Lynchings

1911 lynching victims that were mother and son. You will see their monuments in the slide below. photo credit: google.

The National Memorial for Peace and Justice  or Lynching Museum was inspired from the Apartheid Museum   and  the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.  It was founded by the Equal Justice Initiative and its creator Bryan Stevenson.  Its location is in the Deep South in Montgomery , Alabama.

The National Memorial For Peace and Justice

I was born in Montgomery, Alabama on Maxwell AFB.  It was in 1963 I entered the world.   Visiting family annually is a usual tradition for me and I make it a point to take in a few of the sites when back to my hometown.  The city had begun a restorative process a few years back showcasing its rich history.   These are a proud people in a new generation wanting to bring truth to light.   The National Memorial for Peace and Justice does that and is quite sobering.

Settlements

In 2013, several environmental groups sued BNSF Railway for polluting waterways in Washington State.  I was watching this case closely and wondered if the elections would have an impact.  I am quite certain it did.

Breakthrough

Valentine’s Day Brings A Nice Surprise for me. I took this photo of two lovebirds in Victoria, Canada.

Recently I began thinking of how much information should I share on my blogging? This blog began as a way of pouring out my story for family. As I learned how to share on WordPress, I than realized my life was resonating with others. Yesterday I shared about my disability from my brain tumor. In December I also wrote this blog post: (https://alesiablogs.wordpress.com/2012/12/11/are-you-homeless/). It is a poignant description of a visit to the Veteran’s Administration in Seattle, WA. To sum things up, my sister had helped me apply for disability through the military almost two years. I had all about given up on all this until today.
It is interesting how life takes twists and turns. We never know what may come our way. If you asked me 25 years ago that my life would have turned out the way it has, I would have said you are nuts. I was very self-sufficient and taught to be extremely independent. Yet, now I need help.
Today’s mail came dated on Valentine’s Day from the Department of Veteran’s Affair. I thought to myself could this be my “love” letter from them that began two years ago? Indeed it was. After serving in the military as active duty in Desert Storm overseas and then staying “available” for 15 years for call back, the military finally wrote me a “love” letter.
Here are the HIGHLIGHTS:
Dear Mrs. Alesiablogs (changed for you who know me by this name),
We made a decision (in my favor) on your claim for service connected compensation….This letter tells you about your entitlement amount and payment start date…Your Award Amount and Payment Start Date is shown below…………….
As you can see it was a good letter for me to receive. I do not feel happier from this though to be honest with you. Please do not take this in the wrong way. I am happy for the decision, but my life is so different due to my illness that it is a catch 22. I am learning a new way though. In fact as I received this letter I was on my way to a volunteer effort. Giving back and providing my time for a needed purpose is becoming part of my legacy. What is yours going to be? Did you know there are over 50,000 nonprofit organizations across the country? By volunteering, I am learning a new kind of happy.