SCRIPTED
an inspirational newsletter by JC Gardner July 2020
s n e p o o g n t i t i w Wr windo ! the y soul m
Welcome to...
SCRIPTED A MONTHLY INSPIRATIONAL NEWSLETTER BY JC GARDNER
JULY 2020
WHAT'S INSIDE Get Busy Living The Ground Cries Out
Trouble Don't Last Always Print Version has Arrived! JC’s Writing Emporium Open House for Aspiring Authors Don't miss the special feature celebrating women who have overcome the odds.
This month's honoree is Blaque Diamond GET BUSY LIVING! It’s a brand new day, another day to get it right, a true celebration of life. If you are reading this, that means you're still here! With COVID-19 roaming around these streets, we have to use every minute of every day as a blessing. I never thought I would be living through a pandemic. Doesn’t this type of mayhem only happen in the movies? In science fiction books? In other countries? It is a sobering moment in history, but it’s not the first time the U.S. has experienced a health crisis but one of this magnitude seemed far-fetched and dare I say, preventable. We could debate all day on the “how” and the “why.” It’s not easy, but I try to focus on the now ! How much has already slipped through our fingers while we wait for tomorrow, next week, or next year? We are waiting for the right moment, a big bank account, waiting to retire, for the kids to be grown…and the list goes on. We often stand in our own way while the clock goes Tick Tock. I’m all about that glass half full, but the news can easily drain your cup dry. There are so many deaths, it’s very hard to digest. Everybody knows somebody, whether directly or indirectly, that has been affected by this awful disease. I pray for our health and safety, and that we use the common sense God gave us to practice social distancing and wear our masks.
If you have a dream, pursue it. If you have a talent, use it. Say your prayers about it, be explicit Get busy, stop slacking, and write your own ticket!
SCRIPTED - PAGE 2
THE GROUND CRIES OUT! As of this writing, you no doubt have all witnessed or heard about George Floyd. The world watched a man being murdered right before their very eyes. It was a heinous crime that appeared on phones, tablets, laptops and on social media. It replayed on television shows, newspapers – both digital and print, and on radio and blog posts. I can’t imagine being a close friend or relative and having to see and hear it all day and all night. For us who didn’t know him personally, it was heart wrenching. But then again, if you have any Black men in your circle, it should have felt like a gut-punch with a steel-toed shoe! Prior to Mr. Floyd's murder, Breonna Taylor was sleeping in her bed and was shot eight times. Before that, an unarmed young man, Ahmaud Arbery, was jogging near his home and was attacked and murdered. My God! Even as I write this, I am beyond saddened and horrified by these events – these murders -- have long gone unpunished, where the perpetrators are not convicted and set free. It’s not the first time. Or the second time. Or the third time. It has been too many times to count, and the first time should have been the last time. But now, something is happening. The killing of an unarmed Black man was the “status quo” for law enforcement but the reaction was not. It was not swept under the rug. A fuse was lit, and it became explosive. Thousands took to the streets in all 50 states, and kicked off a global protest around the world in countries such as Germany, France and the United Kingdom. In Genesis, Chapter 4, God asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” “What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.” God is probably struggling to hear the ground cry out because it has been suffocated by the blood and tears of the fallen. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said so many things decades ago that are relevant today. He aptly noted, “A riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it that America has failed to hear?”
America: “Can you hear me now?”
"TROUBLE DON'T LAST ALWAYS" PRINT VERSION HAS ARRIVED! Thanks to those who supported the free e-version of Trouble Don’t Last Always: Life Notes and Musings. It is STILL available for free on my website: www.jc-gardner.com. The hard copy can be ordered using this link for the introductory price of $8. Share with a friend and get two for $12* This offer will end July 15th at midnight. *Shipping & handling is $3.00
SCRIPTED - PAGE 3
l a i c Spe est Gu re u t a Fe
 Women Who Have Survived the Odds!
BLAQUE DIAMOND: WITNESS PROTECTION Can you imagine being on the run for your life not once...but twice?? Blaque Diamond recalls the events vividly without missing a beat. Hold on to your seat as you read the harrowing events below and see why she is a survivor!
Coming from a large family, you hear all sorts of stories. Well this is my story, and I remember it as if it was September 11th, only it was November 2011, and I was on the run. We lived in a big house, with about eleven bedrooms. In addition to my mother and other relatives, I had my own blended family of a husband and five kids, but things changed when I saw a family member doing some illegal activities out of our home. I felt like they were putting us in danger, so I questioned him, and he told me to mind my business or else. Next thing you know, I was told by a friend of mine that he heard my family member was going to kill me for interfering in their business. I shrugged it off, like he can't be serious. We were related, and he knew he was wrong. But then other people started telling me they heard he was going to put a hit on me. Can you imagine hearing those words? Still, I did not believe it. I was taught not to live in fear. Not long after, I ran into an acquaintance who had a perplexed look on his face, as if he was seeing a ghost. I asked, "What is the look for?" He said, “I thought you were dead.� While that was jarring, I did not act. But then...I started noticing a strange man, one I had not seen before, showing up in random places, like the supermarket, the park, and outside my home. It was clear I was being followed, so I thought this could be the hit. He was sent to kill me. We needed to move at once and quickly. I wasted no time packing up my family, 7 of us in total, and escaped to another state with the clothes on our backs and what we could pack into the moving truck. We left 40 years of our belongings behind. We left our jobs, and our children left their school and friends. We told no one where we were going, and we weren't sure either. All I knew was I had never lived in another place before, and for the first time in my life, I was homeless, distraught, and depressed, I cried every day for six months. We depleted all our savings and had to depend on social services to survive. Although it was an extremely tough ride, we bounced back, at least for a little while. Just as things started to settle and begin to make sense, my husband went missing. He was gone for weeks, so I made several phone calls
SCRIPTED - PAGE 4
and no one had seen or heard from him. It was like he had disappeared. I didn't know what to think. Had my relative caught up to us? Was this the hit -- had he made good on his promise? Sadly, I found him in the morgue. The coroner's report said it was a heart attack, but something just was not right. He died with I.D. on him, so why did they not contact me? I will not say after the death of my husband...instead, I will say after finding his body in the morgue, I decided to move, but once again my life was interrupted. I was taken to the police station after it was reported that there was a murder and they wanted to ask a few questions. I sat in the cold precinct for hours, with nothing to eat, and no sleep. After a full investigation, they told me I would have to move, as there was a concern about what I may or may not have known. Luck would have it that I was in the middle of packing. I was told If the case elevated, we would have to change our identity. I was given one opportunity to go back into my home to get what I needed and leave. I had a moving truck and a few unmarked police cars to follow me back to my home, only to find the house was rigged! The back window was broken into and the stove was set to explode. We ran in and out of the house, once again, grabbing what we could. As the murder trial approached, I was told I might have to disappear with my children. Leaving so abruptly and moving to another undisclosed place was starting to take a toll on me, but instead of living in fear I decided to live as if my life depended on it, and it did. We could not live anywhere for too long for fear someone would come for us, so I taught the kids how to play dead on the floor, should our home be sprayed with bullets. In the event we had to leave suddenly, each child had a task: one child was to grab an emergency bag, one had our change of clothes, another, important documents, food, and water, and so on. My oldest was given direction to take my vehicle, that we had to exchange for an unidentifiable vehicle, and drive to a location only he and I would know. If I did not show up, he should keep going with the plan. Thank God for a quick verdict. For now, we are safe . Although it has been several years, since the passing of my husband and being on the run twice, we are still putting pieces of our lives together. I cannot say we do not have significant trust issues, or that we utterly understand our journey. Some people say I am rigid, but I say I am careful and a woman of immense faith. I am an imperfectly perfect child of God, and I lean on my faith to get me through. Why am I a survivor? Because I know that with all I have experienced -- the coping mechanisms, my past mistakes, my survival skills -- God can only be preparing me for what is next in my life. Whatever He has for me to do, I am ready to follow, because He makes no mistakes. Understand there is a purpose for everything and there is a reason in this season. I am taking it one day at a time, knowing always, God is in control and for the for the first time in a long time, I can breathe again. About Blaque Diamond: Diamond, a foster care and adoption specialist, is the C.E.O. of Blaque Diamond Enterprise. She is an award winning, best-selling author and has her Master's in Social Work, along with being a Certified Parent Coach. Diamond is the mother of twelve and resides in the DMV area. Diamond is available for speaking engagements. Email her at: blaquediamond357@gmail.com.
SCRIPTED - PAGE 5
YOU'RE INVITED TO
JC's Writing Emporium Open House JULY 19, 2020 | 7 PM | VIRTUAL ZOOM EVENT
s e g a p e een s e Th ve b too ha k for n bla long! Come to my virtual Open House, and let’s talk about why your writing project is still sitting on the shelf! I’ll be sharing tips and tools to get you started in a fun, interactive environment. What have you got to lose? Admission is FREE!! YOU MUST CLICK HERE TO RSVP and then you will receive your “ticket” for the event. Feel free to share with a friend.
Oh…there are a few requirements: 1. Plan to do some writing and win some prizes! You will need something to write with, i.e. journal, laptop, tablet, phone. 2. Bring your questions – I have answers! 3. ….and plan to have a good time!
Can’t wait to see you!
www.jc-gardner.com authorjcg@yahoo.com