Lewezy's Happy Feet

Lewezy awoke totally rested. This was unusual, for she worked twelve to thirteen hours a day, six days a week, taking care of the big house and Miss Ellie. Today, though, was Sunday, her day off, and she was going to church.
Church was the social highlight of Lewezy's life, especially the past couple of months, because of the new paster. Brother Ralph's sermons had been more inspiring, and the music had been sweeter. A smile was on Lewezy's face as she bathed and dressed.

As she left the house, to go next door to Posey's, she looked to see if her feet were touching the ground. Sure enough, they were, but she was skipping. "Please be ready, Posey," she thought, "I can'n sit and wates for you today."

As usual Posey was not ready. Lewezy looked to the sky; it was a beautiful day; the sun was warm, even though it was late October; Lewezy decided to walk. "I gonna walk" she told Amos, Posey's husband, and off she went.

The dark skin of her face absorbed the warm rays of the sun. The warmth permeated through her body - Lewezy felt flush, the same as when Brother Ralph, the new preacher, bought her basket at the church picnic this past summer. Brother Ralph, being young, handsome and single, had attracted the interest of all the young ladies of the church, Lewezy included. However, she never envisioned Brother Ralph having any interest in her. When he bought her picnic basket, she had been happily embarrassed. Lewezy laughed as she remembered the expressions of envy on the other young ladies' faces.

Having traveled this road for ten years, Lewezy was surprised; she had never known it quite like this. The early morning sun, rising low in the southern sky, gave the red Georgia clay of the road an appearance that reminded Lewezy of the orange sash that Miss Ellie wore with the white evening dress. Hearing the "Bob, bob, white!" call of a quail, Lewezy looked to the meadow; she saw that it glistened with the early morning dew, which reminded her of Miss Ellie's jewelry when struck by a sunbeam. Lewezy was beginning to understand the worth of things of beauty. Being extremely poor, she had always felt things had to be practical to have worth.

Gradually Lewezy realized she was not alone. Looking to her left she saw Mister Tom's colt was moving along the fence next to her. When she caught the colt's eye, it whinnied. Raising its tail high in the air and bowing its neck, the colt ran across the meadow. "He mus' knows hows I feels," she said aloud. Though she was in her mid-twenties, Lewezy felt as young and frisky as the colt. Suddenly, clutching her Bible close to her bosom, she ran for the next thirty feet.

"Yous gonna run or yous wansa ride?" Posey asked, as she and Amos pulled along side. Though startled at first, Lewezy knew she could not stand being trapped in a car, if for only a few minutes. Able to see the church from here, she knew she had plenty of time before the service began. For the remaining distance she was consumed with the thought of Brother Ralph having Sunday dinner with her, at Posey's house. Maybe, just maybe, this was the day she would have nerve enough to ask.

As she turned into the churchyard, she realized the music had started. Brother Ralph was out front greeting the people as they entered the church. Knowing she would be the last to enter, Lewezy decided this was her chance to ask. While holding Brother Ralph's hand firmly as he greeted her, Lewezy said, "I'd preshate yous having Sunday dinner with me at Sister Posey's today."

"I'd be honored Sister" responded Brother Ralph. Lewezy noticed a glitter in his eyes. The times had been few when Lewezy had been this happy.

A different, yet unalarming, feeling consumed Lewezy as she took her seat beside Posey. The music today had more effect on her than ever before. Even when the music stopped and Brother Ralph started speaking, Lewezy noticed her feet were still moving, as though the music were still playing.

As the collection plate, a tambourine, was passed, Lewezy was quite aware of the jingle. The sound of the coins being dropped in created a rhythm. As the usher handed the tambourine to Lewezy, she was keenly sensitive to the skin pulled tightly over the wood. As she dropped in her fifteen cents, Lewezy felt the wood; it was worn smooth. Lewezy thought, "Dis ol tambourine done seen lots of da Lord's good music."

When Brother Ralph began his sermon, Lewezy became totally engulfed by it, as though he were speaking directly to her. Today, Brother Ralph's sermon was on letting the Lord enter your life. Lewezy knew something had entered her life to create this feeling, but what, she did not know.

"Wherse yous going?" Posey asked.

Lewezy heard but did not respond; she was stepping lightly down the aisle toward Brother Ralph. "Tell us, Sister Lewezy, tell us what you feel," she heard Brother Ralph say. At this point Lewezy felt a sense of knowing, yet no control. "Da Lord, da Lord," she heard herself say, "da Lord come into my soul. Praise da Lord. I got da happy feet, da Lord gi'me da happy feet."

There were a lot of "Amens" and "Praise da Lords" following Lewezy's testimony. Everyone in church that day had to hug her. Brother Ralph said she had been placed in Grace.

During Sunday dinner, Brother Ralph told how today's events was affecting him. "Never has I felt this way before. May I see yous this Saturday evening?" he asked Lewezy. Again, Lewezy felt flush as she answered yes. Life for Lewezy was never the same after that Sunday.

Sunday services at Ebenezer Baptist Church were never the same again, either. Brother Ralph's sermons inspired many members of the congregation to be overcome with "happy feet".

The Use of Derogatory Word and/or Terms

Just for reference: I was born in the Piedmont section of North Carolina in a cotton mill town. My paternal ancestry came from South Carolina, worked in cotton mills and lived in mill housing. Today they would be considered "White Trash." My maternal ancestry came from Georgia and were farmers. Because of their attitudes toward segregation today they would be considered "Rednecks."

I find both terms, white trash and redneck, to be offensive, regardless of whom may be using them. Never, in my opinion, could either of these terms can be used with affection or adoration. Both terms derive from derogatory means used to demean another and place them in a lower class of individuals. These are terms that have no place in our culture beyond being used in a historical manner.

This is why I find it hard to understand those in the Black/African-American community who embrace the "N" word as now being part of their culture. It matters not how the word is pronounced: a hard "er" or a hard "a," the origin is the same.

Individuals such as Stephen A. Smith contend that white society has no place in telling black society what words they can and can not use. He is absolutely correct. Yet, regardless of the pronunciation and the intent, it is keeping the word alive. While we can read about the origin of the word in history, we can not listen to it being used by those from the post Civil War era. If we could, I would wager that its use in the south, by a large majority, would be pronounced with a hard "a," not a hard "er."

Personally, I find the use of the term "‘N’ word" to be offensive since everyone that hears it or reads it, automatically thinks of the word "Nigger." If we, for what ever reason, need the word to be used, why no be adult enough to use it. In the mind of those reading or hearing it, the word is there.

A word or term entering into our vocabulary does not mean either has to used. I grew up using the word "ain’t" before it was in our dictionaries. The fact that it is now found there does clean the word up for polite conversation. No one knows when there may be a live microphone open in range of the a conversation.

The Nuclear Option

 

Okay, the trigger has been pulled on the Nuclear Option. While I an glad to see that President Obama will now have the opportunity to fill the vacancies on the DC Court, I have to wonder if this is a move that someday may come back and bite Democrats on the rear-end.

There was a time, 2005, sorry I can’t recall the exact date, that the Republicans were threatening the same move and the Democrats fought hard against it. The nuclear option is something that is now available to all and no one, regardless of party, can honestly complain.

While this helps any President have his judicial appointment receive an up or down vote, this is not the only filibuster reform that needs to be accomplished. What the Senate needs to do is go back to the "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" filibusters.

If I understand it correctly, and by no means am I certain this is correct, a Senator can promise a filibuster if a certain bill is brought to the floor and opened for debate.  Should this occur the Leader then has to have a cloture vote before that bill is brought up. This means that any bill before the Senate would have to have super-majority support, sixty votes, before it could be debated.

This is not what democracy - majority rules - is about. This allows the minority to control the agenda. No bill should be able to be filibustered until it is brought to the floor and opened for debate. This way a Senator wishing to filibuster would be required to hold the floor until they chose to relinquish it thus ending the filibuster. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington