What’s Up With These Bullies?

Wow! Everything happening in our world today is labeled as “unprecedented!” Yet, I have enough courage and desire to say something. That’s a blessing, though managing the side effects is tricky. I’m grateful to represent still and disrobe the bully!  TGIF, even!

Have you ever interacted with a bully? Have you ever wondered what they want from you? Have you ever wondered what they are missing in their own lives? It must be something, especially if the bully is not your parent(s).  Why are they trying to push their way into your life?  GTFOOH!!  Being a “smart” youth in elementary school made me a target.  Some kids would go as far as to tell me to put my hand DOWN in class!  I was even followed home to the Projects one day and told to throw my books away by a bully from the Projects.  (My Dad had to take me to the bushes to retrieve them and scold me for letting a little boy bully threaten me!) The Winbrook Apartment complex was formidable growing up, and we had a bully or two here and there.  We were also blessed with young adult role models who encouraged the youth to be themselves and excel at what they were good at.  Thanks, everyone!  

Bullies are usually insecure people who crave attention, even to a disastrous level.  Some people are perfect to be bullied and made a follower of someone else.  The followers of bullies lack insight and almost NEED to be told what to do and what to think—sad stories like the bully themself.  Now, in the USA, as #45’s first trial is underway, people who are jurors are concerned about their identities being exposed.  And in the courtroom, the garbage bag looks at potential jurors with scorn!  Facing a bully requires courage, self-esteem, and a desire to be authentic and yourself!  Bullies are usually people with poor social skills and low self-esteem.  They also may lack the discipline to make themselves better people.  When they find someone “better” than them, they want to punish that person, gossip about them, and even lie!  Look at how #45 deals with Mr. Alvin Bragg or Ms. Fani Willis!  He couldn’t accomplish what either of them has and feels upstaged because he supposedly has or had more money.  He has NO PLAN for governing and “wings” everything but ALWAYS tries to put down someone else to appear better than others.

As a retired educator, I often have to stand up for my skills and talents and stand up to the bullies I’ve encountered even here.  Like Dr. Dre says in one of his song lyrics, “How much Tupac in you YOU got?  And I ain’t no bitch either!”  I keep my goals in focus like Mr. Bragg did after #45 posted an image of him holding a baseball bat and swinging it toward an image of Mr. Bragg’s head.  People who like bullies also have low self-esteem and have been absent or bullied most of their lives.  When a New Yorker who has damn near seen it all comes to a small town like this, he stands out!  Some people are self-confident enough to “let me be me,” while others start rumors and gossip about me out of jealousy!  I usually smile and keep it moving since I didn’t retire here to please them.  “Know Thyself!”

As Ms. Willis says, “The train is coming!”  I want to see it in ALL of his cases.  Yet, as a student of American history with a Master of Science in Education specializing in American History, I stand firmly and proudly defending the well-educated people who have earned everything they have!  Stay tuned, and don’t let a bully ruin your life!  Stand up to that driveling mofo!

Thanks for reading!

Peace,

John I. Cook, Director

The Case for Mental Health … and You!

It’s Friday, Y’all.  I’ve been holding it down, hanging in there, and still making some progress.  Mila, my 11-month-old puppy, no longer rides in a crate on my e-bike scooter but has learned to balance herself on the floorboard!  Life is beautiful, rustic even, yet moving along!  Greetings and blessings!

I visited the Migracion Office in San Jose this past Monday to turn in some essential documents. All required documents from the States must be authenticated, which I just learned, and then translated before submission. I am awaiting the verification of my background check, which I will be sending to be translated here in Costa Rica before entering it into my residency application.  The last document is my birth certificate from New York, which must be verified and translated.  So I am feeling very decent.

Yes, I wanted to retire outside of the States so I wouldn’t end up like Mr. Floyd or be a victim of some jerks like “The Goon Squad” out of Jackson, MS.  How exciting, right?  What great options for a black man in the USA!  So many humans enjoy playing “the devil’s advocate” nowadays or just plain old obstinate instead of using common sense.  People who support #45 can easily be seduced into believing or just repeating hateful, nonsensical, even racist, and sexist ideas.  Worse of all, some folks allow themselves to be motivated to violence, especially after hearing dog whistles like the “blood bath phrase.”  In other words, people who have unstable mental illness can be pushed over the edge, like on January 6th!  #45 goes as far as to call them “hostages” rather than domestic terrorists, as well as promising to release them from jail if and when elected.  This person is absolutely deranged, ignorant, and mentally ill.  He is a horrible creature who knows no limits on attacking people verbally.  Thus, judges have found it necessary to place “gag orders” on his conversations regarding the multiple cases he faces.  He is dangerous and enjoys manipulating and controlling weak-minded people.  People like that should not be trusted to occupy the highest positions in the USA, not to mention a top world leader.  Everyone should be concerned with this.

On July 4th, 2015, I faced a law enforcement officer in Ft. Lauderdale Beach who wanted to arrest me but couldn’t find any probable cause.  I was given a ticket for “walking in the street when a sidewalk was available.”  Have you ever heard of such a thing?  If I hadn’t remained cool, calm, and collected, the officer would have done so.  Yet, like with Mr. Floyd, there were way too many celebratory onlookers for him to get away with such overtly racist behavior.  Even nowadays, I experience interactions with people who have no idea who they are dealing with.  I will safeguard my peace, sense of well-being, and mental balance.  I know what triggers me, and I must walk away to avoid a confrontation occasionally.  In looking back at the O.J. Simpson Trial, we can see how the country was divided by the concept of race, as well as the fact that a GROUP of law enforcement officers mercilessly beat Rodney King just weeks before Mr. Simpson’s trial.  The stuff that the “Goon Squad” was found guilty of took place behind closed doors as they held these two African Americans hostage in their own home and tortured them.  One officer, it was discovered, urinated in the closet so the occupants would smell urine when they got out of jail.  Isn’t that a bit mentally unstable behavior for anyone, not to mention law enforcement officials?

We live in a somewhat broken world where people are conditioned to take advantage of any opportunity they encounter. Some people get desperate to prove an ignominious point and do inhumane things to others. The States, as leaders of the “free world,” cannot make a mistake on this one!  Check your mental health issues before voting this time!  We must get this one right to preserve the remnants of democracy!

Thank you for reading!

Peace,

John I. Cook, Director

“Do The Right Thing!”

Oh my goodness!  It’s Friday again out here, and I’ve witnessed the “power!” Does anybody remember that song?  It was hip-hop-type, hard-core dance music that would have me jumping up and down in the club!  It was called “I’ve Got the Power!” I’ve discovered it, especially when humble and giving of myself.  And I don’t do that with everybody!  I’m grateful I’ve found it inside of me!

It’s hard to figure out things sometimes, like what to do with your life and how to do it!  I’ve found that things go a lot smoother when I let go of “people, places, and things” that don’t help me feel better about myself and my life.  One of filmmaker Spike Lee’s movies, “Do The Right Thing!” addresses the premise of this anecdote.  I have concluded that some folks don’t want to do the right things.  They become accustomed to failure and not moving ahead or progressing in their own lives, and they have become content with being a bully, a liar, and a thief!  When I see how much literally BULLSHIT comes out of ex-president #45’s mouth and his followers, it becomes apparent that is all that they can do!  They’re on a messed up, inconceivable frequency that they can’t even think properly.  Since living here, I can achieve that quantum field where viable options are available and often present themselves to me!

I traveled to the main Migracion office in San Jose two weeks ago to start my residency paperwork again.  I needed help accepting that I had to follow what the office administrator wanted strictly.  My comfort zone was interrupted, and I was out of whack, if you will.  Yet, I promised myself—yes, MYSELF—that I would get this done right this time.  Again, it’s not hard—you must do the right things!  Sometimes, we must embrace that others don’t want to and cannot do the right things because they don’t acknowledge the quantum field of options and would rather stay “stuck on stupid!”  Most authoritarian world leaders suffer from this myopia and can’t see things clearly.  Their hearts and minds are not in the right place, so those viable options never come to mind.  When I showed up at the main office, the administrator asked me why I returned to San Jose instead of going a shorter distance to the satellite office in Limon.  I gave her an honest, humble, and precise answer.  

“I wanted to thank you for your patience with me!” I replied.  She asked, “Did you return here to pay the necessary fees, too?”  I responded affirmatively and looked into her face.  She smiled briefly as she stamped the “Expediente” form, which gives the holder permission to travel outside of Costa Rica and more time to complete the application process.  Fortunately, I only have to get my background check authenticated by a company for a fee of $200.00 and then have it translated into Spanish.  It arrived last week from the FBI, and I sent it to get the apostille in PDF format.  I am waiting for my birth certificate to arrive at a dear friend’s home in Broward County, which must have a capture date within the past six months.  He will then forward it to an office in Georgia for me, which authenticates the document as required by the Immigration Office in San Jose.  So, I will have one more trip to deliver the documents to the office in San Jose and then wait patiently for their reply.  

In closing, it requires more effort and thought to “do the right thing.”  Yet, when a person’s vibrations and attitude reflect the kindness and goodness of the universe, things go a lot smoother.  I’m just opining here, not preaching!

Thanks for reading and pondering my observations!

Peace,

John I. Cook, Director

Keep Your Guard Rails Up!

Great Day wherever you are!  I wish the best for you ALL!  These days, we have to learn to pull together in positive ways!  TGIF, if you dare!

I’m sure by now that the readers of my work can see that I am motivated by positivity.  I’ve mentioned before that I am an anti-racist and a social scientist of sorts.  I have been equipped as a learning manager based on experience and need.  In some situations I’ve found myself in, I have had to come out swinging, not physically!  I can recognize a racist or sexist person immediately because I’ve been exposed to it over and over!  The thing about stuff that happens today, like school shootings, white collar crime (Sam Bankman-Fried), attacks by law enforcement on people of color, even climate change spoils and bridge collapses … our response is, “We have to make sure that this doesn’t happen again!”  Don’t vote for “scrump.” … talk about something that the world can’t let happen again!?

It’s great to see former Presidents Obama and Clinton teaming up with President Biden to spare the nation from anything related to #45.  I remember canvassing for Mr. Obama when I worked as a community organizer.  It requires a lot of work and dedication to support any candidate properly.  Most “intelligent” citizens understand that this is more than an election for president of the USA.  It is also an election to support the democratic system of government, perhaps an election for the next leader of the free world.  There are others like #45 worldwide, such as Putin and Netanyahu!  These creatures are pretty near crazy, not to mention their governing techniques.  I write my pieces on Educational Excellence and my blog to reach even more readers than those on my e-mail list.  Thanks for reading them!  It’s incredible to hear some young people say, “I’m for Trump because he is anti-establishment!”  I mean, damn, y’all!  Is that all it takes to get a person’s vote?  You’re kidding me.  Right?

Scrump has no “guard rails” and is an eternal con artist.  Most weak-minded or just ignorant, rebellious people gravitate towards people like him!  I am interested in keeping my retirement money flowing through Social Security.  When I hear that a person running for the presidency of the USA wants to “cut” those benefits, I get fidgety and nervous.  I am still pursuing my temporary residency here in Costa Rica so I don’t have to try to live in the States again!  Of course, “people” have so many suggestions on what I should do, but I like the road of my journey thus far.  

When I taught social studies at White Plains High School in New York, I used to assign what I called “current events” every Friday.  This was an assignment where each student in the classroom would select an article from a renowned newspaper.  They would prepare a paraphrased synopsis in their own words to be read to the entire class on a piece of notebook paper, which I would collect at the end of class.  Not only did we learn about international news from each other in a classroom usually with thirty students, but EACH student got a chance to stand up at their seats and act as a news announcer, providing our classroom members with information that we may not have been aware of unless we pay attention to each of the brief presentations.  Many students developed their style while working on their self-confidence and delivery.  Most students appreciated the activity, and the grades were “check plus, check, or check minus.”  It was not only a confidence-building activity, but if a student’s grade was on the borderline of a traditional “A,” “B,” “C,” or “D,” this assignment could move the student’s grade up or down!  We had fun, built self-confidence, and developed the discipline to prepare this assignment to be presented like a journalist every Friday.

Some folks, like the average politician, have veered off the humanity path to a path that embraces trickery, nonsense, and any amount of extra money they can acquire.  I have never witnessed a time in my short life where people use lies to manipulate people and their viewpoints.  Knowing the truth about any situation is crucial so one can make an “intelligent decision” about essential issues in their life – not just follow someone because they are anti-establishment.  This is the world we live in today!  Each of us has to keep our guard rails of reality in place so we can each make intelligent choices in our lives and our loved ones’ lives.  When you meet someone hell-bent on disrupting order, like Representative Green in Congress, you … I said you need to know the truth.  Even “truth” gets attacked and mangled by people like #45, who continue to push this dictatorship-style “presidential immunity” to have one of his over 90 cases dismissed!  How does one live like that?  Now, some of us will say, “That’s politics!”  Yet, be educated enough to realize that those are YOUR/MY taxpayer dollars being abused by purported representatives of ours in one of the world’s last democracies.  With the life I can live, I’d like to see it preserved during my lifetime and after!  What about you?

Thanks for reading, and do what you can to keep an obvious dictator out of the White House.

Peace,

John I. Cook, Director

The Dangers of Selfishness

Happy Friday, then, Y’all! Sometimes, events in my life humble me and ultimately teach me that I have no reason to be selfish outside of self-preservation! If it’s a “me or you” thing, you already know who I’m choosing! Grateful blessings through lessons learned!

Do you think these events unfolding in the US are affecting you? I remember getting caught up in “fast-paced” mode, which is required if you’re trying to get ahead and keep pace in a competitive, capitalistic society. Sometimes, I wasn’t sure how things would turn out, but I kept the faith! What else would I do?  I just got so, so tired and weary of living like that!  Even here in the slower-paced mode of the Caribbean, I find myself speeding up, occasionally allowing myself to be aggravated enough to go to “fast-paced” mode!  I’ve stumbled across some personality traits that, when combined, can be precarious for me.  So, once I got up and brushed myself off, I identified those “things” that ticked me off, like a taxi driver parked so close to the bus when I got off Monday night after one of the most uncomfortable long trips into and out of San Jose in 24 hours!  After getting up, he handed me my traveling cane. I thanked him, mounted my e-bike parked on the other side of the street, and carried on!

“Slow down!” I stated to myself as I cruised away. “The man has to make a living, too!” I uttered those words after realizing what had triggered my “high-speed” attitude. As people got off the bus, this guy parked near the rear door. There was little space for me to walk by with my cane and slender body! There wasn’t enough space, so I stumbled and fell lightly onto the street.  Did I realize that?  Well, after nearly breaking my neck, yes.  This is the main reason I work out … so I can get up on my own if I fall.

In this piece, I aim to show the dangers of a big ego full of selfishness! I was watching a news broadcast about “super yachts.” I lived and worked in Ft. Lauderdale for 22 years, where they have one of the most flamboyant superyacht sales in the country.  I never realized it until, during a private SAT preparation class at a client’s home in Ft. Lauderdale, the student mentioned that his father has a superyacht in the backyard!  I was like, “Day-umm!” as I realized the height of the vessel from where the private class was held inside the house, looking at the oceanside dock for the superyacht!  The program mentioned the Brooklyn-born man, John Staluppi, who owns the fastest superyachts in the world.  He and his wife both appear to be in their sixties with plenty of cash to go with his yachts and their lifestyle of the super-rich.  When asked by the interviewer what drives him to continue to invest in and live this lifestyle, they both replied, “It’s ego!  That’s what drives us, our egos!”  “Hmmm!” I thought!  “It sounds like they’re enjoying this almost addictive lifestyle … because they can!!”

I’m addicted to hard work and getting things done. I try to be careful (sometimes I’m too kind to others!) not to be or even appear selfish. Of course, I have to be ready to put those manipulators I let close to me in “check” so they can see that I am fully aware of their avarice or attempts to take some potshots at me for whatever reason!  But, after leaving the States and living a high-speeded lifestyle, I had to learn to slow down, calm down, and more!  I say this to my 10-month-old puppy sometimes when she is anxious.  “Calm down!  Relax!” as she tugs on the leash.

As I read an article on social media about meditation posted by a friend who used to live here with her family, I realized that I hadn’t done it in months!  I was always rushing around caring for Mila by myself!  It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it!  I decided to meditate around 3:30 am this morning, hoping that it would help me ease back into the routine I had established of meditating each night/morning when I first came here six years ago.  I could feel the difference as it also aids my digestion coupled with a tablespoon full of white apple cider vinegar with the “mother load” before going to sleep.

As I look at #45 and his frenzied state of resistance and his continued references to violence in America if he doesn’t get elected, I also realize how that nonsensical talking also stirs up others like him as well as his hopeless supporters.  He looks like a flailing pig thrown overboard a ship into the ocean of “debt, criminal cases, and stupidity!”  Bingo!  That’s why these arseholes rally around him!  They are complete human messes as well!  Losers like other losers!  As my parents used to tell me, “Misery loves company!”  You see, although “scrump” is a particular type of monster, he suffers from an overinflated ego based on the money he used to have and has squandered with his big mouth, greed, and ego … like Mr. and Mrs. Staluppi!  At least the Staluppis are honest and are not running for any office to save themselves from jail and exorbitant fines!  If I pay attention to the signs along the way and don’t let my ego lead me, I can find remedies for my ills and shortcomings.  Yet, I realize that honesty with myself coupled with confession or acknowledgment of my ills and personality defects can heal me.  That’s why I choose to live here with a better quality of life, which provides me with an increased sense of well-being!

In closing, check yourself before you wreck yourself!  I’m getting too old to go out like that!  Pay attention!

Thanks for reading!

Peace,

John I. Cook, Director

“And Away We Go!”

It’s Friday and all that jazz!  Yep!  I’m just taking it one day at a time, though I still plan well in advance out here in the Caribbean!  The culture here is unpredictable; things move somewhat at their own rhythm, and the mixture of people out here is diverse.  Therefore, almost anything goes … if you let it!  So, since I’m up early for this one, I’ve got a TGIF for the World!  I’m glad I am here, thanks to the “universe!”

As things change worldwide to facilitate “human inhumanity to humans,” I cringe a bit!  I could have been born anywhere on the Planet, if you catch my drift!  Yet, due to a hardworking and progressive “Pappy” with no formal education, I was fortunate enough to have been born in New York!  Now, he didn’t give birth to me alone; he chose a magnificent woman to be the mother of his children.  He scooped her up in the sticks of North-Central Florida, caught the next train smoking out of there, and landed in New York City’s Harlem!  How many of us could have done the same and survived it all until his youngest and last son graduated from a boarding school in New Hampshire and after the son had acquired a degree from an Ivy League university?  He and my Mom were both there!  I took it for granted … until I realized what incredible parents I had!  At this point, during my seventieth year around the Sun, I’m not about to give up … or lay down.  I’m grateful for them and all the circumstances that made it possible for them to do it!  It’s my turn to contribute to humanity; this is how I do it!

It is a jungle out there, and nobody seems to care much about the future anymore. We humans have turned to the task of creating and gathering up so many man-made (material) things that most people’s souls are empty! How many of us even believe that we have a soul? That’s a good question!  So, when each of us reaches the point when we realize that we “are on our own,” corrupt government officials on every level in every country, reality sets in!  Either we try to destroy each other and what peace and happiness we may have, even material possessions others may have, and live like “jungle creatures!”  Some of us have learned to do even that with class and style!  What else can I do except count my daily blessings and reflect on what I am inside?

Can you see it now?  Not yet, you may say, because “you don’t watch the news” and don’t care about what is happening worldwide.  Do you care about what is happening in Haiti?  How about in Ukraine? The events of the Gaza Strip may have caught your attention.  I agree that it is an information overload that should be handled carefully when plotting one’s course on the Planet today!  (Some of us aren’t capable of handling this!)  We all have developed a way of looking at things and each other that may serve our individual purposes.  Some seek to tear down fellow human beings and remnants of civilization rather than building each other up with positive, caring energy and actions.  I’m on a mystical journey today after waking up to an unusually soft rain out here!  Yet, I believe this is where I am supposed to be in my life at this time.  I’m okay with that, too!

Even out here in the Caribbean-style jungle, I am managing to hold on to my peace and positivity!  In fact, I have a business trip planned to go to Immigration in San Jose, CR, on Monday.  This is another opportunity to get my application for temporary residency started after acquiring some needed materials that must be authenticated for this process.  It is a challenge that excites me and allows me to meet new people and apply my business and social skills.  I’ve learned to handle the “little demons” out here, too, who are placed in human bodies like mine.  I must recognize that some don’t seek peace and could care less about how and why I got here.  I pay attention to stay clear of such demons and continue to plot my way to making my life meaningful and the spirits of my ancestors proud!  Methinks that those are noble goals for me!  What about you?

As soon as I get this paperwork for residency moving in the right direction again, I will continue with my fourth manuscript!  I thank the universe multiple times daily and repeat to myself, “Life is beautiful!”

Thanks for reading!

Peace,

John I. Cook, Director

Make That Line in the Sand! (Setting Boundaries!)

Yes, I’m at it again!  Sometimes, I enjoy not only how the topics of my pieces come about but also making some relevance to our world situation and how humans can apply the same lessons in our daily affairs. So, here’s to a traditional “TGIF!”  There are some things to say about some traditions!

Elections are taking place worldwide, and humans are running around like a “bunch of chickens with their heads cut off!” Depending on their relationship, there is so much depravity in how some humans interact with others!  And that’s why I state that I/We/EE am/are/is not for everybody.  Some folks are interested in such things, and some aren’t!  It’s each person’s choice.

So, last night, I watched President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. I am an American citizen, though sometimes it’s hard to watch “us.” Call “us” what you will! Imagine standing in front of a room full of so-called adults who are elected officials.  You are ready for the “obnoxious” little (usually younger) demons.  Can you imagine how much money was sitting and divided by political parties in that room?  I found it hard to watch until “Good ole Joe Biden” took up the microphone and began distinguishing himself from #45.  It’s not hard to do when #45 behaves each day like a “special” child who requires “special attention!”  One female wore a “MAGA” sports cap in protest of civility.  Do you know folks like that?  I mean, it’s all fun and games until reality sets in!

Then, the crap hits the fan!  Like many of those in the auditorium, some Americans have these “silver spoon” mentalities.  They are younger and have gone off course with their radical ideas and beliefs!  There was one clip when a reporter got close enough to Ms. Taylor Green to ask her about the spaceships with lasers that changed the votes of Americans from “Scrump” to Biden in the last election!  Her talented story-making face got rowdy like the little b-tch that she is and said, “Why don’t you f-ck off!”  Now, that’s the kind of woman no one wants! That’s why her divorce was recently finalized.  She chirped up her nonsense while the President spoke.  She was rude, arrogant, and looked ridiculous as she sported her MAGA baseball cap in an auditorium filled with representatives dressed in business attire!  That moment reminded me of my days in the classroom when a student wanted to make ME look ridiculous as they spouted forth their utter nonsense!  Like other youthful spoiled brats in the American Congress (i.e., Matt Goetz), she sought to disrupt President Biden, who won the previous election without a doubt.  In my opinion, President Biden did a great job of dealing with “the good, the bad, and the ugly!”  I remembered such days in a classroom when an unprepared student sought to disrupt my class.  Do you know scatter-brained folks who behave like that regularly?  It’s tough to have an intelligent conversation with such mini-monsters!

I hope (and pray) that Americans don’t do the dumbest possible crap in this next election and vote for an arrogant, classless, street-corner hustler whose brain and mouth couldn’t recognize the truth if it were written on both parts of the human body.  President Biden repeatedly reiterated, “The whole world is watching!” 

At some point, each of us, even in our personal lives, must draw a line in the sand to prevent utter nonsense from entering our minds, thoughts, and behavior!

Thanks for reading!

Peace,

John I. Cook, Director

It’s Your Journey! Be The Best That You Can Be!

It’s Friday again …  Sometimes, it’s challenging for me to “be the best that I can be!”  It’s each of our individual jobs to make the journey a good one. I also try to share MY strength, hope, and peace wherever I go! I read as much uplifting material as possible while observing the World humans have created here on Earth.  And you?

Some of us choose which side we want to support.  Now, that’s cute for a few generations until we have chosen war to decide how we handle our differences.  Death and destruction follow!  How many of us are really GRATEFUL for not being amid the throes of war?  Again, some of us do nothing to share and spread peace because we don’t see the blessings that surround us each day that are not due to our efforts.  Yesterday was the last day of “Black History Month,” although we all know that African Americans are just as American as any other Americans and the like.  Why, then, would we stand back and watch others suffer whose situation is less fortunate than our own?  Is it fear of some consequences?  Would we instead allow fear to shape our perspective and direction in life?

One of the reasons that I decided to try to live outside of the States came about after living through the many unfortunate murders of African American men.  When a police officer murdered George Floyd, some of us chose a “side” to support.  We all know that strangling a human while handcuffed and face down on the ground of a city street in “the land of the free and home of the brave” is inhumane.  Yet, some chose to accept that as “right” and began to look for reasons to support the officer who was later not only found guilty in a “court of law” but is currently serving time in jail.  Suddenly, the tables were turned, and the officer faced multiple attacks in jail!  When the most treacherous facsimile of a human manipulated the truth and became president, I had to get out!  You see, I had already been in situations like Mr. Floyd and refused to allow that crap to happen to me … again!  I knew that I could be next because I am one of those African American men who refuses to be judged by the color of my skin.  I was in my apartment and had officers rush in and try to take me to the ground, not only to disable me but to humiliate me!  You bet I didn’t make their job easy as I challenged their efforts to injure and subdue me without a warrant for my arrest to stay alive!  Mr. Floyd wasn’t as fortunate.  I refused to live in a country or State where such behavior had become a debate, and people just chose a side … because it wasn’t them who had just been murdered by a police officer.

While I have become aware that I am pretty much the happiest I have ever been in my life, I realize that that also bothers some people!  Why would my happiness bother some people?  Am I supposed to stay quiet and act like everything is okay when African-American men have become targets of racist behavior against them?  Not a chance!  Yet, I organized my meager resources and flew to Barcelona in search of a retirement home.  Several friends helped me with that choice, and I am forever indebted to them!  My eyes opened wider and I actually experienced living on my pension outside of the country where I was born.  I will forever be a New Yorker in my heart because that’s where I learned about my strengths and talents.  I don’t travel with that fear, though I know racism still exists worldwide!  I don’t accept it!  There are all kinds of shades of racism even here, where I have found peace and happiness, perhaps of the most humble style – which is fine with me!  I still stand up for myself when challenged with the facts.  I have some idea of what it must feel like to be constantly targeted due to “the color of my skin,” and I am still able to achieve a decent sense of well-being and a decent quality of life. Living outside of the States, I am still challenged by people’s ignorant attitudes and outright jealousy because I can stand firm!

I am trying to figure out how to take a stand on the plethora of problems from Ukraine to Gaza, from African countries to Asia. Many of us have chosen to be disconnected from reality because reality has become complicated.  While I somewhat understand their choices, I still try to be the best I can be!  And you?  Try to have those difficult conversations if possible.  That’s what I do here with Educational Excellence!  This is my contribution to salvage what was once a wonderful world.  I often still look at the world with my rose-colored lens and still have to defend my happiness!  I am grateful to be alive and relatively well for an older gentleman.  And you?

Thanks for reading!

Peace,

John I. Cook, Director

Can You Believe This Is Really Happening?

Great Day in the mornin’!  We’re still here, heh?  We may as well make the best of it while we can!  Crazy, right?  These are those times when I feel powerless yet focused on what I believe in and work to be!  Good gracious!

The most reliable source for the corruption case against President Biden just got arrested … TWICE!  And little Jerk Jimmy Jordan can’t admit that he made a humongous mistake!  Some ignorant, toxic people don’t even care that they don’t make any sense with the things they say!  It doesn’t matter to them whether it is a surgeon still trying to save people in the Gaza Strip while nearly in tears at the depravity of the so-called leaders.  Can you say, “The Last Days in Time!”?  That might be a good thing for Planet Earth!  As the astronauts say, it’s a big blue dot with everything needed to sustain human life!”  So what are people doing?  Even us “little people” with no positions of power to wield every Day!  You might think some folks would tire of lying daily and causing unnecessary problems for helpless human beings … like Navalny’s Mother!

We may try to contribute positively to humanity while others sit back or stand up to destroy everything they feel is meaningful for another human being.  Over the years, as I worked as an educator of sorts in my home country, I have found myself thrust into leadership roles.  These days, where leaders justify killing innocent humans based on some asinine concept that they don’t deserve to be alive, I begin to wonder what is really going on here on Planet Earth!  If there is a “God,” where on Earth is “it?”  What will it take to stop the killing unless it is part of the divine plan to eliminate humanity?  As an educator who has been “up and down” myself, I am curious each Day about what can turn the direction humanity is taking.  Am I wrong for suggesting what may keep humanity thriving on the Earth?  Now, we humans led by our leaders speculate flying to and living in other places … like the Moon!  “Oh my!  More of this crap on other planets?”  I think not!

In general, I want to thank the readers of this blog for staying with me.  Some of the readers are personal friends whom I studied with, lived around and with, and have shared some special human moments from births to marriages, even deaths.  I’ve noticed that some people I studied with and lived near are dropping off the Earth’s face!  Do we each have a purpose?  For me, this kind of stuff is my purpose!  What about you?  At the same time, I notice my fellow human beings also struggle to make sense of it ALL!  Wouldn’t it be nice to learn to treat each other well, acknowledging each other’s contributions while encouraging each other to “be the best we can be?”  Each Day, I remain optimistic that this madness has a reason.  It takes a lot to wrap one’s head around how frightening “life on Earth” has become.  Still, each Day I wake up, I try to improve MYSELF and assist any willing human in enhancing their lives to their liking!  That should keep me (us) busy until our lives have been all said and done!  “Can’t we all get along?”

Enjoy your weekends as we are given another opportunity to live on Earth!

Peace,

John I. Cook, Director

The Anatomy of a Liar

It’s that time again!  Yes, indeed … it’s Friday!  And I’m feeling fantastic.  How about you?  Many of us find excuses and reasons not to embrace “life” daily.  In case you haven’t noticed, life in this physical form we are experiencing has an ending.  Use your life wisely and enjoy it even!  And be grateful for it.  Please don’t waste it on lies!

Pathological lying for some folks is a symptom of a more significant disorder like low self-esteem.  Those liars have something to hide while having you deal with their dishonesty.  The worst part of being caught up in someone’s lies is that the victim will experience some discomfort.  The victim may even become the target of someone’s ire and may need protection from the effects of the liar’s lies.  When someone lies about or to me, I have learned to stay calm and not take it personally, although the discomfort is very personal.  An instance of dealing with a liar can be seen in the case of removing Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis from pursuing the actual election interference attempted by former president #45.  The other element in #45’s attorney’s attack on Ms. Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade is race.  Ms. Willis, if you happen to care (which you need to if you are a voting American citizen), has been accused of hiring Mr. Wade so that she can benefit from the money that he was being paid!  African Americans who attain a certain level of notoriety due to their hard work, excellence, and accomplishments often have to deal with such insinuated slander.  In other words, pathological lying becomes a weapon.

If you are interested in such things that will affect everyone on the Planet if the hideous #45 is somehow elected president of the USA again, follow the hearings.  Things like this interest me not only because I am a citizen of the USA, but I am, more importantly, a citizen of the universe.  Sometimes, I must peel off my humanity to see things more clearly!  From time to time, I have to fend off attacks on my way of thinking since some folks view humanity in a different light.  I appreciate this life and have been doing my best to excel at my lifestyle.  At many moments in the hearing that was presented on television, one could see the elements of racism being interjected by #45’s defense team.  Can you imagine having the kind of success that Ms. Willis has worked for being questioned by those morons?  Mr. Wade and Ms. Willis admitted that they had a relationship, probably not a wise act, but neither benefitted from the meager monies provided to her staff, of which Mr. Wade was a part.  I was impressed at how they both referred to their white counterparts as “sir” and “ma’am,” which was once a part of the expectations of African Americans when conversing with white people, especially in Georgia!

As they both maintained their decorum to a large degree, they each waited for their opportunities to defend themselves when ridiculous and invasive questions were asked about their sex lives and financial activities when they were dating.  While the fact that they were dating is not wise, it is also not illegal!  The ex-president’s legal staff continued to shift their accusations to the notion that Ms. Willis was so financially strapped that she hired Mr. Wade and paid him handsomely (another disproven FACT) so that SHE could benefit from trips, dinners, and gifts from Mr. Wade!  Not only did the woman on #45’s team who led this hearing for the defense accuse Ms. Willis of benefitting from Mr. Wade’s “less than normal salary” for his work, but she even tried to make it seem like these two African American professionals used their relationship and his salary for lavish trips and dinners, again … gifts even, as a sword to cut a very well-prepared DA who is ready to roast “scrump” in court.  She outwardly and vociferously called the woman a liar, holding up three legal briefs stating that she lied in each one!  Ms. Willis was relatively calm, although highly perturbed at the insinuations of “scrump’s” defense team.  She finally retorted to the white woman: “I am not on trial.  These people are on trial for trying to steal an election!  No matter how hard you try, I am not on trial!”  Imagine having your relationship scrutinized like that on international television, trying to make them BOTH appear decadent and desperate for the “pennies” they were paid to find #45 guilty of election interference!

Well-prepared African American professionals often work twice as hard as their white counterparts to rise to the level they both occupy in the American legal system.  Call it what you will!  We call it racism and a double standard.  Can you see it?  This is what people of color experience in a country in which they are treated like second-class citizens.  I don’t know about anyone else, but I will be watching the continuation of this drama to learn more and to witness Ms. Willis’s handling of a white woman who is less prepared than she is!

Peace,

John I. Cook, Director