Carole Simpson

My Fabulous Canary Islands Vacation

Jul 29, 2021 | Something. To. Say. | 0 comments

My Fabulous Canary Islands Vacation

Hello everybody. I have something to say about fabulous vacations. You could never guess where I am right now.  I’m in Tenerife in the Canary Islands.  Thanks to some wealthy friends, this vacation was made possible for me.   We are staying in the most beautiful house I have ever stayed in. And I am finally getting to live like the rich and famous.

But first a little about where I am. The seven Canary Islands belong to Spain and are situated along the coast of Africa. Far, far from home. And they aren’t named after the little yellow birds, but for the many dogs found here by the first Spanish explorers. Many may remember that Tenerife was the scene of the worst aviation disaster in history. It was 1977 when 583 people were killed when two jumbo jets collided.

Today, the islands–formed from volcanic rock–are now a highly-rated

 vacation destination, frequented mostly by Europeans. But we Americans get here as well. My friends and I are staying at the Villa Circense, which is unbelievable…built high into a volcanic cliff above the Atlantic Ocean. Among the breathtaking views from the villa is El Teide, the third highest volcano in the world that for centuries has cut and carved and smashed the stunning landscape.

But the villa. It’s spectacular.  I counted 20 rooms, but there may be more. There’s a room for doing almost anything: big kitchen, office, fitness room, sauna, game room– a dungeon even! Our dinners are prepared every night by a chef and staff who do the cleanup as well. And of course, there’s daily maid service.

Inside and out there are fine art and sculptures. The grounds are landscaped with palm trees, cactus, and an abundance of flowers and shrubs. Night views rival the daylight ones. You can see gorgeous sunsets and the twinkling lights of the town below.

They say all good things must come to an end and mine will be in three days. But while it lasted, it was GREAT.   Until next time.

George Floyd did not Cause his own Death

Apr 14, 2021 | Black Lives Matter, Racism, Something. To. Say. | 0 comments

George Floyd did not Cause his own Death

Hello Everybody:

I have something to say about the George Floyd murder trial. The prosecutors show again and again the awful images of Floyd’s face contorted in pain, the sound of his voice calling, “I can’t breathe.” The knee of a white cop cutting off his air supply. It is almost more than I can bear and I’m sure I’m not alone.  White cop kills black suspect is a recurrent theme in America.

I have covered police brutality ever since I started my news career in Chicago in 1965. One of the first stories I covered involved a black teenager, shot in the back and killed by a white police officer, who chased the boy because he had been throwing rocks. Chicago police were famous for using drop guns at crime scenes, just dropping a gun and telling the lie that the black guy was threatening him. He claims he had to shoot to protect himself. And the policeman got away with murder.

Over 50 years the problem has only gotten worse. More blacks killed by white cops. And many, many more police walked away from killing black people. Is it any wonder that the public has taken up the mantra—Black Lives Matter?

In the trial, the ex-policeman’s defense is that George Floyd’s death was his fault because he was on drugs. But George Floyd’s horrific death captured on a mobile phone galvanized the planet. The whole world is watching. If Derek  Chauvin goes free, there will be hell to pay.

Zoom Cocktails

Mar 19, 2021 | Coronavirus, Something. To. Say. | 0 comments

Zoom Cocktails

Hello Everybody!

Add one more innovation created by the confluence of Zoom and the pandemic. It’s called Zoom Cocktails.  In my high rise condo in downtown Boston, the managers have come up with an activity to keep the quarantined residents occupied. Mixing exotic cocktails. The ingredients are distributed to the condo dwellers, who join a Zoom call and watch an instructor demonstrate how to make elaborate cocktails. It’s become the most popular activity for the home-bound in my condo. It’s not only fun, but everybody ends up with something wild to drink.

Gimme My Shot!

Feb 19, 2021 | Coronavirus, Health, Something. To. Say. | 0 comments

Gimme My Shot!

Hello everybody:

I have something to say about shots.

In the great musical, “Hamilton,” Alexander sings during the Revolution that he wants to have his shot. I’ve been singing about shots, too. My reason, not so bold. I just want a Covid-19 shot. Gimme my shot.

It took a few frustrating days of going to websites and making telephone calls, before I finally got an appointment at a local hospital.Look at me leaning away from the nurse’s imposing needle, but there was nothing to it. Scarcely felt a thing.

Afterwards I had to go to the waiting room for 15 minutes to make sure I didn’t have a bad reaction. So, I’m sitting there and I look around and I see all of these old people, really old people. And then It came to me, these people are my contemporaries, the over 75’s. I had just never appreciated until then how really old I must look.

But I have a question. Why are the states making it so hard for people to get Covid vaccinations, especially old people? They are short of vaccine and  have haphazard programs. The least they can do is get it together… and give us our shots.

Inauguration Jubilation

Jan 22, 2021 | 2020 Election, Democrats, Elections, Feminism, Government, Something. To. Say., Women | 0 comments

Inauguration Jubilation

Hello Everybody:

      I have something to say about the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.  Now I know once again how it feels, to be happy. I haven’t been happy for four years.

    Inauguration Day, it was wonderful to see the US Capitol festooned with flags and banners, to hear the heralding music from the US Marine band, to be moved to tears by the voices of Lady Gaga, J-Lo and the amazing young Amanda Gorman. Seeing the former presidents chatting with each other.

     Then the moment I was eagerly awaiting, maybe waiting my whole life for, seeing Kamala Harris raising her hand and repeating the oath to become vice president. She shattered the thickest glass ceiling in the land. It’s been in place since the founding of our country, 245 years ago. Holding the second most powerful office in the land, she isn’t only female, she’s black and South Asian.

     I was happy to see the decent, experienced Joe Biden swear to defend the Constitution and then give an inaugural address assuring the nation that all would be done that could be done to end the pandemic.

      I could almost overlook the masks on all the guests, and almost ignore the presence of 25,000 troops guarding Washington. But I couldn’t forget the violent, hateful American traitors who tried to destroy our democracy.

       Finally, the best thing to happen inauguration day was the departure of Donald Trump. He’s gone. He’s gone. He won’t have us to kick around anymore. Good riddance. I hope I don’t have to talk about him again any time soon. I wanna stay happy.

Till next time.

Trump Has Gotta Go, Now!

Jan 9, 2021 | Congress, Crazy Town, Something. To. Say., Terrorism, Trump | 0 comments

Trump Has Gotta Go, Now!

Hello Everybody.

I have something to say about 2021.  Yes, already. After only a few days of it.  It’s not turning out to be the better year we prayed for. 2021 is so far—between Trump and the pandemic–just a frightful continuation of 2020.

On January 6th—another American day that will live in infamy—I was so happy in the morning.  In Georgia, the two Democrats won Senate seats and the state turned true blue. I was so happy. My people are from Georgia.

By the afternoon, my hopes for America’s political future were dashed when I watched the violence and mayhem at the US Capitol. The armed assault on the People’s House.  Never, have I ever…never.  I fought back the impulses to cry and to throw up. American-grown terrorists scaled the walls—they disbanded the Congress.

Trump caused this. He begged his supporters, including white nationalists, to come to Washington and fight—fight for him to remain president. He sent them to the Capitol. That creep, that idiot, that crazy man. Now he has blood on his hands. He’s got to go. Not by Biden’s inauguration, but now. Somebody figure out how to do that, but get it done. He’s more dangerous to America than ever.

Hope to see you next time.

Top 10 List of 2020’s Good Things

Dec 31, 2020 | 2020 Election, Black Lives Matter, Coronavirus, Family, Journalism, Something. To. Say. | 0 comments

Top 10 List of 2020’s Good Things

Hello Everybody. I have something to say about the demise of the year 2020. It was awful and you know what was awful about it. But I gave it another think and managed to eke out some positive results. So, without further ado, My Top Ten List of the good that came out of 2020.

BIDEN

  1. We elected Joe Biden as our new president. And Kamala Harris, a woman of color is going to be vice president.

 

TRUMP

  1. We won’t have to see Donald Trump’s orange face and crazy yellow hair. We won’t have to hear his narcissistic ravings or read his crazy tweets.

 

VACCINE

  1. We saw scientists and researchers spend only 9 months in their labs to invent several vaccines to prevent us from getting the Covid-19 coronavirus.

 

          FAMILY

  1. Because many of us were locked down, we spent more time with our families. Parents liked that. Kids liked that. They got to know each other better.

 

NEIGHBORLINESS

  1. And we saw selflessness. Neighbors helping neighbors. Young folks getting groceries for old folks. People cooking and delivering meals to families where the parents have lost their jobs.

 

PRESS

  1. We saw some of the best investigative journalism ever practiced at one time in our history. Reporters proved to many that they aren’t the enemy of the people, but the protectors of our democracy.

 

TECHNOLOGY

  1. With technology, we learned you can do a lot of things virtually. Doctors’ appointments, conferences, meetings. And that technology like Zoom is being used to teach our kids.

 

ENTERTAINMENT

  1. We didn’t go to movie theaters, so the movies came to us. Yes, we could watch big blockbuster films in our homes through streaming services.

 

COOKING

  1.   We re-discovered the joy of cooking. But now, with nothing to do, nowhere to go, we learned that it’s tough to beat a good home cooked meal.

 

         BODIES GOT A BREAK

  1. We gave our bodies a break by not wearing restricting ties, brassieres and Spanx in favor of sweatpants and lounging stuff.

 

It goes without saying that it was positive, what doctors and nurses and first responders did to help us during the pandemic. It’s good, that people now realize how much they do for us.

 

   Now we welcome 2021. As we do every year, we pray that the new year will make up for the year before. So, we’ll try this again. Happy New Year.

Reflections on Becoming 80

Dec 6, 2020 | Health, Something. To. Say. | 0 comments

Reflections on Becoming 80

Hello Everybody:

    I never expected to live this long. I thought I would die in my 50’s.  All because, when I was 9-years-old my friend looked at my palm and said, “Oh, no. You have a short lifeline. You’re going to die young.”

   But the years kept passing. And here I am, 80 years old on Pearl Harbor Day. I don’t feel 80 and I sure work hard not to look 80.

    I asked my two grandsons, one 15, the other 13, what came to their minds when they thought of an 80-year-old. They both said, independently, that they thought of an old guy with gray hair, wearing glasses and hearing aids, and walking with a limp, hunched over on a cane.

     “Whoa, fellas, I’m 80.” They said I was different. I didn’t look or act like I was that old. ( Teaching moment.) “Right. Not everyone fits the stereotype. So, don’t just dismiss 80-year-olds as pretty much useless.”

      How did I live this long? I suppose genetics played a part.  But I believe it’s because of love. I married the love of my life. I did the work that I loved doing for fifty years. I had two loving children who made me proud.  And I love having a faith.

      I have also tried to do good and be a role model for young minority women and men. I enjoyed the company of good friends and family. I stay active—not exercising—but traveling, reading, and trying to keep my mind sharp by learning new things. Don’t get me wrong, I have my share of aches and pains, but I have been blessed.

      Now that I’m in the twilight of my life, I won’t be waiting around for dementia, debilitation and death. No, I’m going to keep on keeping on as long as I am able. And for any of you fearing old age, listen to this wise old woman:  what will be, will be…but like me, try to make the best of it…anyway you can.

Happy 80th birthday, Carole.