The College DropOut???

***before you read: to me a blog means honesty and I'm just going to give you all of me ... take it or leave it, 100% of me is what you're about to get***

When I came to Carolina expectation was brewing to say the least.  I was supposed to finish in 4 years then go on to law school and be the female version of Johnnie Cochran!!! However,  when I got here, the only lyrics I can think of to describe my experience is "Nobody told me, the road would be easy, and I DON'T BELIEVE He bought me this far to leave me". 

Freshman Year: First of all, let me say that academic integrity was NOT something I was used too.  I was 17 and I saw no problem with a little copy and paste here and there...UNC-Ch DID!  I copied a graph and used it in my philosophy paper and did not cite it. My Prof submitted me to Honor Court and i went on academic probation for a semester.  (which meant I took an F in the course) 

Soph. year: I was determined to change and be a better person and not let that incident define me as a student.  My fall semester was one of my best semester's here, I only took 12 hours though .... Spring 2007, my life would be changed forever. Feb of 2007 my cousin was killed by her husband and March of 2007 (2 weeks later) my great-grand mother passed away (2 weeks after that) I was hospitalized the day after Easter in April of 2007 for a suicide attempt.  I had to do a medical under load and only had 1 class.

Jr. year: I was now behind 18 hours and knew that graduation in May 2009 wasn't going to happen without a miracle. Fall was going well UNTIL I took a poli class and my teacher told us (verbally) we could use Wikipedia in lecture; so I did.  My TA submitted me to Honor Court.... here we go AGAIN!  This is when I found out there is NO JUSTICE at UNC-ch ... they have a catch 22 rule that says: if  you are penalized for said offence (plagiarism, violence, hazing) and get caught again for ANY offense, you will automatically be suspended for a YEAR!  My professor submitted a letter on MY behalf ASKING the court to grant the MOST leniency because it was miscommunication between the TA and professor.  However, because I had the previous record, the most lenient they could be was a 1 year suspension -_-.

Out of School: I was out of school for a year and a half, working 3 jobs trying to make ends meet and I had an outstanding balance of $3000 sumthin with the university.  I had to get a loan to cover that but ended up staying out another semester because of finances.

Welcome Back: I had to reapply and came back as of Fall 2009 (now 60 credits behind).  Worked my butt off with school and work and went to summer school.  My Uncle was killed in an accident and that kind of threw me off for awhile but I got back on track. 

Now: as of right now 33 credit hours stand between me and my bachelors of arts in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill + I have a job lined up for after graduation :)

I said ALL that to say (and really i cut a lot out of the story lol), a lot of people judge me when they find out that I am STILL at Carolina BUT I always have to encourage myself and remember "the race is NOT given to the swift but to HE that ENDURES". I'm a FIGHTER and even after all of life's financial, family, emotional, etc trials/tribulations, I'm STILL STANDING!!!!

So for all inquiring minds, I didn't drop out, I didn't flunk out and I didn't get pregnant and disappear smh, I just took the road less traveled.  I am VERY thankful for these times though because it has given me a GREATER respect for people that successfully attain a 4 year degree but it also teaches me not a judge a book by it's cover.  There is A LOT of class of 09 that didn't make it and have no intentions of coming back.  As far as myself, I'm here and I'm NOT leaving without MY degree!  Even after everything that has happened, the tears that were shed and the injustice... I Love the Lord, I Love Myself, I Love My Family, I Love My Friends, and I LOVE UNIVERSITY of NORTH CARLINA at CHAPEL HILL!

"You Are What You ...... HEAR"

So, this past weekend I was in Greensboro/High Point visiting my family and celebrating the 98th bday of my great-great-great aunt (yes, my family has 5 living generations).  So after the party on Saturday, I spent the night with my cousin and spent the WHOLE Sunday with her!  She attends New Jerusalem Cathedral which is pastored by Dr. (Prophet) Kevin Williams.  I witnessed the ministry of Prophet Kevin Williams since I was 16 and I'd name him as a top 3 influential pastor in my life.  His church is WONDERFUL; it caters to ALL age groups and walks of life. (So if you're in the 336 and looking for a church ... go check him out!)

ANYWAY, while there he was preaching from Deut. 30:11-14.  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=deut%2030:%2011-14&version=NIV And he was basically talking about how when God gives us a vision/plan/mission/commandment etc we often don't realize that whatever God has said to us is TAILOR made for us.  And because we don't fully understand this, we question Him (God) and seek other venues to validate what He has already said/confirmed.  Because we seek other places/people to confirm instead of seeking God for ourselves; people/appetites/etc can sometimes throw us off or make us miss the mark.  So Dr. Williams was teaching how to block ourselves from ourselves and to trust in God!

I said all that to say..... While he was preaching he went on a tangent about sin and he said something that has been stuck in my spirit since he said it.  He quoted Romans 10:17, “If FAITH cometh by HEARING.... THEN so does FORNICATION, LIES, MALICE ...SIN, so watch what/who you're listening too"!  For me it was the most prolific thing I had heard in a LONG TIME and I went ahead and took it a step further for myself.  Commercials tell us to watch what it eat b/c it can have lasting effects on our health.... Psychologists tell us to watch what we look at online, TV, etc b/c it can affect our subconscious and lead to nightmares and such.... Surgeon General says don't touch fire b/c it will burn... And we all know what a dirty diaper smells like soooo life teaches us NOT to go sniffing our nose in garbage bins and other people's business.  What don't we get taught often? What NOT listen too!  I'm as guilty as EVERYBODY else... if not MORE smh .... I walk around listening to Silk "let me lick u up and down", H-town "sum body rockin', knockin' the boots" on my itouch and YET I call myself trying to save myself until marriage .... yea.... NOT if I keep listening to that foolishness LOL. I'm not saying listen to Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, etc all day, because I’m certainly NOT.  But what I am going to do is be more cognizant of what lyrics I’m filling my head up with between classes and riding to work.  The Food Pyramid displays how much of what foods we should eat to be healthy..... develop a music pyramid and balance out some of the "candy rain" with "I need you now" and see how it affects your life .... after all ... YOU ARE WHAT YOU HEAR!

"I am, whatever you say I am" (1st post)

 Well, I'm starting this blogging busniess and i'm UBER excited :) In this first post i'm just going to tell you a little about me and what to expect from me and this blog.  I named this blog "Unique Cadence" because i consider myself a unique individual (i'm intelligent, saved, no kids, drug free, no record, good credit, extra+intro vert, in school and working) and if that doesn't make me unique to this generation ... i don't know what does! I choose Cadence b/c I LOVE music! A Cadence, "gives [musical] phrases a distinctive ending that can, for example, indicate to the listener whether the piece is to be continued or concluded" (often reffered to as a musical comma).  So essenitally this blog is my space to express my unique thoughts, expressions, charateristics and opnions in a distinctive way, a way in which should signify to you the reader (listener) to pause and listen to my heart's cadence.

Now, a couple housekeeping rules:

1) I'm human! I'm Sade and NO i'm not always RIGHT! if you're looking for/expecting perfection ... look somewhere else!

2) NO JUDGING! The Bible makes it pretty clear; judge not, lest ye be judged!

3) this is MY life.... if you're in/have been/going to be in MY LIFE ... then expect to see your name AND/OR alias used ;) If you have a problem w/ it ... STOP READING in 5....4....3.... NOW!

3) let's just have fun! this is a learning experience for me and for you so put on your seat belts ... let's go!