Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Something to Think About: A POEM: Old Love, by Joshua Nelson
Something to Think About: A POEM: Old Love, by Joshua Nelson: The Duke of Quails, as he prefers to be called, wrote this poem on a love that lasted through the years and is still going strong. It touch...
A POEM: Old Love, by Joshua Nelson
The Duke of Quails, as he prefers to be called, wrote this poem on a love that lasted through the years and is still going strong. It touched my heart because for me, in today's world, it is refreshing to see relationships that have survived the storms and continues to bloom!!! Too late for me but this should be the goal!
Old Love
The bond they share,
The night so near, I say there
Fifty, sixty, seventy years,
Sounds close.
Watch the crowd, the ones who stare,
Every Friday the same,
Every order comes the usual déjà vu
Large Coke float, two straws, and no whip.
Time shows no pain.
Together they forever sit.
The world is so big, so fast,
They simply hold hands
And speak of old times that are long past.
She cooks for him.
He still gives his seat.
Age doesn’t matter here.
None of them show signs of defeat.
Those old couples found love’s true meaning.
They’re too blind to see it.
We’re still waiting at the end of the finish line
And they’re still in the middle of the race.
Old Love
The bond they share,
The night so near, I say there
Fifty, sixty, seventy years,
Sounds close.
Watch the crowd, the ones who stare,
Every Friday the same,
Every order comes the usual déjà vu
Large Coke float, two straws, and no whip.
Time shows no pain.
Together they forever sit.
The world is so big, so fast,
They simply hold hands
And speak of old times that are long past.
She cooks for him.
He still gives his seat.
Age doesn’t matter here.
None of them show signs of defeat.
Those old couples found love’s true meaning.
They’re too blind to see it.
We’re still waiting at the end of the finish line
And they’re still in the middle of the race.
Something to Think About: LET'S GET REAL IN 2016
Something to Think About: LET'S GET REAL IN 2016: I was out cold yesterday - all I could do was sleep, based on the inequality of our law, that would allow the policer officer who shot 12-ye...
LET'S GET REAL IN 2016
I was out cold yesterday - all I could do was sleep, based on the inequality of our law, that would allow the policer officer who shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice, a black child, dead (for brandishing a toy gun), within seconds of approach, going against procedure by pulling directly up on the child with no opportunity to assess the situation, lying about yelling to the child to put the gun down (because he shot before he had time to yell the words he claimed he yelled), to simply walk away with no charges even though the officer was not squeaky clean himself.
Tamir Rice Story
However
The teenager that stole four (4) lives, was released on probation simply because they viewed him as too rich to understand his crime of homicide while driving drunk, later he was caught on video violating the rules of probation, tried to escape the consequences of violating probation by leaving the country, is still alive and may not even be punished to the full extent of the law.
Affluenza Teen Story
While
Dylann Roof, responsible for killing nine (9) black people in the Emanuel AME Church, while in Bible study, as he spoke racist words, gets to stop by Burger King for a free lunch before going to jail, after a manhunt for him, is still alive awaiting trial.
Dylann Roof Story (this picture of him creeps me out)
There is definitely something wrong with a justice system that allows for the chasm of injustice that is prevalent, simply based on skin color. Will 2016 ursher in new insight into the laws that allow this type of blatant injustice or are eyes still closed even in spite of Walter Scott, a black man, gunned down, shot in the back, while trying to flee from the consequences of a traffic stop, by a police officer who took the stance and shot him dead then attempted to plant evidence, all caught on video.
Walter Scott Video
Something to think about as we are on the eve of a new year - IT IS TIME FOR THINGS TO CHANGE - let's just do it in 2016.
Tamir Rice Story
However
The teenager that stole four (4) lives, was released on probation simply because they viewed him as too rich to understand his crime of homicide while driving drunk, later he was caught on video violating the rules of probation, tried to escape the consequences of violating probation by leaving the country, is still alive and may not even be punished to the full extent of the law.
Affluenza Teen Story
While
Dylann Roof, responsible for killing nine (9) black people in the Emanuel AME Church, while in Bible study, as he spoke racist words, gets to stop by Burger King for a free lunch before going to jail, after a manhunt for him, is still alive awaiting trial.
Dylann Roof Story (this picture of him creeps me out)
There is definitely something wrong with a justice system that allows for the chasm of injustice that is prevalent, simply based on skin color. Will 2016 ursher in new insight into the laws that allow this type of blatant injustice or are eyes still closed even in spite of Walter Scott, a black man, gunned down, shot in the back, while trying to flee from the consequences of a traffic stop, by a police officer who took the stance and shot him dead then attempted to plant evidence, all caught on video.
Walter Scott Video
Something to think about as we are on the eve of a new year - IT IS TIME FOR THINGS TO CHANGE - let's just do it in 2016.
Monday, December 28, 2015
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: Cassidy, by Angel Gary Cassidy (...
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: Cassidy, by Angel Gary
Cassidy (...: BOOK REVIEW: Cassidy, by Angel Gary Cassidy (The Technicality Series, Book 1) Well written, with the intimacy scenes the greatest ...
Cassidy (...: BOOK REVIEW: Cassidy, by Angel Gary Cassidy (The Technicality Series, Book 1) Well written, with the intimacy scenes the greatest ...
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: My Love is not Afraid, by Roxanna A....
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: My Love is not Afraid, by Roxanna A....: BOOK REVIEW: My Love is not Afraid , by Roxanna A. Kazibwe My Love is not Afraid Love is a process, no pretentious words, meanings that all...
BOOK REVIEW: Cassidy, by Angel Gary
Cassidy (The Technicality Series, Book 1)
Well written, with the intimacy scenes the greatest asset, the characters were well defined and this is a good beginning for a series. The book started out a little slow, just basic conversation between Cassidy, who had recently moved to Chicago from Indiana after being in a relationship that ended up hurting her heart and her finances, and her best friend, Andy.
It goes on to describe her excitement of getting her new job, in a big law firm, in a new city and continues on in the mediocre things that were her responsibilities on that job, having the goal of becoming an attorney of status - until she met Bradley and then things changed.
If it were not for the intimacy scenes, which did not start until chapter 14, and the sexual tension building between Cassidy and Bradley, based on mutual attraction and desire, that finally exploded into a coupling scene that had me flashing back to better times, reliving my own experiences, I would not have enjoyed the read.
There were no lessons learned, no extreme drama, no mysteries to unravel, just two people, Cassidy and Andy, living their lives on a daily basis like I would be living my own life – sleeping, showering, working, hanging out and doing it all again the next day.
As a preamble to things to come in a follow-up book, this gave good introductions to the characters involved and left you hanging, just a little bit, as to the relationship between Cassidy and Bradley, as well as some leftover drama between Cassidy and her former boyfriend, that could be developed.
Me personally, if I am going to be a voyeur into someone else’s life, I would like to be taken on a journey of something I would not normally experience, an adventure, some drama, some mystery. Hopefully in the next book of the series, this can be achieved.
Written by: Connie Jordan
December 28, 2015
Cassidy (The Technicality Series, Book 1)Well written, with the intimacy scenes the greatest asset, the characters were well defined and this is a good beginning for a series. The book started out a little slow, just basic conversation between Cassidy, who had recently moved to Chicago from Indiana after being in a relationship that ended up hurting her heart and her finances, and her best friend, Andy.
It goes on to describe her excitement of getting her new job, in a big law firm, in a new city and continues on in the mediocre things that were her responsibilities on that job, having the goal of becoming an attorney of status - until she met Bradley and then things changed.
If it were not for the intimacy scenes, which did not start until chapter 14, and the sexual tension building between Cassidy and Bradley, based on mutual attraction and desire, that finally exploded into a coupling scene that had me flashing back to better times, reliving my own experiences, I would not have enjoyed the read.
There were no lessons learned, no extreme drama, no mysteries to unravel, just two people, Cassidy and Andy, living their lives on a daily basis like I would be living my own life – sleeping, showering, working, hanging out and doing it all again the next day.
As a preamble to things to come in a follow-up book, this gave good introductions to the characters involved and left you hanging, just a little bit, as to the relationship between Cassidy and Bradley, as well as some leftover drama between Cassidy and her former boyfriend, that could be developed.
Me personally, if I am going to be a voyeur into someone else’s life, I would like to be taken on a journey of something I would not normally experience, an adventure, some drama, some mystery. Hopefully in the next book of the series, this can be achieved.
Written by: Connie Jordan
December 28, 2015
BOOK REVIEW: My Love is not Afraid, by Roxanna A. Kazibwe
BOOK REVIEW: My Love is not Afraid, by Roxanna A. KazibweMy Love is not Afraid
Love is a process, no pretentious words, meanings that allude to devastation or happy times, for you to decipher just words relinquishing inhibitions, opening one’s heart and mind to love.
Take a journey of love through the eyes of Roxanna A. Kazibwe in her new book My Love is not Afraid. The simplicity of the words makes love seem easy and in that simplicity love shines through.
An enjoyable ride, which love is yet, even knowing this, we all, at times, fall prey to another kind of so called love – become aware of what love truly means and don’t be afraid to let love in.
Written by: Connie Jordan
December 28, 2015
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Something to Think About: A POEM: Faith, by Connie Jordan
Something to Think About: A POEM: Faith, by Connie Jordan: FAITH Arising from concrete jungles, nurtured by the violence, clinging to the hope that dreams can be achiev...
A POEM: Faith, by Connie Jordan
FAITH
Arising from concrete jungles,
nurtured by the violence,
clinging to the hope that
dreams can be achieved;
moving forward with that
hope even when things
around you seem bleak,
you call His name and
He takes your hand,
whispers in your ear
that you can make it
another day; faith being
the answer that motivates
the weary spirit
Arising from concrete jungles,
nurtured by the violence,
clinging to the hope that
dreams can be achieved;
moving forward with that
hope even when things
around you seem bleak,
you call His name and
He takes your hand,
whispers in your ear
that you can make it
another day; faith being
the answer that motivates
the weary spirit
© Connie Jordan
December, 2015
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Something to Think About: A POEM: by Joshua Nelson
Something to Think About: A POEM: by Joshua Nelson: A POEM, by Joshua Nelson Saxophone Soprano Thank Gabriel for that sound, The way he plays that saxophone. My God, that sound, that sound—...
A POEM: Saxophone Saprano, by Joshua Nelson
A POEM, Saxophone Soprano, by Joshua Nelson
Thank Gabriel for that sound,
The way he plays that saxophone.
My God, that sound, that sound—
Ten thousand musicians couldn’t dare try
To create that beautiful music.
Play on, Gabriel, play on.
All the saxophones in the world
Wouldn’t compare, for it moves me,
My soul now smiles.
Your song has no words without it.
There would be no birds to wake
And sing the morning’s light.
Even at night the moon follows your sound.
All the waters move, and those who are earthbound.
Play on, Gabriel, oh God, play on.
Was it your song that knocked down the walls of Jericho?
Was it your sound that raised Lazarus from the ground
And made the children run through the meadows?
His movement, as if he is in his own world,
Taking you to a place you never heard.
He holds a crown on his head
That invites every queen to sit near his bed.
Play on, Gabriel, play on.
Whatever is on your mind has to be divine,
Poetry that no words can find,
Love shown with art that is one of a kind,
Compassion by a couple of notes that you thought your heart could never find.
Play on, Gabriel, my Gabriel, play on,
Oh, that song he plays, no words can come of it,
No speech could match a song.
For me that horn will always be my sweet melody.
What beautiful love I found.
Thank Gabriel for that sound,
The way he plays that saxophone.
My God, that sound, that sound—
Ten thousand musicians couldn’t dare try
To create that beautiful music.
Play on, Gabriel, play on.
All the saxophones in the world
Wouldn’t compare, for it moves me,
My soul now smiles.
Your song has no words without it.
There would be no birds to wake
And sing the morning’s light.
Even at night the moon follows your sound.
All the waters move, and those who are earthbound.
Play on, Gabriel, oh God, play on.
Was it your song that knocked down the walls of Jericho?
Was it your sound that raised Lazarus from the ground
And made the children run through the meadows?
His movement, as if he is in his own world,
Taking you to a place you never heard.
He holds a crown on his head
That invites every queen to sit near his bed.
Play on, Gabriel, play on.
Whatever is on your mind has to be divine,
Poetry that no words can find,
Love shown with art that is one of a kind,
Compassion by a couple of notes that you thought your heart could never find.
Play on, Gabriel, my Gabriel, play on,
Oh, that song he plays, no words can come of it,
No speech could match a song.
For me that horn will always be my sweet melody.
What beautiful love I found.
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Something to Think About: May the wisdom of Jesus engulf your soul, m...
Something to Think About: May the wisdom of Jesus engulf your soul, m...: May the wisdom of Jesus engulf your soul, may you be wrapped eternally in His love - If I could request a Christmas miracle it wou...
May the wisdom of Jesus engulf your soul, may you be wrapped eternally in His love - If I could request a Christmas miracle it would be that, the 'spirit' of Jesus and his words wash over each and every one of us to be carried into 2016, manifested by hearts and minds being changed in a perceptible way, in fact, I will make this my prayer so in Jesus' name, Amen!!!
Stay safe and Peace be with you!!
Wishing all of you happy holidays, and it you can relate Merry Christmas
Missing the snow 
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Something to Think About: A POEM: REACHING SELF-AWARENESS
Something to Think About: A POEM: REACHING SELF-AWARENESS: REACHING SELF-AWARENESS Climbing the spiral staircase of thought...
A POEM: REACHING SELF-AWARENESS
REACHING SELF-AWARENESS
Climbing the spiral staircase of thought,
hoping to reach a destination sought,
of self-awareness that has thus far
been cloaked in flashes from a past,
long forgotten over the years;
Time spent living in contradiction,
heart covered by the mantle of distress
repressed desires fluttering and forming
visions in the mind, as eyes covet
what they see in the darkness,
Desires blossom in the minds’ eye
making for uncontrolled passions
boiling up inside creating deimatic
behaviors, a form of defense;
hard as they try to erase them,
Those visions cling with the tentacles
of the blue-ringed octopus, often being
just as venomous, never letting go,
in the attempt to drag the spirit back
down to the agony below,
Held there with a paralyzing secretion,
surrendering, momentarily, to the poisonous
grip eliminating the struggle to continue
their ascent, submitting against their will,
yet, still lashing out inside
Wanting to be set free of the obstacles
directed at them, their goal being to rise
above it all, reaching for the light,
in order to find the person of intent;
besieged in the self-imposed deeds
Of domination and control; in the end,
somewhere from within, potency
of existence is reborn again, propelling
them to their triumphant win, rewarded
for never giving in to the skirmish
in the search for self-awarenss
© Connie Jordan
2015
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: The Pirate's Challenge, by Simon Bra...
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: The Pirate's Challenge, by Simon Bra...: BOOK REVIEW: The Pirate’s Challenge, by Simon Brading The Pirate's Challenge Have you ever wished you lived in a previous time perio...
BOOK REVIEW: The Pirate's Challenge, by Simon Brading
BOOK REVIEW: The Pirate’s Challenge, by Simon Brading
The Pirate's Challenge
Have you ever wished you lived in a previous time period? What would you do if you were suddenly transported back to that past you felt you belonged to?
Sam’s school lesson that day was about pirates. Then in his fencing class, he was assigned to a bout with the bully that was always on his case. He ended up getting injured by that bully, Rafa, as he crossed the line in anger after the bout was called over and pounded into Sam’s leg. All of these thoughts from the day were playing in Sam’s mind as he was walking home with his mother and sister after school
When they got close to home it began to rain, slowly at first as his mother and sister ran for cover, Sam stood in the rain allowing it to sprinkle his body with light rain drops, however abruptly the rain started coming down harder and he began to not only transform but he was transported back in time.
In the theme of the Wizard of Oz, the next thing he knew, he was living in the times of Blackbeard the pirate. This short story is about his adventures there, being the Captain of a pirate ship called the Mermaid. Sam went with the flow and experienced, for himself, what it was like to be a pirate with the assistance of his first mate Smithy
Sailing the seas, experiencing battles for fun and for a win, being acknowledged and even appreciated by his crew but deep down not understanding just what was happening to him. More importantly, how his mother was going to react after he got back home – if he got back home.
I enjoyed the adventure, creatively written allowing you to visit the city of Port Royal, a pirate’s haven, with all of its sights and smells, where at the time of Sam’s time travel, Blackbeard was living and was well respected – if not feared
Time travel, will that ever come to pass as something we could all experience? Would you want to experience it? Something to think about on those days you are feeling like a transplant in the era you are currently living in.
Reviewed by: Connie Jordan
December 21, 2015
The Pirate's ChallengeHave you ever wished you lived in a previous time period? What would you do if you were suddenly transported back to that past you felt you belonged to?
Sam’s school lesson that day was about pirates. Then in his fencing class, he was assigned to a bout with the bully that was always on his case. He ended up getting injured by that bully, Rafa, as he crossed the line in anger after the bout was called over and pounded into Sam’s leg. All of these thoughts from the day were playing in Sam’s mind as he was walking home with his mother and sister after school
When they got close to home it began to rain, slowly at first as his mother and sister ran for cover, Sam stood in the rain allowing it to sprinkle his body with light rain drops, however abruptly the rain started coming down harder and he began to not only transform but he was transported back in time.
In the theme of the Wizard of Oz, the next thing he knew, he was living in the times of Blackbeard the pirate. This short story is about his adventures there, being the Captain of a pirate ship called the Mermaid. Sam went with the flow and experienced, for himself, what it was like to be a pirate with the assistance of his first mate Smithy
Sailing the seas, experiencing battles for fun and for a win, being acknowledged and even appreciated by his crew but deep down not understanding just what was happening to him. More importantly, how his mother was going to react after he got back home – if he got back home.
I enjoyed the adventure, creatively written allowing you to visit the city of Port Royal, a pirate’s haven, with all of its sights and smells, where at the time of Sam’s time travel, Blackbeard was living and was well respected – if not feared
Time travel, will that ever come to pass as something we could all experience? Would you want to experience it? Something to think about on those days you are feeling like a transplant in the era you are currently living in.
Reviewed by: Connie Jordan
December 21, 2015
Monday, December 21, 2015
Something to Think About: IF I HAD ONE WISH
Something to Think About: IF I HAD ONE WISH: IF I HAD ONE WISH Sometimes certain images will flash back on me at peculiar times. Over the last couple of days the image has been of Dona...
IF I HAD ONE WISH
IF I HAD ONE WISH
Sometimes certain images will flash back on me at peculiar times. Over the last couple of days the image has been of Donald Trump holding up ‘his’ Bible in an insincere show of his religious conviction (when prior to that he could not choose one verse in the whole Bible to quote as his favorite).
Donal Trump holding his Bible
Now maybe I should not say insincere because truly I can not look into his heart but I can hear his invidious words, which for me does not show his true understanding of the Word.
Finally, this morning I woke up with the thought of discernment on my head and on my heart which led me to these verses from the Bible.
1 John 3:18: My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth…
1 John 4:6: We are of God; he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we are the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error…
1 John 4:1: Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world…
Matthew 24:4-5: Take head that no man deceive you; For many shall come in my name, saying I am Christ, and shall deceive many...
Be weary of people who profess the name of Jesus or ‘Godlike’ knowledge without knowing the doctrine of God – reject this person and their words
Jesus spoke saying I and my Father are one but did He mean one and the same or was he referring to God’s doctrine. By verbalizing and believing in the doctrine of God, He is therefore one with God.
John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us – Was that not Jesus
If I Had One Wish
If I had one wish, it would be
that each of us sees the value
in the other
If I had one wish, it would be
that we could respect each other
as sisters/brothers
If I had one wish, this world
would be a better place with
acknowledgment of the fact
That we are all of the human race,
lace that with love, there would
be nothing we could not face.
Unity, love, the message from above,
brings with it peace, when will
the hating cease?
With all this knowledge why can we
not see a rational thought process
taking over
According to John 18:37: Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Don’t be deceived, open up your eyes and ears. But most of all open up your heart to love. Something to think about, as we move into the days of celebrating the birth of a man who has the potential to change the world when the doctrine he verbalized, in truth, is right before you in the Word.
MERRY CHRISTMAS and have a safe holiday season and a New Year filled with laughter and positive vibrations – be blessed!!
Connie Jordan
Sometimes certain images will flash back on me at peculiar times. Over the last couple of days the image has been of Donald Trump holding up ‘his’ Bible in an insincere show of his religious conviction (when prior to that he could not choose one verse in the whole Bible to quote as his favorite).
Donal Trump holding his Bible
Now maybe I should not say insincere because truly I can not look into his heart but I can hear his invidious words, which for me does not show his true understanding of the Word.
Finally, this morning I woke up with the thought of discernment on my head and on my heart which led me to these verses from the Bible.
1 John 3:18: My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth…
1 John 4:6: We are of God; he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we are the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error…
1 John 4:1: Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world…
Matthew 24:4-5: Take head that no man deceive you; For many shall come in my name, saying I am Christ, and shall deceive many...
Be weary of people who profess the name of Jesus or ‘Godlike’ knowledge without knowing the doctrine of God – reject this person and their words
Jesus spoke saying I and my Father are one but did He mean one and the same or was he referring to God’s doctrine. By verbalizing and believing in the doctrine of God, He is therefore one with God.
John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us – Was that not Jesus
If I Had One Wish
If I had one wish, it would be
that each of us sees the value
in the other
If I had one wish, it would be
that we could respect each other
as sisters/brothers
If I had one wish, this world
would be a better place with
acknowledgment of the fact
That we are all of the human race,
lace that with love, there would
be nothing we could not face.
Unity, love, the message from above,
brings with it peace, when will
the hating cease?
With all this knowledge why can we
not see a rational thought process
taking over
According to John 18:37: Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Don’t be deceived, open up your eyes and ears. But most of all open up your heart to love. Something to think about, as we move into the days of celebrating the birth of a man who has the potential to change the world when the doctrine he verbalized, in truth, is right before you in the Word.
MERRY CHRISTMAS and have a safe holiday season and a New Year filled with laughter and positive vibrations – be blessed!!
Connie Jordan
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: Deadly Diamonds, by Denise Rodgers
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: Deadly Diamonds, by Denise Rodgers: BOOK REVIEW: Deadly Diamonds , by Denise Rodgers Deadly Diamonds True happiness, does it come at a cost and what is that cost. Bell...
BOOK REVIEW: Deadly Diamonds, by Denise Rodgers
BOOK REVIEW: Deadly Diamonds, by Denise Rodgers
Deadly Diamonds
True happiness, does it come at a cost and what is that cost. Bella had been married for thirty years to the same man, whom she loved and had two children by, but never really knew him.
Six months after hiring Barbara to work in his jewelry store, he served Bella with divorce papers and left her for the recently hired employee which he later married. However, almost a year to the date of the final divorce, he was found dead in his bedroom with just his skivvies on.
The murder put Bella in a perilous predicament, since he was shot with a gun that was registered to her. Over the past year since the divorce and Robert’s remarriage to Barbara, she had done nothing but rant and rave about the “lying, cheating, womanizing dirt bag of a husband,” and that Barbie bitch he married, to anyone who would listen.
For this reason, she became the initial ‘person of interest’ in the death of her husband and finally the one and only suspect to the crime. She was immediately arrested after the two, three carat diamonds that were stolen during the homicide of her ex-husband were discovered in her purse while she was being interrogated at the police station. Was she being set-up?
This story rushes forward with sarcastic, sometimes mordant humor as she is released on bail, thanks to her step-father, and begins the search for the real murder in order to clear her name. She also found out along the way, just who her husband really was when it came to his womanizing.
I laughed, empathized and cheered for Bella during her journey to prove her innocence in this well written story of determination, family, awakening and love with a surprising little twist at the end. In times of crisis it is always nice to have family love and support, something to think about as you celebrate the holidays with friends and family.
Reviewed by: Connie Jordan
December 19, 2015
Deadly DiamondsTrue happiness, does it come at a cost and what is that cost. Bella had been married for thirty years to the same man, whom she loved and had two children by, but never really knew him.
Six months after hiring Barbara to work in his jewelry store, he served Bella with divorce papers and left her for the recently hired employee which he later married. However, almost a year to the date of the final divorce, he was found dead in his bedroom with just his skivvies on.
The murder put Bella in a perilous predicament, since he was shot with a gun that was registered to her. Over the past year since the divorce and Robert’s remarriage to Barbara, she had done nothing but rant and rave about the “lying, cheating, womanizing dirt bag of a husband,” and that Barbie bitch he married, to anyone who would listen.
For this reason, she became the initial ‘person of interest’ in the death of her husband and finally the one and only suspect to the crime. She was immediately arrested after the two, three carat diamonds that were stolen during the homicide of her ex-husband were discovered in her purse while she was being interrogated at the police station. Was she being set-up?
This story rushes forward with sarcastic, sometimes mordant humor as she is released on bail, thanks to her step-father, and begins the search for the real murder in order to clear her name. She also found out along the way, just who her husband really was when it came to his womanizing.
I laughed, empathized and cheered for Bella during her journey to prove her innocence in this well written story of determination, family, awakening and love with a surprising little twist at the end. In times of crisis it is always nice to have family love and support, something to think about as you celebrate the holidays with friends and family.
Reviewed by: Connie Jordan
December 19, 2015
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: Tell Me a Secret, by Ann Gridharry
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: Tell Me a Secret, by Ann Gridharry: BOOK REVIEW: Tell Me a Secret , by Ann Gridharry Tales of the Unexpected This short story is about Jared, Nalini and Vanessa ...
BOOK REVIEW: Tell Me a Secret, by Ann Gridharry
BOOK REVIEW: Tell Me a Secret, by Ann Gridharry
Tales of the Unexpected
This short story is about Jared, Nalini and Vanessa caught up in a game of deceit and lies, out to get the money or fill a desire. Where will it end?
One devious mind planted a seed of murder in the mind of another. Distracted by love and possibly confused by drugs, that new growth rose up in realization which came a little too late.
What you plant, you will grow be it violence, murder or war. When the seeds of deception are planted, will it grow eventually to choke the life out of you?
Take a stroll on the wild side of life in this short story of treachery, infidelity and murder to see who ends up still standing. While it left me wanting more it gave me something to think about as it moved me down a road confirming what you put into life is what you get back. The message being stay mindful of the paths you choose to follow.
Reviewed by: Connie Jordan
December 18, 2015
Tales of the UnexpectedThis short story is about Jared, Nalini and Vanessa caught up in a game of deceit and lies, out to get the money or fill a desire. Where will it end?
One devious mind planted a seed of murder in the mind of another. Distracted by love and possibly confused by drugs, that new growth rose up in realization which came a little too late.
What you plant, you will grow be it violence, murder or war. When the seeds of deception are planted, will it grow eventually to choke the life out of you?
Take a stroll on the wild side of life in this short story of treachery, infidelity and murder to see who ends up still standing. While it left me wanting more it gave me something to think about as it moved me down a road confirming what you put into life is what you get back. The message being stay mindful of the paths you choose to follow.
Reviewed by: Connie Jordan
December 18, 2015
Friday, December 18, 2015
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: Running Home, by Lizzie Steel
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: Running Home, by Lizzie Steel: BOOK REVIEW: Running Home, by Lizzie Steel Running Home A cast of unforgettable characters!! Clara, a girl of privilege bein...
BOOK REVIEW: Running Home, by Lizzie Steel
BOOK REVIEW: Running Home, by Lizzie Steel
Running Home
A cast of unforgettable characters!!
Clara, a girl of privilege being the daughter of Lord and Lady Reynolds, having recently backed out of her engagement with Charles, a man her mother felt had all the right traits, but something happened to show Clara he was not the man she first thought he was.
At the last minute, since the wedding would not be taking place, she traveled from Yorkshire England with her parents to India, a place her father always wanted to return to. She went to try to get away from gossip and the lies Charles had created to overshadow the truth of his inappropriate behavior towards Clara that caused her to break off the engagement three weeks before the marriage was to take place. India was her new beginning.
Harmi, a child Clara rescued upon first arriving in India and her mother Hana forever indebted to Clara for the rescue of her child and herself…
Clara had a loving, progressive, kind hearted father and a snotty, self-righteous, bigot for a mother, a farm girl who married into money, and it was under these circumstances that she was raised, being more like her father than her full of drama mama.
Captain Manford, friend or foe – from his vibration the conclusion was foe. Something about him reminded her…
Mr. Borah, the owner of the tea plantation just across the road from the home of Clara’s parents. After meeting her at their welcome ball with full knowledge of how she had rescued a child of one of his workers, there was something about her… It seemed an immediate attraction began to form as he rescued her once she fled from the dance floor away from Captain Manford but that was not to be the last time he rescued her.
The underlying chasm that stood between them, was skin color and what seemed the inborn divisiveness of tradition, called bigotry
Somehow their lives were all interwoven in such ways that brought this story to a surprising climax. Not only that, but there were stories inside of stories in this page turner, all connected. An engaging, well written book, with well developed characters and a storyline that moved you swiftly through one crisis after another, as the lives of each character was intimately exposed.
Love is a beautiful thing, something to think about as you go about your day touching the lives of the people in your daily grind.
Reviewed by: Connie Jordan
December 17, 2015
Running HomeA cast of unforgettable characters!!
Clara, a girl of privilege being the daughter of Lord and Lady Reynolds, having recently backed out of her engagement with Charles, a man her mother felt had all the right traits, but something happened to show Clara he was not the man she first thought he was.
At the last minute, since the wedding would not be taking place, she traveled from Yorkshire England with her parents to India, a place her father always wanted to return to. She went to try to get away from gossip and the lies Charles had created to overshadow the truth of his inappropriate behavior towards Clara that caused her to break off the engagement three weeks before the marriage was to take place. India was her new beginning.
Harmi, a child Clara rescued upon first arriving in India and her mother Hana forever indebted to Clara for the rescue of her child and herself…
Clara had a loving, progressive, kind hearted father and a snotty, self-righteous, bigot for a mother, a farm girl who married into money, and it was under these circumstances that she was raised, being more like her father than her full of drama mama.
Captain Manford, friend or foe – from his vibration the conclusion was foe. Something about him reminded her…
Mr. Borah, the owner of the tea plantation just across the road from the home of Clara’s parents. After meeting her at their welcome ball with full knowledge of how she had rescued a child of one of his workers, there was something about her… It seemed an immediate attraction began to form as he rescued her once she fled from the dance floor away from Captain Manford but that was not to be the last time he rescued her.
The underlying chasm that stood between them, was skin color and what seemed the inborn divisiveness of tradition, called bigotry
Somehow their lives were all interwoven in such ways that brought this story to a surprising climax. Not only that, but there were stories inside of stories in this page turner, all connected. An engaging, well written book, with well developed characters and a storyline that moved you swiftly through one crisis after another, as the lives of each character was intimately exposed.
Love is a beautiful thing, something to think about as you go about your day touching the lives of the people in your daily grind.
Reviewed by: Connie Jordan
December 17, 2015
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Something to Think About: SOUL DEATH - The Toll of War
Something to Think About: SOUL DEATH - The Toll of War: I told myself that I would stop being ‘political’ so I stopped watching the news for a while. Then crazy me, I tuned into the Republican De...
SOUL DEATH - The Toll of War
I told myself that I would stop being ‘political’ so I stopped watching the news for a while. Then crazy me, I tuned into the Republican Debate the other night and ended up with my usual response of shaking my head and wondering about humanity at large.
The discussion of how to deal with ISIS – when does the violence end? Americans and their arrogance never cease to amaze me. We have been fighting this war for years and the more blood and gore that appears, seems to be an aphrodisiac to the perpetrators.
I remember when America stepped back from Iraq and verbally claimed a victory. In reality it was a Pyrrhic victory. Here we are in 2015, the violence raging on because Americans refuses to see the error of their ways. They have been caught up in this madness, for all of these years (despite their arrogant conclusion they had won in this feud).
I wrote this in 2008 or 2009 when the war had been consistently being fought and now the Republicans are still seeking violent revenge, at any cost – just as those terrorist believed. There is a toll to war and we are paying the bill in more ways than one, yet we still believe war is the answer – I just don’t get it can we please be for real!!!
Soul Death - The Toll of War
Murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, armed robbery, suicide (a crime against self), brawls, beatings, rapes, DUI’s, drug deals, domestic violence, stabbings, shooting, kidnappings, all crimes being committed by soldiers returning from the Iraqi war zone. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is what is being blamed for these behaviors. Why won’t anybody help?
Suicide bombers, road side bombs, ambushes, set-ups, not knowing who to trust, all play a part in the post war stress these soldiers are experiencing after living their lives in a state of heightened awareness, obsession, fear and suspicion for months at a time, in a foreign country where friend and foe have the same faces.
Violence, death, mutilation, brain matter, blood, guts, torture, pain, suffering, screams of agony – though I return whole on the outside, in the recesses of my mind the images dance in my head and I am forever haunted by the experience.
So it is with some of the soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team stationed at Fort Carson Colorado who are having trouble adjusting to life back in the United States. These experiences are not limited to the Colorado soldiers although they are having a large share of the manifestations of PTSD problems.
Attempting to be “strong” after the experiences they encountered fighting a violent war; being belittled or punished for attempting to seek help; ignored by their commanders; using drugs and alcohol to cope, to forget, if only for the moment.
Some of these soldiers that are being held for crimes they have committed since being back home in the United States are beginning to share their stories of the fear and the violence they experienced and in some cases perpetrated while in Iraq.
Murdering civilians, the deterioration of unit discipline, frustration, fatigue, impulsive actions based on fear all took place in Iraq – the goal being to return home alive and in one piece.
The Gazette of Colorado Springs interviewed soldiers and their families for months while reviewing medical records, court documents, and military records in an effort to gather as much information as possible to bring some understanding to the high incidents of crime being committed by returning soldiers.
From Iraq to Afghanistan – when will it end for these brave soldiers? After spending up to 15-months in Iraq, sometimes after being injured on a level that in previous conflicts would have been your ticket home but instead of being sent home they are being patched up and sent back into battle. Some have left Iraq only to be sent to Afghanistan at a later date.
Senseless murder brought about by rage, fear, training and lack of guidance in a war zone where everything goes and you did not get blamed for the “wrong” you did unless someone could be absolutely sure you did something wrong. You get “debriefed,” return back home and are expected to “forget” all that you have seen, all that you have done with an inherent knowledge that some of what you did was, indeed, wrong even in a war zone. Just what are we creating in these kids and when will it end?
For the first time in my life I am beginning to hate. I hate, I hate, I hate war, I hate the misguided reasons people fight wars, I hate greed, on some levels I hate those who sit behind their desk while sending kids to fight wars they themselves jump into while attempting to teach their children that fighting is not the answer on a day to day basis – how hypocritical and insincere.
I hate those who believe that “debriefing” simply erases the ugliness of war; I hate those who use praise to encourage mass murder for their cause, any cause. I’m sorry these wars are taking a toll on me.
God gave me the ability to experience, through empathy the fear, the ugliness, the sadness of watching the life force drain from the body of a friend who has had my back, maybe died in my place and it is beginning to turn my stomach as I experience, in my minds eye, what our children are experiencing up close and personal for months on end.
While my hate is tempered by the knowledge that I have not really experienced the visions that play in my head, I can only imagine what it is like for those who have really experienced the things I have described and I am saddened with the thoughts that even though these soldiers made it back in one visible piece, irretrievable parts of them are forever left on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan..
As I pray nightly for the madness to end, I pray, also, no longer to experience this hate inside me and for the world even though I know that man’s free-will is taking him to the depth of darkness to which there seems to be no return.
Something to think about as you attempt to send more children off to a war it seems we cannot win Mr. Republican – I have to wonder if you are behind these horrendous acts just to keep the violence alive, is that a lie or a fact???
Written by: Connie Jordan
2008
The discussion of how to deal with ISIS – when does the violence end? Americans and their arrogance never cease to amaze me. We have been fighting this war for years and the more blood and gore that appears, seems to be an aphrodisiac to the perpetrators.
I remember when America stepped back from Iraq and verbally claimed a victory. In reality it was a Pyrrhic victory. Here we are in 2015, the violence raging on because Americans refuses to see the error of their ways. They have been caught up in this madness, for all of these years (despite their arrogant conclusion they had won in this feud).
I wrote this in 2008 or 2009 when the war had been consistently being fought and now the Republicans are still seeking violent revenge, at any cost – just as those terrorist believed. There is a toll to war and we are paying the bill in more ways than one, yet we still believe war is the answer – I just don’t get it can we please be for real!!!
Soul Death - The Toll of War
Murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, armed robbery, suicide (a crime against self), brawls, beatings, rapes, DUI’s, drug deals, domestic violence, stabbings, shooting, kidnappings, all crimes being committed by soldiers returning from the Iraqi war zone. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is what is being blamed for these behaviors. Why won’t anybody help?
Suicide bombers, road side bombs, ambushes, set-ups, not knowing who to trust, all play a part in the post war stress these soldiers are experiencing after living their lives in a state of heightened awareness, obsession, fear and suspicion for months at a time, in a foreign country where friend and foe have the same faces.
Violence, death, mutilation, brain matter, blood, guts, torture, pain, suffering, screams of agony – though I return whole on the outside, in the recesses of my mind the images dance in my head and I am forever haunted by the experience.
So it is with some of the soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team stationed at Fort Carson Colorado who are having trouble adjusting to life back in the United States. These experiences are not limited to the Colorado soldiers although they are having a large share of the manifestations of PTSD problems.
Attempting to be “strong” after the experiences they encountered fighting a violent war; being belittled or punished for attempting to seek help; ignored by their commanders; using drugs and alcohol to cope, to forget, if only for the moment.
Some of these soldiers that are being held for crimes they have committed since being back home in the United States are beginning to share their stories of the fear and the violence they experienced and in some cases perpetrated while in Iraq.
Murdering civilians, the deterioration of unit discipline, frustration, fatigue, impulsive actions based on fear all took place in Iraq – the goal being to return home alive and in one piece.
The Gazette of Colorado Springs interviewed soldiers and their families for months while reviewing medical records, court documents, and military records in an effort to gather as much information as possible to bring some understanding to the high incidents of crime being committed by returning soldiers.
From Iraq to Afghanistan – when will it end for these brave soldiers? After spending up to 15-months in Iraq, sometimes after being injured on a level that in previous conflicts would have been your ticket home but instead of being sent home they are being patched up and sent back into battle. Some have left Iraq only to be sent to Afghanistan at a later date.
Senseless murder brought about by rage, fear, training and lack of guidance in a war zone where everything goes and you did not get blamed for the “wrong” you did unless someone could be absolutely sure you did something wrong. You get “debriefed,” return back home and are expected to “forget” all that you have seen, all that you have done with an inherent knowledge that some of what you did was, indeed, wrong even in a war zone. Just what are we creating in these kids and when will it end?
For the first time in my life I am beginning to hate. I hate, I hate, I hate war, I hate the misguided reasons people fight wars, I hate greed, on some levels I hate those who sit behind their desk while sending kids to fight wars they themselves jump into while attempting to teach their children that fighting is not the answer on a day to day basis – how hypocritical and insincere.
I hate those who believe that “debriefing” simply erases the ugliness of war; I hate those who use praise to encourage mass murder for their cause, any cause. I’m sorry these wars are taking a toll on me.
God gave me the ability to experience, through empathy the fear, the ugliness, the sadness of watching the life force drain from the body of a friend who has had my back, maybe died in my place and it is beginning to turn my stomach as I experience, in my minds eye, what our children are experiencing up close and personal for months on end.
While my hate is tempered by the knowledge that I have not really experienced the visions that play in my head, I can only imagine what it is like for those who have really experienced the things I have described and I am saddened with the thoughts that even though these soldiers made it back in one visible piece, irretrievable parts of them are forever left on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan..
As I pray nightly for the madness to end, I pray, also, no longer to experience this hate inside me and for the world even though I know that man’s free-will is taking him to the depth of darkness to which there seems to be no return.
Something to think about as you attempt to send more children off to a war it seems we cannot win Mr. Republican – I have to wonder if you are behind these horrendous acts just to keep the violence alive, is that a lie or a fact???
Written by: Connie Jordan
2008
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: Explorations, by David Russell
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: Explorations, by David Russell: BOOK REVIEW – Explorations , by David Russell Explorations There is an old saying that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure...
BOOK REVIEW: Explorations, by David Russell
BOOK REVIEW – Explorations, by David Russell
Explorations
There is an old saying that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” or put another way, something that one person considers of no value may be considered priceless by someone else, Explorations proves just that.
Charting the lives of two couples recently divorced David Russell examines the frame of mind of these individuals, even the cause of the split between each couple, as in his first paragraph he states:
“Many are the currents and pressures of life which disperse people, pull them apart. But some, dispersing the majority, draw units together…”
Janice and Phillip “married at a point of maximum weakness and vulnerability” even as the cautionary words crossed their minds “are you sure you don’t want to hold on to your freedom” – each ended having the “delayed action pang of entrapment” until finally they cut their losses and the marriage ended in divorce.
Though the pain of separation hit them in different ways, they both knew, long before the separation the relationship had been bad for both of them. Phillip’s infidelity, caused by Janice’s indifference and irritabilities, brought them both to the realization it was time to move on. While Phillip mourned briefly, he eventually found someone else and started his life over.
Janice was at times riddled with self-doubt and the realization that the only way she could bear children was through artificial means. She could not really wrap her head around this, even while Phillip wanted children. Hindsight had her also realizing that if she had given birth, it would not have cemented the nuclear ties.
On the other hand, Cedric lived with the constant put-downs by Magda, his wife, with taunts of him being an ‘indecisive wimp, effeminate to boot” as she kept an “electronic hawk’s eye on him, gagging his articulacy” while her words twisted his own perception of self.
Both marriages exhibited signs of tedium, boredom and dreariness with no real love or affection. But then, as life would have it, they, meaning Janice and Cedric started crossing paths more and more often and soon the attraction started. See how what one person sees as irrelevant another will view with appreciation even anticipation.
As he did in Sensual Rhapsody, David Russell, in this short story, takes you on a sensual journey of yearning and connection – something to think about as the subtle pangs of lost love, good or bad, threaten to overwhelm you in the aftermath of divorce.
Reviewed by: Connie Jordan
December 15, 2015
ExplorationsThere is an old saying that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” or put another way, something that one person considers of no value may be considered priceless by someone else, Explorations proves just that.
Charting the lives of two couples recently divorced David Russell examines the frame of mind of these individuals, even the cause of the split between each couple, as in his first paragraph he states:
“Many are the currents and pressures of life which disperse people, pull them apart. But some, dispersing the majority, draw units together…”
Janice and Phillip “married at a point of maximum weakness and vulnerability” even as the cautionary words crossed their minds “are you sure you don’t want to hold on to your freedom” – each ended having the “delayed action pang of entrapment” until finally they cut their losses and the marriage ended in divorce.
Though the pain of separation hit them in different ways, they both knew, long before the separation the relationship had been bad for both of them. Phillip’s infidelity, caused by Janice’s indifference and irritabilities, brought them both to the realization it was time to move on. While Phillip mourned briefly, he eventually found someone else and started his life over.
Janice was at times riddled with self-doubt and the realization that the only way she could bear children was through artificial means. She could not really wrap her head around this, even while Phillip wanted children. Hindsight had her also realizing that if she had given birth, it would not have cemented the nuclear ties.
On the other hand, Cedric lived with the constant put-downs by Magda, his wife, with taunts of him being an ‘indecisive wimp, effeminate to boot” as she kept an “electronic hawk’s eye on him, gagging his articulacy” while her words twisted his own perception of self.
Both marriages exhibited signs of tedium, boredom and dreariness with no real love or affection. But then, as life would have it, they, meaning Janice and Cedric started crossing paths more and more often and soon the attraction started. See how what one person sees as irrelevant another will view with appreciation even anticipation.
As he did in Sensual Rhapsody, David Russell, in this short story, takes you on a sensual journey of yearning and connection – something to think about as the subtle pangs of lost love, good or bad, threaten to overwhelm you in the aftermath of divorce.
Reviewed by: Connie Jordan
December 15, 2015
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: Written on the Apple Tree, by Ann Gi...
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: Written on the Apple Tree, by Ann Gi...: BOOK REVIEW - Written on the Apple Tree , by Ann Girdharry Written on the Apple Tree Reading this short story, I became disappoint...
BOOK REVIEW: Written on the Apple Tree, by Ann Girdharry
BOOK REVIEW - Written on the Apple Tree, by Ann Girdharry
Written on the Apple Tree
Reading this short story, I became disappointed when it ended. Is reincarnation real in this realm we live in? And if so are we destined to repeat, time and again, the mistakes we made in past lifetimes.
Or is reincarnation intended to help us move past the mistakes of our past lives giving us the opportunity to change, make different choices? Does love last through generations, clinging to the spirit of humanity?
Is the desire for vengeance so strong as to allow the spirit of those who seek revenge to return to somehow infect and disrupt the life of those who are part of you, even generations after the fact?
These are the questions swirling through my mind after finishing this story and on some levels I am inclined to believe in the act of reincarnation actually taking place sometimes.
At any rate it gives you something to think about as you travel this road of life, keeping in mind that somewhere down the line, those you leave behind may be effected by your evil deeds or corruption.
Reviewed by: Connie Jordan
December 15, 2015
Written on the Apple TreeReading this short story, I became disappointed when it ended. Is reincarnation real in this realm we live in? And if so are we destined to repeat, time and again, the mistakes we made in past lifetimes.
Or is reincarnation intended to help us move past the mistakes of our past lives giving us the opportunity to change, make different choices? Does love last through generations, clinging to the spirit of humanity?
Is the desire for vengeance so strong as to allow the spirit of those who seek revenge to return to somehow infect and disrupt the life of those who are part of you, even generations after the fact?
These are the questions swirling through my mind after finishing this story and on some levels I am inclined to believe in the act of reincarnation actually taking place sometimes.
At any rate it gives you something to think about as you travel this road of life, keeping in mind that somewhere down the line, those you leave behind may be effected by your evil deeds or corruption.
Reviewed by: Connie Jordan
December 15, 2015
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Something to Think About: FEATURED INTERVIEW with Connie Jordan
Something to Think About: FEATURED INTERVIEW with Connie Jordan: Featured Interview With Connie Jordan Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now? Born and raised...
Something to Think About: FEATURED INTERVIEW with Connie Jordan
Something to Think About: FEATURED INTERVIEW with Connie Jordan: Featured Interview With Connie Jordan Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now? Born and raised...
FEATURED INTERVIEW with Connie Jordan
Featured Interview With Connie Jordan
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born and raised in Cleveland Ohio but lived in a couple of states as an adult. Currently living in California and although I keep leaving this area something always draws me back.
I recently retired from the state of California and I am enjoying my retirement. I have two children, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren – makes me sound old but I will always have a young spirit. I enjoy writing poems/prose discussing world events, life, love and whatever moves me in the moment.
I am a sensitive, thinking, feeling person and I do a lot of critical, analytical thinking and even though it brings me down sometimes I have not yet learned to turn my mind off – maybe that is what death is about – no more thoughts.
I will post my Facebook page below although I have not been active there in a while I keep saying I am going to start back posting.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always been a reader. Reading takes me on journeys my life may not, it gives me insight and sometimes understanding of the world around me as viewed through another’s eyes. I have spent days so caught up in a book that I just could not put down and did nothing else but read for days.
I started writing in high school but later gave it up to live life and raise children but now that I have nothing but time on my hands I have returned to my passion of writing poems/prose.
Sometimes life and the things I see in the world make me so sad, so hurt that I often say writing is my therapy and it does help to have a venue to express certain things and get them out of my system allowing me to move beyond the experience.
See full interview at: Book Reader Magazine
Books by Connie Jordan
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born and raised in Cleveland Ohio but lived in a couple of states as an adult. Currently living in California and although I keep leaving this area something always draws me back.
I recently retired from the state of California and I am enjoying my retirement. I have two children, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren – makes me sound old but I will always have a young spirit. I enjoy writing poems/prose discussing world events, life, love and whatever moves me in the moment.
I am a sensitive, thinking, feeling person and I do a lot of critical, analytical thinking and even though it brings me down sometimes I have not yet learned to turn my mind off – maybe that is what death is about – no more thoughts.
I will post my Facebook page below although I have not been active there in a while I keep saying I am going to start back posting.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always been a reader. Reading takes me on journeys my life may not, it gives me insight and sometimes understanding of the world around me as viewed through another’s eyes. I have spent days so caught up in a book that I just could not put down and did nothing else but read for days.
I started writing in high school but later gave it up to live life and raise children but now that I have nothing but time on my hands I have returned to my passion of writing poems/prose.
Sometimes life and the things I see in the world make me so sad, so hurt that I often say writing is my therapy and it does help to have a venue to express certain things and get them out of my system allowing me to move beyond the experience.
See full interview at: Book Reader Magazine
Books by Connie Jordan
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: The World through a Poet's Eyes, By ...
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: The World through a Poet's Eyes, By ...: I had to post two reviews this morning based on the fact I am running behind due to the storm that swept through my area on Sunday, leaving ...
BOOK REVIEW: The World through a Poet's Eyes, By Connie Jordan
I had to post two reviews this morning based on the fact I am running behind due to the storm that swept through my area on Sunday, leaving me without TV or internet for twenty-four hours. Can you imagine that, I realize how important these things are to me, I was bored out of my mind!!!
I would like to say here, no one is perfect and while there may be a few clerical errors in the books I review they, in the end, do not distract from the message/meaning in the words.
The review below is a review I received for my first book:
BOOK REVIEW: The World through a Poet's Eyes, by Connie Jordan
Reviewed by: David Russell
Connie's Books
The World through a Poet's Eyes, by Connie Jordan
This collection is a pragmatic guide to self-discipline and self-protection. It puts personal issues into the context of current affairs, and explores in depth the issues of relating consciousness of the past to coping with the present.
The opener, Apology Not An Option, is about someone standing for herself, not excusing abusive comments made ‘in the heat of the moment’. Black Voices & World Disorder jumps into the world arena of massacres and terrorism. Bullies pleads, to people who have suffered bullying in the past, not to be vindictive, by picking on the next, the smaller and weaker, emulating their persecutors.
Charlie Hebdo challenges the stance of that satirical journal: “You continue to stand strong in your freedom to offend, all for personal gain, regardless of whose lives are jeopardized and shamed by your folly; Such an issue as this, when feelings run so hot on both sides, demands full debate –
Compassion: It is wrong to ‘live in the past’ for comfort and reassurance. But the past is a formative influence, providing guidelines for the present. The powers that be manipulate the past, to dull awareness, and make people compliant: “those lessons dealt to you on a whim of contentious rhetoric,/leading you to distraction . . .” Stored Memories is a guide to handling the past’s residue – including its scars; “Those memories will stay hidden, until my present state of being, clashes with those remembrances.” One must respect the past without becoming enslaved to it. Past Present Future relates time evaluation to the consequences of the slave trade: “I don’t understand why they expect us to forget a past that lingers even now, in the present, while threatening to encumber our future, with the past we share with our ancestors.” This fact is glossed over. Slave Owner Mentality: “I get so flustered with the notion of living my life in the shadow of someone else’s expectations, judging me by what they see, the color of my skin represents like no other.
Terrorist Amongst Us rightly puts present-day terrorism into a historical context, including persecution of blacks in the USA. Doing it for the Kids – Connie criticises the complacency of prosperous, secure nuclear families. She exhorts such parents to be aware of what they, as children, aspired to (probably sacrificed for material gain), to strive for the true personal fulfilment of their own children. Growth is an organic analogy to personal development – struggling through the darkness of the soil to the light, becoming a fruit-bearing tree.
Rain asserts the value of the balance of the elements; storms are essential to sustain growth. Shine Your Light compares the action of the elements to personal relationships: “what my eyes see, my heart conceives of as a disaster waiting to happen, in the effort to move things forward on a positive . . .” How To Make That Change appraises the influence of Barack Obama, heightening awareness of divisions and injustices, when so many people had been blinkered. Two later dedications to Obama call for a proper evaluation of his achievements, against those prejudiced against him, with “their desire to live in the past instead of moving forward”.
I’m Still Waiting – for a divine intervention/revelation/resolution.” Jihad – appealing to the ‘better nature’ of a Jihadi. Just for a Day pleads for Divine Guidance, and acknowledges the shortcomings of democracy: “People marching in the streets for free speech, only so they can offend and provoke” Lessons Learned is an impassioned plea to a girl in danger of being drawn into Terrorism because of its glamour, an appeal to her critical faculties: “Decide what you are looking for before you expose who you really are . . . Wouldn’t it be better to be alone . . .”
Life accepts treadmills, but insists that one must struggle to attain a higher level of being. Living Between the Lines is a progression from ‘reading between the lines’. One must maintain an independent distance from the pressures of others. You Can Only Control What You See conveys the feelings of a fugitive keeping her distance from those ‘lines’, in a lifetime struggle to sustain individuality.
Men vs Women criticises both sexes. Men are capricious and selfish, whilst “Women . . . displaying what should be kept private in an attempt to ensnare someone who will truly care, using all of their wiles to beguile and captivate. I do not fully relate to this poem, because I live in a world where Single Mums are commonplace; but I agree that one should refrain from procreation until one knows exactly what one is doing.
Seek Your Truth indicts emotional parasites who pick their partners’ brains to make false interfaces. Survival describes one such, who tried and failed to take over the poet’s mind. Missing You concerns bereavement, and longing for reunion in eternity. My Awakening celebrates the partner, who rescued her from inner blindness and negativity. Remembering the You or Our We celebrates their lifetime devotion, and regret that they could not leave the world together.
Taking Back Your Power – greed dehumanises; humanity en masse must rally: “Wake up and claim that power back.” Transform, Be Kind portrays Connie’s struggles for verbal self-expression; she takes the rough with the smooth: “They are meant with love, sprinkled with the frustration I feel generated by the knowledge that after all this time, we are still slightly blind to what it takes to move forward in grace.”
Violence in the Hood opposes inner city gang warfare. What I Did to Survive – a cry from someone thrown into poverty by a brutal society, preferring recycling to doping anything nefarious. When You Go surveys unresolved conflicts and horrendous injustices: “no one wants to get to the core of the situation, closing doors on the real alienations that have persisted through the ages.”
This collection disproves any assertion that statements of sound, common sense are dull and insensitive. A great personal guidebook indeed; I am reminded of Desiderata.
David Russell
I would like to say here, no one is perfect and while there may be a few clerical errors in the books I review they, in the end, do not distract from the message/meaning in the words.
The review below is a review I received for my first book:
BOOK REVIEW: The World through a Poet's Eyes, by Connie Jordan
Reviewed by: David Russell
Connie's BooksThe World through a Poet's Eyes, by Connie Jordan
This collection is a pragmatic guide to self-discipline and self-protection. It puts personal issues into the context of current affairs, and explores in depth the issues of relating consciousness of the past to coping with the present.
The opener, Apology Not An Option, is about someone standing for herself, not excusing abusive comments made ‘in the heat of the moment’. Black Voices & World Disorder jumps into the world arena of massacres and terrorism. Bullies pleads, to people who have suffered bullying in the past, not to be vindictive, by picking on the next, the smaller and weaker, emulating their persecutors.
Charlie Hebdo challenges the stance of that satirical journal: “You continue to stand strong in your freedom to offend, all for personal gain, regardless of whose lives are jeopardized and shamed by your folly; Such an issue as this, when feelings run so hot on both sides, demands full debate –
Compassion: It is wrong to ‘live in the past’ for comfort and reassurance. But the past is a formative influence, providing guidelines for the present. The powers that be manipulate the past, to dull awareness, and make people compliant: “those lessons dealt to you on a whim of contentious rhetoric,/leading you to distraction . . .” Stored Memories is a guide to handling the past’s residue – including its scars; “Those memories will stay hidden, until my present state of being, clashes with those remembrances.” One must respect the past without becoming enslaved to it. Past Present Future relates time evaluation to the consequences of the slave trade: “I don’t understand why they expect us to forget a past that lingers even now, in the present, while threatening to encumber our future, with the past we share with our ancestors.” This fact is glossed over. Slave Owner Mentality: “I get so flustered with the notion of living my life in the shadow of someone else’s expectations, judging me by what they see, the color of my skin represents like no other.
Terrorist Amongst Us rightly puts present-day terrorism into a historical context, including persecution of blacks in the USA. Doing it for the Kids – Connie criticises the complacency of prosperous, secure nuclear families. She exhorts such parents to be aware of what they, as children, aspired to (probably sacrificed for material gain), to strive for the true personal fulfilment of their own children. Growth is an organic analogy to personal development – struggling through the darkness of the soil to the light, becoming a fruit-bearing tree.
Rain asserts the value of the balance of the elements; storms are essential to sustain growth. Shine Your Light compares the action of the elements to personal relationships: “what my eyes see, my heart conceives of as a disaster waiting to happen, in the effort to move things forward on a positive . . .” How To Make That Change appraises the influence of Barack Obama, heightening awareness of divisions and injustices, when so many people had been blinkered. Two later dedications to Obama call for a proper evaluation of his achievements, against those prejudiced against him, with “their desire to live in the past instead of moving forward”.
I’m Still Waiting – for a divine intervention/revelation/resolution.” Jihad – appealing to the ‘better nature’ of a Jihadi. Just for a Day pleads for Divine Guidance, and acknowledges the shortcomings of democracy: “People marching in the streets for free speech, only so they can offend and provoke” Lessons Learned is an impassioned plea to a girl in danger of being drawn into Terrorism because of its glamour, an appeal to her critical faculties: “Decide what you are looking for before you expose who you really are . . . Wouldn’t it be better to be alone . . .”
Life accepts treadmills, but insists that one must struggle to attain a higher level of being. Living Between the Lines is a progression from ‘reading between the lines’. One must maintain an independent distance from the pressures of others. You Can Only Control What You See conveys the feelings of a fugitive keeping her distance from those ‘lines’, in a lifetime struggle to sustain individuality.
Men vs Women criticises both sexes. Men are capricious and selfish, whilst “Women . . . displaying what should be kept private in an attempt to ensnare someone who will truly care, using all of their wiles to beguile and captivate. I do not fully relate to this poem, because I live in a world where Single Mums are commonplace; but I agree that one should refrain from procreation until one knows exactly what one is doing.
Seek Your Truth indicts emotional parasites who pick their partners’ brains to make false interfaces. Survival describes one such, who tried and failed to take over the poet’s mind. Missing You concerns bereavement, and longing for reunion in eternity. My Awakening celebrates the partner, who rescued her from inner blindness and negativity. Remembering the You or Our We celebrates their lifetime devotion, and regret that they could not leave the world together.
Taking Back Your Power – greed dehumanises; humanity en masse must rally: “Wake up and claim that power back.” Transform, Be Kind portrays Connie’s struggles for verbal self-expression; she takes the rough with the smooth: “They are meant with love, sprinkled with the frustration I feel generated by the knowledge that after all this time, we are still slightly blind to what it takes to move forward in grace.”
Violence in the Hood opposes inner city gang warfare. What I Did to Survive – a cry from someone thrown into poverty by a brutal society, preferring recycling to doping anything nefarious. When You Go surveys unresolved conflicts and horrendous injustices: “no one wants to get to the core of the situation, closing doors on the real alienations that have persisted through the ages.”
This collection disproves any assertion that statements of sound, common sense are dull and insensitive. A great personal guidebook indeed; I am reminded of Desiderata.
David Russell
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW - The Masks of Monsters, by Narayan Li...
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW - The Masks of Monsters, by Narayan Li...: BOOK REVIEW: The Masks of Monsters , by Narayan Liu Masks of Monsters Darius, was he a monster made from an evil dee...
BOOK REVIEW - The Masks of Monsters, by Narayan Liu
BOOK REVIEW: The
Masks of Monsters, by Narayan Liu
Darius, was he a monster made from an evil deed? Born or made is there truly a difference; is
it true that, “monsters are born not made” watching behind friendly faces.
“They are the ones who come for the innocent trying to steal
everything they have, be it their most treasured possessions, their honor or
their lives; Not because they must, not because their very existence relies on
it, but simply because there is a thrill in it for them.”
Did he kill for pleasure in the world where he had been or
simply based on revenge when vengeance is not for man but for God.
Do vampires really exist or are they simply fodder for
fairy-tales and myths. Were the deeds Darius
committed, as a made vampire, truly evil when compared to the deeds committed
by the man he killed? After all, Darius needed to feed if only to remain in the
world after he embarked on the life of a vampire. Did it really matter when
what he gained was immortality?
For in reality,
“Real monsters love to turn the sound of beautiful life into
many a terrified scream”
Can real monsters be redeemed and what of those monsters
that were born, do they have the option of redemption or do they live forever
in their sin.
Poetic flows of comparison based on what is observed in
humanity as it relates to the life of a vampire. Hatred alone being a strong motivating
factor, leading to the rebirth of a being, as
they cross the line into darkness, never again with the opportunity to
thrive in the lightness of God.
Was Darius’ heart, as a mortal, truly that of a murderer or
had circumstances driven him and how would this affect his life as a vampire, a
spirit of darkness. Will he kill, just
for the kill or simply feed to continue to exist in the world, driven too often
by the inner workings of his prey.
Fear is truly an aphrodisiac in this dark existence of the
creatures of the darkness, yet in the world of mortals where war is everlasting,
motivated by greed and the need to control, who indeed are the true monsters in
this realm. Does it all boil down to
power?
Although I am not really into vampires based on the fact
that they are indeed too much like the monsters that are born who attempt to
suck the life out of you just because they can, this book moved with a
seductive grace of rhythm as it floated you through the devious disasters of
treachery, greed and evil, and their temporary fulfillment.
The ending? See for yourself, it certainly gives you
something to think about in the life which is that of a mere mortal.
Reviewed by: Connie Jordan
December 15,, 2015
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: Lacy's End, by Victoria Schwimley
Something to Think About: BOOK REVIEW: Lacy's End, by Victoria Schwimley: BOOK REVIEW: LACY’S END , by Victoria Schwimley Lacy
BOOK REVIEW: Lacy's End, by Victoria Schwimley
BOOK REVIEW: LACY’S END, by Victoria Schwimley
Lacy's End
One high school student’s struggle through the silence of domestic violence with a mother that offered little protection against the brutality, being brutalized herself. No one seemed to want to get involved; teachers, principal, neighbors, no one bothered to report the abuse, leaving her feeling that there was no way out. Until the beatings became so severe, with repeated hospital visits, that’s when help arrived in more than one way.
Initially they both refused the help that was offered by lying and providing false accounts of just what would keep them coming back to the hospital with multiple injuries, always claiming these to be ‘accidents’. One would think domestic violence was covered under law. But, what if the abuser was the law?
Through all of the violence, Lacy grew strong and wise beyond her years as she struggled to understand what made her mother stay with such a brutal man, yet, understanding on some level that her mother had gone through just as much as she had living in that house.
Because of what Lacy was experiencing at home, she experienced the alienation from her fellow classmates who belittled her, knowing by the bruises left just what she was experiencing at home. Then along came Jake, who turned into the one being she could trust to share her deepest thoughts, show her spirit to.
As responsible as she was, Lacy had her own job and was saving money to get her and her mother away from the destruction, understanding on some level the weakness her mother exhibited was based on the fear that had been instilled in her from all the years of violence and sexual abuse.
Though the book made me teary at times, through all the drama there was also laughter, love and lessons learned.
A well written riveting and real storyline, well developed characters, truth is, it was hard to put down as I was relating, on some emotional level, my life to theirs.
This was definitely a relevant read - something to think about, maybe even claim and change!
Reviewed by: Connie Jordan
December 13, 2015
Lacy's EndOne high school student’s struggle through the silence of domestic violence with a mother that offered little protection against the brutality, being brutalized herself. No one seemed to want to get involved; teachers, principal, neighbors, no one bothered to report the abuse, leaving her feeling that there was no way out. Until the beatings became so severe, with repeated hospital visits, that’s when help arrived in more than one way.
Initially they both refused the help that was offered by lying and providing false accounts of just what would keep them coming back to the hospital with multiple injuries, always claiming these to be ‘accidents’. One would think domestic violence was covered under law. But, what if the abuser was the law?
Through all of the violence, Lacy grew strong and wise beyond her years as she struggled to understand what made her mother stay with such a brutal man, yet, understanding on some level that her mother had gone through just as much as she had living in that house.
Because of what Lacy was experiencing at home, she experienced the alienation from her fellow classmates who belittled her, knowing by the bruises left just what she was experiencing at home. Then along came Jake, who turned into the one being she could trust to share her deepest thoughts, show her spirit to.
As responsible as she was, Lacy had her own job and was saving money to get her and her mother away from the destruction, understanding on some level the weakness her mother exhibited was based on the fear that had been instilled in her from all the years of violence and sexual abuse.
Though the book made me teary at times, through all the drama there was also laughter, love and lessons learned.
A well written riveting and real storyline, well developed characters, truth is, it was hard to put down as I was relating, on some emotional level, my life to theirs.
This was definitely a relevant read - something to think about, maybe even claim and change!
Reviewed by: Connie Jordan
December 13, 2015
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Something to Think About: POSITIVE INGREDIENTS
Something to Think About: POSITIVE INGREDIENTS: The seed of love may be planted with words but to keep it alive takes cultivation; Trust being the motivating factor as you water the ...
POSITIVE INGREDIENTS
The seed of love may be planted with words
but to keep it alive takes cultivation;
Trust being the motivating factor
as you water the thirst necessary
for growth; Honesty being the fertilizer,
sprinkled in abundance, feeding the
spirit of a love that will last;
Positive attention is the key,
the major ingredient used to bring
all growth to fruition, allowing
beauty to linger and thrive
in the garden of humanity
where there are many varieties
Just something to think about!!
Written by: Connie Jordan
© 2015
but to keep it alive takes cultivation;
Trust being the motivating factor
as you water the thirst necessary
for growth; Honesty being the fertilizer,
sprinkled in abundance, feeding the
spirit of a love that will last;
Positive attention is the key,
the major ingredient used to bring
all growth to fruition, allowing
beauty to linger and thrive
in the garden of humanity
where there are many varieties
Just something to think about!!
Written by: Connie Jordan
© 2015
Friday, December 11, 2015
Something to Think About: A SHORT STORY: THE CHRISTMAS MIRACLE - ACCEPTANCE
Something to Think About: A SHORT STORY: THE CHRISTMAS MIRACLE - ACCEPTANCE: Acceptance is relevant to co-existence when done with love, understanding and not just out of the fakeness of obligation through law. Aro...
A SHORT STORY: THE CHRISTMAS MIRACLE - ACCEPTANCE
Acceptance is relevant to co-existence when done with love, understanding and not just out of the fakeness of obligation through law. Around this time of year, Christmas, I am always reminded of the story of Jesus and the Roman Centurion that came to ask Jesus to heal his servant, found in Luke 7:2, as Jesus admonished his people for not having the faith that was shown by this 'outsider'.
With the first election of a black president in the United States, I irrationally thought that things would change here in the US of A, however, things did not progress in the manner I had hoped for, yet, still I have hope that one day it will if people would only realize we are more alike than we are different - something to think about as you go about your day.
THE CHRISTMAS MIRACLE - ACCEPTANCE
It was snowing outside, more like a blizzard than the soft gentle fall of yesterday’s snow. As I watched the wind whip the snowflakes, with ferocious force, around my backyard, I thought of my parents. Over the last seven years, since I married the white boy, as they like to call him, they have refused to take part in any holiday/family gatherings, meaning this would be one more Christmas without them around.
Though they have not just outright disowned me, the only time I really saw them was when I could manage to see them by stopping by their house; this, for them, was preferably, without Lucas my husband. I never really knew the depth of the feelings they had towards white people until I got involved with Lucas.
They would tell me things like “a white man will never show a black man true respect – that man don’t respect you he just tryin’ to see what the black experience is all about” or they would ask “why you wanna be with a white man when there are so many good black men out here?” I had no choice in the matter, I feel in love.
Lucas had me the first time he said hello. He had beautiful emerald green eyes, dark, wavy hair, hard body and some class about his style of dress and personality! No sagging pants, no foul mouth, no hard core rap attitude, he was just a down to earth, kindhearted person. I would have never thought I would end up with someone like Lucas and we are very happy together.
We have two beautiful daughters that adore their father yet, my parents have been acting like this for all of the seven years we have been married. They love their grandbabies unconditionally, but refuse to be around the person that helped create them.
Well, I will just have to pretend that it’s no big deal for the seventh time. Christmas was always a family time before I married Lucas. I was an only child born to late in life parents. Lucas was the baby in his family, with two sisters and one brother, all living in other states.
Now, his parents come over for Christmas dinner every year, but my parents never come and never invite us over to their house; oh well, no time to think of this now, I have so much to do before my in-laws arrive.
When I reached the kitchen, Lucas was already there. He had volunteered to cook the turkey and dressing and appointed me the side dishes and the baking. That was Lucas, always planning and trying to delegate, but always wanting to do it as a team. Lucas was my family now and I wish my parents could accept that and accept Lucas too.
We laughed, we cooked, the kids came in and had breakfast and we laughed some more, all of us together. Afterwards, the kids left to watch their holiday dvd’s and Lucas and I continued preparing dinner.
We had invited Jan, a woman from my job who had introduced Lucas and me, and her husband Charles, for dinner this Christmas. They are an interracial couple also only she is white and her husband is black. They have been married for twelve years and are very good together. They have two daughters, the oldest one only three years older than my oldest daughter.
As I was setting the table, Jan and Charles arrived with their two daughters. After taking their coats, settling the kids in the living room with my kids to watch the movie and leading the adults into the kitchen where me and Lucas where trying to put the finishing touches on the meal, Jan asked me if my parents had decided to come. I said, “No, they are still boycotting my husband”. She laughed and said “They will come around, eventually; it took Charlie’s family longer than it took my family to come around - and you guys call us the racist ones!! We all laughed with her – how ironically true her statement was.
My in-laws had arrived and after all the happy feelings and love between them and my children was experienced, we sat down to eat, my heart was a little heavy because I was missing my parents, but we all grabbed hands to pray and I tried to put myself in the moment of prayer. It is our tradition to hold hands and pray. After the prayer, we each say one thing that we are thankful for.
I was the last one to share and just as it was my turn to share what I was thankful for, the doorbell rang. We all looked around the table as if to say, who could be ringing the door bell now everybody that should be here is here. I laughed at the thought and excused myself to answer the door.
Still laughing to myself at the shock on everybody’s face when the door bell rang, I swung open the door and to my total surprise, my parents stood there smiling at me. I froze. We looked at each other and they stepped forward to hug me. I hugged them back with all the love I felt for them at that moment.
I invited them in, took their coats and seated them at the table. After all the love and happy feelings were shared with the kids, we picked up where we left off and I was up to share why I was thankful. Naturally, I was thankful that my parents were able to make it to dinner on this wintery, Christmas day and this is what I verbalized.
Finally it was my father’s turn to share what he was thankful for. Without hesitation, as though he had waited too long for his time to share, he said, “I’m thankful that I am a living witness to the first black elected president of The United States of America. I never thought this day would come, not in my life time, not ever. I guess maybe finally white people have started seeing blacks as relevant human beings – Thank you Jesus!"
With that we all said a rousing amen, while laughing at the emphasis my father had used. After that, Lucas passed my daddy the knife, allowing my daddy to carve up that Christmas turkey.
However, It took my five and a half year old daughter to ask the question that was on everybody’s mind – “grandpa why is this the first time you and grandma came to Christmas dinner?”
My father put the carving knife down, looked around the table at the mixture of people and said,
“How could I sit down to break bread in the way of Jesus with people who thought so little of me as a man? Who held me in economic bondage for all of these years, who enslaved my forefathers, who disrespected me and my kind on a daily basis for as far back as I can remember?” He continued,
“Mr. Barack Obama was elected by the people, both black and white people, as well as others. They all voted for a black man to live in the “White House”. History has been forever changed. You remember this year in history baby, 2008.”
Daddy looked around the table again and as he did so, his eyes lit up and with a little bit of mischief in his voice he said, “Looking around at the faces at this table, if things keep moving in the direction they are moving with you young folks, it won’t be long before we are all black anyway or at least all mixed." With that, all of the adults at the table, seemingly acting with one mind, reached for their glasses and laughing with the spontaneity of it, clicked glasses in a toast to my daddy’s words.
He continued though because he had been holding these words inside for too long so he said, “With the election of a black man for the highest office in the United States of America, I feel like maybe things will change, maybe our time has come, maybe Martin Luther Kings words have finally come true and a man is judged by the content of his character, rather than the color of his skin, so I wanted to be in on the change and what better way than to be sitting here at this table with all of you enjoying this wonderful, wintery Christmas day” and with that we all drank to the possibilities of a brighter day, even the kids drank their juice to the final words of my daddy not fully realizing the significance of his words.
This was the best Christmas ever. My whole family was together. All the people that I loved dearly were right there at my table enjoying the holiday and enjoying each other’s company, as it should have been all along. I was so touched by the moment that tears started streaming down my face uncontrollably and while everybody was laughing, pointing at me and calling me a big baby, I was experiencing one of the happiest days of my life.
Written by: Connie Jordan
Year: 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)