The Countdown Continues – Will Someone Explain Why?

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I need someone to explain

what is going on in the hearts and minds

of some people.

Do we no longer believe in the Golden Rule?

Explain it to me as if I were a five year old.

Why are people gathering in closed spaces without wearing a mask?

Do people simply not even love themselves?

Why are we still so cruel to each other after all we have been through these last six months?

Why are so many in denial about this pandemic?

Why are we forgetting that this virus kills and leaves many side affects?

Why do some people think they are above the law?

Why are some people still in denial of climate change?

Do we really not believe in science?

Are we not seeing the results of the fires and storms?

Why are we not understanding

that your rights end where mine begin especially when it is about health?

Why are we not worried about the interference of others in our elections?

Why are some people set on downplaying the seriousness of COVID-19?

The countdown continues. 

So much is at risk.

Do know that empires die too?

The bigger they are the harder they fall?

Why are we willing to destroy our democracy?

I want answers to all my questions. 

I am so tired of the divisiveness, hatred, violence, stupidity, partisan attitudes, conspiracy theories, and the 

LIES, LIES and more LIES.

Do you need answers too?

 

Fire, Race & Still Hope

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After watching such terrifying images of the destruction caused by the fires on the west coast of the USA, I tried to put myself in the place of the victims and simply start shaking at the thought. It saddened me so much to hear about the number of deaths including a young child. I believe that climate change is the ultimate culprit for these calamities.

I wonder if we will be able to reverse the damage so far. Three states are suffering from the fires and who knows how many people will end up with serious respiratory illnesses in the weeks to come. Louisiana is soon facing yet another possible hurricane. Puerto Rico has to deal with the sand storms that come from the Sahara. You have to see it to believe that so much soot can accumulate within just a few days. The island has also experienced several earthquakes as have so many other places.

We can only hope that science will figure out what needs to be done. We know what we can do to help the situation. During the pandemic shut down, many cities were observing how the environment seemed cleaner. Obviously, there were less cars on the roads and therefore less pollution. It simply makes sense the more we work together the better the results. Sometimes it takes something like a pandemic to help us see reality.

Racial tensions augmented during these last few months. All races came together to stand up for racial justice. I recently reread a copy of James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time. I had underlined these quotes so many years ago when I first read his work and which still resonates today.

“Life is tragic simply because the earth turns and the sun inexorably rises and sets, and one day, for each of us, the sun will go down for the last, last time. Perhaps the whole root of our trouble, the human trouble, is that we will sacrifice all the beauty of our lives, will imprison ourselves in totems, taboos, crosses, blood sacrifices, steeples, mosques, races, armies, flags, nations, in order to deny the fact of death, the only fact we have. It seems to me that one ought to rejoice in the fact of death–ought to decide, indeed, to earn one’s death by confronting with passion the conundrum of life. One is responsible for life: It is the small beacon in that terrifying darkness from which we come and to which we shall return.”

“And if the word integration means anything, this is what it means: that we, with love, shall force our brothers to see themselves as they are, to cease fleeing from reality and begin to change it.”

                                          ― James Baldwin

Life only happens once. And for those who believe we reincarnate it still happens one life at a time and within a specific time. I hope and believe that we can make life better for each other when we decide to accept that each of us is deserving of a good life, a healthy existence, a peaceful coexistence. I still hope that we awaken to the essence of our oneness. Are you ready?

Image by Melba Christie (c) 2020

19 Years Later

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Have we forgotten

who our true enemies are and were?

Have we forgotten how we united

for a powerful cause?

We vowed to never forget!

We vowed to stand together.

Nineteen years later

the pain is still so real;

tears flow,

hearts broken,

Silence of words unspoken,

bells tolled,

flags furl 

stoic salutes,

over 3000 names uttered by loved ones.

roses placed gently.

No, no, we will never forget.

Let this day be our bookmark

to the beginning of a new chapter

of the stories that will also resonate

in our minds forever 

of the losses we have had 

in these last few months

Lives taken

by a different fiend

one unseen

by friend or foe.

NEVER FORGET!

No matter what

we do know 

how to stand together!

God bless America!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy First Day of School

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So many school children will begin a new year via Zoom and other platforms. No hugs, no high fives, and no notes passed around the classroom. The teachers will be in charge as usual and parents will need to monitor for the most part.

I taught all levels including graduate students and I cannot imagine what this beginning of  the school year will be like for youngsters just starting their education. My 5 year-old granddaughter will not be able to use her brand new unicorn design soup thermos for a while. That made her sad.

She received a basket full of workbooks, handouts, and curriculum guidelines and schedules. She was also lucky to receive an HP laptop for her to use during the virtual classroom meetings. As a grandparent I was so looking forward to walking her to school, taking her picture in front of the classroom door and waiting for her to get back to fill me in on all the details about her first day. I had to put on a happy face for her and try not to show my disappointment. But I suppose that for all kindergarteners this may be a way of school life for a while.   It may be the new normal and we the grandparents will have to deal with it. (I hope not.)

I remember my mother narrating my first day of school. She told me I walked right in and did not even look back to say goodbye. Her eyes would always tear up a little because for her I had started a whole new experience without her by my side. In comparison my daughter has accepted this new way of learning. She did a great job at home schooling towards the end of last school term. But it was pre-school and most moms are the teachers at that point. 

My granddaughter will wear her new dress and use her new pencils and crayons. But she will not put her new jacket and Frozen themed lunch box in the cubby hole labeled with her name. These little things may seem trivial within the bigger scheme of things but to me they made that first day so special. I remember my daughter’s first day. She rode the school bus labeled the red rabbit. We followed the bus in our car and watched as she got off with the help of the bus aide. She came back home so excited because she made a friend named Maya. The teacher pinned a note on her sweater that said, “We all had a beautiful day”. 

I hope COVID-19 will fade away soon and that the infections and deaths will diminish significantly. All we can do is continue to be vigilant of the signs of COVID-19. We must continue to follow the guidelines and know that we are not home free yet. 

I want to wish all children a wonderful school year be it in-person, or on-line or both. Most of all I wish for them to remain healthy along with their parents, teachers and school personnel. God bless you and God bless America.

 

Some Quotes to Ponder

“You’re off to great to great places. Today is your first day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!     

Dr. Seuss

“Wisdom begins in wonder.” -Socrates

“My number one goal at the end of the first day is not that they know the rules and consequences. It’s that they’re excited to be part of the class. That they run home to their parents and say, “Oh my gosh. I have the best teacher. I have this awesome class. It’s going to be great.”  -Unknown

Happy First Day to My beloved Granddaughter!

Some Quotes to ponder – Three of My Uncles were WOrld War II Veterans

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“But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract….It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain-“

Abraham Lincoln – Gettysburg Address

“A hero sacrifices for the greater good. A hero is true to his or her conscience. In short, heroism means doing the right thing regardless of the consequences.” Brandon Mull _ A World Without Heroes.

“Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” Colin Powell

“Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen volunteer to protect and defend this country and all its citizens, and do so with honor, integrity and excellence. Our nation continually asks them to do more and more, with less and less. ” Allen West

“Soldiers, when committed to a task, can’t compromise. It’s unrelenting devotion to the standards of duty and courage, absolute loyalty to others, not letting the task go until it’s been done.” John Keegan

Sacred Ground

“I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.”

“The highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country.” George Patton

“Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude.” President Truman

I really do not believe in War. I believe in Peace. But there are times that down right evil needs to be dealt with in a way that may require force and the need to send our brave young men and women into harm’s way. For this we should all be grateful. We are secure because of them. What is in it for them, perhaps not much according to material value but what is in it for us are the freedoms we hold dear. – Melba Christie

Still Counting the days – But also writing poems and painting

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I do not want to loose momentum. I want all of us to keep our ears and eyes open. I want us to continue to ask the pertinent and relevant questions. The answers to those questions that matter to us individually and collectively for the good of all. I cannot stress enough the importance of keeping informed. Read critically and look for accurate and credible sources. This is just my sincere advice. I speak as an educator, mother, grandmother and simply an American who cares about what happens to our beloved country.

In the meantime, I want to write and paint because these activities help me cope and melt my worries away a little.

Painting and Poem Melba Christie

Passions flow

hearts beat with empathy

Perhaps a hopeful tomorrow

62 DAYS 06 HOURS 38 MINUTES 09 SECONDS – IN THE MEANTIME

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In the meantime,

I pray for the souls

of over 184,000

who were probably alive

last year on this day and the day before.

Never dreamed they would leave the earth

so abruptly and alone.

In the meantime,

I write haiku,

I dream and hope,

I breathe deeply,

and visualize brighter days.

In the meantime,

I listen to nature’s songs,

I look at the view

for something new,

I seek inspiration,

to help awaken my imagination,

and I am still in the now,

and utter positive affirmations,

that our nation,

under God,

indivisible,

will unite

once again.

Going on Sixty-five days – Don’t just count the days; make the days count!

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Don’t just count the days; make the days count!

For the sake of our democracy,

Election day is paramount.

Make sure you take in to account,

What the senators have done so far.

Have they worked for us or

bowed down to the wanna be czar?

It is not just enough to complain;

and simply get upset.

What is important to know

is what your vote will get.

The choices and decisions are pretty plain to see;

truthful, serene and mindful is what we all want to be.

So if your heart is full of hope,

As is mine, it is all that helps me cope.

I want to offer you a very sincere plea.

Make sure you vote!

to help revive our democracy!

The Dream – 57 years ago

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A dream pronounced

by peaceful warrior standing his ground

His message still resonates

How beautiful the sounds

of people cheering, believing

that dreams do come true.

Fifty-seven years have passed.

Today we reaffirm, and decree

his hopes for a united front.

Civil disobedience, peaceful protests

and good trouble will be revived.

Enough is enough!

Poem by Melba Christie

“We Cannot Walk Alone…We Cannot Turn Back”

 

 

66 DAYS 15 HOURS 41 MINUTES – To be Precise

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Fact checkers need to go out, research and be precise;

The urgency of now cannot be over emphasized.

We have now listened to the two major sides

and their multiple points of view.

Some things I heard frankly were not all that new.

This is why now we need some truthful and great sleuths on the ground.

Reputable and true journalists must report soon what they have found.

I will list for you the relevant issues and I hope I am concise.

Shifting blame, name calling, and sheer partisanship will no longer suffice.

I implore you to read and listen for accuracy, and meticulous reporting.

There are only 66 days left to decide who you will be supporting.

Questions should be similar to these and more:

How many billions did the USA actually receive from other countries?

What finally happened to the second stimulus bill?

With all the billions supposedly attained, why are they bickering over how much and when?

Does everyone understand we are in a recession?

Will the COVID-19 Vaccine be safe for human beings?

Has testing for COVID-19 truly slowed down?

What the real time numbers of deaths and infections?

Are medicaid and medicare at risk?

How are the senators and congressmen and women voting on the most important issues?

Will the USPS be ready to deliver mail in ballots?

How are all social media platforms protecting our elections?

I can think of so many more things that need to checked.

I hope you have questions to add to this list.

I am tired of the rethortic and misinformation.

I am tired of some journalists not asking the right questions?

I am tired of the ranting and complaining.

If you are tired too then you know what I am saying.

I am a mother and grandmother first as you may have guessed;

looking out for the future of my family and friends.

but most of all for We the People of these United States.

 

Please submit feedback. Stay safe and stay informed. 

 

Image by pixabay.com

 

 

 

I have provided links that may be useful. 

67 Days 16 hours 10 minutes – Let me be clear

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Let me be clear

there is nothing more dear

than the privilege of voting

I for one am hoping

the days go by even faster.

The fear of more of the same is a disaster.

We will not really know

how many of us will show

for the Corona Virus may still be alive

killing us at a high rate

who knows how many of us will survive.

Then, we need to beware

of those who do not care

and contribute to our collective despair.

 

Right now, as I write

so many are in a fight

with a monster hurricane

I pray for their well-being

but the devastation will be difficult to sustain.

Then, we continue to face

the unrest about race

The violence is a disgrace.

I have said this before

We need to get together

stronger and more united than ever

We need to open our eyes wide

see the truth and the need

for our leaders to truly lead

and focus on resolving problems

stop the ridiculous rhetoric

and start dealing with

the challenges ahead.

Miracles are real, But we can’t wait

There is an old saying,

We also need to help ourselves.

Only 67 days remain,

I will continue singing that old refrain,

“Come together right now!”

Our democracy needs us to come together.

God bless the suffering right now.

God bless the United States of America!

70 Days – Out of Touch?

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Out of touch?

Feelings are not important, right?

Death is only felt by the 177, 000 dead!

 

Out of touch?

Did you eat the conventional three meals today?

Do you know how many did not?

They are thousands of children, American children. Our children.

They are the homeless.

They are even those who have a home.

They are the unemployed.

They are of all colors, all creeds, all political parties.

 

Out of touch?

Many of us are.

This is what is so sad.

 

Out of touch?

We need to come to one realization.

That is, it is not just to say, “It is what it is.”

What it should be is,

What we should ask ourselves is:

What are you going do about it?

Out of touch?

Not me, not I, never again.

 

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