Life: Don’t Wait To Find Out Just How Short It Really Can Be

I watched my 12-year-old nephew hold on to the handle on the left front side of the casket, and that’s when I couldn’t hold it any longer. The tears flowed hot and fast as I thought about how different the lives of he and my teen niece would be without their mother.

Today my former sister-in-law was buried, at age 35. Those words I just used to describe my relationship to her don’t tell the whole story–she was like a sister, and treated me and my family so well after the complicated and unpleasant divorce between her and my older brother.

People: Conversations on Race–Go Ahead

“Essentially,” says Attorney General Eric Holder, “[we are] a nation of cowards.” This comment, made during a speech in February, stirred mutterings of both ire and agreement.

Holder states that our collective cowardice manifests in the arena of race relations, particularly when it comes to dialogue between cultures in America. Perhaps from a generalized point of view that is true. But the apparent difficulty in holding conversations on race does not mean there aren’t citizens brave enough to delve into the dark past, uncover truth, shed light on today, move on and commit to a new, harmonious path of life.

People: “I Need Time to Get Acclimated” . . . Baby Mama-In-Waiting

Well, who woulda’ thunk it? Jay Leno has a seed of family value righteousness planted in him, much to shy Vin Diesel’s slight embarassment.

Vin was on the Tonight Show a couple of weeks ago, (check out http://www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/video/clips/vin-diesel-033009/1076924/ for the clip) and Jay asked him about his new little baby, born to his very pretty girlfriend. In fact, Vin said she was not just pretty, but a “wonderful woman.”

“So, are you getting married?” Jay asked, innocently.

People: The Blind Leading the Confused

I was on AOL.com to read my email. On the AOL homepage surfers are greeted with “information inundation,”  and various news and reading opportunities flash before the user. On this trip, a flash read “One Way to Approach a Woman: One move tells her you’re not confident.” I bit.

What-Not: Books-A-Million Excursion. . .

As a new freelancer I understand the importance of keeping up with what’s out there to read, so that I can write accordingly–or alternately, if I choose.

So, here’s the deal at Books-A-Million (B.A.M.)  in Lakeland, FL today: I chose to focus first on one section of the magazine “rack.” On my way there I decided to walk the “Teen Fiction” aisle. Something caught my eye. I pulled the book off the shelf and the very bare, very muscular chest of a tanned brunette said, “Hello.” Oh my Lord, were my thoughts. The title? “Sexy Beast.” And with a scan of the back cover I said, “Aw, heck no–this is NOT teen fiction” and put it on some other random shelf. I’ve definitely been leading a sheltered life lately.