Black & White in a Multi-Colored America: Volume 1

By Freeda J. Simmons-McMillan

The subject of race (particularly as relates to interracial dating and marriage) has long been considered strongly controversial. I maintain that any lack of acceptance on the part of the races (where it still exists) is largely the result of a lack of familiarityone to another. Knowledge, insight, and the dispelling of stereotypical rumor are each important elements necessary to bridge the racial gap that yet remains.

The purpose of this book is to provide the material necessary to gain a greater understanding of just how truly connected we are as a people.

While we will each possess our own individual dreams, hopes, fears, and insecurities, it is hopeful that (above all) we will recognize the presence and plan of God within each of our lives.

The following material has been written in such a format that one can simply begin by opening the book on any given page (even starting in the middle if so desired). In your reading, it is my hope that you will glean valuable information along the way. The composition of material is likened to that of a family scrapbook or album; whose contents are assorted snippets, sentimental tokens, and snapshots of life. You might also compare it to a recipe; where a dash of this, and a sprig of that enter into the mix. Subjects range from healthcare to cuisine and even manage to include encapsulated, brief short story. The material is intended to educate, inform, and enlighten. Moreover, may it serve as a reminder of the obligation we all bear to show respect for all races and nationalitieslooking beyond title, race, or ethnicity. In essence, seeking to know the true person, the heart, the genuine soulthe individual.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 30, 2012
• ISBN: 9781449769741

Freeda J. Simmons-McMillan

A nurse for twenty years, Freeda worked in various areas ranging from corrections to med/surg, ICU, ER to crisis management.  Employed last as an RN in the Adult Emergency Department at Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.  She used her experience and graphic talents to create a work illustrating our connection as humans.

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Copyright © 2012 Freeda J. Simmons-McMillan

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-2487-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-6974-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012916729

WestBow Press rev. date: 9/26/2012

The Primary Colors of Black and White in a Multi-Colored America

Today we find ourselves a part of a rapidly changing world. It appears the only constant we can truly rely on is the knowledge and comfort provided by the ever-present existence of God. Technology and its advances have clearly placed us in a society whose pace often exceeds our attempts to effectively stride. It is therefore, all the more evident that we need to maintain our feet firmly planted upon solid ground. Our foundation must be one that is continually able to withstand the storms of life. In the course of our trials, we would do well to lend time to introspection; it is through the looking within that we may best understand that which surrounds us.

One fact remains certain, people are people-irrespective of what color their skin may happen to be. We must acknowledge that the good Lord knew what he was doing when he mixed his own unique pallet of color choices. He alone created the great human rainbow. The rainbow has long signified promise; the promise of human survival and the recognition of its frailties, limitations, and shortcomings.

On the cover you will notice the presence of 2 individual (yet distinct) hands. The hands are at opposing ends, as they rest over the backdrop of the American flag. The presence of the flag bears no explanation here. It simply serves to represent the U.S. as a whole. The hands however, (in striking contrast) symbolize the complex issue of race in America. As American’s, we recognize that race is not limited to Black and White. However, conflict has characteristically surrounded these 2 particular ends of the color spectrum. Therefore, in a sense, both Black and White may then be viewed as our most basic and primary of colors. The box of crayons symbolizes the expanse of races; as the rainbow of colors represents promise. It also represents possibility born of creation in the use of crayon as a tool; a tool to express nearly limitless thoughts, ideas, and creative endeavors. In the most primitive sense, crayons represent newness and simplicity-in essence the innocent nature of a child. They promise expectation, wonder, and possibility. A crayon can blend, brighten, and transport us back to a simpler time; a time where the clean paper before us, taught that anything is possible (and the chance of a new start is ever-present). As kids we learned to share our crayons. Perhaps as adults we can learn to expand on this child-like gesture; by sharing our thoughts, ideas, and more importantly- our hearts.

Prayerfully,

Freeda

Dedication

To my children: Luciano, Picasso, Galileo, Gauguin, and Michelangelo Miguel. Without your help and understanding-this book would have not been possible. Thank you also to the many who may have (knowingly and/or unknowingly) contributed to the completion of this book. Please know I remain sincerely grateful for the colorful contributions of each and everyone of you. It is my desired wish that this work would enable many to better understand and appreciate those who constitute the Primary Colors of Black & White in a Multi-Colored America. May God walk with each of you, throughout your individual journey in life."

                                                                                Prayerfully,

                                                                                     Freeda

                                                                                          Seal

Libri fatur pro ipsum.

Special Acknowledgements

A very special thank-you goes out to Stella, Ross, Jamie, and Renee (Byrd) Mullins. To the entire James Byrd Jr. Family-peace and God’s love.

Art photography-courtesy of Photographic Creations & Illustrations (Clif Hall) Shawnee, KS

Note to readers: This book was initially written as one, but as the years passed the content seemed to multiply. This one book has been separated into a three volume series, and what you hold in your hands is the very first. Before one starts reading, it is important to note that the author is no longer living on this earth, but reunited with her maker in Heaven. Everything you will read is written as she had left it before leaving this Earth. It is published as is, which is why you may find the author speaking in the present at times, and maybe some minute grammatical errors. –Galileo A. Simmons

Disclaimer: The information provided within this book is given to bring awareness, provide hope and an alternative view to different aspects of life. Names of patients, persons, rooms, dates and co-workers have been either changed or completely concealed to ensure privacy and respect of the individuals who may lie within the contents of this book.

Biography

At present, I am employed as a critical care RN in the Adult Emergency Department of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN. Having been a nurse for 20 years, I have worked in various areas from that of med/surg, ICU, ER, corrections, long term care, administration, as well as crisis management, and legal nurse consulting. I have also spent a great deal of time in graphic and fine arts and consider myself blessed to have used this gift in the illustration of this work. When I stop to think about it, it’s hard to believe that I have spent nearly ½ my life writing this particular book (having lived its contents for a lifetime). I believe that my personal experience has equipped me with the ability to provide solid insight into the Primary Colors of Black and White in a Multi-colored America. For me, the most difficult part of this book was not writing it; rather it was coming face to face with the reality of its contents. While you can believe something when you write it; you have written something when faced with the challenge of confronting your belief (emerging with a renewed sense of that belief in the process). Such often requires trial by fire. This is by no means an easy task. Only through testing does the heart become purified, and the presentation of that which we have conceptualized become validated. If simply one person finds their faith strengthened by the content of this book, it will have all been worth it (in this, I will consider myself greatly blessed and honored). I truly believe that God never gives you more than HE himself can handle. That means that anything is possible; be it trial, tribulation, defeat-or even success for that matter. In your reading of this book, I remain prayerful that you will benefit from your journey through its contents. Thank-you for allowing me to share my words with you.

May God bless you always,

                                                                                Freeda : )

                                                                                     Seal

Table of Contents

Anatomy of a Color

So, What’s the Difference?

Health Care vs. Health despair

Is True Mercy ever really in Vain?

No Holes in These Genes!

Beauty is as Beauty Does!

To Raise a Child

The Adoption

The Invisible Mom

One’s Given Birthright

The Girl Next Door

Still Life

The Dying Wish

A Rose by any other Name

Ring Around the Rosie

Intestinal Fortitude

Pica-(The Real Dirt on this Topic)

Advertisings Waffling Icons

Soul Foods-Food for Thought!

Cooking and Culture-Pass the Salt and Pepper Please!

The Token Prize

Preface

The subject of race (particularly as relates to interracial dating and marriage) has long been considered a strongly controversial one. I maintain that any lack of acceptance on the part of the races (where it still exists) is largely the result of a lack of familiarity-one to another. Knowledge, insight, and the dispelling of stereotypical rumor are each important elements necessary to bridge the racial gap that yet remains.

The purpose of this book is to provide the material necessary to gain a greater understanding of just how truly connected we are as a people. While we will each possess our own individual dreams, hopes, fears, and insecurities-it is hopeful that (above all) we will recognize the presence and plan of God within each of our lives.

The following material has been written in such a format that one can simply begin by opening the book on any given page (even starting in the middle if so desired). In your reading, it is my hope that you will glean valuable information along the way. The composition of material is likened to that of a family scrapbook or album; whose contents are assorted snippets, sentimental tokens, and snapshots of life. You might also compare it to a recipe; where a dash of this, and a sprig of that enter into the mix. Subjects range from healthcare to cuisine, and even manage to include encapsulated, brief short story. The material is intended to educate, inform, and enlighten. Moreover, may it serve as a reminder of the obligation we all bear to show respect for all races and nationalities- looking beyond title, race, or ethnicity. In essence, seeking to know the true person, the heart, the genuine soul-the individual.

                                                                                Prayerfully,

                                         Freeda

                                                                                               Seal: )

AnatomyofaColor.jpg

Anatomy of a Color

It’s amazing when one stops to consider the magnitude to which vision influences our everyday lives. As humans we continually call on this sense to decipher, analyze, and discern. Whether or not we choose to acknowledge it; vision plays an important role in the ability to reason and establish judgment. However, things are not always as they seem; and there are times in which we place far too much emphasis on our visual perceptions alone. Sadly, snap decisions may lead us towards a misdiagnosis of the actual events surrounding us. Too often, we reach a hasty and inaccurate conclusion, simply based on what something appeared to look like. Therefore, assumption may occur without the collective utilization of the other senses to appropriately navigate us. I believe that total reliance on sight alone, increases the likelihood of misinterpretation. In the final analysis, it may rob us of the ability to see things in the proper perspective. Thus, we may judge a book by its cover; without ever embarking on the journey contained within its pages! I recall years past, and my own personal experience. It was a time when I was to observe a poignant demonstration of this very fact (an occasion I have since come to refer to as an awakening of the plain and naked truth).

It was the late 1980’s and I was a young and impressionable nursing student (as were the majority of the class). At the time, we were all considered novice in regard to the vast expanse of the medical field. Nevertheless, a specific slot had been penciled in for this calendar date and I planned to arrive early. It was an exceptionally chilly morning. However, that didn’t seem to matter; as those present had survived the rigors of having been first year students. Therefore, we were christened with the honor of advancing to second year status-round two. As a reward of sorts, we were entitled to be at hand for this privileged session. The specific focus of the presentation was an anatomy and physiology overview-a human dissection to be exact! A physician specializing in post mortem medical research would conduct an autopsy. He was also a collegiate professor, and I am certain had devoted more than a number of years to this specialized field. From his matter of fact presentation-he had indeed managed to make routine, this (less than mundane) source of employment.

Now, I’d have to say that this was quite an experience and not one I was entirely prepared for. In all honesty, I guess I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect: a lecture room full of medical and nursing students stood poised in silence as our attentions were emergently gripped by the bare facts set before us. Boldly laid out on a stainless table (in plain view) was a deceased, very naked gentleman. From a chronological standpoint, I assumed he must have been somewhere in his mid 40’s to 50’s. There he lay, naked as the day he first took a breath on this Earth. Now again he was as such-without a breath of life to him. Thoughts flowed through my mind; thoughts of pity-wondering just what kind of life he led prior to his retirement from this Earth? Although there were many questions, I was keenly aware there was only one certainty. At one point in time, someone (somewhere) had given birth to him and that he was her son. I thought about this too, about his mother, where was she now? Who was there when he took his first step? Lost his first tooth? What kind of a person was he? Was he a good man, with a good heart? Did he at one time take a wife? Father a child? More importantly-did he know God? My thoughts quickly shifted to the events presenting before me. The man appeared haphazardly road mapped; as an assortment of stitches ran full length (from his toes-to his thighs). Multiple areas located on the torso, buttocks, and upper and lower extremities of his body were also curiously covered with various length of running suture. The stitching encompassed each and every direction-from vertical to horizontal-medial to lateral. The appearance very likened to a remnant piece of fabric a novice seamstress might have chosen to practice on. In a sense, I suppose this comparison was not far off. Now the students would utilize their chance to practice the art of perfected suture technique. Perhaps, so that they too might one day effectively transfer their efforts to a living, breathing human-versus that of a lifeless cadaver.

My mind returned to the present and the session underway. It was then, that this professor-physician chose to effectively render explanation, as he methodically worked over the corpse. With explicit detail, he successfully managed to bring Anatomy & Physiology from the pages of a book-to the stark reality of a real-life situation. He sporadically interjected medical jargon, and with seemingly effortless technique; quickly covered a head-to-toe presentation of the deceased. There before us lay an individual-totally incapable of responding. One could only speculate as to what he might think of the whole ordeal-if he only knew?" I thought about this, about the road he had traveled in his lifetime. Was it one he would travel again if given the same opportunity? If he had clearly understood the reality of life, its frailties, and the uncertainty of when it all would end-would his life have (in someway) been different? Then suddenly, the professor-physician began to speak in a vein quite different from the one he had previously spoken in. It was as if he were presenting an issue that remained unresolved. Perhaps he was searching for a sense of closure; by standing in the gap for the dearly departed object of our instruction. Could it be that he was acting in proxy for this cadaver? He took a brief pause (arching his back slightly) as he began to carefully peer down into the dead man’s face. It was in that moment of time, that it appeared as though he were looking through him, and not at him. In an unusual sort of way, it was as if he were attempting to present another aspect of the deceased; one superseding that of mere anatomical structure and form. Might it have been that he was (in his own way), making an intercessory plea on this gentleman’s behalf? In his silent movement, was he perhaps-defending the defenseless? I realize the futility of just such a gesture. However, (in that exact moment) that thought clearly seemed to fit. Glancing downward, he once again began to discernibly study the lifeless form. Slowly he turned his head from side-to-side in careful contemplation. Looking at the students, he had to notice that some appeared pale and tense (while others were seemingly lost in the moment). There were those who yet portrayed a fearful uncertainty-unsure of exactly what was unfolding before them.

The physician then broke the silence, as he spoke in an intense and rather echoing tone. He elected to forgo the previous use of medical terminology and its application. Bluntly he posed a question in what appeared to be the very simplest of terms. Can anyone tell what sex this individual is? His voice projected among the group with a resounding (almost elementary) quality. I must say however, I didn’t initially understand the need for a question whose answer was so blatantly apparent. Surely there wasn’t any doubt that the general consensus (concerning this man’s gender) was an undivided one. Although the question had a hidden quality about it-the answer was clearly laid before us in open view (this fact most evident in the display