“Wood Slave Is A Celebrity”

I wonder if Trinbagonians know that WOOD SLAVE is a celebrity in the USA… WOOD SLAVE is on the TV everyday in the Geico commercials.
As a child, I used to play with wood slaves. They were prevalent in every home in Trinidad and Tobago. Everyday, I would look up at the ceiling to see what they were up to. In most cases, they were hunting insects –crickets, spiders, moths etc. They are light on their feet when they are about to kill then in a flash they capture their victims. Sometimes in their excitement to do it, or when they are fighting with each other, they would fall from the ceiling to the floor. If they fall on their legs, they would scamper away. A piece of their tail might break off. The first time I saw that, I got upset, but my big brother said not to worry because it will grow back. When they fall on their backs, they die and that was sad… Today, wood slave is a celebrity… Nice.

“No Enlightenment”

The atmosphere doesn’t determine the attitudes of humans… Today is a nice sunny day… It’s not humid or cold… The breeze feels like the Trade winds. For a moment, I thought I was in Trinbago.
While I was walking, I needed directions, so I decided to ask a woman who was walking towards me. All I was able to say to her was, “Excuse me Miss, Do…”
“No! No! I don’t speak Spanish!” She exclaimed. I shook my head and continued walking… I met a man and he said the same thing to me… I did not say anything else to them because I wasn’t going to enlighten them… These two people looked at me and decided that I was Hispanic so today for a moment I was...

“The Year Is Skating By”

“Another school year is gone. The last day of school is here… I cannot believe that it is over… Before you know it, September will be here and another school year is going to start.”
“MOM!!!!!! YOU ARE A KILLJOY!” Shouted my daughter.
“I know that I am, but the year is skating by…”

“Salt Sugar”

They can both kill you. I ate salt in abundance… I remember when I was in elementary school some of us used to bring salt and pepper to school. After school was out for the day, we would pick some green mangoes or guavas and eat them with the pepper and salt… Just thinking about it… my mouth is watering… hmm…
Now sugar was another story… Oh my gosh that was worst than salt… It was exceed the stage of abundance… Every day something sweet had my taste buds salivating, but the thing that takes the cake is powdered milk and sugar… Oh how sweet thou art… BUT… Salt hardens your arteries, causes angina etc… Sugar messes with your immune system etc…

“Pouring Rain”

I don’t know what you are faced with as the day progresses, but I know what I am faced with. As the old folks say, “When it rains, it pours.” It is pouring in my garden… I can see a flood coming, but I can swim… Literally and figuratively, I can and I am swimming…
And I pray… Fear not, stand your ground and you will see the victory the LORD will win for you today. The LORD himself will fight for you; you have only to keep still… Amen and AMEN!

“A Day In The Life Of A Fool”

Another day, another story… My computer crashed, so what’s new in the life of a fool… The computer started up real good, then every thing went blank so I guess it fooled me… The good thing about all of this is that I know that it’s another chapter in my life and I am writing it… My life would be a story to be told…

“Listening To The Old Folks”

Her grandmother always gave her great advice so she said, “Grandma, I have a friend that I like a lot and I think he likes me. I went to lunch with him today and I had a great time.”
“Lunch means that he wants friendship.”
“But grandma, we went to lunch five times and he always pays for lunch.”
“It really doesn’t matter how many times he took you. He wants to be your friend… Don’t tell him how you feel. Let’s see if he takes you to dinner.”
“Dinner?”
“If he takes you to dinner… He wants intimacy.”

“Snakes”

One morning when I was leaving home to go to school, my mother said, “The front of the yard smells fresh. I think there are snakes around.”
My father said, “I saw some snake skins under two plant pots. We have to look out for snakes.”
Those words stayed with me all day at school and I was worried, because I don’t like snakes. When I got home from school, the fresh smell was still in the air. I asked my mother if they saw any snakes, but she said no.
Later that evening, I sat on the porch to do my homework. Halfway through it, at the corner of my eyes, I noticed the chain link fence that separated our yard from the neighbor’s was shaking. When I looked at the fence, I screamed out, “Daddy! Look how much snakes are coming down the fence!”. There were about twenty or more young snakes slithering down the fence...

“The Decision Makers In Her Life”

She was late for a meeting so she walked quickly down the corridor. As she got closer to the room where they were meeting, she heard snippets of the conversation. The women were discussing the food for a coming event that the group was having. She stood a few feet from the door to put her keys in her handbag. The president of the group said, “Belinda told me to put her down for the vegetable rice and potato salad.”
“No. I wanted to make that. Please, let me make it,” said one of the members.
“I already told her that she can bring those two dishes,” said the president.
“You could tell her that I am going to make it. She could make something else.”
“That’s true. Why don’t you put her down for honey bar-b-q wings or for decorations? We still need people to do those two items,” said another member.
“Okay. I will talk to her,” said the president.
“What nonsense,” Belinda whispered. She turned around, ran down the corridor and left the building. The weeks leading up to the get-together, she avoided everyone in the group. One day, she met the two decision makers. They said hello to her and they talked a little about this and that. she waited for them to say something about the get-together, but they didn’t. The night of the event, she walked in with a large dish of vegetable rice and a big bowl of potato salad. “Oh dear. I was trying to avoid this,” said the president.

“My Mother Is A Doctor” 3

My friend and I were walking and talking about the kind of day we had in school. The sun was shining brightly but a sudden shower of rain came pouring out of the clouds. There was no place to shelter from the rain so we continued walking. We were both dripping wet when we got to our prospective homes. My mom told me to get out of my wet clothes and to dry my hair. I did and I felt fine. Later that night, I started to feel very cold and I got under my cover, but I was trembling. My sister told my mother. She came to the bedroom and she touched my forehead. “You have ague… a very high fever. You need to sweat out that infection.”
My mother handed me a hot cup of cinnamon tea that was sweetened with brown sugar. She made sure I drank all of it then she told me to get back under the cover… I started to sweat and my clothes were becoming wet so I asked her to come out from under the cover.
She told me that I needed to stay a little longer. Eventually she changed my clothes and I felt cool… the fever was gone…

"Socks With Toes"

I don’t like socks with toes… Could you imagine one night you came home tired and you took off your socks and left them on the floor… you went to bed and fall asleep then you turn and opened your eyes… looked on the floor and you see toes… That is creepy.

“Teenage Years”

My daughter was just a baby, now she is a teenager… She used to say to her father and I … “Oh I want to be a teenager.” Now she is saying, “Mom you really don’t know how some teens behave.” I asked, “You don’t want to be a teenager anymore?” She said, “What can I do, I am already in it.”

“My Father”

Was a surveyor first, but had to change jobs because of the sun… He became an office worker and he planted a fruitful garden… There was always food on our table… Out of the 20 plus years I lived in his home he probably missed a meal with us 10 times… All our meals were taken at the dining table… When my big brother moved out, he had to come home every night for dinner.
My father made sure we all went to school… One thing he always said to my brothers… “Learn a trade.” What great foresight he had… Today a blue collar man, always have a job”… My Father passed on, but he left us a great legacy…

"Father's Day"

Happy Father’s Day to all fathers and to all the mothers who are doing double duty… Father/Mother…

“A Better Day”

I hope today is a better day for you, than yesterday…
The Desiderata(Written by Max Ehrmann --- 1872-1945) is playing on my mind… What great words of wisdom...
Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender… be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
Many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

“Think Of The Other Person”

The sun is shining but the weather is bleak. My day started off with out a hitch until I got to Flatbush Avenue…
The name should be changed from Flatbush Avenue to Flatbush Highway. Everyone drives on that road at a terrific speed. I was waiting for the lights to change to get to the other side. Some kids were also waiting on the light. They were talking, but I wasn’t listening to them. One of them suddenly dashed across the street, in front of two speeding cars, to the other side.
“Oh my God! Why did he do that!?”
His friends were cheering him on because he got there safely. Another one was getting ready to do the same thing. I looked at them and said, “Can I ask you all a question?” They all said yes. “Do you guys love your mothers or anyone in your family?” They were surprised at the question, but they all said yes. Then I said, “Do you know how heartbreaking it would be for them if you got hit by a car and died?” The lights changed, and I crossed the street. They all did the same thing…

“The First Shall Be Last”

The first shall be last so you know what happened to the last…
I was first in line to have my items cashed and I felt great that I was going to get out of the store very quickly. A woman was standing calmly awaiting her turn. While my items were being scanned, four other people stood on the line… The last person was complaining that she had to go to work, so please hurry. Two other persons agreed that the casher should be quick…
“I’ll try my best to be quick,” she said, and proceeded to scan my items. When she was finished, she told me to swipe my card and I did. It started to process, then the screen suddenly went blank… The casher tried rebooting the cash register, but nothing happened, so she called the manager. I had to wait for him. The people started to make a raucous, so another register was opened and I watched them all finished their transactions then leave… I was still waiting on the manager. Today was one day that I wished that I was last on line…

“My Mother Is A Doctor" 2

I wouldn’t change her for the world…
At a tender age, I suffered with bronchitis. When I coughed, my chest hurt and I become breathless. I hardly ate, and my body was a tiny frame. My mom would feed me a little soup every day… I was sure it tasted good, but my mouth had no taste… One night, I was coughing a lot and my mother’s assistant –my father, rubbed my chest, back, throat and the under my feet with Vicks. Then, he told me to put a little bit of Vicks in my nostrils, then a little bit on my tongue and swallow it… My mother dressed me in a flannel vest, my nightie and socks. I used to be very upset when I got this sick because I knew my mom was going to take me to the clinic. The medical practitioner at the clinic would give me the most horrible tasting cough syrup. I don’t know why they think that over sweetening medicine would make it taste better. Every time she came into the bedroom with the bottle of cough syrup, I complained… I felt a little better, but the tightness in my chest was still there, and I was still coughing. My mom said, “It’s been eight days since you have been sick. You haven’t eaten a proper meal since.”
“I am not feeling hungry.”
“The build up of mucus is causing you to feel this way. I want to give you a medicine that will make you feel better, but it taste horrible. Do you want it?”
I was tired of being sick, so I said, “Yes”
“It will make you vomit, but you will feel better after.”
“Would you stay with me when I start vomiting?”
“Yes. I would be right by your side.”
“I will drink it,” I said.
My mother went to the back of our house and she picked some leaves from a sirrio tree. I sat at the kitchen table and watched her wash the leaves, put them in a piece of brown cotton, rest it on the cutting board and pound it with a pestle. When she was finished, she squeezed the liquid out in a glass. It was dark green in color. She stirred in a little salt then handed me the glass.
“Drink all of it,” she said.
I did not wait; I drank it… It did taste horrible, and I felt nauseous. For more than an hour, I felt this way… Eventually, I felt like vomiting, so I ran to the bathroom… What came out of me was past horrible, but my mother stood next to me and she rubbed my back…When I was finished, I looked at her and smiled…
“How are you feeling?”
“I am feeling much better, but very hungry.”

“The Walk”

The road is long, steep and rough… There are many stumbling blocks at this juncture, but I am pressing on… Oh what a learning process it is.

“A Crazy Moment In Her Life”

She was five months pregnant and was heading to work. On he feet were 4 inches stiletto heels. She was making quick strides to get to the bus stop before it arrived. When she was about one block away, it pulled into the stop so she started. The driver saw her, and started to blow the horn motioning for her to stop running. She did and while walking she was thinking that this was a crazy moment in her life… She was pregnant and was running in stiletto heels. When she got on the bus, one woman said, “Are you crazy!”
“I am wondering the same thing,” said another woman. These two women set the stage for the other 10 women to berate her… All she said to them was, “You are all right.”

“Thanks For Accepting Me”

This weekend was the best weekend I spent for 2011… Everything that I asked for the LORD delivered and I say, "Thank you LORD for accepting me… Amen and AMEN!"

“If She Only Knew”

He decided that he was not going to do the things he used to do when a woman spoke to him in this way… She said, “I wish my man was like you.”
“Like me?”
“Yes. You are a nice person.”
He looked at his watch, then said, “Gina introduced us 55 minutes ago. You don’t know me.”
“It doesn’t take me long to encapsulate a person.” He was thinking that this woman is an oxford dictionary. She is eloquent and she fits the bill of the type of women he would sleep with then steer clear of. He was tired of living the life of a player.
“I looked at how gentlemanly you treated everyone who came to this soirée. You made sure all the guests were seated and had a drink. When the elderly woman walked in, you graciously gave her your arm to hold then you made sure she was seated comfortably… I heard you conversing with many people around the room… You are a great conversationalist.”
He remembered that he did see her standing at different areas of the room. A month ago, he would have enticed a woman like her into his bed. Tonight, he was turned off, but politely listened to her. At one point, he said to himself, “If she only knew the kind of man that he was, she would shut up and walk away.”

“The Man Women Want”

They were seated at the same table with two other couples. She was a very attractive woman and he felt his friend did well by seating them together. He wanted to know more about her, but he was cautious. For the past three years, he met women who trashed their ex. He listened to them, then, would eventually ask them, what kind of man they are looking for. They would go into details about the kind of man they want, so the next time they met him he would be that man…

“My Mother Is A Doctor”

I would not change her for all the tea in China…
It started with a sore throat and I did not tell my mother. I went to school and took a tin of strepsils. The moment your throat starts hurting, you know how often you swallow… I swallowed pretty often and the pain was excruciating so I sucked strepsils after strepsils. Eating was out of the question, so I missed breakfast and lunch. All during my classes, I felt sleepy and I couldn’t wait to go home and straight to bed. The moment I arrived home, I hit the bed. Sleep took over and I was dead to the world. My mother woke me up an hour later and asked me what was wrong because I never sleep during the day. I told her about my sore throat. She told me to sit on the bed then, she touched my throat on either side and said, “Open your mouth and stretch out your tongue.” I did and she looked into my mouth. “Your pallet is touching your tongue. (She meant my Uvula) I can fix it,” She said.
“Ok,” I said but I did not believe her.
She mixed salt and black pepper together, dipped some on the handle of a spoon, then told me to open my mouth wide and stretch out my tongue. I did and she touched my Uvula. I felt it moved and I started to cough, ran to the bathroom and spit in the sink. Then, I swallowed. The pain was gone and I started eating… Stay tuned for the next episode of “My Mother is a Doctor”

“Winter Spring Summer Fall”

Every time the weatherman said snow, I grumble. When he said it was going to warm up I felt great until he said that the temperature was going to drop, and to look out for black ice. It finally warmed up… Spring was here and I loved the weather then summer turned up in a flash… Hot, humid, muggy and sticky… Today is going to be one of those days. The temperature is going up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Oh gosh, from one extreme to the next so I am complaining… Could spring and fall be the weather all year round?

“He Was Into Himself”

I was just talking to my daughter about people who are narcissistic. She told me about an essay she read recently about a man who was into himself... Just like the dog and the bone…
He looked down into the water and he saw his reflection. In his heart he felt he looked more handsome than ever, so he kept looking. He fell in love with what he saw, bent over to look closer, fell into the water, and drowned.

“Another Scary Moment”

She worked late and her boss offered to send her home in a taxi, but she told him that she preferred to take the train. The train was across the street from her job and it would take her to New Jersey faster than a taxi. She left work at 11:00PM and had to wait half an hour for the train. The train ride was faster, but now that she was standing alone waiting on a taxi, reality hit her that this was not a good idea. A man walked by and he looked at her, making the situation more uncomfortable. She walked back into the station and looked through the window to the area where the bus stops. The moment a bus pulled into the station, she got on. There were about ten people on it and when she got to her destination, no one else got off. She was not sure if that was a good or bad thing. The street was dismal, and very quiet for a moment then, she heard footsteps behind her. Now she was petrified because the footsteps sounded closer. She crossed the street and the person crossed the street, so she started trotting. The person was trotting too. When she turned onto the walkway to her home… the footsteps faded, and she breathed a sigh of relief, but then she saw a shadow go by…

“His Mistake”

He looked at his ex-wife and she looked more beautiful than ever. She was having a conversation with a man who was giving her his undivided attention. She was doing the same thing for this man. He remembered when she gave him her undivided attention, but he ignored her as he gave all of his attention to her best friend. She came to him and begged him to come home, but he demanded that she signed the divorce papers and she tearfully did. Now he realized that her best friend only filled his plate with sex, lies, deceit and jealousy. The moment he saw his ex standing alone, he approached her. She smiled warmly at him and he looked at her sadly and said, “I made a mistake by divorcing you.”
“You just made a great mistake by saying that to me.”
The man came and stood beside her. She turned to him smiling sweetly. He in turn brushed a kiss on her cheek then whispered in her ears…

“Second Sleep”

I woke up this morning, but I was still feeling sleepy so I decided to take a five… the five turned into ten, twenty, thirty, forty… it actually ended two hours later and I woke up singing… Oh what a beautiful morning… Oh what a beautiful day… I have a beautiful feeling… Everything’s going my way…

“Every Day Could Be Like Today”

What A difference a day makes… Hot and humid yesterday… Today, bright sunny and a nice cool breeze... I wish everyday could be like today … Dream on… “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.”

"A Better Day Than Yesterday"

So many people are going through situations that are vexatious to the spirit.
“Thank God for making me see another day. I know what I am faced with so far as the day is progressing. I don't know what you are faced with but… I hope today is a better day than yesterday, for you…

“Violated”

I have to talk about this, because my mother is 86 years… just one year older. An 85 years woman was recently raped… I don’t know her, but it is heartbreaking. I could only imagine how violated and hurt this woman feels. Dear God, please give her the strength and courage to face the days ahead…