DYING TO BE LOVED

DYING TO BE LOVED

November, 2012

Salute,

“It’s a new dawn, a new day” and I am honored and committed to be here with you.  I am passionate about being a component of Throggs Neck-La Familia.  I come to you in my fullness. This means I intend to walk this journey with a genuineness of care, empathy, sympathy, understanding and quite honestly vulnerability.  This will be a catalyst for me being a Writer and Editor of Throggs Neck La Familia, a growing experience for me. May you understand that I am not on a “soap box” preaching to you; I am on a path walking with you.

I pondered greatly about my approach to Throggs Neck-La Familia’s plight against Bullying and Gang Violence.  It is clear that we as a nation have severe problem with Bullying and Gang Violence.  The question is: How do we resolve this epidemic?  I put emphasis on WE.  Where do WE begin?  This epidemic is deep rooted in our communities.  Therefore it is not enough to just hang a poster condemning this epidemic.

My approach is that of a woman, a mother, a loving citizen.  I utilize the Arts for expression.  I grew up in The Bronx, Throggs Neck.  Anyone who is familiar with the Throggs Neck area in the late seventies to the mid nineties is aware that Throggs Neck was racially divided.  The projects are where the Black and Hispanic people lived.  And on the out skirts of the projects were houses where the Italians lived. 

The movie “A Bronx Tale” is a good depiction of the tension between our two worlds.  Our existence was a poetic tragedy.  There was a time when the color of our skin separated us, now it’s the colors of our clothes. 

When I was growing up in Throggs Neck I did not know Chris Claudio. Our paths were so close but so far. Chris and I were both from Throggs Neck but from the opposite sides of Tremont Ave.  Now here I am being welcomed into this fabulous Non Profit movement by Chris.  Over twenty years later we have come together for a common cause; Peace.  There was a time when the color of one’s skin determined if you were my family.  I refuse to make the same mistake by classifying myself by the color of my clothes.

Once we establish the fundamentals of life we may be able to save a life.  Love yourself, Love your neighbors…. To live for one another…. Beautiful. 

We are killing one another, we are killing ourselves, and we are “Dying to Be Loved”.

My intentions are to open a line of communication between myself and Throggs Neck-La Familia’s readers.  Open the doors of communication between us and the people we elect to represent us.  My goal is to grow with you.  As an Artist I communicate through artistic means.  Through my writings, music photography and film shorts.   It is who I AM.  In order to build communication and a successful campaign against Bullying and Gang Violence you should know a little bit about me; I’ve written a manuscript entitled “DYING TO BE LOVED”.  It is a poetic essay about my experiences growing up in Throggs Neck.   My writings display a vulnerable mentality at different points in my life as well as descriptive narrative on why some of us join gangs.  I believe that many of us are “DYING TO BE LOVED”.

Our vast experiences are what make up the fabric of who we are.  It is perfectly fine to be different.  That is how we will grow, through understanding and acceptance.  May our communities not be segregated by hate, a thirst for power, ignorance, social status or colors.   May we no longer turn our heads from the crisis that we as a nation face  when it comes down to Bullying and Violence.  May we unite as a community of Peace from the beaches of Throggs Neck to the shores of Cali.

Until my next blog I would like to hear from you.  Entitle your email “I AM _____”  (share with us who you are; how do you view yourself)

Today we will begin to stand proud in our differences.  Rejoice over the trials that we have over come so that we could use them as pillars in this establishment of life.  “It is a new dawn, a new day”. 

Salute,

Charlie Kroy

CharlieKroy@hotmail.com