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Cool Children
It's funny how an acquaintance from the past just pops into your head sometimes. Usually the flashback is brought on by a phrase someone says, or a thought you have. Today my particular flashback was induced by the words "this guy," which were uttered by one of the custodians where I work, as we passed in the hall. I'll tell you how that phrase came to be... Some time ago, in my multi-faceted career -- I call it that to avoid the more accurate yet less honorable "all those jobs I had." -- I was working as a graphic artist at a print shop in Fairfield, New Jersey. They had a bindery department where all the cutting, collating, punching and stapling was done. When I first started my job, the boss was showing me around the place and introducing me to all the people. We came to the bindery department and he said "We have children working in the bindery." I thought that was strange, and maybe a little illegal. I also wondered what he was talking about because I saw no children in there, but I let it pass. I didn't find out what he meant until I became acquainted with one fellow who worked in the bindery, and who was there at the time my boss was showing me around. This was Children, Children Avena. Children was from Haiti, and had moved to the U.S. with his father and brother. He spoke Haitian Creole and perfect English with all it's slang wonderfully affected by his colorful accent. I would often overhear him speaking Creole with a fellow employee in the bindery, also from Haiti. The conversations eluded me completely, but they were fun to listen to. Children was lean and physically fit with a mop of dreadlocks that would flop around when he walked. Aside from his exotic origins Children intrigued me with his comical personality, his genuine, sincere character, and an uncanny talent to do impressive standing somersaults. Sometimes he would somersault from a stair rail right to the ground, landing perfectly on his feet. Sometimes he would make fun of me, and "bust my chops" as my father would say. I would tell Children a dumb joke and most times he would shake his head and say, "dis guy, man!" Rolling his eyes and tipping his head in my direction. "Dis guy, man." That became one of my favorite phrases and Children and I would frequently mutter it in passing as we went about our daily tasks at the print shop. Most days passed without instance, but sometimes Children would be in a bad mood, and it showed. I would let him be when I saw that he was having a bad day, but on occasion I would step into the bindery, roll my eyes and say "dis guy, man!" That would usually get a smile, if not a grumbling response of "dis guy," in agreement with mine, and collectively directed at whatever was bothering him that day. I had great times working with Children, and could write a lot more. Maybe in a future observation I'll mention him again. Indirectly, he had an effect on my life. I became friends, for a time, with a person from another culture, another place. I won't ever forget Children, and I wonder from time to time if he remembers me. Sometimes, when things aren't going my way, I catch myself muttering: "Dis guy, man." Here's to knowing someone else. Drew Vics, an artist, writer & musician from New Jersey, writes for www.Myeyez.net">http://www.Myeyez.net, and for other websites online.
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Words That Can Leave You Powerless The lines below come from this weeks mind treatment, written by Rev. Angelica Jayne who is a regular weekly contributor to this site. Play It Forward --Living A Life Youve Always Wanted! What would your life be like if you lived each event backwards? If you knew what was coming in your life next how would you react?John Eldredge writes in his book Waking the Dead, "God what do you have for my heart today?" He continues by saying, "you may be stunned by what he guides you into. I began the day at six in the morning asking God, "What do you have for my heart today Lord. Extreme Self Care EXTREME is not a term usually connected to self-care. Self-care usually portrays a picture of gentleness, kindness, loving self or being nurturing. Adversity to Victory The following is a true story about a young friend who lives in St. Louis. The TOP 5 Things That Keep You From Success Everyone wants to be rich. A lot of people want to be successful. Why Buddhism Succeeds - The Right Thing is the Thing to do The ongoing teachings are exemplified in an understanding and execution of two ideas, which I will briefly describe:Karma: the Buddhist interpretation is in the words and actions of the individual. It means that good work brings about a good rebirth, and that each rebirth is a reflection of the good living and good deeds in the prior life. Powerful Caretakers - Taking Good Care of Ourselves First Our community consists of powerful caretakers. We do a great job of assisting and loving those around us. Never Too Busy to Listen Are things busy at your house or workplace? Imagine how in must be at Celestial Control Central:"Good morning, Gabriel. Let's go over what's on the old schedule for today. The Power of One It was one of those once-in-a-life-time moments. The entire World celebrated Christmas Eve, 1968, by sitting glued to television sets. Duplicity Direct Answers - Column for the week of January 26, 2004We've been married 20 years. In order to spice up our sex life we would occasionally share fantasies, and one that seemed to turn us both on involved my wife with me and another man. The Right Approach Direct Answers - Column for the week of June 9, 2003I grew up in a happy, loving, stable home. My fiance was not as lucky. Directions For Life Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully. Memorize your favorite poem. Are We There Yet? In a recent disaster, a man was asked why he would keep searching for a loved one, even when he knew there was little hope of any survivors. He was told repeatedly, the chances of finding anyone still alive were very slim. You Are So Unreal Mankind's ability to give life to lifeless objects, gives rise to much of the grief and frustration that he brings upon himself. He animates, or humanizes all sorts of things and other creatures, then believes in his mind that they are human. Moral Obligation & Responsibility Chances are you have seen some type of disturbance in your lifetime. Whether it was a bully picking on someone or a piece of trash on the ground, disturbances happen daily on several different levels. Just One Person We All Need I understand that all the self made people of this world, be it:the late Abraham Lincoln, former President of the United States, who failed at most levels in his early life. This can de-motivate even the strongest people in the world, but he continued and became the President. Is the Life Youre Living the Life You Want? In pre-revolutionary Russia, a rabbi was walking to the synagogue. A Russian soldier stopped him and asked, "Who are you and what are you doing here?" The rabbi answered, "How much do they pay you for doing this job?" The soldier replied, "Twenty kopeks. Create Your Way Out of It When life has you feeling less than happy, and you would like to see things different than they are, here are some tips that can help you.I learned that there IS a way out of and beyond any situation that we are less than happy about. Following Through Direct Answers - Column for the week of March 24, 2003My final divorce papers sit in front of me waiting for my signature. In fact, they've been sitting on my desk for five days now. No Problem! Thanks to Walt Disney's "The Lion King", children the world over know the Swahili expression "Hakuna Matata". It means "No Problem" and we grown-ups should use it more often.
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