I am not among the wealthiest people that I know but if I compare myself to the entire population of the world I am indeed rich. I never achieved fame for the work that I did and none of my blogs have gone viral. Mine has been a rather quiet life, mostly routine and average. On the other hand if I were to consider the quality of the friends whose company I have enjoyed I would have to admit to being blessed beyond measure. It is in the people who have crossed my path and stopped to share extraordinary moments with me that I have become a woman of distinction. Perhaps there is no more interesting and accomplished person among those with whom I have shared a cup of tea than Seng-Dao Keo. Continue reading “A Wealth of Friendship”
Category: Heroes
Play Ball!
Oh how my mother loved baseball! Even on the day that she died she wanted to watch a few innings of an Astro’s game. She thought of baseball as an all American sport, almost an inspirational game with heroes whose faces donned cardboard collectors’ cards. The reality is that once upon a time baseball had a very ugly side. Years after the Emancipation Proclamation African American players were denied access to the big leagues. Instead they were relegated to all black minor league teams despite their talent. All of that changed on this day, April 15, 1947, when the Brooklyn Dodgers debuted their newest player, Jackie Robinson. Continue reading “Play Ball!”
What If?
On this day in history in 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer who thought that his action might somehow save the southern states from Union domination and tyranny. Of course public disgust with his murderous act not only derailed his ill conceived plan but also changed the course of post war reconstruction. Ironically it was Abraham Lincoln who had been the leader in emphasizing forgiveness and understanding for the rebel states and their citizens. Thus it has oft been argued that the schism between the north and the south might have healed more quickly under his leadership than it did without him. Instead the more punishing policies of carpet bagging only increased resentments that continue to this very day in some quarters of the south. Continue reading “What If?”
Where Dreams May Come True
The annual frenzy known as March Madness is now over and a new national championship team wears the crown. The tournament comes by its frenetic name quite naturally because year after year virtually anything might happen as one college battles another. Unlike football that has become somewhat predictable and mostly the domain of universities with large amounts of money to spend, basketball is a sport that is still open to even small somewhat unknown schools. Whether public or private, it doesn’t seem to matter because as the minutes on the clock tick down nothing about the ending is ever certain. More than one Cinderella team has scored a victory in the final seconds making the game of round ball perhaps the most exciting sport on the planet.
Last night Villanova proved once again that all it takes is one sensational play just before the buzzer to humble giants. In an historic victory the team surprised North Carolina by scoring the first ever three point buzzer beater to become the national championship team in the men’s Division I with a score of 77 to 74. Ironically another Villanova team had won the national title way back in 1985 in another stunning upset over then ten point favorite, Georgetown University. It was not their first time to be a spoiler. Continue reading “Where Dreams May Come True”
Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory
According to the Miriam Webster dictionary a hero is:
a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability
an illustrious warrior
a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities
one who shows great courage
I’ve had a number of heroes in my lifetime, starting with my father, but if I were challenged to quickly name a single individual whose life demonstrated as many of the aforementioned qualities as possible it would have to be Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I have been fascinated by him and his work from the time that he walked among us here on earth. He was in reality an imperfect man like the rest of us but he somehow found an inner resolve again and again to carry out a mission from which he sometimes wanted to run. In the end his dedication to an incredible cause lead to his violent death, a particular irony given that he was always determined to bring about change through passive resistance and peaceful demonstrations. Continue reading “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory”
All It Takes Is A Little Love 