Take A Knee

Take A Knee

A Memorial Tribute to George Floyd

West Chester, PA

june 4, 2020

#TakeAKnee. When you kneel in silence for those 8 long minutes, it’s so hard to believe that this cop didn’t have one fleeting moment of reflection about his actions.

+3

59You, Rosina Rucci, Lauren Anderko and 56 others

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Dining With Kevin

Dining With Kevin
Springfield, PA


Kevin is a former high school student of mine.  A few years after he graduated from college, I hired him as a German teacher. Eventually, we became friend even thought there is a 25 year difference between us. We go out to dinner several times a year.

Kevin is a large man.  He is tall, maybe 6'7" and massive in body structure.  I am short and squatly.  He towers over me.  I have to stand on my tippy-toes to hug him.  HIs skin is a deep, dark black.  I am lily white, pastey-looking.

Kevin usually likes to go to Red Lobster, a restaurant in our area that predominately caters to our African American community.  I usually get to the restaurant first and am offered a table, tucked away in the corner.  Kevin arrives five or ten minutes later and saunters right up to my table and embraces me.  People stare at us, this odd couple. And I wonder, do they thinks:

1- How did that old woman snag that young man?
2- What's that white woman doing with that black man?
3- Why is that young man get stuck with that old bitch?
4- Does she have money?  Is that why he's with her?
5- How did they get together?
6- What up wif dat couple?

They all look puzzled but it does not appear to me as if anyone is thinking, "Look, two friends having dinner together."

He Has My Back

He Has My Back
@ McDonald's
North East, MD
December 2016


As a result of hanging with teenagers for 30 years, I am in the habit of talking to every teenager who enters into my line of vision.  I greet them. I try to engage them in conversation and I often lose sight of the fact that they mostly have no interest in me.  But too bad; I'm talking to them.

So tonight, there are three black boys who look to me to be about middle school age.  It's cold outside and the smallest of the boys is wearing shorts.

"How cold does it have to be before you wear long pants?" I ask him.

"Huh?" he responds. He looks me up and down and gives me a suspicion look.  I've seen this look before. He wants to know why an old, white woman is talking to him.

"Do you put on long pants when it snows?"

"Yea".

"Not me, I am never warm enough.  I wear long pants even in the summer.  It's funny how we can all be so different, isn't it."  My conversation ends because I'm called up to the counter to give my order. I take my cup of coffee and head over to the side counter, "Well, nice talking to you.  Stay warm," I tell him and move on.

He comes over to me and shouts, "Miss, Miss."

"What's up?" I asked him.

"You forgot your change. You forgot your dollar," and he points to the counter where his two friends are standing guard over this singular bill.

"You are a person of integrity", I tell him. "That speaks highly of you.  Thanks for having my back".