The Success of Perseverance

Without going into detail, let's just say the past few months for your humble blogger has been a lesson in perseverance. The New Lexicon Webster's Dictionary defines it thus: The quality of being persistent and persevering Persevering in turn, is defined in the dictionary as present participle of persevere, defined as "to try hard and continuously in spite of obstacles and difficulties". What stands out about this definition is the implication that the process of persevering isn't an easy one and the agency of the person performing the action. That there will be road blocks and detours in life is inevitable. As the aforementioned definition of persevere suggests, it's up to us to try hard and continuously despite this. The proverbial light at the end of the tunnel may not be in immediate sight, but there is a fruit to persevering. In fact, the dictionary describes that fruit best : "a state of glory" It is the wish of yours truly for anyone reading this that you may know the fruits of persevering, no matter what the situation may be.

You know what time it is ;)

FREE COUNTDOWN WIDGET

Joseph Epstein: De Tocqueville's guide

Given we celebrated the founding of America the 4th of this month, your humble blogger was moved to introduce you to this phenomenal biography of one of the sharpest observers of American culture and democracy: Alexis de Tocqueville: Democracy's Guide by Joseph Epstein.  Any enthusiast of American politics and democracy (or democracy in general, for that matter) worth their weight needs to read Alexis De Tocqueville.  Considering his masterpiece, Democracy in America was written in the early 1800's, De Tocqueville may be a bit of a challenging read without some help.  Epstein's biography proves to do just that with a deft writing style and thoroughly researched insight.

Democracy's Guide goes into the mind of Alexis De Toqueville -literally- injecting some of his correspondence during his travels and publishing process into the work.  Epstein juxtaposes this with a comprehensive probe of Early 19th Century Europe and America, illuminating the context in which a brilliant mind from France would  create the seminal work on American democracy. Brought together through an approachable yet insightful writing technique, Epstein shows to be a handy resource in understanding the man behind one of the greatest books written about America.

A Bit of A F.A.N.D.R.O.I.D. Moment

Greetings all:

Your humble blogger would like to take some time to fangirl for a moment for. Janelle Monae . It is indeed beyond heartwarming to se the rise of such a great talent. As I type this, she is getting ready to close out the BET Awards, in addition to being featured in new Cover Girl commercials as well as garnering buzz for her single Q.U.E.E.N. Indeed,  hers has been a Cinderella story. What makes it even more heartening is the fact that it was all done on her own terms.

ALL HAIL THE Q.U.E.E.N.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

The Q.U.E.E.N. emotion picture has arrived.

 

Your humble blogger would have more to quip about this piece, but she has been rendered speechless.

 

Why, you ask? Click that play button below and find out.

 



 

What's on MsRanaDee's mind at the moment

Salutations!!!

After a bit of a quandry as to what to post here for this month, it hit me:



LET THE EXCITEMENT BEGIN-NOW!!!

(Thanks to my Wondatwin Sareesha for bringing this to my attention)

On Greekdom, Service, and Growth

Today, a conversation with a co-worker, a member of a Black Greek-letter fraternity went to this affect after telling him tommorow marks my five years in Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority:

Co-worker: (Jokingly) "I don't even want to say how many years it's been for me-[He then goes to say the year he was initiated]-probably before you were even born"

Me: [Tells the year I was born]

Co-worker: "See"

Me: (Referring to the co-workers time as a fraternity member) "That's not old, that's growth"

This hasn't been the first time a member of a Black Greek-Letter organization (BGLO) has placed value to any length of time of active membership.  In a conversation with another BGLO member, the response to my mentioning being active in my sorority for five years was "So you've been in there a while".  Such comments led me to think about the underlying significance in continuous activity in a Black Greek-letter organization for me: continuous service and growth through self-giving. 

Andre McKenzie notes the in his essay In the Beginning, "...the BGLO movement has provided its members with the opportunity to experience the camaradere of brotherhood and sisterhood, service to others, and social and personal development".  This experience is lifelong, given BGLO affilliation "..has continued...through active participation in graduate chapters."  According to Tamara Brown, in her introduction to her book African American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and the Vision (in  which McKenzie's essay is featured) service and growth was inherent in the purpose of forming such organzaitions. She contends they "began to take shape...as a means...to...create better men and women, and affect social change".  How does this happen? This is achieved through a self-giving love of one's neighbor.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI asserts in  God is Love that love is a "journey, an ongoing exodus out of the closed inward-looking self towards its liberation through self-giving, and thus towards authentic self-discovery"  Regarding BGLOs, Brown observes "the fraternal idea is best understood as tangible relationships" which is formed by the reconstruction of the self from an individual to the group. The aforementioned social and personal devlopment fostered through BGLO membership, then, can be seen as being rooted in non-selfish giving of oneself to fellow members and the community at large.  It can also be gleaned that such giving should be continuous.

Benedict XVI further notes in his aforementioned work that "love is never 'finished' and complete; throughout life, it changes and matures and thus remains faithful to itself".  In terms of BGLO emmbership, McKenzie assertion illustrates this, as noted above. Hence, service and growth has an important link to continuous membership in a BGLO.

In a nutshell, to serve one's fellow man is to grow as a person.  This is and has been at the heart of membership of a Black Greek-letter organization.  This has been especially true for your humble blogger.  To the BGLO founders and members that have come before, an insurmountable amount of gratitude and honor are owed to you. To the BGLO members of the present (special acknowledgement to my sorority sisters-you know who you are), this is a love letter to you.  Without you, my Greekdom would not be possible.

Sources:

Brown, Tamara, Parks, Gregory S., and Phillips, Clarendia M. African American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and the Vision. (Lexington, Kentucky: University of Kentucky Press, 2005)

Pope Benedict XVI. God is Love. (San Fransisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).