My name is La Cracha Handy. I started blogging 7 years ago. I am currently building my brand as an independent author-publisher of nonfiction books on relationships and parenting. My first book, Leaving the Hidden Path: Motivational Guidance for Women with Young Children Considering Divorce, will be released in the spring of 2022. I am also a pop culture geek. I read and collect comic books, play Pokemon Go, and build model rockets. I love Star Trek: The Next Generation and Doctor Who. My name is prounced "Lacrisha."
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Posing for a picture with Yolanda King while getting her autograph in January 1991 in Flint, Michigan.
Yesterday was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. I would say that I am a day late with this blog post but I won’t. I attended Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in Flint, Michigan. Therefore, EVERYDAY is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to Me.
I entered every essay contest I found about in grades K-12. I won a couple of them. I was even asked to read one of my essays during the Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration at my school in 6th grade. I have never been camera-shy. So speaking in front of the standing room only audience in the school’s gymnasium didn’t bother me one bit.
The best moment over the years was meeting Dr. King’s daughter, Yolanda. She delivered the keynote address at a luncheon at Mott Community College in Flint, Michigan in January 1991. Yolanda King’s voice was loud, powerful, and soulful.
Lunch took place immediately after. My mother and I were very excited to have sat at the same table as Yolanda during lunch. Yolanda had such a beautiful smile and talked to everyone seated at the table while we were eating.
When I told Yolanda my name (La Cracha pronounced Lacrisha), she smiled and said my name was beautiful. She also told me how pretty I was. After I thanked her, I turned and looked at my mother who was standing right behind me. Her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. I am sure mine did the same!
To be honest, I wasn’t going to post anything about M.L. King Day. I was looking through some old pictures a few hours ago and came across the one above. Besides my mother and siblings, no one else has seen this picture. Until now.
Yolanda King transitioned into Heaven, but she will always be one of the greatest women I have ever met.
I went canvassing after I voted this morning. I am a volunteer with the Michigan Democratic Party. It was cold, windy, and raining. Ponchos and hand warmers were provided for canvassers.
There is no excuse if you didn’t vote in the Midterm Elections 2018 today. Especially Michigan. If I can walk door-to-door in the rain, then you can get out and vote.
In case you’re wondering, yes I am holding a Deadpool umbrella. Comic book nerds vote too, you know.
Midterm Election 2018 is Tuesday, November 6. If you live in Michigan, then you know how important it is to vote. Michigan is a swing state, and it is time for us to turn it BLUE.
In order to end this swing state nonsense, we have to GOTV (Get Out The Vote). The House, Senate, and Governor all need to be flipped.
We need to put people in office that are for Michiganders. Someone that cares about:
Putting Michiganders first, and not their wealthy friends and special interest groups
Healthcare
Clean drinking water
The elderly
Public education (especially K-12 including special needs students)
Special needs community
Protecting our Great Lakes
Fixing the “damn roads”
I could go on. But you get the picture. Actually you should already know this. So I am writing this blog post as a reminder.
Now it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty.
Expect long lines at the polls on Tuesday. This might be a historic election. I am predicting a larger turnout than both of President Obama’s elections (2008, 2012). However, experts are predicting what could be the largest voter turnout in 50 years.
Donald Trump’s rhetoric has his followers thinking they can say whatever the hell they want to say to folks. This shit doesn’t just happen in other states. It happened right here in Michigan a few days ago. My friend was talking to her young son in her language as they sat in a restaurant. Some random man stared at her. She ignored him. He stood up and called her a stupid camel jockey and stupid sand nigger. She continued to ignore him. Then he called her a dumb camel jockey, and told her to go to her country. The hate is real, y’all. The hate….is….real.
Voter suppression. There will be NO straight-ticket voting for the first time in 127 years. No more filling in the Democratic or Republic bubble. We now have to fill in individual bubbles next to the candidates names. They tried to ban it for the August primary election but was unsuccessful. This is definitely voter suppression. A way to discourage people from voting. The lines are going to be extremely long and slow because a lot of people don’t understand how to read the ballot. I have never had a problem reading the ballot. I am a speed reader and I catch on easily. So the language on the ballot is nothing to me. Although this crazy ban on straight-ticket voting is going to frustrate a lot of voters, I sure hope they are able to complete it with no errors.
Voter registration card is not required to vote. All you need to know is your polling location and precinct number. Live in Michigan and don’t know where to report on Election Day? No problem. You can find your voting location, precinct, and a sample ballot here.
Photo ID is not required to vote. You will be required to sign an affidavit (statement saying you are who you say you are).
The League of Women Voters of Michigan published a 2018 Nonpartisan Voter Guide. There is a form on the back page that you can complete, clip, and take with you to vote. You will not forget who to vote for this way.
Let me know if you need a ride to the polls. I don’t care if you live in the Upper Peninsula. I will be more than happy to make that 6 hour drive to beautiful northern Michigan and take you.
Michiganders, I cannot stress enough how crucial it is vote this Tuesday, November 6, 2018.
Every election is important. Primary. Midterm. Presidential. But Midterm Election 2018 is serious business. We have the chance to make history.
The upcoming election is so important to me that I signed up to volunteer with the Michigan Democratic Party.
I went canvassing yesterday. I knocked on doors and spoke to a lot of people.
I also plan to canvass, work the phone bank, or whatever is needed as soon as my children leave for school on Tuesday.
As I step down from my soapbox I would like to leave you with this.
It is time for a change. There is massive chaos in our country. There is chaos in our great state of Michigan also. We need to elect those who will fight for us. Don’t just vote in Presidential elections. Vote in the primaries and midterms as well.
If you DON’T VOTE then you DON’T have a right to COMPLAIN.
If you live in Michigan, then it is time to GOTV. It is time to turn our state BLUE. So get up, get out, and VOTE.
There are so many things I want to see happen this year. So that I don’t bore you I narrowed my list down to 10.
10 things I want to see happen in year 2018 are:
Comedians and wannabes ditching Flint water crisis jokes. They are stale nowadays.
Clean water in the city of Flint, Michigan for all those who still need it (not everyone’s water was affected). I also want to see justice served on everyone that is responsible for this monstrosity.
McDonald’s bring back Hi-C Orange. My children and I rarely go to McDonald’s these days because one of them does not drink pop. He has always ordered the Hi-C orange flavored drink.
More conversations and less GIFs on social media. I don’t know how many times I wanted to comment on a post on social media, especially Facebook, but didn’t because all the comments were in GIFs. I don’t even click on those jokers.
Folks to stop thinking that ALL women of color look up to Meghan Markle. Not all black women want to be like her. Especially me. I have never dreamed of being a princess and I never wanted a fairytale wedding. I always dreamed of a destination wedding, to get married in Jamaica. And I did just that. I got married in Negril, Jamaica in 2000 (I’m divorced now though, lol). Anyway I’m tired of this nonsense. Up there acting like we don’t get married or can’t get anyone.
More people to be at peace with themselves. I often read of people wishing for world peace. Well, in order to achieve world peace everyone must first be at peace with self.
My oldest child get his driver license. My son will be 16 in a few months. I don’t know if it’s just my teenager or not, but for some reason he has not shown an interest in driving. I have gotten on him several times about it and told him that he is going to learn to drive and get his license. Usually when I’m on his case about it is when I’m out of pop (I love my Coca-Cola) and too lazy to drive around the corner to the store to buy more.
More people covering their mouths while coughing. My number one pet peeve is folks coughing and not covering their mouths. That is nasty, disrespectful, and unsanitary. My kids and I were at the farmer’s market one day last year. We had just opened our cans of pop when a man walked by and sneezed without covering his mouth. I got mad and did what I always do. I yelled, “Ugh! Cover your mouth!” We threw our drinks away. I was so upset that my son bought me another Coke.
Donald Trump’s Twitter account permanently closed and deleted. Enough said.
Myself as a bestselling nonfiction author and motivational speaker. I will be launching my first book, “Leaving the Hidden Path: Motivational Guidance for Women of Young Kids Considering Divorce” in a few months. My original launch date was August of last year, but I had to postpone it due to caring for my son as he fight a life-threatening illness.
As always, thank you for visiting my blog. Please feel free to add what you would like to see this year in the comment section below.
My oldest child fell asleep before 11:00 p.m. on Saturday night. He is 15 years-old and it is rare for him to go to bed that early, even on a school night.
My youngest is 11 years-old and he fell asleep before 9 p.m. My son is fighting osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and was discharged from the hospital Friday afternoon after a week long stay there. But he wanted in on the action like his big brother.
Yes I am referring to the Pontiac Silverdome Implosion that took place on Sunday, December 3rd in Pontiac, Michigan. I woke up at 5:30 a.m., got my sons and myself ready, and made the 45 minute road trip to Pontiac to join others in that historic moment.
Selfie taken in Pontiac, Michigan on December 3, 2017. The Pontiac Silverdome is in the background.
There was a designated parking and viewing area for the public so we left home extra early to ensure that we got a parking spot. Excellent crowd control and there was even free coffee and donuts.
Leaving the boys in my vehicle at first (the youngest stayed inside my SUV the entire time to stay warm and recuperate), I got out to walk around and check out the environment. It was as if we were at a funeral. Some people (individuals and families) walked around and socialized with one another. Others stood and stared at the Silverdome in silence. There were times when there was complete silence because everyone was staring at the Pontiac Silverdome for the last time.
No one seemed to mind the 34 degree temperature with a wind chill of 28. That is because we are Michiganders. We are used to cold weather.
I found a great spot for viewing and tears immediately flowed from my eyes. My surrounding was peaceful. All I could hear were footsteps of others walking up to pay their last respects to the former home of the Detroit Lions, Detroit Pistons, and a venue for countless other events.
It was nice to hear stories of who attended the Lions and Pistons games. Others talked about concerts they attended. Of course I had to share my story of when my sister and I attended the Jackson Victory Tour in 1984. She was 14 and I was 12. I did away with the jheri curl decades ago, but that sequin glove I wore to the concert is still packed away somewhere at my mother’s home.
As expected there was a huge turnout for the implosion of the Pontiac Silverdome. Not everyone was able to fit into the designated parking lot. Traffic became backed up on the expressway. As a matter of fact, traffic literally stopped. People got out of their vehicles and watched from the expressway. Like I said, it was as if we were at a funeral. It was a very emotional moment.
I did not record the first few seconds of the implosion because the blast from the explosives startled me.
Pontiac Silverdome one minute before implosion.Pontiac Silverdome seconds after explosives were detonated.
The explosives failed to implode the Silverdome on Sunday. Everyone stood and waited in silence for it to collapse (my tears were flowing heavily) but it wasn’t ready to be taken out just yet!
Although the Silverdome didn’t collapse, my sons and I still had a great time and I am sure everyone else had fun as well. A man tossed a Nerf football back and forth to his young sons. I saw a few drones flying around. News helicopters circled overhead and came to a standstill minutes before implosion.
However there is always that ONE person that has to be a standout. The guy I parked next to started talking to me before I even turned my engine off. He said he was trying to get famous and wanted his 15 minutes of fame. He said he was going to let the top of his truck down, climb up his ladder, and hold up a sign he made.
AND HE DID.
He told me a chilling story about something he and his friend saw when he was 15 years-old. The story is too long to type in this blog post, but he said they saw a hand sticking out of a box. They believe Jimmy Hoffa was in it.
I don’t know if that story was true or not, but he said that is the same story he’s been telling for years and it never changes. A lot of people stopped and took pictures of that man and his sign. Some of them even took selfies (I also took one) in front of him. At times he even had a small gathering at his truck. They were old schoolers like myself and I joined in on a couple of the discussions. He held that sign up in the air the entire time. Maybe his Jimmy Hoffa story is true, maybe it’s not. But it was a heck of a story and generated a lot of talk.
The Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan was successfully imploded the next day. I was okay with it because I had bid my farewell the day before, on its’ original implosion date.
I know the title is long, but I tried to shorten it. Well, I didn’t try at all, but I thought about it for a quick second. However, this blog post will be short and to the point.
How I handle the C word
No mother wants to be told that her child has cancer. Two weeks before my son’s 11th birthday back in June, I learned that what was thought to be a bruise on his leg from falling while running was actually a mass. A tumor. Osteosarcoma. So just how in the hell am I supposed to handle the fact (according to biopsy report) that my child has bone cancer? That my child has to undergo intense chemotherapy-surgery-chemotherapy treatment over the next few months? Each chemo admission ranges 2-5 days in the hospital. On top of all that, my son is already special needs. He has a rare condition called Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) and a multitude of other health issues.
My son and I don’t like saying the word cancer, so we say C word instead. He also says tumor while I say osteo. Sometimes we don’t say anything at all. So how am I handling it? Let’s just say that I’m handling it, that I’ve come a long way since being told the heartbreaking news.
My son standing next to a locomotive at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan last month. He is train obsessed.
How I plan to handle the B Word I should have typed word in plural form because this section actually consists of two B words.
The first word is book. I wrote my first book, Leaving the Hidden Path: Guidance for Women with Young Kids Considering Divorce. My original plan was to launch it on August 15th which will be 1 year since my divorce. All hell broke loose when I learned of my son’s life threatening illness, so I had to put my writing aside for a minute. I am now making plans to release the book in September.
Now for the second B word. Let’s see if you can guess the word by looking at the gorgeous lady in the picture below.
Okay, so the gorgeous lady is me. I am very self-confident so I will always call myself beautiful, gorgeous, pretty, and sexy. I was having a bad day last year so I called one of my best friends and burst out crying as soon as he answered the phone. After telling him what was going on, he suggested I get a Bad Bitch shirt made. Bad bitch? I rarely say bad words but it sound like a good idea, so I went to the mall and had the shirt made. Some people like to mistake a person’s kindness for weakness. Sometimes you overlook it, but when you don’t, well that’s when you become a bitch. So I had to learn how to become a bad bitch. Don’t worry, I’m only one when necessary, lol.
My book’s target audience is women with minor children considering divorce, and it contains examples from my personal life. That’s where the bitch part comes to play. I am already anticipating being called that and plenty of other things when I release the book. But hey, I helped myself out of a situation, and now I want to help other women who may be in the same boat. Getting called a bitch, or bad bitch, is okay. It is not the first time I’ve been called one, and I guarantee you it won’t be the last.
How I will never handle the S word Maintaining my sanity is a bit tricky. A special needs child newly diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in addition to a long list of other health concerns. A book about divorce that I plan to launch in September. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that a fundraiser is being planned by my ex-husband’s co-workers for our son for next month. I am still releasing my book next month. Chaos, chaos, chaos.
The average mom wouldn’t even be able to handle half of what I have been through, and still going through. But will I ever handle the S word, or my sanity though? I have no idea. Some might call me crazy, others will call me supermom or superwoman. Only time will tell. But right now, time is telling me to be that bad bitch!
Oops! I said this blog post would be short didn’t I? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this random post as much as I enjoyed typing it. I just wanted to blow off some steam.
Words By Me 