Educational Excellence

“Yes indeedy!”, as my friend “Petey” used to say, T.G.I.F.! As we approach the last days of 2013, I am sure that thoughts may be swirling around in our heads as we wonder what we could’ve done better. Moving forward into a New Year is often an opportunity to revise a previous plan, noting where improvements are needed. Most people today are finding that to look back too long can cause one to lose focus on ones goals, as well as direction. Perhaps, a goal may need tweaking and may require some help and expertise from someone who has experience. Other times, one may just have to tough it out.

Some television networks have begun to show clips of “The Year in Review,” which highlight the most memorable, often the most horrible, as well as the most emotional moments of this past year. I am sure that many may have “clips” of their own that replay in ones own mind, highlighting those things we can do better. This past Christmas was a change for me, since my daughter, Ayanna Lynne, came from Connecticut to visit, and, we all visited my sister in Port St. Lucie, FL. While trying to “move forward” so to speak, I found that there were some “new” things we had to learn about each other. It is easier to look outside of our “inner circle” and find something to preoccupy our attention though it (our attention) may better serve us if we focused on ourselves or that “inner circle”.

Have you ever heard the expression “Tough It Out!” before? This might be easier said than done. This past year, I personally have focused on spiritual conditioning which is a very important part of the human journey, methinks! One may see challenges in ones own life and make them bigger than life. This is where the conditioning comes in for me, developing the awareness of the spiritual threshold and where it may lead us next. This past year, a good friend passed away and I know it had a tremendous impact on his family. While celebrating Christmas this year with the remaining fragments of our extended family, which is basically my sister and I and our offspring, I became aware of some valuable lessons. We wanted to come together again and this was highlighted by my only offspring coming to visit us here in Florida. Her cousins rallied round her to make her visit fun and each of us continued working on our own destinies while experiencing and enjoying the “holy days” together. Yesterday was the first day of Kwanzaa as well as a “holy day” for countries in Canada and Europe, where the more advantaged gave gifts to the less advantaged. It brought back memories of my meeting up with Big Mama and her Team of Life. Her Christmas Season 2013 was highlighted by a “gift-giving” event at Santa’s Enchanted Forest located in Miami Dade. Thousands of children gathered there to enjoy the lights and the amusement park like rides, music, food, fun and festivities. No child left there without a gift!

Are there some issues that you just need to “tough out” moving forward into 2014? If you are human, I am sure there must be at least one! For me personally, and for me and Educational Excellence, we plan to move forward with our efforts as we appreciate your support of those efforts, and seek to continue the contributions to make this world a better place … and simultaneously making myself and EE a better entity. Feedback is always appreciated. Thanks for a wonderful year!

Peace,

You know, no matter what happens, I am grateful when I wake up the next morning! Christmas Week is here and many of you may already be on Christmas Vacation. Every year is different for me nowadays as I am maturing and still pretty much single! Again, I am not complaining, just explaining why I have some viewpoints that you may or may not share. I know that Christmas has a different meaning for every family and certainly as many individuals! When someone says “Merry Christmas” to you, we may not be aware of what Christmas really means to that person, nor perhaps, what they wished it meant.

Fortunately, I have lived to see another year and even a rekindled relationship with my daughter, who has come to visit “this side” of the family. Our family, I presume is like most families, unique in our structure and the type of relationships within the structure. I often think back to my senior thesis that I wrote to graduate from Princeton University entitled: “A Critique of Studies on The Black Family.” Most of my memories of my family, which is the focus of my first book, “From the Projects to Princeton,” include near heroic episodes of both my parents to keep a roof over our heads, all four of us, food to eat and decent clothes to wear as we grew up in the Winbrook Apartments. Mom even cleaned houses in addition to a lot of volunteer work, including being President of the PTA for a few years at Rochambeau Elementary School where I went. My dad worked for Pinkerton Detective Agency for many many hours on various assignments. He was glad to have “graduated” from being a garage mechanic to Sgt. Cook after some years with Pinkerton in Westchester. They struggled to make ends meet and it seems that nearly every Christmas, we were traveling from White Plains to Tampa, Florida where my mother’s late sister, Drucilla, and late brother, Jerry lived with their spouses and children. They lived in what comparably would be called “the country” part of Tampa. Christmases were always cool!

So, as I enter another Christmas Season, enjoying friends and family, and just being grateful and humble for a decent life today, I just want to say Merry Christmas to each and every one of you and your families as well. Try to exercise forgiveness when necessary, continue to be loving and generous in spirit and in deed, and be yourself! Most relationships require work. Nowadays, if the average person doesn’t see any results from this “work” that may gratify ones spirit, the average person may not want to make the investment and take the time to do the work. Just a quiet little thanks to my family members for doing this work this holiday season. Our ancestors, I am sure, are smiling on us, too. Happy Kwanza, as well!

Merry Christmas!

T.G.I.F. might be in order folks! What do you think? Well, any other greeting will be fine, too!

Just last evening, I had the pleasure of picking up my daughter, Ayanna Lynne, from the FTL/HLLYWD Airport after work. As the holidays continue, I am hoping to see more friends and family, but this makes Christmas extra special for me. Now, I know I have friends who may be agnostic or just not grip the “Jesus Christ” story as part of their holiday celebrations. So be it. I know I also have friends and associates who are just “good people” with good values and a good human compass for their own behavior. So, I still want everyone included in these Holy Day Wishes.

Now, I am not a big “Duck Dynasty” fan so I don’t watch the show. What I did watch, however, were the responses to this guy’s “anti-gay” comments as well as some people’s attempt to compare the POTUS with this character “what’s his face” Peterson or something. Of course, the comment was like: “Who should be fired? The man who lied to the country about foreign policies OR the man who simply spoke his opinion?” I thought to myself, “What cynical times we live in … to even dare to compare these two?! No comparison!!” And of course, as I suspected, the protagonist of “Duck Dynasty” wasn’t finished with his remarks. He continued on into the race area. Peace be still! Sure, everyone can have their opinion, but don’t be surprised where your opinionated remarks land you, especially if you work for a major television network with many many more shows other than yours!

Next week lands us on Christmas Day, and, while I work the day before and the day after, the office is showing us much love with a small gathering of quality assurance agents, sales agents and all levels of management. I’ve heard of many people having Christmas parties, some with the regular “drunk dramas” and others that went off without a hitch! There are going to be more police on duty as folks finish their last minute shopping, so, be careful as you place things in your car, on your porch … since deliveries have been stolen, too … Don’t drink and drive unless you want to either add to fatality statistics or simply get arrested … or killed! Be responsible in these celebrations and please, please, please don’t forget the meaning of this holiday, which is “Joy to the World!”, Peace on Earth and Love Love Love! Have a great weekend.

Peace and Love,

I am sure by now most of us world-wide realize how important Nelson Mandela has been to all willing and able to pay attention to the lessons of his life. Now, of course, he was a giver, a “father”, as the name “Madiba” suggests. That can never be taken away by any human being. Things may not be perfect in South Africa but there has been progress made. The “Sending Off” Ceremony in the enormous soccer stadium was something that was a first! Not only were dignitaries from many nations as well as leaders of the same nations there, but there were common folks there as well. The population in the stadium seemed to cut across socio-economic differences as well as racial.

Needless to say, the spot light was on the POTUS, and, he was criticized for shaking the hand of now Cuban dictator Raul Castro. I mean, what was he supposed to do – walk past him at the “going away” party of a person who believed that everybody counts? Perhaps, as a local activist here in SoFlo stated, “It was like giving the olive branch in peace.” Yet another observer, a SoFlo college professor noted, “People are not paying attention to the words of his speech when he clearly addressed those leaders who herald Mandela but don’t allow the people in their own countries the freedoms he (Mandela) talked about!” Such is human kind – when something good is celebrated or happens, we often look for the negative to talk about rather than highlighting the positive contributions of an event or a person. Once folks jump in that seat of “judgment”, logic and compassion goes straight out the window.

Some of you may have heard the expression, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth!” Others may need a paraphrased idea like, “Be grateful for what someone gifts you!” Sure, we can find something negative to say about that, too! We could spend hours talking about all the negative stuff until the positive has literally disappeared! This type of behavior is usually done by folks who start out meaning well, but ultimately do not have the balance required to make an objective observation. One must be careful NOT to be engulfed and led astray by negativity to the point that one can NOT notice the positive … of anything. I am convinced that some folks just like to talk … to hear themselves talk … and to stir up controversy.

In closing today, I just wanted to mention a call I received yesterday from Essie “Big Mama” Reed. The article I wrote on she and her Team of Life as well as the event held at the Fort Lauderdale Hilton last Thursday has not been set to print yet, but I suspect it will be in the MiamiTimesOnLine.com today or next week. Yet, she took the time out of her busy schedule to call me, and thank me for being there (I was one of a few chocolate chips in the cookie!) as well as interviewing her, her friends and taking pictures with she and her friends as well. She is looking to expand and needs more contributors from the Palm Beach County area as she noticed was lacking from her nearly five city tour this past weekend, from Hialeah, Florida City and points in West Palm Beach. Be grateful for what we have, give warmly and generously when one can, and “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth!”

Peace on Earth,

Yes, if you are reading this, your eyes are open! Another holiday season is firmly upon us . . . it’s December already! It seems many of us have gotten through a wonderful Thanksgiving Week, others got some shopping done for friends and family, and the benevolent organizations are in “full swing”, if you will!

This past Sunday saw the motorcycle riders of Broward County put together another “Run In The Sun”, where bikers rode their “Santa Claus” route from Hallandale Beach, FL to Markham Park in Sunrise, FL. All bikers donated either toys or money to assure that the children at the Joe DeMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, FL also have a festive Christmas. Can you imaging the joy on a child’s face who may be forced to remain in the hospital on Christmas with medical complications still receiving gifts and being able to celebrate Christmas?! There have been many studies done that demonstrate that people tend to get depressed, feel abandoned during the holidays, some even become suicidal! This is also the beauty of someone like “Big Mama”, whom I had the chance to interview and even hug and squeeze a few times, who make it well known that she suffered and struggled so much that, through her Team of Life, she wants to gather holiday goodies. These gifts include food and money and are redistributed to the families and children that often struggle with life in general, but especially at Christmas!

What’s in your heart?! Is the spirit of giving still in existence in your heart?! I think so! One of the things I have always embraced once becoming aware of it is a great premise in yoga. As we exercise on the mat in some forms of yoga, it is common to think about ourselves and our lives, in particular about things that “serve us” or “bring out the best in you” as opposed to things that don’t. Simply said, don’t entertain demons!! Some yogis instruct us to smile as we assume various asanas or poses. Others even tell us to think about a “happy place” and breathe into those taunt areas during our practice. At this time this year, I am very excited because I have been communicating with some friends who are expected to arrive in town this weekend. As well, it is planned that my daughter, Ayanna, is coming to visit me for Christmas as well! A special shout out to Christian Thomas and his new son; Kathleen Harris and her relatively new triplets and all the others with new children and pets in their families. Whatever you do, let it bring out the best in you!

Peace and blessing,