Boat Ride on the Potomac River; It Must Be Summer......

Happy Monday and Happy Summer!!!

The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley

It's been awhile since I've read The Autobiography of Malcolm X, so I decided to read it again.

First, I had forgotten that Malcolm wrote this book with the great Alex Haley, that author of Roots...

"In the aftermath of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, freelance writing offers for Haley began pouring in, and he could have easily lived out his lifelong dream of being a successful independent writer. Instead, Haley embarked on a hugely ambitious new project to trace and retell the story of his ancestors' journey from Africa to America as slaves, and then their rise from slavery to freedom. During a decade of research on three continents, Haley examined slave ship records at archives in the United States and England and traveled to Gambia, the home of his ancestors in West Africa. 

A review in The New York Times stated, "No other novelist or historian has provided such a shattering, human view of slavery," and the book went on to win the Pulitzer Prize. In 1977, ABC adapted Roots into a television miniseries that attracted a record-shattering 130 million viewers. Thirty-seven American cities declared January 23-30, the week the program aired, "Roots Week." http://www.biography.com/people/alex-haley-39420#the-autobiography-of-malcolm-x&awesm=~oI7fNfjc7MX2w5

I can vividly remember sitting in front of the television, as a kid, watching Roots. I credit Alex Haley as being the writer who made the idea of Africans being turned into slaves very really to me. I have not seen Roots in a very long time, and I can still remember Kunta Kinte refusing to call himself Toby..... Roots is very forever branded in my mind. AND TO THINK....

That this same great writer and historian, worked with Malcolm X to create The Autobiography of Malcolm X. What a powerful duo......

In The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Alex does a great job of telling Malcolm's story. At the end of the autobiography, Alex writes about the experience of working with Malcolm on this novel, and this part is just as captivating as the novel itself.

Here are some of my take aways from this read:

"So early in life, I had learned that if you want something out of life, you had better make some noise." (A man of understanding.)

"If they gave their brains in their heads just half as much attention as they do their hair, they would be a thousand times better off." (Insightful!)

"If you will take one step toward Allah (God) -Allah (God) will take two steps towards you." (Understands the role of faith.)

"In fact, up to then, I never had been so truly free in my life." (While in prison, Malcolm discovered that reading books is liberating!)

"I knew that she (Betty, Malcolm's wife) was a native of Detroit, and that she had been a student at Tuskegee Institute down in Alabama-an education major." (Malcolm was smart enough to pick a good woman: A Tuskegee woman.)

"From the time I entered prison until I married, about twelve years later, because of Mr. Muhammad's influence upon me, I had never touched a woman." (A strong and disciplined man.)

"No one has believed perfectly until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." (Not afraid and willing to help others.)

"No other woman was ever strong enough to point me in directions; I pointed women in directions. I had brought Ella (Malcolm's sister) into Islam, and now she was financing me to Mecca." (Respected a strong Black sister.)

"That morning was when I first began to reappraise the 'white man.' It was when I first began to perceive that 'white man,' as commonly used, means complexion only secondarily; primary it describes attitudes and actions." (Willing to change.)

My People, Malcolm is THE MAN!

Read, Read, and Reread this book.....

Malcolm X and Alex Haley together; it don't get much better!

I am going to start rereading The Power of Intention by Dr. Wayne Dyer; join me if you dare!!

Race #6: Brambleton Town Center Grand Prix

Race #6 was my best race so far....

I finished last, but this time I felt and rode stronger mainly because I have been done some hard core training. (Trust the Training!)

We got to the starting line, the whistle was blown, and we took off.

I was feeling great, but eventually got dropped by the pack, and I really could not figure out why....

Well, after the race, a lady and man from a different team came up to me and gave me some much needed advice and encouragement. They said that I was in the wrong gear; I need to stay in the drops more, and they also stated that they had been watching me for awhile, and that I was much stronger. (Grateful!)

After this advice and encouragement, I am soooo ready for my training this week.....

From this race I learned to stop looking to people for encouragement and advice who just aren't going to give it and to always have an open heart for learning, because we never know who God is going to use in order to help us grow.

Happy Monday, and Keep Learning!!!

Graduation 2014: To Many To Count....

Until the next time.......

Some of the Things I've Been Doing......

Cycling

Watching Others Cycle

Enjoying Friends

Taking a West Wing Tour of The White House

And Pondering Many Things

What have you been up to?

It's Time To Let Go!

Yesterday we had graduation practice. Everyone was in his/her place, and "Pomp and Circumstances" started playing, and we marched out of the auditorium.

As we were marching out, I was able to really look at the students. Most appeared happy and a few appeared subdued, and I was feeling extremely emotional. I was almost on the verge of tears, but I just would not allow them to fall.

I looked at these students, and I saw empty slates. Yea, I know that we are taught that no student is an empty slate; they all come to the table with something. But, as I looked at those kids yesterday, my mind went against all that I have been taught, and I saw empty slates.

I thought about the idea that as they leave this school and navigate through life, they nor us have no idea of what's ahead of them. Some of them have carefully planned their lives and others are going to see what happens. But, no one can predict exactly what will happen.

All of them will make mistakes and some will recover and go on, and others will make mistakes that may cause them to go on a different path, but most will recover. (Life can be so unpredictable but fair.)

This summer I will celebrate 25 years of being out of high school, and I think about my classmates and me. We all left high school and took different paths, but it's funny how we all seem to have ended up just where we were suppose to. I am sure that this will happen for all of the students that we release this year, and every year, into the wild; they will rely on their survival instincts and survive.

Leaving Land is scary, there are storms out there, but most will end up just where they are suppose to.

I truly hope that they appreciate and enjoy the journey!

Writing this, I feel much better about letting these students go.........

Dust On the Shoes by Patricia Barbee

Absolutely boring book...

I can find some enjoyment in almost every book, but not this one!

This book was written from the perspective of a 3rd person narrator. A 3rd person narrator is a person who is telling the story, but the person is not in the story. There are several different types of 3rd person narrative and my favorite is 3rd person omniscient. The 3rd person omniscient knows and shares everything, even a character's thoughts and feelings.

However, the narrator in Dust on the Shoes was 3rd person objective, and this type of narrator just tells the story. The reader never knows what the characters are thinking or feeling.

So, with Dust on the Shoes the reader is introduced to the characters, we find out a lot about them, but with no emotions at all. It would be like someone following me around and telling every part of my day: she got in the car, she started to car, she drove to work, she taught her classes etc.

Absolutely nothing happens in this story; there is no climax. Almost all stories have a conflict, and that is why we read them. But, in this story, even the conflicts are written with no feeling; therefore, they were not perceived as conflicts as all.

I got to the last page, and I am sure that the entire book did not download, because the book basically just ended.

So, even if you are bored and have nothing else to read, DON'T read this book.....

Happy Monday; This is my last full week of school!

HAPPY.

My next read is The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley.

Things I Should Have Told My Daughter by Pearl Cleage

I finished reading Things I Should Have Told My Daughter by Pearl Cleage, and I felt an urgent need to write.... so, here I am!

Pearl has basically published her personal journals from 1970 to the end of 1988, and I found her life to be completely fascinating...

I was first introduced to Pearl through her book What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day. I read this book, I believe back when I was living in Detroit, so that must have been over fifteen years ago.

I have been in books stores where Pearl have read from her books, answered questions, and signed her autograph, and she is quite fascinating to interact with.

Pearl and Me! I think that this was 2002

A dear soror and friend sent me a text about a week ago to ask me to attend her book club meeting where they would be discussing Things That I Should Have Told My Daughter. Well, you know that I checked my calender and instantly replied sure...

Reading this book, I had to get use to reading diary style writing, but once I got the hang of it, I really, really, really was intrigued by it.

Pearl has been living...

While reading her book I had lot of thoughts but two main thoughts:

1. I ain't been living...What am I waiting on?
2. Is there an happily ever after?

I ain't been living....

Pearl shows that she has always had a true commitment to writing. She has written speeches for public figures such as Maynard Jackson, former mayor of Atlanta. She has written plays, and many of her plays have been performed. She even worked on a film with Richard Pryor. She's been to some of the best concerts where performers such as Bob Marley performed. She's met Rap Brown, Muhammad Ali, Stokely Carmichael, Malcolm X, Dr, King, Coretta Scott King, Andy Young, Julian Bond, Coleman Young etc. And, her novel What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day was an Oprah Book Club Book...My People, I got to get busy!

Is there an happily ever after.....

I really am a sucker for love and happily ever after; I am! Pearl was married to a public figure, they had a child, and divorced. After the divorce, Pearl seemed to be in constant pursuit of true, safe love but was getting it from all the wrong places such as married men. As I was reading Pearl's thoughts on love, I thought a lot about if happily ever after really exists. It seemed like there would be no happily ever after for Pearl that involved love with a man. However, she met a friend in 1971, they shared a lot of common interests, and without realizing it, they fell in love, got married in 1994, and in Pearl's words "so far, so good!" So, maybe there is a such thing as an happily ever after.

I thoroughly enjoyed Pearl's journal, and I highly recommend it...

Pearl and her love!

Let's get busy living our lives and being in love!!!!

Happy Friday.

My next read is Dust on the Shoes by Patricia Barbee

If The President Has Time, We All Have Time...

A video of The President of the United States working out was leaked.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6p5nC_-ON8

I love a man who works hards, workouts, and doesn't complain.

If The President Has Time, We All Have Time.......

Happy Thursday!

Race #5: Ride Sally Ride

Race #5 was held in Sterling, Virginia, and it was called Ride Sally Ride....

It was fun. I'm feeling better. I'm doing better.

AND, I still have a long way to go....

But, I am having lots of FUN, and I am trying desperately to truly appreciate the journey to greatness.....

Do the things that you like to do often!