Theme Week 5 Enlightenment.

The summer of 1993 was a typical summer for me. I had planned to spend a week in Waterbury, CT. to visit with my relatives, see some friends that I haven't been in touch with for a while, and see my girlfriend who lived 10 minutes away in Derby. I was traveling like most first class college students; on the greyhound bus. The greyhound bus is certainly the limo of the hood, complete with live improvisational theater. There is "The Mime": the person that sits across from you and assumes that they are silently working out their issues by gesturing and creating the scenarios with both hands, when in reality they are talking aloud oblivious to the audience. You have the soap opera "As the Bus Runs": The couple in back of you that is well aware of the audience and creates the love scene, conflict, and triumph in the span of a trip. Up in the front seats was the "Family Channel": Today's episode included the single parent with children. Parent was equipped with pocket board games and snack crackers to keep the children busy. The ride to CT. was going to be 10 hours long so the shows were going to be my only source of entertainment.

During the ride down 95 south I had time to reflect upon my experiences in Maine over the course of the year. The first day that I stepped foot in Bangor there was a blizzard that was followed by another blizzard the next day on April fool's day. I had enrolled at Penobscot Job Corps and learned quickly to appreciate the values that Mom had placed in me as this was my first time being on my own. It was in Maine that I had become involved in church. I had become quite religious, attending all services and prayer meetings. My life was changing for the good. I was very religious but had a lesson to learn about being a christian.

Looking out of the window of the bus, watching the highway rails and scenary go by provided a flickering effect almost like movie film. It was then that I thought about the last time I was in Waterbury. I was downtown on the green waiting for my girlfriend to come and hang out for the day. A local church was having an outreach service on the green that afternoon. The preacher was young and speaking with enthusiasm and conviction. Looking into his eyes you could see the pain of a past worth running away from and at the same time see the thankfulness of being able to help his neighbors instead of hurting them. There was quite a crowd gathered that day to hear him speak. Everything that he was saying I could identify with. He knew his scripture, but he did not know as much as I did. It seemed like his interpretation was all wrong. I was planning on showing him "The Light" after the service. When the service was over and everyone started to go their own direction, I remained on the park bench and asked one of the church members a bible question. There was an answer that I returned with an answer of my own to contradict them. After a couple more exchanges like this, someone asked the preacher to come and speak with me. The young preacher would answer my questions and I would use more scripture to contradict his scripture. We were having a sword fight with the word of God.

I wanted to show this young man that he was like the blind leading the blind with his misinterpretation of bible scripture. I thought I was playing the devil's advocated, but I was being a jack ass. During our sword fight, a man in a motorized wheelchair was going to make his way between us and almost as if it were written in a script, the wheelchair had stopped right in the middle of the young preacher and I. The man in the wheelchair looked at us and asked if we could help him get moving again. The preacher and I worked together to adjust the chair and set the motor in position to operate again. He on one side and me on the other. The wheelchair was fixed and the man thanked us and went on his way. The preacher and I looked at each other knowing the importance of what just transpired. It was that moment that I learned that the word of God does not need me to deffend it and that the principles that are presented in it are greater than me in that self righteous state. I was wrong and I apologized to the preacher.

I learned that day that doing the word outweighed knowing the word. My religous attitude was set aside to give way for a Christian attribute. I had made up my mind that I was not going to use the bible as a source for arguing but instead to be a recipe book to help me become a better person.

I thought about that moment while refocusing my eyes from the flickering highway scenary, riding on the greyhound bus. I looked around again at the passengers on that trip and wondered to myself what was it that I could "do" to help them. I was looking forward to seeing all of the people that I usually see in CT. that summer. I was especially looking forward to seeing that young preacher again when I attend his church for the summer.

Theme Week 5 Flat Bear

Flat Bear


There is a village in the woods of a far away place. The village is called Wilbery and is the home to some friendly and very special little bears.

The bears are special because although they are little, they have big jobs to do in Wilbery Village .

There are baker bears who bake the sweet breads that all the bears love to eat. There are builder bears that make the homes and other things that the village needs. There are farmer bears that grow the fruits and vegetables for the village of Wilbery . Every bear likes to have a job that helps Wibery Village , especially Flat Bear.

Flat Bear is a very happy bear. He loves to eat pancakes with honey, made by his mummy, that are soooo yummy, and fit in his tummy.


Flat Bear loves to play with his best friend Tawny bear. They have lots of fun playing with Tawnys jump rope. Tawny and Flat Bear love to run and play in the meadow that is next to the village. The meadow has some trees, but one tree is too tall to climb, so Flat Bear and Tawny are happy to dance around the tall tree in the meadow.

Flat Bear is a happy bear, but one thing makes him sad. Flat Bear can not work like the other bears because he is so flat. Sometimes the other bears laugh at him. Flat Bears mummy tells Flat Bear not to worry because he is her most special bear in the village and one day he will have a big and special job to help Wilbery Village . That makes Flat Bear happy.

One day Flat Bear went to Tawnys house to play. Tawnys mom said that Tawny was not felling well and could not play. Flat Bear asked when Tawny will feel well again. Tawnys mom said she did not know because she did not have the medicine to make Tawny feel better.

The medicine comes from the flowers on the tall tree in the meadow, next to the village.


The farmer bears said they could grow a giant pumpkin to stand on and reach the flowers, but that would take too long. The baker bears said they could bake a giant loaf of sweet bread to help reach the flowers. The other bears said yeah!!! They would be able to eat the sweet bread. That was a tasty but not so good of an idea. The builder bears made a ladder to climb up and reach the flowers. The wind was blowing so every time a bear reached the top, the wind blew them gently to the ground.

Flat Bear wanted to help but didnt know how. What could he do to help his best friend Tawny? Then Flat Bear had an idea and ran quickly to his mummys clothesline and grabbed the clothespins. Flat Bear ran to Tawnys house to get her jump rope and then ran to the meadow.

The other bears were still trying to reach the flowers on the tall tree. When they saw Flat Bear coming with a jump rope and clothes pins they started to laugh at Flat Bear.

Flat Bear did not listen to them, he wanted to help Tawny. Flat Bear clipped the clothespins and jump rope to his flat paws and asked one of the laughing bears to hold the other end of the jump rope and run.

The laughing bear started to run with the jump rope in his hand and Flat Bear on the other end. The wind carried Flat Bear high in the air, high enough to reach the flowers for Tawnys medicine. Flat Bear was a kite and the bears cheered and shouted Hooray, Hooray, for Flat Bear.

Flat Bear gave the flowers to Tawnys mom. Tawnys mom made the medicine and gave some to Tawny. Tawny was feeling much better. (The medicine made Tawny feel better.)

The bears of Wilbery Village were happy because whenever there was a job that was too high for them to do, they could call on Flat Bear for help.

Flat Bears mummy was so proud of her most special bear in the village. She was very happy.

Flat Bear was happiest of all because He and Tawny could play again. He was happy that he had big job that helps Wilbery Village . Flat Bear was also very happy because he got to eat pancakes with honey, made by his mummy, that are sooo yummy, and fit in his tummy.

THE END

Theme Week 4 the rest of the truth.

I went to CT. for the weekend so that I could visit with my family in Waterbury. I was looking forward to going home and seriously recharging my inner-city battery. Living in Maine can drain that battery very quickly. While I was in Waterbury I decided to drive around and check out the old neighborhoods and see what's changed since the last time I was there. I was driving on Long Hill Rd., the street where I grew up, and decided to drive through the Berkely Projects and reminss about growing up there.

Driving through Berkely I was transported to riding in Dad's 1979 brown Cadillac, listening to Curtis Mayfield. I looked out the windows and remember seeing afro picks with the black fist on it, also how we used to nail milk crates and bike rims to the telephone poles. We used to shoot hoops by throwing crumpled paperbags, balled up socks, and the invisible, "real basketball" through those crates and rims. The manhole cover in the middle of the street was always homeplate for kickball and baseball. So many kids in those projects got to college from using those poles and that manhole cover.

The red bricked apartment buildings of Berkely were run-down then and have not changed at all. It seems like the city put poor black people there and forgot about it. The roaches were like roomates to the tenants and the graffiti served as the only cartoons to watch for the people that couldn't afford television sets. The broken windows were state of the art air conditioning. I was home though, even if it was the projects. We were poor in money, but our culture was rich with black pride.

I drove past bldg. 32, thats where my gramma lived. I looked at the stoop and could remember gramma out there slicing watermelon. All the kids would call out, "Mrs Weaver! can we have a slice, can we have an Icee." You didn't need an Ice Cream Truck when you were equipped with some red Kool Aide and a good freezer. We would sit on that stoop and turn the Icee's upside down in the dixie cup to get the sugary part. We would sit on that stoop and have watermelon seed spitting contests.

I drove around Berkely for a bit and found myself on the infamous "School Road." Nothing good ever happened on that road. That area was not safe back in the day. It always smelled like dead dogs and weed smoke. The police would take people down school road instead of to jail and beat people. A person could count on being robbed there and at times killed. School Road was a place where black people were scared to be around other black people.

The tour through the projects was ending as I came to the exit. Before I left Berkely Projects I stopped and just looked around. My memories of that place were good and bad. I thought about growing up there on Long Hill and my life now, living in Maine. I do miss my culture, my people, and the city experience. The culture is different here in Maine and so are the experiences, but I am just glad to have two places now instead of one to call home.

Theme Week 4 a little more true

I was on Long Hill Rd., in Waterbury CT. and decided to drive through the Berkely Project to reminiss about growing there. Driving around, I remembered how we used to nail milk crates, and bike rims to the telephone pole so that we could play basketball in the street. The manhole cover was always home plate when we played kickball.

The red brick buildings are still run-down with graffiti and broken windows. It was home though even if it was the projects. I was driving past the apartment building where my gramma lived. I looked at the stoop where we used to sit and remembered eating our Icees and spitting out our watermelon seeds.

I drove around the corner to the other side of the complex and found myself on school road. There was a lot of bad stuff that happened there. It was not a safe area back in the day. There was a lot of drugs, getting robbed, and getting beat up that happened on school road.

I was driving toward the exit of the Berkely Projects and before leaving I stopped to think. I thought about growing up on Long Hill Rd. then and living in Maine now. I thought about how different the culture is in Maine.

Theme Week 4 black and white

I took a drive through Berkely Projects, in Waterbury, CT., just to reminiss a little. I started to think about the days when people played sports in the street. The buildings are still run-down just like they used to be, but it was home to me. I drove past the apartment building where my gramma lived and looked at the stoop where we used to sit and eat. I drove around the corner and down the school road. I remember a lot of bad stuff used to happen on that road. When I was reached the exit of the projects I just stopped for a bit and remembered my culture a little bit.

Theme Week 3

I just came home from a long weekend in Calais, working for the Maine Army National Guard. It feels so good to see that the house is still in good shape; life goes on whether I am here at home or away.

I get right to the computer to catch up on my creative writing class.Jenna, my daughter is leaving the table in the living room after doing her homework. She has her papers and coloring pencils stretched out over the table.

Lisa calls to Jenna, "C'mon baby gurl, let's get your hair done."
"Can I watch cartoons while you do it mom?"
Of Course.

I can hear Spongebob Squarepants on the T.V. I look over my right shoulder to check it out and see that Spongebob is having surgery done on his butt. Jenna is laughing.

Jenna laughs, "Heh Heh Heh, Spongebob is getting duct tape on his butt mom!"
Yes he is, now hold still.
Ow! OK mom. That hurts!
Lisa says, "I'm sorry, but that is why you have to sit still."

Jenna does comply as best as she can, but watching Spongebob provides too much temptation to wiggle and chuckle. Lisa continues to braid Jenna's hair to get ready for bedtime.

I can only chuckle as I watch this exchange and just keep typing so that I can get this assignment finished.

Theme Week 3

I just came home from a long weekend in Calais, working for the Maine Army National Guard. It feels so good to see that the house is still in good shape; life goes on whether I am here at home or away. I get right to the computer to catch up on my creative writing class.

Jenna, my daughter is leaving the table in the living room after doing her homework. She has her papers and coloring pencils stretched out over the table. Lisa calls to Jenna, "C'mon baby gurl, let's get your hair done."
"Can I watch cartoons while you do it mom?"
Of Course.

I can hear Spongebob Squarepants on the T.V. I look over my right shoulder to check it out and see that Spongebob is having surgery done on his butt. Jenna is laughing.

Jenna laughs, "Heh Heh Heh, Spongebob is getting duct tape on his butt mom!"
Yes he is, now hold still.
Ow! OK mom. That hurts!
Lisa says, "I'm sorry, but that is why you have to sit still."

I just keep typing away with a chuckle so that I can get this assignment finished.