Adena M'lynn's Voice

The phrase “A man’s home is his castle” once evoked images of safety, privacy, and freedom from intrusion. Coined by Sir Edward Coke in 1604, it served as a cornerstone of legal thought, asserting that within one’s own home, a person held sovereignty—a sacred right. But as with many powerful ideas, its meaning has quietly morphed over time. In our subconscious evolution, we also have shifted from protectors of our small spaces to would-be rulers of vast internal empires. This castle is no longer made merely of brick and timber. It has become the ego’s fortress—an illusion of control, dominion, and self-importance. In a world obsessed with ownership and power, the castle is now anything we can claim: a title, a relationship, a belief system, a lifestyle. We walk through life clutching things not because they fulfill us, but because we fear being without. Our need to possess is both our hidden truth and our demon, growing hungrier each time we feed it. We measure success by what we own, ...

I’m a citizen of the United States. Born and raised in Texas, where values like independence, grit, and hospitality were baked into the soil I grew up on. I loved my home state, but it too has turned into a hate filled state. I love the land, the people, the music, the food, and the ideals we  say  we stand for—liberty, justice, equality, and opportunity. But I find myself in a strange position these days. I wish the rest of the world well—perhaps more than ever. I hope other nations thrive where we’ve lost our footing. I hope they lead the way on education, healthcare, climate action, diplomacy, and human rights, especially where the United States has either faltered or walked away entirely. And no, that doesn’t make me less patriotic. In fact, I think it makes me more so. Because wanting good for others doesn’t take anything away from my love for this country—it simply means I’m no longer blind to the damage being done under the false red banner of “greatness.”  I step ...

Why Kimmie from Beauty in Black Is One Of My Heroes  Some women just need to see a woman win. Not for the applause. Not for the headlines. But because we’ve been through hell at the hands of people who were supposed to protect us, love us, raise us—not break us. That’s why I’m watching  Beauty in Black . And that’s why Kimmie is one of my heroes. Kimmie is a fighter. She doesn’t just survive—she rises. She’s passionate, raw, and real. She doesn’t pretend her life is perfect, and she doesn’t let the pain define her. She walks through the fire and keeps going, head high, heart open. I see myself in her. I see so many of us in her. Women who’ve been silenced, hurt, dismissed. Women who’ve had to rebuild ourselves from the ground up. Watching Kimmie live with boldness, with honesty (she will lie in life/death situations) , with fight—that’s a kind of healing I didn’t even know I needed. When you’ve lived through abuse, watching another woman rise above her circumstances is mo...

Words matter. Labels matter. And in a time when truth itself is under attack, using the correct and factual terms to describe public figures—especially those seeking or are already in power—is not only necessary but vital for a functioning democracy.  The rapist draft dodger trump is not just a president. He is a convicted felon. He has been found liable for sexual abuse (rape) in a court of law. He has used his platform and power to mock people with disabilities, attack women, demean people of color, belittle veterans, and stigmatize people with addictions. Sugarcoating these facts or avoiding the proper labels is dangerous. Let’s be clear, the truth should not be softened for the sake of political convenience or social comfort. Why We Must Use the Labels 1. Truth Telling Is a Form of Resistance Calling Trump a convicted felon or a rapist isn’t name-calling. It’s truth-telling. He was found liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll by a jury of his peers. He is a con...