A Review of the Year 2020

I couldn't let the whole of 2020 go by without making some comments.  This has been a pandemic year.  The coronavirus, or Covid 19, has taken its toll on human life and devastated the American economy because of death, continued restrictions on human movement, loss of jobs, and closures of many small and large businesses.  Wearing a mask has become the new normal.  Even I carry hand sanitizer when I wouldn't have used it before.  Distance learning is the new norm; in Prince George's County we haven't been back into the school building since March 13.  We did manage to create a vaccine that got approved before the end of the year and, hopefully, we will see some benefits of people getting vaccinated in 2021.  

There are still many things for which I am able to express gratitude.  My mother is in relatively good health at age 96.  My immediate family is still here and in relatively good health.  With the help of a childhood friend, I was able to speak my views on a sports podcast during the NBA playoffs; my team, the Los Angeles Lakers, won the 2020 Championship.  At the end of this year, I got a great surprise when a book I edited finally got published with my name on the cover.  

You never know in which direction your life will turn, so you can't discount the opportunities that come your way.  Looking forward to more new avenues in 2021!

It’s Just

It’s just a question with no answer to provide

It’s just a reason causing thoughts to collide.

It’s just a word looking for a meaning

It’s just a brain needing minor spring cleaning.

It’s just an object of someone’s desire

It’s just a flame soon becoming a fire.

It’s just a day turning into night.

It’s just not settling for without a fight.

It’s just some thoughts written in ink.

It’s just a poetic gesture to cause you to think.

©2019 by Marcia Cross-Briscoe

Four Colored Pen

I write in red to illuminate the strain
That writing brings inside my head.

I write in green to show the page
The world has hope in this crazy age.  

I write in blue to convince the page
That elements of truth can still engage.

I write in black to announce to the page
The world is a serious place, not just a stage.

Many writers tap away at electronic keys
It doesn't satisfy the desire to say all I can be.

When I write in color I see all kinds of moods.
While creating rhymes that don't intend to exclude.

A font-induced manuscript seems the way of the land.
My preference is red, green, blue and black ink coming from my hand.

Digital writing gives more recognition than the pen can ascribe
I'll write my words by hand to stay creatively alive.


©2019 by Marcia Cross-Briscoe

Started from the Bottom Now We're Here

As this is NBA basketball playoff season, I feel compelled to write something.  Another reason to play the game is that not many people thought the Oklahoma City Thunder would defeat the Golden State Warriors in their home arena in the first game of the the Western Conference Finals.  If you watched the Queen Latifah produced movie "The Real MVP:  The Wanda Durant Story," you would not be surprised at this win.  Setting goals early in life and then achieving them and then setting more goals can be a successful strategy and another reason to play the game. The steps along Kevin Durant's path were not always easy, fun, or without emotional loss.  All athletes can relate to overcoming adverse circumstances - whether physical, mental, or spiritual - to excel in their given field. Since basketball is my sport, I am obliged to acknowledge perseverance, close contact with a loved one, and timing as persistent uplifting attributes.

As I continue to play the roles of librarian, writer, mom, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, etc., I am sensitive to the support that each of these positions requires.  As I approach another decade in life, re-evaluation is a constant necessity.  Thanks to the hearing aid receptionist and technician that helped my mother with her issues and provided me with coping skills that require patience dealing with a loved one who started closer to the top and is now here.  

The song "Come back to the Middle" by India.Arie beautifully describes how the development of confidence or the lack thereof can cause a person to veer from the middle to either a bad extreme or a good extreme. As I root for my favored team in these playoffs, I suggest that a good extreme acknowledges a spiritual component, as well.  We did not come here to stay, as evidenced by the deaths of Maya Angelou, Beatrice Curry (my Aunt Bea) and Ruby Dee - all of whom died within three weeks of each other in May-June 2014 - and I am confident that they are not at the bottom anymore, but rest in the good extreme.

South Africa - Land of Triumph

This post is dedicated to Mike Budenholzer who has a birthday today.  Happy Birthday!  It was a pleasure to make the acquaintance of him and his lovely family in South Africa last week.  Who knew that a unique conversation would blossom while standing in a line to go to the top of Table Top Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa?  It was 2 days before my birthday and over a week before his.

The first every NBA game in the continent of Africa was held August 1, 2015 in Johannesburg. Although Team Africa, the team Mr. Budenholzer was coaching, did not win over Team World, this is only the first game and the future looks bright for this type of collaboration.  Johannesburg is a city of about 8.5 million people, and the continent as a whole has not embraced the sport of basketball as we know it in the USA in great numbers.  I felt very much like Oliver B. Johnson, another native Washingtonian, who brought Hakeem Olajuwon to the United States.  He visited Africa 20 years ago and decided not to leave.  I could have stayed there myself because the culture seems to be one of respect for human beings, not glorification of money.

Basketball Beyond Borders, founded by a former player from Canada, Robert Wilson, is in its 13th year and has as its motto - "Remember the Lord in all you do and He will bring you success," Proverbs 2:6.  I can certainly attest to the success I have had in one year, because I could not have even dreamed of this trip in August 2014 due to self-employment as my only income.  Here it is August 2015 and I have not only obtained employment, but visited and enjoyed one of the most beautiful countries in the world.  Attending the Baptist World Alliance in Durban for 5 days and learning about the Truth and Reconciliation Council that convened shortly after apartheid was dismantled was an educational experience I am not likely to forget.  My group of 17 was an excellent group and I will cherish the encounters on the bus rides and at the many meals we ate together.

South Africa is truly a country that has triumphed over its dark past and we could all learn some lessons from the reconciliation model they have adopted.

Winning as a Team

Excitement is in the air as we follow the NBA leader – the San Antonio Spurs. As a basketball fan, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the TEAM play that the Spurs exhibited in this championship run.  We all would do well to follow the example of sportsmanship demonstrated by team play.  Unselfishness, personal sacrifice, courage and sheer will propelled this team to a level that no one, except maybe the Spurs themselves, envisioned.  These attributes fuel another reason to play the game – because winning as a team is so much more rewarding. 

 

 San Antonio Spurs 

2014 NBA Champions