Family Legacies

>> When family history prevents progress << Did you think that we only inherit a physical trait, eye color for example, a character trait from our parents, grandparents or great-grandparents? We inherit much more than that. Events such as the fear of a pandemic, a war, a famine, the ruin…

Cooking was different before Google — If you want to cook something special now, you just google the name of the dish you have in mind. Dozens of recipes for whatever you want pop up, and you prop your phone on the kitchen counter so you can follow the recipe. It’s not as easy as it…

My handwriting is the same style as my primary school teacher’s who had allowed me to graduate to ink pens at the age of 8, she probably doesn’t work at that school anymore and the last I heard, her daughter had passed away at 14. …

Not so long ago, I went through the trauma of the sudden loss of my father. This experience was unexpected, even though I was aware of his compromised health during his eighty-one years. The feeling of loss was hard enough, but more the realization that he did not have anything…

When you become a caring, nurturing, and loving parent. Rather early in your youth or later down the line. You look into their eyes and think, I will protect you from every bump and bruise. You barely want them to know there are casualties in this game of life. But…

So history teaches us that banks were mostly owned and charted by white men, but did you know that in 1903 a black woman charted, owned, and served as the first bank president. History also taught us that the Montgomery Bus Transportation Boycott of 1955 was the first of its…

An old man grasping at digital straws — I have been trying to produce an email newsletter The View from Villa Flores, to share my stories with friends and family who (mostly) would never read me on Medium. It’s part of my “legacy” project that includes producing paperback versions of my online books of fiction, poetry and essays…

Not all traits passed down from generation to generation are positive ones. People leave all kinds of things to their descendants. Money, possessions, genes, quirky behaviors. We never know which of our phobias (should we have any) will become imbedded in the bodies of our offspring. …

MWC Death by Tasmin Hansmann — This is part of a new series that will be on a feature page on this publication where we read other writers’ MWC essays which were not part of the 104 winners circle and promote their work. Tag it #outsidethe104. You can submit one into this publication or just tag…