Dear World:

In 1999 and 2000 I planned to travel the globe documenting our world, at the end of one century and the beginning of another. It didn't happen. Life -- as they say -- goes on. Then came 2020 and I was soon to be out of a job. To satisfy my soul I created a writing challenge and wrote 70 columns in 70 days, creating what today is an ebook called ISHWORLD: The International Search for Humanity - A Column Quest that totals 149 pages. After loading trucks and delivering packages for nearly six years I decided it is time for my columns to be published. I am honored that people are willing to purchase ISHWORLD and read what I wrote about humanity and our struggles during a time of pandemic, political challenge and everyday struggle. Your story is my story and my story is your story. The genius of humanity continues as it has for many thousands of years. Today we face new challenges that those before us will never know about. And as we learned what they accomplished, future generations will learn what we accomplished or did not. My hope is that together we can make this a better world for today and far into the future. I hope and pray that I can do my part to make the world better for those coming behind us. As a writer and journalist, ISHWORLD: The International Search for Humanity - A Column Quest is my contribution to that future. Thank you for your support. God be with us all!

Preview table of contents

Prelude …………………………………………………………………………………………       Page 6

Bio……………………………………………………………………………………………………….…10 

#1 The pandemic………….…Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020 ……………………..…………………………12 

#2 Rethinking Christopher Columbus ……..Monday, Oct. 12, 2020 ……………………………14 

#3 Black lives don’t matter?.... Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020 …………………………………………...16

#4 Democracy as we knew it…… Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020…………………………………….18 

#5 Finding peace…………………..Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020 ……………………………………….21

#6 Shades of journalists “shooting” Presidents……..Friday, Oct. 16, 2020 ………………….23

#7 Bad things happen to good people and here’s why…..Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020 …………26

#8 Who’s really packing the court?...............Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020 ……………………………28 

#9 When taking a step back is taking a step forward…… Monday, Oct. 19, 2020 …………...30   

#10 Moving forward is my only option………Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020 …………………………..33

#11 Getting shot is more than a crime problem…….Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020......................36

#12 The debate and the election:what it means to the world……Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020…..38

#13 Staying in the game……………………………………Friday, Oct. 23, 2020……….………….41

#14 Remembering Phyllis Wesley, Bill Ward and other editors…….Saturday, Oct. 24……….42

#15 Children’s Zoo closes doors at world famous St. Louis Zoo……Sunday, Oct. 25……….45        

#16 What if everybody did it?................Monday, Oct. 26, 2020………….…………………………47

#17 The people I wanted to become…….Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020…………………………………49

#18 Guilty until proven innocent – black in America……Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020 ………….51

#19 The role of evil in making peace…………………Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020…………………...54

#20 Last pay days; the end of a good run?.............Friday, Oct. 30, 2020 ……………………….56

#21 Shirley Chisholm and me…………….Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020…………………………………57

#22 Profanity then and now……………………Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020………………………………59

#23 This too shall pass!.............................Monday, Nov. 2, 2020………..…………………………61

#24 I’m done. The vote is the vote……………….Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020…………………………..63

#25 Biden rising……………………..Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020……………………………..Page 65  

#26 Looking for “no’s” to get a “yes”........Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020………………………………66

#27 A first time and a last time for everything…………...Friday, Nov. 6, 2020………….……..67

#28 I shouted! I clapped! I cried! Biden wins!.................Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020………..……..69

#29 Believing again………………………….……..Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020……………………….…71

#30 The fall………………………………………..Monday, Nov. 9, 2020…………….……...………72

#31 The problem with young people…………...Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020….……...……………..74

#32 Veterans Day: My dad’s service helped defeat racism…Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020……76

#33 True colors of humanity……………………Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020…………………….…..80

#34 The power of black cats ……………………..Friday, Nov. 13, 2020…………………....…….82

#35 COVID 19 saves the world……………………..Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020……………..………84

#36 The war & me vs. the recruiter, my mother and God……Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020…….…..85

#37 We all are beggars, hunter-gatharers………….Monday, Nov. 16, 2020…………………….88

#38 Everybody’s in purdah…………………..Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020……………………….……90

#39 Hard to pay bills with no job, no stimulus check…….Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020……….92

#40 We fight to live but death is inevitable……….Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020……………………94

#41 For better or worse, we change ………………Friday, Nov. 20, 2020………………………..96

#42 The banker vs. my fear of banks……..Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020……………………………..98

#43 The Kennedy’s and King assassination…..Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020……………………….101

#44 More good than evil…………………………Monday, Nov. 23, 2020………………………...103

#45 Men: Walk away and live……………………….Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020……………………105

#46 Suicides, accidents happen everywhere………Wednesday, Nov. 25,2020………………106

#47 A pandemic Thanksgiving……………………….Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020…………………108

#48 Black Friday: When black is a good thing……..Friday, Nov. 27, 2020……………………110

#49 If Biden gets it wrong……………………………Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020…………….……..112

#50 No coin rolls………………………………………..Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020……………………114

#51 Life adds up to quality, not quantity……………………Monday, Nov. 30, 2020…………..116

#52 Rosa Parks and me……………………Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020……..………………………...118

#53 The black vote, then and now…………Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020………………….Page 120

#54 Our imperfect world………………….Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020…………………………...… 121

#55 Interracial commercials advance humanity….. Friday, Dec. 4, 2020……………………..123

#56 Post COVID: Getting back in school may feel like a vacation from home………………….

       Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020 ………………………………..…………………………………………..124

#57 On our worse day……………………………….Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020 ………………………125

#58 Pearl Harbor anniversary and the pandemic…………Monday, Dec. 7, 2020……………126

#59 Where are all the coins going?................................Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020………………127

#60 The end is near ……………………………..Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020………………………128

#61 Writing ISHWORLD ……………………..Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020………………..………....130

#62 The search for home…………………………Friday, Dec. 11, 2020…………..……………..132

#63 African, European and “Chinese”..................Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020……………………134

#64 Dreams guide us, whether awake or asleep…..Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020………………….136

#65 Pandemic vaccine…………………………….Monday, Dec. 14, 2020……………..………..138

#66 Electoral College vote seals the election for Biden-Harris…Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020…140

#67 The value of a child…………………….Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020…………………………142

#68 Time to ‘De-ghetto da ghetto’..……………Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020……………………….144

#69 Forgiving yourself, your parents, all others……….Friday, Dec. 18, 2020……………….146

#70 The state of the world and my wish for humanity……….Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020……..148