Between Friday and Monday, The Fletcher Lesson

Between Friday and Monday, The Fletcher Lesson… No matter what face we try to put on maybe we’re all in the same class regardless. I grew up in rural Spotsylvania County, Virginia during the 60’s and early 70’s. To stretch the dollar, our father would take us to Fletcher’s Second Hand Store in the Post Oak area, not too far from Lake Anna. As a kid, I loved going to Fletcher’s because sometimes I would find an old 45 record or a pair of tennis shoes that wasn’t worn out too bad. Going to Fletcher’s was a good thing to me, but for some people, I later learned, it was something that was shunned upon. Looking back, I had an experience one particular weekend that taught me a valuable lesson about people and classes we are often mistakenly (and sometimes naively) placed into. There was a girl in my class who wore nice clothes and would speak in a friendly way to everybody at school. On Friday we said hi to each other, but the next day, on Saturday, that one moment at Fletcher’s taught us both something we didn’t fully understand or realize about ourselves, and when Monday morning came, back at school, we both knew that our lives and the way we look at things would be different from that point on. There I was near the Boy’s shoe section, checking the shoe sizes when all of a sudden, I look up and catch a quick glimpse of my classmate. She was with her mother a short distance away browsing through a rack of girl’s colorful dresses. We both would remember this brief moment at Fletcher’s for the rest of our lives. It was extremely awkward. I noticed her trying to avoid making direct eye contact with me. I was confused. And then came a rapid, quick look that was clearer. I wasn’t totally sure but her eyes were telling me to never speak about this moment, ever. Throughout our school years in Spotsylvania we shared plenty of classes together. At first, there was this awkward silence and weird facial expressions whenever we would see each other, but later, as we attended Spotsylvania Jr. High, she and I would have deeper conversations about that awkward moment at Fletcher’s. We became good friends all the way up to our junior year of high school when she and her family left Virginia and moved away out West. Over the years, we both definitely have learned more about ourselves and true friendship, and not just about the ills of society. Through the years our friendship has grown stronger. During the early stages when I was starting to take a more serious approach to writing, I remember telling her how I was having a real hard time dealing with a rejection letter which I’d recently received from a big publishing house. About a week later, I received this elegant-looking plaque in the mail from her which read, ‘Follow the path where your dreams may take you’. (I still have this plaque) We never know who maybe in need at any given moment. Our neighbors could be at the local soup kitchen getting a free meal, and because we rarely say hello to the people on our street, we may never know about their visits to get a decent, hot meal. Whenever I see the long row of cars lined up for bags of groceries at some of the local food pantries and Churches in my neighborhood, I think about that brief moment on that Saturday morning at Fletcher’s all them years ago. Since then I’ve learned not to make quick assumptions about anybody anywhere. Regardless of income level or race, never be ashamed of how you stretch the dollar. Life can be rough at times but having true friends can make it easier. As time goes by, it’s nice to have good friends touching base with you every now and then. My friend now lives in the Big Sky state of Montana. She tells me that the best part of her day is sitting on the porch watching deer grazing peacefully at the shrubbery around her front yard. And me, well, I currently reside in Iowa but I’ll always be that country boy from the backwoods of Virginia, still growing, still learning. Have a safe and enjoyable summer, EVERYONE! – Randolph Randy Camp More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Thanks Again, Joe

Dear Joe , I’ve proudly served this great nation of ours when it didn’t always love me back. But what you did yesterday reminded me that this country still have some great leaders with a righteous heart. Thanks Mr Biden for taking the time to correct an injustice long overdue. Of all your great deeds, I want to personally thank you for what you did for MARCUS GARVEY. They tried to silence this man who gave so many people a sense of pride in themselves. This man planted the seeds of civil rights. I am truly grateful to you Joe for reminding us that it’s impossible to silence a righteous spirit. Sincerely, Randolph Randy Camp (Note: The wisdom and some teachings of Marcus Garvey are deeply embedded in Rastafarian and reggae culture.)

The Power of Movies, Saving Our Children

My daughter Randie and I would have long, deep conversations about books, movies, stories and relatable characters. When I woke up this morning, I thought about Randie and the likely conversation we might’ve had, if she was still with us. I’m pretty sure Randie would have made a comment or two about some of her favorite books that could help people, particularly help kids, to better understand and cope with some of the heated political rhetoric going on right now, as we get closer to election day on November 5th. And I’m sure I definitely would have mentioned one of my favorite movies, NO WAY OUT (1950), which dealt with America’s race relations in a very impactful and entertaining way. The original movie ‘No Way Out’ was made seventy-four years ago but its subject matter and message still resonates today in 2024. Personally, I love this film because it leaves the audience with the very important message that everyone has value and that we all need each other, regardless of our background or skin color. Using words, lyrics, stories, music, and movies are all valuable tools of bibliotherapy. My daughter Randie used books and stories to help her cope with so many heartaches and obstacles of her young life. And for me, I sometimes escape and use journaling and writing stories to help myself cope with certain traumatic events, especially the severe events during my military years. Without a doubt, I know that bibliotherapy can be a very useful tool to help us cope with today’s sometimes-intense political discussions. If you’re still unsure about who to vote for in the upcoming presidential election, I highly recommend anyone to at least watch the ‘No Way Out (1950)’ movie first before casting your vote, especially if you have any concerns about our kids’ future and any concerns about our future race relations here in America. For our kids’ sake we must do something to bring better understanding and healing to this nation. – Randolph Randy Camp

Reggae Lovers Supporting School Teachers

The paperback edition of ‘Coreville Park, a reggae novel’ is projected to be released on September 15, 2023.…Rastafarians, reggae music lovers and teachers from around the world converge on a small community in Florida called Coreville to rally around and show their support for an elementary school teacher who was suspended for allowing one of her students to do his oral book report on a book about the Rastafarian culture, which wasn’t approved by the local school district.

Coreville Park, The Back Story

It was the early 1970’s when I first heard reggae music. The Wailers’ songs ‘Put It On’, ‘Small Axe’ and ‘Concrete Jungle’ instantly moved me. Just as I had enjoyed listening to songs by Curtis Mayfield and Bob Dylan during this time period, I equally became a fan of reggae, especially the roots-style reggae, and I’ve been a devoted fan ever since. Over the years, I’ve gotten to know and developed a great deal of respect for the Rastafarian culture. When I was in the Air Force I had the privilege of visiting Jamaica while on leave. Being a writer of mostly contemporary issues and subject matter, I think that it was just a matter of time before I found a creative way to insert the Rastafarian culture into one of my stories. I’ve been a book nerd all of my life, and it pains me to see the widespread book banning going on across America right now. Writing ‘Coreville Park’ is my response to all the unjustified and sometimes discriminatory book banning currently taking place across the nation. As mentioned before, I’ve been loving books ever since I was a little boy. It’s a shame and a disgrace that some politicians and school districts want to ban certain books nowadays. Placing strong restrictions on teachers and controlling how they conduct their classroom hurts the students. The classroom should be a place that nurtures open mindedness, not a place that erases history or attempts to brainwash young minds. I love it when some public libraries and book stores, large chains and small independent ones, proudly display and offer the ‘banned books’ to the general public. The paperback edition of ‘Coreville Park a reggae novel’ is projected to be released in mid-September 2023. – Randolph Randy Camp

School The Politicians

Those politicians who supports the banning of certain books and supports the restrictions on the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT) are, in my view, making America weaker. If the purpose of public education is to prepare our young people for the future, for the real world, then if we don’t tell them the truth (about history, etc) then we are setting them up for failure. How can American kids compete with others if their minds have been brainwashed and watered down? If we truly want a stronger nation we need to remind and school these certain politicians of the primary purpose of our kids’ education. We shouldn’t be creating backward-minded policies and laws that weaken our kids, which weakens our nation. Too many of our educators are quitting due to these new policies and restrictions, so we should be doing things to keep our dedicated and creative teachers and librarians, which strengthens our kids and their future, ultimately making the nation stronger. I personally use this photo to keep my spirit up, especially when I’m seeing around me people’s actions and certain laws trying to belittle me or attempt to take my people’s true history and pride away. The 50-foot sculpture is entitled ‘Dignity’. It’s located in South Dakota to honor women of the Sioux Nation. – Randolph Randy Camp

America: Writing Love

Saying what’s in your heart and expressing yourself sometimes can be risky, but it’s such a freeing experience. Although I’ve experienced racial bigotry during my childhood in rural Virginia, and unfortunately during my military years in the U.S. Air Force, I try my best to hold on to the belief that there are still more good people in this world than bad people. And that’s one of the things I enjoy about writing. It allows me to display some of my inner-most thoughts. The White family who places a ‘Black Lives Matter’ sign in their front yard knows that some of their neighbors are saying derogatory and cruel things about them. But, in the long run, the White family who’d made the decision to place the ‘BLM’ sign in their yard had chosen to satisfy their own souls, instead of choosing to be silent. In writing ‘America: No Purchase Necessary’, one of my greatest challenges was to showcase an interracial love story amidst America’s heated racial and political climate. Being yourself and exposing your deeper self is always the best way to go. Sure, you may offend and upset some of your neighbors and some of your (so-called) friends while doing so, but in the end, you realize that they weren’t your true friends anyway. Shifting gears now, on another note, September is ‘Library Card Sign-Up Month’. As a young boy I have fond memories of waiting for the mobile library to make its stop in Spotsylvania County. Today, I’m grateful to that same library system, the Fredericksburg Central Rappahannock Regional Library (along with the Los Angeles Public Library, the Baltimore County Public Library, the Des Moines Public Library, the Erie County and Buffalo Public Library, the Urbandale Public Library, etc) for having my books in their collection. Please visit and take advantage of the many services provided by your local library. – Randolph Randy Camp More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

No Purchase Necessary: This is America

Winning is great, but being accepted is greater. ‘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 to make appearances with the President on his reelection campaign. Unbeknownst to the public, the President and his shady campaign manager are profiting off of these appearances, which are beginning to make the headlines as campaign contribution corruption. 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. Oblivious to a shrewd reporter being on their tail, the President and his cocky campaign manager tries to spin their dirty politics through their unsuspecting press secretary. 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 today. Unable to get the Lantern family disqualified as ‘America’s Family’, reluctantly the President meets the family on his reelection campaign trail and, ironically, America begins to fall in love with young Ronnie, who narrates and provides us with his unique autistic insights of his colorful family, while the President’s approval rating dwindles as America begins to see his true colors. 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-base burgers. Ultimately, the Lanterns become more popular than the President, creating a huge problem and causes a gigantic PR headache for his reelection staff. ‘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, at the same time, reflect the goodness in certain people that highlights America’s beauty as well. The Lantern family won the national sweepstakes fair and square, and they only want to be treated as such. 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. Available in Paperback or Ebook online at Amazon

This on-going pandemic has definitely changed our lives. Some of you parents have become teachers, whether you'd wanted to be or not. And, to your own surprise, maybe you're the greatest teacher ever. In a way, there's a teacher inside all of us. This pandemic has brought that to the forefront.

If you're doing a lot of teaching and schooling at home, please don't forget to utilize one of your greatest assets, which is your local library.

For any parent or teacher, creating your syllabus and following your state's strict curriculum guidelines can be a real challenge. But, finding a way, maybe a creative way, to set aside let's say an hour or so per week, for your kids (students) to simply talk about anything they want to is arguably your greatest tool as a teacher.

In school settings, a student's classroom participation is a vital part of his or her final grade, but sometimes the quiet kid in class gets misjudged. It's common knowledge that these quiet students have a lot of hard stuff on their minds, especially nowadays with the pandemic going on, and at times, their 'stuff' is traumatic and not so easy to speak about. (Similar to military veterans, like myself, coping with hidden scars and a tendency to bottle things up.) But given the right avenue or outlet, even the quiet kid comes out of his or her shell and momentarily at least, they'll have their moment and comfortably feel relaxed enough to share some of their more-deeper thoughts with the class.

Back in elementary school, 'Show n' Tell' time was great because it laid the foundation for some of you who currently have no issues whatsoever with public speaking. As a student gets older, they may or may not have teachers who will set aside classroom time for them to talk openly about their 'stuff'. But for those teachers who do create these special moments the payoff is great.

I feel so strongly about this issue that I created 'Sit n' Talk' time in my latest short novel 'America: No Purchase Necessary', whereby Miss Pritchett's students gets to speak about whatever they want to in front of the entire class.

Lastly, although it's challenging, try to enjoy the teacher in you. (It can be rewarding sometimes....and please utilize and take advantage of your local library whenever possible.) - Randolph Randy Camp

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

America: No Purchase Necessary

We all have our different ways and methods of coping with stuff, especially heavy stuff. Writing ‘America: No Purchase Necessary’ has helped me a great deal during the past year. ‘America: No Purchase Necessary’ is a reflection of contemporary America, showing America’s ugly side as well as its beauty. It’s a fictional story, and here’s a teaser… Winning is great, but being accepted is greater. One of the many perks of winning the national ‘America’s Family’ Sweepstakes is the chance to meet and appear with the President on his reelection campaign. When an eclectic African-American family becomes the unexpected winner of this prestigious contest, the President and his shady reelection campaign manager tries to get the family disqualified, thinking that this particular family isn’t ‘American-looking’ enough, and to appear with them in public will hurt the President’s chance of getting reelected. Ultimately, America falls in love with the Lantern family and, in the end, the American people ‘disqualifies’ the President. ‘America: No Purchase Necessary’ is a feel good story about acceptance. If you ever felt left out, pushed out or shut out then this story is for you. More details available at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Your Neighbor's Name

I love being invited to classrooms and speaking to students. Our book talk discussions can get pretty deep sometimes, and often jumps off-topic into the students’ personal lives.


Current news events, such as the recent bomb scare, and race relations in America are usual topics discussed during these meet-the-author sessions. I often learn a lot from these bright young minds, and I’m always honored when the students ask me for advise or my opinion about certain things.


Recently, after reading my novel ’29 Dimes’ as a class assignment, which has the undertone of race relations, several students wanted to know my thoughts on how America could improve its race relations. I told the students that I love this particular question because my response is always the same, which is, “Just simply get to know your neighbors, get to know your neighbor’s name.”


Too often, we only describe our neighbors as “the lady who drives the red car”, “the old man with the blue pickup”, “the family up the street with the mixed kid”, etc.


I further explain to the class that getting to know one another strengthens you and strengthens your neighborhood, your community, etc. (We tend to make bad and wrong assumptions about people when we don’t even make an effort to know them.)


By the way, my neighbors are Donna, Mike, Dennis, and Larry. Have a great day Everyone. – Randolph Randy Camp


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

Today's Amazing Teens

Sometimes, I don’t think that our young people get enough credit for their good deeds and positive vibes in which they put out every day. Similar to the adult world, the criminal and negative activity conducted by a small percentage of our young people will get publicized but it’s very rare that the countless good deeds of the majority will get any attention at all.


Whenever I’m in the company of young people not only do I love hearing about what they are currently doing, but I also love to listen to their thoughts, ideas, and dreams about their future. It’s easy to get the wrong impression about some of today’s youth, especially when you enter a fast-food restaurant and the teen behind the counter greets you as if you’d just interrupted his or her break and everything mentioned about providing good customer service during their orientation went straight out the window after their first week on the job. And of course, not all teenagers act this way. Personally, I try to look pass these few young individuals who, unfortunately, give teenagers a bad reputation.


The open discussions I have during and after a classroom book talk session with students are some of the most engaging and intriguing discussions I’ve ever heard. The questions, comments, and opinions of some of these young people just blows my mind, and any reservations or doubts I might have had about our youth running the country in the future quickly dissipates after listening to the students intelligently articulate and express themselves on a wide range of subjects, including sex, politics, fashion trends, gun control, and race relations. What I enjoy most during my school book talks is how the students typically would freely say things that most people would only feel comfortable saying at the kitchen table or privately among their close friends or family members. In my personal opinion, I think that we need more of these open discussions in America so that we can improve our race relations and the basic way we treat each other here in America (and around the world.)


When I’m surrounded by these bright kids I wish that others could hear their thoughts and opinions about what’s going on in the world today. In my most recent high school visit, the students and I covered a wide range of interesting topics, including the removal of Confederate statues, the NFL national anthem – kneeling debate, the delayed Puerto Rico disaster FEMA relief, gun control, human trafficking, teen homelessness, bullying, immigration and DACA. I’ll never forget this most recent school visit because I was asked a question by one of the students in which I’d never been asked before. She asked, “Mr. Camp, if there was one person right now, in the whole world, who you would love to meet and ask him or her a few questions, who would it be?” You should’ve seen the looks on the kids’ faces as I quickly answered, “Malala Yousafzai”.  And, interesting enough, my response to that question actually led us into another engaging and lively discussion.


Yes indeed, I have tremendous faith in our amazing youth, and I truly believe that we have a very bright future ahead. – Randolph Randy Camp


*(photo: Me standing amid high school students after a meet-the-author/book talk discussion.)
More at http://www.goodreads.com/randolphcamp

Your Rainbow Vibes

When people choose to only see one color they become blind. Some people only mingle, socialize and support one color, believing that their chosen color is superior to the rest. This way of thinking and view of the world actually imprisons and limits them. Racist attitudes makes people “blind” and it’s a death trap. Our world is so much brighter and alive when we open our mind and display our ‘rainbowness’. Trying to talk to or convert a racist person is certainly a challenge. The best we can do is just being ourselves, being rainbows, expressing and displaying our positive rainbow vibes in whatever way possible, be it through art, sportsmanship, literature, being a great neighbor, ect…
I grew up around some of these “blind” racist people, and it’s sickening to me now, in 2017, to see a leader in the White House, such a juvenile man without a soul, who seemingly carries these same blind traits. Common sense tells us that we shouldn’t follow a spiritless person who has no soul because they will only lead us to nowhere. One of the signs of a great leader is the ability (or at least, showing an effort) to bring people together. When our leaders are void of  unifying leadership qualities that’s when us rainbows, us everyday people have to step up and shine a little brighter.
Calling all rainbows. This is our time. We can’t change the world over night, but possibly with one person at a time, one coworker at a time, one neighbor at a time, one classmate at a time, we can start the baby steps towards a change of heart in a few. If our leaders continue to stay ‘blind’, we must pick up the slack and continue to express and display our positive rainbow vibes. – Randolph Randy Camp
More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Glimmer of Hope

One of my childhood joys was riding my bike through the back roads of Spotsylvania County. Sometimes, my cousins, my brothers and I would ride together. I’ll never forget this one particular summer’s day when I was riding alone. I was slowly pedaling pass a white house with green-trimmed windows. I heard a young voice yell out “Randy! Randy!” From around the corner of the house one of my classmates was excitedly waving ‘hello’. I slowed to a stop and we chatted about how our summer break was going and how we both were wondering who our teachers would be once school starts in several weeks. We were both unapologetic book nerds and the kind of “weird” kids who couldn’t wait to go back to school. Our friendly chat was abruptly cut short when the front door hastily flew open and her angry, red-faced father yelled and ordered her to “Get in the house!”
Growing up as a Black kid in America certainly wasn’t easy. Many people of color could tell you countless stories of walking casually along the country road or city sidewalk and someone yells out a derogatory word from a passing vehicle. When I was a kid I would always wish and hope that things would get better between the races. It seems as though I was always looking for that glimmer of hope.
Nowadays, as I strongly advocate “start with one person at a time”, I wholeheartedly believe that things will get better, and my proof and example of my faith and hope stems from one of many personal life experiences. Remember the young White classmate who I was chatting with on that summer’s day and her racist father told her to “get in the house!”…Well, she had moved away from her racist father and now owns a small independent bookstore near the Virginia-Maryland state line. We still keep in touch, and she proudly has my four books on full display near the entrance of her store, especially ‘Wet Matches’, she says, as it carries the message of “don’t judge anybody.”
We’re in the fall of 2017 and America is seemingly regurgitating history, instead of moving wisely forward and learning from it. My message to everyone (especially to those kids out there who are currently wishing and hoping that things will get better) is to keep doing what you’re doing and please don’t fall into the trap of negativity. There are far more positive people in this world than negative ones, and you’re certainly one of the good ones. And that glimmer of hope for a better world will come from you. – Randolph Randy Camp
More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Human Error

Every now and then we hear of these situations whereby a person’s skin color has unfortunately caused another person to make a human error. In my personal life this week, I had to face this superficial judgment head on, and I must be honest with you, I’m still deeply troubled by it.
Imagine a White supremacist refusing medical help once he or she finds out that their attending nurse or doctor is African-American. If the patient is conscious, he or she may possibly request to be attended by a White nurse or a White doctor. It’s terribly sad that America is still dealing with these superficial human errors in 2017.
Because of these unfortunate situations, I’ve gain a better understanding of God’s intervention in our human decisions. Now I truly understand why, in certain cases, a patient arrives at the hospital in an unconscious state. Did God intervene to prevent this patient from making another human error? – Randolph Randy Camp
More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Reflections: Sunday Afternoons

I grew up approximately fifty miles in between Washington, DC and Richmond, Virginia in rural Spotsylvania County. America, during the 60’s and early 70’s was experiencing civil unrest and heated racial tensions. Remarkably, in spite of America’s strife during those turbulent years, our Grandparents were able to let us see the sunshine, regardless of the darkness around us. Here’s my childhood reflections on our Sunday afternoons:


There were chickens picking at the red bologna strings in the yard and a whole lot of love on the porch every Sunday afternoon at Ruff n’ Ma’Rie’s. There was an old, rust-spotted Ford sitting in the yard that I’ve never seen moved, not even once, but on Sundays, if you believed the wild stories from Uncle Carl’s and Scootie’s mouths, they had you thinking that that ol’ Ford had them running 208 and the back roads from Spotsy to Fredericksburg just last night! Man, on Sundays you could hear some wild stories.


Yep, on Sunday afternoons, all of my uncles, aunts, and cousins would gather up at Ruff n’ Ma’Rie’s. We all came from them. I never got a chance to thank my beloved Grandparents for what they’ve given us.


Thank you Ruff n’ Ma’Rie for giving us Maitland, who’d left us too soon but gave us the legacy of music and gold with Brenda, Francis, Snookum, Kenny, Jimmy James and Lonnie. Thank you Ma’Rie n’ Ruff for giving us sweet Josephine, better known to us as “Phine”, and let’s not forget your precious gifts of Uncle Roosevelt, Uncle Carl, Uncle Scootie, Aunt Edith Mae, Aunt Ruth Edna, and Aunt ‘Margret’rie’. And I, of course, wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my Mother, Lorene, who was another piece of gold from your Brook’s tree.


Yes indeed, we all came from you two. So, thank you again Ma’Rie n’ Ruff for those precious Sunday afternoons and for everything you’ve done for us ‘cause we are who we are now, in 2017, because of you and our golden roots. And we’re forever grateful that we all came from you two. Yep, thank you Ruff n’ Ma’Rie for the big juicy strawberries down the hill and all of ‘em wonderful stories and love on the porch.


No matter what you and your family are going through at this time, I hope that you’re able to let some sunshine in, regardless of the dark clouds that maybe lingering above. – Randolph Randy Camp


(photo: Randolph Camp, actual school ID card from 1970’s)
Learn more at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Beauty Beneath Our Feet

I’m a thousand miles away from my hometown. I have  some fond memories of my childhood in Virginia. It would be a lie if I said that it didn’t bother me whenever there’s national news coverage of an event happening in Virginia that may directly or indirectly cloud certain of these precious memories.


During my elementary years, our class was blessed to partake in one of the best school field trips ever! Underneath the picturesque Blue Ridge mountains that flank the scenic Skyline Drive through Shenandoah Valley, there are beautiful, massive caves. Our field trip to the Luray Caverns so many years ago will stay with me forever. After this amazing trip, I remember being so inspired that I wrote one of my many short stories as a kid. That story was about a lightning bug named Gloria who led me to a secret tree trunk in the woods, which then led to an underground world where everybody would light up and change colors every few seconds. No one stayed the same color. It’s because of this and many other reasons why I cherish some of my childhood memories.


This past weekend, Charlottesville, Virginia, was in the national spotlight again. The scars from the Civil War still lingers, and recent  heated debates over the removal of Confederate statues are opening old wounds. Ironically, underneath the feet where all of this ugly fussing n’ fighting is taken place is the beautiful caverns below Shenandoah Valley. These majestic caves have been here long before the Civil War and will be here long after we’re all gone. For our kids’ and our grandkids’ sake, there must be something that we can learn from the beauty beneath our feet. – Randolph Randy Camp


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

What Abby Did

As America celebrates its independence, I would like to share with you a recent letter I’d received that gives a true snapshot of today’s America and offers a bit of hope for our future, and a better America for our kids and grandkids. With her permission, here’s Shannon’s exact letter:


Dear Mr. Camp,


My name is Shannon. I live in a small town in Georgia. Me and husband got married in 1995 and we have a beautiful daughter in high school named Abby. One day our daughter excitedly brought a book home in which they had read as a class assignment and kept urging her father to read it. Mind you, my husband is not a book reader in any sense, but my daughter was persistent and somehow got him to read it. After dinner my husband sat in his favorite chair and finished the book later that night. When he came to bed that night my husband looked me straight in the eye and told me that he loved me. I began to cry because my husband hadn’t told me that in ten years.


You see, I’m White and before I married my husband I’d dated a Black man. Some people knew about my past in our town but my husband only found out about it ten years ago. We only had one real conversation about it and it wasn’t good. Our daughter was only six at that time and I remember her waking up and overhearing most of it. Our family hasn’t been the same since that night. I love my husband very much and he’s a good man, but just like a lot of White men in our area he is still struggling to come to terms with the ways of his father’s and his grandfather’s generation.


That night, after my husband told me that he loved me he began to explain how a character in the book named Jack had opened his eyes. Mr. Camp, thank you for writing Wet Matches. Our home is a happy place now. What you did and what my daughter did probably saved my marriage.


Forever grateful,
Shannon

Please have a Happy and Safe Independence Day, Everyone! – Randolph Randy Camp

Life Lessons: The Tip

The recent events in Dallas, Louisiana, and Milwaukee have got me thinking about my own experiences with race relations here in America. I remember one of my early experiences during my last year of high school in 1979 when I was working at Howard Johnson’s Restaurant in Fredericksburg, Virginia. I was a dishwasher/busboy at that time, and I’ll never forget this one particular waitress who would always say, “I hate waiting on colored people ’cause they never leave a good tip.”
In my naïve attempt to change this waitress’ attitude towards Blacks, one day I took three dollars from my own pocket (which was my gas money for my ’72 Pinto) and I placed it with the two nickels left by a Black lady who had a slice of pie and a cup of coffee. (Back then, of course, this tip was certainly greater the lady’s check.) I couldn’t wait to see the surprised look on the waitress’ face when she came back to the table to pick up her tip money. Minutes later, I’d learned a valuable lesson that day because when the waitress gathered up her tip from the table she turned up her upper lip in disgust while rubbing the three dollar bills against her short waitress apron, as if the bills had some type of ‘colored people germs’ on them.
Yep, that day I’d learned that some of our problems in America go far deeper than money. – Randolph Randy Camp
More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp