Acceptance...

Why do we struggle so hard to be accepted, even by people who don’t even matter? Fortunately I have rarely been touched by this. I have a sense of who I am and what I offer. I figure for every non-interested party there will be another party who is interested. I try to spend my time and energy on people I value, who value me. When that’s not the case I keep it moving…

This morning I was talking to a friend who felt snubbed by someone. I was exasperated with her, because I could not understand why she even cared. Then, a light went off in my head. I got it. There was something inside her needing that person’s acceptance. I called to tell her this, “Once you no longer need that person’s approval or acceptance, you will never feel snubbed again. In order to feel snubbed, there has to be something inside you needing validation by that person.” She thanked me, even though we were on the phone I could see the light bulb going off in her head.

We are going to have to own our madness. Stop projecting what is inside of us onto others. Most of the time other folks are totally unconcerned about us, they are about the business of handling their own stuff.
If someone walks past and doesn’t speak…maybe they didn’t see you…
And if it’s because they don’t want to speak…then it’s like the Fifth Dimension said:
“One Less Bell to Answer…”
If you are thinking… "They think they are better than me"…that probably ain’t true either…
You are thinking they are better than you…
Please stop it…that’s entirely too much power to allow anyone to have over you…
Work on you…
Your acceptance of you…

I guarantee…
Once you are about the business of you and the creation of…
A spiritual, confident, taking care of business being…
You will not even notice what ‘they’ are doing…saying or thinking…
You’ll be too busy living…

You, Accept…You…

acVernon Menchan
01/30/2007

Living My Dreams

Living Your Dreams…

I’m preparing to participate in the Zora Neale Hurston Festival…
Zora! Ya’ll…
I have always loved her work and her spirit….
I have been a published author for one year today. I have two books out there and one on the way…
I am living my dreams…

I lived most of my life in order….
Good Daughter…
Great Student…
Supportive Wife…
Always there Mama…

Throughout I never wondered…
When would it be my time…
I knew, it was coming…
I just had to be patient…

That old spiritual saying that goes:
“God may not always come when you call, but he’s always right on time…”
Is Truly Applicable to my life…

So…
I am going to climb into the helicopter of life…
Go as high as it will take me…
Then jump out…with my arms widespread…
Embracing…
The universe…
Fearlessly…
Amen…

AcVernon Menchan
January 25, 2007

The Learning Game...

Writing has been a learning experience for me. A couple years ago I decided I was not only going to write, I was going to sell myself some books. I sat at my computer for several hours a day, at least six days a week. I wrote so many short stories, I lost count. However, there was this one story that played in my mind, ad nauseum, over and over again. It would not go away, that story was entitled “Whose Baby”, the premise was, what would happen if a man called his friend, who was married to his best friend to tell her he was in love with her and always had been. What would happen? Well that eighteen page story turned into well over four-hundred pages. So I decided I would write a trilogy, the first part was my 288 page baby, “Black’s Obsession, Book One of Black’s Trilogy.” I didn’t have a clue. I wrote it, found a vanity press, plucked down my money and January 25, 2006 I was a published author. I hadn’t been as thrilled with something that came from me since giving birth to my sons. I must have danced and cried with joy for hours. Then I read it. When I read it I was shocked, there were many mistakes, editorial issues. I wanted to crawl under a rock. Surely no one would buy it. But, I was dead wrong, while I was drying my eyes and trying to cancel my contract people were reading it, asking me to do book signings, telling me how my words had inspired them. Woo Hoo Hoo! Wait a minute, hold up. There were other opinions, folks in literary groups and the like were saying “Oh no, you shouldn’t have done that, what you did is the kiss of death…” I was petrified because surely they knew better than I. But… my readers continued to buy, to read and talk to me, asking me for the next book. I made a decision right then, I wouldn’t hide my head or cancel my contract, I would hone my craft. I would learn how to work this thing. I knew I could write and tell stories people wanted to read. Now I would learn how to get it done properly. I would give my loyal readers more than something good to read I would also give them my best. My second book is better than my first, my third will be better than my second…you feel me…see where I am headed. I am still learning and my goal is to simply get better…my friends…readers…might I say my fans have proven to me they will be there for me…so…I owe them my best….and please believe the best is yet to come…Look out now…

acVernon Menchan

All Aboard

I decided I am a train…
I’m on the track moving through life…
Some stations I fly through…
Others I stay for awhile…
On the train with me all the time are the people I love most…
And who love me…
There are only a few of those….
My man…my never say die folks…

There is also a first-class section…
There are the other folks who love me…
Want to be around me who I want to be around…
But not necessarily all the time….
Some family…a few friends…
There seats are always available when they wanna ride…

The next section is filled with those…
Who want to ride occasionally…
Every now and then…
Take a trip but know when it’s time to depart…
“Hey I enjoyed the trip, but gotta go handle my business…”

Finally there is the transient section…
Those who somehow get on…
Just wanna see what’s up…
Maybe even wreak a little havoc…
Eat the free chicken wings…
Those get put off at the next station…
No time on this train for that kinda stuff…
This train is going places…
No time for the dumb stuff…

ALL ABOARD…

acVernon Menchan
01/11/2006