After newspapers and other media sources reported the death of Dick Gregory, 84, My friend John Baker received a note from John Scrempos.  I didn’t know how I could write something that said what needed to be said about Dick Gregory, and John Scrempos’ statement says it, so the BLOG writing starts here:

My friend John Baker forwarded to me a note from his friend John Scrempos.  I don’t know Mr. Scrempos, but I now know that I would like to know him.  I don’t usually send on this BLOG quotes by people I don’t know, but I can tell from the text that he won’t mind my using it… and I certainly know my friend John Baker well enough to include the quote without waiting for John to send back permission.  So… John Scrempos said,

“I met Dick. I walked with him in Forseyth, Ga. in a march led by Coretta King and children, Ralph Abernathy, Don Edwards and others. I had the good fortune of sitting with him on the bus that carried us from Atlanta out to Forseyth where we marched. He was a fiery man with a heart that covered the world....his love affair for justice was non ending. He helped many of us white guys to deal with white privilege/racism through humor.....first one to do that for me....laughing at my own foolishness was good medicine....giving me a chance to see myself and others in a new and important way....defining moment in my life.”

The pictures are a melaleuca tree near a parking lot at City Scene, the condo community where I lived before coming to Paradise Valley and a water lily I got yesterday at the Davids’ backyard.  I didn’t use them yesterday, so they seem to belong to Dick Gregory.  Dignity… YES!