“Life Is Like A Game”

It was very hard for Grace to leave the home she grew up in, but she did. At college, she met her husband and he was a great conversationalist. After talking with him, there is always something that is worth taking note of. One of his statements; “Life is like a game of drafts. When you are looking at the game as it is being played, you see all the moves, but when you are playing, you don’t see the moves.”
Listening to that statement and playing it around and around in her head opened her eyes to reality. The people she grew up with mentally mistreated her, but she did not see it while she was living with them...

"Independence Day"

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO ALL TRINBAGONIANS... MAY GOD’S GRACE PROTECTION, AND EVERLOVING PRESENCE SHINE ON US DAY BY DAY...

“Hope”

A child lives with hope…
Hoping that the next time you would treat him/her better than you did before… so he/she comes into your circle once more, with great expectation…

KINDNESS has to be within for you to dish it out…

“Kids Say It At The Wrong Time”

I was standing on line with my son and daughter to ask a woman, who looked standoffish, a question. She started to berate a man, who calmly stood listening to her. My son said to his sister, “Don’t you find that she looks like a turkey that is looking up at the rain?” My daughter started to laugh and I smiled. My son had a “matter-of-fact” look on his face… His expression brought on more fits of laughter from my daughter and I started to giggle. The woman at the counter said, “Next!” I took a deep breath, willing myself to keep a straight-face, as I stood in front of her…

“Irene Was Here”

She was here with pouring rain… I didn’t hear the thunder or see the lightening… I fell asleep. When I woke up this morning and I looked through the windows, all the trees are still standing and everything looks clean. My neighborhood seems to be intact. I know if I take a walk through it, a different story will be told…

“Hurricane Irene”

It is calm… The sky is gray… It is raining… and it is humid… This is what the day feels and looks like today, but tomorrow is another story… Hurricane Irene… She is expected to arrive in New York by 8AM in the morning…

“Hurricane Tempest Cyclone”

They are calling Irene a hurricane, but the way she is looking coming up the coast, 430 miles wide… packing winds of more than 160 miles an hour… hmm. She should be called Tempest… nah Cyclone because she is coming with great force…
I am getting prepared for the Tempest – Flash light, water, food, get set go bag and I am praying like I never prayed before… But one thing is missing – A PITCHOIL LAMP!

"Pray For Trinidad & Tobago"

To all Trinbagonians in this trying time... Pray like you never prayed before....
Steady my footsteps because of your promise and let no iniquity rule over me. Psalm 119:133

“A Funny Moment”

“Who’s going to do the dishes,” I asked
“Not me, but Susan is,” said Peter.
“Why does he always have to call my name?”
“Is it because he always washes the dishes?’
“I wash the dishes too.”
“You hardly do.”
“Mom, I am going to press charges because you guys always team up against me…”
“What!”
“I am calling dad.”

"Earthquake In New York"

I was sitting at my desk, on the computer then my desk started to shake. My children were the first ones to bring my attention to it. Every thing was shaking so we started to head for the front door to stand under the doorframe. It was shaking and shaking... The neighbors all came out… then it stopped… The news report said it measured 5.9 and the center was in Virginia….

“No Respect For Curiosity”

He knew what curiosity did to the cat, but he did not care because he needed to know if she was cheating on him. After she left the house, he got in his car and he followed her. Thirty-five minutes later, she stopped in front of Lester’s (his best friend) home got out of her car and rang the doorbell.
Lester opened the door and greeted her the same way he usually did… with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She walked in and Lester closed the door.
He parked his car, walked quietly to a window and looked in, but he did not see anyone, so he walked to the back door. The door was slightly ajar and he walked up to it. He heard voices, but he couldn’t hear clearly, so he moved closer. Suddenly the door opened and Lester’s daughter screamed, “Uncle Mike, you scared me!”
“I am so sorry,” he said and stood there feeling like a cent as his wife, Lester’s wife and his mother stared at him…

“The Saddest Poem I Ever Read”

In elementary school, there was always a sad story/poem, in our reading books. We all read the stories or recited the poems when our teachers told us too. The saddest poem I ever read;

THE SANDS OF DEE BY CHARLES KINGSLEY
‘O Mary, go and call the cattle home,
And call the cattle home,
And call the cattle home,
Across the sands of Dee.’
The western wind was wild and dark with foam,
And all alone went she.

The western tide crept up along the sand,
And o’er and o’er the sand,
And round and round the sand,
As far as eye could see.
The rolling mist came down and hid the land:
And never home came she.

‘O is it weed, or fish, or floating hair—
A tress of golden hair,
A drownèd maiden’s hair,
Above the nets at sea?’
Was never salmon yet that shone so fair
Among the stakes of Dee.

They row’d her in across the rolling foam,
The cruel crawling foam,
The cruel hungry foam,
To her grave beside the sea.
But still the boatmen hear her call the cattle home,
Across the sands of Dee.

“Electric Shock”

The last time I got an electrical shock, I was about 16 yrs. I was fixing a plug... cut the wires and put it around a screw, but I was in a hurry and I did not do it right… When I plugged it in the outlet… a big spark and zzzzzzzz… Shock… Scream!!!
The second shock in my life happened last night… One of the bulbs blew in the refrigerator about a week ago. A replacement bulb was purchased, but it was put on the kitchen counter then it ended up on top of the fridge… hmm.
Last night, I made a jug of ice tea. As I was about to put it in the fridge, my hand hit the edge of the shelf and some spilled. I started to clean up the spill and as I wiped the spot for the bulb… zzzzzzzz… shock… Scream!!!

“Movie Night”

My son insisted that his father and I watch a movie that he said was good. If I looked at 30 minutes of the movie I saw a lot... Machete! And that is all I am going to say about that movie.

“Lie Versus Truth”

It is easier for someone to believe a lie about you than the truth…

“Every Elderly Trinbagonian Was A Doctor”

When I was growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, every elderly woman/man was a doctor… I listened to my mother talking to the neighbor. The neighbor was telling her that she was going to the doctor because she was having; headaches, blurred vision and dizziness.
“Girl you don’t have to go to the doctor for that… You have high blood pressure. Cut down on salt.”
She told her she did cut down on salt but it did not help... "My head still hurts and my vision is still blurred."
Get some Bois Canon –Bwah-kah-no leaves boil them and drink a cup of it for nine days… Come and tell me how you feel after.”
The neighbor turned back and went under the Bwah-kah-no tree and she picked up some leaves… Two days after, she started drinking it she came to my mother and told her that she was feeling better than ever...

“The Sunset Hits The Flower”

At the end of the road, there were 3 red and yellow poles. After the poles, there was a slight grassy incline that led to a swamp. During the dry season, a part of the swamp dries up and we played on it. There were plants, guppies, little conch, tadpoles, etc., in the swamp. If you stand on the road and look straight ahead, all you could see were the green plants, a road in the distance then the horizon. The plants started blooming purple lilies that had a tinge of yellow. At a certain time of the year, you could see hundreds of black birds nesting in the swamp. It was a nice scenic view then an extra ordinary event took place in the middle of the swamp. A large taller green plant sprung up. Weeks later, it blooms a bright red flower… The sunset hits the flower and the gentle breeze blowing it… Aflame!

“Noteworthy Statements”

Two young men, from two different cultures, made two noteworthy statements.
The first young man helped his mother while she was being mugged. He overpowered the mugger and the police was able to apprehend the thug… He was told that he was a hero. He said, “I did what any child would do if he/she loved their mother... That doesn’t make me a hero.”
The second young man saved someone from drowning.
“You are a hero,” said the reporter.
He said, “Why am I a hero? All I did was save one person from drowning… I did not save the world”…

“Children By Themselves In Stores”

I would always talk about this every time I see it because no one is safe, especially children… Last weekend, I was out shopping and I was astounded by the way some mothers/fathers leave their children by themselves in the store… This was the trend in every store I went too. Some of the children were as young as 4 years old. These children were either touching items or just playing between the clothes… I was thinking that these parents did not hear about the child that was recently sexually abused, in a store…

“This Sunday”

What can I say about this Sunday? It’s the first day of the week… Yes but it’s a rainy, lightening flashing, thunderous morning in New York... I had a hearty breakfast ... All I am going to say about this day is, "Thank God for making me see it”....

“A Piece Of The Action”

Most women see the man and they don’t like him and wouldn’t date him for so many reasons… He is a bit overweight, not good-looking, the wrong complexion, doesn’t have the right job, not a lot of money, not a debonair dresser, not very perceptive, and so forth and so fifths… The moment their friend starts dating him, and they see their friend blooming in love and intimacy, the man becomes attractive to them… They are now trying their best to get a piece of that action… hmm.

“Under The Tree In Trinbago”

I woke up this morning with my mind far away… This morning feels and looks like a morning in Trinbago.
One morning just like this, my teacher had a brilliant idea. She said, “We are going to sit under the tree. Form two lines, the boys in one line and the girls in the other. One of the boys, bring my chair.” An argument started because all the boys wanted to carry the chair. Tugging and pulling of the chair started. "Oh drama!" I think teachers know that situations like these would ensue but they love to create them.
After she broke-up the situation and indicated who should carry her chair, she started singing and we joined in… “The grand old duke of York~ He had ten thousand men"~ We sat under the tree and it was a morning of story telling… everyone had something to say… when I started my story, everyone was asking me if it was true…

“Work Done Is Task Delivered… You Pay”

Jeff did a job for a wealthy man and he charged him eighty dollars. After the man checked that everything was working perfectly, he told him that he was going to the bank to get the money. The man left and his father offered Jeff a seat, so he sat reading a book while the father looked at the television. An hour went by, and the man did not return, so Jeff said to the father, “Where is your son? He needs to pay me so I could be on my way.”
The father phoned the son then hung up… “My son said that he is sorry, but he had to take care of another situation and he would appreciate it if you can comes back tomorrow for the money.”
“Listen to me, you call him and tell him that he read the contract and it states, ‘Work done is task delivered… You pay’!”
“I will pay you!” The father shouted in an angry tone, dug his hand in his pocket, took out his wallet and shoved the money at Jeff...

“Cheating Rejuvenates Him”

He dated Margo when he was in his mid-thirties. She enticed him and stroked his intellect, but he was not the marrying kind. Their relationship ended because she found out about the two women he was involved with. One of them had a daughter for him and the other was about to give birth. He felt hurt that she did not believe that he had her down as the number one woman in his life. Twenty-five years later at sixty, he has never been married, but was living with a woman named Christine, and he was having a rendezvous with another woman. It was amazing to him that at his age he still felt vigorous. He knew that his lifestyle was the cause of this so he had no intentions of changing.
A friend told him that he saw Margo and she looks more beautiful that ever. He felt anxious to see her and when he did, it triggered feelings that he thought were died. They started a liaison and he felt that it was easy for him to do it because they both lived in different countries. Late one night, he was conversing with Margo on the phone. For a moment he got absorbed by the deep intimate flow of their conversation and he asked her to marry him. She accepted his proposal and he was blinded by his feelings that he told her he was coming on a vacation, with a ring… When he hung up the phone and turned around, Christine was leaning on the doorframe.
“You are going on vacation where, and who is the ring for?” she asked…

“Scary Times”

So much is going on in the world… If you listen to the news, you would not leave your home… All over the world, we are living in scary times… Gone were the days when we only had to worry about Lugarhoos –werewolves, Douens –Spirits, La diablesse –Witches, etc…

“The Fool And His Money”

A client walked into his office and paid him one thousand dollars. He decided that he was keeping the money to himself, because if he gave it to his wife she would spend it. Although she tells him what she does with the money, he did not believe her, and he felt that some of her spending was un-necessary. After writing a receipt for the money and the client left, his mind was roaming with ideas about what to do with, the ten one hundred dollar bills. One of the things he decided to do was to hide it from his wife. He knew if he put it in the bank, she would find out. At the moment, he couldn’t think of a place to hide it, so he took off his shoes and placed five hundred dollars in each. He put on his shoes, tied the laces, then he went to check on his staff to make sure that they were all doing their tasks. Some were having problems, so he helped correct them. His day was filled with many situations and most of them were spent on his feet… walking. When he got home and sat down, he started to tell his wife about his day. She sat on the floor and proceeded to take off his shoes… He did not remember the money that was in his shoes.
She took off one side of his shoes and socks. The sole of the sock was green and there were small pieces of green paper in the shoe… After she took off the other side, she asked, “Why, are there green pieces of paper in your shoes?”…

“The Jones”

You want to live like Mister and Mistress Jones, but Mister and Mistress Jones don’t give a damn about you!

“Pop-Ups”

You log on online to do a search and here comes the pop ups… You win a this… You win a that… All you won is a virus…

Trying To Build Rome”

All day I have been trying to build Rome, by doing this and that and the other... Just realized that Rome wasn't built in a day... Thank God I figured that out at 9:30PM...

“The Tree On 7th Street”

I love trees and this tree was the best tree I have ever seen, since I was a child. It stood more than one hundred feet tall. The branches spread out as though it was saying, “Hallelujah… I am the tallest tree in the neighborhood, not just the neighborhood, but the tallest tree in Point Fortin.” The tree was a landmark. Ships used it to guide them as they dock, at the Point Fortin Jetty. I walked by the tree on many occasions… At times, I stood under it and look up. All I saw were branches and leaves. I couldn’t see the sky. I migrated to the US leaving lots of important people and things behind… the tree was one of the important things… One day, my mom phoned me and she said, “You wouldn’t believe what just happened?”
“What happened?” I asked feeling a bit apprehensive.
“Your father and I, was sitting on the porch talking when we suddenly heard a loud lingering cry… It was going on and on. I asked him, what was that piteous cry? He said that it sounds as though a tree is about to fall.”
“Oh! No! Mom! Not the tree on 7th Street!”
“Yes. We just heard the loud crash…

“Secrets Hurt So Bad”

Secrets are nourished by lies… In order to make sure it remains a secret, you have to lie. ‘I don’t know’, is one of the nourishment for the secret.
I met a man who told me that for many years he believed that the woman he grew up with was his mother and her children were his siblings. He eventually found out that one of his so-called sisters was actually his mother.
When his mother got pregnant with him, she was sent away to the country to have the baby. When she returned with him, his grandparents told her that she must tell everyone that he was her brother and she was never to mention his father. His father didn’t even know he had a son.
Twenty-two years later, he met his father, but he didn’t know that the man was… His father was also his girlfriend’s father.
Secrets hurt so bad… especially when they become overt…

“You Did Not Try Your Best”

You have a talent… a dream… your passion. It is your gift from God. He makes no mistake when he gives it to you. He implants it deep within your heart, mind and soul so the drive is there for you to accomplish it.
The moment you start working on fulfilling your dream, fear and doubt step in. Humans, energizes those two evils… When they cross your path, they try their best to convince you that what you are doing is a waste of time.
Many of them will ask, “What makes you think that you can do it?” Some will list out reasons why you shouldn’t do it. To make sure you don’t do it they will point you in the direction of his/her or someone else’s dreams.
In-the-meantime you think that you are trying your best to fulfill it, but failure touches everything you try… Now this failure is energized by these humans…
BUT REMEMBER, YOU DID NOT TRY YOUR BEST!!!!!

“The Married Man With The Happy Smile”

The moment Louise saw him she did not like him, because of his happy smile… It was creepy. He was married and he attended church with his wife. His wife sits on one side of the church, and he on the other. Louise asked about this, and he said that he prefers it that way.
His wife was pleasant, yet she always seems uncomfortable when Louise was around. Many people told Louise that the man likes her and they believed that his wife knows. Louise tries her best to make her feel comfortable, but she avoids the husband.
The church’s pastor asked Louise to head a committee and she accepted. She picked some people to help, deliberately passing-over the man. The man kept asking to be a member of the group, but Louise was adamant that there were no more spaces available. He complained to the pastor who called Louise letting her know that he added the man to the group. She felt cornered and had no choice, but to communicate with him. He called her home on different occasions regarding the group’s business. After he talked about the group, he would ask a personal question in a clever way. She in turn would answer him imprecisely, then ended the conversation… He recently started to call her home everyday and she did not answer his calls. During one of the church services, she went to use the restroom. After she was finished and she stepped out of the restroom, the married man was standing outside the door with a happy smile on his face…

“The Breath Of Life”

God blew a breath of air into my nostrils… I took a deep breath and I cried from the joy of it… I am thankful to God for blessing me with the breath of life to celebrate another birthday.

“An Ugly Disposition”

Not because you have an ugly disposition, you have to act the part. This morning, I was walking with my daughter to the bus stop. We were having a great conversation and she asked me to ride the bus with her. I found a metro card in my purse and also some change just in case the card had no money. We boarded the bus around 8:10 at Beverly and Flatbush. She was heading to Brooklyn College for her classes, so she paid with her bus-pass and I tried to pay with my metrocard. There were no rides on it, so I said that I will pay with cash. I opened my purse, then I realized my daughter was sitting and talking to her friend, so I decided to get of the bus. As I was about to get off, the driver closed the door.
“Can you please let me off of the bus,” I said in a calm tone.
He started to shout at me. “Are you daring me to let you off of the bus?”
“No, but are you going too?”
He pulled away from the curb and continued driving his route, he also continued berating me.
“You got on the bus, knowing that your metrocard had no rides.”
“What? Sir I didn’t know that. I am going to pay cash.” I sat down and counted the change, while he continued showing me that his ugly disposition was outside and inside…
Everyone on the bus looked appalled and they were making soft remarks about him… He even said to me that it was only because of my daughter he is allowing me to stay on the bus… Oh gosh, he was lucky it was because of my daughter I didn’t tell him how his mother made him…