A Hat like No Other...

Imagine waking up and the sun is shinnig so bright that you decide its just to hot to go outside, but then you suddenly change your mind and decide to take a stroll along the nearby country side. As the sun beams down streams of laser like heat upon your head, you start to feel as though you're on fire. You try to escape it by placing your hand on top of your head but its of no significant benefit. 

Aww.. over there, next to the mountain is a group of trees. Its now a foot race to find comfort from the scorch of the sun.  What were you thinking?  Obviously not much thinking went into this situation because, you fell asleep and was awaken by thunderstorms bearing overpowering human size droplets of liquid sunshine. Your poor head is soaking wet. HELP!!

I am sure this was a constant scenario that affected the lives of many prior to the invention of the first hat.

Hats by design are primarily a head covering. They come in many sizes, shapes and colors. Depending on the circumstance(s), some were worn for protection, some for religious purposes, while others were worn as a fashion accessory.

I'm not really sure who made the very first hat, but people like Locks of St. James Street; Sharp and Davis, then of course, John B. Stetson are the most noted of the famous hat-makers, that come to mind.

Here's a couple of familiar hat's among the thousands made and perhaps were wore by you, I and others.

The BEARSKIN - Tall, fur full dress uniform hat of the Brigade of Guards. Commonly seen at Buckingham Palace.

The BEANIE - A modified baseball cap with a... believe it or not propeller on the top.

Then there's the DERBY; BERET; DEERSTALKER; GATSBY; HUMBURG; KOLPIK; SOMBRERO; TOP HAT; TURBAN....

As I said before, the list and various types of hats are long and they each have an incredible history.

Amazingly though, I must tell you that there is one "hat" that I did not list above, nor is it found among the thousands of hats listed in our most current dictionaries etc. It was made by a person(s) unknown us, who by trade or profession was probably not even known as a "hat maker".  It was created from an available all natural source.  The shape and color of the hat was not made by any special order request by it's eventual owner.  Although, it was made over 2000 years ago, its current location to date, is still unknown. The actual cost and value of this hat is listed as...PRICELESS.

It is the hat of all hats.  Better known as... The Crown of Thorns.    

It had only one single owner, who wore it at, and for only one absolutely single incredible reason..... "YOU and  I ".

NOBODY KNOWS...

I believe that everyone would and should agree that 'Life is Good". Of course there are times when it seems as though, we are actually experiencing "Hell right here on earth" conditions.  As well as things could go for us from day to day, life really can throw an unexpected curveball.  Yes, life is good, but its also very short. Have you ever heard the expression,  "Here today and gone today". That's why its so imperitive that those among us who have difficulty sharing ourselves totally and honestly with our love ones on a daily basis, need to make a change.

How many times have you heard about people who've passed away and their family members never had any idea that thay were secretly suffering terminally.  The aftermath of this experience can be so devestating, especially in the case of a failed or missed opportunity to express love to each other.

Then there are those who love the people in there lives so hard, it borders on obsession, but sadly some of these may have partners who find it difficult to reciprocate.

Interestingly, I've heard it through the grapevine, that some individuals would give anything to have their special someone say that they loved them.  "Why couldn't they just tell me"?

Today, millions of people were blessed to see the morning's sunrise. They were blessed to have the shelter of comfort and security surround them; they were blessed to have food on the table and the means to provide for a better and brighter tomorrow.  Yet, for the millions I speak of, there were millions today who failed to tell those special someones within and outside of their households, the three most powerful words any tongue or mouth could utter...."I LOVE YOU".

Sadly, some or all of those millions will not return home this very day.

This is not a message of doom and gloom, nor should it be mistaken for one.  The message is simply a reminder...another opportunity, if we're lucky.

If we ignore the signs, the results could be a resounding chorus of, "I wish, I shoulda, coulda", but then again, "If you did love me...... NOBODY KNOWS"!

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Had a dream last night, in which I found myself wondering around aimlessly from place to place.  At some point I realized that even though the places I ventured to were grand and just visually magnificent, I still felt unsettled and could not understand why my heart ached and why the thoughts of familiar voices, smells and sights were literally eating away at my exisitence... my core...my soul.

In the mist of all this confusion, I thought that if I could do a little self taking, I could make it all go away. To my surprise, the harder I tried to displace, forget or abandon this raging rollercoaster in my head, the deeper and more penetrating the wounds became.

As my mind raced on, I searched to try and understand the anguish the people of Haiti and other countries who have experienced recent devastation, must feel being lost and displaced from their homes.

In my dream, I too was losing this war of life, to emptiness and longingness. 

Webster describes a home as a place in which ones domestic affections are centered; a dwelling or retreat; a place of refuge; the destination or goal.

The very moment I surrendered to the consciousness of my heart, and ceased  from carrying the sword of blame; of anger and the sword of hate, was when I clearly saw a path towards a place where there was no signs of crying, sickness, pain, or death.

It was a place filled with familiarity, peace, love and happiness..... a place to call my own.

The dream and the search ended.

HAPPY TRAILS!

LOVING MY PAST

I remember it well.. just as if it was happening all over again.  Its the middle of the week and I'm about 14 or 15 years old. I'm sitting right next to my father, while visiting him during my spring break from school.  As we sat and talked, we somehow managed to start up a conversation about his father, (my grandfather) whom I've never known or ever seen pictures of.  It was like talking about some unknown person who you would see in a dream or some unknown character in a story book.  I was beginning to think that any discussion raised about of my ancestors was taboo, or perhaps it was just that we had never taken advantage of the opportunity to discuss them.

As our talks on the subject became more detailed over those memorable five days, I knew then that they were the most incredible and enjoyable lessons of our personal history I had ever encountered.  In short, I was hooked.  At the end of my stay and before returning back to my home in Miami, we both decided that on my next summer visit with him, I would write down on paper all the events and stories he would share.

Prior to my return the following year......, my father died.

Today, I have a family of my own, consisting of adult children from my first marriage and one teenager from my second time around.  Additonally, I also have one amazing grandson.

Recently, while talking with my teen daughter, about some behavioral changes in her math class, she and I also had some discussion about being grateful for all the things we as a family were blessed to have. I then told her about some of the disadvantages that I grew up with in an effort to make a comparison.

As I began to tell her about growing up in the "ghetto" and such, I suddenly noticed her facial expression and the look of total confusion on her face, as if she was saying, "Dad, what in the hell are you talking about?"

After all, she was born in the suburbs and had only heard about the ghetto via movies, tv, and my abstract way of painting the picture for her.  She literally was encapable of connecting the dots.

Suddenly, like the sound of a rushing and mighty wind; the clanking of large cymbals crashing together, the answer to this issue became apparently clear..... FIELD TRIP!!

We jumped into the car, and I gave her a personal tour of what and where it all began as I remembered it.  We traveled to the hospital where I was born; the diferent areas and houses I grew up and lived in; the schools I attended; as well as the areas and houses her sibblings grew up and shared together. The tour ended back to where life as she was most familiar with began... in the suburbs.

I have since, taken all of my children on this historical tour of my small life. To further enhance their mini- travels back into our families ancestrial past, I also invested in a genealogical program that has helped to fill in all the gaps. The program introduces them to family members, places and events, that would otherwise be presented and recieved by them, much like an unsubstantiated old folks tale.  But, with the help of an online version, I'm able to invite and educate my family members irregardless of where they may reside in the world. 

As I reflect back on the gift my father attemped to shared with me before his death, I truly understand how important it is for families everywhere to build incredible and lasting relationships, even if through the most difficult of times.  Here's what I know...

Don't wait until its to late.. to make a love connection of your own.