Seeker of the best that life has to offer!
I am the curve and he is the line.
My brother and I are different, but there is more than enough room in this world for him, me and YOU!
-LadyG
Here is part two of the interview with my brother Tack.
In this video, we discuss lessons from our Daddy, humor and what it was like for him to grow up with LadyG as an older sister.
Enjoy…
via Self-Love Series: A Tribal Investment by Lady G
Please check out this post that my good friend Dr. K. E. Garland asked me to write for her blog’s “Self-Love” series.
Many of you may already know Dr. Garland as the author of The Unhappy Wife.
Well, in addition to that, she is also the Editor of Daddy, an anthology which includes stories written by women about their relationships with their fathers. Tikeetha Thomas, a well-known blogger on WP is featured in Daddy.
Both of these ladies are fierce in this writing game and I encourage you to check them out, if you haven’t already.
Also, be sure to catch the latest edition of the “Self Love” series as it is written by my dear sister, Michelle, who is also the very talented author of a love poem that I recently read on this blog entitled, “Present Distance.”
You can find Michelle here.
Seriously, check her out! I can assure you that you will NOT be disappointed.
I hope you enjoy my piece. Let’s discuss it in comments 🙂
PS: I will continue the poetry readings through Valentines Day. That said, you will not want to miss my reading of one of the baddest poets on WP, Braeden Michaels!
Love and Light,
LadyG 😘💋💋
Alternate title: Lady G, The Golf Pro and Barry White
“I’ve Got So Much To Give” by Barry White (1973)
If you like your symphonic soul dripping with sexual chocolate this one’s for you!
The Late Great Barry White!
All of that unmistakable BARITONE with strings, horns, and every instrument in between.
That’s my kinda heaven 🙂
Ain’t that right Ms. Eve?
YAAASSSS!
There was no one like him before and none since!
Bow down!
And so…
Today’s message:
As a kid, I would often tag along with my Daddy when he went to play golf.
You see, I was born and raised in Augusta, GA.
Home of The Masters Tournament!
And, believe it or not, just about everybody in Augusta played/plays golf.
Baby, when I say everybody, I mean EVERYBODY!
There was no accounting for socioeconomic class when it came to the game of golf 😉
Basically…
If you didn’t have a lot of money, you played at a public course.
If you did have some money, you played at a private course.
One thing you didn’t do was play at The Augusta National.
Unless your name was Robert Trent Jones, Sr aka Bobby Jones
Or…
John D. Rockefeller, III
Or…
You were some other kind of magical sorta somebody like my Dad 😉
Yes, you read that right.
My Daddy played The Augusta National!
How’s that?
You see, years ago, The Augusta National employed their own golf caddies.
Interestingly enough, many of them were Black-maybe all of them were.
I don’t know.
Anyway, one of my Daddy’s friends was a caddy.
Well, back in those days, The Augusta National would host a caddy appreciation day.
On that day, the caddies could bring a guest to play a round of golf with them on the course.
And, as you might have figured, Daddy’s friend invited him.
Lesson:
You never know who can make something magical and amazing happen in your life!
Expect the unexpected 🙂
Sorry for that major digression!
Back to my story.
One day, when I was about 11 years old, Daddy and I went to the golf course (NOT The Augusta National).
I really can’t be sure why, but, for whatever reason, I decided to stay at the clubhouse with the Golf Pro whom everybody called…
Wait for it…
“Pro.”
Anyway, Pro was a short, ruddy complected red-headed White dude who loved nothing more than a good laugh 🙂
And, since I loved to laugh too we would often joke around together.
I guess he thought I was a funny kid 🙂
At any rate, after a whole lot of guffawing and tomfoolery, Pro and I decided that since it was Saturday afternoon, we should go in the Pro shop, turn on the TV and watch, of all things, “Soul Train.”
Seriously?
Seriously!
I can vividly remember hearing Pro say, “I betcha didn’t know I liked Soul Train!”
YAAASSS!
Now, to be very honest, the visual and audio dissonance between this man’s appearance and the “Soul Train” theme song almost caused my little mind to implode!
No matter…
There we were, me, Pro, Don Cornelius and all of the “Soul Train” dancers.
On”the hippest trip in America!”
And the ride was fabulous!
Until…
Don Cornelius introduced the next guest!
“BARRY WHITE!”
Uh oh!
After seeing Barry White and listening to the opening notes of his song, Pro immediately rose from his chair and changed the station.
He then looked at me and said, “I like soul but that’s too much soul for me.”
And, with that, we both started laughing like hell!
In the end, we settled on a rerun of “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom!”
Good ole Marlin Perkins.
And so…
What is the point of this horridly long story?
Here’s the point:
Although Pro was open-minded, he had his limits! Poor guy, he never took the time to learn that Barry White was a musical genius who conducted his own Orchestra!
Love Unlimited Baby!
Pro, didn’t know what he didn’t know.
He missed an opportunity to take off the limits and further broaden his experience 🙂
And now…
Today’s Affirmation: I am open to new and exciting experiences.
Yes!
Let’s go forth into new and exciting experiences!
We can:
Try a new cuisine!
Listen to some new music!
Read or learn something that is completely foreign to us.
Meet some new people; preferably some folks who have a background that is very different from ours.
Take a different route home.
Go some damn where else.
Now I’m going with Barry.
How ’bout you?
Get into it!
Love and light my friends 🙂
Lady G
😘💋
And those who are wise—the people of God—shall shine as brightly as the sun’s brilliance, and those who turn many to righteousness will glitter like stars forever.
-Daniel 12:3
Somewhere, packed away in a storage box, there is a picture of me, as an infant, ‘sitting’ in a chair.
Now, if you were to examine the picture closely, you would notice that my eyes are intently focused to the right. I remember being told that, despite the photographer’s best efforts to get my attention, I would NOT look toward the camera. In fact, my eyes remained locked-right- in a hard gaze.
According to my mother, people would often look at that picture and ask, “What was she looking at?” To which my mother would proudly respond, “She was looking at her Daddy.”
Believe it or not, all these years later, I’m still looking at my Daddy.
By the way, I can tell you from experience, that some folks have assumed that I’ve been looking at my father because he is such a handsome man. Well, frankly, that has never been the reason for my focus. Actually, I can assure you that it goes much deeper than that.
The fact of the matter is I am not looking at my father’s physical features as much as I am looking at his actions.
That said, I watched him get up early every morning to go to work in order to take care of our family. He and my mother decided that she would stay home and care for my brother and I while he worked. In my Daddy, I see a man who is invested in the wellbeing of his children.
I observed him as he rescued and cared for stray dogs, cats and other injured and neglected animals. In my Daddy, I see a man who has a reverence for all sentient beings.
I saw him mentor and give financial support (when possible) to family and friends. In my Daddy, I see a man who understands and believes that we’re all in this together.
I notice him as he nurtures and shows love to his grandchildren. In my Daddy, I see a man who loves being a Grandfather.
I witnessed him as he tirelessly cared for my mother until the night she decided to go back HOME. In my Daddy, I see a man who was devoted to his wife.
Now, before I proceed, let me say that my Daddy is by no means perfect. There were many times that he missed the mark. But haven’t we all?
I once read a quote that said, “Strive for excellence, not perfection.” And so it is with my Daddy.
In any case, instead of continuing to tell you about my Daddy, I’ve opted to give you an opportunity to look at him for yourself:
Happy Father’s Day to my Daddy and all of the fathers out there!
PS: We love you Daddy!
