On the 50th Anniversary, There is Love

The celebration was very private and was tempered with mixed emotions. The gathering of an intimate few of family members toasted  the couple at their 50th wedding anniversary in a cozy church room, on the outskirts of the nation's Capitol.

Many who reach this milestone are regaled in ceremonial pageantry.   The 50th anniversary couple opted for quiet simplicity and parochial blessings.

The wear of aging has waged a toll on her gait and her comportment.  In days of yore, with her 22" waist 36" hip, modest cup bra size, her beauty was extolled with charm and elegance.  She exuded a Sophia Loren mystique.

On this day, at 73, her radiance and buoyancy are as effervescent and bubbly and have not waned.   "Only medical hiccups" - the loss of sight in one eye, the adult onset diabetes, the stilting muscular degeneration in her knees- she would laughingly jest, are her obscure self diagnoses.

He is ever machismo, with his bronze toned hue and sharply contoured features.  The 83 plus years have been ever so kind to him. He is still the charming and handsome pedigree of a family line bestowed with extended longevity.  His admirers state that he is the personification of a Harry Belafonte look alike.

She won his fancy, while in the splendor of their youth.  They shared a common ancestry of generational bloodlines.  In the small district village on the outskirts of the main capital, Crusoe Island, their families were both recognized as landmarks, in their heritage and history.

All of the legions of first ancestors, beginning with the influx of Spanish immigrants who found trade and opportunity and harvest in the sugar cane and cocoa industry are his geneological link to the past.   She is steeped in British, French, East  Indian and the all inclusive Caribbean West Indian influences.  By cultural definition, they are the cosmopolitan gene pool of multiplicity of nationalities.  They are as Creole, as they are Mullatto,  as they are African and Indian, British, French and Spanish.

In his toast, their first born offered a genuinely sincere thank you.  For his birthplace, for the love and for all they have endured, he congratulated both parents and shared an endearing hug.

Today, was not one of his better days.  From early adolescence with a diagnosis of mental illness, his regimen of medication has been exhaustive.  It has been further compounded with adult onset diabetes and other health complications.

Fraught with the maladies of shattered hopes, and unfulfilled dreams he has battled his neuroses with ongoing chivalry.  At those times, when the emotional, physical and mental balance are in synergy, he is functional.  He has a gifted recollection to detail that is mesmerizing. 

His foremost passion is his gift of enjoying classical music.  As a pianist, he has studied and has acquired  a concentrated library of his favorite composers.  The Listz narrative is what is most deeply entrenched in his internal compass.

When his psyche is disordered, he becomes erratic, disgruntled and dis-associative.  His muscle spasms and facial ticks are uncontrollable.  His gesticulations and tonal utterances are irregular and erratic.

For his entire adult life, his parents have been his church, his sanctuary, his permanent place of consolation, comfort and lonely respite.

For this 50th anniversary the onset of an episodal meltdown was foreseeable.  So there was no formal ushering of festive plans.

Whilst there was the portending disquiet, the 50th anniversary celebrant's daughter, discreetly commissioned her sister/cousin to lead a small  assembly of family siblings to be present at a church service, on the evening of the anniversary.

They came together for the auspicious occasion of the 50th anniversary of the couple's celebration.

The bride was approaching the church entrance accompanied by her granddaughter.  Her sisters waited in the front portal as she approached.  As the bride observed her sisters in waiting, she let out a squeal of joyful surprise.  She still had no clue that the visit was part of a planned micro mini 50th anniversary celebration.  

During the service, the daughter rendered a wholesomely pure and effortlessly fluid, Schubert's Ave Maria.  "It was not only classical voice that enchanted us, it was golden richness" shared an aunt in glowing accolades.

The Golden anniversary couple was publicly blessed and was applauded and cheered by fellow  church congregants.  In a private room adjoing the church some nine family members took pictures, shared hospitality, toasted and honored the Anniversary couple.  

The priest joined the celebration and heartily sang familiar Irish songs.  Other than the family cheers, the one that stood out most, was that of the five year old granddaughter.

With full command and clear voice she shared that she loved the family because everyone Cares.  She lustily shared that she was "really!, really!,  really!" so excited to be there.

Though there was minimum pageantry and public invitation, the occasion was reverently treasured.  The sister/cousin/ niece recited the words from The Wedding Song, sung by Peter, Paul and Mary on behalf of everyone.

And to the 50 th Anniversary couple we raised our glasses with these words:

The union of your spirits, here, has caused Him to remain

For whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name

There is Love.

There is Love.

Dare to be Ageless: The Saavy of Aging and the Wisdom to Dare

Friday May 24 2013

In the course of the last 24 hours I was in the presence of death with its  royal sadness and finality.  I also shared an hour with Jordan Cooper, 2014 candidate for the post of delegate to the State of Maryland.  

In contrast to the sobering,  unforgiving reality of death on this May 23 2013 morning,  I was able to enjoy life giving fervor, passion, optimism and hope for humanity, in the ideals of a 28  year old aspiring politician:

Jordan P. Cooper

Democratic Candidate Delegate

District 16 Maryland General Assembly

June 2014 Primary Elections

as we met for coffee and introduction, late afternoon in Bethesda, Maryland.

Because of a post on Facebook,  my extended community of Washington DC, Metropolitan area, Caribbean nationals were alerted to the death announcement of one of its most illustrious and charismatic entertainment personas.  Marjorie Ann "Marge" Lawrence-Sargeant, the female lead singer of the Image Band was gone.

In the dichotomy of the two intersections of  life passages, death of Marge at 63, and the budding political aspirations of a 28 year old, I was forced to reckon with my own destiny.  I reflected on the view, through the mirror of my own life.

In death, I came to know of Marge.  She was the mother, whose children stood in solidarity and shared about her gifts of unconditional love in their eulogy.    She was the friend, who was revered as a stalwart of generosity and richness, in all of her talents and her sharing.  

To her life loves, her husband, her family, her community, she was a spirit of fire and exemplary determination.  To our Caribbean community, and most especially to me, she was an energy force, pumped with Caribbean juices. 

Whenever Marge was on stage, she would command a presence of dance, that could never be equalled.    In her model svelte body, Marge, had the ability to "wuk up" her waist, in simulations of throbbing thrusts, throws, jolts and dips, and then swirl in circular motions, without breaking a sweat.

 With a challenging glare to her audiences, she beckoned each and everyone to participate.  Her rhythmic muscle pulsations from her waist down, were choreographed in Caribbean and African ancestral flamboyance.

I met Marge, as a friend of my deceased brother Brian, who died in 1998 at age 51.  We did not get to know each other in a bosomy close friendship.  But, on occasions, when I attended shows with the Image Band in performance, it was as if, she were sending libations from the heavens.   

She would glare at me with those big haunting eyes,  to bid me enjoy, welcome and embrace the honor.   In my mind's eye, she was chanelling and offering the spirit of Brian's presence.

The biggest reveal about Marge, was not that she had been an Immigration Inspector for the Department of Homeland Security for over 35 years.  It was that she was not Caribbean by birth.  She was born and raised in Wyandanch, New York, USA.

As I saw all the familiar faces, the photographers, the artists, the dancers, the Trinidad and Tobago Steelband ensemble , the African drummers, the poets, the lawyers, the doctors, the radio personalities, I became overwhelmed in the nostalgia of sacred memories.

I remembered Brian's funeral and I wept for Marge and for the lust for life that she lived so heartily.   For her 63 years, Marge, just like Brian, inhabited youthful energy and untameable vitality.

I then went to a scheduled appointment with Jordan Cooper,  2014 Democratic Candidate for Delegate in the Maryland General Assembly.

http://cooperformaryland.com/.  

My introduction to Jordan came about as a result of a garage door installation that my son's company DMG Services, Daryean M Gomez, Owner,  completed at the Cooper family residence, in Bethesda Maryland.   After the installation was completed, Jordan shared his political agenda and his interests in community involvement with my son.  

He followed up with an email to me, since I, coordinate the business operations for DMG, stating that he enjoyed meeting with Daryean, and would like to find out about the concerns that small businesses were experiencing.  He further stated that he was open and available to address questions or concerns that were issues in the local community.

As a naturalized citizen of the United States since 1992, I have performed my civic duties and responsibilities as a voter.  I have not been active in Maryland State political affairs.   I was  intrigued by Jordan as a person first, politician second.  

In sharing  the human capacity to reach out to a visiting worker, with decency, respectfulness, engagement, and professional hospitality, Jordan exampled moral character and integrity.  Without bias to political persuasion or agenda, I felt that the extent of effort demonstrated by Jordan Cooper, to reach his constituents was admirable, and to a much larger extent, politically astute.

In my blog on the housing industry meltdown crisis, I communicated with Jordan on the perils of experiencing Foreclosure.   I was pleasantly encouraged that Jordan responded in a follow up email.  He again showed an earnest demonstration  of care and genuine  sincerity by discussing options that he investigated on my behalf.  

With  over 30 years of business career experience I have observed and assimilated into corporate culture.  I have accumulated a vast reservoir of intelligence assets.  There is an intrinsic trait of genuine credibilty evident in the untested resolve and in the political manifesto of Jordan Cooper, the candidate for Maryland State office.

In the compliment of youthful ideals and seasoned valuation I celebrate the experience of optimistic synergy in the connection with Jordan.   In the course of an hour's discussion,  we covered a range  of topics.  We spoke about management communications, political rhetoric, strategic analysis, and deployment of next actions.

In the interest of our future engagements, we conferred on what would be the ideal objectives of mutual interests.   We spoke about:  "Creating an Online Presence" as part of his communications agenda.

What does the saavy of aging and the wisdom to dare mean:

It means to accept, acknowledge and adhere to the treasury of talents and abilities that are available and are at your disposal throughout life stages.

I suggest opportunity is available to everyone from birth to the last breadth.

Our life course is paraded in the shelter of youth and agelessness.  

The bliss of wisdom is an honorary life achievement.  

As  I enter the decade of my sixties, Age, Wisdom, and Experience  are my lasting credentials.  

My oath to life:   

In liiving and in dying, whether twenties through nineties and more:

Dare to Be Ageless!

 

The Circle of Communities and Building Followers are prime Real Estate to Social Media Success

Success, as the social media debutante I am, is like having my naiveté slammed into overdrive, full throttle without a gear shift.   I feel the momentum and accelerate. I am on a projectile to infamy without a guiding compass. Without the insurance of prime real estate value for my social media landing, I may crash and burn.   

In real estate the slogan, location, location, location is an indication of prime value.  In #Social Media circles, follower, follower, follower is guaranteed prime value star * visibility.  The circle of friends, communities and growing followers are prime real estate value to social media success.  

Creating circles of friends, families, communities and having a growing multitude of followers are the magnets for success in social media. The clues to get to that success venue are shared by celebrity media icons and most importantly, by the knowledge shared and generosity of social media thought leaders.  

Here are the prized takeaways for me in the journey towards success as GooglePlus Blogger.

  

• Community builds leaders.  
• Leaders share with followers. 
• Followers share with Community  
• Circles  revolve
• Success 

What does it take to become a Social Media celebrity?

+Richard Branson , #Virgin Records,  #Virgin Atlantic Airways, #Virgin Galactic, and over 400 other Virgin-branded enterprises  is a social media celebrity with over 5 million followers on Google plus. http://www.virgin.com/richard-branson

+Guy Kawasaki , software evangelist, and author speaker and Motorola Google advisor has over 5 million followers on Google Plus

http://www.guykawasaki.com/

They are both multi billionaires and can thrive successfully in their respective brands of expertise, with limited social media visibility.   They are, however, quite the contrary, vigorously and robustly active on social sites, and are very vocal in the Google+ environment.   They post updates daily.  Posts are done either by each of them personally, or by their #social media coordinators.  Their posts invite reaction and conversation. Among their followers, there is the notion of intimacy with nuances of personal connection to a famous person.  There are interactive exchanges of comment, responses and resharing among the followers and communities and the leaders. They have earned their fame as social media community building celebrities.

For me as a new Blogger, I have started a course of engagement on Google Plus.  Initially, in the neophyte mindset, I thought, if I write something many will see my creativity, and they would think, “She is a budding talent”.   I assumed I would naturally attract those who are most inclined to know more or about me or about what I share.

 I migrated from the #Facebook platform to +GooglePlus, because the environment at Facebook, catered to a very quarantined individualistic shared exchange.  I wanted to say more.  Most people will digest the first paragraph or last paragraph of shared information and will ignore most substance in a post.   I write with robust pleasure and enjoyment and like the engagement of participation, and exchange, and shared commentaries. I find #Blogger is a most accessible and accommodating tool for my involvement.  

I had no idea what to + another person and comment and share meant.  But I did selfishly want to introduce my audience to what I shared on my personal blogs.  The idea of my own self importance was quickly diminished as I continued to see my own statistics of followers remaining in the low 50s.  I wanted to learn and improve and become just like the best of circles and communities I saw as successful and flourishing with thousands of followers.

Why were other people surrounded by thousands of followers?

As I continued my attempts at belonging to communities, I made the typical mistakes of the nouveau intern.   I am a wannabe.  I shared my blog links as part of my introductions to the more high profile numbers communities.  I was rudely awakened to protocol and also received some of the best advice, along with suggested reading posts and a list of circles to associate with.  

There are too many names to list here that are the movers and shakers and also are the most generous with their posts and suggestions.  Among the names of some of the top  gurus of my circles are:

+martin shervington .  Martin has developed and continued to provide key roadmaps for becoming a successful googleplus user. 

+Mark Traphagen  who is found in almost all the recommended best of circles for his insider knowledge on the values of googleplus.  

+pio dal cin graciously shared his suggestions for joining communities and the best practices for avoiding common mistakes.

During the course of the engagement online, you find a select few who form kinships, as if you were always  lifetime friends.   

+Tazein Mirza Saad  a super plusser, with more than 10000 in her following shares inspiration. Even while writing, I saw her post: 

Never give up on yourself, believe that you will live to see happiness come in your life, have faith, nothing is impossible, as long as you don't quit!

And I felt the warmth and sincerity of her encouragement.  The timing on the post is perfect. 

+Karin Sebelin  who lives in Friolzheim / Germany and has over 14000 in her circles has been a welcome new follower to my posts and has treated and supported my sharing with kind encouragement.

Successful posters share their successes with others.

  

+Gideon Rosenblatt  over 28000 in his circles has lent sound advice, which is continuously reshared and reposted.  

+Jens Graikowski has over 104000 in his circles and lives the good life.  He states he lives on a tropical island and works to make Google+ a better place.  He routinely shares posts that introduce and enable new users to get through the maze of circling on Google+.  His post like this one:   

How I post at G+ ...

When you've spend some time on #GooglePlus like me you tend to forget that there are new G+ users (goobies) starting on this network every day. The platform can be an intimidating place when you start out and the amount of fantastic features can be overwhelming, so let's start with the basics, shall we?  

is the kind of sound byte teaching  that every newcomer needs and values.  Everyone loves to follow Jens..

The fact is, I have a limited understanding on crowd sourcing.  

+Stephan Hovnanian  closing in on 2000 followers, with his post Google Plus for Crowdsourcing shares a detailed synopsis of best practices, that any newcomer needs, to become informed and more intelligent.

My learning curve is steeped in new and exhaustive reviews of favorite posts that are shared by so many.  I found out how to save favorite posts by another community superstar, 

+Jesse Wojdylo, with over 11000 followers.  His post was very instrumental in helping me to keep abreast of all the highlights of so many talented sharers.

+Valerij Karpinchik  with over 4600 in his circles,  suggested that he will continue to share until he gets the results he desires.  This statement gives others a sense reassurance to the perseverance factor.

With new apps, new product launchings, with multiple site interests sharing posts from the writers at #Time Magazine, #Forbes, #Huffington Posts, there is a wealth of information for library and research.   I follow posts from +Dave Kerpen a Linked In contributor, who provides a stream of articles which are cross posted with regular frequency.   His article #How to Write more Successful Blog Posts is a well crafted roadmap of touch points that all bloggers need to pay close attention to.  

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130429113637-15077789-how-to-write-more-successful-blog-posts

It is no wonder, that the names of these thought leaders, are included in the best of circles that I am following.  I am gearing my engines up to have propulsion of growth and expansion of my followers base.  With the views on my blogs exceeding 2000 in the last month, I am energized that I am building circles of community, and ultimately, vibrant and participating followers.

What do you recommend as my next step, or what are your suggestions for improvement? 

For the communities and leaders that I follow, I invite you to share your insights and thoughts and comments and suggestions.   I am eager to learn and become prime real estate in circles, and communities building followers.

The Imagery of Words : Millenial Jargon to Renaissance Conversation

       The-Marilyn-Monroe-Block-on-Yardsellr

Nothing is as potent nor can be as salacious as the usage, knowledge, and intention in the homage of words.

I am a Marilyn Monroe enthusiast.  In her mystique and her beauty, I believe she embodies and typifies  a bodily incarnation of the meaning of the word "Allure".  In the poetry of *Maya Angelou, Phenomenal Woman*, there is movement, glamour, beauty, and royalty in the fusion of thoughts expressed in the song of each word, and paragraph.

"Its in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my steps,
The curl of my lips,
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.  (excerpted from Phenomenal Woman, Maya Angelou)

For the baby boomer generation our archaic examination of thought, word, expression is labored with definition, context, content and explanation.  Our research, our library, our encyclopedia of knowledge is studied and exhaustive.  Our references are framed by the limitations of geography and isolated discoveries.

In the explosion of the culture of the now, the experience of real time, the transition from the IBM mainframe to the immediacy of  ghz modules of app technologies, there is a pendulum shift in the art of communication exchange.  Our modus operandi is the rapture of instantaneous. Our life pulse is intravenously connected to  the art of technology. The newest, latest and greatest information technology updates are our programmed reflexes.


Einstein's theories of special relativity and the physics of lightning speed,  pale with the enormity of the technology feats and enhancements that occur with accelerated ingenuity and ferocious imagination over all social media platforms.

With iPhones, and Androids, and iPads, and hand held devices at the disposal of  babies   to almost every adult exposed to telecommunications, the Information Age is feared as the era of less social interaction and more technical exchange.  Language as a distinct and cosmic expression of thought and words, has  morphed into mono syllabic encrypted formats that are customized  as the new social talk form. Conversation has dwindled as the attachment to the hand held communications devices has increased.    Welcome the Millenials!

"Born between 1980-2000. Also known as Generation Y, they came of age in the shadow of 9/11 and amid the rise of new media. Millennials are interacting all day but almost entirely through a screen. Seventy percent of them check their phones every hour and many experience phantom pocket- vibration syndrome." The Me Me Me Generation, by Joel Stein, Time Magazine. " You've seen them sitting next to one another and texting".

Texting is the new conversation.  Millenial jargon as the most abbreviated conversations in Instant Messaging could diminish a complete sentence into two to four letter acronyms.  The expletive WTF;   What the F*ck?, to the courtesy TY ; Thank You,  YW; Your Welcome, and the contrary LOL;   Lots of Love or Laugh out Loud;  depending on the extent of sentiment,  are a sampling of the  new age vocabulary


The ability to share words that solicit, invite, entertain, and educate is commanding unprecedented value for the talented communicators.  In an extraordinary shift, the millennials who have pioneered and envisioned the virtual pageantry of social media technology, have now engineered  the most expansive information sharing portals of interactive virtual exchange and potential global democracy.

The resurgence and renewed appeal of global communications have initiated a climate of Renaissance. The most fertile instruments of collaborations and conversations are refreshed and renewed through words.

Imagery commands the visual, words communicate the message

Facebook!! :Look at me Now at GooglePlus and Circling

Google Corporate Office Headquarters in the USA:

1600 Amphitheater Parkway

Mountain View, California 94043

I am 57 years old , a grandmother and an avid social media enthusiast and active blogger.    I started my first blog "How the Internet gives me a voice" January 2013,  in response to a LinkedIn article asking readers to submit their responses.
(http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130110231956-5062-i-want-to-know-how-does-the-internet-give-you-a-voice).

The responses were due by a deadline and since I did not even know how to create a blog, I sent an email attachment to the requester prior to the deadline. In their email response they suggested that the formats for submission were #Wordpress or an established blog link.  Unfortunately, my post was not accepted due to the deadline.

I was actively established  with a #Gmail  account, along with #Yahoo, #Aol and #iCloud.  With my interest in posting my article in a blog format, I googled:  How to create a blog :  By no accident, sure nuff!! #Blogger topped  the search results.  Twelve posts  later my readership has topped 1800 views.  Woot!! Woot!!

On Facebook I have 347 friends of which, I know at least one third is family.  I have linked my #Twitter account to Facebook so I have multiple posts simultaneously.   But here is the separation of the goats and the sheep.

Between #LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter there are defined tenets of market strategy and personal branding.   Here is my observation and personal assessment.

Resumes are posted to LinkedIn and you invite friends to connect.  You and your connections share posts and submit endorsements of each each others skills, knowledge and aptitude.  You get to follow leaders and comment on posts. You get to see former colleagues and companies advertising and hiring for positions.    In LinkedIn you are a guest, and not a participant. Until you are a designated leader in your particular sphere of expertise and have garnered a large following, the doors to connection remain open, only to a closeted few.  There is no visible cross utilization and cross pollination of circles to engage with each other on an active call and response basis. #Google+ masters interactive community engagement

Facebook and Twitter are the social marketplace for personal curiosities, interests and most often abstract sharings.  Facebook analytics should identify that their tween to thirties populations have migrated  in large numbers to the super instantaneous Twitter and Instagram platforms.  Google+ communities are vibrant, engaging and robustly populated with interactive participants ranging in ages from early twenties to seniors like myself.  

Just for example, these are the communities that I have joined  and now potentially have the visibility of thousands for my following, and viewing my posts:

#How to write better  195 members
#Blogging  2506 members
#Social Media Marketing  6458 members
#Google+ Helper Community  1768 member
#Google+ Updates 42619 members
#Caribbean Cooking and Culture  515 members
#Buddhism and Meditation  27619 members
#Entrepreneurs, Self Employed and Small Business  17883 members

With less than six months of active posting and sharing on Google,  I am connecting with the pedigree of circles, the people who recommend the best talents to each other, starting with Chef  +Larry Fournillier , a fellow Trinidad and Tobago national.   Larry, who has amassed a very large and dedicated following has shared introductions to communities,  helped me with navigating the connections with the best of circles, and  has been a most instrumental connection for me,  as a new google+ sharer.    I have continued  to see a growing and nurturing expansion of followers, friends, circles and acquaintances from every walk of life and to people in world locations I would never have known.  Among my best of circles are the most experienced and most sharing collaborators +Michael Bennett +Karin Sebelin +Martin Holmes +Mark Traphagen +martin shervington +Jason Hurtado Daniels +Jacob Travis +J.C. Kendall +Ronnie Bincer , just a few of the brilliant engagers who teach, instruct and educate on all levels of social media inter activity.   +Tazein Mirza Saad is a  regularl poster, who provides gifted thoughts in prose and poems of inspiration to her large following.

The grasp with which Google has gripped the social media global landscape is gargantuan.  There are features that for the novice user, are most complex.   It will take repeated exercises and exhaustive usage to become a competent and  advanced practitioner   I installed +Google Chrome  on my desktop. I have since downloaded app extensions for +picasa web and other tools for sharing slideshows and video streaming on my profile pages. I have  +google translate , where both readers of my posts or when I read others' posts, the work is translated to the language of preference.   I am in the process of developing my personal website using the +google site development tools. I have attended +Google Hangout featuring a live Caribbean Cooking show, all done in real time with virtual hosting collaborators.

After researching international calling rates, I am now touting the advantages of +Google Voice to all my families, friends and colleagues who have families living abroad.  This is a fact check.  The +Comcast service rate for calls to Trinidad and Tobago is 33 cents per minute.  The rate for the same international call with +Google Voice is one third less. Beam me up Scotty!!! Save me 20 cents per minute on my calls to family abroad.

Will Google be paying me for mentioning them in my blog may be a good question to entertain?  I am eager and very interested in exploring how the +AdSense Dashboard will approve my pages for monetization. Luckily +Skimlinks an earnings qualifier program, has allowed me to be on their platform.  I still don't yet know how the actual results are generated to provide income from my blog posts.

This Google galactic technology frontier is volcanic and explosive in the penetration of world destinations.  Can we as a community really comprehend the monopoly that is permeating all spectres of social communications at warp speed?  Although space travel has not yet commercially materialized,  with the demanding Google update activities of +Richard Branson tweets and  posts, in all social media , about trans Atlantic engineering flight feats, it will be no surprise that +Virgin Galactic  will the leading pioneer in this realm.

What's on your mind asks Facebook status updates?  I posted:

Whether you write, cook, train, or are in business to grow and expand, if you are hesitant about social media, you are missing the opportunity... I have been intrigued by this phenomenon... especially being a 55+er... From my posts, like the song says "if you don't know me, / about me / by now, you will never ever know me....ooooooh." .. As a video on one of my blog posts says, Social media is relationship.

Facebook was the entry for people to air with their body of friends what they chose to share... Google is where communication and building networks of thousands is happening and the best example is from my posts here I typically see the 4 or 5 like....on Google+ my posts have been seen by 1700... Now you do the math...and I started to post blogs because there was a Huffington Post on Linked In that asked How does the Internet give you a voice.. and I crafted a blog response...

I know we are always skeptical to unknowns and change, but stay abreast.... Here is another reason to check out Google... any language is available to you with Google Translate So you can read my blog posts in French English, Spanish Swahili just as an example

Well, it will be no surprise that very soon,  my Facebook status update will  show this as my profile:

Stand for something or you will Fall for anything

Each part of the tapestry of life, is the thread that weaves through the invisible. When the seams are knitted with love, all become manifest and whole in being...gcw may2013

The call  that late November came from my sister and there was the uncertainty and urgency in her voice that my brother Michael, was hospitalized.   She suggested I should try to come back home to Maryland, at the earliest time off allowed.

Michael, a robust 5'10" 225 lb, brick muscle gladiator, rugby player, Master Electrician, devoted father, sometimes ornery brother, was never sick or in hospital for all my life of knowing him.  Michael, was just impenetrable about his positions and opinions.   And Michael taught me the meaning of indomitable will and courage as he fought and battled to hold on to life, with a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. He survived for five months after that call. The night before he died, with a frail body mass of 97 lbs, he bravely ushered in the finality of life, with his signalling proclamation, "I'm outta here".  In the words of his favorite song " For what is a man, what has he got, if not himself then he has not, to do the things he truly feels, and not the words of one who yields, I did it all and I stood tall and did it My Way"  (My Way sung by Frank Sinatra), he died as he lived, with purpose and self discipline.

Within the tapestry of life we encounter the threads of experiences which sew together the quality of the  human being that we clothe ourselves in as character.  When our family, and especially Michael's offsprings remember him, etched in the fabric of his person, are the intricate conviction of  his sense of  values.

We are all part of an ethereal tapestry that is weaved in unknowns.  To comprehend the magnificence of our personal brilliance and the reason for our presence are explorations into the realm of infinite potentiality.

In birth we appear as fragile and helpless, and nothing is more nurturing or life giving as the security of  a mother's womb.  On arrival to our assumed identity, we build character and form definitions of  the image that we conceive as our own.  With all types of influences and impacts from family; from traditions; from rituals; from education; from society;  we become more inclined to demonstrate the part that is most etched in our life training and adopted personalities.

One of Michael's favorite ideologies  and one which is akin to defining his persona, is " Stand for something or you will fall for anything. "   He processed the quality of noble conscience, in his assertion and conviction of manliness.   He was inflexible, assertive and immovable when he took a stance.

During our maturing phases of life, moments of challenge and disquiet are when our chances to welcome and nurture the scripts of  friendship, loyalty, integrity, honesty, fairness, justice, and compassion appear as counsel.   These are the euphemisms of personal character definitions that guide and shepherd us in our journeys of trial and tribulations, hope and despair and personal redemption.  We are characters in the art of life and we portray our roles with our personal scripts.  Shakespeare's As you Like It

 "  All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players,  they have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts" As You Like It Act 2, scene 7, 139–143

characterizes our mortal existence and our many stages of appearance.

With our exits and entrances, with the many roles we perfect, there is no illusion in memory.  Our cloaks and garments that remain forever to warm the hearts and wipe the tears, are stitched and threaded with favorite and reverenced emotions.  The patches of each of our life's tapestry are colored and fused with our  invisible likeness of being.  The emotions of character are never erased.  Our life is a story of brilliance.  From our unknown beginnings in the birthing passage, to the fragility in our final exits, we remain carved in the gifts we give to others, the many attributes of character formation.

... Integrity, Compassion, Humor, Empathy, Respect, Forgiveness, Compassion, Sincerity, Empathy, any of these or all shown on the above, we chose and live:  What do you stand for?

Original Post: How the Internet gives a voice Jan 15 2013

 This post How the Internet gives a voice was my first post to blogging.  In reviewing my recent posts, the content was lifted.  Luckily, my original text was saved on an external drive.  Thanks to +Syed Faizan Ali  http://www.mybloggerlab.com/2012/03/protecting-your-copyrighted-content.html I put some security to my site.  

Written by:  Grace C Walker  Tuesday, January 15, 2013

How the Internet gives a voice

Rambling somewhere in the echo chambers of my head is a maelstrom of thought responses on how the internet gives me a voice.

Before becoming an indulgent convert to the realm of internet technology and its profuse envelopment of all my interactive intelligence, I was among  its most vocal combatants.  In one of my undergrad Communications classes in the early nineties, I contended that although the advent of the internet and all its promised breakthroughs to espouse connectivity, outreach and enable world globalization to the masses was seen as a cataclysmic popular shift in the medium of communication, its disadvantages were more impervious. 

The bubble of my peripheral scope of limited experience, utilization and internet access at the time suggested that the availability and access to the internet were formulae for further social marginalization and disenfranchisement of those without universal economic parity.  I contended there would be unfair advantages to richer nations.  

I am now a radical convert in 2013

Globalization flourishes. Social injustices are broadcast with warp speed. Worlds politics, religions, militia are under the microscope of the social collective.  We seem to be closer as the Web spreads farther.

Kudos to the advocacy of the +Steve Jobs, +Bill Gates, +Mark Zuckerberg and hosts of other  internet zeitgeists, I thrill and savor and explore and languish in the freedom to be at all ends of the global sphere instantaneously.  From my personal shopping, my politics, my beliefs, my social interest, my scholarly pursuits, my business ideologies, I am wholly and fully immersed in the discoveries that the Internet provides.    

In its most primordial bellow, the Internet Voice is the greatest conduit of human integration for research, access, validation and globalization for any element of thought that one’s mind chooses to conceive and construct.

The 21st century conquistadors are virtual..

It is better to be saved by criticism than to be seduced by praise

Until you rise from ego,  your birthright to illumination will be captive to darkness...gcwalker may2013

Depending on the "who"  that gives the words of wisdom, it causes one to examine and digest the sentiment  "It's better to be saved by criticism, than to be seduced by praise."  These words were shared by my sister Gemma, while driving and discussing people and their behaviors, obsessions and peculiarities.

I googled and found this referenced quote:

"The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticisms. --Norman Vincent Peale.   

I defer to the phrasing context by Gemma for discussion


To entertain the literary inflections stated in the title, it helps that I am part of a very diverse brood of family members with  elder siblings ranging in ages from seventy six to sixty years of age.  I also have throngs of nephews, nieces, and their children and children's children which makes me an honorary great great aunt at my youthful AARP card carrying age of 57. And I proudly claim my discounts, - movies; meals; hotels; travel -  with opportune delight

My siblings and I have managed to forge a mutually respectful and deeply loyal bond with each other even with very distinct and individual personalities. I love the pearls of wisdom that are dispensed by my sibling elders as they offer much food for thought.

On a recent sister weekend retreat at #Wyndham Shawnee Village, Stroudsburg PA, the five sisters from the East Coast, Vicks, Magz, Gemz, Monics and myself, (Val was missed as she lives on the West Coast) picked up our #Travelocity rental,  2013 full size SUV #Dodge Durango from #Avis rental at Washington DC Reagan National Airport and drove to the Poconos in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.

After some logistics maneuvers, and with my iPhone as GPS and my music playlists from Gospel artists, +Yolanda Adams, +Vicki Yohe, +Bebe and Cece Winans, +Marvin Sapp, just a sample,   some +Whitney Houston, +Josh Groban, +Sister Sledge{We are Family} and a variety of iTunes downloads, we headed north on a glorious sunny Saturday, with temperatures ranging in the upper 60s , with slight windy chills in the atmosphere. Well, the music vibes of +Rihanna and +Chris Brown or +Lil Wayne would not have been safe for the seasoned and distinguished ladies!!!

At the Poconos, we settled in our two bedroom rustic two level, step down living room with fire place,  townhouse cottage fitted with every amenity of home away from home and tucked in  for the evening, all worn out from 8 hours of drive.  We managed to take a lunch stop at Applebee's Harrisburg, where the waiter knew that the Gold Margarita was the drink of choice for my connoisseur palate, as he mischievously suggested. Hmmmn,,, Delicious.

The sisterly ladies, staunchly Catholic and devout were considering a Saturday mass attendance en route. Thankfully, being the head driver in charge, and with 2 hours of driving before check in at the Wyndham resort, I pleaded consideration from the elders to sacrifice mass attendance and without discord our trip continued.

On Sunday morning we all congregated downstairs, in the step down kitchen at the ten seater blond oak wood dining table.  With coffee perked, left overs spinach dip and chips from our Applebees lunch, turkey and ham sandwiches, prepared in advance by Vicks, we  churched and fellowshiped.  My sister Maggie described the experience in a later thank you email as follows:

Sisters
they laughed a little louder,
they cried a little softer,
they lived a little stronger,
because they stood together.

We reminisced about our parents Andrew and Rose Walker. Both are deceased. I was 9 when Daddy died . Mammy died December 10 2001. Much of the years of Daddy's life were recalled with humor. Maggie recounted his days as a Chief of Police in the small country district of Mayaro, in Trinidad and Tobago. She shared about our upbringing and talked about  the moral core of who we are. A description that stood out as a memory fixture was Maggie's description of Mammy's parenting.

She stated "Mammy's helicopter parenting was untiring and unshakeable". The way she hovered over her brood was with sharp edged wings and  motor like buzzing energy that began with the break of dawn and ended after all her energies were fully exhausted at the quiet  end of a long day.   A fitting tribute to Mammy shared in memory  quotes by us,  her children and grand/great/ great great/ children was the remembrance of her moral authority.

We talked about missing Val, who lives with her family in California for our sisterfest outing.    I even got an audio clip on my iPhone voice recorder with Val being described as steadfast and daunting in her convictions. We planned to call her to wish her Happy Birthday, later in the evening.  We wrapped up the weekend with promises of repeat vacation times with more family members. Oh! and the sisters did get to view their Sunday mass on EWTN before the brunch recollections.

Why do we have this family bond?

When my sister Maggie first migrated to the States over 45 years ago, it was because of her toils and labor that  all of us siblings-my deceased mother, my deceased brothers, Michael and Brian,  nephews, nieces and their families  have the opportunity to enjoy their own continuing legacies. In the journeys through illnesses, death, loss, separation without each others shoulders to lean on and were it not for the hospitality of Maggie and her family,  there would be no us

During one of my stormy episodes of taking life for granted and not adhering to moral discretion and judicious management of personal undertakings, my elder brother's counsel was both my sword and my salvation.

Experience teaches that many are fools who become so opinionated and ego centered that even the best intentioned advice is shunned as arrogant criticism. Love has been a bitter pill to swallow, and has also been the most healing medicine of forgiveness and gratitude.

With the death of my brother Brian @ 51 in 1998, my mother in 2001 and then my brother Michael in 2003, my siblings have truly experienced grief and sorrow of loss of loved ones. We understand very deeply and emotionally that family is not superficial gestures and worldly demonstrations of love.  It is immeasurable and treasured gift of our presence.

We constantly embrace celebrating one another. We relish occasions to share with each other, especially during the holidays, and the numerous children's birthdays, recitals, baptisms, first communions, that occur practically every month.  When we compliment each other it is genuine and heartfelt, and unsparing. In our criticisms we feel sensitive and there are hurts.My brother Derek is sometimes excruciatingly analytical.  But he is always,  ready to help and lend his expertise and talents when needed.

My most severe critics are my siblings and my loved ones, and the master instructor is my son Daryean,

A sentiment that helps me to place my thoughts on paper was recently shared by my sister.

Is your communication for applause or is it from a place of caring and empowerment?

My hope is that what I convey is from my heart and that it gives authenticity to the things that matter.

By now, you can guess. The applause and praise are dedicated to family.