THERE'S PARKING CITATIONS, THEN THERE'S IDIOCY

I was outside in the parking lot of the State's/County's workforce Development Department(employment office) in San Bernardino today and noticed a guy driving around in a little what looked to be a miniature Jeep. I saw him stop in one of the parking lanes and get out of this little Jeepney and proceeded to take out that little pad(the kind the regular city parking enforcement attendants use) and began to write a citation. I approached him and politely asked if he was citing autos in a hugh parking lot, that was not even 1/9 filled to capacity. He never even looked up to acknowledge that another human being had addressed him. He continued writing but somehow managed to reluctantly ooze out a very weak sounding, "Uh HUM", and nothing more. This blog is not about that young city parking enforcement aid at all. I'm happy to see the young man out working and actually doing the job he'd been mandated. This blog is about something far more fundamental.

Now I admit I was a bit hurt by his apparent rudeness but I am not quick to anger nor am I reactionary. I think what disturbed me more than my own wounded pride was the gall of the city to actually send out units to issue unregistered automobile citations to individuals in a public parking lot. Yes I know it's against the law to drive an unregistered automobile in this city and people need to follow the rules. But this was simply too much. Too much because of the reason those cars were parked there in the first place.

This was not the 'Ontario Mills Mall', where shoppers are out spending money many don't have. This was an employment office(better yet, jobless people's office) for God's sake. Weary, scared people who managed to get out and attempt to find employment, any employment they could to try and keep a roof and feed babies. And I don't have to remind you what the employment situation is in this country today.
What saddened me was the gall this particular city's officials assumed With all of the real crime I'm certain is happening in that city on a daily basis, That they can focus on decent human beings out struggling to keep their heads above water by having them come out of the office to their cars to be invited by yet another 'bill'. Where are our priorities as human beings?

THE AMERICAN ACCENT

Ever wonder how your voice sounds to others? Do you have an accent? How many 'American' accents can you discern? Are there really 'American' accents?

I was sitting and just allowing thoughts to pass my brain a day ago and it occured to me out of the blue the way we talk here in America. I started thinking of the different sounds I've heard from people throughout my life and travels here in the US. And I really found that I can only actually completely distinguish about 2 or 3 major accents from people living here. Yes the 'southern drawl' is an easy one , and the 'New England' or 'northeast' sounds are most familiar to many of us.

I was raised on the Texas gulf coast and I certainly did at one time have a strong southern drawl, but it never sounded quite like the 'whites' in the area. Neither did any of my 7 sisters or 1 brother sound much like the other southerners in our community. My maternal grandmother, who raised us, was Creole and she certainly had a very distinct accent as well as most of the many people from the bayou country of southern Louisiana. Yet their voices sounded quite differently from the 'Cajuns'.

I recall being a bit embarrassed when I first arrived in California from Texas along with my 'southern black' drawl. so much so , that I made a very conscious effort to change the way I talked with the aid of just acquiring the natural sounds we often pick up from the people we are frequently in contact. so now I really have what i term a 'non' accent. So many people today after hearing my voice often remark that they hear some kind of accent but it isn't recognizable. My guess is that it's an amalgam of several different accents.

I'm certain you have had the opportunity to listen to certain individuals, and I won't single any one person out as to not embarrass them, that really taxes the ear to listen to. On the other hand, I'm certain you've heard a voice that was so calm and distinct and so pleasing to hear that you could listen to them for hours.
I think my point in saying all of this is to see if we can become aware of the gratification we all may be able to achieve by simply taking the time to verbally produce a tone that others will love to hear. We may find that our thoughts and feelings are taken much more seriously and are found to be more interesting to those we encounter.
What do you think of this and do you have an 'American' accent?

THE LOST COAST

A MAN SAID TO THE UNIVERSE, "SIR, I EXIST,"
"HOWEVER", REPLIED THE UNIVERSE, "THE
FACT HAS NOT CREATED IN ME A SENSE OF
OBLIGATION".
~STEVEN CRANE~

Some years ago when my work required a fair amount of travel, I was on a temporary assignment in Northern California. (And I mean NORTHERN), as I don't consider as many do, the San Francisco Bay area as being northern California. To give you some perspective, it takes about 7 or 8 hours to drive from Los Angeles along Interstate 5 to San Francisco. Then headed north from there, it's another 6 or so hours up the coast on Hwy 101 to Eureka, California. This particular place was the small Humboldt County community of Arcata. Nestled along the Pacific Ocean and the magnificent Coast Redwood trees. This California North coast is by far my most favorite place in the entire country.

On my days off during this particular assignment, I often hopped into the rental car provided and took off to explore the surrounding area. On one particularly beautiful August morning, (July though September being the driest and sunniest months in an otherwise fairly wet climate) I made my way up through those very awesome Redwoods west along a short stretch of golden hilly farmland out to the coast (beach) where one can stop along any point on the road and catch a glimpse of the migrating California Grey Whales.

Continuing south I entered what was called on my little road map, the California Lost Coast. And If I had thought for a moment that I had been transported to a different planet when I first sat eyes upon those humongous Redwoods, then I was in total 'nirvana' when I came upon this stretch of 'black sand' beach. But if you take a closer look you'll see that it's really not typical sand as we see on most beaches at all. Through some sort of ancient geologic process and weathering and erosion, they are tiny black pebbles worn to almost the consistency of fine grain sand.

What held me in awe was the rather striking contrast between the jet black sand and the snow white surf kissing the shore. I parked and set off walking and marveling at the beauty before me and the sounds of the heavy surf breaking against the shoreline. I walked for what seemed like miles without ever seeing another human nor even a trace that humans had ever been in residence there. And as I sat there wiggling my toes through that shiny black sand, I recalled the feeling I had when I first read a poem by Steven Crane in High School. 'A Man said to the Universe'. It made me realize that although I am a unique individual among many others, I am by no means the 'center' of the world. Just one member of the human species among countless other species who inhabit this great earth together. And what a tremendously loving being our creator is to have come up with such a creation.

A FIRST FEAR

I was in 3rd or maybe 4Th grade at Pipkin elementary school so many years ago. I was like so many young kids of that time and to a larger extent, today's times. I had a male classmate who's name escapes me to this day whom I enjoyed talking with. He often told stories of wonder and excitement and his imagination was without end. Being mischievous and curious I listened with amazement. One autumn day he told me of a magical place where you could ride horses and eat all the candy you wanted and that he often went there. Well, I wanted in too. I managed to convince him to take me with him to this place after school and he finally relented. As memory serves me, we left with that glorious sound of the last school bell signaling the end of yet another boring school day. I recall we went walking along Pine St. past the water tower and just blocks from school. There was a tiny street(not much more than an alley)where we turned and went down. He led me to a place just off the road slightly into the edge of the woods. There was this hugh whole in the ground where workmen had dug only recently or maybe even that day. I knew because they had placed the smudge pots around it as a safety warning (as was the custom during that time). As we stood there peering into this enormous abyss, he told me that we had to get down into it and we'd be almost at the magical place. Being so excited to be almost there I started down and slipped and continued falling into this large hole. Before I knew it I was at the bottom and noticed that I was alone as he had not followed me. I got to my feet and yelled to him to come down and join me but I received no reply and could not see him at the top. After a few minutes of looking around this large muddy pit I now found myself in, I tried to climb out. But I could not get a grip on the sides of the damp muddy walls of this place. The harder I tried the more I slipped back down and was really getting my tennis shoes and socks wet and muddy as well as my blue jeans and shirt. I continued yelling and screaming to my friend or anyone but only silence. After about an hour or so of trying to free myself from this prison, I realized for the first time in my young life what the fear of dying was like. There I was stuck in this deep hole and I could see with each passing minute as the bright autumn sunlight faded and the temperature dropped that no one would be coming to my rescue. There I sat in the mud crying and too exhausted to holler out or even try to free myself any longer. I now resigned myself to the reality that I would die there that night because my grandmother, with whom I lived, had no way of knowing where I was or where to find me. I recall dozing off to a brief sleep but the cold and wetness were at odds with any slumbering.Then out of the darkness I heard a voice, a very welcoming voice. It was that familiar sound of my grandmother yelling my name as she did so many times at dusk to rein us children inside. I managed to get to my feet and began yelling back as loud as my little crackling voice could . "I'm here". "I'm here", "down here". Then there she was, barely visible at the top of that dark hole saying, " we are putting down a rope for you". Within a few minutes I was being pulled up out of that hell by my grandmother and Miss Emma and to freedom. They drove me home and I just knew I was in for the worst whipping of my life but it never happened. My grandmother gave me a bath and told me to never ever go with anyone on my way home from school without her knowing. I thought I was going to die that night but I could not possibly have known the horror that that woman had gone through that afternoon in her mind. had he run off? was he hurt somewhere? Had a truckload of 'night riders'(local KKK groups from nearby Vidor, Texas)picked him up and murdered him?.. That was my first fear. It was a constant one for her and many other parents.
Have any of you a recollection of a first fear in your life? If so, I'd love to hear about it.

UNBELIEVABLE

I realize that I swore this blog would not delve much into the realm of politics, But I'm in total disbelief at what I just heard on MSNBC'S 'Hardball' talk show with Chris Mathews. One of his guests was G. Gordon Liddy,(Yes the same Whitehouse 'plumber' we all became familiar with during the 'Watergate' scandal of the early 1970's). Well he now happens to have descended to the same level as that Limbaugh fellow. He currently does a right-wing radio talk show and I'm certain he enjoys a fair amount of loyal listeners who also worships Limbaugh.
He's apparently taken up this slimy theme playing around the country at the moment, of questioning the legal citizenship of President Barack Obama. His evidence ,as far as I was able to discern from Mr. Mathews' questions, are based upon an unknown 'step-grandmothers' supposedly sworn statement that she witnessed his birth at a poverty-stricken area hospital somewhere in Mombasa, Kenya. It's quite obvious to me and many others that this man and others of his ilk are out to do their best to humiliate and destroy this fine man. Even the daughter of the previous Vice-President, Liz Cheney, seems to be helping to perpetuate these smears. This is so 'UNBELIEVABLE' to see that there are so many in this country who are so filled with hate and malice that an African- American man has become the leader of the free world. Will they ever display any sense of dignity?
Although, I am the progeny of African descendants, I voice these frustrations not as an African-American but as a proud AMERICAN man who has now nor ever harbored any racial animus against any particular race of people. I've two sisters who are happily married to 'white' men and I love and respect them both. I've a strong sense of the decency in humankind and have devoted my life to try and improve community among man. But I find at times such as now , that we all are set back temporarily, when the ugly voices of Mr. Liddy and his kind are recognized. And to what end. Don't they realize after living a life on this planet that we are ALL one and the same? No one race is better or worse than another. This truth must be realized someday and I believe it will, and it is then that we all will begin to experience the wonder and glory that our creator intended.

A USEFUL TOOL

Above is a photo of my 5 inch reflector that comes in very handy for an enthusiast such as me who's interested in the cosmos and the very dangerous objects that lurk in around throughout the solar system and beyond. Yes those NEA'S(near earth objects)that may someday mark the end or near extinction of mankind and even the planet itself. They are out there and are very real and the only thing that has kept us safe so far is that thin blue film seen around the edges of the earth on photos taken from space. Our atmosphere. Which is responsible for causing the vast majority of those stray asteroids to burn up before they reach the surface. Yet evidence from the past has shown that some have been so massive as to withstand the fall into our delicate airspace.

It's well-known by many astronomers that there are far too few scientists and even lay individuals who monitor the skies out there for a possible large one that could possibly survive and wreak havoc upon mankind. Therefore I've decided to do as much as one individual can to at least try and help find those monsters. However, even if we find them with a reasonable amount of time before impact, the chances are not very great that there is anything we can do to prevent the destruction they could cause. But I'd sure like to know beforehand so it won't come as a total shock when we suddenly look up and see a slow moving mass closing down upon us as if the land was falling from the sky. at least we could attempt to be as close to loved ones and family as possible and to have had the opportunity to try and make amends to those we may have harmed and to say to them how much we love and care for them.

LEARNING TO REMOVE DOUBT

About a year ago or so, I had a sort of daydream or maybe a brief epiphany. I hesitate to use words such as 'vision' or phrases like 'A voice told me', partly because some will instinctively dismiss your words as perhaps just another 'cook' or' moonbeam man' or the like. I do know however, that I was wide awake at the time and this was no dream, in the literal sense of the word. I had been thinking for several days previous to this epiphany, about how it would be to be somewhere very far out in outer space(actually lost). About how terribly alone it would be way out there where there is no up or down or left or right with no sense of orientation whatsoever. And then this feeling simply came to me 'out of the blue'. It was as though someone or something said in a very calm and soothing voice to me that "you are not lost and never will be. You are not alone and nothing in this cosmos can ever harm you in any way."And I believed this voice yet I was a bit skeptical. Then it occured to me that there was more to follow so sat there and concentrated on the now and tried as hard as possible to be still and quiet , as I've learned to do in my older life when I feel something is about to be revealed to me. Now I don't profess to possess much if any at all psychic abilities. But I don't dismiss 'anything' as being possible. That voice continued in that calm and soft and reassuring manner.."You will have to learn how to remove all 'doubt' from your consciousness. " this will not be very easy for you but with much practice and learning you will accomplish this one day". And 'poof' , it was gone. And I was left there to analyze what had just happened to me.
I've been off and on pondering that experience ever since. I have not reached any conclusions and not sure if I ever will but my strong inclination to 'know,' just will not allow me to abandon that epiphany. I really feel that it meant something and something very important, and intend to continue to persue some answers. Perhaps they may come here, since my writing of these blogs sort of came about as a coincidence really. I do believe that if it means what I think it does then I have no choice but to jump in feet first and search with madness. If any of you have had any such experiences, I'd love to hear from you.

MY SINGER TREADLE

Now this brings me back to my childhood growing up in Texas. A circa 1902 Singer treadle sewing machine. Although it's whereabouts are unknown at present, the one I own now(images at left and top) is almost identical to my grandma's old treadle machine. She was a marvelous woman and she taught me how to use that old machine and how to sew many articles of clothing. A trade I remember and enjoy to this day. I acquired this model from a thrift store some time ago and have been trying to restore it to as close to it's original condition as possible. Including attempting to remove a coat of very unsightly plum-colored paint the previous owner took the liberty to invade this lovely antique with. However, it still is in great working condition and I find the time to mend my worn clothes when necessary. It doesn't have all of the whistles and bells that come on modern ones but, this old Mable will still be sewing another 109 years from now.

THE DYING MYTHS LAST GASP(In Defence of our President)

I've decided to take a short pause from my usual area of posts. And I'm doing so because I feel this really needs to be addressed. I've also intentionally tried to stay clear of political topics on this blog but I feel someone need to say something here. So please indulge me for a rare and brief digression.
I normally arise daily at a very abnormal hour and one of the things I find spending these pre-dawn hours doing is watching the "Morning Joe' political talk show on MSNBC. I've done so since the network hastily replaced "Imus in the Morning' several years ago. I was skeptical from the beginning but remained as open as possible that this former right-wing Republican Congressman from the Florida panhandle would have something interesting to tell the public. My skepticism remains. You see, Mr. Morning Joe, loves to parade a countless number of so-called people in the know on his program each day and manages to insult as many as he can who disagrees with his 'CONSERVATIVE' bent. To his credit, he does somehow pretend to try and fit in with the mainstream view at times but to me it's so obviously phony. I watched this man throughout the election season(2007 and 2008) each morning and was amazed at how much he tried to sway public sentiment against then IL. Senator Barack Obama. Often echoing that ultra right-wing phrase of 'he's the most liberal Senator in Congress'. The Republicans, Right, and Conservatives(no distinction among the three) in this writer's view, tried their best to prevent the first legitimate Black American man from ascending to the highest office in our country and failed. That Illinois Senator prevailed and became on January 20Th 2009, the 44Th President of the United States of America.
I sit and watch and listen to a constant barrage of comments that our current President is 'failing', and will ultimately lead this nation 'over a cliff' , as Morning Joe loves to state. Almost all of his guests (mostly 'white' men and women) seem to have suddenly become instant economists and mostly all predict, to the glee of Morning Joe, that this President has and will 'FAIL'. Who would they rather have running this country at this time? John(the economy is basically sound)McCain? Sarah(I can see Russia from my backyard)Palin? or maybe George(who literally did RUN this country over a cliff in 8 years)Bush? The obvious answer from the point of view of most Black Americans including myself, is neither, either or just anyone else. You see, it was most disturbing to SOME(and I want to emphasize some and not even close to the majority)Americans that a 'black' man is now their 'leader'. How can this be? Not a vile 'black man'. They are lazy and unintelligent and irresponsible and non trustworthy and criminal and don't have the slightest clue.
You see, his election was somehow a fluke even illegitimate(see Fox News and Acorn), yes, unbelievably they are still crying 'Acorn' on that network. His election was ONE thing to have to swallow, but to somehow to have a successful administration? No way, no how, never. We must oppose him at each and every turn, no matter how small the issue. We must see to it that he fails miserably. Fails in procuring a sensible health care program for Americans. Fails to revive an economy on the brink of depression left to him by a failed Republican administration. Fails to end two wars and get our young men and women back home from death and dying around the world. 'Failure', 'Failure', 'Failure' is all that they have left to hope and pray for. Why? You ask the young black woman sitting at the reception desk in your office. You ask the young black man at your parking garage ticket booth taking payment. You ask those 3 black men standing in front of the liquor store with brown bags in their palms. You ask the black history professor in your class. They will all tell you why if they are honest. That hideous myth that has perpetuated this nation since this nations inception, is slowly beginning to reveal itself. That myth which was taught to us by our mothers and fathers and and their parents and their parent's parents and all the way back. That terribly destructive and cancerous myth is now in serious jeopardy.

WALTER AND THE REST OF US

At@6:30 a.m. Tuesday morning February 20th, 1962, my eldest sister Melba(13 at that time) and I( age 11 photo on left) sat in our tiny home in Beaumont Texas before preparing for another school day. As we awaited the picture tube to warm up on the households only Philco black and white TV set , I fumbled around with the rabbit ears to try and ensure a fair reception. The occasion? Well we were awaiting to hear Walter Cronkite's CBS news broadcast from Cape Canaveral, Florida of John Glenn's historic space flight aboard the Frinedship 7 space ship(as it was called in those days). The flight as well as the entire mission went off flawlessly and we headed off walking the 2 miles to school on that cold February morning. Shortly after I arrived at my classroom I overheard my teacher and another one talking about that spaceflight in the hallway,"man was he really moving" said my teacher. "yep, 17,000 miles an hour is flying for sure", said the other teacher. And I wondered, how awesome it was for a human being to be able to travel that fast, to go completely around our whole wide world in a matter of a few minutes...Faster than it took for me to walk halfway back home..

Now you may or may not be wondering why I began this blog with this little personal story. If the former, then I want to say that I've been watching the television coverage on the death of Walter Cronkite the past several hours and it's occured to me after hearing thoughts and feelings from his friends and fellow journalists, that many of us common folk has some as well..

From those early broadcasts on the American space flights through the civil rights years, and the landing of the first humans on the moon, he was as much a part of my life as was that little old black and white tv set. A year and a half later on a rainy Friday morning on November 22nd 1963, us kids again were present in front of that tv set hearing Mr. Cronkite speak those searing words that our beloved President Kennedy had been shot and was now dead. I can hear to this day , that moment of utter silence and shock that filled our home followed by tears from my grandmother and other siblings as well as by me.

It was that well-known voice of authority and honesty that will always be a part of my life and of those souls who were fortunate enough to have been alive to spend some time with this great man. I wish to extend my condolences to his family and friends around the world. And I would love to hear from you, the common person, of your thoughts and feelings about a very loved human being.

If you were not privileged enough to have been around during his time, maybe you can share some feelings given to you by a parent or grandparent.

AND THAT'S THE WAY IT IS, JULY 18TH, 2009.

REGINALD

2012

2012 

2012

Digital Stuff

One of the last subjects(which I've termed 'thinking thoughts' )my late brother Harold and I discussed shortly before his passing in 1998 concerned this very medium we are using today. The internet, and all of that digital information floating around in what is known as cyberspace. I asked him one evening as we were sitting learning how to use the new pc and surf the web, Just where does all of that 'invisible' information go? Is it in the air all around us? What if we could somehow see it? What would it look like? Will it have some sort of impact on our lives in the future good or bad? We all know that it's there somewhere. Each time we use a cell /mobile phone, we add more of this invisible 'digital stuff' to our surroundings yet many of us are totally unaware of it's very existence. I must admit here that we came to no significant conclusions on any of this but the discussion was very insightful to say the least. If you may have some thoughts or ideas on this topic, I'd really appreciate hearing from you.
Reginald