The Chicken Files

As someone who has made it her life’s mission to inspire people, I‘d have to say that my focus has primarily been on inspiring young people, especially females.  Through the years I have maintained contact with many of my mentees, and I am extremely proud to watch as they grow into being ambitious young ladies. What I noticed as I check up on them via Facebook is that many of their peers, now of age, are still lost. I am briefly discouraged when I see young women between 18 and 24 years old who really have no idea what it means to be “grown up” yet love to call themselves independent.  I’m also a firm believer in Gandhi’s words about “be the change you want to see in the world,” so I do my best to lead by example. Fortunately, adolescents are impressionable; and a positive example yields positive results. The dilemma occurs with females who are legally adults.  They feel that because they are now of age, who am I to tell them how to live their lives?

My solution:   I get on line! This is where I am seeing the risky photos, the videotaped fights, the baby daddy blasts.  To counteract this trend, in April of this year I launched my first webisode of The Don’t Be a Chicken Files. The title is based on the slang word “chickenhead” which is often used to refer to young females who basically dress, behave, and speak in a way that demeans themselves, their family, their race, and their gender.  Simply put, it’s a young loser. I intentionally chose the term “chicken” as opposed to other derogatory names like “hood rat” because I had studied chickens and discovered that their habits coincide with the poor behavior of some young women.

My first episode was, of course, on social networking. The second was on baby daddies vs. fathers. Future topics will include education, goal setting, relationships, friendships, proper dress, and money management. While it may seem odd that I’m writing about young women exhibiting poor behavior in a magazine geared toward entrepreneurial women, I think we too often criticize or ignore this population. Workshops and conferences motivate and inspire us; and we, in turn, need to motivate and insire this group of “chickens.”  While my straight forward webisodes aren’t for the thin-skinned, I get right on their level and tell them how it is because if I hadn’t had role models in my life, I too might have become a Chicken. Thank goodness I learned the error of my ways!

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Brenda’s Child has made it her life’s mission to inspire people through poetry and stories and through leading by example with courage, confidence, and integrity. She emphasizes self-love, worth, and value. She also feels obligated to tell the truth ... even if it hurts. Visit www.brendaschild.com