LLOYD PONDERING

A New feature at LloydMarcus.com!
Lloyd Pondering: regularly updated to inspire, encourage and keep you goin’.

Lloyd Pondering: His Wonderful Life

Hi Guys and Gals, Right now I am feeling like, George Bailey, the lead character in the classic Christmas movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”. George had big dreams of leaving his small town, attending college and becoming an architect. George put his dream on hold to work in his father’s struggling Building and Loan which served the struggling community.

Now middle-aged and never pursuing his dream, George felt like a failure. A catastrophe happened in George’s life. The whole town came to George’s rescue in an extraordinary outpouring of love, respect and support letting George know his life was not a failure.

Eight years ago, God lead me to accept the volunteer position of president of a dead arts center. Over the years, numerous people have come on board as saviors and/or board members with hidden personal agendas. They all eventual went away.

Recently, several unexpected expenses arose. Thus, the arts center became three months behind in our mortgage. Frustrated, I thought my wonderful wife Mary and I would have to once again, bailout the arts center from our personal finances.

Around 9pm, the other night, we received a call from the arts center, “The toilet is backed up and the bathroom is totally flooded.”

Mary awoke me with the bad news. Half asleep, tired and frustrated, I gathered the shop-vac, mop and bucket and went to deal with yet another “arts center issue”.

Upon Mary and my arrival, there was a recording session in progress in our recording studio. The Sutton family, six of them, were there to sing as a choir on a client’s song. They all yelled excitedly, “Lloyd is here. Please sing with us, it will make this song really special!” When I said, “Yes”. They all cheered.

While in the recording booth, I looked through the sound booth glass window. I could see our art gallery through the window in the wall of the recording studio.

The view was beautiful. In front of the room is our spectacular Christmas display which took Mary and I a week to install in preparation for our annual community Christmas party. The rest of the gallery walls were covered with the paintings of our featured artist of the month.

The vibe of the recording session was awesome; warm, friendly and cheerful with much laughing, joking and everyone having a great time.

Suddenly, it dawned on me, this is what this arts center is all about. This is why Mary and I do what we do and have sacrificed so much to keep the doors open.

After fixing the toilet and cleaning up, Mary and I headed for home. Mary said, “someone handed me, what they called, an “Anonymous Santa” check for the arts center”. The check was written for the exact amount needed to cover the arts center’s back mortgage payments. Mary and I both fought back tears. God is awesome. Mary and I are truly living Wonderful Fulfilled Lives.

Two years ago, a developer donated plans and architectural renderings for a new arts center which will impact Central Florida. The estimated cost is 25 million dollars.

I gathered the architectural renderings from their forgotten home on the wall in a dimly lit area in back of the room. Upon dusting off the drawings of our dream facility, displaying them on a prominent wall in our gallery and illuminating them with a spotlight, the drawings appeared to beam boldly with pride proclaiming, “We are alive and well!”

“Y’all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy & Blessed New Year!

Lloyd Marcus, Proud Unhyphenated American.
LloydMarcus.com

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Lloyd Pondering: Race Lesson from a 93 Year Old White Woman

Lloyd Pondering is experiences and thoughts I pray will encourage and inspire you.
July 11, 2010

Easter Pansy, my wife’s 97 year old grandmother lives in a nursing home. She lived on her own up until a year ago. Mary and I attribute Easter Pansy’s unique youthful energy to having to care for her live-in Down syndrome son, Davey, for the past 50 years.

Davey became ill and was placed in a nursing home. Without the daily responsibilities of caring for Davey, Easter Pansy’s age caught up to her and she too was placed in a nursing home.

My wife Mary was raised by her dad and stepmother whom she considers her mom. Mary’s birth mother, Easter Pansy’s daughter, has refused to meet me because I am black. She and Mary’s dad divorced when Mary was a toddler.

Over the years, Mary’s birth mother has maintained a minimal relationship with her; an occasional phone call, birthday and Christmas cards. When she heard through the family grapevine that her daughter had married a black man, she said she would never meet or acknowledge me. Mary and I have been married thirty years.

A few years ago, Mary and I flew up to Baltimore from Florida to visit family. Mary wanted to visit her 93 year old grandmother Easter Pansy who at that time was still living alone and caring for her son Davey.

I thought, “This woman is from a era when interracial dating was considered shocking and shameful”. Despite Mary’s disagreement, I told her I would drop her off at her grandmother’s house and to phone me when she was ready to leave.

Mary said Easter Pansy asked, “Where is your husband?” “He dropped me off”, she replied. Mary said Easter Pansy ran outside to the curb to catch me. Easter Pansy told Mary, “You tell that young man he is always welcome in my home and I love him”.

An elderly white woman whom I never met said she loved me. I learned that you can not make assumptions about a person’s feelings regarding race by where they are from or when they were born.

When I finally met Easter Pansy, she gave me a great big hug. She was a radiant, strong and independent woman of character; an awesome human being.

http://www.LloydMarcus.com
Spokesperson/Entertainer of Tea Party Movement & Tea Party Express.
The American Tea Party Anthem cd/album.
Confessions of a Black Conservative, foreword by Michelle Malkin.
President, NAACPC (National Association for the Advancement of Conservative People of ALL Colors)
Join Lloyd Marcus Facebook Page

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I will be sharing thoughts and experiences which I hope will encourage, inspire and/or entertain you.

Politics, Poker & the Beach.

June 19, 2010

Hi Folks, I just flew back home to Florida from LA. I was out there shooting an episode of the Right Network new TV show, “Politics & Poker”. I had a ball! The host of the show is Thomas F. Wilson, who played Biff Tannen in the “Back To The Future” movies.

The concept of the show is fun. The set is designed to look like a basement family/game room. Tom invites his buddies over to play poker and discuss politics.

I had the pleasure of meeting a great guy, renowned actor, Nick Searcy. You have seen Nick in a ga-zillion movies. He is currently starring on the FX series, “Justified”. Nick was one of us five poker buddies on the “Politics & Poker” show.

Once back home in Florida, rather than diving into answering emails and dealing with stuff, Mary and I decided to spend the day at our favorite, New Smyrna Beach. The sand was soft under foot and the water was clear and beautiful. The heat from the bright sun was countered by an occasional breeze across the ocean.

Beach bathers kept staring at us. Most smiling. A few stone faced. Then, it dawned on me. I was wearing my, “I didn’t vote for this Obamanation” t-shirt.

We fed “Cheetos” to the seagulls. What a great relaxing day. Life is good.

All the best, Lloyd

LloydMarcus.com
Spokesperson/Entertainer of Tea Party Movement & Tea Party Express.
The American Tea Party Anthem cd/album.
Author of  “Confessions of a Black Conservative”, foreword by Michelle Malkin.
President, NAACPC (National Association for the Advancement of Conservative People of ALL Colors).
Join Lloyd Marcus Facebook Page.