UNDERSTANDING TRAUMA

Health /

No human is free from trauma.  Whether you experience it directly, observe it happening now, or on television; we’ve all greeted trauma in one form or another.  As discussed in previous editions on this topic; there remains a lot of variability in how one responds or reacts to such an event. Everyone is most capable of addressing and thus healing trauma from a calm and controlled stance.  When in a state of crisis or traumatic memory, we are highly emotional and charged and are at risk of experiencing a blank mind.  When this occurs, take your time and practice getting in touch with your breath to relieve your overwhelm. No human is free from trauma.  Whether you experience it directly, observe it happening now, or on television; we’ve all greeted trauma in one form or another. Hope resides in the reality that healing and recovery are possible! As discussed in previous editions on this topic; there remains a lot of variability in how one responds or reacts to such an event. Everyone is most capable of addressing and thus healing trauma from a calm and controlled stance.  When in a state of crisis or traumatic memory, we are highly emotional and charged and are at risk of experiencing a blank mind.  When this occurs, take your time and practice getting in touch with your breathing to relieve your overwhelm.  Focusing on heart-filled thoughts and escapades will lead you to the road of healing. Without a doubt healing from trauma can cause strong adverse emotions, painful flashbacks, and an array of uncomfortable symptoms. These moments are coaching you to take a break from this endeavor, by taking a walk, meditating, or talking to someone you trust. Perhaps one would benefit from working with a professional mental health counselor. These moments are signals that an alteration in how you should proceed is warranted. Trust that you are in the best position to mark your pace in this work.  Note that our thoughts, behavior patterns, and symptoms will be changed with time. Take a break of course but keep returning to heal your soul and life. Keep working with those exercises and strategies that help you in moving through pain and return ’you’ to yourself. There is a widespread impact of trauma on our bodies, mental health, and ‘our’ brains. Trauma changes lives. Healing begins when we ignite the endeavors to heal. Next edition we will tackle a common symptom of traumatic injury: anxiety.   Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Community Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Military & Veterans Peace People Politics CALL FOR ARTISTS! July 5, 2023/No CommentsRead More UNDERSTANDING TRAUMA June 5, 2023/No Comments In contemporary society, we hear the term PTSD for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder very often. This is the new buzzword or Read More INVESTING IN OURSELVES: UNDERSTANDING TRAUMA May 2, 2023/No Comments Depression & anxiety are common problems that can develop after trauma.  Depression ignites feelings of sadness and low mood. These Read More Load More End of Content.

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CHAMPURRADAS

Food & Culture /

Back in my hometown, the grocery store I lived up the road from sold champurradas in the dessert aisle. These Guatemalan cookies with sesame seeds sprinkled on top were a delight to have on the weekends with coffee or hot chocolate. On one of my previous visits back home, I decided to go back to the same store to grab some champurradas for an after-dinner snack with the family. Sadly, the champurradas they sell now taste nothing like the ones I grew up with. The flavor was bland and barely any sesame seeds were on them. This drove me to look up recipes online so I would never be disappointed again. My sister found a blog from Guatemala.com that referenced a recipe she planned on using, but she didn’t try it out and sent it to me instead. The recipe called for the following: ½ pound of flour, 2 eggs, 5 ounces of sugar, 4 ounces (1 stick) of butter, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 3 tablespoons of milk, and 2 ounces of sesame seeds. I later discovered that the measurement for the flour wasn’t, but I will explain more in a moment. First, I warmed the stick of butter in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, so it was soft enough for mixing. Then, I combined the sugar and butter until a yellow ball formed. After putting the eggs and milk into the bowl with the butter/sugar mix, I whisked the flour and baking soda together in a separate bowl. When it came time to combine the dry and wet ingredients, the resulting mixture turned into a wet blob rather than a soft dough. I tried rolling individual balls to make the champurradas, but the mix would stick to my hands and didn’t keep its shape. I decided it was time to experiment, so I added more flour to the mix until the dough was firm. As the oven preheated to 350 degrees, I made several small balls out of the dough and placed them on a buttered baking tray. I flattened the balls out using my hand and then put the tray into the oven for 20 minutes.  The champurradas came out golden brown but thicker than I wanted them to turn out. They still tasted good, certainly better than the last ones I had. While this was a fun first attempt, I am going to work on this some more to develop my recipe. I’ll also be looking for butter and egg replacements for my vegan readers. Looking forward to sharing this with you next month! Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books Business Community Education Entertainment Food & Culture Health Interviews Military & Veterans Peace People Politics CARNITA TACOS May 1, 2023/No Comments The taco is undeniably one of the most iconic foods of Mexico and greater Latin America. The Buffalo area has Read More LA PUPUSA April 1, 2023/No Comments My first few columns mainly focused on foods from Guatemala, which should not be surprising considering my background. This month, Read More LATIN FOOD, LATIN RECIPES: CHAMPURRADAS March 1, 2023/No Comments If you remember my column from last month, I tried making Champurradas using an online recipe. The result turned out Read More Load More End of Content.

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“GETTING VERY LITTLE FOR THE WHOLE,  BUT GETTING A LOT FOR THE FEW” WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN 2023

People /

While I might appear to be biased and selective, I strongly feel the four people in the photo are the people that can move our community forward and free her from the political enslavement it has been in for many years, which has not allowed our community to prosper, grow, and develop as other communities in the city of Buffalo.   Jose Flores (Jiu-Jitsu instructor), Beatriz Flores (El Batey Puerto Rican Center), Geo Hernandez (Working Families Party), and Christian Parra (People’s Action Institute) are progressive and independent, and all four have a vision for how to involve the whole community and not just a few. And most importantly, they have strong respect and support from the grassroots community. When you attend their events or look at their community base, you see new faces and young people. It’s refreshing to see new faces get recognized or acknowledge for their work and not see the old inner circle — a recycling of the same faces and people. (Photo: Jose Flores, Beatriz Flores, Geo Hernandez, Christian Parra) Other people to watch in 2023, although not new or independent from the status quo, have people who have a degree of sincerity and a true agenda for change. You have Cesar Cabrera, an educator and well familiar with the community; Alexandre Burgos-Gonzalez, a young, dynamic, and talented individual who heads the Buffalo Black & Latino PRIDE Coalition, which is connected to a statewide organization. We also have Kelly Camacho, head of the local Citizen Action chapter; Talia Rodriguez, a Law School graduate and a strong community activist, a syndicated columnist with several Latino publications; QueeNia AsheeMa’at, also a writer and progressive with strong ties to both Latino and black communities; and Michele Agosto, an art and cultural advocate who has pioneered many projects in this city, one is the Artists de Barrio organization. There are others, and I apologize for not including them, but it is my opinion, based on my position as publisher and community activist, these are the people to watch. Our present leaders have a good understanding of politics, but very little understanding of our history, culture, and struggles. In 2023, we need to support the people mentioned in this article and help them to educate our local political officials – they have been on an illusional ride with our people. The politicians have been misled and misinformed. Let’s educate them in 2023. Keep your eyes open in 2023 and prove me wrong. Feliz Año Nuevo! Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Community Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Military & Veterans Peace People Politics Sports A CHALLENGE TO THE HISPANIC WOMEN’S LEAGUE July 25, 2023/No Comments “The mission of the Hispanic Women’s League is to improve the quality of life, assist in personal and professional development, Read More LATINO COLLEGE STUDENTS FACE INEQUALITY AND CULTURAL ISOLATION AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK at BUFFALO March 25, 2023/No Comments LACK OF COLLEGE SERVICES FOR LATINO STUDENTS: This is in response to a story by UB Spectrum reporter, Kayla Estrada, Read More “GETTING VERY LITTLE FOR THE WHOLE,  BUT GETTING A LOT FOR THE FEW” WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN 2023 January 25, 2023/No Comments While I might appear to be biased and selective, I strongly feel the four people in the photo are the Read More Load More End of Content.

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