The Adventures of Being Me

I once read in a newspaper where students were asked to name 20 Black Americans who are/were not athletes nor entertainers. Many could not. One high school class of mine did that challenge and I think we did make it to 20 people. Let's see how many I can name. Let the challenge begin. 1. Phyllis Wheatley: Poet who met with George Washington during the Revolutionary War. 2. Sojourner Truth: Abolitionist and Women's Suffragist who bared her breasts and gave a famous speech "Ain't I a Woman?" 3. Harriet Tubman: Conductor of the Underground Railroad and later scout, spy, and soldier in Civil War. 4. Frederick Douglass: Abolitionist who published his autobiography as a former slave. 5. Solomon Northup: Violinist who published his autobiography 12 Years a Slave. 6. 54th Massachusetts Infantry unit that inspired the film Glory. 7. Bass Reeves: Lawman out of Ft. Smith, AR who entered Indian Territory (Oklahoma) to capture fugitives and some say was the inspiration to t...

Had a good January. Slept in the New Year going to bed at 11 PM and enjoyed the day off. Then back to work hearing about about a new pay system the corporate office wants to inflict on us. Instead of raises we usually, they will pay us bonus related to how much work we produce over the budget. Which means many employees are looking for new jobs I'm sure. I call it "20 different reason not to pay us". Drove Mom to my Dad's cousins reunion at a pizza place. Younger generations don't bother to visit people they only see once a year so the cousins have their own gathering in January. Attended a baby shower for my cousin about to have her first child. Got to see her out-of-state sister and family plus my out-of-state aunt. My sister and niece got a stomach bug at the last minute and decided not to come, so took nephew along to visit out-of-state uncle. They played games down in the basement. Told nephew a baby shower is like a birthday party: have cake and punch, p...