"Life Ain't Been No Crystal Stair"

You’re right.  Those are not my words.  They belong to one of America’s most revered poets, a black man, Langston Hughes.

Today an Internet headline told of a CEO in this great nation of ours who sent his 7,000 employees a memo telling them they may lose their jobs if Obama is elected. 

And, through this long evening I’ve worried about the implications of the CEO’s appalling action.

 I think our right to vote in this country is one of our most cherished rights.  People have died for the right. I feel helpless for myself and for the people who received their CEO’s memo.  How quickly will another CEO take the same step?  What will employees do if their choice is President Obama?  Perhaps they will not vote at all.  Or, maybe they will vote for another candidate.

I’m thinking there is no hope for America’s future if the power that one might have over any of our lives is misused to influence the wonderful privilege of an individual’s freedom of choice in the voting booth.

If the news tomorrow reports the CEO was served with papers summoning him to answer to ‘attempted voter coercion’ or a voting rights violation of some sort, I may completely recover from the shock of his misuse of freedom of speech.  Please someone in the Justice system, make it clear to the man that company officers/management/supervision cannot use their power over workers to influence how they vote.  

Agonizing over the miserable gall of the CEO, reading the memo itself, I was consumed with sadness.  It came to me my life hasn’t been overflowing with joy and happiness.  Langston Hughes words from his poem, Mother to Son, came to mind.  

A parent is speaking encouragement to a child.  I think the parent having suffered hard times knows her child will also be faced with similar problems.  She is telling him when life’s difficult moments get you down, just keep moving forward.

Mother to Son

         By Langston Hughes

Well, son, I'll tell you:

Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

It's had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor—

Bare.

But all the time

I'se been a-climbin' on,

And reachin' landin's,

And turnin' corners,

And sometimes goin' in the dark

Where there ain't been no light.

So, boy, don't you turn back.

Don't you set down on the steps.

'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.

Don't you fall now—

For I'se still goin', honey,

I'se still climbin',

And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

         Langston Hughes was born in 1902.  He died in 1967.   The poem was first published in 1922.

                                           _______________________

Keep moving forward.

Fun Talk Today

Growing up in a neighborhood of single-family homes in Zanesville, Ohio, this girl child tried hard to be ‘one of the boys’, because boys had more fun!

Daddy had other ideas.  His daughter would be a little lady.  Ugh!

 Johnny, Me, and Jimmy

One Saturday morning Mother and Daddy had gone downtown.  My two brothers, Johnny and Jimmy, were outside test-driving the go-cart they were building to enter in the big race.  I had been told to stay in the house, but I had a brilliant idea.

Read about it in this excerpt from my award winning memoir, Black Star Girl.        

From Chapter 10 – ‘Soap Box Derby’:

“ . . ..  Now was the time.  I could go, have fun, and be back in the house before mother and daddy came home.  .  .  .

        I yelled from the front door, begging them to let me sit behind the driver, “just once, please?” . . .. they finally said yes!

        I flew out the door, across the porch, down the steps to the street, and excitedly trudged up the hill behind Jimmy and a couple of other boys who tugged the go-cart up to the top of the street, a little bit past Rev. Holt’s house, onto the crest of the steep hill.  Jimmy was going to drive it back down the hill. They all helped secure me behind my twin brother on the wooden seat.  Wrapping my arms around his waist, I held on for the long ride down Cliffwood Avenue to Baker Street.

         With a running push from behind by the “starters”, we were on our way.  I was happy and could feel my grin stiffen by the wind heavy against my face.  We were zooming down the middle of the street.  I was having fun with the boys!” 

             _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _

I’m smiling as I re-read this. 

That day my exuberance did not last.  Read the book and you will find after this excerpt, Jimmy and I (11 year old twins) hurtle down the street going so fast I’m terrified.   I will tell you this. There was no lasting injury.  I had my troubles though.  You see, we couldn’t hide my adventure from our parents.

I invite you to get a copy of Black Star Girl.  The book is an interesting and fun read for all ages.

The Debate vs. Minding the Store

Multi-tasking and its probable impact on debate performance is my subject matter today.   

What is the level of hands-on concerns and challenging issues given top priority by the GOP candidate, Mitt Romney, as he pursues his effort to become the new President of the United States of America?  I ask because I really do not know what former Governor Romney does - what he would be doing if he wasn't campaigning to win next month's presidential election.  How has his multi-tasking changed now that he is?  (I believe many of us periodically multi-task , i.e., are significantly involved in taking care of more than one task/interest at the same time.)

It’s my understanding Mitt Romney is a businessman.  That’s what he said.  From my reading I think he might own companies and/or possibly serve at the highest executive level of business organizations.  Candidly, though, I don’t know.  I understand he has considerable personal wealth to manage.  I read that he is active in his church and in charitable giving.  I believe he is a wonderful family man.  I do not know the degree of conflict he experiences juggling his life, now apparently taken over once again by his quest to win the highest elective office in our country.

I know considerably more about what President Obama must juggle as he campaigns to remain in office.  Simply keeping up with the news each day informs me of the critical concerns he multi-tasks every minute, hour, and day.  Yesterday a picture and story in my RECORD newspaper reported Turkey, if necessary, will protect its people against Syrian aggression. The news item alerted my mind to the sensitive information, activity and decision making our sitting president must prioritize while seeking to serve a second 4-year term.

Another news article told of FBI Agents being in Benghazi, Libya this past Wednesday and Thursday for a one-day investigation of last months attack on the U.S. Consulate.  Surely all the while this strategy was developed and implemented President Obama had to be engaged and in final preparation for the first debate, actually held that same Wednesday night.  

These two news stories were the only news on the first page of that section of the RECORD (advertisements had the remaining space).  Interestingly, glaring at me on the last page of news in that section was the page wide headline to a lengthy opinion piece critiquing the previous night’s presidential debate between businessman Romney and President Obama.  The headline proclaimed, “Romney brought ‘A’ game; Obama, the Mets”.   (FYI: the Oakland A’s baseball team had a winning season while the New York Mets had a losing season.)

I didn't follow baseball enough this summer to suggest a reason for the Mets' losing performance. 

I Am Thinking, the President’s attention to world and national issues, i.e., minding the store, isn't pushed aside as he prepares for and participates in debates.

Thus, it’s a no-brainer for me to understand why an ‘A’ game result may have eluded  President Obama last Wednesday. 

Update on A Lovely October Day

We have a bit of gardening ahead as a result of the beautiful fence I am thoroughly enjoying.  This is a portion of the yard where, each spring, a dogwood tree and several azalea bushes had added tremendous beauty.  The dogwood tree had to be cut back and the azaleas, removed.  I’m sad because the tree as well as the azaleas must have been planted more than 40 years ago.  Not to fret.  My daughter loves to garden so I know we will have a good time making this a breathtakingly lovely site, once again.  

However, this is written especially to tell you a squirrel visitor to my yard (he looks like the one I talked about in my last post) just went under my new fence.

Okay!!!! So you’re thinking many squirrels look alike.  But when you’re retired and take ample opportunity to truly relax – as I can, your eyes see more definitively than the harried, multi-tasking person I’m certain you are.

Which reminds me.  This is not my post for the day.  Yes, I am sitting outside enjoying this beautiful weather, but, my laptop is with me and I’m in the process of writing a blog post about ‘multi-tasking’ – to be posted later.

Have a fabulous day wherever you may be.

Animal Talk - I Got the Message

A squirrel was in this scene.

For sure, God has enabled humans and animals to communicate with each other.  Of course we pet lovers know for certain our pets speak with us.  But so do other animals.

A squirrel and I just had a wordless conversation.

Looking out the window, admiring my newly installed fence surrounding the perimeter of the back yard, I saw a squirrel.  He was foraging in freshly overturned soil at the fence where the lawn was disrupted with the installation. 

That squirrel held my interest.  You see, it had crossed my mind that perhaps the lovely fence would be a problem to free ranging squirrels and other small animals I’ve seen in the neighborhood and in my yard.   (I’ve never seen deer or bear - although I have seen deer grazing in a forest-like lot across town.)

Going to sleep last night, my cedar wood fence having been installed that day, my mind was busy.  I worried a bit about the changes I will experience now that my estate is fenced in.  One thought was if any animal made its way into the enclosure, how would it exit?  Will it be a panicking, anxious experience especially for the raccoon, possum, ground hog, squirrel, and yes even the homeless cats living roundabout when, once inside and needing to get out, they are stymied?  There are only three fence panels where the smallest ones might come and go between the slats if they work at it.  Those panels are distant from each other, around an otherwise solid fence wall.  Quickly, though, I realized squirrels would have no problem coming into the enclosure.  For sure, it was an easy jump from any tree. But, “how would they get out?” 

This morning, closely observing my lone squirrel enjoying himself, mentally I struggled with the question.  A probable answer was the bushy tailed rodent could scale the fence, from one supporting horizontal bar up to the other.  Once on the top, it would be a painless squirrel jump down to the other side. 

Continuing to intently watch Mr. Squirrel taking care of his business, my mind still envisioned a dilemma.  Then I was startled out of my thinking as Mr. Squirrel turned from what he was doing, sat on his haunches and stared at me.   Yes, that squirrel, from a distance of at least thirty feet, looked directly into my eyes peering at him through the windowpane. Our visual connection was strong and long enough for me to feel weird.  Why was he watching me?

Then squirrel turned away to only momentarily consider the solid wall before he gracefully climbed, as I had imagined, from one wooden brace to the other to the top of the fence.  From there he leaped into the long-needle pine tree and he was GONE.

It was then I knew my animal neighbor’s pronounced ‘stare’ was telling this human being, “watch me, you’ll see just how easy it is for us to leave after a visit.  Have a good day!”

Our minds had communicated.   My question was answered.  I give God credit for the experience.