Quitting the Oppressive Plantation - Wal-Mart

So I finally did it!!! I quit Wal-Mart. And really I'm not knocking the fact that WalMart has helped me feed my children, put a roof over our heads, etc.  However, the work conditions there like so many other corporations is similar to that of a Plantation.

And they said slavery was dead!!! No it actually is not.  It just got a facelift.  Instead of working on the plantation you work in corporate america.  The slave-owner is your job whether it be Target, Wal-Mart, Chevron, Exxon, Apple, Ford Motors, AT&T, or Oprah Winfrey herself, etc. (for a complete list http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2013/full_list/) the point is, you will never own it, even when you buy stock, you have no say so, it's no different than the plantations of old.

The house-niggas are the management teams.  They have no mind of their own, they are just puppets.  And mind you I'm referring to the majority.  The ones who try to be fair or try to follow policy which are supposed to protect the people, are either ignored, dis-empowered, or made into field hands.  They give you a little more money than the field hands and you think you're make a difference.  But in essence what they did was give you hush money, see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil, especially when they crack the whip on the field hands back by demanding "work faster, work harder, same production level" even though they "hung" (fired) some folk for the same pay.

So why did I wait till now to finally say what was on my heart for the six years that I was there.  It's simple. FEAR. Worrying about whether I would get another job, be able to pay my bills, etc.  But isn't that just how the field hands felt? Fearful. You think the slave-owners felt that? Only if there was an uprising. But they had so many different tactics and ways to "keep you in your place".  Only they were allowed to enjoy the "fruits of your labor".

We just allowed FEAR, to keep us from following our dreams.  And once again I am only speaking to those who were like me who felt trapped.  "Leave master and you may get lynched or blackballed", you know what I mean.  So many of us regardless of the color of our skins played a role, some were Kunta Kinte, Kizzy, Chicken George, Binta, or Toby.  It didn't matter what plantation you went to they would still get you. Sure the higher you went up, the easier it seemed but it always comes at a price.  Maybe you have less of a social life or less family time, or you have to compromise your integrity.

Eventually, you take on the attitude, "if I can just make it till retirement" and by this time the best part of your life is gone.  And those of us who lost all zeal of life will declare like Celie "this life soon be over.... Heaven last always".

Finally Getting My Release

So I finally got my release.  And it's sad that it took me so long cause I knew what I needed to do and that is pray.  That's always the key.  I'm still trying to make that my habit, the moment I feel distressed is to pray.

I can always remember to give praises and glory to God for the good things.  I just need to work on doing it for the distressful things.  Sounds backwards, but so true.  For some reason staying mad just seems easier than to forgive, even though in your heart of hearts you know its not right.  So when that happens its just time to pray.

I did that, even though, my head wasn't in it, and I felt the release.  It's the beginning and that release feels good. I'm not weighed down with negativity, cause that just brings on depression, then self-destruction.  Just not worth it.

In all things God must be the center.  That's my goal and I'm working on it.

Poem:  My Release Prayer