“Dogs”

I like some dogs, but some of them make me very uncomfortable. A slim woman was walking a pit bull. He looked heavy and mean. They were walking towards me and I was thinking, “Suppose this dog suddenly pull away from his owner and attack me?” I know he/she could take me down in a minute. I continued walking then breathed a sigh of relief when I was ignored. The next day, a man was walking his pit bull this one looked more vicious, so I crossed the street. A lady with a small dog (I think it was a Chihuahua) came out of a building. The Chihuahua started to bark loudly, and was trying to get at the pit bull. The man crossed the street, with his pit bull, as it started to become agitated. They ended up on the same side with me. I didn’t cross the street again, but my heart was going one mile per minute…

“The Man Who Sells Munchies”

“It might just be human nature… just a human being mean. On her way home from school there is a man who sells candy, chips, etc. One day she purchased a small container of Pringles chips and the man charged her one dollar. “Mom, my school sells this container of chips for 50 cents,” she said.
“So why did you buy it? Was it because you had the dollar?”
“No. I bought it because I like Pringles chips.”
Yesterday while she was coming home from school, she told me she wanted to buy a container of Pringles. I asked her if she noticed that many children walk by the munchies stand and they don’t stop. Let’s look and see how many children would stop to buy. We walked slowly towards the stand. All the children that walked by looked, but they kept on walking. Four children eventually stopped and he took up an item one of the children asked for. The child looked at the item then counted his money. He was short by 4 cents, so the man put back the item...
“Did you see that?” I asked.
“Let’s go home,” she said.

"The Well Dressed Man”

He came to my office and gave me a folder asking me very politely to research a medical procedure for him. This man was well dressed, so I assumed that he was in a managerial position. I was also new to the job, so I thought that it was part of my task. It took me two days to get the information and he thanked me for doing a great job, then, he handed me another folder to research. After the third task, I decided to speak to my boss. She indicated to me that he is a doctor’s assistant just as I am, and he is sneakily giving me the assignments his boss gave him. She also told me that I work for her and no one else, leave the folder on her desk and tell him to come to her office to retrieve it.”
He arrived the next day and I sent him to her office. After his meeting with my boss, all I said was, if looks could kill… I would be dead!

"My Winnings"

I just got a phone call. The caller said that I have been selected as one of their sweepstakes's winners. "No purchase necessary, but do I have a Visa or MasterCard credit card." I told him I don't. Then he asked, "Do you have a debit card with the Visa or MasterCard logo on it?" I told him no, so he hung up... There go my winnings.

“Cookies For Twenty-five Cents”

“How could you look into a child’s eyes and refuse him/her food?”
My son’s first grade teacher sent a note stating that she was going to give cookies to her class. The students had to bring in 25 cents every Monday, and she would give them 2 cookies per day. I always put the money in an envelope, write my son’s and his teacher’s names on it and what the money is for. Two weeks went by and every thing was going smoothly with the exchange of money for cookies. One day, when I picked up my son, he looked stressed. I asked him what was going on. He said every thing was fine. The next day, he looked the same and the day after he broke down in tears, because I insisted that he tell me why he was upset. He said that his teacher gave everyone in his class cookies and she did not give him any for the week. He also told me that he gave her the envelope with the money. Thursday morning, I put three cookies along with his sandwich and juice in his lunch box. Later that day, I paid a visit to his teacher. I relayed his story to her, and she told me that he did not give her the money. She turned and asked him what he did with it. He told her that he gave it to her, and she put it under the mat she had on her desk. She lifted the mat, and there was the envelope with the 25 cents…

"A Question About Dying

Someone sent me a request asking if I want to know when I would die… I clicked yes, but it was my intent to ignore this request. I am not concerned or interested in finding out about dying. At this moment my concerns are about doing the things I set out to do for my future. God, already set my future. I know he paved the road that I am walking. My history cannot be altered, but I could forget about it. This is my future, and I am living each day, loving the people close to me and doing the things I love to do… PRAISING GOD, and WRITING.

“His Sister… Hmm”

There was no apparent reason to go to his apartment because he was at work, but since he gave her a key, she decided to surprise him with dinner. As she shopped, she felt excited to see the look on his face when he arrives home. When she arrived at his home and opened the door, she heard his voice. She put the bags in the kitchen then walked to the bedroom, and called his name. Standing in the bedroom was a beautiful woman, dressed in sexy lingerie. He was lying on the bed exposed, looking bothered to see her.
“Who is she?” asked the woman angrily and she looked as though she was about to pounce on her.
Shocked but yet poised she said, “No… no I’m so sorry. I am his sister and I came to bring the things he asked me to get at the grocery. I’m leaving now”. She walked out of the apartment feeling very hurt but thinking realistically… she whispered. “I don’t know how it happens to me… Why it happens to me… some people would say that I was at the right place, but at the wrong time. I know I was at the right place at the right time… I’ve got a flair for adventure, and the flair, to embrace the truth."

"The Devious Look.”

Rita and Cheryl worked with the same company and every time their paths crossed Cheryl grinned deviously. Rita always smiled, but would ask her what’s so funny. Cheryl always shakes her head, keep smiling then walk away. This went on for many months, causing Rita to feel very uneasy. It was as though this woman knew something about her. Rita knew that she did not have any skeletons in the closet, so she wasn’t worried. The only situation she had going on at that time was the hope for a better relationship. The one she was in had gone sour, and she wanted to end it; she was hoping and praying for the right reason to get out. All her family and friends believed that Raymond her boyfriend, was the best thing that had happened to her. When they were in the company of friends and relatives, he lavished his attention on her. She always took it all in, with a smile, not wanting to burst his bubble. Months later, the opportunity to walk away came like a thief in the night. During her lunch break, she left the office and decided to take a walk. Her walked took her to a street she never walked on. There were many stores, and she decided to go into a dress shop. While browsing, she heard Cheryl’s voice so she looked in that direction. Cheryl was talking and smiling happily at Raymond. He was sitting, smiling at her while she models a dress for him.

“His Teacher Shouts”

My son told me his teacher doesn’t like him. I told him he is not in her class for her to like him, he is in her class for her to teach him. He said, “She shouts too much. You and dad don’t shout at me.”
“We could practice, if that would make you feel better,” I said then I started to laugh. “Mom, that’s not funny.”
I told him he was right, then I asked, if he wanted me to speak to his teacher, but he told me no. I contemplated about what he said. This teacher had a class of 30 students and I know that it is sometimes difficult to deal with one child, so 30 children, is another story. The other thing I thought about is his age. I felt since he was the youngest (4yrs) in his kindergarten class, he would feel a bit anxious because the other students were all 5. I told him that he needs to listen attentively and do not speak to any of his classmates during class. He agreed. I did not hear any more complaints, but I paid a surprised visit to his school. Before I entered the class, I stood at the door and looked to see what he was doing. He was copying work from the board in his notebook. His classmates brought his attention to me and he smiled in his little shy way and whispered, “mom.” I smiled then his teacher and I spoke. She reassured me that he was a good student and is doing well.
On the last week of school, the teacher requested a meeting with me. I was worried because this was final report, and moving up to the next grade. The moment I walked into the class, I saw a sad look on my son’s face. My heart started to palpitate and I asked why he looked so sad. His teacher told me that she just told him, that he is not moving up to 1st grade. I looked at his flushed face and I wanted to scream at her but I listened. She said that she reassured him that he is smart, but he is young and would not be able to compete with the other students. I reminded her that he would be five, but she insisted that the children would be six and much bigger than he is. I wanted to lash out but I told her okay. Then she said you know he is a good child? I told her, “I know that, you don’t have to remind me!” My intonation of those words brought on an uncomfortable moment, and I stood quietly looking at her. She then summarized her point and I told her have a nice day. I finally believed that my son was telling me the truth about her. I went to the vice principal’s office. She was in charge of kindergarten through second grades. The moment I walked in she said, “Your son is doing great. We are not giving out report cards yet, but look at his… he had perfect scores on all subjects. Then I mentioned to her what the teacher told me. She said that she tested his class, he reads above his grade and she is going to place him in a gifted class…

“fOoLiSh ThInGs Us PaReNtS dO” 4

I was waiting on my turn to use the ATM in a bank. All the machines were being used. A little girl about seven or eight was walking around haphazardly. She eventually stood next to a woman who was using one of the machines. The woman was concentrating on what she was doing, and she didn’t notice the child looking at her every action. When she saw the child she said, “Excuse me, please move.” The child made no attempt to move she just kept staring at the woman, who looked shocked. A woman behind me said, “Who is this child’s mother?” No one answered and she asked the question again. Still no one answered. The woman stepped out from behind me, pointed at the child and said, “Get your little ass from there. You are too damn nosy.” “Don’t speak to my child like that!” shouted a woman. “I will speak to her like that. She has no manners. You saw your child being a nuisance and you stood there, ignored that fact. You have no decorum… no class what-so-ever!” she shouted while walking towards the woman. The woman was trying to move away then she grabbed her daughter’s hand and walked quickly out of the bank. Some people were commenting and some were laughing. It was a funny yet serious situation. Many people were making comments. One person suggested that the woman probably put her daughter up to it so she could get someone's account information.

“D~~I~~A~~L~~U~~P”

For the past few days, I stepped back in time… Way back in time… My refrigerator was not working. It really did not stress me out because I had a huge icebox, so I was able to keep the cold items at the right temperature… The stress of this back in time moment was my high speed Internet. It was off and my online service gave me dial-up until they could restore my service. You talk about stress… hmm. When I log on, I had to wait 10 minutes for the page to load. I started emailing some pictures. One picture took 6 minutes to load. The second picture got timed out before it could load, so I had to start the process all over again. It took me three and a half hours to send 15 emails…
To all my followers, I am so sorry I did not blog, but I am back…

“Mind Control”

He spoke with authority and she agrees with every thing that he says. Her children, takes second fiddle to him. What ever he says goes. He is the king in their home… a dominating and abusive man. He dishes it out, physically and mentally. I am her friend, watching from a distance. As a teenager, she was a gentle spirited person, yet she had a mind of her own, but today the king is in charge of it. Her king is a liar, a thief and a tyrant. I also have to say he is ignorant… and what is ignorance? hmm… bliss to a fool! I watch him walk and speak with clout and I know he feels blissful. This fool is laying the gravel on the road to misery and she is helping him pave it. Mind control works on people who don’t think.

“My First Day and Sleeping Is For The Night”

I remember it. Little, me heading to school dressed in my uniform. It was a dark red pleated skirt with a cream shirt. I had a First Primer West Indian Reader, a copybook and a pencil in my dark brown book-bag. I had three sisters and one brother who attended the school. They were in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th, grades respectively. On the first day, they walked with me to school. I was feeling anxious but was happy. We arrived at school and we joined the lines in the back yard. One of my sisters told me to start running home the moment my class was out for lunch. My other sisters and brother agreed with her then they all went to join their lines. We all repeated the prayer that was said by one of the teachers. The principal told us we have to learn the prayer and a hymn. When we got to class I looked at all the faces but they were all strangers, so I did not speak to anyone. The only time I spoke was the moment my teacher pointed at me to say my name. My voice trembled, but I said it. Most of the people looked at me as though I had a stupid name. One girl smiled at me and I smiled. During recess she spoke to me and I thought she was funny. We became friends and we are still friends 45 years later. The morning went well. Our teacher read a story and we did writing and Arithmetic. At lunch time the teacher reiterated what my sister said about running home. I started running not realizing why it was important, until the bigger children caught up to us. They got out of school fifteen minutes after we did and they were like giants. It was scary and I stood up while they zoom passed me. I felt better when one of my sisters came up to me. She held my hand and we ran together. What I did not like about the early school years was nap-time. I believe that sleeping is for the night and not the day. If I fall asleep during the day I wake up feeling stupid and when I realize it’s not the next day I feel more depressed. I hate going to sleep and waking the same day. Daytime should be spent doing something meaningful. I promised myself when I was a teenager, if I ever had children, I would never make them sleep during the day. I found a preschool for my son and was happy that the principal agreed with me. When most of the children in her school were asleep, she gave him class work, or he read books and played educational games. My daughter followed in her brother's footsteps. Now they are teenagers and they believe as I do… Sleeping is for the night.

“A Name”

You hear the name and you wonder should I laugh, or should I cry. The questions flows through your mind: Didn’t his/her parents/caregiver love them? Did love conceive the child? How could you look at an innocent baby and call him/her that? Remember there is something noteworthy about a name. The meaning and the intonation of the name, tell the story.

“Some Teachers Care Some Don’t”

A teacher spends more time with your child than you do when school is in session. The power is in their hands to steer your child on the road to success or they could leave them standing at the crossroad… They could fail your child… Pray that this year you get a teacher who is a first class educator, counselor, motivator and caregiver. If you get that package, your child would be on the road to brilliance…

“The Sneaky Smiles.”

Our staff meeting started and one of the workers, who was an acquaintance of mine, handed out copies of her presentation. I started reading it then I looked at her with eyes wide opened. She gave me a sneaky smile, while she spoke with eloquence. Our boss was shaking his head as though he was impressed. I was flabbergasted and my emotions were going to get the better of me, but I took some deep breaths. At one point, I couldn’t listen to any more and I wanted to walk out. Our boss raised his hand stopping her. He told her to give two or more courses of action. She stood there dumbfounded. “You want funding for your idea, but you cannot show the comparison between the costs, and the outcomes? I am going to give you an hour to come back with something worthwhile.” I stood up and informed him that I could make an effective comparison of the cost and the revenue that can be generated from it. He told me to go ahead. I smiled sneakily at her to let her know that I did not tell her all of the details of my proposal. When I was finished, he looked at her. “I don’t want you in charge of this project." He turned to me. “You are in charge, bring your folder and come to my office.”

“The Truth”

I got a phone call from a friend who was having a situation with her daughter. She believed her daughter was not telling her the truth, although she claims to be a Christian. I told her to tell her daughter, ‘I am using God as the mediator’… then ask her the question. She did and her daughter said, ‘You are something else, why do you have to bring God in this?’ Then she hung up the phone… My friend told me that was the fastest answer to a question she ever got from her daughter.