Beauty Around Us

In spite of all the negativity in the world we still have a lot of beauty around us. I think I have a fascination with murals. When I was writing my fourth novel ’29 Dimes’ I featured several murals within the story. Silver Lake and Echo Park, California have quite a few gigantic murals. (Photo: Dutch artist Leon Keer working on a colorful mural in downtown Des Moines, near Grand Avenue and Tenth Street.) When things get a bit weary try looking for the bright spots around you. – Randolph Randy Camp

You're The One

Regardless of your age, your status or title a lot of you are Angels to some of us, even if you’re not aware of it. Sometimes, in our darkest moments when we feel like throwing in the towel, it’s amazing how someone else, at the very same time, is looking at you as if you’re the brightest light they’ve ever seen. Whatever you’re going through right now, high waters or low waters, just remember that you could be the Angel who is keeping someone else going. – Randolph Randy Camp
More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Tomorrow

For those of you out there going through rough n’ tough times but yet you’re not cursing at the world and not cursing at those around you, well, that takes a lot of strength and you have a lot of class. When I was younger I used to blame others sometimes for my own doings but now I know exactly where to point my finger…at myself. What I’ve learned from my past misgivings and mistakes is that my focus now should be on not what took place yesterday but what am I doing today and what will I do tomorrow.
https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp 

Courage To Walk Alone

Due to the senseless, recent death of my grandson in New York it gave me a renewed appreciation for positive-minded kids, and got me thinking a lot about all of the positive kids out there who are doing their own thing and have no desire whatsoever to join a street gang.


Over the years as a youth advocate, I’d spoken with lots of lost kids who were at the crossroads, where they’re not sure if they want to join their neighborhood gang or not. When I was in Los Angeles in 2002, I remember having a one-on-one session with this big, muscular, tat-covered 15 year-old who got really upset with me because I’d told him that it was a sign of weakness to join a gang because it means that you’re too afraid to walk alone.


I could see his face tighten as he thought that I was insulting him by calling him ‘weak’, but I went on to tell him that when you don’t need a gun or a group of others dressed in similar clothing around you to make you “feel like a man” then you’re already on a good path towards manhood. As he got up in protest to walk out the door I further told him that it takes more courage to walk alone than to join a gang. He rolled his eyes and slammed the door as he left.


About a year later in 2003, this same big, thuggish-looking kid was one of many kids along the 26-mile route, cheering me on as I ran the LA Marathon to raise money for the I Have A Dream Foundation – LA Chapter. After I’d crossed the finish line, he excitedly told me that he’d re-enrolled back into school and he’d promised his mom that he wouldn’t ever join a gang. *(Update: Today, this gentleman is now a certified auto mechanic, married with 2 kids, and a homeowner in San Diego. He keeps in touch with me and calls me ‘pops’)


If any of you have friends and family who are currently dealing with a younger family member who maybe associated with a street gang, or maybe possibly at the crossroads, please try, in your own unique way, to get the message across to him or her that joining a gang is a sign of weakness, and that true strength and true courage happens when you do your own thing and you’re not afraid to walk alone.


After building up a bit of trust, some kids will be willing to listen but most will not. As a youth advocate, I’ve learned that you can’t change the mindset of a kid, only they can do that, but what you can do though is plant positive seeds into their heads and simply show by example how you’re living your life.


If a troubled kid is willing to listen, I try to explain to them that gang leaders love to recruit school dropouts because they’re easier to control, brainwash and manipulate because their minds are somewhat empty and they can’t think for themselves. That’s why I always encourage kids in gang-infested neighborhoods to stay in school and please don’t quit. Also, I remember trying to tell another kid that joining a gang will ‘limit you’ because gangs only associate themselves with one or two colors, and they only associate themselves with a certain street or two, or possibly a small section of town. Whereby, in contrast, those who walk alone associate themselves with all colors of the rainbow and they have the whole world, not just a limited area around the block. 


Walking alone isn’t easy, but at least you know that the whole world is yours. – Randolph Randy Camp

Just Believe

'JUST BELIEVE'....When I was in elementary school I remember telling my classmates on the playground about the wild dreams I would have and they would just make fun of me and called me crazy. I learned that people are quick to call you crazy when they don't understand you. People are quick to belittle and ridicule you when they are jealous or envious of you. As I got older I remember one of my teachers encouraging me to write down my wild dreams, and would tell me not to let anyone discourage me and just believe in myself. - Randolph Randy Camp
More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Get Up!

The true meaning of Easter always makes me think of everyday people who, at times, gets this fantastic urge to resurrect or re-invent themselves. In certain ways, we’ve all been there at one time or another.
It’s an inspiring and wonderful thing to see someone get back up on their feet after falling down. I can’t tell you how many times I felt like a failure during my 56 years on this earth.
For all of you who’ve been knocked down once or twice, I hope that you rise again and surround yourselves with positive people as you continue your journey towards a happier and better life for yourself and your loved ones. Have a Happy Easter, Everybody! – Randolph Randy Camp
More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Mile 19: A Runner's Dream

Don’t give up on people. There’s good in everybody, although in some it’s hidden. Often, a person just need someone to believe in them first, before they start believing in themselves.

My legs were close to giving out. It felt as though I was hitting the infamous runners’ wall. My breathing was heavy and my mouth was extremely dry. I was running the Los Angeles Marathon for the second year in a row. I’ve always loved running, and I ran the LA Marathon as a fundraiser for my favorite charity. I was slowly approaching mile 19 where a line of kids, wearing ‘I Have A Dream’ Foundation T-shirts, stood on the side with cups and small bottles of water in their extended hands.

While living in Los Angeles several years ago, I volunteered with The ‘I Have A Dream’ Foundation and worked closely with the “dreamers”, which are kids mostly from low-income, gang-infested neighborhoods who are promised college tuition or vocational school funds after they’d graduated high school. Soaked in sweat, I was turning the corner at mile 19 and noticed one of the ‘dreamers’ stepping out from the group of energetic, cheering kids with the cups and mini-bottles of water. She stepped into my path and quickly got my attention while wildly waving a bottle of water. She made sure that I was only getting water from her. This was a special moment for both of us. This particular girl would regularly roll her eyes and typically shrug off helpful advice and guidance from me for the past several months as she struggled to maintain a positive outlook within a household and neighborhood filled with school dropouts and gang members.

I’m writing this piece today because the girl at mile 19 who’d handed me the much-needed water is now all grown up and doing quite well for herself. She keeps in touch with me, and recently had sent me an email, whereby she referenced the LA Marathon and our special moment at mile 19, and then she went on further, thanking me for not giving up on her and always believing in her.

I hope that all of you have someone believing in you, or perhaps, you believing in someone else. – Randolph Randy Camp

More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Finding Beauty

Nowadays, in this sometimes chaotic, unpredictable world, it's becoming increasingly harder and harder to find something.....anything in our daily lives that puts a smile on our faces. On my birthday I got lucky and found some beauty today.


A few minutes ago I took a break from my next manuscript and checked my Facebook page. I saw a post from one of my elementary school classmates who I'd had a secret crush on some 46 years ago at Robert E. Lee Elementary in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. She never knew I had a crush on her, and to this very day, I refuse to reveal to anyone who this lady is, but every time I see one of her updates or posts online it instantly puts a big ol' country smile on my face. (I find it fascinating that after all of these years this young girl who I'd dreamed about in elementary school and wrote letters to, but never had the courage to give them to her, is now one of my Facebook friends.)


From the bottom of my heart, Thank You all for your wonderful birthday wishes, and I sincerely hope that all of you also find some beauty in the simple things in this sometimes complicated, negative world of ours. - Randolph Randy Camp


(Photo: Recent birthday gift from one of my daughters, Randie)


More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Beautiful You

Beautiful You...

There’s beauty in each one of us. There’s something special about you. From this day forward let your beauty shine! -Randolph Randy Camp

(photo: Author Randy Camp with high school students after a classroom book talk)

More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Do What You Love: Be in Charge

Do what you love to do. Be in charge of your own life, otherwise someone else will. I used to be a talker, always talking about what I wanted to be or what I wanted to do. A few years ago, I stop talking and put an action plan together to take my love of writing to a higher level. My first novel won the Quarter-Finals Prize at the 14th Annual Writers Network Screenplay and Fiction Competition in Los Angeles, and currently it’s my top selling book of my four published works. There’s a certain inner peace that comes from doing something that you truly love, and I hope that each one of you have this already or will take steps toward finding your inner peace.
And don’t let your day job define you. I understand that you must do whatever in order to pay the rent, but don’t let the designer in you, the artist in you, the executive in you, the inventor in you, or the store owner in you wither away or tire you out due to your devotion to someone else’s dream. Be the person you want to be. Do what you love to do. – Randolph Randy Camp
More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

New Roads

Several months ago I moved from New York to an unfamiliar city. Getting settled into Des Moines has been both challenging and rewarding for me. One of the rewards of this move has been the new friendships I’ve made. If you’re currently feeling stuck where you are but maybe too afraid to leave, please do yourself a favor and, at least, consider the countless possibilities and rewards when we venture down new paths and open roads. Yes, I know, starting over and the unknown can be daunting but it’s also exciting. I firmly believe that if we never take any type of risks then we can’t expect to grow and reach inner happiness. So, if you’re currently dissatisfied with where you are in life, don’t be afraid to take a step towards new roads in 2016. – Randolph Randy Camp
*(top photo: Randolph Randy Camp, daughter Randie, grandson Noah, and friend Kaur at Veterans' Talent Competition, Des Moines VA, Feb. 26, 2016)

More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

The World Needs You

What are you waiting for? The world needs you now. That special thing inside of you which is so unique was given to you for a reason, and sharing your special gift with the rest of us in this world is your purpose and the very reason you was born. So, for all of you secret dreamers, aspiring singers, actors, inventors, actresses, writers, designers, teachers, engineers, chefs, film makers, quiet and humbled artists, this message is for you.
Some of us are thinkers, full of thoughts and ideas. Some of us are talkers. We constantly talk about what we want to do or should have done. It’s time to put those thoughts and words to action and start taking baby steps toward our goals and lifelong dreams. How often have you put your dream or desires on the back burner because of others or some other reason and later regretted that decision? Could someone benefit from your talents or from what you have to offer? Could you put a smile on a troubled face? Could you brighten someone’s life with that unique thing which makes you ‘you’?
It’s time to stop talking. Use 2016 as your action year. The rest of us could be benefiting in so many different ways from your special talent. Again, I ask, what are you waiting for? The world needs you. – Randolph Randy Camp
More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

The Power of Visions

I can't believe it! It was 13 years ago when I ran my first marathon. Running those 26.2 miles on that cool Los Angeles morning was one of my most challenging experiences ever. In fact, it was such a rewarding experience for me that I also ran in the 2004 LA Marathon the following year. Running 26.2 miles in a marathon race can seem overwhelming at first, but what helped me through my months of training, and what allowed me to continue putting one foot in front of the other during the actual marathon was the fact that I kept envisioning myself crossing the finish line.
Completing a full screenplay or a novel manuscript can seem a bit overwhelming as well. As a writer, I would envision someone physically holding and reading my book as I would be in the early stages of making the outline or just getting started on the opening sentence of the first chapter. It's amazing how the power of visions work. When I was writing my very first screenplay, I would envision people sitting in the theater watching the movie on the big silver screen.
If you're an aspiring musician, actor, actress, or someone who dreams of becoming an executive or a CEO of your own company or a huge fortune 500 company one day, then, by all means, go ahead and use this valuable tool of envisioning, and image yourself on stage, on screen, or sitting comfortably behind your massive, glossy oak desk in that cushion, high-back executive chair.
Regardless of the challenges, don't ever let anyone or anything stop you from achieving your goal. Keep taking those baby steps toward your dream! - Randolph Randy Camp
More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Baby Steps n' Angels

Baby Steps n' Angels...I've received several academic accolades and a few fiction writing awards over the years.
I'm 54 years old now and I'm still taking baby steps toward my goals. And as continue my journey I've been truly blessed with wonderful Angels looking out for me. If I can do it then you can do it. As a matter ' fact, it is my greatest hope that you will go further than I ever imagined. What motivates and drives me is the notion that my accomplishments hopefully will inspire others, especially the younger generation coming up behind me, to pursue their dreams with all the passion within them. - Randolph Randy Camp (photo: Author Randolph Randy Camp with friend Karen at Erie Community College Graduation, May 2015)
More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp 

‘America: No Purchase Necessary’ is a feel-good story about acceptance. One of the many perks of winning the national ‘America’s Family’ Sweepstakes is the chance to meet and make appearances with the President on his reelection campaign. When an eclectic African-American family becomes the unexpected winner of the prestigious ‘America’s Family’ contest, the President and his shiesty reelection campaign manager tries to get the family disqualified, thinking that this particular family isn’t ‘American-looking’ enough, and to appear with them on the campaign trail will hurt the President’s chance of getting reelected. Without being preachy, ‘America: No Purchase Necessary’ gives a lighthearted glimpse into American politics while simultaneously showing a realistic snapshot of life in contemporary America. Just like any other family in America, the Lanterns have autism, transgender issues, and even a grandmother who’ve come up with her own interesting alternative to plant-based burgers. ‘America: No Purchase Necessary’ is an entertaining political satire that looks at race relations in America, and it shows the sometimes-ugly side of America while simultaneously reflecting the goodness in certain people that highlights America’s beauty as well. If you or your family ever felt left out, pushed out or shut out then Randolph Randy Camp’s ‘America: No Purchase Necessary’ is a story for you.

A Safer Place

I was very relieved that several of my fans and followers from France responded back to me and informed me that they were safe and okay after yesterday’s terrorist attack in Paris.
I strongly believe that there are far more positive people in this world than there are negative ones. Trying to maintain composure and staying positive amid negativity and chaotic events certainly isn’t an easy task so I commend all of you who are always reaching out to others in your own special quiet way trying to make this world of ours a more peaceful and safer place. – Randolph Randy Camp