Month: August 2020

“It seems to me that in the orbit of our world you are the North Pole, I the South–so much in balance, in agreement–and yet… the whole world lies between.” 

– Thomas Wolfe, You Can’t Go Home Again

Wolfe uses known entities to describe two opposing worldviews, but more importantly, he emphasizes the great division between these two opposites. If we applied this idea to our lives, then we might conclude there is an open space between our entry to this world and our exit. I like to call that space our dash.

While attending a funeral, the preacher mentioned the date the person was born and the date deceased. Between those two dates was a dash, and that dash represented the life of the dead. All his hopes, dreams, accomplishments, fears, love, and happiness summed up in that dash. For some, that dash is short, long, very long, jagged, smooth, bandy, thick, or thin. Have you thought about your dash lately?

Continue reading “What lies between your Dash?”

I have feet. I walk. I am free.

Several years ago, I semi-retired, hoping to travel and practice my photography. To keep down my expenses, I took advantage of one of the military privileges when possible. I flew space available on military aircraft. While the only cost was a bit of time, the type of aircraft and seat availability varied widely depending on the type of aircraft. Sometimes, I was privileged to fly on a small, general’s jet, plush and well-appointed with all the modern conveniences, flying nearly empty, like an air taxi service, to collect a General Officer to take him to his destination. But on other occasions, I found myself on much less comfortable flights.

Continue reading “I Walk”

Harlem by Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore?
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over?
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?

Continue reading “A Dream Deferred”

During Black History Month, we pay tribute to many of the usual pioneers. During this period, we pay special attention to their contributions to history and their roles in the struggle. For example, we will remember Dr. King, who reinforced the power of civil disobedience and peaceful non-compliance. Despite the hurdles he faced, we were able to witness and live out the manifestation of his dream in the presidency of Barack Obama and our accomplishments.

Continue reading “Black Heroes and Remarkable People”

“Everyone is trying to accomplish something big, not realizing that life is made up of little things.”

Frank A. Clark

Frank makes a great observation in this quote. How easy it is to aspire to greatness and forget that something seemingly small to just one person might mean the difference in a significant way to that person. For example, I once watched a Tyler Perry movie with a character who was a homeless female janitor struggling to feed her daughter and herself while working in this conglomerate. Hardly anyone noticed her; however, her paths crossed with the owner of the company, a wealthy but personally miserable man. Because of her simple unassuming probing to get him to question his life, he was able to reflect on his own life and values and seek a world of happiness. He could have ignored her and listened to the advice of world-class councilors and life coaches to help him figure out what he already knew, that he was unhappy and neglected the simpler things in life.

Continue reading “The Little Things Matter”

PURPOSE: to show the importance of passing on heritage, knowledge to the next generation for them to have a solid foundation on which to build.

Recently I visited the church I attended as a boy growing up in Barbados. It is a concrete brick church on a hill, on a busy little village street with lush green native foliage and lots of rocks scattered around the church. Behind the church was a huge mango tree arrayed in blossoms, as well as one of the most towering bamboo trees around. The church was painted in a two-tone green color with a variety of palm trees decorating the side of the building. Whenever I visited Barbados, I made the trek to this church to reconnect with the people who were my childhood friends, colleagues, neighbors, and family. But two things usually capture my attention: first, the building itself and what it represents, and secondly, the people, how they have changed, but yet remained the same.

Continue reading “Build It Well”

Recently, I was strolling on a beautiful beach in Barbados when two women jogged past me. Just as they overtook me, an unsuspecting wave crashed against the shore and covered their shoes. Immediately, one of the runners stopped to brood over the water in her tennis shoes and seemed to lose her appetite for running. She stopped and fretted about the water ruining her new shoes.

Continue reading “Push the Needle”

We choose to wage war within rather than have the courage to fight the battles without!

The war we face within represents the struggle between our goals, ethics, morals, and belief systems.  It’s fighting to determine the things that bring us balance and those that disturb our peace and harmony.  The battles without are regrets of missed opportunities.  Each missed opportunity is a potential battle to be won or lost and, but in many cases; we choose to fight those battles already knowing the outcome.  We, therefore, wish to effectively engage in battles without at the expense of the war within.

Continue reading “The War Within”

I was sitting in a restaurant in Port Towsend, WA overlooking the bay and mountains towards Canada. The air was crisp, the water tranquil but grey, the sun was setting, and it was a most peaceful setting. Many customers were waiting for service, but one young couple, in particular, caught my attention. They ordered their meals and never said a physical word to each other for nearly an hour. Each one seemed engrossed with the happenings on their cell phones. Sad, I thought.

Continue reading “Digitally Unstimulated – Part I”

In an article published on Statista, it showed that Americans use some form of electronics 11+ hours a day. If we are awake 18 hours a day, digital devices consume a tremendous amount of our waking time. I am not sure of the accuracy of the data, but from personal experience, I use some electronics daily for long periods. The article included that we multitask, so the data needs to be read and understood in that context.

Continue reading “Digitally Unstimulated – Part II”