Quote of The Week

Life is like photography. You use the negative to develop.-- Swami Beyondananda

I'm in the world

I wonder what my friends will say (those who believe the cops are our friends and have a reason for doing what they do)
when I tell them I was stopped again tonight, at 11:30 on my way back from the store
and accused of driving too carefully, which, I’m told , raises suspicions: it tends to mean one might have something to hide.
I wonder what my friends will say (those who believe the cops are our friends and have a reason for doing what they do)
when I tell them that no amount of my respect towards them would stop them (at least in their late 20s) from calling me boy, even though my drivers license contains my first and last name. And I wonder what my friends will say (those who believe the cops are our friends and have a reason for doing what they do) when I tell them that while one cop went back to his car with my drivers license to check my records while his partner asked “are you out this late because you don’t have a job to go to in the morning?” before asking to see what was inside the paper bag in the passenger seat:
Contents:
8 lb bag of cat food
Carton of fat free milk
Container of butter
2 containers of yogurt
Package of hot dog buns
Batteries /I wonder what my friends will say (
those who believe
the cops are our friends and have a reason for doing what they do) when I tell them the cops said they couldn’t understand why I waited until late at night to get groceries when I have all day to get them and while I wanted to say that I didn’t know black people had a curfew but I didn’t, I just stated that “ I didn’t remember I needed these items until now.”
And I wonder what my friends will say (those who believe the cops are our friends and have a reason for doing what they do) when I tell them the cop gave me back my drivers license and told me to go straight home. Which I did.
I wonder what my friends will say
Now.

I too, sing America

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.

Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed--

I, too, am America.

By Langston Hughes



When I was a child I had a stuttering problem that was so bad I spoke to no one but my mother. Then I went to a speech therapist, who helped me to learn how to alleviate the speech impediment.She introduced me to poetry, the first poet being Langston Hughes. This poem I Too, Sing America, was the first poem I'd ever read. At the time I didn't realize how personal, how profilic the poem would be because I had not been the target of racism at that point, but I knew I loved it. And I still love it. Now I can see the message he's conveying in the poem.
This is what I tell my nephew all the time. I tell him about endurance, about overlooking people's attempts to treat him as anything less than, and to remember his strength, his intelligence, his beauty, despite attempts to make him feel otherwise.

"I, too, am America. "

This morning-Today

I got the day off to a good start.

I fought every excuse to stay in bed;

I got out of bed and got ready for church.

I fought every excuse to not go because I was already late;

I went to church.

I couldn't find the right parking lot; fought every excuse to go home since I wasn't sure the church was still renting the high school auditorium for their services;

I drove around and saw a sign that said; 'Mt Olivet Baptist Church, this way,' with an arrow pointed in the direction in which I was driving.

I fought every excuse to get back in my car and drive home since I was late;

I kept on walking towards the door.

I decided I couldn't go that far to turn around, and besides, I know God would have appreciated if I went, so I could fellowship with other Christians.

I'm glad I did.

I got the week off to a good start!

“Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do no pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for power equal to your tasks.” - Phillips Brooks


I came upon the above quote while looking at www.blackandmarriedwithkids.com. I loved it, and had to add it to my blog.