Melting pot, mixing bowl, my American Family

My brother adopted two Rwandan teenagers who were in an orphanage in Uganda.  Jasmine and Julian are growing into fine adults, they are now twenty two.  They are also quickly entering proper adulthood with college nearly done and thoughts of starting their own families brewing. 

This past weekend at my parents, Jasmine’s beau asked her to marry him. How touching that Mr. Christian Fuentes would ask his family; mother, step father and three out of four of his brothers to travel from Maryland to Smyrna, NC to be part of the event and part of our family.

So let me map this out to you. My family, both sides have been here in North America for hundreds of years.  My mother’s father’s family the longest, dating back to the late 1600’s or early 1700’s and part of her family Native American so perhaps thousands of years.  Then a branch of my father’s family, the Sullivan clan several hundred years have been present here in North America.

So this past Saturday late afternoon, with a cool wind blowing out of the north across Core Sound and brilliant sunshine, Christian Fuentes, first generation citizen via El Salvador asked Jasmine Sullivan my niece, first generation citizen via Uganda via Rwanda to marry him.  She said, “Yes.” 

In one generation, my American family makes the most dramatic mix that it has seen in two generations. The last great mix occurred when my very Dutch American grandmother married my very Irish American grandfather. 

Sitting comfortably here in 2013, I'd just love to see what this American family looks like in 2113. 

Thank you BB & T

A week ago I decided it would be a novel idea if I opened a line of credit form my growing real estate business.  Up until now I've operated on a cash only basis. That said, we are in a rather robust growth spurt.  I fully expect my business to double this year and I though it might be a good idea to grow with someone else's money.

So, with this business growth in mind, I toddled off to my local BB and T.  I've been "fully" banked with them for years. I have two business acoounts with them, a money market, a credit card, a personal checking account, retirement account and an annuity. I sat down with the branch manager, he filled in my paperwork and said he'd have an answer in a few days.

Two days later the manager called to tell me that I had to unfreeze my social security number at the credit bureau so that the bank could run my personal credit history. I refused and asked if an approval could be rendered based on the assets that I had housed in his bank.  He said, "I can't do that."

When I hear can't, I substiture won't. In my mind I heard the bank say we won't do that. Ok fine with me, I won't be acquiring a line of credit with BB and T. When the time is right I might also move all of my accounts. As I say often, no is a very expensive word.

Linda Harvey and her ilk

Linda Harvey and her views on gay people and gay marriage.

Linda Harvey claims that gay marriage will victimize children.  I say people like Linda Harvey victimize children with their narrow minded, bigoted views of what gay and lesbian people are.  I think people like Linda Harvey are responsible for this…

This is a photo of a gay man who was bashed because of who he is. He wasn’t bashed in the US but in France where the marriage debate is just as heated as here. I'd say he's a victim.