Martin's Vision for the World

I wrote this way before we began the path to the
Presidential election of 2016.    Martin’s dream
for this nation is still relevant today, more than ever.
More than ever, we need to reflect on what we value as a
country and what we want to continue to value in the
future.

Martin, when I think of you,
I think of how you courageously stood tall
Fighting for us all.
Your ability to envision the world as it should be,
reshaped our history.
You placed yourself in harms way
So we could enjoy the freedoms we have today.
We are thankful for your faith, your conviction,
and your continued belief that one day, we'd be free
Free, from the chains of adversity.
While we have come a long a way,
It is evident that, for some, the struggle
for freedom is never done.
It will never be over until we learn to live as one.
It will never be over if one man's dream is shattered.
It will never be over as long as we have need to remind
America that black lives matter.
It will never be over until we, as a nation,
can lift the rug of injustice and sweep away
the dirt that has remained hidden for years.
It will never be over as long as we hesitate to
acknowledge our doubts and our fears.
It will never be over as long as we allow
a President to be blatantly disrespected to his face.
It will never be over as long as one American feels displaced.
It will never be over as long as one man's dream is deferred.
It will never be over  as long as boundaries are imposed upon the just. 
It will never be over as long as the doors of opportunity
are systematically closed.
It will never be over as long as this country
continues to rob the poor man and line the
pockets of the wealthy.
It will never be over as long as any man
is denied the medical care he needs to remain healthy.
It will never be over as long as one person
is harmed by terrorists, extremists,  or supremacists.
It will never be over as long as annihilators and haters are killing the innocent.
It will never be over as long as there is injustice anywhere.
It will never be over until black and brown boys and girls
are provided adequate tools with which to learn.
It will never be over until, in this nation,
there is equity in money earned.
The work will never be over,
and America will never be the America of our dreams
until we finally understand what freedom and justice for ALL
really means.
It will never be over until every man can live not only freely
and equally, but safely in this world.
It will never be over.
No, it will never be over.

copyright 2016, Patricia Newman-Harris

Are We Losing The Personal Touch?

I came across a video that conveys so much
of what I feel, that I thought I'd share it with you.
I hope it provokes some thought.

As much as I enjoy the benefits technology affords me,
I am concerned about the loss of what I call the "personal touch."
I had to learn how to text just to find out what was going on
with my younger family members.  If you don't text, you are
excluded from a lot of things.  I don't feel I was left out
intentionally.  Texting has simply become the way to communicate.  
Texting is okay with me as long as it is not used as
an escape for conveying a message that really should be
conveyed face to face.  I don't like the idea of breaking up
with somebody by text or through Facebook.   Come on now.   That
is just not right.  I don't want to get into anyone else's business,
and I understand that everyone has their own modus operandi.
That will never be mine.   If it were up to me, I'd still be writing
letters instead of emails, and sending more cards by mail than e-cards.  
Though I do send e-cards and emails, I still enjoy writing letters.
If I mention writing a letter today, I get some weird looks and a
downright disconnect.  It's funny to me.  I have been dragged kicking
and screaming into the age of the new technology, but I'm in.

 

Only Love

Heaven sent a gift from above,

L-O-V-E, love.

love, love, love.

Only love will bridge the gap in our minds.

Only love will break us out of confines.

Love, love,

Only love,

Love, love, love.

What the world needs now is love,

Sweet love.

Only love will change the tides,

Dry our tear stained eyes.

Only love will end our fears

Help us through the trying years.

Only love,

Only love,

Only love and trust

Will build the bond between us.

Heaven sent a gift from above.

L-O-V-E, love.

Love, love, love.

Only love.

If love is to abound

The walls between us must fall

Love will break down the walls

And unite us all

From the earth to the sky

The flag of love must fly

Heaven sent a gift from above

L-O-V-E, love.

What the world needs now is love,

Sweet love.

Love, only love,

Love, love, love,

Only love. 

copyright Patricia Newman-Harris

With excerpt in italics from the What the World Needs Now Is Love

by Burt Bachrach and Hal David

 

America's Challenge

My fellow Americans,

Everyday, life offers us a choice.

We make that choice through our voice.

What we say and what we do, really does matter.

We can use our voice to encourage,

Or, we can use it to discourage.

We can use it to give or

We can use it to take.

We can use it to bring love

Or, we can use it to bring hate.

That is our challenge.

We can exercise our choice,

Or we can still our voice.

We can insure that the things that matter

Continue to matter.

We can assure we achieve

the things we want as a nation. 

Or we can give up

on what we've worked so hard to achieve.

That is our challenge.

What we are seeing now is a battle to

bend the arc of justice in the opposite direction.

But hate must not prevail.

We can use our voice to encourage,

Or, we can use it to discourage.

We can use it to give,

Or,

We can use it to take.

We can use it to bring love,

Or, we can use it to bring hate.

That is our challenge.

Note: 

To those of us who are in the battle to stay,

Saddle up cause it's going to be a rough ride.

I pray you will determine that you are in the battle for the long haul.

Then lets sit high atop the horse of hate and ride!

Be Encouraged!

Every morning, I listen to a program aired on KJLJ radio, 102.3, hosted by Dominique DiPrima.  Before I started listening to that show, I was pretty pessimistic about the fight against racism in our nation.  This morning, she reminded her listeners of a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  I'd like to share that quote with you, but especially with those, who like me, have become discouraged in the fight.  I know times seem dark to us all in light of the things that have been going on throughout the nation.  It is so easy to focus on the bad, but now is the time when we should focus on the good.  It is also a time to remember that, as Martin Luther King, said,

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”

It does not mean that we won't have to work to help bend the arc.  It takes all of us doing whatever we can; however, we can do what we can to assure that we achieve what we want in this world.  When you forget how far we have come as a nation, remember to remember.  Hang onto the words of some of the best and be encouraged!

If you'd like to listen to the show I mentioned above, it airs every weekday morning
from 4:30 am. to 6 a.m.  The station is owned by Stevie Wonder, and there is an app available or you can listen online via internet at kjlhradio.com.

Remembering my Childhood...Celebrating Aunt Margaret..

AUNT MARGARET

by:  P. Newman-Harris

My Aunt Margaret.

Was a real treat!

When we were little she kept us in the streets

Not just doing any old thing.

She took us to see Mary Poppins

and  My Fair Lady.

We even went to the opera.

You see, Aunt Margaret wanted us to "have culture."

There were five of us, so she often sponsored our outings.

She helped pay our way to Disneyland and, many other places we wanted to go.

We knew wherever we went with Aunt Margaret

we would have fun.

We looked forward to those outings.

We even had fun when she took us to work with her.

She cleaned house for a Jewish family, and we often

Helped her by dusting the furniture.

With Aunt Margaret, there was a standard,

Even for dusting.

When we finished, she’d bend down and eye the

furniture real good.

Then, she’d rise up slowly and say,

“Do it again”.

Aunt Margaret always had a husband or a boyfriend in tow.

The one that was the most fun was Uncle J.C.

He was a boyfriend that she finally married.

We thought Aunt Margaret was a riot,

But Uncle J.C. had us screamin laughing.
He used to stop on the green lights and

drive on the red.

The two of them together were a double treat.

We were often lookouts for Aunt Margaret.

She had an uncanny knack for passing up

our street

We’d sit bundled up in the back seat

trying our best to hide our laughter

as she drove by our street again and again.

We didn’t mind delaying our trip.  We knew

eventually, we would get home.

I remember once Aunt Margaret asked my brother

to look out for a pole as she backed up.

When she hit the pole, he said “Aunt Margaret

you hit the pole.”

She had to laugh herself.

That’s what we liked about her.

The things that should have

made her angry didn’t.

She had a special laugh that made us laugh even more.

On a more serious note, Aunt Margaret was the saving grace for

Our family.

She was there, always willing to do what was needed.

Teaching us, listening to our dreams

and encouraging us to see them through.

She did this for 3 generations of nieces and nephews.

Here’s to you Aunt Margaret

Thank you for the cherished memories.

We love you and we definitely miss you.

Note:

Having someone who cares enough to pour into your life is a blessing. 
I am thankful for that blessing.  You will be surprised how much giving
a little bit of your time can help someone else stay focused on the things that
really matter in life.

Happy birthday Aunt Margaret

Thoughts to Ponder...In Celebration of Patriot's Day

Looking in the rear view to that fateful day, September 11, 2001.
It is a day I know I will always remember.   Beyond the tragedy,
devastation, the pain and the unthinkable loss we suffered as a nation,
I remember feeling a profound spirit of unity born out of our connection
as citizens of this great nation.  On 9/11, we were visibly connected
by our collective loss.  From the homeless man on the street to the CEO of great
corporations, there was a shared understanding, spoken and unspoken,
that comes with the realization that it could have been anyone.  It could have been
your son, your daughter, husband or wife, mother or father; who perished.
At that moment in time, there were no differences between us.
No matter who we were individually, collectively, we were simply
one nation suffering our loss together.

Through the years that have passed, we seem to be slipping further away from
that day.  If we learn nothing else, we should learn that our differences are simply that,
differences.  It is those differences that make us interestingly and excitingly new.  We have to accept one another each and every day, not just in the face of tragedy.   There has to be a permanent bond between us as countrymen.  It is that common bond that got us through the days following 9/11.

Being different should be an asset.  It should never ever become a liability.   When we start
encouraging separation, on any level, we are spitting in the face of those who risked their lives to make this country what it is today.  Today, let us remember and consider the price
we pay for freedom, peace and democracy.   In so doing, maybe we can rediscover what it really means to call America our home.

copyright 2016 Patricia Newman-Harris

 In a world where almost everything has a price,
one thing is absolutely free.   That thing, my friends, is love.
If you throw it out, it not only come back to you, it
will bless you in ways you never knew before.