Unfriendly Fire

“Unfriendly Fire,” is a collection of original sayings, thoughts, statements, ideas, and affirmations. The sayings came in part from some of the author’s life experiences. Most of these sayings the author has never heard anywhere before. These statements, sayings, ideas, thoughts, and affirmation are unique to the author’s perspective. Although, he is sure someone has uttered many of them before. If someone has written something similar, it’s because the person and the author have similar ideas. If the author repeated any of these sayings, consider them worthy of being repeated. Some of these sayings are simple and to the point while others are more profound. Some of these sayings the author has heard from parents, siblings, relatives, significant others, classmates, preachers, teachers, and others. Most of them came straight from his cerebral consciousness. The author wrote these sayings in several months of contemplation. Some thoughts he had while sitting in his comfortable La-Z-Boy in front of the fireplace with a warm blanket and listening to smooth jazz on his TV, during cold winter nights. When these thoughts came to him, he simply wrote them down. He tried not to repeat anything he had read. He tried not to use common sayings that most people are familiar with and would likely serve no useful purpose. He also was careful not to use statements he had read in other books, and those he used in other of his own books. He may have repeated something he said in a book of his in a different genre. A few of these statements are a reconfiguration of statements he has heard somewhere before. The author tried not to use the same sayings over and over in this book. Inadvertently, you may find a few repetitions. He did his best to remove all repetitions. He didn’t want to be guilty of repeating statements over and over. In a book of sayings this size it is inevitable that you might have a few repetitions. Some of these sayings might sound a bit awkward because they came straight from the top of his head. It’s hard to keep thinking of sayings that you have never heard before, or that you haven’t written before. He would rather write sayings that sound awkward rather than keep writing things that are familiar to all of us. The author lived at the end of a three-mile trail until he was six years of age. When he was six years of age, they finally constructed a dirt road. He spent most of his time doing chores on the farm. No time for social activities, sports, recreation, or reading. During growing season, he plowed a mule from sunup to sunset. He attended a school that didn’t pay him much attention, was on a shoestring budget, and was inadequate for the most part. There were no speech courses or speech pathologists—and he had a speech impediment, no fundamentals of music, dance, art, or physical education. He made it through the best way he could. He was there to get whatever education he could. The author graduated high school and moved on. He attended a college that was integrated but segregated for the most part. He did his time and was able to graduate with a “B” average and a major in sociology, and social and Rehabilitative Services. He was happy to get a degree of some type. He left and went home but had no funds to make a start for himself. He was isolated on that rural farm in East Texas without transportation to look for a job. He decided his only option was to join the Army. So, he tried to join the Army, but was rejected, and was accepted in the Navy. The author spent a year in the Navy and received an Honorable Discharge. He came back to Houston and attended graduate school. He graduated with an M.Ed. in education and an MSW in social work. He then moved to a South Suburb of Chicago and took a job as a social worker. He studied for a Ph.D. in sociology at two different universities, but didn’t get the degree. After working several jobs, he finally went on disability in 1991. He has been in the South Suburbs of Chicago for the past fifty-two years. Since being placed on disability, he has been writing, mostly for free. He writes for the sheer ability to express himself. He has written 56 self-published books, fifteen professional journal articles, several consumer articles, and more than three-hundred-fifty Op-Ed Commentaries. These sayings are placed in rather fluid categories. Some of them could fit in more than one category. Out of necessity, the author had to choose a category. Order this and other books by him @ www.willisjay.com, by Jay Thomas Willis.