Wondering when your turn will come? Wondering if someone will ever recognize your talent? John Legend, the famous pianist and singer gives us a two-minute lesson on hard work, commitment, and persistence. Don’t quit on your dreams. Don’t give up when it seems all you’re doing is running in place. Keep working, keep learning, keep dreaming. It is only impossible when we quit. Enjoy John Legend’s short, but powerful lesson.
“I’m here,” screams LC.
I already know he’s here. I heard the door slam against the wall. I heard a lamp fall over from the vibration.
I hear LC say, “Dare’s somethin wrong wits use door. One of the knobs is stuck in the wall. I felt my BP go into a steep rise. I’m already wondering if I should brick in the wall behind the door. Maybe a solid stainless steel sheet. A wall made of bulletproof vests. I have all kinds of options.
Then LC hollers as if he is at the top of Pike’s Peak and wants to see how far his voice will carry, “Use won. Use won beautiful, tough, edgy who knows how to play the numbers.”
What’s LC talking about, the numbers? No way, La Flor is gambling with Big Carmen and his associates. I loosely call them associates because that’s what Big Carmen calls them. I don’t want to make the mistake of saying made men, killers, knee busters, and fill in the blank.
La Flor runs in off the deck, slamming the door agains the wall, a vase falls over, water over the floor. Flowers desperately trying to sip the last bit of water into their system. Good thing, it was a plastic vase. Slamming the door is contagious. I wonder if I’m vulnerable.
Bikini, sun tan lotion and all, La Flor throws her five foot two inches, size zero four feet into LC’s waiting arms and kisses him. “You bring me glad tidings, LC?”
What is she doing, trying out for Shakespeare in the Park?
LC answers, “I bringith thee a high tide of tidings. My beautiful, tough, and edgy lady.”
“Are you two practicing for Shakespeare in the Park?”
She pulls back, wraps her legs around LC’s waist and says, “Yes, now be quiet, Ray. LC, how much did I win?”
“Big Carmen says use won nine hundred, seventy one dollars. All of its tax free. So don’t report none of it because he will deny he ever paid it. If use knows what I means.”
La flor let go of LC’s neck, slid down his body until her feet landed on the tile. She stepped back and stuck out her hand.
“Hold on. LC are you a bookie? What’s going on? Why didn’t hear about it?”
“What chu talkin bout, Ray-mo. I don’t got no books. What makes use think I’m a bookie? Do I looks like I belongs in library?” said LC.
“Don’t play coy, LC. You know what I mean. Do you take bets for Big Carmen?” I said.
“I likes to play craps, maybe poker, but I never plays coy. Is it a card game?” said LC earnestly. Use got to excuse me, I got business to attend to. LC reaches into his pocket and begins counting off one-hundred dollar bills, “One hundred, two hundred.” You get the drift.
Before La Flor can run away, I said, “You’re involved in illegal gambling. It’s not right. What did you gamble on?”
La Flor said, “What’s the temperature in San Antonio?”
I checked, “91 degrees.”
“What’s the temperature in Chicago?” she asked.
I checked, “68 degrees.”
“What’s the temperature in Phoenix?” asked La Flor.
I checked, “It’s 99 degrees.”
“The way one of the games works, Ray. You choose six numbers based on the temperature at 4 p.m. in three U.S. cities, one from the south, one from the north, and one from the west. I hit all six numbers and I only played a dollar. I have my eye on a new pair of shoes.”
“It’s illegal,” I said.
“May I remind you, your grandmother ran numbers.”
“But she was a single mom with eleven children. Cut her some slack.”
“She was doing a community service and so is Big Carmen.”
LC interrupted. “If I may. I get use drift. Use think I am collecting bets for Big Carmen. That is the furtherest thing from the furtherest thing. Big Carmen never, no how, no way does anything illegal or legal. It works like magic. Like La Flor wrote some numbers on a piece of paper with her name. She rolled it up and accidentally pressed it into Big Carmen’s hand when they hugged. Now I asks use, is that betting? I say not.”
What did LC just say? I got lost after he said, ‘If I may.’
La Flor ignored me. She said, “Big Carmen’s running a different game next week. It will be the final number of points the Cowboys, Bears, Seahawks, and Giants score in the weekend games. If you get all the numbers it’s 10,000; five, it’s a thousand; and, if you get four it’s 100. You want in? Or, are you too cheap?”
“I am not cheap.”
“Then bet a dollar.”
“No.”
“Cheap,”
“Not.”
“Cheap, cheap, cheap.”
It went on like this for four blog pages, but I deleted them so you’d have time to figure out your numbers and contact Big Carmen.
Joy is contagious. Are you a carrier? All it takes to bring joy is sharing your wonderful gift. Your magical gift, given freely to others to experience and the only reward is to see the joy on the face or faces of those you touched. I smiled throughout this YouTube video. I caught the contagious spreading of joy. I hope you will have a similar experience. Ray
“Ray, don’t be a stuck in the mud. Turn off your iPad and cut loose with LC and me. We’re going to Big Carmen’s sports bar. There’s some kind of big game, ” said La Flor dressed in a way to short circuit the male brain.
“I don’t want to go to a sports bar. Big Carmen owns a sports bar? I thought he only owned a pizzeria,” I said while moving my fingers on my iPad.
LC (note: I’m tired of writing Little Carmen every time I speak. I’m getting carpel tunnel in my fingers) grabbed hold of my iPad. “Let go Ray-mo, it’s for use own good. Use can watch the big game.”
“No, I need my my iPad. How will I find out what’s happening? How will be able to check Yelp? How will I see if I’m getting retweeted? What big game?”
LC gives a yank, nearly pulls off the sofa, “If use excuses me, use can have use iPad back when the beautiful, tough, and edgy woman I adore says use can. As for the udder (yes, he said udder, not other) questions, the pizzeria is only a front. Don’t remember I said that. Big Carmen gets touchy about such stuff. As for the big game, I tinks it’s a soccer match between two clubs nobody ever heard about.”
“A front for what?” I asked.
“What am I am gonna tell him beautiful, tough, and edgy one?”
They whisper. They look at each other. They whisper again. They look at each other. They whisper some more. La Flor said, “LC is ready to tell you. LC get really, really close to me.”
“Okay.”
La Flor whispers in LC’s ear. LC says, “I means to say it is an affront.”
La Flor whispers again into LC’s ear, “To tinks that it is a front for anything other than which it is, which is namely a pizzeria.”
“Good boy,” La Flor pats LC on the back of his head. I’m waiting for her to scratch his belly and see LC’s foot jumping.
“So, you going or are you going to stay home and watch reruns? asked La Flor.
“Okay, I’ll go. Do I have to get dressed up for this place? What’s it called?” I tossed two questions. Maybe I confused the issue.
“I suggest getting out of your scrubby, dirty, so old they get a senior’s discount Nike’s, rumbled workout shirt, and the excuse for jeans you’re wearing and think Sport’s Bar.”
“I am thinking sports bar. I think I’d fit right in.”
“We’ve got so much work to do with him LC.”
“Yah, beautiful, tough, and edgy one, and so little time to do it. Especially if we is leaving in fifteen minutes,” said LC.
“You’re both wearing jeans,” I said.
“I’m poured into mine. LC’s are the straight leg, macho paints. His muscular waist and can I say six pack, accentuates his broad shoulders. Notices his form fitting casual shirt. I am going to show LC off and if anyone tries to sidle up to him, Lil Carlo promised he’d help out.”
“Lil Carlo?”
“Yah, Ray-mo. He’s the muscle tonight,” said LC.
“I’ll be back in a minute. One minute later, “How do I look?”
“Seriously?” said La Flor.
“Can you be kind?” I said.
“You’ve got no worries, you’ll be coming home with us.”
“Huh?”
Our WORDS have an incredible power. They have the power to tear down or lift up. They have the power to depress or inspire. They have the power to change the course of events. They have the power to transform tragedy into triumph. We all enjoy an immense power and have a responsibility to use it wisely. Use it to build, to encourage, to inspire, and to bring joy. When we do, we will have made a lasting difference. The following YouTube video demonstrates the power of WORDS.
“Ray, am I right when I say there is a house rule where we can express ourselves without fear?” the snarky remark coming from La Flor.
Oh, oh. My mind races back 24 hours. There was La Flor’s incident with her mystery writer blog friend. They were wearing the same outfit. I got blamed. There was the incident with Little Carmen when he brought her the wrong Starbucks drink. I got blamed. There was the incident where Carmela and TT got a line more attention than she and Little Carmen did. I got blamed.
I decide to jump in the deep end, “That’s the rule.”
It’s not good when her arms go akimbo and she cocks her head to the left, and gestures with her right index finger. It looks like I hit the trifecta.
Her forefinger can within inches from my nose. No nose jokes please. La Flor said, “Yesterday. Yesterday. Yesterday.”
I replied, “Yes, yesterday was yesterday. Where are you going with yesterday? Do you realize it’s today and tomorrow is tomorrow.”
“I am so grateful LC is not like you. He’s sensitive. He’s smart. And, he’s secure in his own skin. Unlike some people I know whose name begins with R and means rat.”
I hold up my hand, “We have another rule, no insults, disparaging remarks.”
La Flor holds up her hand, “We have another rule to always tell the truth.”
I hold up my hand, “We have another rule, it has to be the truth and not an opinion.”
La Flor holds up her hand, “We have another rule, if the opinion is the truth then it’s okay to state an opinion.”
I hold up my hand, “We have another rule, “If the truth is going to hurt, try to say it in a way that is compassionate and kind.”
La Flor holds up her hand, “We have another rule, “If it hurts, suck it up and deal with it.”
“That’s not our rule,” I said.
“Yes, it is. LC and I voted on it this morning,” said La Flor.
“I wasn’t present for the vote.”
“You don’t have to be present if there is a quorum.”
“Were TT and Carmela present?”
“No, but I made them give me their proxies.”
“You made them?”
“Yes. I gave them an offer they couldn’t refuse.”
“You’ve been spending too much time with Big Carmen and Lil Carlo.”
“They’re sweet.”
“What’s the issue you wanted to talk about?”
“What issue?”
Another stimulating conversation with La Flor that leaves me talking to myself.
Life is our teacher. Lessons pour into us at an amazing speed. They are there for us if we are awake and willing to listen to them. They come from young and old; from those we like and dislike. Lessons surround us. The following video shows five stories of children who will inspire you to kick it up a notch. If they can do it, why not you? They are my teachers.
“I never thought you’d ask me,” said my conscience with a hint of I told you so in his voice.
“I always listen to you. It’s my number one rule. You know that,” I retorted.
“Should I list the times you didn’t listen to me to your readers? Imagine what La Flor, Little Carmen, TT, and Carmela will think of you if I post your slip ups on my Facebook page.
“You wouldn’t?” I asked.
“I don’t have a conscience to listen to. I am the conscience.”
“I don’t like your attitude,” I said.
“I don’t like you hanging out with shady characters. Do you read your blogs?” My conscience asked.
“If I could like them more than once I would read them all day,” I said.
“Ah, the ego has taken hold of you. That’s the problem, isn’t Ray? Think of where you’re leading Little Carmen. The nitwit can’t find his way home when he’s on the sidewalk in front of his house. What about La Flor? She’ll flirt with anyone who rich, and will help her get all she wants. Is that the kind of character you want to create?”
“Hey, conscience. Cut La Flor some slack. She’s beautiful, tough, and edgy. She’s smart. She’s savvy. I like La Flor,” I said.
“Oh, I get it, you want to move Little Carmen aside so you can have La Flor all to yourself.”
“What are you talking about? She’s an alt ego. A created character. No wonder I don’t listen to you.”
“Life would be better if you did?” said my conscience.
“What do you suggest. I’m giving you a chance and it better be good.”
“La Flor should go to a third-world country and do missionary work. Little Carmen should be a Big Brother to inner city kids. TT should work for Apple. And, Carmela, she can wait on tables at Carmen’s Pizzeria.”
“What about Big Carmen and Lil Carlo?” I asked.
Before my conscience can speak. …
“Hey, Ray. Is your conscience bothering use?” said Big Carmen swaggering into the room.
“Stay out of this Big Carmen. It’s between Ray and me,” said my conscience.
“I needs the beautiful, tough, and edgy one. My boy is going to gets a very serious promotion when I can thinks of something to promote him to. And, as for Lil Carlo, give me a break. He’s got a good heart, even if he’s nuts. Now beat it, and leave my man, Ray alone.”
“Thanks, Big Carmen.”
“I’m watching you, Ray,” said my conscience pointing his finger at me as he walked out the door.
There’s a reason you’re here. Use it to build others. Use it to inspire others. Use it to show others it can be done. You’re life is important to all of us. Use it to motivate us. Use it to bring joy to us. Use it to make us laugh. Use it shine the light on our darkness. Yes, there is a reason you’re here.
Our black stretch stretch limo pulled in front of Carlini’s Trattoria. It’s Friday night. The sidewalk is crowded. I’m staring out the window of the black stretch limo. I turn to Little Carmen, “What are those two guys that look like they belong on America’s Most Wanted doing in front of Carlini’s?”
“You means cousin Paul and cousin Joe?” said Little Carmen.
“I don’t know their names. I mean the guys wearing sunglasses at 8 p.m. Tight black tees.”
“They were on America’s Most Wanted until they weren’t America’s Most Wanted,” said Little Carmen as the limo driver pulled to a stop, got out of the limo, and went over and talked to the I’m on steroids Black Tee.
“What does that mean?” I said.
“I dunno. It’s how Big Carmen explains it to me.”
“You accept it without question?” I asked.
“Yah.”
A moment later, a beaming Big Carmen, silk shirt open at the collar, black and silver hair sticking out, is at the limo door. The driver opens the door. La Flor extends her hand. She’s wearing a black, sheik, sexy fit me better than my skin silk dress with her new pearl necklace and earrings.
“My beautiful, tough, and edgy woman, you looks more beautiful, tough, and edgy than even Sciencestein thinks probable,” said Big Carmen as he kissed La Flor’s hand.
“Dat is such a smoothie move, Ray-mo. Sees how I learns everyting I knows from Big Carmen?” said Little Carmen.
“I can see how you’ve turned out so well,” I said. I not going to take a chance to get anyone upset with the black tees standing on either side of Big Carmen.
“Why are we here? I asked Little Carmen.
“I dunno. Big Carmen said he’s happy and is tossing a party for us and some of the family.”
I step out of the limo, Big Carmen has La Flor on his arm heading for the trattoria. I said, “Hi Big Carmen.”
The entourage stops. The black tees stare at me. Big Carmen turns, “Hi, Ray. I didn’t sees use because the beautiful, tough, and edgy woman was blinding me with her beauty. If I was twenty years younger LC has no chance.”
Little Carmen taps me on my shoulder, “Man, am I happy Big Carmen is older than me. Go figure how that happened.”
Phil Carlini, the owner, leads to a table that looks like it was set for the President and First Lady and entourage. Waiters fill our wine glasses, Big Carmen stands. He raises his glass, “To my cousin’s cousin, Phil Carlini, who closed his trattoria on his best night of the week because I wanted to toss a little party. Go figure.”
Phil shrugs his shoulders.
I whisper to La Flor, “What’s going on? Why are we having this dinner?”
“You didn’t hear?”
“I didn’t hear what?”
“Big Carmen is promoting Little Carmen. My man is making his way in the world,” said La Flor.
“Why? Promoted to what?” I asked.
“He did such a great job the other night getting the things Big Carmen needed. Lil Carlo gave him an A on his report. LC and don’t know anything about his promotion, we’ll learn tonight. We know it’s a serious promotion. Are you proud of LC?” asked La Flor.
“I can hardly catch my breath.”
“I get that,” said La Flor.
Big Carmen, still standing with a glass of wine, “I gotta toast LC. Salute! My boy, my son, my prides and joys I am giving a serious, very serious promotion the details will be worked out when they are worked out.”
Little Carmen stands waves, and sits. La Flor wraps her arms around him and kisses him.”
Somethings are best left alone.
