Just Running Cross My Mind....

If you are on Facebook then by now you have received the requests to complete your "25 Things" or describe something about yourself with just "One Word." Interesting how this kind of chain communicating has moved from your email to Facebook. Well I would like to share with you a few random things that have crossed my mind over the past week or so.

Here goes:

1) Facebook etiquette. You should not get into a fight with a friend of a friend who has made a comment on Facebook. By that I mean if someone makes a comment on a friend's page that you do not agree with, refrain from saying something rude. Remember, you should respect your mutual friend even if their friend is an asshole.

2) I have come to realize that most acts of kindness are selfish. Even in their giving people are selfish because giving is gratifying to the giver so it's ultimately about making themselves feel good.

3) Your friends will want you to be single if they are single, married if they are married or in a relationship if they are in a relationship. This is true for both men and women.

4) It's probably not a good idea to be Facebook friends with coworkers. I mean, it's really going to piss you off when you find out that Tom is really a KKK member on the weekends. Conversely, when you find out that LaTanya is stripping on the weekends. (I'm just saying.....)

5) All men are created equally deficient and stupid. So be careful about commenting or judging your friend's mate because your friend likely has a laundry list of judgements about your's.

6) If you are going to dine at a restaurant with more than just yourself, do not dare nitpick the bill when it comes. Split it equally among the parties even if what you ate was the cheapest.
It all balances itself out if you dine together in the future.

7) Trying to get back in shape or lose weight is most likely the most humbling experience a woman will have. It's a bitch and I cannot believe I am at this point!!!

8) Everyone should try to incorporate 1 or 2 things that Dr. Oz suggests about health & fitness. Buy 100% whole wheat products, avoid anything that says "enriched," and drink beverages that use real sugar versus high fructose corn syrup.

9) People who are sarcastic, passive aggressive or overly opinionated are insecure and/or envious. It simply not worth the energy to cuss them out or set them straight. Let them keep on hating.

10) Although it is 2009, a new century and a new day, I still find it insulting when a black man does not date a black woman. Although I do not mind if a black woman does not date a black man. Admittedly it's my double standard but there are quite simply too many single black women who cannot find a man.

11) If Barack Obama's wife was not black I am fairly certain the black community would not have supported him. Conversely, if Barack Obama's mother and maternal grandparents were not white I am fairly certain alot of white people would not have supported him.

12) Everyone has a right to have a preference but no one has the right to be disrepectful. This may appear contrary to #10 but I already admitted that #10 is my own hang up.

13) There are people who still believe that Black is inferior, inherently less attractive, or undesirable. And I mean there are BLACK people who feel this way.

14) When entering a new relationship you should go in with a clean slate. Do not assign your former's flaws to the new person. But you should always be on alert.

15) I would rather get married and have no children than to be a single parent. It's nothing against single parents or parenting because I am a product of a single parent. However, because I am a product of a single parent I know intimately how difficult and often times lonely it can be. I don't have the strength to take that on.

16) Everyone should have a relationship with God.

17) Everyone should see Slum Dog Millionaire and read, "Midnight" by Sista Souljah. You will fall in love with Indian and Asian people/ culture.

18) Everyone needs a best friend.

19) You have to have good esteem and self image before going "natural" with your hair.

20) Being an aunt and/or and stepmother is for me the best of both worlds.

21) In a perfect situation I would have gotten married around age 28 - 30 then had 2 kids of my own.

22) There is something to be said for attending all Black elementary and high schools with a strong emphasis on culture. You will have the rest of your life to learn about others but understanding of yourself is crucial to your success, survival and sanity.

23) Do not assume that all people have commen sense or courtesy. Sometimes you have to tell others how you expect to be treated.

24) If you do someone a favor do not hold your breath for a thank you or a returned gesture.

25) Some of the people I care most about and are closest to are completely disorganized, irresponsible and will nilly. I wonder what that says about me.

I support President Obama but....

Without question I am a strong, committed supporter of President Barack Obama. I cannot even begin to list all the reasons why I support him, the list would be too long. I am so proud of him and his family and I want him to suceed. But....

If I am honest about it, I'm not a new or renewed patriotic American. I am an American because I was born and raised here. America has been my only reality. However, the ills and misdeeds of this country still run deep and I am reminded of it every day.

I did not feel a sense of pride for this country because Barack won the election. I felt a sense of pride for Barack and Black people all over the world. I do not feel suddenly included in the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, "We The People"......they were not talking about me! This country has never cared or valued non-White Americans and they are not going to begin now that the president is Black. All the wrongs President Obama is undoing as a result of Bush will just be re-implemented when the next president enters the office in 4 or 8 years.

The Star Spangled Banner, My Country Tis of Thee, God Bless America....they still sound like someone else's experience. Seriously, think about the lyrics:

"My country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land where the pilgrims cried, from every mountain side, let freedom ring." This one is too easy! Sweet land of liberty for who? Land where the pilgrims cried because you wiped them out!! Let freedom ring for refugees from Europe, not anyone else.

Lift Every Voice and Sing, God Bless The Child, We Shall Overcome are songs that stir my emotions.

"Lift every voice and sing, till earth and Heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won."

We should celebrate, we should be proud, we should support our new president. But let us keep marching on til real victory is won.

Barack It!!

Notice how calm, cool and collected Barack Obama always appears? He remains in control and unnerved. He takes his time when answering questions. His response is always thoughtful and poignant. I'm stating the obvious but Barack has kick down doors and shattered stereotypes across the world. He surpassed all expectations, calculations, polls, bets, conspiracy theories.

Scott told one of his students that he needed to "Barack" it. I thought about exactly what that meant and decided that I would "Barack" it too.

Of course We Won!

On the morning of Tuesday, November 4, 2008 I woke up in the city of San Francisco. I conspicuously showcased my Obama t shirt while walking around SF downtown, on the way to the airport and on the plane ride home to the Chi to celebrate. I might as well signed autographs myself....as soon as any one asked where I was from they wanted to hug and high five me! I'm a rock star for Obama by proxy!!

I went home and turned on the tv and watched it unfold before going on into the streets and joining the celebration. When CNN announced him as the President I didn't react. In fact I was some what smug-- of course he won!!But then he took the stage and started speaking. The tears lept off my face. I cried and cried and cried and cried. I thanked Jesus and yelled hallelujah. I could not keep it to myself. It was like turrets. I kept involuntarily yelling Jesus! I danced the caught the holy ghost dance.

I thought about my grandfather who discouraged me from becoming an attorney saying they were all crooked. I thought about my mother who would have been Obama's #1 campaigner. I thought about my niece who turned 18 just in time to vote for a Black man. I thought about my 6 yr old godson who yelled "yay Obama" into the phone. I thought about Jurnee who is 2 yrs old who, when asked, will tell you Obama is president.

Today I walked into work unfazed by the typical annoying things that would set me off. I walked into work in a matter of fact way. While all eyes were waiting for me to say something, I just smiled and nodded. When I passed by other Black people today, we smiled and quietly said to each other, "we did it!"

I know that I have been blessed beyond comprehension. I know that I have a great job and a great life even though my output is somewhere around 75%. I often think to myself that there isn't anything that I can admit to giving 100% of myself to. Now, I feel that I must give everything 100%.

I will work harder, smarter, longer. I will not rest on my laurels, our laurels, Obama's laurels. I will push, I will climb, I will achieve higher, better things. More than I ever dreamed imaginable. Obama has willingly put his life on the line for us. Surely I can do my personal best and continue to prove Yes We Can.

I Voted Today

I voted today. I pulled up to the polling location and quickly realized that there was a line wrapped around the building. The election is just 11 days away. I took my place at the end of the line and patiently waited. This was too important to allow the inconvenience of waiting discourage me. My inconvenience is nothing compared to those that came before me who fought, suffered, and some died so that I could have the right. The same right as was principled in the constitution.

I stood in line and watched the other voters. They had on AppleBottom jeans, RocaWear jackets, business suits, grandmothers in wheelchairs, babies in strollers, then there was me--standing there in my HBCU sweatshirt checking email on my smartphone. The psuedo-professional Black girl.

As the line inched closer it grew twice as long and all of a sudden it descended on me. I was flooded with such overwhelming emotion. Tears raced down my cheeks. I kept thinking, we're doing it, we're doing it, we're doing it. It's happening in my lifetime. I will have a part in history.

40 years ago they mourned MLK's assassination. Now we have someone else to believe in. We finally have someone else to believe in and he's not just for us but he can lead everyone else too. I'm so proud. I know him. If we saw each other on the street would he know me? Naw, but all I'd have to say it TUCC, unapologetically black and unashamedly Christian. He comes from my city, he married a woman from the hood(who attended my rival high school). I know them well. YOU know them. They are the same everyday people as we are.

As I walked up to the station, I took the stylus from the polling captain and I kept crying and wiping my face. I stood there and stared at the ballot for at least 5 minutes before I clicked the button. It's happening, it's happening right before my eyes. By the time I finished casting my entire IL ballot, unbeknownst to me I'd begun whispering aloud, "thank you, thank you, thank you Jesus. Hallelujah to Jesus." I didn't realize it at first but I'd set off a shouting session in the polling place! Women were saying Amen! Hallelujah! Men were saying, "He's alright!" Had I stayed a moment longer I am certain I would have caught the Holy Ghost!! (which has never happended to me yet) .

I walked out and kept wiping tears and the whole line still wrapped around the building kept humming, God is good! Amen! Thank ya Jesus!!

It's happening. We are doing it.

Yes we can.
Yes we will.
Yes we are.
Yes we did.

Thank you Jesus!
Thank you God! Now cover Him, protect Him, anoint Him, and keep him safe.

AMEN

Perfect 10

God surely has a way of giving you what you need exactly when you need it. I received an email from someone today that upset me. And then the very next email was from my goddaughter Taylor --who is 10 yrs old-- who sent me an egreeting. It was a cat on a ball of yarn and she wrote, "this was a very funny greeting. And remember Vote Barack Obama."

She's 10. It absolutely made my whole day. Thank God for friends, even if they are too short and too young to vote.