March 2021 – Walk Into the Future

Clearwater Beach…

“The beach…the only place where salt lowers your blood pressure”.

(Pinterest)

The new year has renewed my sense of adventure again. Nothing too wild but decided to make a trek west over to Clearwater Beach. I have friends who have been telling me how great Clearwater Beach is, but I never made the drive to see for myself.

That all changed this past weekend. Decided to take a weekend flyer and just book a hotel and then drive over. Seemed simple enough and it was! 😊

My day started with an impromptu 5k in Fort Pierce. A colleague from work casually mentioned he belongs to the local Kiwanis organization and they were hosting a 5k the next day (Saturday). I normally do my long runs on Saturdays but told him to send me the registration instructions so I can research the race. He sent me everything I needed to research and register for the race. Turns out the 5k course covers most of my normal Tuesday and Thursday training route so I was already familiar with the course. Decided to register Friday afternoon for the race on Saturday morning—did not figure I needed to do much mental or physical preparation since I was running the area anyway.

Happy to report I was able to run a respectable (for me) 28:04 official time for the 5k. I am especially happy with this time since we had to cross (over and back) the Seaway Drive bridge which has steep inclines. First mile was 8:38, second mile 9:18 and third mile 9:20. The second and third miles had bridge inclines so happy I was able to hold it together on both. NOTE: I felt good throughout and see faster times with a flatter course in my future.

I found out online I placed second in my age group. I did not stick around for the awards presentation since I had to get on the road to drive over to Clearwater beach.

Left Fort Pierce heading for my destination soon after I completed the 5k. Wanted to maximize much of the day to explore and walk on the famed beach. I had already booked my hotel and completed early check-in using the Marriott Bonvoy application.

The drive over to the west coast of Florida was simple. Just needed to follow directions provided by Google maps and I did not have issues with traffic. Made good time without having to speed—enjoyed the route and seeing new scenery on the trip.

Arrived in Clearwater Beach early afternoon and made my way to my hotel. Check-in was a breeze considering I did early check-in before arrival. Got myself settled in my room and added another layer of clothing on because it turns out I picked the coldest day of 2021 to go to the beach—oh well, it was still a great experience. 😊

My hotel was one block away from the beach so made the short walk over and made my way onto the famed Clearwater Beach. My plan was to walk the beach and take in the scenery while getting some pictures. Mission accomplished.

Explored a few shops on the main drag, Mandalay Avenue. Most of the shops catered to the tourists who pour onto Clearwater Beach daily. There are plenty of restaurants, hotels, bars, and shopping options within walking distance to the beach.

Made my way to the Salt Cracker Fish Camp for a late lunch. Nice little spot located in the marina district. I was able to eat and watch the charter boats come in and out of the harbor. The Salt Cracker Fish Camp has a great menu to select from, but I decided to go with the Jumbo Fried Shrimp dinner. Will try the Shrimp and Grits on my next visit. Recommend visiting this spot for the views and food.

The only Clearwater beach spot I found live music was the Salty Crab North Beach. Small little place the locals prefer but the food options are unlimited. There were only 10 people there when I visited so decided to grab a beer and check out the food menu. They have a huge selection, but I decided to build my own pizza. It was a great decision—the pizza was outstanding! Visited the Salty Crab the following morning for breakfast. Again, had a fantastic meal there and the coffee was amazing. Will try a crab dish on my next visit to the Salty Crab North Beach.

Did a little more beach walking after breakfast prior to driving back to Fort Pierce. This was a short weekend trip, but I was able to maximize my time on Clearwater beach. I will make a point to get back over there so I can get more time to explore—may even take a dolphin sightseeing tour for a new adventure.

Great weekend trip! 😊

Where have you wanted to visit? When will you make the trip? Thanks!

Irie!

“Bucket list: #1 beach, #2 more beach”.

(Pinterest.co.uk)

The Poetry of Life

Poetry of Life

(Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay)

The poetry of life moves me forward

Towards the things that bring

The happiness I need

To fulfill these huge dreams that I dream

Reaching out to help the next man

Create and work towards a plan

That makes the world a better place

And one that stands to improve your stake in the race

Let the poetry of life flow

And discover the glow

Of the poetic peace of living the life designed for you

Knowledge is power–Ms. Evers boys

blood-1813410_1920

(Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay)

“A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity”.

(Dalai Lama)

The Walk into the Future blog was able to expand to tackle racial injustice in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has adjusted how we interact with others but 2020 provided additional opportunities for the world to view social justice from a new lens.

The younger generation calls this new view as being WOKE. Merriam Webster.com identifies woke is increasingly used as a byword for social awareness.

The multiple instances of injustice we witnessed in 2020 AND past events provided the Walk into the Future blog with a new level of being woke—this platform has become a place for me to express frustrations, outrage, and fear. It has also allowed me to learn about past injustices and how they impacted the lives of others who had to live through the experiences.

2020 provided an awakening to the continued injustices for folks like George Floyd, Breana Taylor, Ahmaud Abery and Jacob Blake. Some if these injustices were recorded and we got a chance to see what really happened not what authorities wanted to hide from the public as they normally do.

2020 also provided me with a level of curiosity to research past injustices to educate myself and readers about things most Americans had never heard about: Black 14, Black Wall Street, Rosewood, Florida, and Why Black Lives Matter. I was able to learn about each of these topics and generate a blog article to share what I discovered. A lot of my blog followers had never heard of these and want to learn more—this allows me to keep looking for topics to help ensure these injustices are never forgotten and I am hopeful they will not be repeated.

Ms. Evers boys

Why are some minorities fearful of getting vaccines?

Seems like a simple question but the answer will surprise a lot of people who have never heard about the Tuskegee Study which ran from 1932 – 1972 before the unethical treatment of black men in Macon County, Alabama was ended. The study (lab experiment) was conducted on 600 black men in the rural county, and they were told they had bad blood which was used to trick them into participating in the study.

The study was designed to observe what happens with untreated syphilis in the body of black men. Let’s repeat that, the study was designed to see the impact of syphilis on black men who were never told what they had or if they were receiving an actual treatment to cure the disease (they were not). The government used these men as lab subjects to see how the disease would ravage the human body. No truth, no treatment, no compassion, and no concern for these men by the U.S. government. Sounds just like what we witnessed in 2020, huh?

My first knowledge of this American experiment on black men was when the 1997 movie, Ms. Evers Boys was released. This movie depicts the experiences of the black nurse who was brought in to help convince the men to continue to come in for treatment. The term bad blood was suggested by Eunice Evers and was used to highlight the need for the men to come in to be treated. The process continued even when it was discovered in 1947 that penicillin was an effective treatment for syphilis. The government officials running the Tuskegee Study were not interested in curing the men but watching how the disease impacted the body of black men.

The Tuskegee Study experiment on black men was ended in 1972 when news articles were published detailing what the government was doing down in Alabama.

A $10 million dollar settlement was reached in 1974 for the survivors and families of deceased study participants. Imagine the physical and mental damage done to these people by the governmental study?

This is one study we know about.

How many others has the American government conducted?

Do you understand why some people are afraid of the American government vaccine programs?

“Distrust and caution are the parents of security”.

(Benjamin Franklin)

Learn more here:

Post College Graduation Feels — Jayla’s Thoughts On

Hi guys! It’s been a while, I know. I’m going to try and be as transparent and vulnerable as possible through this post because lets face it we all know life is hard. This post specifically is directed toward life post-graduation. So lets get into the numbers (I majored in business)… An article by Elizabeth […]
Post College Graduation Feels — Jayla’s Thoughts On

Poetic Friday–The Joint

Poetry

(Image by Valerio Errani from Pixabay)

The poet knows

The time and place to let the words flow

To get the point across

To those who read the words composed

Waxing a poetic and majestic flow

Is the goal the wordsmith is looking for

How we get there is not the important point

Putting the words together

That makes you think, smile and act

Now, that’s the joint!

“Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history”.

(Plato)

Black History is 365!

(Image by Greg Montani from Pixabay)

“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life”.

(Muhammad Ali)

Another Black History month has come and gone.

What did you do to commemorate the great things you learned during past Black History months? How did your community or work organization celebrate the one month out of the year set aside to highlight Black History?

Yes, I am happy we get a month to showcase the great things black people have done and celebrate things we are currently doing. This year just seems a bit subdued—it could be because of COVID-19 but it seems the month flew by and not much was celebrated. I saw a few spots on TV discussing Black History month and the importance of remembering the past but nothing really jumped out at me as a highlight. I hope the country did not go into a shell because of the insurrection that occurred on January 6, 2021. Just a thought!

My Black History month moment came as a complete surprise to me. I saw an Instagram story from my niece Jayla that read: So sad, none of this is taught in school.

Look at the list below and tell me how many of these things you knew were invented by a black person:

Product	Inventor	Date
Air Conditioning Unit	Frederick M. Jones	1949
Almanac	Benjamin Banneker	1791
Auto Cut off switch	Granville T. Woods	1839
Auto Fishing Device	George Cook	1899
Baby Buggy	William H. Richardson	1889
Biscuit Cutter	Alexander P. Ashbourne	1875
Blood Plasma Bag	Charles Drew	1945
Clothes Dryer	George T. Sampson	1971
Curtain Rod Support	William S. Grant	1896
Door Knob	Osbourn Dorsey	1878
Door Stop	Osbourn Dorsey	1878
Elevator	Alexander Miles	1867
Fire Escape Ladder	Joseph W. Winters	1878
Fire Extinguisher	Thomas Marshall	1872
Folding Chair	Nathaniel Alexander	1911
Gas Mask	Garrett Morgan	1914
Golf Tee	George T. Grant	1899
Ice Cream Scoop	Alfred L. Cralle	1897
Ironing Board	Sarah Boone	1887
Lantern	Michael C. Harvey	1884
Mail Box	Paul L. Downing	1891
Peanut Butter	George W. Carver	1896
Pencil Sharpener	John L. Love	1897
Spark Plug	Edmond Berger	1839
Stethoscope	Thomas A. Carrington	1876
Straightening Comb	Madam C. J. Walker	1905
Street Sweeper	Charles B. Brooks	1890
Thermostat Control	Frederick M. Jones	1960
Traffic Light	Garrett Morgan	1923
Tricycle	Matthew A. Cherry	1886

I pride myself in knowing history but could only match three inventions to inventors:

Traffic light (Garret Morgan)
Straightening comb (Madame C. J. Walker)
Peanut butter (George Washington Carver)

Everything else on this list was brand new to me. How can this be? We are taught a modified version of history in school. It is completely one sided and it appears we are supposed to learn as much as possible in February so we can get back to the regularly scheduled history program. Imagine growing up in a country that shares tidbits of your history—how would you feel when you finally discover great things were being kept from you?

I waited for February to end before diving into Black History to extend the conversation. Yes, I am happy to have a month dedicated to my history but as you can see from the list above, we need more time. How can someone invent the elevator in 1867 and we have no knowledge of this fact? I apologize, maybe it is just me with no knowledge of this fact, but my point is this was a MAJOR invention, but we do not pay homage to Alexander Miles. Truth be told, I never heard his name before. How is that possible? Thanks to Sarah Boone I can iron my clothes daily, so I have a pressed look at work. Imagine how we would look if she did not invent the ironing board? How would the mailman deliver your mail without Paul L. Downing? I am sure most people in the world still use some version of the mailbox.

So, Black History Month is over, but your lessons do not have to stop. I encourage you to continue to seek out Black History and share with others. We all have a lot to learn—let’s get to it! 😊

What did you learn during Black History month? How do you plan to keep the conversation going? Thanks!

“If you know whence you came, there is really no limit to where you can go”.(James Baldwin)

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