After getting some amazing henna done, my car was blocked in the parking lot. A man in a bathrobe asked me if I had a lighter. I said no but maybe there was a matchbook in my car. He perked right up at the possibility. The party inside Painting with a Twist raged on. As I handed him the book, I told him to keep it so he wouldn’t have to get a lighter. He graciously thanked me and vanished. Once the car that was blocking me was moved, it became rather apparent that I would not be able to easily reverse. There were too many cars for my comfort level. Guess who reappeared out of thin air and spent his party time helping me to get out of the parking lot? He still had the bathrobe…..

Monday has been a puzzle of errands. A smoothie was in order with a strong shot of ginger. Cayenne pepper was added much to my spicy delight. The total came to $8.35. I handed over a $10.00 bill. While the cashier prepared my change, I found $.35 and handed it to him. He apologized and said that his math was very poor. I told him that two dollars would be my change. Far be it from me to judge anyone on their math skills. My math skills threatened my entire academic career. There are tasks that simply go undone in my adult life because I can not stand anything remotely mathematical. However, I did wonder how is it that this equation was difficult to figure out. Has Facebook, Siri, and other techie mechanisms contributed to this? A serious curiosity….

A Different Way of Living


What does that look like for me? I want to have meaningful conversations with people that are actually doing something important with their lives. People that work for themselves fascinate me because they call their own shots. While they service specific clientele, agendas, causes, and scheduling is left to their discretion. I want to see more of my personal needs represented in my daily work. There has to be a way to transfer into a career that has a passionate meaning to me.

The Iconic Figure that is Angela Davis

There were personal reasons for me not to attend this event. It is not in my nature to be remotely curious about anything political and social reform is not something that tickles my fancy. My world is filled with spirit and the arts; reality is a bit cold and harsh for a mellow water sign such as myself. However, the idea of such a force being in my backyard was too much for me to avoid. I wanted to attend with an open mind and learn something about the causes which have consumed this woman’s life. Her documentary was so good that I watched it twice.
Dr. Angela Davis mentioned many noteworthy points. She said the system can’t be fixed and needs to be abolished entirely. That is how I feel about education, but isn’t education a part of the system? Many teachers are fed up with notion of being involved in a career where they have no say yet sweat and bleed in the trenches.
The notion of community was broached. Social Media has its strong grip on the current generation but people are not aware of the struggles that the person next door is facing. How can we truly expect to take our agenda to international levels when we are lacking a proper foundation? We are dividid and united at the same time. As a personal reflection, I want to travel to distant lands but have yet to attend a Home Owner’s Meeting….
The fervor of the room was simply amazing. Many people were lost in nostalgia. It was a new energy for me. The fist pumping and various shouts. It was simply a sight to behold and a passion inciting sensation. The revolution lives.


My push to be social and actually interact with other people has been going quite well this season. For some reason, my busy month has not been busy. However, there have been tons of events where I have been invited as a guest. Yesterday alone found me at two of them. The morning was an annual ladies’ brunch. Each woman is responsible for bringing a dish to a designated home and everyone sits and talks and eats delicious food. My contribution is the entertainment. Why? Gatherings that have entertainment are memorable and have ambiance. Since she has been gracing my family functions with her talent, I called upon a favorite poetess of mine. Red Writing Hood has the unique ability of combining class with hard core reality. When she makes her entrance, no announcement is necessary. Everyone knows that she has arrived.
As she warmed up the audience to her presentation, the guests settled into their seats preparing for the show. There were rounds of applause and several amens. Her words brought the women together, and they embraced her as their own. I had the chance to actually sit down and enjoy conversation with her over a delicious plate. Do you know what it is for two busy people to sit down and just talk in the month of December? The wonderful exchange was completed with group pictures and lots of merriment.
After the brunch, I found myself headed home to rest before my second party of of the day. Work was having a holiday party. No, my shadow has never darkened such a doorway until now. A glass of wine and shrimp made for a surprisingly smashing time. The conversation was light, and the highly anticipated awkwardness simply was not there. Who knew. Two more invitations have arrived for me to attend impromptu celebrations. If my schedule allows, I think that I am going.

A Daddy Moment

My one of a kind designer dress held my body in green and red. The glass of wine was delicious. The entertainment was rather enjoyable, and the company was great. Instead of performing on a Saturday night in December, I did something outrageous; I attended an event as a guest and enjoyed myself. Something happened to me this evening.
The musician was a jazz pianist. As the chord progression rang familiar to me, the songs were easy to recognize. They were songs that my father enjoyed playing himself. The vocalist began singing, and it was obvious that her repertoire spoke to yesteryear. The honorees for the evening were names that I heard before from my father’s mouth. Before I knew it, the sight of him flailing about in the coma resurfaced. The familiar faces of the people whom were complete strangers milled all around. It was like being in a world that was not far from the one person that will never appear again. A twinge of sadness gripped me and just as quickly, it was brushed away. It was an interesting moment to experience during a gala affair.