I didn’t have a “To Do” list to put it on.

But now I do. I don’t know about you, but I function very well with lists. And not online calendars or reminders, because I tend to forget to look at them. For me, the absolute best thing is a piece of paper on the floor where I am going to have to step on it. Ah yes, stuff to do!

Not everyone works best with paper (and of course we can’t be killing all the trees) and so really it’s about finding what works best for you and sticking with that.

To do or not to do

Again, this probably won’t be for everyone, but for those this is helpful for, pay attention. Because as much as I know that lists are the most helpful things for me, they tend to last for a while and then life gets busy or I just forget and I go back to being semi-productive.

When I have a list of all the stuff I want to get done today or this week (working freelance mostly means that I need to police myself because there are not the same official work scenarios going on unless there is a deadline looming) my productivity soars. Which means I tend to feel better about myself. So win-win!

Also, I should add that I tend towards procrastination and so when I don’t have a specific focused “To Do” list sitting in front of me, then anything around me can become a virtual “To Do” list and that tends to not end well.

Don’t put it off

I started writing this article after writing my “To Do” list for tomorrow and then for the week. I have a physical paper version next to my computer, but I also made a Word document so that it has double the chance of being seen by me.

What are the things I want to achieve this week? Firstly, I start with the things I have to do – the commitments, the work requirements. Then, I fill out the list with things I really want to be priorities, like starting a new book I’ve been meaning to read, getting going with those back exercises my mate gave me and diving back into my isiXhosa learning (ndiyazama noko!). Thereafter, I might add some items that would be nice to get to if time permits. I end up with a list that will make my week really productive and know which items to prioritise on it over others.

Whether or not I keep to the list kind of depends on how my week goes. But I know for me, having the list is half the battle won. With it physically staring at me, I am way more likely to jump on and the pleasure I get from ticking items off mobilises me to jump on to the next one.

As I mentioned, this may not be for you, and that’s okay. We all tend to work in different ways. But I imagine there must be a lot of others like me and maybe this article was all you needed to nudge you to create your own list for the rest of the week. If so, leave a comment here and let us know how it goes.

# Write article (I can give that one a very big tick… now what’s next?)

4 ways to celebrate your love

Brett Fish

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August 15, 2016

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My wife Val (aka “tbV” or “the beautiful Val” to me) and I recently celebrated seven years of marriage.

We managed to find a cheap place to go away for a few days and celebrated in fine style with walks and wine and movies in bed and jigsaw puzzling. Those kinds of celebrations are important and good and healthy.

But one way I really love to show my wife how loved she is by me, is to celebrate her outside of the official times (and this works for all manner of celebrations, so spoiling your mom not on Mother’s Day, appreciating your secretary outside of Secretary Day, and giving someone a gift not on their birthday or Christmas). In fact, to be completely honest, if it was up to me I think we’d stop celebrating birthdays and Christmas completely (in terms of gift giving) and leave it up to me to find other times and ways of letting the people in my life know that I love them.

But back to my wife

Flowers is one clichéd, yet for many, underrated way of showing your wife that you love her. I remember chatting to a woman who had been married for over 50 years who confessed to me (and she seemed really upset by this) that her husband (who I know to be a completely loving husband) had only given her flowers twice in that whole time. I have met one person who didn’t particularly like flowers, but typically I think most women love receiving them and I love the flowers-for-no-discernible-reason-at-all (except to remind Val that I love her).

Husbands – if it’s been a year since you gave your wife flowers, you should seriously consider it.

Walks is another way that you can show your wife you love her (although I think this may depend on the wife). Val loves going out to walk, and so I know this is one way I can really demonstrate my love for her. But I also don’t think it is so much about the walking as it is about the time spent together. No phone zone. And so create regular spaces for quality time with your wife where everything else is pushed to the side.

Touch can be huge as well. When last did you give your wife a massage or a back tickle? She won’t expect you to be a pro, but often it’s the time and the intimacy that comes with touch that will really convey the message that she is much loved.

Doing the dishes may cause your wife to have a heart attack (I’m looking at you!). Hopefully not because household chores should be something you are sharing equally (it is 2016 and all). But if there is a particular job that she hates and you beat her to it when she is out, that can really let her know she is loved. Maybe there is something small that she has been wanting to have done around the house and keeps mentioning that you haven’t got to. This Saturday, when she is out, grab your stepladder and fix that curtain rail/painting nail/clogged up gutter.

It’s all about intentionality

I could mention a hundred more things. You (hopefully) know your wife and so know what really makes her feel loved. But are you taking and making the time to do those things on an irregular basis? Out of the blue, unexpectedly, without being prompted.

So, continue to celebrate the birthdays and anniversaries and official occasions if you want to, but also be on the lookout for small and big ways of keeping the fire alive and for her to have a strong sense of being loved.

Oh, and make time to listen as well. Women love to be heard. Are you creating times in your day and week to simply ask her how she is doing and what’s on her mind?

What is one way that your wife really feels loved by you?

Ghostbusters: Who you gonna call?

Brett Fish

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August 11, 2016

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I watched Ghostbusters this week.

A movie that was mired in controversy from the very beginning. Specifically from fanboys of the original who were horrified to find that the characters made famous by Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson had been replaced by a group of women for the reboot.

Further controversy followed when Leslie Jones, a popular black actress from Saturday Night Live (SNL), was made a blue collar worker while the three white actresses were all scientists. With the sensitivity raging in America at the moment surrounding black actors typically being boxed into supporting or lesser roles, this added some fuel to the fire.

And despite making over $160 million at the box office the movie was considered a financial failure as well.

But was it really that bad?

I grew up with the original Ghostbusters, so it was part of my movie heritage so to speak. I was pretty nervous when I saw it was being rebooted with a new cast in anyway, just because of the brilliance of the original actors. But I am a huge Kristen Wiig fan (she was incredible!) and a Melissa McCarthy fan as well (she could have been better) and the trailers looked amazing to me. So, I was sufficiently anticipatory.

And I absolutely loved it. It was much better than the dismal second Ghostbusters outing, which I was not a huge fan of. And it was laugh-out-loud funny with a hint of scare and maintained the pace and laughs the whole way through. It really felt like a good movie on par with the original.

Kate McKinnon (another SNL fan favourite) as Jillian Holtzmann, scientist and hardware expert, pretty much stole the show. Described by herself and director Paul Feig as a “glorious weirdo” she refuses to be boxed into any of the typical characters Hollywood loves to create for women and constantly takes control with her gadget upgrades and off-kilter social skills.

To answer the critics, each of the four women are actually playing strong leading roles, largely outside of the walls of convention. Leslie Jones as Patty Tolan probably does have the most stereotyped of the roles, but her work as a Metropolitan Transit Authority worker has a sense of parody to it (as well as a nod to Ernie Hudson’s role in the first movie), as if a tongue in cheek reference to the negativity of Hollywood typecasting. The movie itself is full of in-jokes and cameos from most of the original cast which would suggest this.

Just a whole of fun

Any remake of a classic is going to receive criticism. But when the noise quietens down I really believe this Ghostbusters will stand its ground. Chris Hemsworth (known to us all as Marvel character Thor) is hilarious as an anti-typecast male model turned secretary and one of the dumbest characters on film, also providing many of the background laughs (like when he covers his eyes so that he can’t hear a piercing scream). It seems like the cast as a whole had a lot of fun making this movie and it translates to the big screen.

Whether or not you saw the original, I would recommend Ghostbusters as a not-too-be-taken-too-seriously movie worth watching with a bunch of mates.

And make sure you stick around for the credits as one of the best cameos of them all happens there.

‘All Lives Matter’ (for Dummies)

Brett Fish

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August 9, 2016

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All lives matter.

Phew, got that out of the way. And it’s good to do so early, because any time someone makes a statement like “Black Lives Matter” it does not take long before someone screams out loudly and defensively, “All Lives Matter!”

As if somehow, someone pointing out that “Black Lives Matter” means that white lives for some reason do not matter.

TWO HOUSES, ONE ON FIRE

The cartoon that helped me really get and explain this the best was created by ChainsawSuit.com. It was a picture of two houses and the one house was on fire. A man stands with a hose pouring water on the house that is not on fire while you see the other house busy burning to the ground. The man has a speech bubble that says, “All houses matter.”

Can you see how ridiculous that is? Of course all houses matter. But at the moment one house really needs water because it is on fire and the other one doesn’t. So someone who arrives and shouts “Burning houses matter” when he sees the man with the house ignoring the burning house is not saying anything negative about the house that is not on fire. He is just at that moment drawing attention to the house that is in trouble and really needs some help.

ALL SICKNESSES MATTER

Arthur Chu was a man who on Twitter helped create the same kind of clarity by tweeting, “Do people who change #BlackLivesMatter to #AllLivesMatter run thru a cancer fundraiser going ‘THERE ARE OTHER DISEASES TOO!’?”

Again, this feels like an easy one. He also tweeted a similar one about someone at a funeral announcing, “I TOO HAVE FELT LOSS!”

That is absurd and so we don’t do it. So why do we (I speak on behalf of white people here) feel the need to do so when someone says, “Black Lives Matter”.

ALL LIVES DO MATTER, BUT

I can’t think of a country in the world where there has been a need to announce that “White Lives Matter”. That seems to go without saying. When we look at how news is broadcast, how Hollywood and toy factories alike have catered predominantly to white people, and how whiteness itself has been raised worldwide as the standard of beauty, excellence and capability, white lives quite obviously do not need intervention.

But black lives have not always been treated in the same way (and I think we still have a very long way to go on this to be honest). In fact, more often than not it feels like they have needed advocates who will call out “Black Lives Matter”, not because white lives matter any less, but because too often that has not been an obvious statement of truth.

WHAT WOULD JESUS SAY?

If we look at the life of Jesus, we see that He constantly was redirecting His gaze towards the marginalised and needy. Those who had been pushed to the side. Those who needed an advocate. In His time it was women and children, it was lepers and it was Samaritans. When the crowds tried to keep people from Him, He was always pushing through to be right with that person. To Jesus all lives really did matter and He made sure that we would have the example of being aware of those that don’t seem to matter as much, so that we could do something about it.

Would Jesus vote?

Brett Fish

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August 4, 2016

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By the time you read this, I will have voted in the municipal elections in my home country, South Africa. But at the time of writing it, I am still a few hours away from that. So how did I choose who to vote for?

It has been a difficult decision. While friends had been posting all over the social medias that they have been bombarded by text messages, visits, and even Mmusi Maimane personal phone calls, my phone had remained ominously silent.

Until this morning – the Democratic Alliance (DA) sent me a text message telling me we could save the world together or something.

HIDE AND GO SEEK

But more difficult to locate than a rare Vaporeon on Pokemon GO (my wife plays, no really!) has been the quest for information on the people we are trying to vote into local power for the next couple of years.

I imagine this will differ from region to region and depending on the people (if you’re in Maimane’s ward you get a phone call?) but in Diep River in Cape Town it has been surprisingly silent. A few boards line the roads and the ones I remember most are for the Freedom Front and DA.

In some ways it has felt like an adult game of hide and go seek. My wife and I spent a few hours online last night trying to figure out who was running for our local ward and some information but it was really difficult to pin it down. And they clearly have not been making an effort to be visible or let us know they would like us to vote for them.

THOUGHTS FROM THE OUTSIDE

So how then do I vote? Well, my friend Sindile Vabaza (who is not a Christian) had this to say to Christians on Facebook:

I’ve thought a lot about this because I’ve been pondering writing a piece specifically aimed at Christians (because you guys constitute an important bloc in this country). I will distill some of my thoughts in a very SIMPLISTIC manner.

1) There is no clear voting choice for a Christian. Like everyone else Christians have to see themselves in relation to the greater good, because God himself we are told blesses and loves the good and the bad (insert that verse from Matthew since I know you people love prooftexting).

2. You pray that good elements within all parties flourish and by that I mean people who are honest and hardworking and have integrity, not people who agree with your selfish principles, because Christians have a narcissistic tendency to conflate their opinions and beliefs with “what God thinks”.

3. Do your own bit and according to conscience pick a party that represents you best in relation to the greater good. Christians exist in all social classes. There is nothing wrong with wanting paved roads, good public spaces and timeous public services especially if you’re PAYING for them through your taxes. The corollary of this is that you challenge your city and regional and party leadership when they don’t deliver services needed by other people who aren’t in the same social class ie the poor, because God we are told has a special heart for those on the underside of the system.

4. Trust that the God who is sovereign will work it out in partnership with you as believers. It probably will be messy, but like bringing a child into the world is messy and bloody it is still ultimately a blessing. In short: You’re asking the wrong question. It’s not what Jesus would vote, but what happens when we (in whatever station of life) vote with the same heart as Jesus?

SO HOW WILL I VOTE?

As a follower of Jesus, I tried to look to Him for advice. He was always about the poor and marginalised and those pushed to the side of society. Would Jesus vote? I don’t know. But if He did I have to believe it would be to put a mark next to the party that was doing the most for the poor and vulnerable among us.

In the confusion of who to vote for and who is trustworthy and not, who caters for simply the rich or the power, and who is authentically trying to make a difference to those on the sidelines, that thought is likely to be the overwhelming factor in who gets my vote later today.

Now that you have voted though, what are the next steps we can do in being the change we want to see in our land? If you are not a South African, how do bring about change in your own country?

Work at what you’re good at

Brett Fish

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August 1, 2016

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Do you enjoy your work?

I read a quote on the Twitterer today that said, “Don’t do what you love, do what you’re good at.”

That really got me thinking. I’ve tended towards being more of a “Do what you love” kind of person. It’s something that especially in spiritual circles we tend to fall on with phrases like “God called me to this job” or “This is my gifting.”

I’ve never met anyone who God called to be a plumber or who, at a party, after a few drinks, started bragging about his great gifting as a plumber… but I’m really glad we do have plumbers.

It is easy to use the words “God called me” when you’re justifying your job as “worship leader” or “youth pastor” or “CEO of Cadbury’s” (God has refused to answer my prayers on that one) but what about secretary or waiter or street sweeper (I am not suggesting those are lesser jobs, but that they might be jobs people feel are less glamorous, perhaps).

DO WHAT YOU DO

I would hate to have a surgeon operate on me who really loved being a surgeon, but was pretty bad at it.

I wouldn’t be so excited about having a plumber come round to fix a backed up drain who didn’t know what she was doing.

So people doing what they’re good at does seem to be a priority over doing what they enjoy.

But I can speak from experience when I say that sometimes it is possible to do both.

When I was the youth pastor at the Stellenbosch Vineyard church, my boss asked me one day what I would do if I could do anything in the world at all. I replied that I was doing it. That made him quite happy, but me as well.

LET’S GIVE IT A TWEAK

So perhaps the saying should be adapted to:

Do what you love if you are good at it and have the opportunity. If that is not possible then learn to love what you do.

As someone who follows Jesus, I have actually been called to serve people. And if I am doing what I have been called to do, then I will find fulfilment in that. It won’t necessarily always be fun, but it will always bring me joy and satisfaction. Which are different things. But go much deeper and last longer.

To anyone who is stuck in a job that you absolutely hate (and I know there are way too many of you out there) here are some thoughts:

1. Be grateful you have a job: So many people are struggling to find work at all, so that is a great place to start.

2. Be on the lookout for something else that suits you better or is more along the lines of work that will give you deep joy and pleasure. A lot of people get stuck in a job because “that’s what I do” but maybe there is something else available that will suit you better.

3. Make an effort to find ways to enjoy your work. Maybe it is just about changing your attitude. Perhaps it is about finding some fresh ways to enhance what you’re doing. Maybe it’s just about starting to serve your colleagues or boss more intentionally and seeing if you can uplift those around you.

What about you? Are you enjoying the work you do at the moment? If you could do any other job in the world right now, what would it be? Leave us a comment below.

The quest for spaces of diversity

Brett Fish

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July 29, 2016

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I woke up early this morning to see that Fight Song was trending on Twitter.

I clicked on the tag to see what it was about and saw actress Elizabeth Banks introduce the song as a kind of theme song for Hillary Clinton and the Democrats, who are in the middle of their convention in the United States.

You can watch the video here:

Now, I don’t know about you, but it certainly is a rousing anthem and I can imagine a lot of people being inspired and fired up by it. But for me, as I was watching, all I could think of was that this seemed more like a video for the #WhiteLivesMatter movement.

I think I counted three people of colour in the whole video, which must be a little disturbing for a country that is so diverse, especially if the song is meant to draw people together.

SEEKING SPACES OF DIVERSITY

Living in a country that is more than 75% black, my wife Val and I have really started to notice when we arrive in all-white spaces. It was never something we noticed before we took an active interest in the issues of race and poverty that are still pretty huge in South Africa. But, once you notice it, it is really hard to not see it again. And, we have actively chosen as a couple to try and move away from spaces that are predominantly white.

One of the first and easiest things we did to achieve this was to diversify our reading habits. I have been trying to catch up on South African history from different perspectives than those I grew up with and so Robert Sobukwe’s How can man die better and Steve Biko’s I write what I like were good starters for me. But we try to read people who don’t look like us (race, gender, nationality, religion) so that we are getting fresh and alternative perspectives on things.

THE ROAD IS LONG

And now, we are trying to focus more on the spaces we inhabit. From attending a very culturally diverse church in St Johns, to attempting to live in areas that are more reflective of the mix of people in South Africa, to looking around at the people we choose to spend time with. As well as the all important necessity of learning an African language (in our case isiXhosa – and the learning is going slowly, but going).

We do have a long way to go on some of those things. But, as identifying the uncomfortable feeling – like I got from watching this video – becomes more of a natural thing, I believe it will become more natural to start inhabiting spaces that are more diverse with groups of people who reflect that.

Other people’s children: an offer of help

Brett Fish

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July 25, 2016

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Other people’s children: an offer of help

The other day I was watching some children at the park.

The one little boy – well he was not so little – walked up to one of the little girls (she really was), grabbed the toy she was playing with and pushed her down.

I thought to myself, “Well that doesn’t seem to be a great way to behave, but I can’t possibly be sure, because I don’t have children of my own.”

Pretty ridiculous, right? Except that is how people without children are treated: Because you don’t have children of your own, you can’t possibly know anything at all helpful about children.

MY CHILDREN CV

If you take a quick glimpse over my history, you will find that I actually have crossed paths with a fair amount of children. I was young once (in a galaxy, long long away) and had a sister who was two years older than me and then a much younger sister as well.

I grew up involved in Sunday school (as a teacher of young children) and a youth leader (also junior youth with young children) and was very involved in Scripture Union holidays clubs for a number of years (leading small groups of children and larger groups of children). I have been a babysitter (although technically that term should be children-sitter ’cause they are seldom babies) and I have lived with people with young children (a lot over the last two years).

Oh and I studied primary school teaching for four years and have taught to some extent on three different continents and worked with children in at least six different countries.

SO WHAT IF I DO?

We tend to disqualify people from having opinions from things they are not directly involved in and yet often it can be an outside view that might be most helpful in identifying our blind spots.

To suggest that I know nothing about raising children, about the possibilities of creative discipline, about actions and words that are or are not okay, is absolutely ludicrous to me.

Because I see.

I see when you promise a child a consequence for a negative behaviour and then don’t follow through with it. I see how your child pushes it further the next time (because they know!)

I see when you say one thing but do another (and how confusing it is for your child and how much more likely their behaviour is to reflect that).

I see when mom and dad give conflicting commands directly after each other and how that lesson sinks in and how your child quickly learns who to go to for what answer.

I see all those and so much more.

CONSIDER EXTENDING AN INVITATION

It seems to be an issue of pride among parents that they should somehow know best for their child. I’m sure on many occasions this is absolutely true, but also that sometimes it might be okay if someone else can be invited in to help out.

Because I also see how tired you are, I see how frustrated you get with always feeling frustrated with your child and just want them to be able to have some fun and enjoy life and not live in the constant “No!” or “Stop that” or “Leave that alone!” I see how you deeply desire to be your child’s best friend the way you wanted that kind of relationship with your parents growing up and maybe never had (It’s going to be different with me!)

But I also see and know (despite not being a parent myself) that it is so completely tiring and draining having to do it all and navigate all the fights and behaviour and mealtimes and not-wanting-to-eat-that and more. And I’m offering my help. I don’t know best. But I do have some knowledge and skills or maybe at the very least just some energy you might not have right now to be able to deal with your child. And the bonus is that I don’t need to be their friend.

So parents, you’re doing great, but you do not have to do it alone. There are many other people like me, some with children, some without, who will gladly step in and help out or offer advice or take some of the push back, but we do need your invitation. Because for too long we have been considered useless and obsolete and have had it made very clear to us that we don’t know anything and that our help is not needed and wanted.

But maybe next time when you’re feeling completely drained and like you may not make it through another day like this, well maybe then you’ll risk giving us a try. Because we do love your children too, although I imagine not as much as you.

Feast your plagiarise on this

Brett Fish

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July 22, 2016

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Gone are the days where politicians can be sneaky and get away with it.
I woke up this Tuesday with the news that Melania Trump had been caught lifting huge sections of her speech (at the GOP on Monday) from a speech that Michelle Obama had given in 2008.
Here is just one example of which there were quite a few.
“Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values, that you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond and you do what you say you’re going to do,” Obama told the gathering of Democrats in 2008.
Trump told GOP delegates on Monday: “From a young age, my parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise.
Twitter won’t let you get away with that
Within minutes, Twitter had two trends going – the aptly named #FamousMelaniaTrumpQuotes as well as the Black Twitter #BeckyWithTheBorrowedSpeech, both which provided hilarious reading, for those outside of the Trump family.
The Famous Quotes tag basically became an impromptu hashtagging game with people trying to come up with the best other quotes she may choose to commandeer. Here are some of the ones I came up with:

You can’t handle the speech. ‪(From the movie #‎AFewGoodMentions)
You had me at “Your word is your bond”.
I’m not bad, I just plagiarise that way.
I’m also just a girl standing in front of an audience, asking you not to google key phrases of this speech.
They may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom of (picking previously used) speeches.
Ask not what your country’s previous first lady’s speechwriter can do for you…

The Becky tag was more direct humor or throwing shade at Melania’s actions. Needless to say, Twitter had a field day. When will people learn that you cannot get away with anything with social media these days? No longer is there a fact checker or two making sure a story is legit, but the whole world it watching and waiting for you to trip up.
Hopefully, this will remind those in the public eye, at least for the next couple of days, that sticking to the truth is a much safer and healthier option for all. What did you think of the whole affair?

Brett Fish

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