Tag: history

FDR

Published on by Tosha Michelle7 Comments

A few quotes from one of my favorite historical figures, Franklin D. Roosevelt. What a great man (even if he had his idiosyncrasies and vices). We’re going to NYC this fall and hope to travel to Hyde Park while we’re there, home of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. Looking forward to seeing all things Roosevelt.

As an aside, the relationship between FDR and his progressive, humanitarian wife Eleanor was strange. They had one of the most puzzling marriage I’ve ever read about. What started out as a very traditional partnership became quite unconventional as the years went on. We’ll get into that another time. In the meantime, a wonderful book on the subject is Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage by Hazel Rowley.

And now, here’s some words of wisdom from one of this country’s greatest presidents.

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“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.”

“Confidence… thrives on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection and on unselfish performance. Without them it cannot live.”

“If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships – the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace.”

“Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country.”

Bonus Quotes by Eleanor Roosevelt.

“Probably the happiest period in life most frequently is in middle age, when the eager passions of youth are cooled, and the infirmities of age not yet begun; as we see that the shadows, which are at morning and evening so large, almost entirely disappear at midday.”

“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.”

“In all our contacts it is probably the sense of being really needed and wanted which gives us the greatest satisfaction and creates the most lasting bond.”

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Read All About It

Published on by Tosha Michelle11 Comments

I go through phases where I either read a lot, or write a lot. I’m currently in reading mode. We’ve been taking a lot of road trips and I find reading a great way to pass the time (in between random talks and dashboard drumming to Swiftie) I’ve always love the knowledge and magic that books bring. Yes, even in Kindle form.

I thought I would share with you a few books that I’m currently engrossed in. As you can see I am in a Kennedy state of mind. I’m a big history buff and I love biographies. However, not just any biographies. I prefer ones written by historians. I’m not interested in gossip or rumors. I want to read something that is historical accurate.

I think one has to respect all the Kennedys gave to this country, even if they had their less than moments. In honor of what was the closest thing America has ever had to royalty, I give you a few quotes from those kooky kids. 😜

“I have no political ambitions for myself or my children.

–Joseph P. Kennedy

“It has been said that time heals all wounds. I don’t agree. The wounds remain. Time – the mind, protecting its sanity – covers them with some scar tissue and the pain lessens, but it is never gone.”

–Rose Kennedy

“Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.”

–John F. Kennedy

Some men see things as they are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were, and ask why not.

–Robert Kennedy

…my mother and father … raised nine of us and taught each to do our best … We tried.

–Eunice Kennedy Shriver
https://youtu.be/6L6zgYGij_8

Dust

Published on by Tosha Michelle18 Comments

image

On lonely nights when
the moon
is absent from the sky,
and all
my distractions are spent.
The sky
so dark even the void feels
approachable.
The room as quiet as the
stars.
I dream about the past in
metaphors
It whispers to me in hushed
alliteration.
Bent close to the curve of
my ear.
Unfastening all its forgotten
secrets.
Dissolving inside of me. I
struggle to
find meaning in yesterday’s
lament.
When I awake the night’s
residue will
find its way to paper, to
text, that
you, my reader, will decipher.
My words carry dust.

-Tosha Michelle

Wanderlust in Boots.

Published on by Tosha Michelle22 Comments

image

In London, I finally

understood to be happy,

I can’ t regret. I can’t

be the ballerina in

a box waiting for

someone to turn

the key, trapped on

a platform of fear.

The key belongs to

me. I am the music.

I chose when I dance.

I discovered this while

navigating my way around

the city.

I became wanderlust in

leather boots, pleasantly,

disoriented by the

history. The city itself

a museum. On my own

for the first time. Alone,

with the wind of my mind.

I started to realize

that this “delicate” little

flower could survive

without water, that it

could grow anywhere.

I didn’t know it then

but my own history

was falling into place

as if Aristotle had flown

in from Greece (by way of

Great Beyond Air) to

help me make sense

of life.

It’s the little things

that change us,

that help us gain

knowledge of ourselves

the self that sometimes

needs to shatter.

Getting lost in

Greenwich Park

Sitting on a bench

unseen in the fog.

The bird that refused

my bread.
(The little bastard)

I swear I heard him chirping

stop trying to be responsible

for fixing everyone

Sitting in a cafe debating

the work of Turner after

visiting the Tate.

Just missing the

train for the airport.

Stopping by the gift

shop selling postcards

of London Bridge and

plastic keychains, making

me realizes I’ve had

enough of disposables.

Waltzing into pubs

and new situations.

Dizzy from dancing.

and finally believing

I knew the steps

Finally understanding

the beauty of missteps.

-Tosha Michelle

Interview with Vietnam War Vet and Author of Quadalajara — The Utopia That Once Was.-Jack Tumidajiski

Published on by Tosha Michelle1 Comment

Today, I ‘d like to introduce you to a friend of mine. A friend I have had the pleasure of knowing now for eight years. He truly is one of the kindest, funniest people I’ve ever met.. His tenacity and resilience inspires. My friend’s name is Jack Tumidajiski. He is a Vietnam war vet who managed to get out alive, but only five days backs from the war Jack woke up in a hospital bed paralyzed from the neck down. By 1972, he had moved to a commune of paralyzed veterans in Guadalajara, Mexico, an experience which inspired him, 30 years later, to write a book: Quadalajara — The Utopia That Once Was. Jack’s book chronicles his entire life, including his personal experience with paralysis. But it is, first and foremost, a tribute to the people he met in Guadalajara. It’s a must read, and I promise you will be inspired. Jack was kind enough to consent to an interview.

Jack, thanks so much for agreeing to do this interview. Let’s start at the beginning. What prompted you to tell your story? Why did you write the book?

I wrote the book to set the record straight and preserve the memories of those who experienced it and that unique place in time that will never be replicated. To give people a better understanding of what people with disabilities–whether spinal cord injured or otherwise–have had to experience and overcome since the first paraplegics and quadriplegics injured during World War II began to survive long enough to actually be discharged from military and veteran’s hospitals into a world not yet ready for them. Long before Christopher Reeve made the terms quadriplegic, paraplegic and spinal cord injury commonplace and helped raise awareness around the world, many unknown and forgotten people worked tirelessly to help one another and make a difference.

Why Guadalajara? What drew you there?
Guadalajara was, as advertised, 365 days of sunshine, reasonable cost of living, famous for its year-round nearly perfect weather, and beautiful senoritas. It was a no-brainer.

How did Guadalajara become “Quadalajara”
While many spinal cord injured veterans lived out their final years wasting away in a VA hospitals, afraid to face the outside world, a number of ‘The Men’ decided to explore the exotic notion of visiting this place in Mexico that a number of their hospital buddies spoke so highly of. By the mid-1950’s, there were reports of and by paraplegic veterans exploring and visiting places in Mexico. Although most of these initial stories appeared in articles in PVA’s Paraplegia News, word of mouth spread in VA hospitals and civilian care centers from New England to New York to Chicago and on to Southern California where a steady pipeline of wheelchair users–both veteran and non-veteran, men and some women–continued to swell the ranks of those desperate and/or adventurous enough to gamble their future happiness–or lack thereof–on this intriguing ‘South of the Border’ option.

What been the response of fellow vets to your book?
A collective-yawn (wink)? Actually expected to hear from more Vets–but everyone has their story to tell. My target audience seems to be female baby boomers who lived through the Vietnam era.

What sets “Quadalajara — The Utopia That Once Was.” Apart from other books?

It’s a unique book both inspirational and historical. The appendix of the book alone contains almost every article, document or story a researcher of the Guadalajara Era could hope to find. Included are hundreds of bios of many of the original explorers and pioneers who first venture south of the border looking for freedom, independence and a second chance in life

What books do you read?

I used to read on a semi-regular basis but since I wrote Quadalajara I have not read another book. Favorite author: David Horowitz, among other biographers.

Any advice for aspiring writers?
If you’re planning on writing a book, find out everything you can before you begin–including marketing, promoting and new technologies that make books more accessible. Don’t be left with boxes of hardcover books in your living room!
Jack, thank you so much for taking the time to discuss the book and your life.

You’re welcome, T. Now where are my cookies? 

To purchase the book and find out more about this amazing man, please go to

http://www.quadmexico.com/index.html