Easter Egg (Delores and Rochelle)

The older buds have a lot of freedom in what they write about, and I always get the best stories from them as a result. The downside is that there's no guarantee an older bud will write a holiday story in time for that holiday, especially when I write my posts one week after every session. Occasionally, an older bud writes a story about a certain holiday months before it appears on the calendar. And so it was for older bud Delores, who wrote this story about Easter surprises right here, and older bud Rochelle who wrote about gaining her religion:

Delores Wilson
01.11.2019
Easter Sunday Surprise

Our request was made by my two brothers and myself for three baby chicks for Easter.
At that period of time time, it was allowed to dye baby chicks for Easter. My mom said yes. She approached us again and asked if we preferred to dye easter eggs instead. We said we wanted to dye baby chickens. My mom said okay but we must keep the basement clean, spick and span. that was one of the most exciting experience we had – we each had our own baby chick.
Easter was early that year, it was in March instead of April. It was common knowledge that baby chicks that were dyed had a short life span. Well, I want to tell you, as the weeks turned into months, they began to lose their feathers and new feathers were growing in.
My mom and dad, both Southerners, were amazed. They didn’t think our chicks would last two weeks. Well, we had a rooster, and he woke my father up at 4:00 am every morning and two hens.
I overheard my mom on the phone saying, “I didn’t expect the chicks to last that long.” Her Easter surprise!

Rochelle Tynes
02.05.2019
Before Christ

Before Jesus got his hands on me completely, I would give people pieces of my mind when they pissed me off by saying things that were of no concern to them in regards to me, relating to how I wore my clothes, combed my hair, walked, talked, just anything that struck their nerve or fancy. I would argue, cuss, and get very angry.
Since Jesus got his hands on me, I very seldom respond to negative remarks. However, I do respond at times, not too often and then I spend a great deal of time asking the Lord to please continue to cover me with his/the blood and forgive my dumb responses to these people. People (some) of them say things that they assume or think are true about you. My position usually is to explain why I have acted in such a manner to cause this reasoning or ignore them. But today, I responded and spent a great deal of time beating myself up for responding, thinking that I had a choice to ignore the situation or respond differently. I know what the whole scenario will soon fade from my mind but right now, it’s still fresh and I have to ask for the after BC effect to take over.
BC is before Christ, it takes over and directs you to walk differently in a more positive way – even though we can, and will go astray.

And what would make a better Easter surprise than talking to an older bud and finding a treasure trove of hidden stories. Just go on here to figure out how: http://bitly.com/shareastorytoday
If you're looking for a little inspiration, than you can read some of the stories I've found throughout the year. One about targets, one about guns, one about potatoes, and one about the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Or if you'd like to contribute to our 10th Anniversary celebration, then donate at
http://bestdayofmylifesofar.org/donate/

And for one final Easter treat, enjoys these senior selfies courtesy of Frances and brand new older bud Philip.

Thanks for reading, and Happy Easter!
Curated by Caitlin Cieri

Good Fun (Liz and Eleanor)

I’m glad to report that the older buds of Best Day lived the April Fools Day joke. On First Thursday, we went into the computer room and read the stories online. I asked José and Delores to read “their” stories, and Frances to read one of “Delores’” stories. I eagerly watched for that moment of recognition when they realized the stories had the wrong authors...along with the laughs that inevitably followed.

Liz and Eleanor tried their hand at writing their stories on the computer as well, but when they asked where to submit them, I thought it’d be fun to have them submit stories through our form on http://bitly.com/shareastorytoday
They both liked having the power to submit stories whenever they wanted, especially because the writers of Best Day are always filled to the brim with stories.

We only have seven months left until our 10th Anniversary celebration, and we want to make it as big and vibrant as possible. If you want to contribute, then go to http://bestdayofmylifesofar.org/donate/
Or if you want to submit a story yourself, then start a conversation with an older bud and send it to http://bitly.com/shareastorytoday
Want to see how quickly it works? Liz and Eleanor just submitted their stories last Thursday, and here they are!

Liz Abrams 

04.04.19 

No T.V. 

Okay, so the lights went out and so did the tv. No surge, 2 great widescreen, out of operation. Why, the T.V. [has] been my companion & only friend since I lost my closest family members in 2015. But [it’s] more than that, since my favorite past-time is movies, mostly sci-fi. I thought, get it repaired ASAP. The repair person said its cheaper to purchase, rather than repair. That is the way of technology today, sooooo, a challenge. Can I really do without a TV in my life? Well, I soon found out. There is a smart phone. I worked to death and discovered [that] everything is on the smart phone. [I was a] late bloomer [to] the world of the G button, Youtube, text, e-mail, Hulu, Netflix, [and] Internet. Music, the oldies (I mean oldies, 1955 and all) are all there, [plus] talk, pix, voice recorder, [and] videocam. What a treat and now I am no longer hostage to the cable company and utility company. I discovered my radio, my piano, and mostly talking to people face to face. No longer hostage to sitting around viewing the large screen, but walking everywhere —dancing, concerts, museums, drawing, trips in town and out of town. Boy, oh boy did GOD do me a favor. The one day the lights went out!!!!!!!!



By Eleanor Kazdan,

04.04.2019 

Computers 

When I was a child I vaguely heard about the computer. It was a mammoth machine that took up a whole room, and the only time I actually saw one was in the movies. It seemed like science fiction. In 1967, my last year of high school, I was given the opportunity to learn how to use one of these huge machines. We learned how to write a program in Fortran, submitted it to the teacher, and from my recollection, the information was coded on various colors of punch cards. It was all very mysterious. Unfortunately, I always seemed to make some small error in my program, and never had success. When I started university the next year the only contact I had with computers was notes that my physicist boyfriend wrote to me on pink computer punch cards.I didn’t think about computers again for many years. In about 1987, just after I had gone back to graduate school, my husband decided to buy our first computer. It was quite expensive, and although not as big as the original mammoths, took up a whole corner of a spare bedroom. I learned how to use the word processing program. This seemed like a miracle to me. I could type my essays without worrying about making mistakes, as they could be corrected without a problem. No more cutting and pasting for the finished product.Everything seemed like science fiction. Soon we could email people and they would immediately receive our message.In the ’90’s the huge computer became a smaller desktop, and the prices of computers came down to a fraction of their former cost. Next came very portable computers like the iPod, then the iPad and the smartphones. The developments were dizzying, changing like the speed of lightening. Then came total dependency on the computer as well as crimes and hacking into computer data. At times I long for a simpler, non-computerized life. But they are definitely here to stay. I now have an Apple watch, and can receive emails and text messages without even taking out my phone or tablet.

Hope you enjoyed the stories. And I hope these inspired you to send in some of your own.
Curated by Caitlin Cieri

No Foolin' (José, Eugene, Joan, and Delores)

Last Monday was April Fools Day, a celebration of pranks, jokes, and major corporations advertising products you wish you could really buy. Last week, Best Day got into the April Fools Day spirit by switching around the names and dates on our stories. Below is an amended list of who wrote what:

For Mother Dear 

12.06.18 

Eugene Carrington 

Norman Cain  

5.17.2018  

Professor Gates and Me – Something in Common

Delores Wilson  

10.18.18  

Infamous Tomboy  

Frances H. Bryce  

9.20.2018  

Detour

To make up for this incredibly mild form of deception, I give you stories that were actually written by José, Eugene, Joan, and Delores:

José Dominguez 

02.21.2019 

Memories of My Lawyer Experience in Mexico 

I guess to be a lawyer in Mexico is not so complicated as in the USA. Perhaps, that’s the reason I ended [up] practicing law. Well, my wife believed it was a risk not only to my clients, but to me as well, so when I went out too work, she prayed to all saints, the holy sprit, to God, to every holy power to protect me of all danger, mostly of my naiveness.I will tell you some experiences I lived so you will have an idea of what I am talking about. Blanca was a young lady close to my wife’s family. She came to our house to explain to me how she was suffering from her husband’s physical and psychological violence. Several nights, I had to hear the sad story and had to assure the lady that I would obtain the divorce from the court. I guess she was so grateful with my services that she insisted visiting my house night after night until late, after dramatic [tearful] sessions. But one day, she appeared at my door and told me, “Mr. Dominguez, I came to pick up all of my papers.” I answered her request saying, “But Blanca, the case is not over." “Mr., it is over, I decided that my husband is the love of my life and I live in peace with him.” “What? And What about all that you told me?” And she answered, “Forget it, its a matter of the past and that’s it.” Zero fees, zero earnings because a troubled couple decided to be happy.Another case was a criminal case working for the defense. My client was [accused] of fraud and robbery. I did a lot of work proving how my client was a good guy, a truthful husband ad a cool champ. The judge declared my client innocent. So I went to collect my legal fees. “What fees Mr.?” he asked. “The ones related to your case.” "But if you read the sentence, I was always an innocent guy, so if I am innocent, I don’t have to pay." Oh my God, I learned to make deals with crooks. Oh now can I skip. Don’t call it story. He was a very poor peasant and one friend of his drove his car against him (to harm him for sure) but in the moment of the stroke Don Calixto to tow bed so he only was injured in one leg so he was suffering terrible pains. Don’t want to write so much but I will end by saying that I took Don Calixto to the doctor and paid for the medicines. I added to my admirer’s club another member but my wife told me, “You are a nice guy, don’t discuss it, but tell me, how are we going to pay our bills?” 

Eugene Charrington  

10.25.2018  

That Wistful Guy   

An obese man leaned against an antique Cadillac’s façade on Walnut Street by Broad. His gray hairline was thinning out of his forehead, his potbelly sagged down past his brass belt buckle. His brown loafers appeared to be spit-shinned and sparkled in the setting Philadelphia sun. His wrinkled olive-hued face had a look that said – a recent ugly agreement with his girlfriend, a business deal gone bad, or life’s problems just seemed to be taking over and all this caused him to gaze out sadly onto Broad Street as he slowly puffed on his prolific cigars, a cigar whose odor one could detect twenty or more feet away. 
And you know, when I examine my life, I don’t have it so bad compared to many others.   

Joan Bunting 

02.05.2019 

Aging 

How has getting older made you feel? Do you ever wish that you were younger or [there was] a special age you could return to?I don’t. To me, getting older is, of course, a brand new type of life experience.First, as I entered into my sixties, I started going through different physical problems. For a while, I would get a break from having appointments to my doctor. I would be feeling just fine when all of a sudden, a pain would hit me from nowhere. Once I finally got used to that, whenever I would get a pain where I’ve never had one before. I would just laugh and to myself I would say out loud, “Where did that come from?”But you know what? I’m blessed that God has brought this far in this life. I’ve experienced lots of ups and downs but, He has kept me and is still keeping me.First it was [that] females had a problem telling their age and now there are some males that seem to want to keep their age a secret. Why? Be grateful that God has allowed you to live as long as you have.First of all, no matter how young you might want people to think you are, the fact of the matter is that you won’t get any younger than what you are. People know that you’re not young anymore, so be proud of your age and thank the Almighty God for keeping you and giving you chance after chance to develop a close relationship with Him. 

Delores Wilson  

9.6.2018 

 PennDot   

Five years had passed and now is time to have my total ID renewed. I was told by the receptionist that I would need $30.50 check or money order and they open at 8:30 however people are waiting in line before that time. I really appreciated the heads up. 
This time I was prepared to do some reading. The young lady that was standing ahead of me was very cheerful. She and I began to engage in conversation and her attitude picked me up. It was very engaging to me to be engaged with a person of her youth. When it was my turn to get my information in check, another pleasant surprise. The gentleman that waited on me had a great sense of humor. Next, I was sent to the end of the process to actually have my picture taken. He asked about my scarf and I told him I wore it in the previous ID. He had me remove my picture from the holder and I could see for myself it wasn’t on. Then I remembered it was for my passport. I was told if I were to keep it on, I would have to wear it at all times.   
He was very gracious. I never read the book I had to keep me preoccupied. There was a better book, the book of people. We human beings are part from God and we are expert at finding faults. I am challenged to see the good. I heard my voice say “kudos customer service.” I heard his eyes say thank you.  

And we don’t fool around when it comes to ending senior isolation. Share your love for the older buds in your life by submitting their stories here: http://bit.ly/submit1000stories   
And if you need a refresher on how to submit stories to “Joy Starts Here,” check out this handy-dandy link: http://bestdayofmylifesofar.org/joystartshere/

And don’t forget to check out the stories from our Philadelphia-based sister group Center in the Park. They’ve got lots of amazing stories, so check them out.
Curated by Caitlin Cieri

Scramble (José, Eugene, Joan and Delores)

The older buds of Best Day are always eager to get to their workshops and events, and even more eager to stay afterwards to catch up with friends. Unfortunately, things happen that keep them from coming and staying as they please. Some of them have doctors appointments, others have broken heaters, some have unexpected family issues, and others still are held up by public transit. Some older buds are completely reliant on SEPTA's Customized Community Transportation, or CCT, which has a bad habit of picking up riders far too early or way too late. And if you don't come when you're called, they just drive off. Many older buds get mixed up in these scheduling kerfuffles, but we're sure you won't lose track of your favorite writers.

José Dominiguez

02.07.19

For Mother Dear

I knew you days were numbered. You lay bedridden in that horrible hospital and when I   

came to visit you barely recognized me your son of 43 years. You knew that my love 

for you was steadfast, never failing through thick and thin. 

Still, you knew your time on earth was ending and so I did too. You left the hospital only to  

return quickly.  And return I did to your side, your cheeks were pale, your legs weak, so much so that you could barely venture to the bathroom. Your head gray, gray from life’s trials and tribulation. Yes, I knew that time, your time was winding down. I held your hand and kissed you good-bye not knowing how many days remained

Eugene Charrington

03.21.2019

Professor Gates and Me – Something in Common 

One spring morning in 1970, I unlocked the door and entered into the house I had and had just purchased, in the Fern Rock section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the G.I. Bill. Before I could close the door, a policeman entered and demanded an explanation for my being on the premise. I explained that I had just purchased the house and was awaiting the arrival of a utility person. To solidify my claim, I produced the deed to the home. In spite of my explanation and evidence that proved that I was the owner of the property, I was taken to jail, where I spent three hours before being released.

In 2009, approximately 39 years after the incident that occurred above, renowned Harvard University professor, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, attempted to enter his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but disconnecting a jammed doorknob. A neighbor reported a burglary. The Cambridge Police Department intervened. Gates was arrested and booked. The arrest created controversy throughout the nation. President Obama contended that the arrest was stupid, and that Latinos and African Americans were arrested disapportionately in America. He received criticism for his statement by law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S.A. When I heard about the incident, I was not shocked. 

I could relate to his predicament, understand his frustration with the United States criminal justice system. My deed was not proof of home ownership. And Professor Gates whose credentials speak for themselves proved that prejudice in this nation was alive. Gates was an honored scholar, but his color placed him in a profiling category. Harvard’s campus has hosted numerous prejudicial episodes over the years. The Gates incident just happened to reach national proportions.

An article entitled, “The Arrest of Henry Louis Gates,” by Mark Lineman in the Atlantic Magazine on August 12, 2010, stated that he had interviewed a Caucasian woman in Cambridge, Massachusetts who claimed she had gotten assistance from a Cambridge officer when she had locked herself out of her home. Arresting office, Crowley, who had conducted Sensitivity Training Seminars throughout the New England area for ten years, evidently did not practice what he preached. Professor Gates and I were arrested for being in the wrong neighborhood while being Black. But we both had a right – property ownership – to be where we were. 

Joan Bunting

01.10.19

Infamous Tomboy 

I was older than my older brother by 9 months. My youngest brothers, he was two and a half years younger. We called ourselves the three musketeers. 

Everything my brothers did, I tried to do it better. I played bottle tops, cowboys and Indians, jumping over the roof of tops of houses, jumping from the school tower, racing, etc. etc.

Wresting and boxing was out because that was a contact sport. They would show me how to box by posing me in the position and telling me where and how to hit them. 

One day my older brother sprayed me with a water gun. I became very angry because I had just gotten my hair done and it was slightly wet from the water gun. In return I threw a soda can at my brother. 

In those days, I played a dual part.  Earlier part of the day I was a tomboy, and in the afternoon I was Miss Prissy Prissy. I wore dresses and played girly games. I think the water gun put things into perspective for me. Two weeks later I overheard my brother jokingly say, “Well Eddy, I guess we lost our big brother.” 

Delores Wilson

01.31.2019

Detour 

The bus I usually take (40) on South Street stops at the corner of where I live. With construction, that seems like it began ages ago at 23rd and South, the bus is now detoured to Pine and 21st for me.

Today, as I was seconds from the stop on Pine Street, I saw the bus pass, now I knew a long wait would be in store for me. I thought maybe in the next 15 minutes another bus would be there. Finally, after waiting long time, I hauled a cab. As soon as I entered the cab, I noticed the seats were soiled, and the floor was dirty. I told the driver about the condition of the passenger seating and the dirty floor. His remark was that it was because the previous rider caused the dirty condition. I replied that this was an accumulation of trash, not left by one passenger.

I was disappointed that I didn’t get the driver’s number and that I gave him a tip. My tip should have been: “If you are driving people around, you need to check the condition of the cab when the passengers are riding.”

Today really made me appreciate the bus I usually take on South Street. 

Don't lose track of the older buds in your life! Share your love for the older buds in your life by submitting their stories here: http://bit.ly/submit1000stories   
And if you need a refresher on how to submit stories to “Joy Starts Here,” check out this handy-dandy link: http://bestdayofmylifesofar.org/joystartshere/
And don’t forget to check out the stories from our Philadelphia-based sister group Center in the Park. They’ve got lots of amazing stories, so check them out.

Curated by Caitlin Cieri