Author Archives: Keesha Cuthbert

Goals (proverb)

Nationality: African American
Age: 56
Occupation: Warehouse Supervisor
Residence: Rialto, California
Primary Language: English

Richard L Cuthbert was born in Savannah, Georgia.  His father was in the United States Air Force and Richard ending being raised by his paternal grandmother.  He moved to Compton, California with his relatives from his father’s side of the family.  It is here where he met his high school sweetheart, Twesa Cuthbert.  They had two children together.  Richard (now widowed) currently lives in Rialto, California with his daughter, Keesha Cuthbert.

You cannot achieve something new without doing something that you have never done.

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My dad always tells me this to remind me that I cannot reach a new goal by doing things the way that I have always done them.  I have to be imaginative and think outside of my own box that I have created for myself.  Otherwise, I will just keep falling short and coming up with things that I have already achieved.

Cow Tipping?

Nationality: American
Age: 44
Occupation: Director of non-profit organization
Residence: Manhattan Beach, CA
Primary Language: English

Dione Surdez Oliver was born in Santa Ana, California in 1969.  She moved to Crooks, South Dakota when she was four years old.  She grew up on her family’s small dairy farm.  At the age of eighteen she moved back to Southern California.  She worked in the music industry for some time as well as a legal assistant for a number of years.  In 2003 Dione decided to pursue her educational endeavors and began studying at Santa Monica Community College.  She transferred to the University of Southern California in the fall of 2006 and was granted the Norman Topping Student Aid Fund Scholarship.  In 2009 Dione graduated with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative writing and a minor in Cultural Anthropology.  She graduated with honors and received the Order of Troy.  She currently resides in Manhattan Beach, California and where she is the director of CrossFit Zen and is working on entering the Masters of Professional Writing program at USC.

Cow Tipping?

“I have never in my life heard of cow tipping until I came to Southern California.  Funny, because I grew up on a dairy farm. (laughs)  So, they tell me that people go and tip a cow over as they are sleeping … STANDING UP! (chuckles, again)  This is the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard.  And of course there are no video recordings of this happening because it is impossible.  And it is always some drunk schmuck saying they did it, as if you somehow become stronger when you are drunk.  Anyway, as the legend (holds up two fingers to make quotes) goes somebody sneaks up on a cow as they are sleeping standing up.  Problem number one, you cannot sneak up on a cow.  Trust me.  I tried it all the time on the farm and, let me tell you, it cannot be done.  Second, cows do not sleep standing up. Period.  So this super strong drunk dude supposedly pushes over said cow, in this vulnerable cow state, and the cow, startled, tips over.  So simple.  You simply push over a 1000+ pound animal by simply exerting the smallest amount of force with your tiny index finger.  What a crock of shit! (hysterical laughter follows) Californians, I tell you. (continues laughing)”

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I found this story to be particularly funny mainly because I have always heard of cow tipping but had no idea what it was.  And I agree that these stories always seem to revolve around really drunk men.  According to the Laws of Physics alone, this type of feat is literally impossible.  I wonder how is has gained so much popularity and has become so common.

The Elusive Jackalope

Nationality: American
Age: 44
Occupation: Director of non-profit organization
Residence: Manhattan Beach, CA
Primary Language: English

Dione Surdez Oliver was born in Santa Ana, California in 1969.  She moved to Crooks, South Dakota when she was four years old.  She grew up on her family’s small dairy farm.  At the age of eighteen she moved back to Southern California.  She worked in the music industry for some time as well as a legal assistant for a number of years.  In 2003 Dione decided to pursue her educational endeavors and began studying at Santa Monica Community College.  She transferred to the University of Southern California in the fall of 2006 and was granted the Norman Topping Student Aid Fund Scholarship.  In 2009 Dione graduated with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative writing and a minor in Cultural Anthropology.  She graduated with honors and received the Order of Troy.  She currently resides in Manhattan Beach, California and where she is the director of CrossFit Zen and is working on entering the Masters of Professional Writing program at USC.

 

Informant:          Okay, so you know what the jackalope  is, right?

Me:                        The what?

I:                             Well, if you ever travel through the Midwest people will ask you if you have seen one.  Always say no, no matter what.

M:                          Got it.  But, for curiosity’s sake, what exactly is a jackalope?

I:                             It is supposed to be a creature that is half jack rabbit and half antelope, which is impossible.  People will try to convince you that they are real.  If you go to any bar or diner on the main road you will even see taxidermy jackalope.  Basically, it is a jackrabbit with antlers.  If you see one you are very lucky, as people are always trying to catch them and the animals themselves are incredibly elusive.  They just use it as a way to make fun of tourists who are unfamiliar with the creature.  (Informant holds up fingers to signify quotes around word creature.)  Either way, no matter how convincing they seem, do not believe the hype.  You will never be able to live it down if you fall for the joke.

M:                          Thanks for the heads up.

__________

It seems that the folk of this particular lore go to great lengths to convince others that the creature truly exists.  So much so that it seems that there may be some sort of truth to the story.  Some Sources cite this belief on an outbreak of rabbits what were infected with the Shope papilloma virus, which causes the growth of horn- and antler-like tumors in various places on the rabbit’s head and body.  The fact that this story has some semblance of truth speaks to the lengths that the locals go to trick the tourists.

__________

This lore can also be reviewed at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackalope

 

All the Trees

Nationality: American
Age: 44
Occupation: Director of non-profit organization
Residence: Manhattan Beach, CA
Primary Language: English

Dione Surdez Oliver was born in Santa Ana, California in 1969.  She moved to Crooks, South Dakota when she was four years old.  She grew up on her family’s small dairy farm.  At the age of eighteen she moved back to Southern California.  She worked in the music industry for some time as well as a legal assistant for a number of years.  In 2003 Dione decided to pursue her educational endeavors and began studying at Santa Monica Community College.  She transferred to the University of Southern California in the fall of 2006 and was granted the Norman Topping Student Aid Fund Scholarship.  In 2009 Dione graduated with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative writing and a minor in Cultural Anthropology.  She graduated with honors and received the Order of Troy.  She currently resides in Manhattan Beach, California and where she is the director of CrossFit Zen and is working on entering the Masters of Professional Writing program at USC.

You know, you can’t see the forest for the trees.

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My friend, Dione, told me this when I was complaining to her about how overwhelmed I was feeling one day.  I asked her what it meant and she told me I had to figure it out myself.  Well, after a lot of digging I realized that I truly cannot see the forest for the trees.  I get so overwhelmed about what is immediately around me and what I am dealing with immediately that I cannot visualize the big picture of it all; it takes me time to realize that this is just the small piece of a much bigger puzzle.  Since our conversation, I have been using this proverb and applying it to others around me.

Grace

Nationality: African American
Age: 26
Occupation: Teacher
Residence: San Bernardino, CA
Primary Language: English

Shirley Turner Jean grew up in Rialto, California.  She graduated from Dwight D Eisenhower high school I 2004.  From there, she pursued a bachelor’s degree in physical education at Cal State San Bernardino.  Shortly thereafter, Shirley obtained a Masters Degree in Kinesiology from Azusa Pacific University.  She has sense obtained a number of credentials from Azusa Pacific University.  She currently lives in San Bernardino, California and teaches at Synergy Middle School in Los Angeles, California.  She is a PE teacher.

I say grace before I eat anything.  Literally, every single time no matter where I am.  When I was younger I was embarrassed about doing it in public, but now that I am an adult I don’t really care what others think about it.  I usually say about the same thing, but it differs if it is a big occasion or depending on who prepared the food.  If I am at home and I prepared the meal I usually will say something like, “Dear Heavenly Father, bless this food and use it to strengthen us and we pray for those less fortunate that are not able to partake.  In Jesus name, Amen.”  But, if, say, I’m at a restaurant I will say something like, “Lord, bless the hands that prepared this meal for us.  I ask that you use it to nourish our bodies and strengthen us.  We ask that you bless those that are less fortunate and cannot partake in this meal.  In Jesus name, Amen.”  So, see, it all depends on the situation.  It isn’t really a script or anything, but I think that the reason that it is usually so similar is because of how often I say it.  Imagine, how many times do you eat a day?  But, if it is a big dinner, like Thanksgiving it is a lot longer and a lot more detailed.  A lot more hands need to be blessed and a lot more things that we thank God for.  So, it really all depends on the situation, but it is always done before I eat anything.