NTOUCH April 2023

Dear Girlfriend,

I get your newspaper monthly in my emails. I also see it at my beauty salon. I read Dear Girlfriend religiously because I love your advice, it’s always on point. Well right now I am in my feelings. Today, I got a call from a friend that you and Queen Bee were at an all white party and “I missed it,” I really felt like hanging up on her.

I am so pissed because she always calls me after everything is over and tells me what I missed but never tells me before, so I can go too. She said she decided to go at the last minute and she threw something on and went. Plus tickets were $40 and $50 at the door. Well I make more money than her so $50 would not intimidate me. We spend more than that when we go out to eat..

I confided my feelings to my husband and he pissed me off too. He said he knew about it but thought since I didn’t say anything, I wasn’t interested. He never suggests anything fun for us to do. He went on about, we haven’t done much since the pandemic. Well now, I have found out my girlfriends were there and his cousins too, but neither one said anything to me about it.

Girlfriend I do remember seeing it, but I am not the kind to go anywhere by myself. If they had said they were going, I would have been all in. Am I wrong to be mad at them? Is she doing it on purpose? Mad, Left Out and Bored to Death.

Dear Mad, Left Out and Bored to Death , Before I check others, I always check myself. First of all, you cannot expect anyone to keep your social life going except you, not even your husband. If you see it on the cover of N-TOUCH News, 9 times out of 10 I will be there, and it will be a classy event. I am very selective of who graces our front cover, and very adamant in supporting those who support us. Last month’s front cover event pictures are in the centerfold. Since you are the one that seems to need a posse to go anywhere, you should be the one making the calls to your friends and family.

Secondly, We all have friends that were a bit more extreme in their behavior in response to COVID. Maybe she has left you out because she recognized you had not been going anywhere and that you appeared to be paranoid about socializing. We learned to avoid those negative discussions. Were you that friend? The pandemic slowed us down, but it didn’t stop us from attending events in a mask and from hosting outdoor gatherings. Did she maybe think you had a problem paying the $40? People don’t call folk to go with them if they think they are going to stress about the price, unless they are ready to pick up the tab. Now I don’t have that problem with my friends because we all know we pay our own way. That’s how we roll. Plus my friends know I sell tickets to events for a living. Leeches don’t get invited.

You can’t change your friend nor your husband but you can change yourself. Sounds like it’s time to put your big girl panties on and get a new attitude. Go to your closet. pick out an outfit or two for the next birthday party, next concert, next church event and next all white affair, then you will be ready. Make plans to do something every weekend. You can always change your mind and not go, but at least you’re prepared. Sometimes we need to get our feelings hurt, to make us change our ways. Know that, YOU are responsible for your own happiness and your own social life. Don’t wait on anyone to invite you anywhere, especially, since you can pay your own way. If you want others to invite you to places, then you must do some inviting too but make sure you tell them how much it costs. Heyy!!

Hidden Gems 2023

You Heard It From ME

I often find myself talking to young people about what their career strategy is or could be. Many young adults find themselves in a quandary because of the types of jobs that are available in today’s market vs. what we had when growing up. During my years, right out of high school we were expected to get a grown man’s job and start becoming a productive citizen.

You know it’s been said that ‘age knows and youth supposes’, so I am supposed to know a little bit more about life and living since I am 66 years old. Now if you’re in your 60’s you’re probably thinking that’s not old, but if you’re in your 20’s and 30’s you’re thinking that I’m older than dirt. Well the truth of the matter is, I am closer to the dirt with more years behind me than ahead of me, Things are different for our younger generation since now the number

one cause for death for children and teens is death by gun violence. When I was young the only person that had a license to kill was James Bond and the FBI. Now everyone in America presumably has a license to kill or doesn’t need a license. To add insult to injury, they have the gun to do it with. We as Americans are finding ourselves in dangerous times. While the danger associated with gun violence affects people of color the most, there is no color line when it comes to this phenomenon. Recently a delivery guy was shot at while attempting to deliver groceries to the wrong address. He and his girlfriend were delivering groceries when the homeowner shot at their vehicle as they were leaving the hostile environment. The young man said his delivery days are over. So back to careers for young people. If you want to be in the delivery

By Publisher Daryl Johnson

business then work for a reputable company like the US Postal Service, FedEx or UPS. These are what we call grown men jobs, jobs that offer insurance and 401k’s. Working in a warehouse or manufacturing environment may be strenuous but can help bring some stability in a young person’s life, especially if they are trying to raise a family or even purchase a home.

When you become an adult by age, you should focus on how you will strategize the rest of your life, because your decisions could literally mean life or death. Living in America is more stressful than it used to be. Well, let me rephrase that. Living in America has gone back to pre 1960s and perhaps a history lesson might help you to make some hard decisions. However, you better hurry up on the history lessons if you live in Florida because you might not be

able to learn your history or just true American history.

Our world is pretty jacked up right now. If you’ve been keeping up with what is going on around the world, you should know that other countries are having their issues with civil unrest, and you should truly be involved in your own civic duties right at home.

When you turn 18, your life is just about to begin so you have a lot of things ahead of you. Knowing your history will help you chart your future. Work on eliminating things that can negatively affect your quality of life and living. Based on how our world, our country, our state, our city is changing, now more than ever, your vote will help make the change you want.

Power Couple: Ernestine & Parnell Dickinson

Buccaneer’s 1st Black Quarterback Parnell Dickinson

Celebrated 45 Years with his college sweetheart at Raymond James Stadium with family, friends & retired players!

Living Your Best Life

Fun Exciting Things To Do

What’s Next?

by Tampa Bay Tammy April Showers

bring May flowers and I’m blooming with anticipation. The last days of April are booked with great events from the Alphas Golf Tournament to the Empowered Women Arise Dinner.

I am rolling into the month of May with plans to attend the CDC the Uptown Music & Art Festival and the Kappas Kentucky Derby party, both on Saturday, May 6th.

The Kappas Kentucky Derby party has become a Kappa annual affair and is slated to sell out like last years. The historical Kentucky Derby actually takes place at Church hill Downs in Louisville Kentucky but you can bet, every casino in the country is expecting a huge turnout of gamblers.

The CDC Uptown Music festival is an outdoor affair. General admission is $25, reserved seating is $60. If you roll with a crew a few VIP tables are still available.

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 14th. I will be blessed to have my mom with me.

Lastly, the Ques will host their annual Memorial Day boat ride out of Tampa Bay. Heyyy!

B.E.S.T. Foundation Fundraiser Annual All White Party

@ American Social on Harbor Island

If it’s not in N-Touch News, it aint all that!

Real Estate

Downtown Tampa Street Mural Featuring “Directions in Disguise”

A new street mural is bringing more than just a splash of colorful art to Downtown Tampa’s River Arts District—it’s also here to keep you from getting lost.

Waves and swirls of purple and yellow will fill the intersection of Cass Street and Tyler Street. The Tampa Downtown Partnership is funding the new mural, named River Arts Crossing, and worked with artists to design it. Friday morning, crews will close the intersection at 5 a.m. and start painting the artwork at 8 a.m.; it will be dry and ready for traffic by 5 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

How this art helps you find your way

The mural sits between the Straz Center for the Performing Arts and Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, right along the Tampa Riverwalk. But this is one area where Riverwalk users often get confused—they need to walk away from the river here and cross Cass Street using a regular sidewalk and crosswalk.

“This spot may be the most challenging place to navigate the Tampa Riverwalk, so we decided to make this more than just a mural by weaving in some ‘directions in disguise,’” said Shaun Drinkard, Interim President of the Tampa Downtown Partnership. “These are hidden hints that will help everyone know they’re still on the right path.”

Incorporated into the mural’s smooth circles and curves are twelve sharp, pointed triangles. At ground level, these triangles look like arrows. They send a stealthy signal to pedestrians, pointing them across the street to continue their path along the Riverwalk.

“The human brain is an amazing thing. For years, places like airports have used everything from light patterns to carpet colors to mentally ‘guide’ you toward the gate or the baggage claim. By working that same subtle psychology into this art-

work, we can add something that’s both beautiful and helpful to Downtown,” Drinkard said. Improving safety with art

Adding murals to intersections has benefits beyond beauty. These projects help with traffic calming— sending visual cues to drivers to slow down. The Tampa Downtown Partnership has completed several of these “tactical urbanism” projects, including three additional intersection murals and decorated curb extensions on Ashley Drive and Kay Street. This mural also boosts safety for bicyclists using the city’s protected east/west cycle track, the Cass Green Spine.

“I’m very grateful, and it’s awesome that artwork can have that kind of impact,” said Jay Giroux of Greater Public Studio, who worked with Anthony Freese of Freese Design Co. to create and paint the mural. “It certainly helps my argument for why we should have more murals and public art and murals on the street. It’s awesome.”

The City of Tampa and Friends of the Riverwalk collaborated with the Tampa Downtown Partnership on the project. Thanks to special street paint, the artwork is expected to remain in place for several years.

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Go Ahead And Get Your Laugh On

Diagnosis

A young doctor had moved out to a small community to replace a doctor who was retiring.The older doctor suggested that the young one accompany him on his rounds, so the community could become used to a new doctor.

At the first house, a woman complains, “I’ve been a little sick to my stomach.”The older doctor says, “Well, you’ve probably been overdoing the fresh fruit. Cut back on the amount you’ve been eating and see if that does the trick?”

As they left, the younger man said, “You didn’t even examine that woman? How’d you come to the diagnosis so quickly?””I didn’t have to.

You noticed I dropped my stethoscope on the floor in there? When I bent over to pick it up, I noticed a half dozen banana peels in the trash. That was what probably was making her sick.”The younger doctor said “Pretty clever. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll try that at the next house.” Arriving at the next house, they spent several minutes talking with a younger woman. She said that she just didn’t have the energy she once did and said, “I’m feeling terribly run down lately.”

”You’ve probably been doing too much for the Church,” the younger doctor told her. “Perhaps you should cut back a bit and see if that helps.” As they left, the elder doctor said, “I know that woman well. Your diagnosis is almost certainly correct, she’s very active in the church, but how did you arrive at it?”

”I did what you did at the last house. I dropped my stethoscope and, when I bent down to retrieve it, I noticed her preacher under the bed”.

Wealth

The Golf Trip

John, decided to go golfing in Scotland with his buddy, Shawn. So they loaded up John’s minivan and headed north. After driving for a few hours, they got caught in a terrible blizzard. So they pulled into a nearby farm and asked the attractive lady who answered the door if they could spend the night.

“I realize it’s terrible weather out there and I have this huge house all to myself, but I’m recently widowed,” she explained, “and I’m afraid the neighbors will talk if I let you stay in my house.”

‘Don’t worry,’ John said. ‘We’ll be happy to sleep in the barn. And if the weather breaks, we’ll be gone at first light.”

The lady agreed, and the two men slept in the barn. Come morning, the weather had cleared, and they got on their way. They enjoyed a great weekend of golf.

About nine months later, John got an unexpected letter from an attorney. It took him a few minutes to figure it out, but he finally determined that it was from the attorney of that attractive widow he had met on the golf weekend.

He asked his friend Shawn, “Do you remember that good-looking widow from the farm we stayed at on our golf holiday in Scotland about 9 months ago?”

“Yes, I do,” said Shawn.

“Did you, happen to get up in the middle of the night, go up to the house and pay her a visit?’”

“Well, um, yes!”, Shawn said, a little embarrassed about being found out.

“I have to admit that I did.”

“And did you happen to give her my name instead of telling her your name?”

“Yeah, buddy. I’m afraid I did. Why do you ask?”

“She just died and left me everything.”

Integrity

A barber gave a haircut to a priest one day. The priest tried to pay for the haircut, but the barber refused, saying, “you do God’s work.”

The next morning the barber found a dozen bibles at the door to his shop.

A policeman came to the barber for a haircut, and again the barber refused payment, saying, “you protect the public.” The next morning the barber found a dozen doughnuts at the door to his shop.

A lawyer came to the barber for a haircut, and again the barber refused payment, saying, “you serve the justice system.”

The next morning the barber found a dozen lawyers waiting for a free haircut.

The Cabbie

A cab driver reaches the pearly gates. St. Peter looks him up in his Big Book and tells him to pick up a gold staff and a silk robe and proceed into Heaven.

Next in line is a preacher. St. Peter looks him up in his Big Book, furrows his brow and says, “OK, we’ll let you in, but take that cloth robe and wooden staff.”

The preacher is shocked and replies, “But I am a man of the cloth. You gave that cab driver a gold staff and a silk robe. Surely I rate higher than a cabbie!”

St. Peter responds matter-of-factly, “This is Heaven and up here, we are interested in results. When you preached, people slept. When the cabbie drove his taxi, people prayed.”

The Flight

A Boeing 787 is on its way across the Atlantic. It flies consistently at about 700 mph at over 30,000 feet, when suddenly a jet fighter with a speed of Mach 2 appears.

The pilot of the fighter jet slows down, flies alongside the Boeing and greets the pilot of the passenger plane by radio: “Yo Boeing, boring flight isn’t it? Now watch this!”

He rolls his jet on its back, accelerates, breaks through the sound barrier, rises rapidly to a dizzying height, and then swoops down almost to sea level in a breathtaking dive. He loops back next to the B-787 and asks: “Well, how was that?”

The B-787 pilot answers: “Very impressive, but watch this!”

The jet pilot watches the 787, but nothing happens. It continues to fly straight, at the same speed. After 15 minutes, the Boeing pilot radios, “Well, how was that?

Confused, the jet pilot asks, “What did you do?”

The Boeing pilot laughs and says: “I got up, stretched my legs, walked to the back of the aircraft to use the washroom, then got a cup of coffee and a chocolate fudge pastry.”

The moral of the story is: When you’re young, speed and adrenaline seems to be great. But as you get older and wiser, you learn that comfort and peace are more important. This is called S.O.S.: Slower, Older and Smarter.

Dedicated to all my senior friends ~ it’s time to slow down and enjoy the rest of the trip.