Modifying Existing Text

By Charles P. Ramirez

Modify this! A collection of paragraphs, essays and creative writings from the mind of Charles P. Ramirez. From making big entrances to forgiving and not forgetting to assimilation, Charles shares his thoughts and bares his soul on a variety of topics in the most creative way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 1, 2003
• ISBN: 9781465316127

Charles P. Ramirez

Charles P. Ramirez is a graduate of the Writier's Digest School for Non-Fiction Writing. One of his works, Thank You Miss Akemi, appeared in InterRace Magazine. He resides in Willingboro, New Jersey.

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Copyright © 2003 by Charles P. Ramirez.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

The Big Penetration

Characters

TV Junkie

Assimilate?!

Validate

Sequences

Why The Mad Face, Brah?

Love Questions

A. Latino

Thank You, Miss Akemi

What’s Your Game?

Treat ‘Em Right

Dating

Watch Me!

I Never Said…

This, This, This and This

She’s Out Of My Life

Spoken Word

She Hate Me

The Cover Story

Chemical Imbalance

Work With Me!

Comic Book Stories

The Exclusive

A Note To PCH

Discourage & Motivate

At Your Best, You Are Love, Aaliyah

Criminal Indifference

A Moment Of Free-writing

Acknowledgments

The Big Penetration

Everybody wants to make a big penetration. Some ease on into it. Others use force. In and out. In and out. Is that what you’re thinking? Is it what you think I’m thinking? NO! That’s not what I’m talking about. It’s about making your entrance; letting everyone know you’re here.

Tell me there wasn’t one or two moments in your life when you entered a roomful of people and made yourself known. The reaction wasn’t what you wanted, was it? Maybe it was! Bottom line is you’ve expressed yourself. You made your big entrance. And I’m proud of you.

They say first impressions count. That couldn’t be any more true for gracing everyone with your presence. So make it count! What was it that Biggie Smalls said? … they don’t get nothin’ but penetration unless they smell like sanitation, garbage, I turn like doorknob …? Yeah, people won’t like it, but they’ll remember it. Before long, they’ll learn to love it … and love you.

Words can help make a good introduction. You don’t have to possess a big vocabulary. What I mean is don’t use too many multi-syllables. Just have a play on words. Go home and work it out. Talk to yourself in the mirror. Keep a journal.

Go on-line. Write lyrics. Before you know it, your words will make you what you are. Granted, you may not be the smartest person, but it’s no harm to sounding like one. You make yourself proud. Remember, you’re stepping out. If some smart-ass wants to show you up, you don’t have to be.

Do you have a particular song that you find yourself singing to? Not just favorite song, because you can have a lot of favorite songs. It’s just that one song, whether it be a new release or an old classic, it plays in your head over again … a theme song!

It’s not for me to say what song best suits you and your character. I’m not the one to say that this is your song, just as you can’t say Real Love and The Wind are MY songs! You don’t have to sing it. You don’t have to hum it.

If the song means that much to you, you’d feel it in your heart. You’d never get tired of it. It’s your entrance theme song. I mean, it’s in your head when you’re walking down the street. And you find yourself singing it when things are tedious. It’s your thing!

What’s to gain in making a big entrance? To get into the spotlight! Now, this is where it gets a little tricky. Once you’re in the spotlight, you attract people. They want to know who you are and where you come from. Represent! REPRESENT! Have a plan, stick to it.

Why? Because there are other people who want you out of the spotlight for themselves. Their big penetration is to make it at your expense. Face it, you’re not Puff Daddy, so they don’t want you to listen to their tape. They want you out of the way! Check yourself!

Remember this: Those who want to bump you out of the spotlight do so only to bump you out. Embarrass and humiliate you. That’s how they want to be remembered. They think you’re nothing special. They think they’re nothing special. So they want you becoming like one of them.

I know people will grow up out of always making an entrance. I bet some would eventually be real bored penetrating. So why not make a change? You don’t want to be accused of being stuck in time. You want to be a classic! So change with the times … but don’t change.

Have you ever noticed some people with a current but nostalgic style? The hairstyles, the jeans, the leather jackets. It just goes around and around. It’s the idea. Then you see people who make a different look for every 365 days of the year. They are the fashion plates.

You know what? Fashion style comes and goes. The people are still here. There will be the trendsetters. We won’t be their slaves but they’ll help give us ideas. Ideas that can help our individual character. Our own entrance. That’s all they’ll do. Help. Not dictate. They’d expect more pay.

Alas, when your penetration begins to fade, the state of withdrawal sets in. Nobody likes to say good-bye. In fact, they just bow out of the picture. But there are some who make the final farewell … very few. Why? Because somewhere down the line they’ll make an even BIGGER penetration!

People want to withdraw to let the new blood make their entrance. However, it’s not easy to keep a person down. Some will enjoy the new talent, others wish the new talent learned from the predecessors. That motivates better entrances from the new blood. Do you think you’re better?

What happens when you have to withdraw? It’s done. That’s it. It’s OVER! No more cash in the account. You’re not dead yet. So how can you think once you’re gone, you won’t be forgotten? There’s a big chance you will be forgotten. So when you make your entrance, make it original.

You’re wondering to yourselves why I’m telling you all of this. Well, it’s to entertain you and make you think … and it’s to let you know I’m not going anywhere! I’m making my penetration without injuring myself doing martial arts moves … without stepping off the plane stuttering English. NO! NO!

It’s my right not to express myself as some foreign immigrant when I was born here in America. I’m not saying it’s wrong for them to remember where they’re from. I’m saying it’s wrong for me to be stereotyped as one of them. It’s my right to express my way! I just want to be remembered—not for the color of my skin, not for my culture—just to be remembered as an individual. When I leave this world, I don’t want people to think, Oh, now that he’s dead we should go back to treating Asians as Asians and not Asian-Americans. I want Asian-American actors get their push into $100 million dollar movie deals.

Characters

CAGNEY: Hey, guys! C’mere, willya? HUMPHREY: What’s this? DEAN: Hey! It’s Space Jam. CAGNEY: You’ve seen this before? DEAN: Yeah. It stars Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny. HUMPHREY: How did they bring the cartoon characters to life? DEAN: It’s called computer animation, Bogey. CAGNEY: You mean they found a way for live actors in a cartoon? HUMPHREY: What’s wrong with being drawn into a cartoon? CAGNEY: Yeah. DEAN: It’s creativity, guys. It’s entertainment. HUMPHREY: It looks like fun. CAGNEY: I think this kind of … interaction is good for the kids. Let the kids do that kind of stuff. HUMPHREY: I enjoyed working with Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny. CAGNEY: (laughing) Oh, yeah. (Imitating Bogey) Why did you hit me in the face with a coconut custard pie with whipped cream? HUMPHREY: (Imitating Elmer) Pwease, Mr. Bogart …[ALL LAUGH] CAGNEY: We’ve had fun. HUMPHREY: I mean, what’s the matter with today’s Hollywood stars? Don’t they want to see themselves animated in a cartoon anymore? DEAN: I don’t know. Today’s Hollywood wants to keep it real". CAGNEY: Real what? DEAN: