Today was a good day. My writing jones was on point and I took advantage of the situation. I finished the first draft of my first novel, Still Not Satisfied. I am so EXCITED!! I have been working on this story for over five years. So to see this project to the end is sheer joy. I wrote and wrote today until I got the story out of me and onto that paper. What a relief!!!!
Some people spend their entire life searching and looking for their purpose. Writing is indeed my gift, my special gift from God and I will not take it lightly. I felt so alive and aware when I was writing today. Writing feels like my lifeline to the world. I can honestly say I feel it's my purpose when I writing.
I want God to use me as He sees fit. I will be available. If He has something to say, I will write it and get it out there for Him. His Will be done and to God be the Glory.
Deo Volente,
Step Brown
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Shows that Look Like Us
The beginning of a new week is upon me and I wanted to begin with a post. Surprise, surprise--i cooked today. Things are simply changing for me. But that is another tangent that deserves its own post. Tonight, I want to vent about why I am watching MSNBC. There is a story about the Jonestown Story and the monster, Jim Jones. Why am I watching it, you ask? There is nothing else on. There are no shows of any interest to me. The Jonestown story piques my interest because I truly believe that story is a true testament to the adage, "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything." Again, another post for another day.
Earlier this week, I was a bit down. Hormonal, I guess. So I popped a dvd in and watch episodes of Good Times. I usually just let the dvd play with episode after episode playing and helping improve my attitude. I am sure everyone has a favorite episode of Good Times. Whether it's the "Dog Food" episode or the "J.J. paints for Sweet Daddy" episode, we all have at least one. My personal favorite is the episode when J.J. meets the girl from the South Shore and her parents come by. "Ain't that right, Cookie?" I watched a couple of shows and was laughing like it was the first time I had seen them. My side was hurting and I was wiping tears away. I began to wonder where are the shows like that today.
In the 70's, it was Jeffersons, Good Times, and What's Happening. In the 80's, we had Different Strokes, Cosby Show, and A Different World. In the 90's, there was Living Single and Martin. In the turn of the century, our shows have diminished, if not vanished altogether. Yes, we had Girlfriends and Everybody Hates Chris but even these shows have fallen off lately. What has happened? Are we (people of color) not watching TV anymore? Are there no good writers out there? No good actors? Certainly not the case.
Hopefully, this blog will reach some eyes of some movers and shakers. We are still watching TV. In fact, I have several different ideas for different shows, whether it's a reality show or a situational comedy, or a dramedy. I simply need to get my ideas out to the right people to help me develop them. Holla if you hear me!!!!
There is an audience that would like to see people living as they are. The people who don't look like us have their shows. All we ask is that we have ours.
Chunking Deuces,
Step Brown
Earlier this week, I was a bit down. Hormonal, I guess. So I popped a dvd in and watch episodes of Good Times. I usually just let the dvd play with episode after episode playing and helping improve my attitude. I am sure everyone has a favorite episode of Good Times. Whether it's the "Dog Food" episode or the "J.J. paints for Sweet Daddy" episode, we all have at least one. My personal favorite is the episode when J.J. meets the girl from the South Shore and her parents come by. "Ain't that right, Cookie?" I watched a couple of shows and was laughing like it was the first time I had seen them. My side was hurting and I was wiping tears away. I began to wonder where are the shows like that today.
In the 70's, it was Jeffersons, Good Times, and What's Happening. In the 80's, we had Different Strokes, Cosby Show, and A Different World. In the 90's, there was Living Single and Martin. In the turn of the century, our shows have diminished, if not vanished altogether. Yes, we had Girlfriends and Everybody Hates Chris but even these shows have fallen off lately. What has happened? Are we (people of color) not watching TV anymore? Are there no good writers out there? No good actors? Certainly not the case.
Hopefully, this blog will reach some eyes of some movers and shakers. We are still watching TV. In fact, I have several different ideas for different shows, whether it's a reality show or a situational comedy, or a dramedy. I simply need to get my ideas out to the right people to help me develop them. Holla if you hear me!!!!
There is an audience that would like to see people living as they are. The people who don't look like us have their shows. All we ask is that we have ours.
Chunking Deuces,
Step Brown
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
No Child Left Behind MY...........
First of all, let me start by saying that the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) signed by former Pres. Bush had good intentions. It really did. But whenever you have people who are not in a classroom EVERYDAY making decisions about what happens in a classroom EVERYDAY, you will create more problems than you actually started with.
I do believe that every student can learn. I also believe that, as educators, it is our job to discover how each student can learn and then direct them on their way. Education has lost its true course as now it is only driven by test scores and daily attendance. All thanks to NCLB!!!! You are so correct. No child is left behind because we are socially promoting them all. And the sickening part of the deal is that the students know it. In their minds, they don't have to study and work hard because eventually I will be moved on. This can be very discouraging for someone in my mind.
Every morning, I tend to a group of people who have little desire to do better that what they are doing right now. Few have goals. Few have dreams. And I am well aware that the brunt of the responsibility falls on the home but there must be something more we can offer students other than stricter graduation requirements and more rigor in the classroom. If I didn't see it, I would not believe there are teenagers who cannot tell me what negative seven minus three equals or the product of seven and nine. And they get free calculators, folks.
Our future is bleak if it's in the hands of today's children. It's a harsh reality. Our educational system needs a serious overhaul. It will have to be aggressive and assertive. Everyone is not going to college. By eighth grade, we need to adjust to that. Kids are not in the fields anymore in the summers. What is wrong with year-round school? I am even for a longer school day--whatever it takes to produce positive citizens to carry on the values and morals of this great country.
If President Obama (or anyone in his camp) ever reads this, holla at a sister. I have some fresh ideas that just might turn this poor situation around if gotten to the right people. Administrators don't see what I see everyday. Superintendents don't see what I see everyday. Would you ask a colonel in a cushy office the best weapon for warfare or the lieutenant you've enlisted for battle who sees what they are dealing with on a regular basis? This is my battle cry.....
I'm just saying...
Deo Volente,
Step Brown
I do believe that every student can learn. I also believe that, as educators, it is our job to discover how each student can learn and then direct them on their way. Education has lost its true course as now it is only driven by test scores and daily attendance. All thanks to NCLB!!!! You are so correct. No child is left behind because we are socially promoting them all. And the sickening part of the deal is that the students know it. In their minds, they don't have to study and work hard because eventually I will be moved on. This can be very discouraging for someone in my mind.
Every morning, I tend to a group of people who have little desire to do better that what they are doing right now. Few have goals. Few have dreams. And I am well aware that the brunt of the responsibility falls on the home but there must be something more we can offer students other than stricter graduation requirements and more rigor in the classroom. If I didn't see it, I would not believe there are teenagers who cannot tell me what negative seven minus three equals or the product of seven and nine. And they get free calculators, folks.
Our future is bleak if it's in the hands of today's children. It's a harsh reality. Our educational system needs a serious overhaul. It will have to be aggressive and assertive. Everyone is not going to college. By eighth grade, we need to adjust to that. Kids are not in the fields anymore in the summers. What is wrong with year-round school? I am even for a longer school day--whatever it takes to produce positive citizens to carry on the values and morals of this great country.
If President Obama (or anyone in his camp) ever reads this, holla at a sister. I have some fresh ideas that just might turn this poor situation around if gotten to the right people. Administrators don't see what I see everyday. Superintendents don't see what I see everyday. Would you ask a colonel in a cushy office the best weapon for warfare or the lieutenant you've enlisted for battle who sees what they are dealing with on a regular basis? This is my battle cry.....
I'm just saying...
Deo Volente,
Step Brown
Sunday, April 19, 2009
The Golden Rule
I am so excited about my new blog. I hope I don't overwhelm my future readers. I have so much on my mind that I would like to get out in cyberspace.
It's really late and I hardly ever stay up this late. I had dinner with my Line Sisters tonight to celebrate our one-year anniversary in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. We went to a nice restaurant and socialized and took pictures. There were at least 25 of us. All talking at once, all ordering at once, most ordering similar menu items--a very busy scene. Our server, a young lady, was busting her butt to replenish drinks and keep orders straight. People were switching seats. To an outsider, it was chaos.
Unfortunately, everyone is not as patient and understanding as maybe they should be. I noticed our server diligently pressing buttons on the computer to get our tickets out and balling her eyes out. Her make-up was smeared and she was trembling. I asked what was wrong. She mumbled that she had gotten tickts confused and someone had called the manager on her. She was very upset. Another soror and I went to the manager and spoke on the server's behalf. Considering the size of our party and the chaotic nature of the dinner, we thought she had done an excellent job. The manager went over to help her. She never really calmed down.
I stayed behind to personally speak with the young lady. I wanted her to know she had indeed done a wonderful job with such a large party. I reminded her that sometimes people are rude and it has nothing to do with the person with which they are rude. I apologized on behalf of my party and the confusion that was caused.
I believe if people would remember the Golden Rule, maybe the world would be a better place. Folks, please, consider how you would want someone to treat you or your mother or your daughter before you snap off on somebody. No one deserves to be dumped on. No one needs your issues. They have their own.
So please remember to treat people the way you want to be treated. Everytime you snap off, you are sowing a seed that you will soon reap. OR think of the Law of Attraction. If you put off rudeness, you'll definitely get it back and two-fold. OR Love your neighbor as you love yourself. That is in the Good Book.
I hate to sound preachy so late at night. This is just something I wanted to express. Hopfully, that is what this blog will help me to--express myself. Also, make people think...about being a better people. One blog at a time!!! Nite Nite.
It's really late and I hardly ever stay up this late. I had dinner with my Line Sisters tonight to celebrate our one-year anniversary in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. We went to a nice restaurant and socialized and took pictures. There were at least 25 of us. All talking at once, all ordering at once, most ordering similar menu items--a very busy scene. Our server, a young lady, was busting her butt to replenish drinks and keep orders straight. People were switching seats. To an outsider, it was chaos.
Unfortunately, everyone is not as patient and understanding as maybe they should be. I noticed our server diligently pressing buttons on the computer to get our tickets out and balling her eyes out. Her make-up was smeared and she was trembling. I asked what was wrong. She mumbled that she had gotten tickts confused and someone had called the manager on her. She was very upset. Another soror and I went to the manager and spoke on the server's behalf. Considering the size of our party and the chaotic nature of the dinner, we thought she had done an excellent job. The manager went over to help her. She never really calmed down.
I stayed behind to personally speak with the young lady. I wanted her to know she had indeed done a wonderful job with such a large party. I reminded her that sometimes people are rude and it has nothing to do with the person with which they are rude. I apologized on behalf of my party and the confusion that was caused.
I believe if people would remember the Golden Rule, maybe the world would be a better place. Folks, please, consider how you would want someone to treat you or your mother or your daughter before you snap off on somebody. No one deserves to be dumped on. No one needs your issues. They have their own.
So please remember to treat people the way you want to be treated. Everytime you snap off, you are sowing a seed that you will soon reap. OR think of the Law of Attraction. If you put off rudeness, you'll definitely get it back and two-fold. OR Love your neighbor as you love yourself. That is in the Good Book.
I hate to sound preachy so late at night. This is just something I wanted to express. Hopfully, that is what this blog will help me to--express myself. Also, make people think...about being a better people. One blog at a time!!! Nite Nite.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Sweet Beginnings
Welcome all and thanks for taking the time to visit. As promised, I will use this as an avenue for my writing and a place to express my thoughts. Here we go....
Hospital Visit
A loved one is in the hospital and you decide to visit. As you're walking down a hospital hallway, you hear another familiar voice coming from a different room. Stop in for a visit and write about it.You can post your response (500 words or fewer) in the WD Forum.
Hospital Visit
My cell phone massages my left leg. I should have put it on silent.
“Hello. Oh, hey girl! Listen, I’m a little busy. I’m here at Grady Memorial. Yeah, fulfilling the wifely duties. You so silly but she is my mother-in-law. I’ll buzz you when I leave.”
As I walk down the hall, I notice a name I haven’t seen in a while. Surely, it couldn’t be but I stop at the door to witness a lively exchange.
“Mr. Sanders, you are too much. You really should be more focused on your recovery and less focused on getting my number.” The female voice giggles.
A male voice responds. “How can I focus when you come in here with those sexy nursing uniforms?”
Although it has been a year since I’ve seen him, the smoothness of his voice is undeniable. I knock on the door. The nurse opens it wider. “It seems you have a guest, Mr. Sanders.” She struts out.
I peek around the door. Sure enough, it’s Brantley Sanders.
“Well, hey, Miss Lady. Long time, no see. What are you doing here?” He sits up in his bed.
I stand in silence. His once-muscular frame is noticeably absent and the clean-shaven face I remember is replaced with a poorly-groomed beard. “I’m here to visit my mother-in-law. More importantly, why are you here?” I stand in place—not knowing if proximity is allowed.
“Well, baby girl, my lifestyle finally got up with me.” His aliment hasn’t curtailed his arrogance.
I whisper, “Your lifestyle?”
He smiles. “You know the one—when the sexy new mail courier is the ‘freak de jour’ for all the powerful female attorneys. If the money was right, some of the male ones, too. It was all the same to me.”
With a terrified look on my face, I stammer, “Exactly, what are you saying?”
Brantley coyly states, “I suggest that since you’re here, you ought to have some blood drawn. More than your blood type may be positive.”
The next thing I remember is smelling salts tickling my nose.
Hospital Visit
A loved one is in the hospital and you decide to visit. As you're walking down a hospital hallway, you hear another familiar voice coming from a different room. Stop in for a visit and write about it.You can post your response (500 words or fewer) in the WD Forum.
Hospital Visit
My cell phone massages my left leg. I should have put it on silent.
“Hello. Oh, hey girl! Listen, I’m a little busy. I’m here at Grady Memorial. Yeah, fulfilling the wifely duties. You so silly but she is my mother-in-law. I’ll buzz you when I leave.”
As I walk down the hall, I notice a name I haven’t seen in a while. Surely, it couldn’t be but I stop at the door to witness a lively exchange.
“Mr. Sanders, you are too much. You really should be more focused on your recovery and less focused on getting my number.” The female voice giggles.
A male voice responds. “How can I focus when you come in here with those sexy nursing uniforms?”
Although it has been a year since I’ve seen him, the smoothness of his voice is undeniable. I knock on the door. The nurse opens it wider. “It seems you have a guest, Mr. Sanders.” She struts out.
I peek around the door. Sure enough, it’s Brantley Sanders.
“Well, hey, Miss Lady. Long time, no see. What are you doing here?” He sits up in his bed.
I stand in silence. His once-muscular frame is noticeably absent and the clean-shaven face I remember is replaced with a poorly-groomed beard. “I’m here to visit my mother-in-law. More importantly, why are you here?” I stand in place—not knowing if proximity is allowed.
“Well, baby girl, my lifestyle finally got up with me.” His aliment hasn’t curtailed his arrogance.
I whisper, “Your lifestyle?”
He smiles. “You know the one—when the sexy new mail courier is the ‘freak de jour’ for all the powerful female attorneys. If the money was right, some of the male ones, too. It was all the same to me.”
With a terrified look on my face, I stammer, “Exactly, what are you saying?”
Brantley coyly states, “I suggest that since you’re here, you ought to have some blood drawn. More than your blood type may be positive.”
The next thing I remember is smelling salts tickling my nose.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)