by Rhombendodekaeder If I knew more about my mother I think I would not be so hard on myself. The little I know about my mother is based on her tough exterior. By tough, I mean her unwavering commitment to what she was doing, and the belief that the way she was doing it was […]
Of Tough Exteriors, Fear and Awareness … Read More »
We’re not encouraged to say, “I’m sorry,” in America, even when we are wrong, have made a mistake and our mistake has injured another, and or even ourselves.
I’m always taken with how much we often count the need to forgive ourselves for past mistakes when discussing those for whom we would do well to hold compassion.
It’s as if American societal beliefs hold to an erroneous myth that life can be somehow lived in a clear and uninterrupted straight line, that we can avoid any and all detours, those erected by others and those we might take should events become too complicated.
From where did we get this belief, never mind how faulty?
The degree to which we claim to be a progressive society
Of Myths, Beliefs and The Integrity of Our Intent … Read More »
Assisting our eight grader with her American History lessons has called me to revisit the United States’ Declaration of the Independence, of which the second paragraph states, “ … We hold these truths self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. …”
However well-meaning these men were in seeking freedom and independence from Great Britain, Parliament and King George III, their clarity and self-reflection on the truth of their words leaves much confusion in light of our nation’s history.
Besides being totally opposed to freedom for women and peoples of color, never mind the Native Americans from whom they usurped the land we now call the United States of America, these men, our founding fathers crafted this document, the basis for our government with a certain
Of History Lessons, The Pursuit of Happiness and Choice … Read More »
A major factor that distinguishes women from men is that women possess the ability to bear children.
Whether a woman chooses to exercise her ability to conceive and deliver a life into this world, this capability marks her life and the purposes of all women’s life and in living,
That modern medicine has enabled females to conceive and give birth by choice, and without the physical presence of a man, the path women travel stands farther than ever from the one males trod in bringing direction and attaching meaning to our living.
While some would have us believe differently, female human beings are neither
Of Women, Daughters, and The Ability to Bear Children… Read More »
Writing teacher and mentor, Clive Matson, always said that if a writer found her or himself wanting and/or needing to explain her or his story that the reader might gain the author’s intended message, the author needed to revise their story further.
Completing a manuscript requires more than simply writing the story, editing and revising it for clarity regarding grammar and typos, or even for development of plot.
Within each story or novel lives the narrative of that story, and how it came into being.
The author’s understanding and exploration of this process informs
Of Memoir, Climax, and “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”… Read More »
A beneficiary of the Civil Rights Era, I entered integration in third grade carrying with me the missive delivered to many middle-class African-American children around the country: “Integration [of schools] offers an opportunity to work even harder. You may sit next to white students, but you will need to prove yourself. You will need to work hard and be better at all that you do.”
While my mother and father loathed slothfulness and laziness, this missive added pressure to an already weighty responsibility.
The result has been that I, like many African-Americans of my age and social class are and continue to be over achievers.
The concept of always giving your
Of Alice Miller, Amy Chua, and Parenting as a Way of Growth and Transformation… Read More »
“Love is one long sweet dream and marriage is the alarm clock.” BLOOM OF LOVE on Twitter
When reading this on Twitter I immediately thought of how living so closely with someone, waking up to them next to you when your breath does not carry the aroma you would like to hit your nose, never mind that of another, their seeing you sick and the reverse, and their witnessing your various responses to life’s trials can and does reveal your inner core, the essence of your personality.
Yes, love by itself and unfettered by the commitment of marriage, “…for better for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health…and unto death…”
Of Love, Dreams and Waking Up… Read More »