"Work on yourself first, take responsibility for your own progress. " ~I Ching.

I've been working in the White House Protocol Office for many years and I still cringe when the red phone rings and I get summoned to the Big Guy's office, which by the way is more round than oval. Yesterday I was watching the latest episode of Duck Dynasty in my office – there really isn't much to do in the Protocol Office - when the red phone came to life. I considered pretending I was out to lunch but an image of living on the streets popped into my head and I reluctantly turned off the television. I was subsequently summoned by the Big Guy to attend a meeting, pronto.

I was six years old in 1954 when I learned a life long lesson on the subject of the title of this story. It was a bright and sunny the day when my mother brought me grocery shopping with her. The “First National” was the grocery store where she did her shopping. It was only ten or fifteen minutes away by car form home and located on route nine in Natick, Massachusetts.

To be clear, Thomas Jefferson is one of my heroes. I find the man fascinating for many reasons. He is solidly in the top tier of historic people I would have liked to meet. Although I disagree with him on some points, much of what he said I agree with and even find brilliant. I realize, like everyone else, he was far from perfect. I don't hold that against him.

The protestors hold up signs and chant "No Justice for Trayvon" but do these people even have a clue as to what justice really is? I think not. The only "justice" these delusional people will accept is for George Zimmerman to be convicted of murder. It does not matter that all the facts in this case point to the fact that he acted in self-defense. No, facts are not wanted or needed for someone that only cares about furthering their own racist agenda.

I remember you holding me and rocking me. We would lay on the couch, you behind me, solid, protective, yet soft. You put your leg over my hip and used it to rock me gently. So slightly, I could barley notice it. But, it's effects were so powerful it would calm me right down. All the tensions of the day melting away. There we would lay, together for hours so softly, so sweetly, falling asleep. You told me once you always rocked 'your girls' this way. I smiled, because it meant I was 'your girl.'

He'd been working at that place for a long time. He'd seen faces come and go. A few stood out, of course. The comedians, the pricks, the whores that'd come and go; these weren't exactly unique people to a bartender. But each night, each week or so, he'd notice less people coming in. New people came in less and less, and the bar's customers ended up just being a bunch of nostalgia-filled veterans with nowhere better to go. Guys and gals from the good old days.

Swallowing the street in another night,

Seeing the police on the other side.

And so did i glide,

To a different light.

It was a beautiful morning on the West Coast. I had lived there for a little over a month, and it still amazed me how perfect the SoCal weather was. I loved going down to the beach early in the morning because it was so serene and peaceful. Most of the time, I read a book as I listened to the waves crashing in from the ocean. But for the last few days, I’d had my eye on something else.

My mind fills with sorrow,
At this hearts beating sound.
There would be no tomorrow,
And it started to pound.

There in the flying snow,
The tears streamed down.
Off the end of my nose,
They fell to the ground.

My partner, Rick, gets tired of me moaning about the fact that I can't think of a story to write. Tonight he suggested I pick one character and have a prompt ready for each day in August based on that character. That way, no matter what day I find myself without any ideas, I can select from this list. I sat down at the computer and put the dates down then begged, bribed, and cajoled Rick into providing the prompts This is the result! Feel free to do the same and use these prompts through August too....(this isn't a contest or activity and there are no prizes - it's just something to do).

I have been doing random reviews, but i had not considered reviewing the folks who reviewed me. Great idea.