Got up early this morning and took my coffee outside on the patio and enjoyed the sunrise. The sun was taking a gloriously slow rise behind a bunch of trees. The light shining through revealed the spiders beautiful handy work from last night. The threads glistened everywhere. The little flying grass bugs were waking up and sparkled in the sunlight as they buzzed around. The birds were all chirping and zipping from tree to tree. I watched a Robin pick a berry from a bush and flew to a branch to eat it.
It wasn’t long before the sun made it up over the trees. I could feel the humidity rising as what little dew was on the grass began to evaporate.The early morning air smelt so good. I sat outside for a little while longer and enjoyed my little garden spot of the universe. All seemed so right with the world.
All my senses are up and alert and it is time to start my day. I went into the kitchen and put an English muffin into the toaster, fired up my “work” computer and then went to the refrigerator and poured myself a large glass of orange juice. As I walking around the counter sipping of my juice is when it happened…. I slipped and fell and this wasn’t your ordinary ‘ass over tea kettle’
Lucy, my dog, made a particularly sloppy mess around her water bowel this morning. As I came around the counter my foot hit that slobber left on the tile floor. It is amazing all the thoughts that go through your head before you are down….. beginning with “Oh Shit” Grab the Counter” “Get Rid of the Glass” “Oh Shit there is another wet spot” other foot slips “ I am Going Down” ‘Grab the Chair’ “Oh Shit the chair is on Wheels” “GET RID of the GLASS you'll Lacerate Yourself” as I grabbed for the chair it tipped over. I am now in a full spin with my glass of orange juice getting launched across the kitchen. This was not any ole launch it was a launch where the orange juice and glass is whipped all across the room. Nothing went untouched…table, computer, walls, window, floor and the cat!
Boom! I am now down on the floor laughing my ass off.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Personal Reflections on MLK Day
In 1967 my Dad was stationed at Andrews Air Force Base Maryland, outside of Washington, D.C. The previous 10 yrs he had been stationed on military bases overseas where my fundamental years began. I lived with, went to school with and played with kids from all ethnic backgrounds. Where we lived, where we shopped, where we went to the movies, the bowling alleys, went swimming, and so forth, and it didn’t matter. Everyone mixed together and it was acceptable. I couldn't comprehend my extended family’s standards back in the southern States this wasn't acceptable.
In the spring of 1968 there were riots in D.C, fires being set to buildings, marches and a demonstration call Resurrection City. The adults in my extended family from Virginia, who lived on the other side of the Potomac River, would talk. I would hear some of the most hateful remarks. “That n**g*r preacher is stirring up all kinds of non-sense.” “Good, I am glad he got shot, maybe now those n**g*rs will settle down and go back home.” I remember during the 6 weeks of the Resurrection City demonstration it rained and rained. The news talked about the health issues and the outbreak of disease “these people” bring. The most hateful comment of all I heard, “This rain is God’s way to get rid of these n**g*rs”
Dr. Martin Luther King’s peaceful demonstration of Resurrection City brought the most impressive memory for me of those times. The perseverance, strength, conviction, fearlessness and peacefulness it took to endure that all men are created equal.
“All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Declaration of Independence
In my young heart I knew these attitudes were not right and do I dare ask,” Why don’t we like them?” “Why can’t I be friends with them?” “Why do we have separate schools?” The answer was, “They are not our kind and get those thoughts out of your mind.” I was sent to live with my Grandparents in the South where I wouldn’t have all the Northern influences. What they failed to realize was my influences were already set from my fundamental years.
In the spring of 1968 there were riots in D.C, fires being set to buildings, marches and a demonstration call Resurrection City. The adults in my extended family from Virginia, who lived on the other side of the Potomac River, would talk. I would hear some of the most hateful remarks. “That n**g*r preacher is stirring up all kinds of non-sense.” “Good, I am glad he got shot, maybe now those n**g*rs will settle down and go back home.” I remember during the 6 weeks of the Resurrection City demonstration it rained and rained. The news talked about the health issues and the outbreak of disease “these people” bring. The most hateful comment of all I heard, “This rain is God’s way to get rid of these n**g*rs”
Dr. Martin Luther King’s peaceful demonstration of Resurrection City brought the most impressive memory for me of those times. The perseverance, strength, conviction, fearlessness and peacefulness it took to endure that all men are created equal.
“All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Declaration of Independence
In my young heart I knew these attitudes were not right and do I dare ask,” Why don’t we like them?” “Why can’t I be friends with them?” “Why do we have separate schools?” The answer was, “They are not our kind and get those thoughts out of your mind.” I was sent to live with my Grandparents in the South where I wouldn’t have all the Northern influences. What they failed to realize was my influences were already set from my fundamental years.
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