We Are The Caribbean

As we commemorate National Caribbean American Heritage Month, the tribute written by talented Poet Charmaine Allwood-Hanson sums up the history and cultural perspective. Be intrigued as you read.

Charmaine A.'s avatarI Speak. You Read.

WE ARE THE CARIBBEAN
COUNTRIES AND ISLANDS
CONNECTED BY THIS VAST BLUE SEA
PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT RACES
RELIGIONS AND CREEDS

WE ARE THE CARIBBEAN
A GREAT MELTING POT
BRED FROM SLAVES, COLONIZERS
MERCHANTS, INDENTURED LABORERS
AND INDIGENOUS TRIBES
CULTURALLY WE ARE SO DIVERSIFIED

WE SPEAK ENGLISH, FRENCH
SPANISH AND DUTCH
PATOIS AND CREOLE
OUR LANGUAGES EMBODY
THE NEW AND THE OLD

WE ARE THE CARIBBEAN
OVER 26 NATIONS STRONG
LET ME NAME A FEW
AS THE LIST IS LONG

WE ARE GUYANESE, BARBADIAN
BELIZEANS AND JAMAICANS
PANAMANIANS, HAITIANS AND GRENADIANS
CUBANS, DOMINICANS, AND ANGUILLANS
WE ARE THE NATIONS OF ST. VINCENT
MONTSERRAT AND MARTINIQUE
WE ARE COUNTRIES, SMALL AND LARGE ISLANDS
WHICH MAKES OUR REGION UNIQUE

WE HAVE MOUNTAINS, VOLCANOES AND TOURIST RESORTS
WATERFALLS, HEALING AND HEALTH SPAS
TOP NOTCH SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES
WE ARE KNOWN FOR OUR DIVERSITIES

WE HAVE MANY HISTORICAL SITES
WE TRADE TOBACCO, SUGAR AND BANANAS…

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Fatherhood On Father’s Day…

How Do Dads Do Things Differently?

CNN Headline news posed the question to fathers. Tune into my Conversation with Senior IT Expert Daveyton Blake who is a Father, Coach and Community young adult Mentor. Dads of all kinds will be intrigued by the intense truths explored in this interview.

Listen in now and share with a dad this Father’s Day.

Cheers!

42 Ways To Improve Yourself…

7 Movies To Enjoy This Easter…

I love movies! Movies tell stories or teach us something. Most people watch movies for entertainment or to have fun. Movies make us laugh, cry, feel inspired or simply getaway from the here and now (Wikipedia). One of my favorite is Under The Tuscan Sun. That’s because I am a writer and it inspires my own personal growth to do something different. To explore, dream but most important to do something to make a difference. Here are 7 Easter Movies for your binging pleasure.

You may also like 9 Movies That Inspire Self-Discovery…

Movies That Move You

  1. The Passion Of Christ
  2. I Can Only Imagine
  3. Risen
  4. The Greatest Story Ever Told
  5. The Dog Who Saved Easter
  6. Steel Magnolias
  7. Ben-Hur

Relax and indulge your movie pleasures with family and friends this Easter. Your favorite not on the list? Do share, we would love to hear!

Prefer to retreat to your favorite space and read? Here’s my newest book just released “My Safe Place”. Grab your copy and experience peace.

Cheers!

Stories, Flags, Anthems, And Meanings…

Nowhere is this felt than at events such as the Olympics. Countries gasped in awe when athletes step out flags in hand to represent

A Flag is a piece of cloth or similar material, typically oblong or square, attachable by one edge to a pole or rope and used as the symbol or emblem of a country or institution or as a decoration during public festivities.

There is something special when you hear the national anthem being played with flags flying high. It speaks to unity, respect and achievement. Nowhere is this felt than at events such as the Olympics. Countries gasped in awe when athletes step out flags in hand to represent. I decided to share the original stories of those countries where I have lived. Learning more sparked my interest and I hope the direct extracts listed will cause you to reflect on your own homeland and countries where you too have lived, visited or your favorite writing place.

Canada

Canada - Wikipedia

On February 15th, 1965, the modern Canadian flag, bearing its hallmark maple leaf, was raised for the first time on Parliament Hill. Today, the maple leaf is a recognized symbol of Canada; it has also come to symbolize unity, tolerance, and peace.

Jamaica

Jamaica - Wikipedia

The legislative committee responsible agreed that the flag should have the colours black, yellow, and green. … These stood for the difficulties faced by the nation (black), its natural wealth and the beauty of its sunlight (yellow), and agriculture and hope (green).

United States

What was the first state in the USA? | Travel Trivia

The flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the American flag or the U.S. flag, is the national flag of the United States. It consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton (referred to specifically as the “union”) bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows, where rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternate with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 states of the United States of America, and the 13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain, and became the first states in the U.S.[2] Nicknames for the flag include the Stars and Stripes,[3][4]Old Glory,[5] and the Star-Spangled Banner.

source: wikipedia

Writers Escape. The She-Shed Inspiration …

Writers desired escape seems far fetched. The longing to get away to a quiet place to write. It seems the more the writer seeks the faster it disappears. Yes that quiet space to retreat.

HGTV’s 16 She Shed ideas provides the perfect solace. Here I share my favorite two. Ohhh the dream to steal away to write, just write in an ideal writer’s space.

Take a peek and share your own fav.

Cheers!

People Who Found Success Despite Failure…

The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do. ~Unknown

Dr. Shelly's avatarSuccess Strategies

Stephen was blindsided. He lost his job. Had nothing to do with him. His employer decided to cut staff. Despite having a wife and two children to care for, he was sent home without notice to face his mortgage, bills, and cover life’s basic needs.

Maria left high school, got her first job and now after 3 years feels lost as she sets her eye on the supervisor position that just opened up. She asked herself should she apply? Would she qualify? Faced with the daunting fact that she has no certification or formal education, she felt depressed. She had delayed formal training after high school to make ’em dollars. Now what?

Lidia and Bill became engaged 2 years ago and want to take the next step to get married but feel scared to make the decision. Questions bothered them. Will they be able to afford a house? Should they…

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Happiness. Experience Joy…

Beach Waves

If you want happiness for an hour — take a nap. If you want happiness for a day — go fishing. If you want happiness for a year — inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a life time — help someone else.

Chinese Proverb

Happiness is for a while but Joy is everlasting.

Experience Joy!

Cheers!

South Florida Writers Of Color Literary Magazine, 2nd Edition…

You can. You should and if you are brave enough to start, you will. Writing is magic as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free so drink. Drink and be filled.  ~Stephen King

 

The world is never the same once a good poem has been added to it. ~Dylan Thomas

The Ralph Hogges and Benjamin Cowins, South Florida Writers of Color Literary Magazine. An Online Literary Magazine. Read. Indulge your writing prowess in these editions:

South Florida Writers of Color Magazine 1st Edition

South Florida Writers of Color Magazine 2nd Edition

Hope you are inspired to write.

Cheers!

Writers Writing Place. Indoors Or Out? 17 Confess…

Write. Just Write. 

Are you most comfortable when you write at home in private or out at a local coffee shop? That was the question asked in a public writers’ forum. Curious, I dived in to hear what other writers had to say. Here I share response from writers who feverishly chimed in.

  1. I write anywhere as long as the place is quiet and/or nature is all around
  2. At home, but if the inspiration comes anywhere else I will scratch down the basic idea and pursue it later
  3. Home
  4. I write only at home but read everywhere
  5. I used to think I needed to be some place else in order to truly write but during quarantine, I have learned that I can write at home and be extremely productive
  6. Anywhere so long as I get the inspiration to write
  7. If I am alone then at home. But I’ve also found being out at the bookstore made it almost easier to write and finish a scene
  8. Usually at a coffee shop. I can focus
  9. Both. I write differently given the location
  10. Driving at night when I am alone, I tend to talk to myself and come up with some good details. I record them with an audio file on my phone and plan on some day to get them all typed up so I can put them together
  11. I write in the privacy of a spare room
  12. Either, as long as its not too noisy
  13. Home, unless I am at the library
  14. In Public
  15. A mix. I do miss the neighborhood coffee shops during this quarantine
  16. I like to write at home. I sit at my computer with some thunderstorms on YouTube in my headphone and type away
  17. Anywhere

What’s your preference? Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

 

The Rainy Day: It’s Here…

Rain

Yep! The rainy day is here. The day that most people save for. The worldwide Pandemic has brought it right to our shores. Many have fallen sick. Some have lost loved ones. Others lost jobs, career, health and now most live in fear. Fear of being touched…in error, on purpose or worse, even being looked at directly. 6-Feet apart is the social distance. Yep… the rainy day is definitely here.

Dollars Falling

Dollars falling. Nah …not the government’s stimulus check. It’s the news report that a restaurant decorated its walls with dollars. Yes you heard it right. They decorated the walls with dollars! There was a story behind it. Don’t know what it was but one partner had encouraged the other that it might come in handy one-rainy-day. Now with the Corona virus worldwide scare, the day is here. They used the money to help pay their workers and assist those in the community who needed a hot meal during the pandemic. So yes, the rainy day is here.

Gone In a Flash

A report tells of a 40-year-old woman whose fear led her to the bank. She withdrew thousands of dollars from her account. Her intent…to keep it safe at home. Unfortunately, eyes pierced her actions and snatched her life’s savings just as she drove into her gated community. Her rainy day saving was taken away, just like that…in a flash.  Authorities searched, but to no avail. She wanted to protect what was hers safely at home to use during these rainy days. That day became a lightening flash ripping through her very soul. Gone. In-a-flash.

Tis sad. Lots of pain and sorrow these days. But rest assured….it will pass. Protect yourself. Stay home. Stay strong and let not fear become your own.

Thoughts?

What are you doing these rainy days? Does it seem hopeless as if the wait will never end? Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

8 Societal Changes To Expect After The Pandemic ….

The New Normal. The Insights. The Vision. 8 Changes to Expect Post-COVID_19

Since I last shared The Insights: What Will We Do After Corona? 15 Projected Changes… the changes are fast approaching. Here I share in graphic form for those of us who enjoy the delights visuals gratify.

Can’t wait to hear your own thoughts as our society continues to evolve during this Pandemic.

Wash hands even with gloves and Keep safe.

Cheers!

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