Imagine

I can recall back in my youth this song written by a man, John Lennon, who in my opinion had a depth that few men dared to explore. He caused me to “Imagine” and when you do that you can realize possibilities. A wise man once told me that faith is believing what is unseen to be true. I have always imagined that people could live in peace and the world could live as one. No pain, no sorry, no racism, and above all “study war no more”.

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace

You, you may say
I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world

You, you may say
I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

And that’s my message and Thought Provoking Perspective…

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Introducing John T. Wills

John T. Wills has earned a Master’s and Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. He's been a professor at Sojourner-Douglass College (HBC), Past Board Member of the Bowie State University Foundation, President of JT Wills Consulting, Past Vice President of the MD/DC Minority Supplier Development Council, one of the founding members of the Black Empowered Men group, author of “Just a Season” and "Legacy - A New Season", a Journalist by way of the Washington Examiner and a blogging, supporter of several community organizations, a volunteer, a strong advocate for literacy empowerment and friend to many.

Any accolades attributed to his spirit are the result of the solid foundation provided by a loving grandfather. This great man assertively implanted the concept that knowledge is power, which developed into the understanding that education is the single most important ingredient necessary to neutralize those forces that breed poverty and despair. This philosophy planted the seeds that cultivated a life, which is “Just a Season”.

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Do We Live Or Die?

I have written thousands of articles and a few books with the intent to empower minds with the hopes of enlightening the consciousness of mankind. For those who follow my words you know that I firmly believe education is the single most important ingredient necessary to neutralize those forces that breed poverty and despair.

It was the Englishman Francis Beacon who is credited with being the first to record the phase “knowledge is power”. I am probably not as intelligent as he but I say “knowing what to do with that knowledge is powerful.

I recently had what you might call an epiphany. I was being interview by a wonderful host Carla Armstrong on her radio show, “Designing Your Life with Carla”, for a segment called “For Women Only”. As the conversation progressed, we talked about Big Mamma, the community, the children, and African American issues.

Then this Angel dropped the bomb on me! She asked, “what happened to us and John what can we do to make it right”. If I recall I responded with an answer, something like, it was televisions fault. While in my mind I was feeling the power of the question, which really gave me a chill.

I will answer the first question, which is sure to be a Cosby moment for many. What happened was us? After the scam called integration, we began to believe we were accepted as equal citizens of these United States. For many African Americans they forgot about another black man, the least of thee, like white flight, ran from our communities. We allowed anyone to come into our community, setup shops, we stopped supporting our own business, and let our dollars, some say is nearly a trillion annually, go elsewhere. But the biggest problem was we STOPPED PARENTING!

The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chair Marcia Fudge reported that “the unemployment rate is double for blacks than for whites, we've lost more homes to foreclosure than whites and we've lost more wealth than whites”. To any reasonable person this is not equal!

Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Dubois told us how to build our community. Marcus Garvey told us how to be self-sufficient and to take care of our own needs. Elijah Muhammad taught us how to carry ourselves with dignity and respect. Dr. King gave us faith and Brother Malcolm told us to do it by “Any Means Necessary!

With that said, I have been troubled, as I am sure many of you as well, struggle with Carla’s second question, which was what do we do. We are the most religious people on earth, we marched, prayed, and waited on Jesus to come to our rescue since we were dragged onto to these shores in the summer of 1619. I hope you feel my passion here, as tears flow, and it hurts to say this but the problem rests with the person you look at each day in the mirror.

People we are still in slavery, mentally, slaves to our debt, in slaved within the jails and prisons systems. But this is what Ray Charles can see – through death and imprisonment we are becoming extinct! Add to that black women have forgotten and in many cases have no desire for black men. The reality is this: if there are no black men to procreate - we all die!

Maybe the answer to Carla’s second question is to be the people we were created to be and when you look in the mirror each day; ask yourself what have you done? You have a choice to live or die and to continue the species. If not now “when”? If not “YOU” than who?

And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

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His-Story: The Bush Library

History has repeatedly shown that, as it is written, it is generally a pack of lies. Well “W” is in the spotlight as he gets to reinvent a narrative to reflect his presidency. This is always a good thing, if there was something positive or meaningful to say. I seriously doubt there will be anything that reflects what most of us view as a disaster. The first clue was choosing “Shooter” as Vice President!

In my view there were several issues or failures of his two terms as president. One was the lasting image of his continuing to read a picture book to grade-schoolers after his top aides told him that the World Trade Center’s had been attacked on 9/11. The second thing that stands out is his response to hurricane Katrina. Can’t you still see him smiling as he looked out of the window of Air Force One during his “fly-bye” or over of New Orleans and when he finally showed-up all the heaping praise he gave Brownie for doing a “heck of a job”?

I understand that history is written by the victors and long after those who witnessed the events are dead – the story will change and a very different rendition will be installed. We should have known his presidency would be a disaster from the very start when he stole the election. He came into office with a sizeable surplus and left America with the worst financial crisis since the 1930s. Of course we should remember “No Child Left Behind” where every child was left behind.

On his watch the worst attack ever on American soil occurred which caused him to take us into two unfunded wars where we are still fighting ten years later. Not to mention all of the deaths and carnage from them during his reign. Surely we cannot forget the “tax cuts” for the rich. He is in most circles known as the biggest spender of any president. Ok, just hold on I am going to get to something good!

The good part is that his presidency will fall behind Nixon and Andrew Johnson who distinctively said, “"This is a country for white men, and by God, as long as I am President, it shall be a government for white men." -- Andrew Johnson, 1866

Many will remember Bush as a contender for the "worst president ever". More might argue that he more aptly deserves a multi-million-dollar prison cell for a litany of war crimes and not a structure filled with misgivings, he calls a presidential library. With this he can now say “Mission Accomplished”. And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

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Freedom - R.I.P Richie Havens

To mark the passing of legendary protest singer Richie Havens.  I share his performance of "Freedom" in memory of his protest against the Iraq War. You may recall the song from Havens’ performance at Woodstock, where he was the first act to take the stage, and did so quite dramatically. After a nearly 50-year career, Havens died Monday at age 72 in his New Jersey home after a sudden heart attack. Rest In Peace my brother! And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

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The Apollo Theater Connection

In the early 70s a new breed of gangsters appeared in the hamlet of Harlem who were very different from the legendary figures of old, such as Madam Queen and Bumpy Johnson. We’ve all heard of Frank Lucas whose power derived from cutting out the middle man and Nicky Barnes who came to be known as “Mr. Untouchable” who established the mafia like “Council”.

There have been books and movies about these guys, deserved or not, but their stature has gained near legendary status. But there was one member of the notorious or so-called Council that is seldom mentioned. He is Guy Fisher who is the only BLACK MAN to own an icon of our culture “The Apollo Theater”. That’s right, the world renowned and legendary Apollo Theater throughout its existence has only been owned by one BLACK MAN. I found this amazing!

Fisher saw his narrow escape from prison as a second lease on life after a case that ended in a huge jury and decided to become a legitimate businessman. In early 1978, using monies he’d earned through the heroin trade, Fisher purchased the crumbling Apollo Theater in Harlem. He placed the deed in his half brother's name, and began employing members of the neighborhood to help in its rehabilitation. In May of that year, the new Apollo was unveiled to the community, drawing Motown acts such as Gladys Knight, The Temptations, and other legends.

By 1973, at the age of 25, Fisher made it into Barnes' exclusive underground organization, The Council, which consisted of a seven-member circle of trusted associates. Each of the individual partners in Barnes' syndicate had their own crew of men to distribute heroin to smaller dealers. They would then collect the drug money, and distribute the profits accordingly. Through these dealings, Barnes and Fisher became close friends and confidantes. They also began investing in businesses together, including two, multi-million dollar housing complexes.

A year later, local police stopped Fisher for a routine traffic violation. Fisher was using a false driver's license, and attempted to evade arrest by bribing law enforcement agents with $100,000 he had stashed in his trunk. The officials refused the money, and the incident landed Fisher in prison for nine months. While serving his time, The Council was under close investigation by undercover law enforcement agents for their dealings in the heroin trade.

In 1977, sparked by an article in The New York Times magazine naming Barnes "Mr. Untouchable," then-President Jimmy Carter placed enormous pressure on federal agents to dismantle The Council. That September, Barnes and The Council were placed on trial. Much of the federal law enforcement's undercover surveillance of Barnes and his group occurred while Fisher was imprisoned.

Because of this fact, Fisher's lawyer was able to argue that his client did not participate in the conspiracy mentioned in the federal case. This fact led to a hung jury in Fisher's trial, and he became the only member to escape sentencing. Despite his legitimate success, Fisher resumed the heroin trade as head of The Council with Barnes' help. But after money for Barnes' legal fees started to disappear, the former drug kingpin grew resentful of Fisher's success on the outside. The final straw came when Fisher began an affair with one of Barnes' girlfriends. Feeling betrayed, Barnes broke the code of The Council and turned informant in the early 80s.

In March of 1983, using information Barnes supplied, federal agents finally gathered enough evidence to put Fisher and several of his associates on trial. He was sentenced to life without parole for his role in running a criminal enterprise, and was sent to Marion Federal Prison in Illinois. While in prison, Fisher wrote several novels, earned his bachelor's and master's degrees, and began mentoring inmates. In 2008, he completed his Ph.D. in sociology. He continues to serve his life sentence, despite several appeals, at the United States Penitentiary, Tucson in Arizona..

Despite how the ill gotten gains were obtained I wondered how many people knew that we never owned one of the African American community's most recognizable and distinguished icons. Maybe I’ll just call this a little known fact hidden in black history. And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

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The Council of Nicea

I was talking to a good Christian woman the other day who was, I guess, trying to, as they do, convert me to HER GOD. For whatever reason, she thought she was the only person who believes in the Almighty. The conversation started because she was preaching verses from the King James Bible  along with other falsehoods concerning Christianity. Being that I love history and know it, she made a huge mistake!

The discussion got heated, from her point of view, when I told her that King James was the King of England. He who lived around 1600 and commissioned to have his version of the Bible written that she reads. King James was a diabolical ruler, homosexual, and killed his mother. Then I ask her if she knew of the conference held in Nicea. This staunchly religious woman knew nothing of either, yet she preached the “Word”. So I thought I would give her the history of Christianity, which by the way is very different from faith.

So I started with the Council of Nicea that took place more than three hundred years after Jesus lived in 325 A.D. This historic meeting, by order of the Roman Emperor Caesar Flavius Constantine, defined or decided Christianity as we know it.  Nicea was located in Asia Minor, east of Constantinople. At the Council of Nicea, Emperor Constantine presided over a group of church bishops and leaders with the purpose of defining the true God for all Christians and eliminating all the confusion, controversy, and contention within Christ’s church.

The Council of Nicea affirmed the deity of Jesus Christ, painted by a European around the same time, and removed his blackness from the consciousness of the faith. There is no need to debate Jesus’ completion because at that point in time there were only two people in the region - Romans and Jews. It is a fact that black people was the original Jew. At that conference Constantine established an official definition of the Trinity - the deity of The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit under one Godhead, in three co-equal and co-eternal Persons.

Constantine, and its debatable,  was a converted Christian, called for a council meeting to be held in Nicea with the bishops of the Christian church to resolve escalating quarrels and controversy mounting to a bitter degree of disunity among the church leadership concerning theological issues. The failing Roman Empire, now under Constantine’s rule, could not withstand the division caused by years of hard-fought, “out of hand” arguing over doctrinal differences. He saw it not only as a threat to Christianity but as a threat to his rule.

Therefore, at the Council of Nicea, Constantine demanded that the Christians settle their internal disagreements and become Christ-like agents who could bring new life into a troubled, beaten-down empire. Constantine felt “called” to use his authority to help bring about the unity, peace, and love, all for which Christ stands. He and the bishops had reason to worry about the future survival of Christianity within the Roman world empire, let alone the survival of his world empire. The Council of Nicea, led by Emperor Constantine, was the meeting to settle differences, to become like-minded, all to the glory of Christ.

The main theological issue and focus had always been about Christ or so His-Story tells us. Since the end of the Apostolic Age and beginning of the Church Age, saints began questioning, debating, fighting, and separating over the question, “Who is the Christ?” Is He more divine than human or more human than divine? Was Jesus created / made or begotten? Being the Son of God, is He co-equal and co-eternal with Father God, or less and lower in status than the Father? Is the Father the One and only True God, or are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit the One true God? “True God of True God,” “One Being, Three Persons”, a tri-unity called “Trinity”? Jesus said, “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15).

Once the Nicea Council meeting was underway Constantine demanded that the 300 bishops make a decision by majority vote defining who Jesus Christ is. Constantine commanded them to create a “creed” doctrine that all of Christianity would follow and obey. A doctrine that would be called the “Nicene Creed,” upheld by the Church and enforced by the Emperor. The bishops voted to make the full deity of Christ the accepted position for the church. The Council of Nicea voted to make the Trinity the official doctrine of the church. However, the Council of Nicea did not invent these doctrines. Rather, it only recognized what the Bible taught, and systematized the doctrines.

The New Testament taught that Jesus the Messiah should be worshiped and trusted, which was/is to say He is co-equally God and man. The New Testament forbids the worship of angels (Colossians 2:18;Revelation 22:8,9) but commands worship of Jesus. The Apostle Paul tells us that “in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9;1:19). Paul declares Jesus as Lord and the One to whom a person must pray for salvation just as one calls on Jehovah, Yahweh (Joel 2:32;Romans 10:9-13). “Jesus is God overall” (Romans 9:5), and our God and Savior (Titus 2:13). Faith in Jesus’ Deity is basic to Paul’s testimony and theology.

John’s Gospel declares Jesus the be the Divine eternal Logos, agent of creation and source of life and light (John 1:1-5,9); the "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6); an advocate with heavenly Father (1 John 2:1-2); sovereign (Revelation 1:5); the Rider on a white horse (Revelation 19:11-16); and the totality of the Son of God from the beginning to the end (Revelation 22:13). The author of Hebrews reveals the full deity of Jesus through His perfection as the most high priest, Melchizedek (Hebrews 1; Hebrews 7:1-3), and the full humanity (Hebrews 2). The Divine-human Savior is the Christian's object of faith, hope, and love.

The Council of Nicea affirmed the Apostles' teaching of who Christ is - the One true God in Deity and Trinity with the Father and the Holy Spirit. When I shared this fact, my devoted Christian friend admitted she was not aware of this or that this is why the Catholic Church, the same church that sanctioned slavery, was to be the authority of the Word.

At the end of our conversation, I reminded my friend that King James’ twenty-eight version of the Bible in many ways took a page out of history using the good book to solidify his reign. My point is simple: three-hundred year after Jesus lived Constantine gave us a version and sixteen-hundred years later King James did it again.

Believe whatever you wish but if you preach - know what it is you are preaching. God means power and power is knowledge! And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

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The State Of Black America

We will soon commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which was a watershed moment in our history. However, we must be mindful that it was not a welcomed event as most of white America and the Kennedy Administration were very much against such a gathering of blacks in the nation’s capital. I am saddened to say that as a community, we are not much better off today than we were fifty years ago.

I'm not saying that there has not been significant and important progress in the last 50 years. Surely for some, but if Dr. King were to have an opinion – he would be very displeased. Marc Morial, President of the National Urban League, believes there’s a decrease in poverty, increases in high school graduation rates and enrollment rates". This may well be true but I wonder what statistics has he seen to come to this conclusion.

I don't profess to be as honorable or noteworthy as some of our so-called leaders but the disparity between black Americans and white Americans when it comes to jobs, income, healthcare and wealth remains vast and much too large. When you look at the urban communities - the African American plight is worse than ever in most of these categories.

Recently, several organizations gathered for the release of the annual "State of Black America" report, which highlighted the economic forecast for African Americans. Although the report is presented annually, this year, the Urban League commissioned a half-century study to commemorate the 1963 March on Washington.

The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chair Marcia Fudge reported that “the unemployment rate is double for blacks than for whites, we've lost more homes to foreclosure than whites and we've lost more wealth than whites”. Yet, they say the percentage of blacks living in poverty has declined 23 points and the percentage of black children living in poverty is down by 22 points since 1963.

It is worth mentioning that the march was prior to the signing of any of the landmark civil rights legislation which adds little credibility to that statement. It is also noteworthy to remember that at that time the, in 1963, Jim Crow was the law of the land and its restrictions did not allow us to use the same bathrooms or eat at lunch counters. So, if you consider this environment - minimal gains have been made to be viewed as great progress.  

The report credits the civil rights measures that were enacted to open the doors of opportunity for blacks in education and standards of living. Rep. Chaka Fattah said, "It is without contradiction that African Americans have made extraordinary progress in the report... But, compared to the majority, we still have some room to grow". I wonder if his constituents would agree in Philadelphia?

Morial then said, as the budget debate continues in Washington on whether to cut critical program funding, the "State of Black America 2013" highlights a harsh reality. "Budget cutting fever will cause economic pneumonia. If we are to move toward a lasting economic recovery, full equality and empowerment, we must apply sustainable solutions keenly focusing on jobs for all Americans and closing the gaps that result in a tale of two Americas”.

 I will tell you that I have lived long enough to have witnessed and know that people will say anything, regardless of complication, on any subject. Many will say “there is no race problem. There’s a black president”. Or they will point to the few, out 42 million, successful African Americans, and I am proud of them.

However, as we commemorate the March that produced the famous “I have a Dream Speech” I believe it is fair to say that most African Americans will see the remnants of the “Dream” more as a “Nightmare”. I have to say from my vantage point the forecast looks GRIM! And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

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Whitesplaining

I have the utmost respect for Mr. Clarence Page of the Tribune's editorial board for his lifelong mission to express truth through his words. Mr. Page wrote an article on his blogs  this week that impressed me greatly. He made me aware of a new word coined as a result of Sen. Rand Paul's news-making speech at historically black Howard University.

I hope Mr. Page will appreciate my sharing his words for your empowerment. Thank you Sir:

Within hours after, Sen. Rand Paul's news-making speech at historically black Howard University someone posted this new definition on the user-driven Urban Dictionary website of an awkward-sounding but quite timely verb: "whitesplain":
"The act of a caucasian (sic) person explaining to audiences of color the true nature of racism," says the entry; "a caucasian (sic again) person explaining sociopolitical events and/or history to audiences of color as though they are ignorant children ...."

Whitesplaining appears significantly to be derived from "mansplaining," which first appeared in a thoughtful, hilarious 2008 Los Angeles Times essay by Rebecca Solnit titled "Men Who Explain Things."

Urban Dictionary now defines mansplaining as "condescending, inaccurate explanations delivered with rock-solid confidence of rightness and that slimy certainty that of course he is right, because he is the man in this conversation." I am guessing that a woman wrote that definition. Message received.

Anyway, as an example of how whitesplaining should be used, consider Urban Dictionary: "U.S. Sen. Rand Paul whitesplained to students at Howard University," it says, "that a black Republican founded the NAACP."

Indeed, even Paul looked surprised at Howard when, after he asked if anyone knew that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People had been founded by Republicans, his audience responded with a resoundingly impatient "Yes!"

"We know our history," one student shouted. Unfortunately, Paul didn't. He had to be prompted from the audience with the name of Massachusetts Republican Edward Brooke, the first African-American to be elected to the U.S. Senate by popular vote — and Paul still mangled it twice as "Edwin Brooks."

Worse, he expounded at length on the historically incorrect narrative that conservatives often give, that blacks left the party of Abraham Lincoln to follow Franklin D. Roosevelt's promise of "unlimited federal assistance," while Republicans only have the "less tangible ... promise of equalizing opportunity through free markets."

Yet, even if you buy that oversimplified view of history, as conservatives with selective memory often do, Paul completely omitted a much more important sea change, the seismic racial realignment that followed President Lyndon B. Johnson's 1964 Civil Rights Act.

In fact, Republican nominees continued to receive sizable black support; 39 percent to Dwight Eisenhower in his 1956 re-election, according to the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, and 32 percent to his vice president, Richard Nixon, in 1960.

But after conservatives nominated Sen. Barry Goldwater, who voted against the civil rights bill, to oppose Johnson in 1964, LBJ won 94 percent of the black vote. No Republican presidential candidate has received more than 15 percent of the black vote since.

Widening the divide was the "Southern strategy" with which Republicans mined racial backlash to win white votes, first in the South, then nationwide. Some Republicans, like former party chairmen Ken Mehlman and Michael Steele, have been quite candid and contrite in denouncing such tactics, only to be shouted down by whitesplainers in the Grand Old Party's right wing.

In fact, "rightsplainers" more aptly describes Paul's selective view of GOP history, including his own. When he was questioned about his 2010 interviews with the Louisville Courier-Journal and on Rachel Maddow's MSNBC show in which he criticized part of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Paul denied the charge. "I've never wavered in my support for civil rights or the Civil Rights Act," he said at Howard.

Yet, as videos posted on various websites show, he wavered a lot. He opposed the part of the act that banned discrimination in restaurants, hotels and other privately owned public accommodations.

True to his libertarian beliefs, Paul used the old argument that the magic of the marketplace would prevent merchants from turning away business. But, as an African-American who is old enough to remember having to sleep in the family car on long trips — in the South and the North — after being turned away repeatedly from hotels and restaurants, I have a sharply different view.

But mere ignorance does not deter the rightsplainers. They just keep on talking.

I could not have said it better! And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

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Designing Your Life with Carla: “For Women Only”

You are cordially invited to tune in to Designing Your Life with Carla, Friday April 12 at 4:00 pm (est) as Carla Armstrong interviews John T. Wills; author, speaker, former professor, teacher, publisher, blogger, a contributor to newspapers and online magazines.

He is the Executive Producer of the most dynamic and exciting literary radio show on the Internet airwaves; “The Book Tree Radio Show” designed to promote literacy, showcase authors, writers, wordsmiths, poets and other relevant content to empower the minds of a broad base community.

John will be sharing thoughts For Women Only and discussing his new book, "Legacy - A New Season". It is the sequel and the continuation of "Just a Season" and a stand-alone story rich in history on a subject rarely explained to children of this generation concerning the African American struggle.

From his Publicist: John is currently scheduling speaking engagements, book signing. He is available for all media contacts, interviews and opportunities as a contributing writer.

Praise for Just a Season

CONTACT INFORMATION

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Blog: Thought Provoking Perspectives

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Tune in online: 
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Call in to speak with John or Carla at (347) 215-9751.

The Prelude To "Just a Season"

A season is a time characterized by a particular circumstance, suitable to an indefinite period of time associated with a divine phenomenon that some call life. One of the first things I learned in this life was that it is a journey. 

During this passage through time I have come to realize that there are milestones, mountains, and valleys that everyone will encounter. Today, I have to face a valley and it’s excruciating. It’s June 28th, a day that I once celebrated as a very special day. Now, it’s filled with sorrow. The reason this day is different from all others is because I have come to the cemetery at Friendly Church. 

Normally it’s hot and humid as summer begins, but not so today. It’s a cool gray day with the sky slightly overcast. I hear the echo of birds chirping from a distance. There is also a mist or a light fog hovering very near the ground that gives the aura of a mystical setting.  This is a place where many of my family members who have passed away rest for eternity.  Some have been resting here for over a hundred years. I have grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, a sister, and many friends here as well. The cemetery is in the most tranquil of places secluded from the rest of the world, very peaceful and beautiful, almost like being near the gateway of heaven.

My heart aches today because I have come here on what would have been my son’s birthday. This is a very hard thing for me to do as the natural order suggests it should be the other way around. Another difficulty is that this is the first time I will see his headstone that was put in place just a few days ago. Although I know what it should look like, it’s going to be hard to actually see it. It will indicate the finality of losing the dearest of all human beings.  It’s hard to imagine what the rest of my life will be like without my precious son.

As I pass Granddaddy’s gravesite, I stop to say hello. After a brief moment, I continue in the direction of my son’s resting place. As I get closer, I begin to receive a rush of emotion to the point that my movements slow as the sight comes into view. I can now see his name clearly and I whisper “God why did you take him?” I become numb as I finally arrive at his gravesite, overwhelmed with this never before known emotion. This is something I never thought I would ever have to do, but here I am!!! 

Suddenly, the sky begins to clear somewhat, as I now feel the sun’s rays from above.  At this very moment, I receive an epiphany upon reading the dates inscribed on the stone.  1981 – 2001. What does this really mean? The beginning and the end, surely, but in the final analysis it is just a tiny little dash that represents the whole life of a person. I fall to my knees realizing the profound impact of that thought causing me to look to the heavens and wonder. If someone, for whatever reason, were to tell the story concealed within my dash.   What might they say? 

Chapter One

The story begins in late November 1951 on a clear sunny Sunday afternoon. It was fairly cool for an autumn day and as it was the custom in the Reid family, everyone had gone to church early to give praise to the Lord. This was a special day for this family. It was a special day because of their anticipation of a new member into the family. So it was a great, great feeling of joy and excitement that filled their home. Ruth and Josie did not attend church this day, because Josie was overdue and expecting to give birth at anytime.

Praise for “Just a Season”

At the end of this epic novel the journey continues with “Legacy – A New Season”…

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The Certain Ones Online Magazine

I am man who has been blessed with the gift of words or should I say the effective use of words. Therefore, I want to give high praise to my friend Vanessa Richardson of The Certain Ones Online Magazine for sharing the wisdom of the amazing contributors who enrich, enlighten, and empower the minds and consciousness of us all. I am honored to be part of this group of fabulous wordsmiths. 

Meet the prolific authors/talk show hosts and contributors to The Certain Ones Online Magazine. Dr. Darcova Triplett, Jamesina Greene, Adrienna Turner, John T. Wills, Dr. Dolapo Babalola,Lacha' Mitchell-Scott, Shon Hyneman, and Cherese Spand. We are blessed to connect with you.

I invite you to take a moment to visit these talented contributors at their virtual homes, via our website: www.TheCertainOnesMagazine.com. Blessings!

You will be inspired and empowered. And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…