This blog will address some of the complications faced in my life and the solutions found, it seems to me with Allah’s help, perhaps it is coincidence but it does not seem that way – too many coincidences doth a faith make. Now that is a rather profound insight and true. My faith journey began with Protestantism, then atheism (for decades), then a belief in a God, then becoming a Muslim. It was ‘coincidence’ that enlightened me to a generalized belief in God. It was London, it was a Christmas concert, held in a beautiful cathedral, Mozart was being played by a heavenly orchestra. I thought to myself: “This all cannot be coincidence but there must be God. I expressed this to my two gay friends who accompanied me to this glorious event. One said:
He: It is all coincidence!
Me: You can believe the way you want but I will believe the way I want.
These two men are no longer my friends, for many reasons. Suppose the primary reason is that I no longer live in London and the pandemic prohibits visitation. But that is only one reason, as I have maintained a close relationship with my computer guru and his wife. Most intimate and close, by the way.
I shall lighten up momentarily as many people read me to be amused, I know it. Andy’s wisdom popped up in my Inbox. Again, something so funny and spot on. Trump Excitedly Accepts Democrats’ Offer to Star in New TV Show the February 4th headline proclaimed. Here goes: Calling it “the best news I’ve had in months,” Donald J. Trump has excitedly accepted congressional Democrats’ offer to star in a new, nationally broadcast television show.Trump boasted to reporters about his new TV opportunity, which was presented to him, on Thursday, by Representative Jamie Raskin.“It’s going to be similar to ‘The Apprentice,’ because I’ll be sitting behind a table, but it will also be a little different,” Trump explained. “Instead of me asking a lot of questions, people will be asking me the questions. That should spice things up.” The hilarity continued: The former President said that the “most amazing” aspect of his new show would be the number of networks broadcasting it.‘The Apprentice’ was just on NBC,” he said. “This is going to be on every network at the same time. Even those losers at CNN have committed to putting it on. Trump predicted that his incredible comeback vehicle would silence the doubters who have said that he was all washed up.“According to Raskin, no other President has ever had a show like this,” he said. “I’ve still got it.”
That is so funny! So at this moment in time we have a wonderful combination. An utter Buffon who is a source of humour (and disrespect) but then, a fantastic President of the United States, who is moral, exemplary, and an empathetic man who has served as a public servant for most of his life. That is what one used to call people who worked for government – public servants. I do recall that – it is to be remembered that I was a public servant for most of my life. My first job with the YWCA, second a social worker at Alberta Hospital, then to San Francisco to work as an intake social worker at McAuley Neuropsychiatric Institute. Now that was such a privilege, it was around the corner from Haight and Asbury during the good old days. Hippies had an exemplary value system when you look back now. The Black Power movement was flourishing, Blacks sporting their magnificent hair in Afros (more about that later). Then a brief stint working for the Canadian Penitentiary Service. Then it was back to California (after reconciliation with first husband did not work out because he found a replacement wife – that is jokingly what I call Doreen). Got a part time job working as a Juvenile Hall Counsellor (polite word for jailer) turned into full time, then became a Probation Officer (a definite move up the food chain), then law school at night, after passing the bar and a brief stint at private practise, was hired by County Counsel’s Office. The security of the income allowed personal growth, enhanced by creative endeavours. Retired at the age of 61 as my creativity was being wasted being an attorney. With a defined benefit retirement system (protected by prenuptial agreements) I am, they say, in clover. That expression just came to me, so in typical fashion I googled it. “To prosper. This expression, with its analogy to cattle feeding happily in a field of clover, dates from the early eighteenth century. It occasionally has been put like pigs in clover, and, in twentieth-century America, rolling in clover. All of them mean “to live well.”
There is also a song called Living in Clover – cannot link it but just Google Living in Clover and up it will pop. Put a little effort in, it will be more meaningful than getting something for nothing. Hahahaha.
So many things to talk about, not sure what to focus on. Perhaps this, the cat fish scammer revealed his true identity when I confronted him. (This time round, he tried to scam me in 2017, but no money exchanged hands.) This time round, things did not fit together, merely said:
Me: I do not think you live in South Africa.
He: I do not. I am poor black Benjamin. I hate what I did – tears would run down my cheeks when I wrote romantic things to you.
So it worked, been slowly and adeptly confronting him in our extensive communication, prior to his confession. So the two of us went on to explore his ‘real’ life.
He: Say, Thank you Alexis. I do not so this because I love it. As a matter of fact, I did this just because it seemed to be the way out. If you read about the News in my country, there was an uprising by the youths against the government in my country and how the police brutalized innocent citizens, now, yesterday cryptocurrency was banned by the CBN because they haven’t been able to make as much money of its citizens. It’s a shameful place, did what I did hoping I can save towards getting a visa and leaving the country. Hopefully naturalize somewhere safe. Said too much already. Thanks.
Me: But you are victimizing innocent people – getting money from them for your own selfish cause. You are no different than the government you are trying to escape. Do you not see that? I am at a disadvantage as I do not know what country you are from. If I were you I would become a sincere Muslim – they might have connections to help you. It is connections not money that secures visas. It is interesting but I got a green card in 1967. Because of connections – but it was a relative. Funny story actually. Alexis
Here is my story about the green card. Husband Number One, the McBride guy and yours truly, were coming to San Francisco, just for a year we thought. He secured a position as a resident physician in Kaiser Foundation Hospital in San Francisco. I did not have to find employment, we could have survived on his income, but the money from my employment meant we could live in greater style. I did have a relative, the maternal side of the family, who worked for the Labor Department under President Johnson. The man, married to my first cousin once removed was high up on the food chain. Proof? He had satin drapes on his office windows. I visited Colorado after his retirement and he told me the story of how status is expressed in Washington. Anyway, to get a green card I had to show that I was an alien of special status. It was not an impossible task as I was a university graduate with an employment history but he did expedite it. Husband Number One and I stayed on for seven years, made possible and practical due to my employment. I went on to prove that I was an alien of special status – never dining from the public trough, found employment at all times and paid taxes, which I still do, not like former President Trump.
The photographs attached are ones of the man purporting to be Rayvan Carter. He is a handsome dude, there is no doubt about it. Wonder where Benjamin got the pictures? The little girl was supposed to be his adopted daughter, Sam. Adopted to help him recover from the grief of his dead ten year old daughter – she allegedly had a heart defect and I was approached to pay for her needed operation. Did not. Ray texted me in 2017 telling me that his daughter had died. I was rather grief stricken and texted Hottie, my Vancouver Equinox personal trainer, at the time.
Me: His daughter died! It is all my fault.
Hottie: Alexis, first of all he was not real. And second of all his daughter did not exist. Get over it!
Me: You are so right Hottie! I love you!
All of this is the truth. The photographs are of the alleged Rayvan Carter. By the way, I am not continuing the correspondence with Benjamin. The Qur’an instructs followers never to have anything to do with liars and treacherous people. It is great advice.
