Hello Dear Friends,
How are you?
I am sitting in a hotel room in the nation’s capital. I will be here for a few more days before going to stay with the third friend in two months.
I start a new job in a new city in a week.
Meanwhile, 70 percent of American parents say that they are not interested in vaccinating their children at this time. May is Mental Health Awareness month, and a hitmaking rapper is teaming up with his mom to combat the stigma surrounding seeking help for depression and anxiety. And the richest man on earth just revealed he has a mild form of autism.
Have hope,
Kim B.
TODAY’S TOP STORIES
Poll: Parents Hesitant to Vaccinate Their Kids
A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll suggests that 70 percent of parents are not interested in getting their children vaccinated against Covid-19 at this time.
According to FastCompany.com, “The KFF monitor shows that a quarter of those aged 18 to 29 are waiting to see how the vaccine works in the greater population before they seek it out for themselves. Meanwhile, the vast majority of parents of children aged 12 to 15 are either adopting a wait-and-see approach, only willing to vaccinate if schools require, or not willing to vaccinate their child at all against COVID-19. Only 30% said they would definitely vaccinate their children once the vaccine was available to them.”
Now researchers are concerned about what that could mean for reaching heard immunity.
People over 16 years old are already eligible for the available vaccines. (Source.)
Elon Musk Reveals He Has Asperger’s on SNL
The richest man on earth is known for existing way outside the box. His bizarre and often offensive behavior has even caused shareholders in his company to consider his ouster.
However, Elon Musk revealed that there may be a reasonable explanation for his off the wall lifestyle and communications choices. During his introductory monologue on SNL last night, Musk revealed that he has been diagnosed with asperger’s syndrome.
As CNET.com describes it, “Asperger’s syndrome, or AS, is one of a group of neurological disorders known as autism spectrum disorders. AS is considered to be on the mild end of the spectrum.”
Musk poked at his disorder and eccentric ways throughout the show.
What did you think? Did he nail it? Should he have been given the platform by SNL? (Source.)
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Rapper Big Sean and his mother, Myra Anderson, are teaming up to end the stigma surrounding seeking mental health care.
The “Drop It (Ass)” singer told Essence Magazine that he has been dealing with depression and anxiety since he was a teenager, and got tired of pretending like everything was OK all the time.
And so for the month of May, Sean and his mother have developed a video series on mental health through his Sean Anderson Foundation. “The videos, which will be released every Saturday at 12 p.m. EST/9 a.m. PST during the month of May to commemorate Mental Health Awareness Month, will feature mother and son having candid conversations about areas of wellness that can impact mental health.” (Source.)
Fear of Aging Up Among Teens
According to recent CNN reporting, the fear of aging, or more specifically the fear of looking old, has been driving young people to new extremes.
“In 2012, fewer than 20% of US women between 18 and 24 years old considered anti-aging skin care to be important, according to a survey conducted by market research company NPD Group. By 2018, another US-focused study by beauty consumer analysts The Benchmarking Company found that more than 50% of 18- to 24-year-old women said they wanted to add wrinkle-defying products into their routine.”
In addition to adding plumping serums to their skin care rituals, researchers are now finding that more and more young people are going in for Botox treatments in their 20s.
Some brands are beginning to capitalize on this increasing dysmorphia that has been fueled by the social media era. CNN reports, “Last year, clinical skin care brand Murad recruited high-school influencers to promote their top rejuvenating serums on Instagram.” (Source.)
The Mustard Seed NYC:
“But It Did Happen…”
I am sitting in bed in my hotel suite, the one I hope will be the last I stay in before finding a place of my own. My laptop is propped up on my thighs over the covers. My dog snores gently beside me.
As I look around at my surroundings, I can’t help but to think about the events that led me here.
I went from living rent-free in an upper middle class neighborhood to being locked in an insane asylum against my will for two weeks to being turned out of that asylum without any explanation as to why I was there to being treated as though the whole thing never happened… (Read more.)