Rodney's Rambling's

    nope, i am not crazy money does not rule my world age is but time played to the rhyme of necessity that struggles to remain relevant amidst the construct of insanity. nope, i am not crazy i am comfortable in my joy of being, satisfied in my understanding of the universe, empowered by my faith in a One that makes me a one. nope, i am not crazy even though i continue to strive to see the hope that love promises as this day turns into this tomorrow as I watch another sunset as i persist in  Keeping it real.. 

  Many viewing the twin crises facing higher education, the escalating cost of tuition and the decreasing numbers of students, are predicting its demise.  How did we get here and what can we anticipate moving forward. The answers are complex, and in order to understand where we are going, what we need to do to survive this crisis, we must understand the roots of this calamity. Our journey starts with the end of World War II as America founds itself with two interesting dilemmas.  On the one hand it was the only intact Western nation with an abundance of excess capital.  On the other, it had saw the beginning of the baby boom, the largest single rise in its population in centuries.  Added to this, it found itself competing with the Soviet Union for dominance, and the push to see who the winner would be.  The response to these were interesting.  We dumped a tremendous amount of money into education at all levels.  Our goal was to win the race into s...

  We all have experiences that constitute defining moments pregnant with both meaning and life-changing events. These prescient moments, so truly rare, reflect not only milestones but also critical forks in the road along the journey of life. It is those moments, and the events that define them, that represents the difference between what is and what might have been. It is at these critical moments that we are in so need of an miracle, or an angel, or just a really strong person to stand in the gap and demonstrate the virtues, values, and validity of character, maturity, and masculinity. All too often, when we look toward others for examples, we rarely find the kind of rugged determination , fortitude, and a strong moral compass that was so much a part of Uncle John’s very being. There are many ways by which character, maturity and masculinity are measured. But for me, the measure was in the character and life of my uncle John Edward Coates. ...

 

  Sun beats its rays against the window Smell of coffee, waffles, eggs, bacon fill the air Sounds of gospel sets the mood Brother long in the shower trying to sing Momma dressed in her Sunday best Dad suited up and ready to go It’s Sunday morning. Church packed with friends and kin Visitors sitting on any pew Dancers stream with flags and pennants Music sets the atmosphere Drums and base, guitar and sax Electric organ and synthesizer Soul, jazz, blues, -merge in that gospel beat. Granny fixes little Kia’s hair Jackie, from the corner, walks up the stair Starts to sing Amazing Grace The choir fills in the spaces. Deacon James, used to run the numbers, now prays As Bettye, the junkie, murmurs along. Martha holds Kimmie discarded at birth Raymond, on parole, tickles the keyboard. Juwana, formerly John, strums the guitar. Pastor Marsha starts to pray Mother Sarah hums a hymn Brother Benjie strums along Shouts of deliverance the Holy Ghost comes foreign tongues heard somebody got a danc...

  Trapped in the chaos of insanity bludgeoned by the instruments of destruction ignored by the mass of humanity stifled by the reality of despair the blood of Martyrs cries out. Egos grapple to dominate the masses dreams dashed against the platitudes of disaster anguish screams beneath the barrage of missiles children die without mercy as the blood of Martyrs cries out. Wailing in a sea of bitterness lost in the travail of nothingness futures abandoned on the trail of tears hope dashed upon the alters of revenge  the blood of Martyrs cries out. Genocide captured on the evening news innocents pillared against the scaffolding of denial blame confused with shame as mothers bury their children futures ravaged as the drums of war beat on the blood of Martyrs cries out. From the river to the sea from the valleys to the mountains from the north to the south from hell to the heavens the blood of Martyrs cries out     ENOUGH... ...

  And so, we have just finished our first month.  The first of anything -the first day of the week, the first encounter, the first month or the first year -all sets the stage for what to expect.  If they go off the rails, its difficult to get the train back on track.  But if it goes smoothly, then the pattern has been set and all you need to do is to keep on doing what you have been doing.  We have completed our first month...wow. This time has flown.  As I look over the text, recall the messages, and think of our multiple conversations' a few things stand out. 1) We have never finished a conversation 2) We always have something to say. We always communicate on multiple levels on multiple sets of issues and almost always are in agreement. 3) I am constantly amazed at your intelligence, your wisdom, and your authenticity. 4) The reality is that we enjoy the conversations 5) This month has been about being real, speaking our truths, and becoming spiritually c...