Category — Black rag dolls

As experiences come into your life, you begin to recognize how one situation compares and relates to another. For example, my recent bout with the side effects of a treatment meant to improve and protect my bones from the ravages of bone cancer and osteoporosis triggered the thought of how the side effects of integration have affected the lives and lifestyle of socioeconomically disadvantaged blacks in America.

The once a month infusion treatment, or intravenous injection, was supposed to alleviate the pain and prevent further disintegration or breaking of my bones. I suffered great side effects of chills and aching the first time the drug was administered, but when the injection time was increased, those particular side effects decreased. The treatment continued month after month, but I began to notice I was having difficulty breathing.

It began with the feeling of excess fluid and a rattling breath sound. The problem impeded my ability to perform any physical activity, walking, cleaning, showering, having sex, etc. All effort was labored and distressful. My doctors ordered x-rays, scans, and echo-grams to try to find out what was causing the “pleural effusion” I was suffering; but to no avail. The situation kept getting worse.

Along with complaining, I began to do research into the side effects of the many drugs and supplements I am taking for my various ailments which include Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, anemia, breast cancer, bone cancer, osteoporosis, and kidney disease. Some of the medications mentioned difficulty in breathing, but the doctors seemed to ignore that as a cause. Since the infusion was the latest treatment, to me it became the most suspicious.

As a required precaution, prior to receiving the treatment, a blood test to see if the creatinine level in my kidneys is low is taken as the medication negatively affects the kidneys. For the past three months, my tests have come back with the level too high because the tumor in my cancerous breast erupted and caused bleeding. The loss of blood caused the kidneys to be drier, causing the creatinine level to go higher, which negated my infusion treatment. So while my body has been healing from the tumor eruption, it has also been withdrawing from the side effects of the infusion, which has allowed my breathing to return to normal. I am regaining my strength and ability to function as before. Thank God!

When I awoke this morning the correlation of experiencing side effects from a medical treatment fit into the framework of the black Underclass in America experiencing the side effects of integration.

For many blacks, successful assimilation became a reality. However, according to Bill Cosby, beloved TV father and celebrity, the “lower economic people” or black Underclass, are “knuckleheads walking around…not holding up their end.” To Mr. Cosby, the Underclass has not gotten with the program of living in an American, integrated society and their inability to appropriately function has become very obvious.

In recent statements, Mr. Cosby, has spoken on their lack of language skills, their poor parenting, their spending habits, their dress, their lifestyle, their reflection of ethnicity, even the naming of their children. We all recognize him as a very funny comedian, but what has and is happening to our people is no joke.

Integration was a wonderful concept from a basic human standpoint. All people should be allowed the freedom of their “inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” and the U.S. prides itself in that ideal. But along with the powerlessness to pursue the better things in life, there were many blacks who were unable to escape their environment even after the opportunity was presented due to a lack of money and education, or simply because they wished to remain in the comfort zone of their surroundings.

The side effects of such great change in their surroundings became most severe when nearly all of the educated, prominent, role models moved from the black neighborhoods to white suburbs and left the less fortunate behind. The ones left were forced to continue surviving as best they could without direction and the leadership and guidance that had always been available. The motivators and mentors disappeared, leaving only folks of basically the same status. So the vulnerable ethnic group developed their own ways of life and became a culture (Underclass) within a culture (black) within a culture (white or American). The culture of the black Underclass includes a language and moral code which often seems harsh and even barbaric to those from the outside.

But the resourceful group has now increased in such numbers and have gained the attention of outsiders through the widespread popularity of rap and hip hop music, clothing and hair styles, piercing and tattoos, etc. Those who are thriving with conventional lifestyles are taking notice. Particularly as another side effect of integration has been the adoption by mainstream youth of many of the Underclass habits and social standards; including the use of the “N” word.

The further side effects of the full acceptance and incorporation of the black Underclass language, dress, and customs, has made some middle- and upper-class blacks, like Mr. Cosby, criticize and denigrate them in order to try to set them apart. But it can’t be done. Just as I can’t separate my breathing from what is happening to my bones, all descendants of slaves are segments of the whole, parts of the body. It is our legacy. All we can hope for is to find ways to alleviate the side effects which are affecting us.

If Mr. Cosby really wants to help, rather than rant to his peers; he should go to people who would benefit the most from hearing what he has to say. Speak to them and I believe they will listen. He should tell them about his own side effects and challenges. As a matter of fact, the black Underclass has been waiting for someone who made it out and overcame the struggle to come back and give them some honest relief. After all, isn’t that what all those suffering from side effects really want and need?

After working diligently to get my children’s book and rag dolls published and manufactured, I am constantly made aware that there is always something new that needs to be done. There’s always some tweaking, redesigning, refining, and redefining required.

As our products move along in our plans for them, we become more aware of how time is affecting what we have to offer, as well as the way in which we have to offer it. For example, on one of the sites where the image of the doll is imprinted on various products, another image requiring a transparency rather than a picture will be utilized.

This change was suggested by the artist who did the vector illustrations for the book. This alteration will give a more updated, cleaner look to the products and the artwork will provide outlets for further items like cards, posters, etc.

It is changes such as this that is required to keep up with what is happening in the marketplace. When I watched cartoons with my grandson on Saturday morning, I was delighted to see how fresh and beautiful Mickey and Minnie and Goofy and all the Disney character’s looks have evolved.

Seeing Disney as an outstanding role model, and observing their evolution, keeps me moving forward. Their success motivates me to continue to realize that there is always something that needs to be done, and being willing to make the changes can be very beneficial as well as promote longevity.

This is a picture of my rag doll, Bubba Oodle. For the last 18 years I have prepared for, cared for and now I’m introducing Bubba to the world as the first visitor from the land of Oodleville. Bubba is one of 10 characters in my adventure stories for children, the first one is entitled, “The First Trip.”

The idea for Bubba and the other Oodle Dolls was conceived during a conversation with my daughter. We were sharing stories about toys and dolls we loved as children. I mentioned how I made dolls from soda bottles, clothes pins and hemp rope; she mentioned how she loved rag dolls. Then she asked why there were no commercial black rag dolls, and could I make some?

Having been a seamstress for a large portion of my life, I had scraps of cloth and ribbon in my sewing basket and soon had all of the dolls made. They were given names and occupations, and the stories seemed to flow about their imaginary land of Oodleville.

Now that the first story has been published, and the Bubba Oodle dolls’ store is up and running, things are in ready for Bubba to meet children from around the world, and I feel like a parent whose child is going off to college. As with that event, I am very proud of what has been and will be accomplished.

http://oodleville.myshopify.com

www.thefirsttrip.com

www.cafepress.com/oodleville