As a toddler, Mary sustains an injury to her left eye. In elementary school, she is diagnosed with a traumatic cataract caused by a shattered lens and is advised to always wear glasses to protect her better eye. Not wanting to be teased by peers, she disguises her impairment by wearing tinted shades of various hues. These camouflages affect the way she views life and alters her perception of people and events. Believing that everyone encountered would initially focus on her eyes, she limits her social interactions and becomes an avid reader. After ending an abusive marriage to Chico, her high school and college boyfriend, and later identifying with the Hebrew Israelites, she decides to take off the colorful blinders and face life, with all of its complexities, clearly focused by going on a Caribbean cruise to reflect on her experiences in order to resolve the inner conflicts which led to years of unhappiness and deferred dreams. The Creation story in the book of Genesis guides her thinking as she desperately attempts to recreate her life by analyzing over thirty years of experiences in seven short days. It begins with her understanding the causes of her blurred vision and ends with an enlightened sense of self pride, purpose and spiritual awareness. Throughout this true adventure, she uses her visual impairment as a metaphor for the blindness she suffers as she journeys along lifes path. The book is filled with tales of her family structure and social values; issues of marriage, domestic violence, infidelity, deception and divorce; the challenges of single parenting; the frustrations of religious persecution and professional discrimination; the disappointments encountered in attempts to establish friendships and develop intimate relationships; and finally the blessings of finding true love and restoring trust.
Warren Edward Armstrong Jabali was my hero. In the hearts of his family and friends across the country, he was a superstar. Known for his basketball feats at Central High School (1962-1964), Wichita State University (1964-1968), and in the American Basketball Association (ABA) 1968-1976, this book presents an uplifting story of how a man, labeled as "one of the two meanest men in the ABA," overcame the vilification of his character. By positively channeling his energy on the educational empowerment of African American youth, he became an extraordinary role model and father figure for many in South Florida. Divided into two sections, the first part of the book is Warren's incomplete manuscript. He described the wide ranging cultural attitudes, political environment and social conditions which motivated his actions and profoundly affected his basketball career. it is supplemented by newspaper articles and interviews in which he discussed various controversial topics and elaborated on the skills and legacies of his contemporaries. The last half is written by the "love of his life." A very complex and private person, the section illustrates multiple aspects of his personality which portray an intimate understanding of him that only someone he cherished could ever reveal. This narrative validates the strength of his character as he boldly faced personal challenges. It demonstrates his unwavering commitment to education as he persevered in his lifelong pursuit for equality. Additionally, it highlights how benevolent his interpersonal relationships were as he journeyed along the road less traveled
Warren Edward Armstrong Jabali was my hero. In the hearts of his family and friends across the country, he was a superstar. Known for his basketball feats at Central High School (1962-1964), Wichita State University (1964-1968), and in the American Basketball Association (ABA) 1968-1976, this book presents an uplifting story of how a man, labeled as "one of the two meanest men in the ABA," overcame the vilification of his character. By positively channeling his energy on the educational empowerment of African American youth, he became an extraordinary role model and father figure for many in South Florida. Divided into two sections, the first part of the book is Warren's incomplete manuscript. He described the wide ranging cultural attitudes, political environment and social conditions which motivated his actions and profoundly affected his basketball career. it is supplemented by newspaper articles and interviews in which he discussed various controversial topics and elaborated on the skills and legacies of his contemporaries. The last half is written by the "love of his life." A very complex and private person, the section illustrates multiple aspects of his personality which portray an intimate understanding of him that only someone he cherished could ever reveal. This narrative validates the strength of his character as he boldly faced personal challenges. It demonstrates his unwavering commitment to education as he persevered in his lifelong pursuit for equality. Additionally, it highlights how benevolent his interpersonal relationships were as he journeyed along the road less traveled
As a toddler, Mary sustains an injury to her left eye. In elementary school, she is diagnosed with a traumatic cataract caused by a shattered lens and is advised to always wear glasses to protect her better eye. Not wanting to be teased by peers, she disguises her impairment by wearing tinted shades of various hues. These camouflages affect the way she views life and alters her perception of people and events. Believing that everyone encountered would initially focus on her eyes, she limits her social interactions and becomes an avid reader. After ending an abusive marriage to Chico, her high school and college boyfriend, and later identifying with the Hebrew Israelites, she decides to take off the colorful blinders and face life, with all of its complexities, clearly focused by going on a Caribbean cruise to reflect on her experiences in order to resolve the inner conflicts which led to years of unhappiness and deferred dreams. The Creation story in the book of Genesis guides her thinking as she desperately attempts to recreate her life by analyzing over thirty years of experiences in seven short days. It begins with her understanding the causes of her blurred vision and ends with an enlightened sense of self pride, purpose and spiritual awareness. Throughout this true adventure, she uses her visual impairment as a metaphor for the blindness she suffers as she journeys along lifes path. The book is filled with tales of her family structure and social values; issues of marriage, domestic violence, infidelity, deception and divorce; the challenges of single parenting; the frustrations of religious persecution and professional discrimination; the disappointments encountered in attempts to establish friendships and develop intimate relationships; and finally the blessings of finding true love and restoring trust.
In these hybrid tales, a fusion of facts and fiction, everyone has a hidden story. Part 1 chronicles the journey of nine first year teachers (Baby Boomers) from their initial hiring during the tumultuous onset of school busing and integration in 1970 to their retirement four decades later. Behaviors, attitudes, and social interactions observed during their careers are emphasized. Their personal stories demonstrate how lingering intrapersonal conflicts affect day-to-day relations. People are complex, and many factors influence conduct. Depending on the wants, needs, desires, motives, checked but unclaimed emotional baggage, they can be masters of deception. Like actors in plays, most wear masks and perform according to well-rehearsed scripts. To discern the content of a person’s character, one must look behind the masks. In part 2, using the setting and timeline of the teachers’ journey in part 1, a retired educator summarizes decade by decade the social, political, educational, and economic changes in the community to prepare her granddaughters (Millennials) for the challenges they will face in the era of Black Lives Matter. She concludes by reemphasizing the unfortunate but necessary talk African American parents give their teenagers about the perils of life as they embark upon meandering journeys in pursuit of their dreams.
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