Blog 100 - Reaching the Goal and Beyond

Blog 100

Reaching the Goal and Beyond

by

Vernon M. Herron

This is blog number 100. It indicates that 100 blogs have been written with the help of guest writers over a period of one year. Many disciplines went into the mix for thought development, sentence construction, showing training, experience and exposure in English, Seminary, Genealogy, History, Grantsmanship, fraternal life, strategic planning, family life, church life, political-social-economical life, travel and death experiences. These disciplines are the sum total of who I am in body, attitude, aptitude and spirit.

Initially, we had hoped to publish the first 50 blogs in a compiled book form but that objective was not realized. The goal was extended to blog 100 and then publish. So here we are. “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” This we did. For those of you who registered a desire for a book, you will receive information on how to obtain the same soon.   

 

Blog writing was not a monolithic enterprise. It was a group effort, including input received from Alexander and his mother Leila Waters, Barbara Hendricks, Ione Vargus, Constance Dillon, Joseph Burton, Steve Johnston, Donnell Sheppard, William Youngblood, guest writers, public library, local churches and other sources for which I thank you.

Initially, I edited a  Class Newsletter  for the Charlotte Second Ward High School Class of ’47. After that stint, it was Joe Burton’s introduction to the blogging idea which captured my fantasy.  I shall long remember, how the inspiration for blog writing came to me upon rising in the morning with blog subjects, body development and clues for the final touch. As stated earlier, we have reached the goal of producing 100 blogs. That process has helped this writer mentally, socially and intellectually; some constructive and innovative movements replaced floundering strategies; senior citizen moments were challenged; new friends were made; fresh ideas were created; and life’s experiences became relevant and germane.

Let us all think through the next step for blogging. I will initiate model one. You are free to add or subtract from the model The new blogging idea suggests a CONSORTIUM of COMMENTATORS.  (C/ C).

Consortium: An agreement, combination or group formed to undertake an   

enterprise beyond the resources of any one member.

Commentator: One who gives a commentary by discussion.

Consortium defined

Of people who have computers, form a participatory e-mail group of commentators whose mission it would be to review selected “Herron Speaks” blogs by critiquing and evaluating the same for further dialogue and review. This could be stimulating.

Consortium in Operation

(Let us assume that 50 persons compose the c/c.)

1.     Each c/c would receive a number, which would be your badge of identification.

2.     Each c/c would receive a roster of committed numbers, names and e-mail addresses, which would comprise your c/c file.

3.      Each week, a previous published blog will be selected and sent to you as ‘the blog of the week’ for critiquing. When that is done, your comments are sent on to your entire file, only when your number appears. (This may require several weeks, depending on the number participating.)

4.     Once you have received a response from all c/c, then the process would repeat itself with another selected c/c number and a previous blog.

The challenge

Would you be interested in becoming a c/c? If so, register your interest with me, which will start the process only after we dispense with the book idea.

Blog 99: The Power of Suffixes

By Barbara P. Hendricks

Guest Writer

(See blog 39)

— Written by popular request —

     Think with me for a few minutes about words and their importance in our lives. 
     Parents eagerly anticipate the time when their children say their first word. From that time onward, talking becomes a goal. Talking and walking often occur simultaneously. 
     As children continue to grow, drawing, printing, writing in cursive and reading become important activities. We can classify all of these accomplishments as learning. 
     By this time you are probably wondering what any of this has to do with words. I assure you the answer is everything! Let’s look again at the words that define each accomplishment: talking, walking, drawing, printing, writing in cursive and reading. 
     When we view these words together, we can acknowledge the presence of another word: learning. Now, look at the ending of each of these words and you immediately recognize that each of them ends in –ing, which is a suffix. Suffixes are word endings which add new dimensions to the meaning of existing words, especially nouns and verbs.
     The words in the above paragraph are verbs, which by definition are action words. The –ings have given the words additional power by making them actions toward a goal. 
     The –ings in our life give credence to the fact that we are always in the process of accomplishing something or becoming the kind of person we would like to be. Hopefully, you have already thought of some additional words that are powerful because of the suffix –ing. 
     Some of these words are interacting, communicating, understanding, loving, playing, worshipping, and most important of all: living. Everything that we do each day is a component of living and must be accepted and respected as a process of becoming better persons.
     I definitely believe that learning must be a life-long activity that keeps living exciting and worth every breath we take! I am often reminded of Dr. Helen Morse Sanders, who was my Freshman Composition teacher at Spelman College. She was straight-laced and tolerated no nonsense in her classes. 
     She told us at the first class meeting that our goal was to learn how to write well. She continued by saying that each of us would be in the process of becoming excellent writers. She further stated that we were members of the freshman class and could only be considered satisfactory at that time. She then informed us that a status of satisfactory in her class was worthy of no more than a grade of C. She said that each of us could expect to receive a C as our first semester grade. Any higher grades could only be earned after we made progress toward becoming better excellent writers. 
     Even though it seemed very unfair at the time, I never forgot that lesson. I learned well that we are always in the process of becoming better at whatever task confronts us. Consider the power of the suffixes, especially the –ings.