About c.l. charlesworth

Back Porch Storyteller. Inspired by music, art, books, and people who have something worth saying.

March is also a Renewable Month

Luck has nothing to with your life. I repeat, luck has nothing to do with your life. Making simple, intentional changes to your routine—such as exercise, sleep, and mindfulness—can help improve your well-being, extending and making the most of your life. I’ve learned and have practiced this philosophy, since years ago, from taking yoga and meditation at a well-respected studio located in Santa Monica, California. Continue reading

Old Battery

the vast imagination of a child is often lost when one reaches adulthood and gets caught up in climbing the ladder

“Very little is needed to make a happy life.” Marcus Aurelius

As a child, I swam in the clouds with vast imagination. I thought growing up in Ohio, tomorrows were endless and troubles invisible. Adulthood left behind the small-town security and shelter of family, and longtime friends since elementary school. New days consumed a grand-prix mindset. Surviving the competition meant glued to the grindstone called important success. I surmised getting ahead, you know… college, making a living, seeking that promotion with competitive salary raises gave more options than my small Ohio town. Continue reading

Some Traditions Do Matter

The movies Don’t Look Up and Killers of the Flower Moon, written with different plots, their premises are the same: greed for power, resulting in the destruction of people.

The end of the 2023 playbook mirrors a sadness and destruction with wars, political toxicity, and an up close and personal view of climate twisting, tossing, and throwing weather changes as if the gods are playing a game of tennis.

I wondered long after I’m gone, how many people would stand in this exact spot? Continue reading

Thanksgiving All Year Round

 

Portugal’s cuisine isn’t the familiarity of French, Spanish, or Italian. However, historical Brazilian and African delicacies blend into Portugal’s mediterranean cuisine, making the country a memorable contender. Aromatic variations of Piri Piri spicy peppers, Cinnamon (Canela), Bay Leaves (Louro), Sea Salt (Sal), and Smoked Paprika (Colorau) into delectable combinations are a foodie’s dream. Here are some of the specialties I’ve enjoyed:

Thanksgiving all year round: Portugal’s cuisine isn’t the familiarity of French, Spanish, or Italian. However, historical Brazilian and African delicacies blend into Portugal’s mediterranean cuisine, making the country a memorable contender.

Continue reading

History

History of the United StatesBlack History Month leaves and a new month, March, emerges. During February, I thought what does it mean—Black History Month? One month nationally set aside embraces a history I feel only pricks a hole into the abyss. Much of what people of color don’t know is because their stories, contributions, and past journeys have been lost, untold, or reviled as not true American History. White folks are tired of reliving a placed blame. They need to be protected from their own history, starting from what the slave ancestors lived through—up to this very present, today, after decades as these ancestors walked as freemen. Irrelevant, is what people of color are labeled by an emerging group, picturing themselves saviors of an America, whose history is best served up on a golden platter of apple pie and fried chicken. Continue reading

The Fall of the Giant

The Fall of the Giant, Martin Luther King Jr.This month marks the birthday and national holiday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I remember the exact place I was when the news broke about his assassination. I was in school, the last study hall session for the day, and the announcement came over the loud speaker. Our principal’s voice sounded shaken as he stumbled over his words. All the students stopped and listened, and for a moment, even the toughest bullies looked solemn, as if a member of their own family had been murdered. Continue reading