This world is full of stories. When we lived in Charleston, we frequently heard stories about hauntings, the supernatural, and voodoo. Part of the population was the Gulah people.
The Gullah Geechee people are descendants of enslaved Africans who live along the coastal regions of South Carolina, Georgia, and nearby islands. They preserved a remarkable amount of African cultural heritage. These things included a creole language (Gullah) and strong storytelling traditions. Plus, there was their food, which was rooted in West Africa (rice, okra, seafood). And they made the most amazing baskets. We have several in our home today.
Anyway, a part of them observed some voodoo. While not widely spread, it was there, especially in the history of Charleston.
I’m thinking of all of this because of a death row inmate named James Edward Smith. You see, this guy requested a lump of dirt for his last meal as part of a voodoo ritual to assist in his reincarnation.
I read that little blurb online, about the dirt meal. Not to be confused with dirty pudding, dirt cake, or mud pie.
Anyway, James Edward Smith was convicted of committing a murder during a robbery in Houston, Texas. The murder happened in 1983. He was executed on June 26, 1990.
Just before that date with death, he requested that lump of dirt for his last meal along with other unusual items. The prison officials refused since the request wasn’t edible. So instead of ordering a steak or a pizza, Smith reportedly chose nothing at all.
His case was pretty straightforward. But his defense lawyer raised issues common in death penalty cases at the time. They especially focused on his mental state, but none were enough to overturn the sentence.
He was born in 1954, but there is no clear place of birth found in any sources. Maybe he came from Charleston. Who knows.
Smith had a history of crime prior to the murder. And so it all went.
But what about the whole voodoo thing?
Reports at the time said that Smith claimed to practice a form of voodoo, which was also known as folk magic. He did not practice any other formal, organized religion.
He reportedly told prison officials he needed certain items for a ritual before his execution.
This is why he requested things like dirt as part of his final meal. Since he didn’t get the things he needed for his spiritual quest, I wonder if he went where he was supposed to go. Maybe those things were his last grasp toward salvation.
So it’s one of those small stories in our lives. Does it affect us? Probably not directly. But everything affects us. Everything is connected. Somehow, someway. It is all one big ticking tock of a clock. It all matters. Every day.
Today, I hope you find a little bit of good magic in your life. That is the best kind of all.
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“We are all stories in the end. Just make it a good one.” — The Doctor
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“Everything is connected. No one thing can change by itself.” — Paul Hawken
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“We carry within us the wonders we seek outside us.” — Rumi
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“Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.” — Winnie-the-Pooh
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“What we call coincidence is perhaps the logic of destiny.” — Agatha Christie
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“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” — W. B. Yeats
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