There Is Some of Us in All of Us: A Collection of Short Stories

By Jimmie Johnson

These stories were motivated and inspired from personal experiences interwoven with fictional characters to highlight specific themes that we all experience, observe, or hear about via anecdotal reports, the media, our peers, etc.

A Man Called Shane was inspired by experiences in a Eurocentric institution. The Hillsdale Kids was inspired by employment in a social agency for children. The Belle Isle Affair was inspired by tenure in Ecorse/Detroit, Michigan. The Grosse Isle Murders was based on a clinical case report. The Transplant from Family Therapy Encounters and When the Door Came Open were also from clinical experiences. The Last Hippie was from the proliferation of technology and baby boomer transitions. Finally, Growing Up with Momma and The Bird Sings were inspired by a mothers sacrifice, love, and guidance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 30, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524619428

Jimmie Johnson

Jimmie L. Johnson attended the University of Minnesota, earning a BS in pharmacy, a BA in sociology and Afro studies. The author also earned his master’s degree in guidance and counselor education from the University of Toledo. The author has resided in several states, interfacing in multicultural settings. The author’s hometowns (Ecorse and Detroit, Michigan) provided the insight and backdrop for some of the current stories. Other impacting locations were Atlanta, Georgia; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Toledo, Ohio; Windsor, Ontario; and several others. The author was extremely impacted by the sociopolitical climate in the US, Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia during the sixties to the present times. Mr. Johnson has two children (Jimmie Johnson Jr. and Pauline J. Johnson) and three grand children (Sammie Johnson, Isaac, and Simon Johnson). The author views family as the most important institution, a viewpoint instilled by a single mother who raised six children, who only matriculated to the third grade but possessed a deep love, dedication, and vision for her children and family. Mr. Johnson has logged over twenty years of clinical experience in pharmacy, counseling, and related fields (substance abuse and mental health).

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2016 Jimmie Johnson. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 08/19/2016

ISBN: 978-1-5246-1943-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-1941-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-1942-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016912474

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

A Man Called Shane

Hillsdale Kids

The Belle Isle Affair

The Grosse Isle Murders

The Transplant

When The Door Came Open

Last Hippie

Growing Up With Momma

A Man Called Shane

The graduates of ’68 are standing on stage congradulating each other. Shane has received academic honors in intellectual philosophy and history from the University of Minnesota. (Shane is standing off from the crowd).

(Shane begins talking to Connie, a black colleague off to the side).

(Connie places her hands on one hip, laughing, as if symbolizing a directive)

(Connie mingles in to the crowd and disappears. Shane is slowly exiting through the crowd and runs into Sandi).

(Sandi is a pretty blond, with an intellectual demeanor)

Shane comes into his room intoxicated, clothes unkempt, screaming, I made it, I made it. I am the summa, the Black summa. Shane falls on his bed and begins to dream. (Lights go off Shane momentarily).

Shane is lying on his bed restlessly, he is surrounded by several prominent figures: Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Socratic looking Caucasian, and Bertrand Russell. The gentlemen introduce themselves one at a time.

(Lights Off)

(Lights On)

Black woman and family sitting cleaning chitterlings. Shane’s body on his bed is visible in the background (shadows).

Lights go off of family and on Shane with a friend called Wayne, and his white wife, Katherine. Katherine is sewing in the background with dashiki on).

Reaching for a beer from a six pack on the floor between them … …

(Katherine exists crying)

(Shane sitting in chair, eyes closed, pensively staring). Basketball player, African student in Nigerian garb, white professor and preacher are all on stage chanting):

"Shane, give us