Daily Ramblings – Thankful/Thinking Thursday – Audre Lorde

Tags

Activist, Art, Audre Lorde, Black History Month, Civil Rights Movement, Discrimination, Gay Rights Movement, Google, Poem, Poet, Poetry Foundation, Prejudice

Photo Credit: Audre Lorde. Photograph by Elsa Dorfman.

Today’s thinking Thursday is about another African American icon. This one is a poet called Audre Lorde. Much of her work throughout her life was dedicated to fighting discrimination be it racial, homophobic, ethnic, or whatever. I’ve included a poem from the Poetry Foundation below for you to read if you are interested. Google highlighted her today. This is where I got the inspiration to write today’s posting. After the poem, I’ve included the link for her biography on Poetry Foundation and a link to her Wikipedia page. I hope you enjoy reading about her.

Sisters in Arms

BY AUDRE LORDE

The edge of our bed was a wide grid
where your fifteen-year-old daughter was hanging   
gut-sprung on police wheels
a cablegram nailed to the wood
next to a map of the Western Reserve
I could not return with you to bury the body   
reconstruct your nightly cardboards
against the seeping Transvaal cold
I could not plant the other limpet mine
against a wall at the railroad station
nor carry either of your souls back from the river   
in a calabash upon my head
so I bought you a ticket to Durban
on my American Express
and we lay together
in the first light of a new season.

Now clearing roughage from my autumn garden   
cow sorrel    overgrown rocket gone to seed   
I reach for the taste of today
the New York Times finally mentions your country   
a half-page story
of the first white south african killed in the “unrest”
Not of Black children massacred at Sebokeng   
six-year-olds imprisoned for threatening the state   
not of Thabo Sibeko, first grader, in his own blood   
on his grandmother’s parlor floor
Joyce, nine, trying to crawl to him
shitting through her navel
not of a three-week-old infant, nameless   
lost under the burned beds of Tembisa
my hand comes down like a brown vise over the marigolds   
reckless through despair
we were two Black women touching our flame   
and we left our dead behind us
I hovered    you rose    the last ritual of healing   
“It is spring,” you whispered
“I sold the ticket for guns and sulfa   
I leave for home tomorrow”
and wherever I touch you
I lick cold from my fingers
taste rage
like salt from the lips of a woman   
who has killed too often to forget   
and carries each death in her eyes   
your mouth a parting orchid   
“Someday you will come to my country   
and we will fight side by side?”

Keys jingle in the door ajar    threatening   
whatever is coming belongs here
I reach for your sweetness
but silence explodes like a pregnant belly   
into my face
a vomit of nevers.

Mmanthatisi turns away from the cloth
her daughters-in-law are dyeing
the baby drools milk from her breast
she hands him half-asleep to his sister
dresses again for war   
knowing the men will follow.
In the intricate Maseru twilights
quick    sad    vital
she maps the next day’s battle
dreams of Durban    sometimes
visions the deep wry song of beach pebbles
running after the sea.

Notes:

M-mán-tha-tisi: warrior queen and leader of the Tlokwa (Sotho) people during the mfecane (crushing), one of the greatest crises in southern African history. The Sotho now live in the Orange Free State, S. A.

Má-se-ru: scene of a great Tlokwa battle and now the capital of Lesotho

Durban: Indian Ocean seaport and resort area in Natal Province, S. A.Audre Lorde, “Sisters in Arms” from The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde. Copyright © 1997 by Audre Lorde. Reprinted with the permission of Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency and W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., http://www.nortonpoets.com.Source: The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde (W. W. Norton and Company Inc., 1997)

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/audre-lorde

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audre_Lorde

This is yet another inspiring woman. I hope you enjoy these links. I did.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thinking/Thankful Thursday – Civil Rights Movement

Tags

Civil Rights Movement, History, Learn, Little Rock Nine, MLK, Remember, Rosa Parks, Think

Photo Credit:

John T. Bledsoe – This image is available from the United States Library of Congress‘s Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID ppmsca.03090. This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing for more information.Little Rock, 1959. Rally at state capitol, protesting the integration of Central High School. Protesters carry US flags and signs reading “Race Mixing is Communism” and “Stop the Race Mixing March of the Anti-Christ”.

The civil rights movement began before I was born and continues today. Although icons like MKL and others of his era are no longer here, we have fresh groups, organizations, and movements that are fighting for equality. When I speak about these things with my wife, I find it amazing that even today, she still gets the weird look when her accent is heard.

I think the trick to equality and all the rest is time. Every generation is more tolerant than the last. For those of you who are interested, here are some quick links to some Wikipedia articles to take a look at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_rights_movement

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Parks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Rock_Nine

If you’ve never taken a look at the civil rights movement, the above three links will describe an America that most of us do not know. I was born in 1963, so many of the movements, actions, and events blew by me, since I was only a child.

These events are worth visiting. They tell a story about how we used to be, and how America has evolved. Is it perfect? No, but it continues to improve (in my opinion).

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful/Thinking Thursday – Consistent Reading, Writing, and Learning

Tags

Consistency, Exercise, huge results, Learning, Reading, small actions, Udemy, Writing

Photo credit: CallofDuty.com

Over the last few years, as more of my schedule has come under my control, I have found that doing a little each day compounds into huge results. A little exercise, a little reading, a little writing, and a few minutes watching, listening, or reading some educational material can go a long way.

Some of you are working from home. The beauty of working from home is you can get a lot of things done in a more efficient way. You are not forced to work only for your boss and then look at that pile of laundry, dirty dishes, or snow-filled driveway on your own time. Now you can work on both sets of priorities simultaneously, other than those ZOOM conference calls that eat up a good portion of the workday. Why not take an hour a day and knock out a little in each area: reading, writing, exercise, and learning? It doesn’t take long.

The average length of a session on Udemy is roughly 5-6 minutes long. If you take a few courses, you’re looking at 20-30 minutes each day. You’ll get your graduation certificates in no time, and if you take the right courses, you’ll be adding some critical skills to your toolbox. If you select the 4+ star-rated courses on Udemy, you’ll also be entertained by popular instructors that make the material fun and interesting. 30 minutes a day for 6 days (assuming you subscribe to my “do nothing day” policy) is 3 hours of learning!

If you take the time to analyze what you do each day, I think you’ll be amazed at how much time you spend watching television or streaming videos, and other activities, that although entertaining, don’t build anything. I’m a huge video game fan. My current favorite is Call of Duty, Black Ops, Cold War. It’s a great game and very popular (over 100 million players worldwide). I could play that game for 10+hours a day and still have more energy to play even more. Balance is the key. We all need our downtime to relax, recharge, and rejuvenate. Watch those shows, play those games, get some of that “me” time, but balance this out with some productive activities that will keep your mind working. It is really exciting to me when I pick up some new skill that I can apply immediately to what I do every day.

That’s all I got today, folks. Have a great Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thinking/Thankful Thursdays – Dr. Maurice Hilleman

Tags

Childhood Diseases, Covid, Curiosity Stream, Disease, Hero, Hilleman, Medicine, Vaccines, Vaccinology

Have you ever heard of Dr. Maurice Hilleman? I didn’t until my brother recommended the film Hilleman: A Perilous Quest to Save the World’s Children. It’s a good film and explains a great deal about the many challenges surrounding the creation of vaccines. Since all the talk in the news, social media, and everything else is about President Biden, President Trump, or Corona virus, I figured this would be a good way to get off of politics and really see what creating a vaccine is all about.

Here are a few links if you’d like to learn more about Dr. Maurice Hilleman. If you want to watch the film, I believe it is only being offered on Curiosity Stream, but you may be able to find it elsewhere. If you want to watch it on Curiosity Stream, the annual membership is 20 USD. I don’t know if Curiosity Stream is offered in other countries. You’ll have to check.

Links:

https://app.curiositystream.com/video/3928 (Curiosity Stream, Hilleman Movie)

https://app.curiositystream.com/ (Curiosity Stream’s home page if you’d like to get a year’s subscription)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC557162/ (Article about Dr. Hilleman on the National Institute of Health’s website)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Hilleman (Wikipedia Page)

It’s amazing how many people do not know who this guy is. He is the 20th Century’s most influential vaccinologist, creating over 40 vaccines that are responsible for saving 8 million lives a year, particularly the lives of children. He created vaccines for the Mumps, Measles, Hepatitis A and B, chickenpox, meningitis, pneumonia, and influenza.

I enjoy watching documentaries, particularly those about science and history. If you like these too, Curiosity Stream is a real bargain. I am not an affiliate and get nothing if you join up. My whole family watches this channel, and we find it a real treat.

Happy Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thinking/Thankful Thursdays – Lifelong Learning

Tags

Fun, Hobbies, lifelong learning, online schools, school, Skills, Sources, staying competitive, Work

I’m a big advocate of lifelong learning. I am taking a python course currently on Udemy, but have a few more courses in the pipeline for the year. I want to get better with Excel (pivot points, charts, etc.), digital marketing, and data science. These are all on Udemy and are available for a small fee. I got all these courses with 10+ hours of content for about 40 USD. These courses will keep me busy for a while and provide me with the skills necessary to act in my new position in my religious organization for the State of Michigan.

I can’t stress how important it is to remain up-to-date with technology. My parents struggle with most of this, and frankly, so do many in their generation. Most of us in my generation learned technology as part of our jobs. We had to learn it because we needed these technologies to compete in the marketplace. Simple things like searching the Internet, using an email service, an online calendar, or a cloud-based storage system (Google Drive, One Drive, or iCloud). These things are so simple to me, but a mystery to those who have never used them. The world will continue to progress and leave these folks behind more and more.

Now, more than ever, it is important to learn technologies like ZOOM, Skype, or other video chat service. Because of lockdowns, schools and businesses particularly have had to use these types of systems to teach students and interact with their clients. They are also so cool to use to stay in touch with friends and family. My wife and I either Facetime or use ZOOM when she needs help with paperwork or something in AZ.

So keep learning. It is fun, it keeps you engaged, and will give you capabilities you may need in the future, as our societies become more “digital”. It’s also really fun to engage with people all over the world and make new friends. I have friends all over the states, friends in Europe, Australia, and even Indonesia. These technologies have shrunk our planet and give us access to other cultures. This helps us understand why other countries do what they do.

If you’ve never used services like Udemy or Coursera, feel free to ask questions in the comments section. I’d be happy to connect with you directly and help you out. I am not affiliated with any of these educational companies—I’m just willing to give you a helping hand in case you need help. These services are terrific and provide me with the ability to learn all kinds of things that I either find interesting or need to know to do something I want.

Here are some links for your use, should you take this up for yourself:

https://www.udemy.com/

https://www.khanacademy.org/

https://www.edx.org/

https://www.coursera.org/

These are some top online educational sites I have used and recommend. Most of them are absolutely free (except Udemy) and will require you to pay if you want a certificate of completion to use for college credit or employment purposes (Coursera and EdX). Udemy charges a fee for all its courses, but these are typically around 9.99 USD, if you are patient and wait for many of their sales events, which literally happen monthly.

Well, that’s it for today. I hope all you have a terrific Thursday.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Getting Back At It

Tags

December, Getting back on track, Goals, Gratitude, habits, Recharging, Relax time, Sharpening the Saw, Thanks

Today, I’m thankful for the month of December. This is a month where I shut down all the stuff I’m doing for a few weeks, and just chill out. I get caught up on movies I’ve wanted to watch, but didn’t have time. I play some video games (my hobby), and I enjoy all the great food and rest.

Now that December is over, it’s time to get back at it. I must admit that it is slow going. I am knocking out most of my tasks daily, but have let a few go by the wayside. I’ll be back on track soon. Only a few more tweaks here and there, and I’ll be rockin’ and rollin’.

For those of you who are also having a hard time getting back on track, just take it easy. You’ve put some thought into your goals for 2021. If something isn’t in alignment with what you thought, get rid of it. The key to achieving our goals is to pursue goals we really want to pursue. Take sometime to weed those out that just are “ready” yet.

Well, folks, that’s all I got for today.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Christmas food

Tags

Cakes, candy, Christmas, Cookies, duck, goose, ham, Mashed Potatoes, Pies, Turkey, yams

It’s that time of year for pies, cakes, and cookies! Today, I’m thankful for these sweet morsels and all the great food during the holidays. Whether it’s a turkey, ham, goose, duck, or Cornish hen, they are all scrumptious.

I’m also grateful for my Mom and Sister for all the cooking they’ll do. My sister makes some killer deviled eggs. Mom makes awesome sweet potatoes, and all of her pies, cakes, and cookies are phenomenal.

So today, I’m grateful for the Christmas food.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursdays – Gratitude

Tags

Grateful, Gratitude, Melody Beattie, Ryan Holiday, stoicism, Stoics, Thankfulness

Photo Credit: The Encyclopedia Brittanica (picture of Seneca bust)

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.

Melody Beattie

If you type “2020” into a Google search box, what will you get? You will see links to the pandemic, links to the Presidential election, and links to a lot of doom and gloom. Why? It is our natural tendency to be interested in the bad, rather than the good. Why is that?

The oldest part of our brain is always seeking danger. Call this part of you, the pessimistic part. It assumes things will go wrong, that you are in danger, and to be careful. It’s a good thing to have around, because it serves its purpose. How many people let that part of themselves run rampant?

Being grateful for what you have, being happy, and finding peace, are all internal activities. Do you find that external events impact your level of happiness? Of course. We are all affected by the things outside of us, even if only a little bit. Things like losing a loved one or a beloved pet is devastating, but it doesn’t have to destroy your life or well-being. Death, sickness, and other tragedies are all part of this life. There is no escaping them. So how do we cultivate internal happiness, gratitude, and peace? We simply choose to.

When we lost our two doggies last year (My sister’s dog Weezer, and our dog Goldie) it was sad, but it didn’t eat me up inside. I mourned their loss for a day and got on with my life. Being happy, grateful, and peaceful is a personal choice. You just have to decide.

You may be asking how I do this? Well, it began a while back, when I realized I was depending on outside circumstances for my happiness. As you can probably imagine, this is not an optimal way to live. So, I began looking around and found a philosophy called Stoicism. Here’s a link on Wikipedia if you want to check it out for yourself: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism. This is a lengthy article, so you’ll want to make a cup of your favorite beverage before you start it. But it is worth it, if you are in the same situation I was a few years back, when I began searching for a new way to engage life. The primary tenet of Stoicism is to avoid being influenced or affected by things outside of us. It is not easy, initially, but it will come as you begin to see the wisdom in controlling the only thing you can–yourself.

Oh, before I forget, if you want to read some great books on this topic, check out books by Ryan Holiday. These I recommend: The Obstacle is the Way, Ego is the Enemy, and The Daily Stoic. I’ve read all of them and they will provide you with all you need to pursue a Stoic’s way of life. One last note: The Daily Stoic is read daily for an entire year. It has a quote followed by Ryan’s explanation of it in real-world terms.

Have a great Thursday, folks.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursdays – Winter

Tags

cocoa, Coffee, December, Exercise, family, Reading, reflecting, tea, Winter, Writing

Many people cringe when the snow comes. Not me. I love the cold, the snow, and the comfort of looking at all of that while I drink a cup of coffee. The winter in Michigan is a long one. We typically do not get moderate weather until late April.

What do I do? Pretty much the same thing I do every day — Read, Write, Learn, Socialize on this site and others, stick with my religious disciplines, exercise, and squeeze in some leisure time. My favorite things to do for fun are to read a good fiction book, non-fiction book, watch a show or a series, and play video games. Now that most games are networked, my brother and I can play in and around his work schedule. It’s great fun.

So today, I’m thankful for the Winter season. The holidays are terrific, the in-house time is relaxing and rejuvenating, and it’s a great time to reflect on the past year, and get ready for the next.

I hope each of you has a terrific Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursdays – Happy Thanksgiving

Tags

Celebration, family, Friends, Good Food, Gratitude, Holidays, Lydia Maria Child, poets.org, Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day

by

Lydia Maria Child

Over the river, and through the wood,
  To grandfather’s house we go;
       The horse knows the way
       To carry the sleigh
  Through the white and drifted snow.

Over the river, and through the wood—
  Oh, how the wind does blow!
       It stings the toes
       And bites the nose
  As over the ground we go.

Over the river, and through the wood,
  To have a first-rate play.
       Hear the bells ring
       “Ting-a-ling-ding”,
  Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!

Over the river, and through the wood
  Trot fast, my dapple-gray!
       Spring over the ground,
       Like a hunting-hound!
  For this is Thanksgiving Day.

Over the river, and through the wood,
  And straight through the barn-yard gate.
       We seem to go
       Extremely slow,—
  It is so hard to wait!

Over the river and through the wood—
  Now grandmother’s cap I spy!
       Hurrah for the fun!
       Is the pudding done?
  Hurrah for the pumpkin-pie!

Credit: https://poets.org/poem/thanksgiving-day

For those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. I love this holiday and look forward to the big meal we’ll be eating later today.

Have a great Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave