Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now

Maya Angelou lived in a desperate time, and in a desperately difficult family situation. There was a person in her early life who lifted her up so she could see her own worth. From there, this Lady has grown wise about human life, and how to live it wisely, fully, and more happily. I love her chapters in this book on New Directions and the one on The Sweetness of Charity. Her viewpoints in the chapter called "What's So Funny" needs to be read often. She notes that when we as audiences indulge entertainers in their use of profanity or vulgarity by laughing and applauding it, "we are like the Romans at a colosseum battle between unarmed Christians and raging lions." God bless her for stating that "obesity is not funny, vulgarity is not amusing, insolent children and submissive parents are not the characters we want to admire or emulate." Ms. Angelou's first book, her autobiography,"I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" was my first introduction to her writing. Much courage was needed to write that book, of a painful childhood. It is beautifully written, but was so hard for me to read. This author has the words and the heart to reach the heart of anyone who has a heart. This book is dedicated to Oprah Winfrey. It is a treat to read.

I tend to borrow books from the library and use my limited funds to purchase only those that truly help me grown in some way. This book is one of those. I bought it before I had to return the library's copy. It is a small, easy-to-read book whose simplicity belies its wisdom and power. I have harvested some of that wisdom to assist me in conveying lessons and messages to others. Most recently, I used the essay "Death and the Legacy" as a reading for meditation at my grandma's memorial last month. My reading of that powerful piece inspired my cousin to read this anthology and to ask me for more Angelou recommendations. The essay that speaks most to me, however, is "New Directions," which I use to teach a seminar to people living with HIV. It is an inspiring essay which points out that we have "the right and the responsibility" to step off paths which are not working for us. What a great message of personal accountability! This is truly a wonderful book--my favorite among many Angelou books that I love.

I really enjoyed reading "Wouldn't Take Nothing For My Journey Now" by Maya Angelou. In this book, she writes about the positive and negative expericences she has had in her life. By reading this book, you can she that Maya is a very intelligent woman. A couple of topics she writes about in this book are Religion and Living good and living well. She gives advice on how you can be a better human being. This book makes you think about things you may take for granted. It also makes you see things in a different light. I haven't read any of Maya's other books, but now I definitely will! This book is a must-read.

This is my favorite of the books I've read in which Maya Angelou sits around contemplating life, though it's perhaps not the most representative of her work. For the moment she sets aside her intellectual self, her history, her issues -- anything by which you might identify her as anything but a fellow member of the human race. In this book you're left with the essential Maya -- the wise woman with the great heart and the steady mind who speaks out from timeless space. It's an easy read, and life feels better when you're done. And if you're at the end left in doubt whether she's also a world-wise and savvy intellect, then anything else she has written will put your doubts to rest.I love Maya Angelou.

One of the most memorable stories on this audio cassette (and in the book as well) is where Maya tells what her Mama (grandmother) would do when a known-whiner would come into their general store in Stamps, Arkansas.Mama would call for Maya, saying, "Sister, come over here." When the "whiner" came in, Mama would ask them "How are you doing?" and the whiner would launch into a lengthy complaint about the weather and work and other things.After this whiner left the store, Mama would turn to Maya and say "Sister, nobody likes to listen to someone who whines and complains..." and she'd tell Maya that there were lots of people - black and white, rich and poor - who went to bed last night and never woke up this morning, who'd give almost anything to have one more day of work or one more day in the summer's heat. And the summation - "Sister, if you don't like something, change it. And if you can't change it, change the way you think about it."This is a powerful book/audio tape. And it is narrated by Maya Angelou, which makes it even more of a treasure. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve the way they think about life.