The Professor, Lithium, and the Jade Stalk

(should sex NOT be this big ass mystery?)


It's always interesting when parents decide to tell their children about sex (if they do). I guess some children will learn from osmosis? When I got my first period, my Mother gave me a "care kit" which included one horrible strap-on Kotex and a booklet on human reproduction. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask me," was about all I got in terms of sex education, but at least it was something. I had early lessons in terms of learning how things really were beyond the safety of my parent's door. They were invaluable lessons for someone like me who developed at such a young age.

I do not think my Mother understood how really bad it was out there. For some reason, we Black girls stuck together. We knew to be the most cautious of those who others trusted: Our teachers. My first experience with inappropriate behavior was with one of my elementary school instructors. Though without any previous sexual experience, I knew his proximity and touches were unsuitable, that his requests for me to stay after school were not to be heeded. He had the nerve to have a sleep-over at his house. NONE of the Black girls went. We just knew this dude had some really bad intentions.

The predators which continually attempted to lure us into their cars on our way to school? Classic.

And then there were the high school instructors. The librarian who continually made sex jokes. I remember his eyes all goopy with some sort of discharge, and me begging my friend to sit with me during my T.A. period. He was one sick puppy!

I once had a chemistry teacher that was more hilarious than freakish. Nothing offensive with him. He'd teach the class from behind his lab table, blah-blah-blah. One day we were almost asphyxiated by him taking lithium from its oil suspension, putting it on a paper towel vowing it can be exposed to oxgyen for a few minutes without igniting, and then watching it ignite after 30 seconds. Worst still was him immersing the flaming mineral in water, and choking on the billowing smoke which resulted. Yes, he was fairly daffy. It was just funny in that I don't think he realized what he brought back from Japan. What I first thought were salt and pepper shakers were actually ceramic penises. They were removed the next day.

Let alone college professors trying to exchange grades for sex.

With all this said, you'd think in this day and age that children would be told about the birds and bees. It amazed me to learn how a 17 year old girl in this area was coaxed by a college music professor to take off her clothes and masterbate in front of him. He told her he was doing a study on sexual arousal and how it affected vocal performance. She said he told her that this would make her be able to reach lower octaves while singing. Was she naive? Or sheltered by her parents? If she knew this man was attempting to take advantage of her, it might have spared her the memory of acting so idiotically.

So what's the point to all this? Not discussing sex in at least it's basic form suits no purpose other than leaving your children open to any predator that may pop up. They won't have the knowledge in which to compare their information given to them from a trusted source against what some predator might be saying. Just tell them the basics, and sprinkle in a little worldly-type scenarios. It just may save you and them from a lifetime of regrets.

rainwriter jones

Who Will Be Invited To My Responsibility Party?

"back alley wisdom" by rainwriter jones

===========================================


By now many of you know the troubles I have with the bar and grill across the street. The tomfoolery which prevailed throughout the years seemed like a never-ending, butt-burning movie. Well, they gave us a Christmas present this year by closing for two entire days! Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were like living in the woods: Quiet, peaceful, and serene.

What I found interesting wasn't the fact that they were closed for business, but the activity in the parking lot. I watched as ride after ride drove up to the building, the occupant walking to the doors, and then trying the handles. Damn! It's Christmas Eve!! Ain't you got no family? And then I thought: Maybe they don't have family, and that's why they hang out at this God-foresaken hell pit in the first place.

How does one not have a family? I'm not speaking in terms of unmarried people. Just because you're single doesn't necessarily mean you haven't any family. I'm talking about those who have distanced themselves from their family for whatever reason. I had a tenant who had no real relations with his biological family members, but "created" grandchildren, daughters, sons, etc. He used to get on my nerves: Spilling cigarette ashes into my shopping bag, stinking of liquor, etc. His need to please me was pitiful! His inability to connect with his family manifested itself into being overly affectionate to anyone that would give him the time of day.

Why didn't he communicate with his family? Because there is an innate responsibility when you're in a relationship. You have to be emotionally and physically available. This is something that those who hang out in bars and create makeshift families may lack.

Responsibility. A real mouthful for those who don't want that encumbrance. Lets face it. It sometimes can be a terrible thing; being accountable for someone else's happiness. Those of us who choose to take on the challenge have the possibility of being fulfilled. Unfortunately, the ones who don't are watched by me as they desperately try to find a connection to other human beings at the bar and grill.

rainwriter jones

50 Years of Bare-Bottomed Rock Jumpin'!

"tiny rain bouquet" by rainwriter jones



Throwing caution to the wind.
Take a chance…no underpants.
Leap of faith from the rockery
so carefully placed by my Father.

The smell of mint is in the summer’s heat.
The boys wait with anticipation
as they swat bumble bees
that cling to the clover.
As I fall earthward,
my skirt flies skyward;
making no effort to hold it down.

The audience scrambles as the porch door opens.
A glance over my shoulder to view my daddy
with a new green switch
selected especially for me!


=====================================


Bare-bottomed rock jumping is a dangerous pursuit for a young girl. But even with that said, it set the tone by which I live my life today. Taking chances sometimes entails “baring it all,” but I wouldn’t have it any other way! Risk-taking is paramount to attaining growth. And though I caught a good switch from my Father for exposing myself to the neighbor boys, I learned that being bare-bottomed is extremely free-ing. (LMBAO)

Be "here," be active, be proactive, be spectacular! Enrich someone else's life as it will enrich yours. If you help just one person in need, you could start a chain reaction of kindness. It doesn't have to be monetary, either. Sometimes just a simple kind word to someone who needs it can make a world of difference. Be brave: Start the chain...

Be present in 2012: That would be the best gift I could ever receive.

With love,


rainwriter jones

When Rights Outweigh Responsibilties: My Point of View on Gun Control

I remember standing out in the woods with a friend on a summer's day. The air was still except for the rustling of ponderosa pines above our heads. And then, BANG! The sound of gunfire! We let the pistol cool before re-entering the car. We shot the gun just to hear what it sounded like, and what it felt like to shoot. For me, this was a startling revelation: I realized the deadly force of a firearm, and with possessing one, I had the power over life and death.

A few years passed, and I moved 30 miles south. Things were a little bit more rural, though I still lived in what was called a city (more like a big "small" town). As I drove to an appointment, I watched pedestrians cross the street from an adjacent stadium. In their arms bundled up like precious children? Guns. Lots of guns. It was revolting!

Americans have been given inalienable rights: One of which is to carry firearms. I'm sick to death of the escalating violence, and the de-sensitization of our citizens. Just this morning I awoke to the news wherein yet another person was shot after a heated dispute at a house party. Drive-bys, road rage, and now school shootings fill the headlines almost nightly. But then again, we have the right to carry weapons. Or do we?

As I see it, there is a gradual disintegration of society as a whole; an unraveling of a single thread which will ultimately destroy the garment. That thread is that of benevolence. One-half percent of the population is financially controlling the other 99.5%. We wait for crumbs to fall from their over-filled plates. These people have long since forgotten that there are others in need, and look for more ways to hide their wealth rather than share it.

Unemployment is a major factor which guides societal behavior. It's like a "shit rolls downhill" effect. The big companies tighten the reins on their finances, jobs are lost, and people are thrown into despair. There is a sense of hopelessness; a bleakness which blankets the community at large. This can translate into abhorrent behavior. A feeling of helplessness could drive someone who's psychologically unstable over the edge.

Guns are a ready source of satisfying the need for immediate gratification: A cessation of that which is bothersome. Pull out a gun, and end a fight. Pull out a gun, kill that cheating lover. With the click of a trigger, frustrations disappear. If guns weren't readily available, people who chose to use them as remedies may actually find positive alternatives to violence. But we may never know as buying a gun has become as common place as purchasing groceries. They are in the hands of criminals, and those law-abiding citizens who become criminals via crimes of passion.

Associating gun violence with unemployment is critical. They are closely related as the amount of shootings invariably increase with the lack of employment. Those who teeter on lawlessness can be found packing, and wait for an opportunity to act out on unsuspecting victims (like at house parties and bars where liquor flows like the Nile). And though gun supporters claim that we have the right to bear arms as our Second Amendment right, more often than not, guns are used not for self-defense, but in acts of flash aggression. I often make reference to the bar across the street from my building. About a year ago, there was one incident wherein a bar patron was executed two blocks from the bar over a dispute over a woman. If the shooter didn't have a weapon, the victim might be alive today.

I don't agree with the saying that guns don't kill people, but people kill people. If guns weren't dispensed like candy in a vending machine, we might be able to use the brains God gave us. Reason with each other without violence. Be...

HUMAN.

rainwriter jones

Everybody's Got a "Thang." What's Yours???

=========================================


A few years ago, I found a receipt in her grocery bag: Aspirin, shampoo, lotion, and SEVERAL bottles of wine. Was this receipt left in the bag by mistake, or purposely left there for me to find? We used to stand at my front door to talk, but there always seemed to be something behind her eyes: As if to say something to me. But then she'd leave me with a pregnant pause, and conjecture at my feet. I'm not surprised at all when I received a phone call from her on Saturday. With my suspicions confirmed, I (and she) can breathe a sigh of relief at her confession.

Holding onto secrets can be very intense. Friendships, marriages, and even political careers can be destroyed by them (Herman Cain?). Though all of them are not grievous, the ones that cause great distress can be the true life changers. And the thing about it is each and every one of us has had them in the past, is sheltering one now, or will have one (or more) in the future. I think this is why I was not judgmental when my friend admitted to being an alcoholic.

I guess it all comes down to trust, and finding someone who can lessen the burden of guilt. There's a reason why we hold onto secrets. Because of the fear of reprisal, we won't expose ourselves. The thought of losing someone close, social standing, and in some cases, freedom, can be unbearable. I had a life-changing secret in the past, and finding the right person to share it with was difficult. It took YEARS to finally confess, but it was the best thing I ever did!

For 2012 make a promise to yourself: If you have a secret which is burning you up inside, find someone you trust to share it with. At the very least, use this website to spit your rap: http://www.postsecret.com/. Confessing your "sin" annonymously may ease the pressure for a while, but always keep in mind that whatever you did that caused you to go undercover is still there. Deal with it, and for God's sake, don't do it again! It gets no better the second time around.

Let it go: And then move on.

rainwriter jones

A Promotion For a Grope ("Oral" Arrangements Over Dinner)

herman cain

===============================

By now I'm sure all of you have heard the sexual harassment claims by numerous women in regards to Herman Cain. Well, do you think he did it? I say, HELL YES!! I think he views all people as commodities to be traded for goods, favors, and in the case of women: services. You have sex with me (probably "hands and knees-type" acts), I'll give you that promotion.

In my humble opinion, I think people who hold seats of power have a tendency to use their power for their betterment (but not always to the benefit to those who are being used). He's not the only one to blame for the mess he's in. There were women who took him up on his offer to further their causes. Of course, they're not speaking as the revelation would surely destroy their careers. But we're not discussing willing participants in the Cain Circus, but those who wouldn't perform sex acts for personal gains, and possibly missed out on opportunities because of their refusal.

Throughout the centuries, men (and women) have used their bodies to further their position in the world. But the problem is this: Using your perversions to abuse men/women who are trying to improve their position in any given situation (i.e., school, housing, employment, etc.) is not only wrong, but illegal. Mr. Cain f*cked with the wrong women! Some of them took offense to his nasty thigh-touching ways, and blew the whistle on him. And now that he's "reconsidering his campaign," women all over the world can breath a sign of relief. Unfortunately for him, a big can of worms has been opened, and his troubles have just begun with litigating females.

Hell, he ain't even cute! (LMBAOOO)

rainwriter jones

If Children Were Pets, They Might Be Treated Better...

forgotten by rainwriter jones

==================================


I can't tell you how tired I am seeing big-eyed dogs and cats glossing my t.v. screen at 5 a.m. They peer at me from metal cages, or huddled in corners, with Sarah MacLaughlin singing sad animal songs in the background: All the while, pleading for money to aid these "helpless creatures." Don't get me wrong. I'm a full-fledged animal rights advocate. Well, who really can be an animal rights advocate if you eat animal protein (yes, hamburger meat came from one of those big-eyed animals).

What about children right here in the United States who suffer EVERY SINGLE DAY? We'll treat animals better than our own species! Special doggy beds, cat furniture, pet purses, etc. In grocery stores, there's even special pet food in the refrigerator section. Shit looks so good, you could make a meatloaf from it, and your guests would none the wiser.

I had these thoughts for a long while, but a few days ago I saw a disturbing news story which documented the lives of homeless children in Seattle's "Nickelsville." Nickelsvilles is a homeless encampment in Seattle named during ex-Mayor Greg Nickels governing of Seattle. After several years, it has been relocated to different locations, but has never removed. The kids in this community were noted to be "living under plastic" by a King 5 news reporter because of the tents they are forced to live in due to homelessness.

You can see the video here: http://tinyurl.com/87tqt3q

Don't you think this warrants a second look? So many humans are disconnected to the wants and needs of our own kind, bypassing a child who's living in a car or tent, and buying bullshit trinkets for their animals. They could at least provide warm coats, hot meals, medicine, to the neediest of citizens. And before you start to say I don't have a heart, I say this. Please do donate to animal shelters, charities, and anti-abuse programs, but don't forget the children who really need you. If I see one more dog wearing a coat a child should have, I'm gonna scream!

I believe in species-specific charity: Giving to our own kind BEFORE we lend a hand to an animal. I know humans can treat each other horribly, and I think that this is why certain individuals have chosen to do their good deeds for animals instead of human children. But look at it this way. If we don't take care of our children now, who the hell is gonna take care of us in the future?

rainwriter jones