Smiling With My Eyes :-)

There are roughly 6,500 spoken languages in the world today and I speak only one of them. Despite this shortcoming I am an excellent communicator--and no, I didn’t invent a universal translator. Rather, I am empathetic and smile at everyone, so much so that strangers often feel inclined to tell me their life story without any prompting. Many people think I look familiar to them, like someone they once knew, a cousin or a neighbor. It’s a blessing and a curse, but I do enjoy exchanging smiles with people I encounter. I enjoy passing goodwill to strangers without them even realizing it. Jerry Seinfeld recounts how, as a kid, he would go with his father on sales calls and his father would say to him “Watch this, I’m going to crack that face”, meaning he would get a smile or a laugh. The human face is able to communicate countless emotions without saying a word and the emotions shared through facial expressions are universal. Proof of that is how the same emojis are used the world over and everyone understands what they mean.

As an attorney I have also trained myself to recognize micro expressions--brief, involuntary facial expressions that occur when a person is consciously trying to conceal their feelings. Unlike regular facial expressions, they are almost impossible to hide. In a new study, researchers defined 21 facial expressions used to convey our emotions and found a computer model could tell them apart with a high degree of accuracy. In fact, one of the first skills an infant learns is recognizing facial expressions. By the time infants are five months old, they can match the image of an emotional expression with its corresponding vocal expressions. By age five, a child’s ability to recognize and label facial expressions approaches the competence of most adults.

Now, all of that’s out the window. If the eyes are the window to the soul, then we’re in luck because, with the whole world peering out from behind face masks, the only visible part of our face is our eyes. I feel so disoriented, like Ariel the mermaid losing her voice. After decades of communicating with my face I am at a loss. It hardly matters at the moment since I rarely leave the house, but I have to adjust because I plan to wear a mask in public for the foreseeable future. The bottom line is I’m still friendly, and caring, and interested in you. You may not notice it as quickly as before but if you take the time and look carefully you’ll see that I’m smiling with my eyes. 

Groveland Four Memorial Dedication

Today in Groveland, Florida, a memorial will be dedicated to the Groveland Four, the four men tortured, murdered, and wrongfully convicted of a crime they didn't commit. This event would not be happening but for the tireless efforts of my son Josh Venkataraman, who spent 4 years working to obtain posthumous pardons for the men. 

Transcribed on the plaque: “In July 1949, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd, Charles Greenlee and Ernest Thomas — known collectively as the ‘Groveland Four’ — were accused of crimes in Lake County,” the text begins. “Eyewitness accounts, records, and subsequent investigations revealed that these men were subjected to racially motivated oppression and were never given the opportunity to legitimately defend themselves in a court of law.”

To read about Josh's incredible journey, check out our new book--Accidental Activist: Justice for the Groveland Four. 

https://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Activist-Justice-Groveland-Four-ebook/dp/B07Z5TYNT7/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= 

Accidental Activist on Free promo through Feb. 5th :-)

Don't miss out--my new book, Accidental Activist: Justice for the Groveland Four, is free on Kindle through February 5th. With 4.8 stars out of 5, it is getting rave reviews and moving some readers to tears. I co-authored this book with my son Josh. Here is the description: 

This book will take you through my incredible four year quest for justice for The Groveland Four and teach you how to pursue your own causes, whatever they may be. It is a primer for positive action, a journey through Florida's past as well as its future. Some of the things you will learn: everything takes more time than you think, nothing ever goes according to plan, help can come from unexpected places, time is on your side, everyone is connected to everyone else, you can reach your tipping point for success and not even realize it, your goals can change along the way, and flexibility is key. Let's get started, shall we?

***Proceeds from the sale of this book will be used to establish "The Charles Greenlee Memorial Scholarship" to benefit a child with an incarcerated parent.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1672730864/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

New Audio-book free to reviewers! :-)

Happy Friday! I have free download codes for reviewers for my new audio-book--Accidental Activist: Justice for the Groveland Four. The narrator, Joshua Mackey, is fantastic! 

This book, which I co-authored book with my son Josh, is about his successful four-year quest to obtain posthumous pardons for the Groveland Four. Josh was inspired to take up this cause after reading Gilbert King’s Pulitzer Prize winning book chronicling this terrible racial injustice from Florida’s past.  

Leave a comment if you'd like a code for review purposes.

Here’s the link on Audible: 

https://www.audible.com/pd/Accidental-Activist-Audiobook/B083VT41DG?qid=1579281534&sr=1-12&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=43JZQYYRY0RXW65ZTY3P&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_12

  

Book Description: This book will take you through my incredible four year quest for justice for The Groveland Four and teach you how to pursue your own causes, whatever they may be. It is a primer for positive action, a journey through Florida's past as well as its future. Some of the things you will learn: everything takes more time than you think, nothing ever goes according to plan, help can come from unexpected places, time is on your side, everyone is connected to everyone else, you can reach your tipping point for success and not even realize it, your goals can change along the way, and flexibility is key. Let's get started, shall we? 

Accidental Activist is now out in paperback :-)

My new book, "Accidental Activist: Justice for the Groveland Four", which I co-authored with my son Josh, is now available in paperback for the low price of $6.00. 

It would make a great gift for the activists in your circle, or anyone who wants to be inspired to take action for social justice, but doesn't know how to start. Josh's four year quest for justice for the Groveland Four is a true story, filled with memorable people, and one you won't soon forget.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1672730864?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

Groveland Four Update!

If you've read my new book, "Accidental Activist: Justice for The Groveland Four" which I co-authored with my son Josh, you will be happy to see that history is still being made and the story isn't over yet. 

This article came out today: https://www.wmfe.org/exoneration-for-the-groveland-four-state-leaders-call-on-desantis-to-sign-order/140993?fbclid=IwAR3trDBBJ3I8mWDbtyGauRIcV_DtvMPcs8Pme8DXnwaEwQ8TzRe_BmUM4kw

State leaders are calling on the DeSantis administration to exonerate four black men accused of raping a white woman in Lake County in 1949. 

The leaders will demonstrate today in Tallahassee with family members of the Groveland Four.  

The DeSantis administration pardoned the men earlier this year. But family members, along with Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, State Senator Gary Farmer and State Representative Geraldine Thompson say only exoneration fully acknowledges their innocence.

Commissioner Fried who is on the Clemency Board says exoneration is the only way to fully acknowledge the men’s innocence. 

“And a pardon is saying almost like you have been forgiven for the acts that you were convicted of. But an exoneration says you should have never been convicted or charged to begin with.”

State Representative Thompson says exonerating the men would set a precedent for criminal justice reform in the state. 

“It would mean that we are committed to righting a wrong, we’re committed to justice, and we’re committed to racial reconciliation.”

Hooray for a New Audio book & Free Download Codes! :-D

Happy Holidays! :-D

I'm thrilled to announce that my children's book, "The Fight for Magicallus", has finally become an audio book, thanks to the beautiful narration of Sara M. Sapp. 

Check out the sample:

https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Fight-for-Magicallus-Audiobook/B0822KMLZ9?qid=1575306550&sr=1-11&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=E2PB18TSN86HM33ZAMB2&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_11

Here's the blurb:

While experimenting with a magic wand, two young brothers are pulled into a computer game called: The Fight for Magicallus. In the land of Magicallus, they encounter goblins and knights who are on the brink of war because their ruler has mysteriously disappeared and the knights blame the goblins! The boys learn of a frightening prophecy that foretells the end of Magicallus. They must find an ancient book hidden in a dragon’s lair before the prophecy comes to pass and they are all destroyed...

Can the boys find their way home? Will the knights and goblins go to war? Or will the dragon destroy them all? With both humor and suspense, this story pulls you in and doesn't let go.

Message me if you'd like a free Audible download code, and not just because it's Cyber Monday. This offer doesn't expire until I run out of codes. :-D