Maya Angelou

Here I am, at twenty years of age, and I have the opportunity of a lifetime sitting there on my Google Calendars.  This coming Friday I will be speaking with Dr. Maya Angelou. The Maya Angelou.

Born in 1928, Angelou has been a poet, playwright, author, singer, dancer and role model for many generations.  How did a twenty-year-old kid get the opportunity to interview such an important member of our society? Does it matter? The possibility is there, and I'm going to take full advantage of it.  Maya Angelou's book I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings has changed the way I look at many things about life.

What should I ask her? What will I ask first? Again, does it really even matter?  She is a woman who has worked with Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Bill Clinton. Needless to say, she has some weight in her words. In her poem "And Still I Rise" she talks about how no matter what happens to her she will "still rise."  I believe that she's saying that no matter what she is put through in life, whatever trials and tribulations, she will still be able to enjoy her life.

I have an email full of questions ready to go.  What an opportunity. Updates to come after the interview!

Medal of Honor

Today, January 3rd, 2010, I had the most amazing opportunity of my journalism career to date.  I had the opportunity to meet one of this country's greatest heroes.  His name is Colonel Retired George "Bud" Day.  He received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1976; President Gerald Ford presented the medal. 

The Congressional Medal of Honor is presented to those who show extreme bravery and valor in the line of duty.  Colonel Day showed this when his F100 fighter plane was shot down during the Vietnam War.  He was a prisoner of war at the same camp and at the same time as current Arizona Senator John McCain. 

The Department of Defense keeps this citation in their records for Colonel Day:

Citation: On 26 August 1967, Col. Day was forced to eject from his aircraft over North Vietnam when it was hit by ground fire. His right arm was broken in 3 places, and his left knee was badly sprained. He was immediately captured by hostile forces and taken to a prison camp where he was interrogated and severely tortured. After causing the guards to relax their vigilance, Col. Day escaped into the jungle and began the trek toward South Vietnam. Despite injuries inflicted by fragments of a bomb or rocket, he continued southward surviving only on a few berries and uncooked frogs. He successfully evaded enemy patrols and reached the Ben Hai River, where he encountered U.S. artillery barrages. With the aid of a bamboo log float, Col. Day swam across the river and entered the demilitarized zone. Due to delirium, he lost his sense of direction and wandered aimlessly for several days. After several unsuccessful attempts to signal U.S. aircraft, he was ambushed and recaptured by the Viet Cong, sustaining gunshot wounds to his left hand and thigh. He was returned to the prison from which he had escaped and later was moved to Hanoi after giving his captors false information to questions put before him. Physically, Col. Day was totally debilitated and unable to perform even the simplest task for himself. Despite his many injuries, he continued to offer maximum resistance. His personal bravery in the face of deadly enemy pressure was significant in saving the lives of fellow aviators who were still flying against the enemy. Col. Day's conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Armed Forces.^[19]

Colonel Day was invited on behalf of the Scott-Carroll Inaugural team to attend the Military Appreciation: Honoring Those Who Serve event.  The event featured renowned country artists John Michael Montgomery, Aaron Tippin and even Lee Greenwood.  

The ability to meet and talk to one of this country's greatest warriors is a truly humbling experience.  Here is a man who has given far more to this country than any of my generation's "heroes" like movie stars or singers.  Here is a man who was willing to -- in the face of imminent death -- defy his captors and hold true to his values of Americanism and keep this country above and beyond himself. 

Here is a man who was willing to break out of a prisoner camp to seek American help, only to be recaptured and tortured even further and yet not let his spirit break.  A man who not only earned but deserves the salutes of all of those who have served, and the thanks of every single person in this great country of ours.

Here's to Colonel Day, a modern day hero in a post-modern day society.

Tis the Season

So, another year has come and gone since last Christmas.  Much has changed since then, yet much has stayed the same.  This year, yet again, Dad had to fly on Christmas so we celebrated early -- our Christmas Day was December 23rd, 2010.  I seem to have gotten some flak for having Christmas "early."

I don't think people really understand what the idea of this holiday is all about.  As I told a friend of mine who apologized when he found out my dad wouldn't be home for actual Christmas Day, "Holidays are what you make of them, not what date the rest of the world says they are." 
It doesn't matter that we celebrate a holiday on a different day than most people -- especially a holiday focused on family, love, giving and happiness. 

Christmas isn't about getting gifts, or putting up a Christmas tree.  It's about being with family -- at least it is in my family.  It's about getting together and loving one another and spending quality time together. 

Is Christmas the birth of Christ? To many Christians, yes.  Is Christmas the birth of Christ to us? Somewhat.

There are many more layers to Christmas than just that in our family.  To us, it is a time to give thanks for the wonderful things we have in our lives: friends, family and joy -- things far too many people do without.  To us, it's a lot like a second Thanksgiving -- giving thanks for the things we have.  Except there are generally a few presents under the tree, to the children's excitement!  We gather around the dinner table with great friends and great food and thank the all-mighty being upstairs -- whoever he, she or they may be -- for all that we've been blessed with. 

As for Santa Claus? Well, I'll believe until the day I die that he exists.  Santa is part of the magic that is Christmas.  I will forever believe that he is a "right jolly old elf." 

So, wherever you may be -- Naples, Florida or Caracas, Venezuela (where Dad is right now) -- enjoy the Christmas holiday with your family and friends.

Remember, Remember...

Just a few nights ago this country went through some sweeping changes in leadership.  The people took to the polls to elect the 112th Congress of the United States.  Most people voted to change the leadership back to a right-leaning coalition.  The President of the United States will remain the same until 2012, as will the Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, but the Speaker of the House is likely to become John Boehner, a republican from Ohio. 

All of this "change" at this point in time can't help but make me think of one of my favorite films, V for Vendetta.  In the movie the main character, V, says something in a video that is broadcast to future London.  He says "There is something terribly wrong with this country."  That sounds, to me anyway, a lot like the message that Republicans were giving to the country about the leadership in the Obama-Pelosi-Reid coalition. 

I just felt this was a comparison worth mentioning.

Social Institutions

In society, there are many institutions that are put in place to categorize people; these categories are used to divide the human population of the world.  Gender, race, sexuality, class, nationality, religion, education, etc. These categories have been systematically put in place by the society at large in order to judge others, and in effect, disassociate themselves from others.

Personally, I don't buy into any of it.  My skin might be physically white, but I don't identify as white. I don't identify as black either.  I identify as me.  The same goes with any other institution set in place to categorize people.  It is automatically assumed that I'm white (we'll stick with race for the time being), but I don't even know enough about my genealogy to know if there are any members of my past family that were Black, Asian, or Hispanic.  Knowing this gives me the ability to claim to fall outside any of the socially "normal" categories.  I attend an HBCU.  My skin may be white but that doesn't stop me from being friends with, or identifying with those whose skin may be black. 

Race is a touchy subject in America. For example, as long as Barack Obama is the "first black president" instead of the "44th President of the United State of America," race will still be a problem.  All of this notion that we've "moved past race" as a culture is clearly hogwash.  As long as FSU students remain afraid to go south of Gaines St. or go out on the FAMU homecoming weekend, we clearly still have an issue with racism.  There may scientifically be three races (Mongoloid, Negroid and Caucasoid) but all three are still human beings.  Every person on this earth bleeds the same color: red.  That is something that won't change no matter what color skin we might have, what socioeconomic class we might fall under, who we go to sleep with at night, or what gender we identify with.  We all need food, water, shelter, compassion and most importantly, we need each other. 

Backing out of race and moving into another touchy subject: sexuality.  I am automatically assumed to be a heterosexual when I meet someone new.  Why?  I may not be homosexual OR heterosexual, but I don't understand why all humans must have this preconceived notion of others before even getting to know them.  Human beings are just sexual, just like any other creature on the earth.  Scientists have found that many animals have sex with members of the same sex.  I feel that I must reiterate, humans are still animals, which means we retain many animal qualities.  Sex is a natural part of life, a part that humans partake in just like most other animals. 

Nationality is another institution that has some sketchy beginnings.  Why are we "proud" of a country that we didn't choose to be born in.  I didn't choose to be born in America, nor did someone from Switzerland choose to be born there.  That is a decision made prenatally by our parents (and partially by world governments denying or admitting emigrants). 

I must reiterate that social institutions are SOCIALLY and CULTURALLY bound.  Everyone behavior is their own decision, and should have no automated responses to certain stimuli.  There are many institutions that I don't buy into.  I only went into two of the big ones, but there are definitely smaller ones that I feel the human race should not entertain.