A Bit About Us...
James & Keyes

Considering the fact that you clicked on this page means you're a bit curious about Us. Mr. Lawrence James and Ms Mercedes Keyes. So here goes a bit about us.

Lawrence James was born in Rotherham, Yorkshire - England back on the 19th of January 1954. He worked in demolition, the steel works, building works and let him tell it, also for the C.I.A. and various other government secret agencies for which he says he cannot tell me about otherwise he'd have to kill me... which he adds, he could easily do, with just his thumb and forefinger. So that he is not forced to this end, I will stick with his more mundane employment activities which led to various jobs in mechanics, and a bit of carpentry work. In the midst of it all he was well known by the ladies and as life does, found that he'd fathered a child at the age of 24. Because he and his sons mother were not married, he made the choice to bring him up alone. Subsequently for the next four and a half years, there existed just the two of them. Oooh and what an asset a young adorable son is to a single male... how the women do love to fawn, aaah and care for you and your adorable son. Enjoying all the benefits this arrangement brought, he found himself in another relationship that lasted for quite a few years, gifting him with four more children. Two more sons and two daughters. For the next so many years, Mr. James totally immersed himself in his children and soon found years later, that they were left entirely in his care - again. Something for which he willingly took full hold of without reservation. While doing so, he found that much spare time was spent recording their activities, photographing them and anything else he could take pictures of. Photography and radio his greatest past times as well as writing radio skits for local announcers, such as in the case of his dear late friend, Tony Capstick. He and his son Ace, spent quite a bit of time arranging various routines for radio as well placing much of their material on the internet. A place also where time was spent combing various media's for poetry and writing because he is also a writer and poet. In addition to the rest, he enjoyed nothing more than speaking on various radio shows, debating a wide variety of topics surrounding current events. Ever one to read various points of views on a range of subjects he sought various writers and poets on ICQ and searching the site often joining discussions there. Searching out other writers, he made a life changing discovery. For there on ICQ was an ad, from a writer who happened to have a website of her own, where various topics and opinions were being written. She was looking for another male in addition to the two already on her site. At the time, she hosted other writers in an attempt to get their material out with her own. One way was, by an open forum of current events as well allowing them to submit new material, poetry and short stories to her site, and she would provide the means for the material to be presented to the www of surfers.

Immediately Mr. James' interest was lit, considering he'd spent the next few moments staring at her photograph unable to take his eyes from her. To the site he had ventured and began reading her opinions posted there and decided this was someone he'd like to have a few discussions with and so made contact by sending his first IM message. Which led to many discussions about so many things, life in general. Tons of laughter because it moved from IM on ICQ to voice messing on Yahoo where the two could speak and did so for long periods of time. They'd spoken in May and by June, he knew that he was in love. His tenacious and unrelenting pursuit then began. Discussing various things with his mother, one being, he'd always longed for and looked to have a partner in writing, however, he'd never in his wildest dreams thought he'd end up with the one he did.

Mercedes Keyes, I was born in Greenville, Mississippi of the USA, back in December 27th, 1962. Following the divorcing of my parents, I found myself in the back seat of my mother's car, heading for Chicago, Illinois back in 1966. Leaving behind 3 brother's and a father I preferred to be with. Thus, the life of a Gypsy for us began. Moving from one place to another, never living in one spot for more than 5 to 6 months. Staying with relatives for so many weeks and then friends for a few. However, fights or disagreements would erupt and off the two of us would go, mother and daughter, packing up once again to live wherever current resources would allow. Because much of that time was spent in isolation while my mother worked, my best friend was my imagination and all the places I could escape to there. Days, weeks, months and years on the road and moving went by until my mother settled in marriage and we found ourselves living in one spot finally on the blvd. From there my own life took its turn where I ended up a mother too young, married too young. Never knowing myself, nor my needs. Took 21 years of dividing myself into many sections to give each of my family members a piece so they could be happy. Since little of me was left to work with, I'd close my eyes and join the world within my mind and there, I was in control and could make things as I saw they should be. When there was time, I drew, when there was time, I wrote. Then I discovered the pleasure of reading. There is where my visions of the world and my place in it changed and began to alter. My closest companions were, my kids, my heavenly father, and a good book. As a working mother, I began jotting down thoughts, ideas and what I saw would be a better story than I could find to read. 1985 - I started writing Webster Fields. Upon completing it, my family and I, first husband and children moved to Wisconsin. There I began Aphrodisiac. Mid way through, my word processor crashed and all writing ceased. In misery, longing to do this new found outlet was denied me until I started working for Invensys Best Power. There, I learned IT service hardware repairs and fixed it. Writing had once again begun, just as my marriage, which was already shaky - began to crumble. Simply because I just couldn't do it any more. I'd had enough of the game, yet was still physically present in it. Company came up with a computer sales scheme that would put a computer into all the homes of their employees. Excitedly at the prospect, I signed up and made my first computer purchase. Weeks later, I left home and husband, kids were already grown, gone and on their own. Lived with a very good friend for a few months and allowed myself to be begged back. Returned for a few weeks, and knew that I shouldn't have. I reached a crossroad, was going to school for Business Management and Marketing and started looking for a place to leave to for good this time. Once the change had taken place in my life, I know true joy and happiness. To bring things even higher, I was sitting working on what had begun as my favorite pastime, creating the world of Shawn and Sylvia when my ICQ messenger made that, squeaky *uh oh* sound. I looked down to see a message from a Lazlo, who wrote,

Lazlo: "How very interesting your site and opinions."

Lazlo: "Especially the piece on Racism."

Blairichek: (my id then, I answered) "Thank you... for your kind words, and reading my opinion."

Lazlo: I'd like to join your panel of writers, while I don't have an opinion on much, I do write poetry and skits."

Blairichek: No opinion? On anything?"

Lazlo: ;) "Nope... not on anything, life is good and I'm on top of the world."

Blairichek: "Wow ... on top of the world hm? That's nice, don't hear that much."

Lazlo: "And you?"

Blairichek: Me? Well ... not yet I'm not, but I'm working on it."

Lazlo: "Mind if I help?"

Blairichek: "Don't know if you can. But you're more than welcome to join the panel. Opinions, skit, or poetry."

Lazlo: "Thanks ... I have one already ... poem - if you want it."

Blairichek: Oh! Uh ... okay... sure ... send it."

And this is what I opened to find...

Your Beauty Within

Your beauty within, your beauty without,

sharing your soul is what you're about.

It's there in your writing,

I've known you so long.

Your eyes tell of emptiness, left there inside.

The void left is deep, the chasm is wide.

Your half smile's a whisper,

The cloud in your soul, that soon turns to rain.

Someday, I'm certain - your smile will return,

your soul filled with music, with your heart singing strong.

"You are very Inspirational ... take care, Lawrence"

Needless to say, here I am. Four years later, wife of a Yorkshiremen as he prefers to be noted, happily married. Never knowing such joy could exist, nor believe as I now do, that soulmates are real and true even if to be found thousands of miles across the ocean. Where here together, he and I fully explore and present all the crazy maddening things, that makes us all celebrate the beauty of being a man and a woman.

James & Keyes

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