May 25th, 2010, “Searching Outside Of The Family For Similar Values” Part III, Ernest Leaks, Gladstone Middle School and the “ballers”, “Hook”, “Heavy” and “Fats”, the Freemans. How can I focus on understanding and living my grandfather’s value system and dedicate so much time and energy to my newfound love of basketball? These conflicts burdened [...]
May 18th, 2010, “Searching Outside Of The Family For Similar Values” Part II, Ernest Leaks, Gladstone Middle School and the “ballers”, Jerome “Hook”, Melvin “Heavy” and “Fats”, the Freemans. We took Fink’s recommendation to heart when he advised us to watch the other neighborhood players, aka, “ballers”. “Ballers” are the basketball players that develop their [...]
May 11th, 2010, “Searching Outside Of The Family For Similar Values” Part I, Ernest Leaks. I was very involved in sports. I loved baseball and attending the White Sox games with my grandfather. Our local community little league baseball team played an important role in maintaining those values. The most important thing little league did [...]
May 7th, 2010, Loving Mother, Irene Hoskins Birth is a humbling, awesome experience to witness. A precious gift. I am here a living and breathing because of my mother Irene. Growing up I did not live with her. I did visit her and my siblings in Michigan during summer vacation from school. Irene is the [...]
April 27th, 2010, My Loving Grandmother, “Minnie C. Roddy” Grandmothers take great pleasure in enjoying every moment with their grandchildren. I have never known a grandparent who could look their grandchildren in the eye and say “NO”. Grandchild: “Grandmother, could you take us hang gliding off Mount Kilimanjaro next week”? Grandmother: “Ok honey, let me [...]
April 13th, 2010 More Aunt Wisdom Twins Samella and Rosella moved to Chicago in 1959 and 1961. Trained as nurses, Chicago offered better employment opportunities. Aunt “Sam” is an angel, the definition of unconditional love. She offered lots of hugs during the times when I needed them the most. Most of them came after run [...]
April 6th School Years, Our Values, My Aunts Aunt Betty: Aunt Ida and I bumped heads daily. I’d ask myself, “Why is Aunt Ida so hard on me? Why should I have to do all this hard work when all my friends are at the play ground playing baseball and tag?” Aunt Betty was the [...]
3/30/2010, Elementary & Middle School Years, Value System Set, My Aunts Aunt Ida: I’m not sure if my grandfather assigned my Aunt Ida the task of making sure I completed my homework and did well in school. Ida was his youngest daughter. Ida was a “warrior” type personality. Direct yet loving. There was no misunderstanding [...]
3/23/2010, The Elementary & Middle School Years, Lessons from My Grandfather Ernest and I organized all our little league baseball and basketball games in the community. Ernest arranged for us to play teams from other communities and I would help recruit some of the local players. In our neighborhood, baseball was “King” so we always [...]
3/16/2010, Chicago, 1963 Grandfather left Arkansas and found work in a paper factory. He rented a small apartment on Chicago’s west side. He sent for us in 1963: Grandmother, my aunts Betty and Ida, and me. Houses and apartment buildings; jammed together. Constant street noise from traffic and the conversations of thousands of people. No [...]
