50 Years of Peril: One Day of Illumination That Made the Difference

By Byron S. Brown

Byron Brown has written an excellent semi-autographical message that resonates with the reader. His excellent details in explaining his story, his journey, his troubles and his ultimately successful outcome all within the backdrop of a memoir of respect and admiration for his father is yet another
masterpiece accomplished by the author. Mr. Brown laments in the story the loss of his father in a tragic accident. Although no fault of the senior Mr. Brown, the tragic event led to many perils and what-ifs for the son. Yet, in Fifty Years of Peril: One Day of Illumination that Made the Difference, Byron Brown writes fearlessly in telling his story. This project was designed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the death of Mr. Samuel George Brown, Byrons father. It is indeed an honor and a tribute to the man that Byron missed while growing up. For the reader of this story, you are in for a treat. Stephen J. LaBrie, MBA, Howard University.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 7, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524699604

Byron S. Brown

In 2004, Brown received a South Carolina State Department of Education Fellowship to study at the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College, where Robert Frost’s poetry influences the campus in Vermont. In 2010, Brown received a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship to study at the University of Kansas in the Richard Wright Summer Institute—The Wright Connection, and in August 2010 Brown was elected to participate in “”We the People,” Project of the National Endowment for the Humanities in the “Picturing America’s Conference: Out of the South: The African American Migration, “at the Sumter County Performing Arts Center. In June 2011, Brown received a National Endowment for the Humanities Award to study Abolitionism and the Underground Railroad at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. In June 2013, Brown received his 3rd NEH Award studying Abolitionism from the American Revolution to the Civil War: Fighting Slavery and Racial Injustice at the Library Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Brown has served as a Cooperating English Teacher for students from Harvard University, Boston College and Boston University through the Boston Public Schools when he taught English at the Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester, Massachusetts from 1994 to 1996. On April 1, 2009, Brown was named a United States-Russia Language, Technology Math and Science Exchange Teacher by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Finalist and Exchange Mentor Teacher. For the next two years, Brown officially served as a mentor for two exchange teachers from Egypt at Scott’s Branch High School in Summerton, South Carolina through Clarendon School District One. This was all made possible through the American Councils for International Education in Washington, D.C. Brown’s poetry writing skills has received great recognition. Brown has won both a state-wide and national poetry contest. On April 25, 2009, Brown won 1st place in his Festival on the Avenue Poetry Contest through the Sumter County Cultural Arts Center, honoring Dr. Arthenia Jackson Bates Millican, a native South Carolina national poet, author and professor. In 2011, Brown received national recognition for his poem: “Dream Teacher,” through the National Career Development Association. Brown has recited his original poetry on stage with national poet Sonia Sanchez during a program honoring Mrs. Millican at Patriot Hall in Sumter. Brown teaches English for the Prince George’s County Public Schools in Bowie, Maryland. Prior to joining Prince George’s County Public Schools, he taught in the Alexandria City Public Schools and the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education. Brown has been named Clarendon School District One teacher of the Year both in 2004 and 2010. He also served as an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Morris College for seven years—2005 to 2012. Brown serve as an advisory member of the Arthenia Jackson Bates Millican Literacy Foundation. In 2009, Brown served as a volunteer English in Accra, Ghana and in the Volta Region in Agbozume, Ghana. Brown is the author of three books: Courage to Strive in the Midst of Adversities: A Journey from Hopelessness to Success, Realizing Dreams from A-Z: Principles for Excellence, and Fifty Years of Peril: One Day of Illumination. Brown is married to the former Joyce D. Ayanou and they have two children: Daniel Selase Brown and Hannah Esenam Victoria Brown, and they live in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area.

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© 2017 Byron S. Brown. All rights reserved.

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Published by AuthorHouse 08/07/2017

ISBN: 978-1-5246-9961-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-9960-4 (e)

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Dedication

I wish to dedicate this book in loving memories of my father, Samuel George Brown and my mother, Annie Lee Charlotte Jackson Brown, for their labor of love and determination in planting a fertile seed for me to succeed in a world of great opposition and challenges.

Contents

Chapter 1 The Night Dad Was Killed

Chapter 2 The Fire That Almost Took My Life

Chapter 3 Sweat From The Cotton Fields

Chapter 4 When The Children Laughed Without Regrets

Chapter 5 Mugged By A Thug

Chapter 6 The Old Lady’s Provocation

Chapter 7 College Poverty

Chapter 8 The Day Of Illumination

Chapter 9 The Horrific Day After The Wedding

Chapter 10 A Widow Of Faith Succumbs

Chapter 11 Grace In Times Of Spiritual Darkness

Chapter 12 The Heart And Dream Of A Father

Chapter 13 Advice For Fathers Now And Fathers To Be

Chapter 14 Fifty Years Of Sound Advice: 1967-2017

Chapter 15 A Plea To Avoid Drinking And Driving

Every man must bear his own burden. We are constantly being challenged in order to move to the next level in life. There is no such thing as a battle-free, life. We all grow from challenges. Through adversities, we get to know our own strengths and weaknesses. We have the power within to withstand.

Byron S. Brown

Foreword

I n this life, we are often faced with the myriad factors of the unknown and the unknowable. Byron Brown has written an excellent semi-autobiographical message that resonates with the reader. His excellent details in explaining his story, his journey, his troubles and his ultimately successful outcome all within the backdrop of a memoir of respect and admiration for his Father is yet another masterpiece accomplished by the author. Mr. Brown laments in the story the loss of his father in a tragic accident. Although no fault of the senior Mr. Brown, the tragic event led to many perils and what-ifs for the son. Yet still, in Fifty Years of Peril: One Day of Illumination that Made the Difference , Byron Brown writes fearlessly in telling his story. This project was designed to coincide with the 50 th anniversary of the death of Mr. Samuel George Brown, Byron’s Father. It is indeed an honor and a tribute to the man that Byron missed while growing up. The spirit of his father definitely remains present by virtue of the educational, professional and familial accomplishments of Byron Brown. Further, the foundation which was set from both of his parents led to his successful life in all of these areas. For the reader of this story, you are in for a treat. The journey of life is seldom a straight river. The ebbs and flows and tides of life can often bring one to doubt or to lose faith. Yet as you will see, Byron Brown was able to overcome many adversities and doubters and with an unshakable faith bravely continued onward and upward. The inspiration garnered from this story is many faceted. When we lose loved ones, the pain never really goes away. However, if we stay the course as Byron Brown has done, then certainly the rainbows are multiplied on the other side of the scenario. As the Bible says, His son is just like him, as this story says, although I have missed you and wondered what life would be like had you lived, perhaps you have been and are still with me on this journey after all. Finally, the continual ethos of life as a journey resonates throughout the book. With faith all things are possible; with love, remembrance and admiration of those whom we lost, the force from beyond will continue to push us through.

Stephen J. LaBrie, MBA

Introduction:

A half century has come and gone since my father was killed in an automobile accident due to a person driving under the influence of alcohol. Actually, my father was the victim not the driver. For 50 years, I had to wrestle and contend with the questions, What would life had been like for me, if my dad was not a victim in a DUI accident? With his presence in my life, would I have had to deal with all the peril that I had to face over the past five decades? To what extent would my life have been less cumbersome? To what extent would my life have been a more improved one? How has his death impacted me as a boy, a man, a husband, a father? These are some of the perplexing questions that will never be answered throughout eternity. This tremendous sense of loss is cremated with the fire and smoke of the unknown.

It is a painful reality to know that I never had the opportunity to build a relationship with my father because his life was taken away from me when I was only two years old. One of the many realities that does come from his death is that I do love my two children, Daniel and Hannah, and I have pledged to be the best father possible to them. I so greatly want to give them what my father was never able to give me beyond my second birthday: love, joy, peace, happiness, encouragement and sound advice. All these wonderful elements would have added much happier days in my life for the past half of a century had my father lived and led me down life’s highway. I certainly feel that the many bumps in the road would have been traveled much smoother had dad been present in my life. In fact, some of the thousands of bumps in the road over the past fifty years of my life never would have existed had my father lived a full life. I believe strongly that his guidance would have shed illuminating light that would have shone in paths that I would have clearly seen the dangers I had faced from 1967 to 2017. These fifty years without him and without his guidance and protection have caused me to struggle in many ways. By the grace of God, one day, I was enlightened. By being enlightened, I was afforded opportunities to forge ahead through many heavy and darks days, thus becoming a person of amazing strength, bold courage, and enduring optimism.

Fifty years of hell would not have been the appropriate title for this book because in those fifty years from September 23, 1967 to 2017, I have experienced some glorious moments. Rather, Fifty Years of Peril is more befitting because life was made a bit more complexed due to not having a father when I really needed him. The one day of illumination is exactly right. One smooth day in the course of my transforming life, I made a drastic decision to travel down a path that would head to many surprising and positive discoveries. As an aftermath, I became an enlightened man, thus, becoming a successful person after taking life’s lemons and making lemonade.

Fifty Years of Peril: One Day of Illumination That Made the Difference in a nutshell, is a collection of stories sharing episodes of my life being lived in the danger zone, the hopeless zone, the miraculous zone, and the zone of enlightenment. Living the past fifty years without my father has indeed had its set of challenges. Living since that one day of illumination has paid off well for me. The memories of September 23, 1967, when my father became a victim of someone driving under the influence of alcohol have driven me to the point to speak out ever so strongly against drinking and driving. If the alcohol by the driver had not been consumed, my father perhaps would have lived to see his son become a man, a father, a husband, and a son of valor, respect and integrity.

Chapter 1

The Night Dad was Killed

M y father stood tall, thin and dark-skinned. Many saw him as a handsome gentleman. Many remember him from loving to tell jokes. He did not let life get the best of him. Rather, he spoke with both arrogance and confidence. A few remember him using his favorite phrase to answer many questions concerning life. When he was asked how everything was, his often and immediate response, I am told, was always: Everything’s copacetic. He was a cheerful type of dude who enjoyed life. He squeezed enjoyment out of every second. He made people laughed whether they were sitting on the porch, walking down the dirt road, sitting under a tree or congregating at work. To be around him meant you wanted to have fun and be part of a circle of people who enjoyed the old oral tradition of telling and exchanging stories for laughter.

His name was Samuel George Brown and with a name as eloquent as that, he demanded respect. To those who were close to him, they could get away by calling him, Bubble. Dad loved the simple life. He loved the rural area of Eutawville, South Carolina. He had left the area with Mom to move to New York, where my oldest sister Theresa, my second oldest sister Georgetta and my oldest brother Samuel were born. Because of his great love for country living, they relocated back to South Carolina. A few years later, his boss was moving his business to California and he offered Dad the opportunity to move out to California to work with him. Dad declined the offer and remained in his hometown of Eutawville, keeping his home and family intact.

Dad loved my mother. Although Mom already had enough names, Dad had to give her a name he created. So in his eyes, she was no longer called Annie Lee, the birth name she was given. She was no longer called Charlotte, the nick name she was given after her grandmother because Mom was a split image of her. But Dad had to give her the name: Chabby. Chabby worked for him because he thought of it himself.

Dad was so proud of his parents. My grandparents were adorable and respectable people in the community. His mother was a Sunday School teacher and his father was a deacon at Springhill Missionary Baptist Church. Dad made it a habit to address his parents by their full name: I am Jannie Lee Brown’s son. For those who knew my grandmother, they would be so proud of Dad as he called her out by her full name. The same respect was given to my grandfather by Dad. I am Mr. George Brown’s son.

Dad was the proud brother to Mary Simmons—not just Mary. He was the proud brother to Lizzie Mae Smith—not just Lizzie Mae. The pattern continued. He was brother to Richard Brown—not just Richard. He was the brother to Nellie Barnett—not merely Nellie and finally he was the proud brother to Jannie Ruth Brown—not just Ruth. His spirit of pride for the family kept the family close together—even 50 years after his demise.

Born November 25, 1932, Dad had nothing but a bright future to look forward to each day. A promising life was instantly cut short on September 23, 1967. Dad’s life spans from November 25, 1932 to September 23, 1967—a life cut off extremely too short by an individual driving under the influence of alcohol. We ought to therefore commemorate his death and send out a strong message against drinking and driving.

Dear Dad:

The past fifty years without you have presented some challenges that led up to some perilous times for me. Through your death, I have been able to develop uncommon courage. I understand that your favorite statement was everything’s copasetic. That a positive attitude you had while you lived on the earth. That is one strength I received from you. I always strive to have an optimistic viewpoint on life. Over the years, I grew to appreciate challenges, knowing that they come as stepping stones to success. Thank you for loving Mom and marrying her. She was strong and raised all of us to work hard and to love one another. Mom stepped in the gap when you were called into eternal rest. She did her very best to raise all of your children.

Thank you Dad for passing on to me your sense of humor. Many people told me that you had a wonderful sense of humor. I try to emulate you in this sense because I believe laughter is a healing tool to all misery and pain. Many times in life, I had to laugh to stop from crying. Yet, through my tears from all the perils I experienced through the fifty years you departed this life, I must admit that a sense of humor has served as a positive strategy for me to cope with the pressure in society.

Thank you for the hard-working man, husband and father you were on Earth. These are all noble deeds. I always do my very best to follow in your footsteps. Fifty years from your departure, I stand ready to rise to the occasion that I will be able to walk in your shoes with the strength, determination and optimism you used to survive on Earth.

I am proud to be your son and I hope to pass on to my son Daniel and my daughter Hannah the gift you left me—the faith to believe.

Sincerely,

Byron Brown

Chapter 2

The Fire that Almost Took My Life

I believe I was spared on this Earth for a special purpose. Not exactly sure of all the plans the Master has in place for me, I am willing to commit to serving others. I could have easily perish in my mother’s house the day that the house caught on