Trash Into Treasure

The Grand Rapids Times

People do it everyday; they throw away old things for multiple reasons and then rush to purchase new items.

Some believe that new things will take all of their problems away.

I’m going to get a new car because my old car is beat up; it’s beginning to rust, and the paint is chipping on the side.

I need a new house because my friends aren’t as impressed as I want them to be when they visit my home.

I need a new wife because my current wife knows how to use the microwave, but she doesn’t know how to cook. I’m going to look for a new husband because my husband doesn’t know how to repair anything.

We all have the tendency to forget that with new belongings sometimes come negative outcomes.

We all want to throw our old possessions in the trash with no hesitation.

Some of us believe that something being new will handle our problem; unfortunately, sometimes that’s not the case.

We should work with the old, and turn trash into treasure.

Yes, I can buy a new car with a brand new paint job; but I have to realize that in a few years the paint on the new car will chip and it will become the old.

Yes, I can purchase a new house to impress my friends; but what happens when they build one right next to me that they are more impressed with? Yes, I can trade my old wife in for a new wife that can cook; but happens when I become obese and unhealthy from eating all of the time?

Of course, ladies, you can trade your husband in for a handyman; but what will happen when he tries to repair things that he knows nothing about?

Things that we all want to kick to the curb are things that we should sometimes hold on to.

Good doesn’t always come with upgrades.

We have to learn how to turn our trash into treasure.

I originally wrote this article because it seems that many people aren’t taking marriage seriously.

Marriage is a lifetime commitment; it’s not something a person just gives up on when they are tired.

Everyone has their downfalls; God made no one perfect.

Sometimes it can be nerve racking but it can be better to put up with the small things that you don’t like about your spouse rather than getting a new spouse that doesn’t respect you at all.

We all have to work on turning what we call trash into treasure.

One for the week: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24

Thin N Noun

Dear Readers,
How are you and I doing?

Hope all is well with you on this great day. Please know that flooded rivers soon return to their beds. I have been missing and I thank you Dear Readers for letting me know.

Thank you dear God for your eyes. My, you do see everything, no matter what. When I get the big mouth I notice how you will wake me up at night, just to remind me to beg someone’s pardon, or something I could have done better to help another person.

Then and Now Comparison I owe you Dear Readers, the comparison on Then and Now.

What was happening when I was a child and what the year 2010 have to do with it? Here is a small sample of my list.

THEN: The school bus was for those children who lived in the country. If you went to a Kent County school, no matter if it was rain, snow or hail, you just keep walking. Electrical storms you just keep walking and try to anticipate when the lightning will flash. Then duck under a tree. Looking at the bus stops it was amazing to watch as women’s umbrellas were torn by the wind. The pieces of paper that was used to protect hair-dos just fell apart and the printed word went down the drain. This left wet women waiting on the bus, trying to protect their hair-dos, and fighting to keep the wind from raising their dresses.

NOW: Students are blessed to get a ride to school on buses, cars, vans and trucks, that have heated seats, surrounded by music and On Star. If hungry stop at a local drive-in and get hot food. What would you like, Egg McMuffin or Pancakes?

THEN: Our old telephone on Franklin Street use to ring, ring, ring and nobody wanted to answer it. Mama would finally say, “kids somebody get the phone before it rings off the hook.” In order to make a long distant call you had to dial ‘O’ for the operator and she would dial it for you. She was a real live operator and she would say, “long distant operator, number please.” You could not talk until she said, “go ahead Grand Rapids.” Twix & Twitter I have not a clue, but just find a young person and in seconds they have sent a message. I think reading scores and comprehension should be based on the skills used and language to Twix and Twitter.

NOW: There are so many people on the phone and so many types of phones that I thought I saw an ant with an Ipod, or was it an apple? People depend on phones so much that even in the midst of budget cuts they will wait in line for hours to purchase a new phone. Who are we talking to? Does it really matter that you private phone gives you some prestige and information and a feeling of security on a dark lonely road.

I thought a well-known person here in our town was having some mental problems. I saw him out at the mall talking to himself. I am a nurse and I know when a person is hearing voices, because they talk to the voice they hear in their head.

I felt so sorry for him. When he passed our car I told my husband, “you never know who is having mental problems.” My kids laughed and said, “he has a blue tooth in his ear that is connected to his phone.” I bought a GPS and had no idea that this hunk of plastic and glass was smart enough to take me to my destination. One time I refused to make a turn and the GPS went on and on saying, “turn right.” When I did reach home it said, “you have arrived at your destination.” A friend was visiting me, I did not believe in ghost until I heard this voice. My friend remained calm and said, “ oh, my phone is programmed to call me when I have an appointment.” Sure enough her phone was blinking and calling her name. One night when I was half asleep, Ernie, the doll from Sesame Street, who used to belong to my grandsons, Leroy and Deon, yelled out one night in song.

The kids said the battery was dead, and that may have been true, but Ernie was not! (smile)

The Piggy Bank
My son Rufus Will and his wife Javonne Granderson, tried to explain to me why they got rid of the bank I bought Thaxton & Mathis. The bank was shaped like a robot with blue glass eyes.

Will, who is a great story teller said the bank was fine until one night when he went to touch the bank it gave the balance of the account and the eyes flashed. When he picked up the bank, it yelled, “I am being robbed.”

What has become of the old fashioned piggy bank that you just hit it in the head with a hammer and got the money you needed? Where is the bank now? Rufus and Javonne know.

Next week more of the same.

Keep Reading.

Please share your then and now observations on this blog!

Our Black Community In Grand Rapids, Weakened, But Not Dead – Yet

The Grand Rapids Times

Last week’s blowout of our elected officials may have sealed the doom of the black community in Grand Rapids. An already weakened community lost three elected officials who should have won their seats.

Their poor communication efforts failed to motivate people to come out in mid-term elections, and the voter turnout in their precincts were extremely low.

Each had major issues they failed to address and some bad publicity definitely hurt some of them.

They either took their constituents for granted, did not push the right issues, have poor communication skills, or lack the know-how to get the people to the polls.

The black community is in pathetic shape and getting worse. We are literally going backwards – economically, politically and in our education system.

There is little communication in the black community.

Elected officials don’t communicate with us. Our 72 pastors do not communicate with us, or other pastors. Our social organizations do not communicate.

As a result, we have a bunch of “do-good organizations” running around, getting nothing done and having no idea what the other one is doing.

The results are: we have no political clout, no collective voice to speak out about injustices, no economic development projects, no jobs creation and very little training for meaningful jobs. This is the reason the community is all but dead.

The White, Latin, Asian and Arab communities are all leaving us in the dust.

Our school system is in shambles with almost 50% dropout rate of our children.

The Kent County Jail has 78% Black incarceration rate. Unemployment for blacks is over 18%.

So, the question is, who do we turn to? Who are our spokespersons?

Who are the people we turn to, to lead the way in creating businesses and higher paying jobs?

Stand-up and be counted!

Our current leaders appear to think all they need to do is meet and discuss issues. There is seldom any follow-up or meaningful solution resulting from all of these meetings that impact a large part of our community.

There are some churches and social organizations that are working hard to bring about changes, but their programs seldom, if ever, reach the masses.

Our ministers are asleep at the wheel.

Our ministers have captive audiences, every week; yet, mostly, they teach only the gospel.

Teaching the gospel is fine; however, our people need more, much more. We are that “lost sheep”….. in a strange land, following strange ways.”

We need to learn other things to build a legacy and a future for our great-grandchildren’s grandchildren, such as: economic and community development, the importance of a good education, how to obtain and maintain good health.

We have three times more diseases than all other cultures and we are getting sicker all the time. Diabetes, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, AIDS, and arthritis are destroying our race.

We must also blame our once, very proud, but now very apathetic community.

Today, we are scattered all over the place, alienated from each other and very dysfunctional as a group.

Our neighborhood associations, who were designed to bring people together, are dysfunctional and constantly at each other’s throats. Instead of creating unity, they seem to bring more chaos.

We have to find a way to connect and work together for the good of us all. Unity is the key!

Most of our retired educators and businesspeople also turn their backs on the problems.

Instead of reaching out to pass on wisdom and life experiences to the young, many take the position that “I’ve done my part. Let somebody else deal with the problems.”

Well, folks, you are that somebody else!

You were blessed with the know-how. Now, it is incumbent on you to “give back”.

The only real answer is this: we must begin to seriously communicate with each other in every way possible.

If talented, experienced people just give four volunteer hours a month to unify and help our various organizations to start coalescing, it will make a tremendous difference.

Those with wisdom should not take it to the grave. Share it!

We must start now! Time is not on our side.

Where do we go from here?

Who will step-up and lead the way?

Robert Crawford is a retired businessman and executive director of the Over The Hill Gang, businesspeople and educators attempting to pass on life-experiences to young people to create a new, more productive community.

Editor's Note: The GR Times invites readers to visit www. grtimes.com to post your comments and views about this topic.