Family Bond Paper™

Have you ever considered opening a business? a family business? I have often asked my maternal family "why should we not try?"  Are these some of the answers that you have received when exploring entrepreneurship as a family? Who is reliable enough to do all that is necessary to maintain the everyday activities of running a business? It's too much work, and I'd rather we not. What about retirement?  A full-time job provides a steady paycheck, and there is too much of a risk in running a business. Where is the start-up money going to come from? The sky? Why should I put in more of the start-up money, if I earn more at my job than her/him or you? Being a family member is enough, we don't need to be in business together. Oh no, I am always the one that pays for most family-oriented gatherings now.  Sounds like a business plan, now you go try it if you want to and when you fail or achieve I'll be ---.  (encouraging realizing it takes a lot to run a b...

Men, think you're having a hellish week? From an African tribe in the Thonga of southern Africa, there is a cultural tradition that has been adopted by men and college societies and religious leaders all over the world--in one behavior or another: aka Hell Week.      When a boy is somewhere between 10 and 11 years of age, he is sent by his parents to "circumcision school", which is held every four or five years.  In company with his age-mates he undergoes severe hazing by the adult males of the society.  The initiation begins when each boy runs the gauntlet between two rows of men who beat him with clubs. At the end of this experience, he is stripped of his clothes and his hair is cut.  He is next met by a man covered with lion manes and is seated upon a stone facing this "lion man." Someone then strikes him from behind and when he turns his head to see who has struck him his foreskin is seized and in two movements is cut off by the "lion man." Aft...

This is a family discussion about college debt and higher learning participations. (Black History Month) Discussion takes place after my published book, The Script in My Box: A Journal of Forgiveness Sherlene : You didn’t understand, but it’s true! I was “right” in demanding to finish my college degree at DE State U, but as you know they wouldn’t allow me to. Family : Well, you know that most of us weren’t able to complete college. So, we didn’t know how to help you. We told you to just find a job – any job, but you said… Sherlene : (interrupts) I said that I really needed to finish up. I want to tell all of you something, today. What I didn’t tell you was that I had sponsors (government sponsors) that were helping me to fund the whole thing –my education and the center. They were going to help me get the resources to open the center (in Chestertown). I made a contract with them indicating that I would get my degree: and, then, open the center. Since it didn’t happen, they...