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author
Benjamin E. Bailey
I was born on January 13, 1947, in Mount Kisco, New York, the eldest of two children. My mother and father moved north in the mid-’40s from southwest Georgia. Mom worked as a domestic until 1956 wh...view moreI was born on January 13, 1947, in Mount Kisco, New York, the eldest of two children. My mother and father moved north in the mid-’40s from southwest Georgia. Mom worked as a domestic until 1956 when she took a position with A&P. She worked for A&P for over thirty years. My father worked at the post office and later for a hardware store until his illness forced him to retire. Dad later went on to work for himself until he suffered a series of strokes, which eventually took his life. I was fortunate to have my parents for forty-five years. Mom passed away in 2002. As for me, I was the first African American to attend school in the town where I grew up. As a matter of fact, our family was the only African American family for many years. After graduation, I went on to college until I was drafted into the United States Army in 1968. I served five years. After I moved to Boston to continue my education, I began working as a teacher in the Boston Headstart Program. In 1974, I moved on to become an instructor in the Boston public school system in the IBM Writing to Read Program. I moved to North Carolina in 1989, working in the Greensboro public school system as a coach and reading instructor. In 1994, I moved to Sumter, South Carolina, and took a position as executive director for a nonprofit organization, which provides services and programs for “at risk” children and their families—a position which I still hold. Twenty-five-plus years have thought me a great deal as it relates to our children and the challenges they face today. In 2007, I faced a life-altering situation, which changed a number of things as it relates to life. The heart attack I suffered let me know that life is something that we should not take for granted, which is why I’ve penned this book. I want to share things with parents and children regarding life. And it is my hope that the words in this book will help mothers, fathers, children, and others to communicate and strive to work toward positive outcomes as it relates to their goals in life.view less