Updates from October, 2014 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Lynda Jones-Burns 5:31 am on October 31, 2014 Permalink | Reply  

    Magic To Do 

    For those of you who’ve read several of my Blogs, you’ve probably noticed that I always end them with “Determined Lynda has magic to do.” One of my previous blogs explained why I coined the phrase: Determined Lynda. Since I feel at one with my faithful readers, I want to share the reason I adopted the mantra: “I’ve got magic to do.”

    Coincidentally, Bettina Charles, the star of my novel A Complicated Love Song, was born on the same day as me — June thirtieth and many of our experiences are similar. When we both, were little girls, ten years old to be exact, we experienced our first Broadway musical at the Imperial Theatre, of course, in New York City. Since I didn’t see Tina there, I’m just going to speak for myself from this point forward.

    As I sat in the audience watching Ben Vereen perform the leading role, I was amazed. For the entire performance, I couldn’t help but have a big smile on my face and a sparkle in my eyes. It was then, while watching him bedazzle me and the entire audience, I fell in love with live theatre—musicals, pure dramas, ballet, opera, and the symphony. I’ve spent my life in the appreciation of the performing arts. It’s one of my most favorite things. Well, from the instant Ben Vereen uttered the lyrical phrase, “I’ve got magic to do,” I received it. From then to now, I’ve lived my life believing that I can make magic happen.

    Determined Lynda’s Final Thought for the Moment: The belief that something enchanting will materialize changes dreams into success stories. —Lynda has magic to do. Do you?

    Copyright © 2014, Lynda Jones-Burns. All Rights Reserved.

     

    • Sylvia 7:33 pm on November 2, 2014 Permalink | Reply

      Love that phrase!! It challenges all of us to reflect on the magic we’ve got to do! I’m so proud of you and your work! Keep doing your magic!

    • Ethel Vance 2:47 pm on October 31, 2014 Permalink | Reply

      I also loved Ben Vereen; although I was never able to see him perform live, I always watched him on television. You certainly “can make magic happen.” I am so excited about reading your book
      “A Complicated Love Song.”

  • Lynda Jones-Burns 12:49 pm on October 30, 2014 Permalink | Reply  

    Picking Up a Few Things 

    In my novel A Complicated Love Song, my main character Bettina Charles had a taste for tacos and went into the market to purchase the ingredients. Because of her celebrity status, fans forced her to flee. Just like Tina, my mouth was set on tacos, so I needed to pick up a few things. I dashed into the grocery store without a cart or one of those hard to carry baskets. I thought my arms would suffice just fine—one to nab it and grab it off of the shelves and the other to hold that which I had accumulated.

    As I went along, those twos and few items grew to many, but my free arm did not increase in size. Of course, I wasn’t going to get a cart because I was just picking up a few things. The excuse made sense before admitting it aloud. The enormity of my plight got so bad that both arms and my chin had to be engaged for holding. Now, my nab it and grab it tool had been reduced to the fingers on one hand while standing on my tip-toes.

    At that point, items started to slip from my arm-basket. I spent more time retrieving merchandise from the floor than continuing my mission to pick up a few things. It was silly to do and funny to watch as I saw onlookers shaking their heads.

    Determined Lynda’s Final Thought for the Moment: If your arms get that full, stop fooling yourself. Either get a cart or release some of that unnecessary baggage. After all, the initial intent was to pick up a few things. — Lynda has magic to do. Do you?

    Copyright © 2014, Lynda Jones-Burns. All Rights Reserved.

     

    • Ethel Vance 1:50 am on October 31, 2014 Permalink | Reply

      I am with you on this because I am always telling the clerks that “I only came in for three items.”

    • Lakisha Davis-Small 6:06 pm on October 30, 2014 Permalink | Reply

      I did that yesterday, getting stuff out of Family Dollar.

    • Nina Chandler 2:57 pm on October 30, 2014 Permalink | Reply

      Who does this?! Laughing at myself because I do it too often. Then the cashier is waiting for our favorite line, ” I only came in here to get one thing” but she is steadily ringing up my basket full of items. I am ready for my copy of “A Complicated Love Song”. This is good stuff!!!! I see the story as I read………AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • Peter Jackson 2:19 pm on October 30, 2014 Permalink | Reply

      We have all been there, but tried to keep up the good fight. Good insight and very funny.

  • Lynda Jones-Burns 5:51 am on October 29, 2014 Permalink | Reply  

    Pure Thoughts 

    In the book God’s Trombones, James Weldon Johnson created poetic verse, highlighting the unique phrasing of the old-time negro preacher. He wrote about pastors and deacons and mothers of the church. They were people who survived a time in American history where slavery was a recent nightmare and Jim Crow Laws were an unwelcomed friend. In his poem, Johnson underscored how many corporate prayers were prefaced. He wrote: “O Lord, we come this morning—knee-bowed and body-bent before Thy throne of grace.” To me, his words described acts of reverence—people coming before God with open and honest hearts.

    In developing A Complicated Love Song, I started each writing session with a prayer, expressing my desire to tap into my purest and most childlike thoughts. To make that happen, I had to exhale and clear my head of distractions. Then, with an exposed spirit, I was able to write, approaching my blank page in a manner, once again, best described by James Weldon Johnson—my favorite line in his poem. “We come this morning—like empty pitchers to a full fountain, with no merit of our own.”

    Without the weight of self-importance or the arrogance to think my humanity had words of wisdom to convey, I was freed-up to let the story be delivered to my spirit. All I had to do was watch the film in my mind’s eye and put pencil to pad and write an account of what I was viewing. That prescription was the best medicine, enabling me to release my prose.

    Determined Lynda’s Final Thought for the Moment: When my baggage is put aside and my mind is empty, my cup is filled to the point of overflowing. —Lynda has magic to do. Do you?

    Copyright © 2014, Lynda Jones-Burns. All Rights Reserved.