Thankful Author 2017- Sorchia DuBois

The Past and the Future by Sorchia DuBois

Do you want to know what keeps me from spending my days and nights binging on Netflix, popping gooey globs of chocolate chip cookie dough in my mouth, and washing it down with cheap brown liquor?

Of course, the answer is a bunch of stuff––family, friends, health, and all the wonderful things I’ve come across in mumblety-one solar circuits.

The two things I want to explore have to do with the past and the future.

First, I’m thankful for a past rich in legend and story. Earth is home to 6.3 billion people, each of whom views the Universe from a unique perspective. From these perspectives have sprung innumerable beliefs, customs, and behaviors that we lump into things we call cultures. Every one of these loosely organized cultures gives rise to stories and myths, and each of those stories and myths tells one part of the tale of Earthkind.

It helps to remember where we came from, how far we have come, and what holds us together. Legends and stories chronicle our ideals and the progress we’ve made toward them. Legends and folklore provide a verbal record of what makes us—us. What we stand for—and what we won’t stand for. Our brand.

Every now and then we need to check in on what we consider right and what we consider wrong.

Despite the divergent cultures on planet Earth, one concept seems inherent to our earthly brand. It keeps popping up in stories and philosophies all around the globe. Here are some examples of this one concept.

·         “An it harm none, do as ye will.” Wiccan Rede

·         “Do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you.” Religion of the Incas

·         "None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." Islam

·         “…seek for others the happiness one desires for oneself.” Buddhism

·         “It is the word 'shu' -- reciprocity. Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.” Confucianism

·         “In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard our own self.” Jainism

·         “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowman. This is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.” Judaism

·         Or, as it was taught to me in Bible school: “Do unto others as you would have then do unto you.” 

It’s so simple.

And the Golden Rule applies even to chastisement when somebody messes up. If one of your children deviates from the house rules, what do you do? Do you toss that kid out and never speak of it again? Nope, you treat the kid as you would want to be treated. You remind the child of the rules. You enforce certain penalties for further infractions, and you go on with life. If the kid persists, you take stronger action and you may have to seek outside help.

But this is still your kid so you don’t give up. Every fellow human deserves the same treatment. We don’t give up on each other, but that doesn’t mean we do nothing or that we tolerate bad behavior indefinitely.

Which brings me to the second thing I’m grateful for this year and that is Hope for the future.

In the not so distant past, it was legal for a husband to keep his wife prisoner in the home, legal for people of color to be denied service, legal for children as young as four to be required to work. Slavery was legal, wife-beating was legal, sex with minors was legal, and perpetrators of any number of horrible acts were protected by the law.

Things have improved and I am thankful I can find a reason every day to hope things will continue to do so. While awful things still happen, most of those things are punished not only by legal penalties but by social ones as well.

We have made progress, despite the ugliness in the news and the seemingly never-ending storm of corruption at some pretty high levels. I have hope we will find our way back to the Golden Rule.

·         Where there is no vision, there is no hope. George Washington Carver

·         We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope. Martin Luther King, Jr.

·         Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. Albert Einstein

·         My dream is of a place and a time where America will once again be seen as the last best hope of earth. Abraham Lincoln

·         Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future. Robert H. Schuller

·         A leader is a dealer in hope. Napoleon Bonaparte

·         Hope is patience with the lamp lit. Tertullian

·         Hope is the only bee that makes honey without flowers. Robert Green Ingersoll

·         Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul - and sings the tunes without the words - and never stops at all. Emily Dickinson

·         I simply can't build my hopes on a foundation of confusion, misery and death... I think... peace and tranquility will return again. Anne Frank

My latest release, Zoraida Grey and the Family Stones, is the first part of a Gothic romance. Start the adventure now and be ready for part 2, Zoraida Grey and the Voodoo Queen, coming Winter 2018.

Blurb:

Granny’s dying, but Zoraida can save her with a magic crystal of smoky quartz. Too bad the crystal is in Scotland––in a haunted castle––guarded by mind-reading, psychopathic sorcerers.

Getting inside Castle Logan is easy. Getting out––not so much. Before she can snatch the stone, Zoraida stumbles into a family feud, uncovers a wicked ancient curse, and finds herself ensorcelled by not one but two handsome Scottish witches. Up to their necks in family intrigue and smack-dab in the middle of a simmering clan war, Zoraida and her best friend Zhu discover Granny hasn’t told them everything.

Not by a long shot.

Buy links:

Barnes and Noble     Amazon

KOBO      Wild Rose Press

Sorchia DuBois Bio:

            Award-winning author Sorchia Dubois lives in the piney forest of the Missouri Ozarks with seven cats, two fish, one dog, and one husband. She enjoys a wee splash of single-malt Scotch from time to time and she spends a number of hours each day tapping out paranormal romance, Gothic murder, and Scottish thrillers.

            A proud member of the Ross clan, Sorchia incorporates all things Celtic (especially Scottish) into her works. She can often be found at Scottish festivals watching kilted men toss large objects for no apparent reason.

            Her stories blend legends, magic, mystery, romance, and adventure into enchanted Celtic knots. Halloween is her favorite time of year (she starts decorating in August and doesn’t take it down until February) and her characters tend to be mouthy, stubborn, and a bit foolhardy. Nothing makes her happier than long conversations in the evening, trips to interesting places, and writing until the wee hours of the morning. Well, chocolate cake makes her pretty happy, too.