Come on in... sit down, and have a cup of dare!

Come on in... sit down, and have a cup of dare!
The Dare Chair... scroll down the page to find out what this chair is all about!

Quote of the Week

"Happiness is like a kiss. You must share it to enjoy it." ~Bernard Meltzer

Get Your Groove On! Choose any song you wish, and start dancing in the kitchen!


Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Precious Ruby


1960...

For those of us born in the 60's, it doesn't seem that long ago. Sure, the fashions and music were different, and the prices of food, homes, and gasoline were staggeringly low compared to today. But all in all, life wasn't that much different, was it?

Oh my, was it ever. Let me introduce you to a precious little girl named, Ruby Bridges. This sweet child didn't have an ounce of racism her little body; she had no idea of the hero she would become.

Ruby attended a school far from her house, even though William Frantz Elementary School was much closer. Why? Segregation. She was African-American, the students of William Frantz Elementary were white. Boggles the mind, doesn't it?

Ruby was chosen of one of 5 children to be integrated into all white schools. One decided not to integrate at the last moment, and the other three were sent to another school. That left little six year-old Ruby to attend the all white school by herself. She and the other kids had passed a test that was purposely designed as a "surely to fail" test; that way the whites would be convinced that segregation was right. (Makes my blood boil.)

Precious Ruby passed, and the big day came. U.S. Marshals showed up at her door to escort her to her school. There was an angry mob of people, students as well as adults, at the school to protest educating a little black girl in a white school. Ruby had no idea what the fuss was about. Day after day, the protesters greeted her with hateful, terrifying remarks and signs. One adult, white women threatened to poison Ruby every day. Teenage boys changed the words to The Battle Hymn of the Republic, and sang, "Glory, glory segregation, the south will rise again." Ruby was terrified when she saw a group of boys carrying a casket with a little black doll in it. Can you imagine? My heart is so heavy. It is so hard to believe the ignorance and lack of compassion.

Ruby attended first grade alone. All of the white kids in her class were pulled from school; their parents would not allow their children to be educated in a classroom that allowed black kids. What a shame. Ruby went to school every day. Thankfully, there was a teacher willing to stay. God bless Mrs. Henry.

Mrs. Henry watched Ruby walk through the angry mob every day. One day she noticed that Ruby stopped and spoke to some of the people in the mob. Mrs. Henry questioned Ruby, asking why she would want to stop and speak to them. Ruby insisted that she had not spoken to them. She explained that every day before and after school, when she was safely a few blocks away from the mob, she would stop and pray for them. That day, Ruby had forgotten to pray, so when she was in the middle of the mob, and realized she hadn't, she stopped to quickly pray. What did she pray? That God would forgive them, just like He forgave those long ago who said hateful things about Him. What an amazing child.

The end of the school year brought change. A few kids were allowed by their parents to join Mrs. Henry's class. Ruby was finally not alone. This was the first time she realized what all of the commotion was about. A boy in her class said, "I can't play with you. My mama said not to because you're a nigger." Ruby had no idea all year that that was everybody's problem with her. It was suddenly clear to her. Heart wrenching, isn't it?

Ruby will forever have a special place in my heart. She is inspiring, strong, and amazing. That little girl had more courage in her at the age of six, than many of us have as adults. She didn't understand everything that was going on at the time, but still, it took an enormous amount of courage to walk through that angry, hateful mob day, after day, after day.

May we all learn from precious Ruby. I will never forget her; she is a hero.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

great post! What a powerful story. Thanks for sharing it.

Lisa said...

You're welcome. It is an honor to share Ruby's story... please pass it on. Her story needs to be told throughout the generations.

The Dare Chair

Come on in, and pull up a chair! I'm here to inspire you, encourage you, or just plaine Double Dog Dare you to get out and do something you never thought you could do! Periodically, I'll add a quote, comment, or story which will hopefully give you just enough of a nudge to follow your dreams... to take that class, go rock climbing, run a marathon, start that exercise routine, eat healthy, write a book, or whatever your heart desires. You are the author of your life... live it!

Monday: Sit down, have a cup of dare, and write down your goals. Post them all over the house, if it helps! No matter how crazy the goals seem, don't talk yourself out of them! You are strong, you are invincible, you are WOMAN!

Tuesday:
Find a friend to hold you accountable. Accountability is huge! If you have a network of support, your chances of failing are less. Make sure you choose someone that is not afraid of pushing you! Usually moms, grandmas and husbands are not the best choices; they're either afraid of hurting your feelings, think you are fine just the way you are, or do not want to end up in the dog's house! So, choose that friend that is honest, no matter what the cost... trust me, you'll need her!

Wednesday:
Okay, so now you have someone to hold you accountable; great start. Now, be a blabber-mouth. Tell as many people as you can what your goal is. Knowing that so many people are waiting for you to succeed will be a huge motivator. I know when I skiied the Birkie, there were many times along the trail that I truly wanted to quit. I knew I had a cheering section on Main Street waiting for me to cross that finish line. That was enough to motivate me to keep going, one stride at a time.

Thursday:
If you fully realize nothing else, take a big dose of reality on this one... this is going to be hard, uncomfortable, and many times not enjoyable (depending on what the goal is). So, now that you know that, get over it! Achieving your goal will be worth the sweat and tears. Really... it will. Push yourself beyond your former limits. Get rid of self doubt! Even if it is the hardest thing you've ever done, do it with all you've got! Swallow your insecurities, hide your inhibitions, and show yourself just how strong you really are. YOU CAN DO THIS!

Friday:
Try not to look too far into the future. Break your goal into steps, and focus on one at a time. Now, if your goal is to join a class, by all means bite the bullet and do it now; no need to take baby steps on that one! But, if your goal is for example, a marathon, don't quit after the first week because you can't run ten miles! Give yourself time to reach the larger goals. In the meantime, give it ALL YOU'VE GOT, and be pleased with the little steps towards your goal.

Saturday:
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, GIVE UP!!! (Take it from Winston Churchill... he knew what he was talking about!)


Sunday:
Take one day to rest, or have a special treat. You've worked hard all week, but make sure you don't reward yourself too much... i.e. a whole bag of Hershey's Kisses!!!

SHARE YOUR SUCCESSES WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. SHOW THEM YOUR PROGRESS, WHETHER IT IS ART WORK YOU'VE DONE, CLASS WORK, A NEW DANCE YOU'VE LEARNED, OR THE NEW PAIR OF PANTS YOU NOW FIT INTO. CELEBRATE!!

Check out the Blog Archive for writings pertaining to the Dare Chair: April--Uncomfortable, Checking In

INSPIRING QUOTES: If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or Fight Like Hell. ~Lance Armstrong
If human beings are perceived as potentials rather than problems, as possessing strengths instead of weaknesses, as unlimited rather that dull and unresponsive, then they thrive and grow to their capabilities.
Barbara Bush
Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.
John F. Kennedy
He who believes is strong; he who doubts is weak. Strong convictions precede great actions.
Louisa May Alcott
There's a need for accepting responsibility - for a person's life and making choices that are not just ones for immediate short-term comfort. You need to make an investment, and the investment is in health and education.
Buzz Aldrin

This Chick's Groovy Music... start dancin'!

  • Aretha Franklin
  • Chicago Motion Picture Soundtrack... This one is great to sing along to... especially when cleaning the house!
  • Chris Botti... great trumpet player, his music is just beautiful!
  • Christmas Music, of course! Bing, Frank, Rosemary... all the classics!
  • Diana Krall
  • Ella Fitzgerald
  • Eric Clapton... I can' t seem to hear enough of his music lately!
  • Eva Cassidy... worth finding!
  • Johnny Cash - great for two-stepping around the kitchen island... if a babe is in your arms, all the better! (A tiny babe, or a Hunky Babe... either one will do!)
  • Loggins & Messina.... ahh... "feel good" music
  • Neil Diamond... I've loved his music my whole life.
  • Norah Jones
  • Phantom of the Opera (motion picture soundtrack)
  • Ray Charles... I can't help but to smile when I hear him sing.
  • Renee Olstead
  • The Notebook Motion Picture Soundtrack