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Photo Copyright Chris Lorenz 2013

Perhaps there are no strangers, only friends

Who have not met each other yet it seems.

Perhaps we are the branches of a mighty tree

That’s hung with all our many colored dreams.

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps….

Perhaps each life is but a single note

That altogether makes a symphony

Perhaps we are the sound of one accord

That rings throughout all of eternity.

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…..

Perhaps each note is all the notes combined,

For one and one are still one in the end.

Perhaps each stranger is ourselves alone,

In need of someone who could be a friend.

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps……

Perhaps we can remember who we are

And know there is no other way to be

Perhaps one day we’ll truly come to know ourselves

As branches of one great, and mighty tree.

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…..perhaps.

     …

“Truth is on the side of the oppresed.”–Malcom X

I am an oppressor. I did not choose this position; it was given to me at birth. Ignorant of my privilege, I have abused this undeserved power throughout my life. Not until one of the oppressed loved and forgave me was I able to see the massive power structure that I inherited with my Y chromosome.

On this Valentine’s Day while a billion people are dancing to end violence against women, I want to call out to all other male oppressors to lay down their weapons and commence dismantling this Patriarchy the empowers us. The dismantling will not be easy because the system is entrenched in everything we know.

It’s Black History Month.  I wish to dedicate some of this month’s blog writings to Sally Ann Barnes.  I met her when I was eight.  She was 101 at the time.  She lived to be 110.  During my research into Sally I made lots of phone calls and visits to people who had known Sally.  There was usually some little story about her.  I wrote these up in what I called Sally Shorts.  I’m hoping I can draw a picture to go along with the story.

The more I discover about Sally’s life, the more I admire it and want to emulate it in certain respects.  One thing that I aspire to is the self-sufficiency.  I think this aspect of her life came more from the time period in which she lived rather than a desired goal.

The general store, now vacant, still stands within a mile of what was…