Mother’s Day. I hope everyone had a great Mother’s Day. We had a special one.
Jeny was able to see both sons, two grandsons and one daughter-in-law. She had calls and texts from the other grandchildren. She heard from the other daughter-in-law, our son-in-law and his wife, two sisters-in-law, nieces and many friends. I was very happy for her richly deserved celebration.
One of her gifts is hospitality. For example, we had friends visit from North Carolina. Jeny remembered special cookies they liked years ago and took the time to make them. She followed that with four days hosting my cousin and her husband. It was their first trip since his lung transplant two years ago. She taught them some of her games. We had a great time. Then she hosted her bridge group for two days at the beach house. This week she is hosting a graduation party for our great nephew who is graduating from high school. Busy three weeks for a soon to be 81-year-old.
I am very proud of her and thankful for all she has done for me.
Thanksgiving is an attitude not one day a year. I have not been able to work in my yard because of my back. Even without my labor, the jasmine, gardenias, hydrangeas and lilies have been beautiful. They are welcome relief from my fears of the debt default discussions and other political turmoil in our nation.
I find it very easy to write about the problems and much more difficult to write about the joys until I remember to be thankful. The beauty of flowers the love of a wife and family are but two of the blessings in my life, many of which I take for granted.
For example, our air conditioning went out on Saturday. I seldom think to be thankful for air conditioning. When it went out, I thought about the suffering of those people who go without AC every day. I remembered my childhood without central AC. Sometimes we slept on cots outside or in the basement to try to beat the heat. I recalled dad installing a squirrel cage fan to cool the dining room. We have come far in achieving comfort.
Our Saturday heat stress was short-lived. We have a contract with an AC company, and they fixed it on a Saturday within two hours. We were blessed to have the resources to pay the bill. We are blessed in many ways.
McWorter Final Installment. The conservative anti-woke crowd wants to deny history. They want to ignore or reshape the portrayal of the treatment of minorities in American history. I disagree.
In my youth I recall frequent references to Custer’s last stand. The Wounded Knee and Sand Creek massacres were never mentioned. I think Native American mistreatment should be taught.
I grew up 130 miles northwest of Tulsa and never heard of the Tulsa massacre. The Docum drug sit-in occurred in Wichita but was never mentioned. I think minority mistreatment should be a part of what is taught about our history.
But, as McWorter points out, the Woke Racism crowd also want to deny history and reshape reality by not addressing tough questions. The way they avoid reality is to cry racism if anyone asks questions that appear critical of Blacks.
For example, he writes “One is not to ask ‘Why are black people so upset about one white cop killing a black man when black men are at much more danger of being killed by one another?’”
For the last few years well over 50% of the homicide victims in America were Black with the vast majority killed by other Blacks. In other words, over 50% of the homicides involved 14 % of the population.
McWorter’s point is well taken. The question is worth exploring rather than ignoring. McWorter believes the denial of reality dehumanizes Blacks. We (Black, white, brown and all cultures) need to be honest about our history and try to learn from the issues and not ignore them. Issues around policing are worthy of investigation but also the issues surrounding the over-representation of black homicides are worthy of investigation.
This my last development from McWorter’s very important book. He shares many more important ideas but I have covered enough to give a sense of his writing. I urge you to read the entire book.
Good News
Special love
Maryland Mom Opens Smoothie Shop That Offers Jobs To People With Special Needs (sunnyskyz.com)
Look around and you will find people in need
Neighbor Offers Helping Hand To Struggling Mom After Her Husband Leaves (sunnyskyz.com)
My niece is the Executive Medical Director of the Cancer Patient Care Center at Vanderbilt
In 2005 He Was Told He Had 1 Year To Live. 18 Years Later He’s Thriving (sunnyskyz.com)
Peace
Jerry
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