The One Thing That WON’T Change

Sonja D. Gracy, author, playwright, and NYC public school teacher is currently working on her next book, God and the Girls.

I love candy, and while there’s a smorgasbord of new candies marketed to the tastes of millions of today’s kid generations (Airheads, Sour Punch Straws, Sour Patch Kids, Colombina Bon Bon Bum lollipops). I’m still a dyedin- the-wool Now and Later girl (I know I’m dating myself). I still remember the actual Now and Later candy jingle, “Eat some now, save some for later…” I also remember you could get an impressive pack of nine pieces for just ten cents. Back then, Now and Laters came in a few tantalizing flavors discontinued today, like vanilla, caramel rum, bubble gum, and chocolate. Nowadays, the inflation-shrunken Now and Later pack is just six pieces for a quarter—a real sign of our high-cost-of-living times.

And it’s not just dime-priced candy that’s signaled a more affordable era gone by, it’s the “gemeinschaft” concept (the German word for “community” I learned from my first college sociology professor), that eased out with it. It was the simpler times, the good will, and the neighborly sentiment along with those Now and Laters and homemade Kool-Aid cup ices we bought in summer from the old Spanish lady who sold them to everybody’s kids from her apartment for a quarter—a metaphor for modern times that felt merrier and a lot more manageable.

Back then, kids knew which bodegas and which neighbors sold what for what, and parents knew it, too. Free goodies were better. When summer rolled around, there’d be long lines of neighborhood kids—economically disadvantaged or not—peacefully waiting their turn to get the free sandwich, peach, and 8-ounce juice and milk containers that came in clear-wrapped, packaged trays distributed by the city. Hitmaker music would blare from folks’ windows from salsa and merengue and gospel, to A Taste of Honey’s “Boogie Oogie Oogie,” Earth, Wind, & Fire’s “Boogie Wonderland,” and the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive.” Speaking of stayin’ alive, it wasn’t good back then to cut up in the neighborhood when your parents weren’t looking. Folks like Ol’ Miss Pearl were looking and gave you an earful, then told your kinfolk. On top of Miss Pearl’s street reprimand, you got another talkin’ to at home and a wellplaced whack or spanking. It’s a whole lot different today. Let a senior Miss Pearl tattle to a new age mom today… I can hear it now.

“YOU MIND YOUR BUSINESS, MISS PEARL! WE DON’T MIND YOURS! THEM MY KIDS!” Sorry, Miss Pearl.

Back then, bad kid behavior brought out the belt; today, some parents prefer all lecture and no leather. It’s called DYFS (Division of Youth and Family Services); and children purportedly make their own calls. Regarding calls, we got cellphones to make them, and cyberspace, Siri, and Alexa lighting corridor halls, turning on washing machines, and closing our garage doors behind us, too!

But no matter what epoch: back then, now, or later, with its ensuing hallmarks, changes, and high-tech trends, there will ALWAYS be one, true constant that remains the same: we call him JESUS. It’s a comfort to know that in a world of dizzying change, large-scale inhospitableness, and terrifyingcommunity and climate-change, there’s STILL that ONE, mighty constant that will never, ever change, that’s Jesus. The Bible affirms that Jesus “is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) It’s a blessing to be blanketed by His providential care. I’ve found Him to be a refuge amidst the turbulent tides of these trying times. He’s the one true constant in a world of constant change.

The One Thing That WON’T Change

Sonja D. Gracy, author, playwright, and NYC public school teacher is currently working on her next book,God and the Girls.

I love candy, and while there’s a smorgasbord of new candies marketed to the tastes of millions of today’s kid generations (Airheads, Sour Punch Straws, Sour Patch Kids, Colombina Bon Bon Bum lollipops). I’m still a dyedin- the-wool Now and Later girl (I know I’m dating myself). I still remember the actual Now and Later candy jingle, “Eat some now, save some for later…” I also remember you could get an impressive pack of nine pieces for just ten cents. Back then, Now and Laters came in a few tantalizing flavors discontinued today, like vanilla, caramel rum, bubble gum, and chocolate. Nowadays, the inflation-shrunken Now and Later pack is just six pieces for a quarter—a real sign of our high-cost-of-living times.

And it’s not just dime-priced candy that’s signaled a more affordable era gone by, it’s the “gemeinschaft” concept (the German word for “community” I learned from my first college sociology professor), that eased out with it. It was the simpler times, the good will, and the neighborly sentiment along with those Now and Laters and homemade Kool-Aid cup ices we bought in summer from the old Spanish lady who sold them to everybody’s kids from her apartment for a quarter—a metaphor for modern times that felt merrier and a lot more manageable.

Back then, kids knew which bodegas and which neighbors sold what for what, and parents knew it, too. Free goodies were better. When summer rolled around, there’d be long lines of neighborhood kids—economically disadvantaged or not—peacefully waiting their turn to get the free sandwich, peach, and 8-ounce juice and milk containers that came in clear-wrapped, packaged trays distributed by the city. Hitmaker music would blare from folks’ windows from salsa and merengue and gospel, to A Taste of Honey’s “Boogie Oogie Oogie,” Earth, Wind, & Fire’s “Boogie Wonderland,” and the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive.” Speaking of stayin’ alive, it wasn’t good back then to cut up in the neighborhood when your parents weren’t looking. Folks like Ol’ Miss Pearl were looking and gave you an earful, then told your kinfolk. On top of Miss Pearl’s street reprimand, you got another talkin’ to at home and a wellplaced whack or spanking. It’s a whole lot different today. Let a senior Miss Pearl tattle to a new age mom today… I can hear it now.

“YOU MIND YOUR BUSINESS, MISS PEARL! WE DON’T MIND YOURS! THEM MY KIDS!” Sorry, Miss Pearl.

Back then, bad kid behavior brought out the belt; today, some parents prefer all lecture and no leather. It’s called DYFS (Division of Youth and Family Services); and children purportedly make their own calls. Regarding calls, we got cellphones to make them, and cyberspace, Siri, and Alexa lighting corridor halls, turning on washing machines, and closing our garage doors behind us, too!

But no matter what epoch: back then, now, or later, with its ensuing hallmarks, changes, and high-tech trends, there will ALWAYS be one, true constant that remains the same: we call him JESUS. It’s a comfort to know that in a world of dizzying change, large-scale inhospitableness, and terrifying community and climate-change, there’s STILL that ONE, mighty constant that will never, ever change, that’s Jesus. The Bible affirms that Jesus “is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) It’s a blessing to be blanketed by His providential care. I’ve found Him to be a refuge amidst the turbulent tides of these trying times. He’s the one true constant in a world of constant change.

Should You Focus On Exercise When You Want to Lose Weight?

Exercise may not be the best way to lose weight. A quick Google search on...

Holy Name Announces New Leadership Appointments

Holy Name, the region’s leading independent health system, appointed Cynthia Ziegler as Vice President of...

You Can Live Well

As a fitness expert, I often encourage clients to care for themselves first. It seems...

Season’s Greetings

Stay Safe and Enjoy this Wonderful Time of the Year The upcoming holiday season is...

Powerful Stories of Breast Cancer Survivors

WORLD’s Stories from the Stage: The Podcast Kicks Off New Season Stories from the Stage: The...

They are Fit to be First Responders

By Barry Carter In a spirited competition among first responders, Newark and Essex County police...

Activist Viola Plummer dies at age 86

Activist and Chairperson of the December 12th Movement Viola Plummer has died. Her passing was announced on Monday. She was...
Read More

 Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz Art Collection at Brooklyn Museum

Call it an embarrassment of riches: The musician Alicia Keys and her husband Kasseem Dean, the producer and D.J. known...
Read More

20-Bed Transitional Housing ‘Village’ Opens in Newark

Officials Say Hope Village II Improves on First Container Community A 20-bed “bridge housing community” is open for people in...
Read More

The 38th Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

BAM honors Dr. King’s radical spirit at this beloved Brooklyn tradition, which rings in a new year with musical performances...
Read More

Rev. Dr. James A. Kilgore Installed

The Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Greater NY & Vicinity installed Rev. Dr. James A. Kilgore as the new president of...
Read More

Hal Jackson Hal Jackson’s Talented Teens Fundraiser

Folks who lived in the NYC area during the 80’s & 90’s remember Hal Jackson’s Sunday Classics heard on then Black-owned WBLS-FM. Many of us looked forward to hearing classic...
Read More

Harlem EatUp! Luminary Awards Tamron Hall and D-Nice Honored

Titled “Harlem EatUp!,” the Luminary Awards Dinner truly lived up to its name. At the renowned Alhambra Ballroom in Harlem, guests dined on an array of culinary delights. Launched in...
Read More

East Orange Breaks Ground on Renovations to Historic Oval Park

Mayor Ted R. Green, the East Orange City Council, and the Departments of Public Works and Recreation & Cultural Affairs officially broke ground on renovations to Oval Park, a historic...
Read More

A Private Experience: a short story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Chika climbs in through the store window first and then holds the shutter as the woman climbs in after her. The store looks as if it was deserted long before...
Read More

Essex County College’s Grand Opening of West Essex Campus

Essex County College’s West Essex campus wrote a new chapter in its 55 years of service to the community when it held a...

East Orange Student Entrepreneurs Receive Once-In-A-Lifetime Opportunity

Host Pop-Up Shop at the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 25th Anniversary Tour In a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a group of budding...

Welcome Back to School RCCS!

On August 28, Roseville Community Charter School opened its doors to welcome parents and scholars to visit their new classrooms...

East Orange “Back-to-School Welcome Walk”

Mayor Ted R. Green, the East Orange City Council, and staff from various municipal departments participated in the city’s annual...

Berkeley College Announces Opportunity Grant

Qualified New Jersey residents can enroll in a fulltime Associate’s degree program without incurring any loans for tuition and fees...

Roseville Community Charter School Honored

Roseville Community Charter School was honored to welcome as a special guest, Dr. Christopher Irving, NJ Department of Education Assistant...

New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency Celebrates 40 Years of Service

On January 17, 2024, the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) celebrates its...

Consider it Pure Joy | Jennifer Jones Austin

When Jennifer Jones Austin, wife, mother, lawyer and child advocate, and the picture of good...

NJHMFA Board Meeting Delivers Key Housing Policy Advancements in Tax Credits and Multifamily Programs

 New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) approved two new programs, the Urban Preservation...

Chase Community Manager Shares Five Key Financial Literacy Tips

Financial health is an important foundation that helps build strong and resilient households, communities and...

Fresh Financial Start: How to Begin the New Year on a High Note

We’re ringing in a new year, and that means a fresh start for your finances!...

Hope for the Holiday Season and Beyond

As the end of 2023 draws near, some of us may be feeling our holiday...