1/14/14 RMB Moms Mabley

1/14/14 RMB Moms Mabley

Dear Rita Mae Brown,

Tonight I learned about Moms Mabley via the special Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley. I saw bits of it at Carol’s when I visited. She recorded it for me to watch later with my nephew trio. She remembers her, like I remember listening to Bill Cosby on vinyl. And now technology allows us to watch a video on YouTube that was originally recorded sixty years ago. Nice.

In an interview Whoopi told an African-American female reporter that Moms did what she did so that “you could do what you do”. What did she do? She made people laugh while prompting them to think, not an easy task. She was her own woman, out and proud, female and black, entertaining audiences from the 1920’s to the 1970’s, not an easy task at all.

Further research reveals that Clarice Taylor, an actress known for playing Bill Cosby’s mom in the The Cosby Show, produced and starred in the live show Moms in the 80’s.  

Remembering is good. Every generation has firsts and greats and those who travelled paths far more difficult than some of us will ever see. I am humbly thankful to them and to those who help us to remember them.

As we deal with our daily trials, we learn to live in the present. “This moment, this very instant, is the most important one.” I tell my nephews, and “Do you know why? Because this is where we put to use all that we have learned from the past and it is this moment that will shape our future. We must give it our best.”

Focus and clarity of our own potential, fed by history’s insights and dreams of possibilities, edge us towards brighter days.

Cheers,

Loraine