From an Article in the The Pittsburgh Courier:

In light of recent family tragedies, and also because of the unrest around our world, I have been wondering how some people are able to feel thankful on this Thanksgiving Day. ‘

I believe that most of us look forward to having something positive to say at the dinner table on Thanksgiving. Dad says he’s thankful for mom, mom is thankful that her kids are doing well in school, and everybody is thankful for the turkey. In my case, I am thankful today that the many members of my family have come together in spirit this year, more so than any other year that I can remember.

Unfortunately, there are families who, as a direct result of an act of violence, will be missing a family member. So today, as we give thanks, I hope that the love we share can somehow travel through the air and touch those who need support, and that our prayers of thankfulness are instrumental in helping others enjoy life once again.

The title of this post is basically for me.  I am new to blogging and I am having to read all instructions two and three times to get this right.  I want images, but not too big, I want them here, not there, I should make up my mind because I must get this post out today!  When the reality is, there is nothing I must do at all.  I have no time limit and I actually find blogging and learning new technology enjoyable.  Hence, the picture.

I have been re-reading my posts and I realized that I have been writing the posts as if I was writing a book.  Meaning, that unless a person reads my first blog, they may not understand the most recent blog.  Well, I have to relax about that also.  It’s not as if I have a lot of traffic, yet.

While sitting here, I decided to see if I could locate something to fill the rest of this post and TA DA! I found a copy of a portion of sheet music for the song my father wrote.  I don’t know if this was handwritten by Eddie (I intend to find out) but the good thing about this is his name is on it.  This song was actually copyrighted by my father in 1917 in Chicago.  Quite a lot of artists have performed this song and it is still recognized as being written by Eddie Green.  I knew before I began researching the life of my father, that he had written this song and in the course of this research I discovered 28 more songs, four of which Eddie renewed in 1950, the same year that he died.  The man was sick for at least a year before he died, but he took the time to renew the copyright on his songs.

I hereby give kudos to those folks that preserve and keep track of copyright documents so that people like me can find records that may have otherwise been lost.

Initially, my decision to write a book about my father was inspired by my grandson, and my mom and I were going to work on this book together.  Unfortunately, it was discovered that mom had breast cancer, so, of course, we put the book aside.  Mom survived the cancer, but along the way other physical issues popped up, and my enthusiasm waned.

After my mom died in 2010, my desire to continue my research came back full-force.  The past four years have been a jaw-dropping experience for me.  I have come to have a deep respect for people who have had to work hard at living a decent life. As a black man born in 1896, my father put in an enormous amount of work, as I have discovered in my research.  In a 2001 interview, Jimmy Dean said, “Poverty was the greatest motivating factor in my life.”  What a powerful statement!  I believe that statement was probably true, also, for my father.

Of course, motivation can come from many sources so, In that vein, I have posted an address (hope it works, this is my first attempt) to a blog I follow because this young man is extremely positive, energetic and helpful.   The blog is titled,  “PointlessBlog”, check it out.

Here is a picture of my mother and father, Eddie and Norma Green in 1939 before they were married. They surprised all their friends when they eloped and got married in 1945.  The marriage lasted until Eddie’s death on September 19, 1950.  My mom has been on my mind a lot this week because her birthday was this past Monday, and had she not passed away in 2010 she would have been 91 years old.  Beginning this blog is a way to thank her for supporting me and providing motivation by sharing stories regarding her life with my father.

By 1945, Eddie had gained some prominence as an actor and a comedian, but what I have come to find out, is that my mom was somewhat of a celebrity herself.  She was studying to become an opera singer before she married Eddie, and according to the California Eagle newspaper “she has the kind of voice you hear only in a dream”.

Mom stopped singing after Eddie died, except for the occasional aria around the house, but even though she did not become an opera star, she still remains an inspiration.  So, this blog’s for you, mom, I finally got it off the ground.

In 1939 an article was written about my father who was quoted as saying “the best recipe for success that he has, is to find something you like to do, and do that the best you know how”.

Eddie made the decision to become a comedian very early in his life.  Poverty motivated him to leave home at an early age and he became an entertainer.  Someone told him he was funny and he was on his way. The career I chose, on the other hand, was motivated by a desire to support myself and my daughter so I would not have to depend on the kindness of the local government.  Unfortunately, there are some people who are motivated simply by a need to just survive and not necessarily to succeed.  With this blog, I hope to provide inspiration and optimism because I believe a person can do or become anything he and or she chooses.

By the way, that article says, “As a Comedian, He’s Very Funny.”

I know that it is not a good idea to prepare for an event at the last minute, however, a low cash flow can sometimes affect preparations.  I needed business cards to hand out at the Old Time Radio (OTR) writer’s convention.  When I was able to get the cards two days before the event, things went slightly awry.

According to internet ads I could pop into a store, choose a design and have the store print my cards that day. According to the store manager, the internet had it all wrong.  The manager told me he could design the cards for me but it would cost more money than advertised and take longer, like a week.  I was crushed.  I left the store, sobbing, and called my daughter who calmed me down.  I then called in a complaint and went back into the store to try a different tact.

Back inside the store, the manager offered to design a card for me himself because he saw that I was upset, and he would only charge me for the card stock.

Two days later, at the convention, each person who asked received my card announcing me as a writer.