Give Me One Reason to Stay Here.....

Summer 2003 in Amherst, Massachusetts

Give me one reason to stay here 
And I'll turn right back around 
Give me one reason to stay here 
And I'll turn right back around
Because I don't want leave you lonely
But you got to make me change my mind 

From "Give Me One Reason"  by Tracy Chapman

This morning, I was sitting in my favorite place on my street, Wholefoods, eating breakfast and reading a book, when the song "Give Me One Reason" by Tracy Chapman came on, and I started to reminisce about summer 2003 in Amherst, Massachusetts.

I loved being at Amherst College studying under one of the lead scholars against the death penalty, Austin Sarat. My days were filled with bike rides, seminars, field trips, bonding time, lots of walking, visits to a Quaker church, museums, plays etc. One of my most memorable summers EVER!!

There were about 15 people who participated in this seminar, and most of us stayed in a huge house with lots of rooms, and bathrooms, and a common kitchen, and living room area where we spent lots of time playing games, watching movies, and talking about everything under the sun.

A few of us decided that we would go and see Tracy Chapman in concert in a town near Amherst. I can't remember the name of the town right now, but I really loved that small town that had lots of trendy shops and restaurants, and it was accessible by bike from Amherst. So, I went there often.

The Night of the Concert!

The night of the concert, we went to that town and shopped and had dinner. I remember this feeling of total peace, happiness, and gratitude of being given the opportunity to spend six weeks in Massachusetts studying and bonding with some of the most interesting people.

Once we got to concert hall, Tracy Chapman was completely mind blowing, and I vividly remember this concert. But, Tracy singing "Give Me One Reason," stands out in my mind the most, and my love for this song intensified even more.

I bought her CD after that show, and I listened to Tracy Chapman over and over that summer.

So, being in Wholefoods this morning, I had loving feelings of summer of 2003......

After I finish writing this blog, I'm going to put on "Give Me One Reason" and dance, dance, dance and feel good!

Here is Tracy...

I Love This Girl!

Serena wins the 2013 French Open today!

Consistency and hard work ALWAYS pay off........

See the Venus and Serena documentary; It's quite awesome.

In The Body Of The World by Eve Ensler

Eve Ensler at the restaurant Busboy and Poet!

So, you know that I love to hear authors talk about their books. I will literally track all over the DC area to hear and see an author.

I have seen Nikki Giovanni so many times in DC, until she actually recognizes me now. I'm not a stalker or anything but......

I received an email that stated that Eve Ensler was going to be at Busboy and Poet in DC, on a Friday, at 6:30. If you live in DC, you know that the traffic is horrible at this time of day. But, I left work, went home briefly, and braved the DC traffic to see Eve, and I am so happy that I did.

Eve is the author of "The Vagina Monologues," and I absolutely loved it, and I was curious to hear her talk about her new book: In The Body OF The World.

In this book, Eve courageously talks about her battle with stage III/IV uterine cancer. God does have a sense of humor. Eve has spent quite a bit of her life talking and bringing to the forefront of the world's mind issues surrounding the female organs, and she gets uterine cancer. However, through her journey with cancer, she learns so much and is able to deal with her childhood, is able to connect her experiences with cancer to world events and the female body, and she also seemed to realize the essence of love:

"I love Jeanne and Alfonsine and Alisa, I love Christine and Dr. Mukwege. I love the women on Essence road who walk with two-hundred sacks tied to their foreheads. I love the women who sell charcoal and fish on the open road who dress in starched panges, so colorful they bring on the morning. I love the way they move and shout out and weep in sorrow. This is the big love. It has nothing to do with marriage or ownership or having and consuming. It is about showing up and forgetting, and keeping promises, about giving everything. No one is mine.........Love is something else, something rising and contagious and surprising. It isn't aware of itself. It isn't keeping track. It isn't something you sign up for. It's endless and generous and enveloping...." (P.128) 

I absolutely adored this book and how honest and open Eve is. This book shows that people can go through terrible childhoods, denial of their own bodies, hurt, rejection, drugs, rape, cancer, and still come out on the other side stronger and willing to help other people. I gathered through a class that I took with Iyanla Vanzant, that most of the things that we go through are not about us but about helping other people. Being authentic is awesome and healing for both the speaker and the listener, and Eve does a great job with authenticity.

Read this book and grow...

Eve is incredible!!!

My next read is non-other than Fifty Shades of Darker which is the second book in the Fifty Shades of Grey series. I've been doing some really heavy reading, and I need to lighten up some.

Make this day, your best day!

Children Need a Village!

Student with Angie!

One of our students absolutely love cycling, and you already know how I feel about my bicycle and cycling......

My co-worker, Angie, and I lovingly fight about this student. I think that he is my kid, and she thinks that he is her kid. However, he does not say anything as we are fighting, but he does look at us like "What is wrong with these ladies; I got a momma?"

So, this student wants to be on a racing team, and he needs $150.00 for the Kit. (A kit is a matching jersey and shorts with the team logo on it.)

Angie sent an email out to a few people in our school to let them know of the student's desire, and the student is going to be on that racing team with a brand new kit.

Children need a village, and this kid has one!

At a bike festival with his moms!

Please read this article about this awesome kid!

Alpha and Omega

Thanking God for summer today!

Disappointment is Part of Life!

Our best successes often come after our greatest disappointments.
Henry Ward Beecher 

Today, I am thinking a lot about disappointment.

It does not matter how old I get, disappointment still hurts like HELL. I must admit that before I read Daring Greatly, I would have never ever admitted that I was disappointed nor that it hurts like HELL, but it's a New Day!

I marched into work today, and I told one of my co-workers and friend that I am very disappointed, and I told her the entire story. Then, I sent a text to one of the people whom I know I can trust with my vulnerability, and I told her that I was disappointed, and I told her the exact same story that I told my co-worker and friend. The part that I did not tell is that it hurts like HELL. Yep, it sure does.

Nothing life-changing happened, but sometimes people severely disappoint us, and they do not even know it.  People are who they are, and I am who I am, and sometimes being us can disappoint people and cause great pain.

However, after every disappointment, something great always happens, so I have high hopes for tomorrow!

You know, the good thing about my pain is that it does not last as long as it use to, and I no longer think that the world is coming to an end because of a silly disappointment. Now, I just let myself feel the pain caused by disappointment, and I remind myself that I WILL be all right; THIS TOO WILL PASS!!!

Today, I was thinking about the book, The Giver, and how the people in this book did not have feelings. They did not know pain, joy, uncertainty, attachment, and TODAY, I think that it may not be so bad to be void of feelings with everything being predictable, because unpredictability can be disappointing and painful.

I have learned that it is our responsible how we receive things. So, I never, ever blame the person who disappointments me anymore. I know that it was ME who decided to receive disappointment and pain, and these emotions are just like happy and joy; Emotions and that's all........

Today, I receive it, acknowledge it, and accept it, because this is where growth takes place....

Yes, I will cry today if I get the chance, and then, I will move on.

Disappointment is part of life!

Keep on Keeping on, My People!!!

As I was writing this, I got a text from my sister, Tracy, that stated "Praying that you are having a great day!"

See how God works? He gives us just what we need when we need it..

I'm smiling and crying at the same time!

Joy and Pain; Sunshine and Rain......

Light in August by William Faulkner

William Faulkner

Ok, so I literally just finished reading Light in August, and you MUST read it.

I REALLY mean it....William Faulkner does a magnificent job of using character development to drive the plot of this story.

Soooooo, you can't be an English teacher or a student at any school and not hear the name William Faulkner. Many of his short stories are in textbooks, and most teachers love to teach his novels and short stories.

I feel the same way about Light in August as I do about Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison; I could teach either one of these novels for an entire year and still would not cover all of the things that I would want to. Such rich text!!!!!!!

Being from Mississippi, Faulkner has a great grasp of Southern living in the early 1900's, and he deals with complex themes, even the use of the "N," with such grace. Now, I know you are wondering how can someone use the "N" word with grace? Well, you need to read Light of August to find out.

In Light in August, there are quite a few characters and Faulkner develops each one of them completely. You can understand Joe Christmas, who thinks that he is biracial, once you read his life story. You have to love the minister, Hightower, once you understand his determination to stay in a place where he is shunned. You have to love Byron Bunch once you realize that he is consistent and persistent. And you must love, Lena, who travels from Alabama to Mississippi, from wagon to wagon, while in the final few months of pregnancy, in order to find "her" man. Oh, and there is no way that I could leave out the adorable old couple, Mr and Mrs. Hines, who are haunted forever by their past.

Faulkner takes all of these characters, and other characters, and tells all of their stories and then combines them to create a single story that will stay with you for quite awhile....

I must say that the writing in Light of August reminded me a lot of Song of Solomon, because both of these great authors can tell a whole lot of stories in one novel, tie them all together, and create a story that leaves the readers feeling completely...... (trying to think of a word!)......ANXIOUS.....(that's the word!)...... to read on!!!

Light in August is a great summer read.........

You will love it!

Be Blessed, My People

My next read is In The Body of the World by Eve Ensler.