January 2021 Newsletter "Scripted" by JC Gardner

SCRIPTED

an inspirational newsletter by JC Gardner

January 2021

SCRIPTED A MONTHLY INSPIRATIONAL NEWSLETTER

BY JC GARDNER

Don't miss the special feature celebrating women who have overcome the odds!

This month's honoree is Charisse Downing DISCUSSION TOPICS

My New BFF

Political InsomniaÂ

Millennial Hot NewsÂ

My New BFF (Hypothetically!)

vegetables look fresh, debate about sweets

Waz up Avid Readers?! I pray this newsletter

in a whisper. Yes indeed, I know the Lord

is finding you healthy, happy, and in good

hears me, so that makes me still sane, right?

I don't need or recite a recipe out loud, but

spirits. We are still here! Thank you, Jesus!

And then there is the ability to actually fuss

So you may be wondering who is my new BFF.

out the person standing next to me without

Before I let you know who...or what...that is, I

them knowng. All the while, I got my eyes

take the 5th! The following may or MAY NOT

smiling and my mouth fussing, like when

be factual events. In any case, I hope it makes

you see your shopping companion about to

you smile, because laughter is good for the

buy something outrageous, you can actually

soul.

say, "What the Heck?" But no one will be

What used to be a P.I.B. (Pain In the Butt) is now my constant companion and that, my friends, is my face mask! LOL Yes, I've come to love my face mask for several reasons which may or may not be true.

For example, I can walk around the store and talk to myself without anyone knowing. I can have a whole conversation about what

the wiser.

Your mask also talks to you. It will tell you when it's time to brush your teeth. Yes, it will! Sends you straight to the toothbrush and mouthwash in a minute.

If it's a cloth mask, you'll know when to wash it...just in case you tried to forego daily cleaning of it. (Not I.)

Scripted - Page 2

That cloth mask will also tell you when

that's only some of what we know about. They

someone else has been wearing it, like why

ransacked offices, assaulted officers of the law,

does it smell like Old Spice or Cheetos?

and chanted threats of hurting officials.

I've sung songs, laughed, and turned my nose

I'm not going to rehash all of it, but what was

up if someone stank. Oh the secrets my mask

MOST amazing is many of the protestors, after

could tell!

that, went home. There were no paddy wagons, police vans, or SWAT, at least not what I saw.

But I digress. These are just hypothetical

Yes, there have been some arrests, but really

fantasies in the world of JC or maybe they

people? If these were Black or Brown people,

are true...mums the word!

would the outcome have been the same?

The former President and administration seemed

Political Insomnia The peaceful transfer of power

to take forever to approve the National Guard to assist for a really long time. And at the end, he said, and I quote: you have to go home now...we love you, you’re very special.

weighed heavily on the minds of many. How would the

This is America!

previous leader of the free world end his one term in

I've said before, there is no perfect politician.

office?

They are human; they all don't follow through on promises for a number of reasons. They make

I've never watched so much news in my life. I

mistakes. I know of no perfect people, but your

was watching, reading, debating, posting,

consistent actions will eventually show your

praying, scouring digital spaces all to keep up

character and more importantly, what's in your

and stay abreast of what could he possibly do

heart.

next. I went to bed watching the news and woke up scrolling through my phone to see

We still have a very long way to go in this nation,

what mayhem had occurred during my few

but I can't help but feel a bit lighter, less anxious

hours of sleep. It was like waiting for the other

and more hopeful.

shoe to drop, and boy, did it ever on January 6th.

That day will forever be known as The Insurrection on January 6th. I could hardly believe my eyes. It was like watching those movies "White House Down" or "Olympus Has Fallen." Hundreds of people arrived by busloads and clearly were ready for battle. They launched an attack on the nation's capital, dare I say, with relative ease. They brought a hangman's noose, weapons, flags, zip ties, and

Time will tell.

t, always ligh For there is e br a v e if only we'r ee it. enough to s e br a v e If only we'r E it. enough to B Excerpted from, "The Hill We Climb" Amanda Gorman National Youth Poet Laureate

l a i c Spe est u

Women's Survivor Series

G u ure Feat

Charisse Downing Overcoming Abuse

Abuse of any kind is a very sensitive and tough topic for anyone to openly discuss. I salute my featured guest, Charisse Downing, an Army Veteran, for sharing her story of survival. Look out for Charisse’s book about her life to be published at a future date.

JC: Tell us about your childhood and how it was for you growing up?

CD: Up until my father's accident, which left him disabled, I can say I had a normal childhood, at least I thought so. I lived with my grandparents and they had a farm, and I loved everything about that life. (My mother was not in the picture.) Most of the time, I was outside playing with my toys or the farm animals. My father was in a near fatal car crash, and when he returned home, unable to walk, the abuse first presented itself in the form of verbal and mental abuse. He had a very colorful, hurtful, demeaning vocabulary, using expletives with every sentence. At the time, I was only around 8, and the force and tone of his voice caused me to be terrified most of the time when I had to encounter him, which was every day since he lived with us.

It wasn't long after that before the actual physical abuse began. When he was angry, he started hitting me in the head with his fists, slapping me in the face, and throwing whatever he could get his hands on. He had access to guns, and his rage over not being the same man he used to be before the accident only escalated his forms of attack, so he started threatening me with guns, hitting me with his pistol and even shooting at me. When my grandfather was alive, he had my father a little more under control, but when granddaddy died, it was just me, my (paternal) grandmother and my father.

My grandmother was abused as well.

My grandfather was really my best friend.

His death was devastating on so many levels, and I still feel the effects of his passing even today.

You know, at that age, I didn't understand why this was happening. I was just so lost. As I grew older, I even spent time in foster care. Over time, I built up a wall; I kind of stayed away from everybody so I couldn’t be hurt. I stopped trusting people because a young girl looks to her father to be her protector, and I didn't have that. It was hard for me to even try to build a relationship with anyone because I expected everyone to treat me the way I had been treated as a child, especially men. I expected to be beat and abused because that was all I knew.

My father being confined to a wheelchair was mentally devastating for him, and among other things, he became an alcoholic. My grandmother, who I considered to be my mom, also became an alcoholic, I believe, because she became my father's drinking partner and suffered from the stress of being his caretaker. The loss of who my dad used to be, her only son, had a big effect on her, too.

JC: You have been dealing with a lot of health issues. Do you attribute any of it to your past?

CD: Yes I do. You know, as a child, you don't know certain things, but as you get older, you get wiser, you get more educated. I think about all the blows upside the head. There had been times when I had head injuries that needed stitches, but they went untreated. I've been hit so many times, I was knocked out and upon waking up, I wasn’t sure of my surroundings. I often wonder if I suffered

Scripted - Page 4

Charisse Downing, Cont'd. concussions during those times. Sometimes, I'm stricken with severe headaches and migraines, so debilitating to the point that I need injections to try to combat the pain. I have a lot of problems with my joints and different types of arthritis that may have come from sleeping on the cold wet ground in the woods, but I also think my mindset affected my health.

I spent many days suffering from clinical depression, stress, fear, anxiety, and sadness. It was a struggle just to get up in the morning. I also have hypertension (since nine years old) and diabetes.

JC: Wow Charisse. I know your story, but each time I hear it, I’m just amazed by your quiet resilience and resolve to still live each day with a positive outlook.

How do you do it?

CD: My faith is what keeps me going. Even though my grandmother was an alcoholic, she was still a praying woman. At an early age, she taught me to believe in God and she always said that 'the Lord would make a way and that even through the shadows of death, He'll be there for you.' So during my episodes of abuse, I would always pray. I was that child that prayed like an adult. I always believed that God would protect me, and He would bring me through whatever it was that I was going through. Child abuse continued in one form or another on and off up until the age of 18.

When I lost my grandfather, I couldn't understand why God would take everything from me. But my grandfather actually came back to me in a spirit and revealed to me the reason. So I have to say if it wasn't for my faith and believing that the Lord would one day deliver me from the abuse and everything that I was going through, I would not have made it.

I thank God for bringing me through, so I owe it to Him to have joy in my heart, because unlike so many other victims of child abuse, I'm still alive. Each day, I put one foot before the other and I keep it moving. I refuse to give up. Even in my darkest hours, I find a reason to get up and move forward. I am a survivor because I refused to give up.

JC: Charisse, you are an inspiration and a testament to the power of faith and a beacon of hope to all of those who have suffered childhood abuse. Please share any closing remarks.

CD: Sometimes we're forced to do things, to endure things beyond understanding and beyond our control. But if we are blessed to live through it and come out alive, we can take control of our lives and rewrite the future. We may have been victimized, but we don't have to remain a victim all our lives. If we made it through, we are winners, and nothing feels as good as being able to lift that victory trophy and claim defeat of that horrible monster named child abuse. We are survivors.

Nearly 700,000 children are abused in the U.S each year. Child abuse is deadly. In 2018, an estimated 1,770 children died from abuse and neglect in the United States.

JC: Amen and Amen. How do you keep your joy?

CD: I keep my joy by constantly telling myself that I'm strong and any weapon formed against me shall not prosper because I am a child of God. I have an understanding that what happened that dreadful night when the car accident occurred was not my fault. And I really believe in my heart that my father would not have treated me the way he did had it not been for him being suddenly paralyzed and losing his dignity and independence at such a young age. It was too much and caused him to be mentally incapacitated. His inability to cope with his circumstances led to his tragic, untimely death.

All states have a system to receive reports of suspected child abuse and neglect. If you suspect a child is being harmed, you should report your concerns to the appropriate authorities, such as child protective services.

Millennial Hot News BY: ALEXIS GARDNER

Here’s a fast five take on what’s going on in the millennial world: Drake said that he would want to see a Verzuz between Justin Timberlake and Usher.

Who do you think would win? Would JT Rock Your Body or would Usher Let it Burn?

Quarantine blues got you down? Still need something to watch? Luckily for all of the binge-watchers out there, Netflix has promised a new movie every week for all of 2021. Happy streaming!

The Queen is back again...Queen Bey that is. Hide yo kids, hide yo wife, and hide yo wallet because she’s coming for it. Icy Park is coming and Beyoncé is giving ski clothes but make it fashion. Make sure your wallet is prepared because the Queen doesn’t play any games with these drops.

In an interesting turn of events, some Reddit users have targeted the stock market by buying extreme amounts of shares in GameStop to raise the stock price. It’s not just GameStop, however, it’s also AMC, BlackBerry, and Macy’s. Still don’t get it? Me either! Read more here: https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/01/27/investing/gamestop-reddit-stock/index.html President Joe Biden has plans to reopen schools in 100 days. Is that really what’s best though? When you think about how in a lot of states, kids have been home for almost a whole year, that does sound like a long time. But when you factor in that COVID cases are on the rise in the U.S., not many are vaccinated, it’s still a struggle to get everyone to wear a mask, and let’s be honest, some kids can’t even keep their hands to themselves let alone keep a mask on their face for the whole day, it’s just too soon. What do you think?

JC's Upcoming Virtual Events!

Featured Speaker:

Let’s Keep It Real Conference: Feb. 12 - March 14, 2021

Featured Speaker: Break Free Conference: March 20. 2021

! n o o S g n i m Co Writing Workshop Intensive!

2-Hour Creative Writing Session RSVP for More Information (Fee-based)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8