What Are You Superstitious About?

Can’t you hear the Stevie Wonder song ….

The fact of the matter is we all have superstitions.  I find it funny too, because even though I don’t really believe in (all) of them, I find myself doing things to avoid getting jinxed.  Here are a few I’ve learned over the years:

1.  Don’t sweep over someone’s foot or cross over their leg (bad luck)

2.  Eat black-eyed peas on New Years Day (good luck/prosperity)

3.  (This one is from a good friend of mine).  Don’t buy your girlfriend/boyfriend shoes, they’ll walk out of your life.  Also, don’t buy them a watch because time will run out on your relationship

4. Don’t walk under a ladder (bad luck)

5.  Don’t split a pole (bad luck)

6.  Don’t break a mirror (7 years of bad luck)

7.  Avoid black cats (bad luck)

8.  It’s bad luck to leave the house through a different door than the one you came in from.  (WDBJ7 Producer)

9.  Step on a crack…break your mother’s back

10.  Kiss a clock  i.e.  1:23am/pm  12:34am/pm 1:11am/pm (good luck)

Now let’s here some of your superstitions!

Just call me “Dancing Davis” (Video Included)

Let’s get the most pressing question out of the way.  No, I didn’t win.  However, the Salvation Army’s Turning Point won in a huge way this past weekend.

Dancing with the  Valley Stars brought in an estimated $28,000 dollars in profit for the local domestic violence shelter.

I had such a great time being one of this years “Stars”.  Kudos to my teachers Terry and Dawn Hall.  Terry and I cha-cha’d our butts off.  So much, so, I almost slipped at the end.  But instantly I reverted back to my cheerleading days and just kept hearing that inner voice say “Stick It, Stick It”.  I’ve also got to give credit to the professional teacher.   He held on to me pretty well.

CLICK THE LINK TO SEE ME DANCE  http://www.wdbj7.com/videogallery/73282825/News/WEB-EXTRA-Watch-WDBJ7-s-Hollani-Davis-routine-during-Dancing-with-the-Valley-stars

I had such a blast.  I do have to say though, the real “Dancing with the Stars”  on that network, not to be named, is definitely a lot harder than it looks.  Then again, those contestants practice 8 hours a day.  I practiced a total of about 4.

Thanks to all those including my sister and wonderful co-workers who came out to support.  Now, onto the next challenge, whatever that may be!

One of my biggest regrets….

Hollani Davis interviewing a student at Axton Elementary School in Henry County, Va.

So, this definitely falls under the category “If I would’ve known then, what I know no.”  I remember sitting in my high school Spanish class thinking what a waste of time it was.  Boy was I wrong.  Even though I was born and raised in New Mexico and surrounded by Spanish, I never learned to speak fluently.  Sure I know the standard greetings.  I know how to conjugate and I can make out a sentence every now and then.  That’s about it.  I’ve gotta say it’s one of my biggest regrets.

I had the chance to do a story recently on Hispanic children in the Henry County school district.  Virginia as a whole is seeing more students come in speaking very little English (or at least it’s not their first language).  The thing is, eventually, they’re learning it.  It’s tough and sometimes seems impossible, but they are learning because of teachers who refuse to give up.

Obviously, a topic like this can turn political, fast.  From immigration, to “This is America, speak English”.  The truth is, if we all sat back and thought about it, when has America ever been about just getting by, or just knowing the basics?  Shouldn’t we pride ourselves on expanding our horizons?

I commend these kids who have two different languages under their belts.  In my book, it makes them a little more knowledgeable and certainly more well-rounded.  Perhaps we could all take a lesson from them.

Sometimes you need a MIRACLE

I was invited to tour the Children’s floor at Roanoke Memorial Hospital to help spread a little cheer. This is one of the patients I met. We both discovered we have a love for Oreo Blizzards at Dairy Queen.

I have been having such a crappy few days!  You know those days when things just aren’t going your way? What is it, one step forward, two steps back?  Then, to top it all off, I was in a car accident over the weekend.  Needless to say, I’ve been a little down and feeling sorry for myself.

Then, I was going through my email last night and I was reminded of last week when I visited a lot of the sick kids at Roanoke Memorial Hospital.  Some of these kids, where out and about playing one day and in the hospital the next.  We’re talking life-altering health issues.  Babies, so tiny, they’re not even a pound.  They’re parents are stressed, grieving and some barely clinging on to hope.  Despite all this, these kids are MIRACLES.

Remembering this was the miracle I needed to let me know, life isn’t so bad.

Are We (Adults) Killing Our Kids?

September 2011, a 14-year-old in Buffalo commits suicide.
November 2011, a 10-year-old Illinois fifth grader takes her life.
March 2012, a 17-year-old high school students hangs herself at school stadium near Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

What do all of these cases have in common?  Their families say excessive bullying drove them to their death.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, suicide is the third leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults.  Nearly 149,000 young people will attempt suicide this year.

I’ve never been bullied to the point I wanted to take my own life.  I have been on the other side of harsh taunts and criticism.  My heart goes out to all of these children who were so consumed by pain and grief that they felt there was no other way out.  I sympathize with them 110%.  Still, another side of me wonders, if parents, if adults, aren’t at fault too.

I think we’ve created this world for our kids where we teach them they HAVE TO be liked.  A world where we teach them they HAVE TO be accepted.  Instead of telling our kids, “Sweetheart, not everyone is going to be your friend but that doesn’t mean you’re not somebody”,  we have parents living vicariously through their children making sure they are hanging out with the popular crowd.

We cripple our kids by not helping them work through their failures.  Now-a-days youth sports don’t cut kids from teams and  youth activities give everyone a blue ribbon.  Everyone is a winner.  That’s not realistic.

I remember being devastated when I was probably about 10-years-old because after several years of winning a church oratorical contest,  I got second place.  It was heartbreaking.   Looking back, that experience was one of my best lessons.  I learned quickly that I’m not always going to be number one.  It’s this  experience that equipped me to deal with other disappointments I’d face later in life.

I know that seems like such a menial example.  My point is , we’ve gotta make sure our kids know from early on they live in a world where it’s a hard knock life.  We have to equip them will skills to succeed, speak up and fight back verbally (and yes even with their fists) when necessary.  We have to give our kids the self-esteem they may not get at school or through their peers.  I’ve never been a parent, but I can say, my parents, out of all the things they’ve given me, self-worth is one of the greatest gifts.