Roseanne:
They say that lesbians hate men. Why would a lesbian hate a man? They don’t have to fuck them!
It was the late 80s or early 90s and I was at my best friend’s birthday party. Her younger cousin had a crush on me and we were officially “going out.”
Her house had this huge wrap around porch and that’s where all of the young people were. The music was blasting. The old folks weren’t watching which meant that we were up to no good. Continue Reading →
Suzy Berger:
My lover asked me if I wanted to have children. I told her I didn’t know, but we should keep trying.
Reuben Lack is a high school senior at Alpharetta High School, a northern suburb of Atlanta. Reuben is the captain of the school’s debate team, and his photo was featured on the school’s website Friday for a recent debate team accomplishment. He moderated a public debate in Alpharetta’s recent mayoral race, and his work for youth advocacy has been honored by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. He was even elected Senior Class President by his peers. Continue Reading →
In today’s days and times, I can’t imagine being gay and being out in high school. Bullying seems as though it’s at an all time high and a great target is someone that is “different.”
I ran into Catherine on twitter, who is trying to make being gay a just a little bit easier by being Just A Bit Radical. If you’ve never heard about what she’s doing, let’s let her describe it in her own words: Continue Reading →
I was listening to the radio this morning on my way in to work which has become part of my normal routine. I like hearing people talk about whatever is going on, be it current events, activities, etc… Today, they were playing Trayvon Martin’s 911 calls.
I found myself in the middle of downtown Atlanta morning rush fighting tears. I had to reason with myself. If I started crying now, it was going to make my drive in to work impossible. Now that I’m here at the office, I can’t think of anything else.
I come from a family of mostly men. I’ve got a gang of younger cousins and now they’ve got little boys… This could have been any of them. Trayvon’s girlfriend asked him to run and he didn’t. Why? My guess would be pride. At 17, his pride wouldn’t let him run from this man that was taller and bigger.
My heart hurts. Continue Reading →
When I think of House Party, the movie’s soundtrack to which the song is on, I think of all of the House Party movies. These were kids just being kids, out for a good time and nothing else.
I remember the middle school dances (yes, I said middle school), where everyone had practiced with a partner and did the actual Kid n Play dance.
Randomly, one of my coworkers started talking about this a few months ago, and actually danced by himself. Ha!
It’s raining today. I’d like to believe the city is mirroring my mourning. Today marks a year since Mama passed. A year of holidays without her. A year of not hearing her voice, smelling her, embracing her.
The sadness doesn’t ease up. I miss her just as much today as I did a year ago. Only then I had hope that this feeling would pass. Now I know better.
If I could speak to her, I would ask her if she had any regrets about how she lead her life. Mama’s life wasn’t easy. She constantly sacrificed for those she cared about. I wonder if she would have taken back any of those sacrifices.
How much of yourself, of your goals, can you sacrifice before regret sets in? She gave up finishing school twice. I’ve lost track of the management opportunities. And I’m sure I don’t have any clue the numerous times she wanted to do something simple for herself and couldn’t because one of her loved ones was in need.
Last year, I remember how bad I felt even before I got the news. I left work early because I felt so off. I came home, had a nap and got the news a few minutes later. What I had been feeling all day multiplied. I realized that I had been feeling her slip away. She was a part of me that I can never get back…
All it takes is for one person to die for you to become sensitive to death. This person doesn’t have to be blood. They don’t have to be your best friend. If they were important to you, influenced you in any way, were a regular part of your life at any stage of your life, their passing will be relived every time you hear the word death.
Death surrounds me. From recent passings of celebrities to the approaching anniversary of Mama’s death, my spirit is a bit dark and more than a little heavy. I find myself close to tears often. What instigates it? *shrugs* Life. Memories. Anything.
It saddens me to think of anyone feeling so alone, losing so much hope that their only option is suicide. It saddens me even more to think of how many people have died wishing for more time. So many people don’t want to see death in their near future, yet some people choose it.
I don’t get it.
It’s raining in Atlanta right now. It’s been raining for hours. I can hear the thunder booming over the music playing from Sugar’s laptop.
It’s peaceful.
She’s working on Volume 3 of Suite 69, Black Lesbian Erotica. Me? I just finished adding ad space here, so I can start making money off of my words.
It’s peaceful.
I know most people don’t associate storms with peace, but it’s something about the sound of the rain hitting the limbs, the leaves, the roof… That has this kind of rhythm. The kind of rhythm that can lull you into a trance.
The lights just flickered.
It’s peaceful.
I’ve always said that I feel as though my life should come with a disclaimer. If you’re a part of it, you could very well end up here in my blog.
It’s been a long time since I’ve written here, every single day. Except for my monthly challenges, I haven’t done that since I started my blog 3+ years ago. With that being said, why, oh why would someone ask me exactly when will I be able to to start back on my blogs?
I’ll try to be as gentle with my response as possible. To borrow words from Erykah Badu, “I’m an artist and I’m sensitive about my shit…”
There is a process, a mood that I have to be in to produce work that I deem worthy to share. It’s often not that I haven’t been writing, it’s just that I haven’t been posting. You don’t just sit down and write. You mull over your word choice. You read and re-read. You backspace. You back away, you return… And sometimes, even after all of that, the result still remains a draft.
I do not set the expectation of regular posts here. When everything in my world lines up properly, I will post. when it does not, do not add to the pressure.
It’s 2012. What does that mean to you?
I wonder why people (including myself) allow a calendar change to motivate self improvement. Is there something magical about the date having so many ones and zeros that will make it any easier for us to stick to our resolutions? I think there is something magical about the date that inspires us. Is that what it is?
Making resolutions is something we all do, even if we don’t vocalize it, blog about it, or post it on facebook. We make private resolutions, promises to ourselves to develop better habits or to make something part of our regular routine. Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”
There are a few theories about developing new habits. Some say it takes 21 days, others say 30 days. I believe that the time to develop a new habit probably differs according to each individual. The key to developing a new habit is consistency.
If it’s a bad habit you’re trying to break, you have to develop a new habit that gives you the same good feeling as the bad one. Did I confuse you? People don’t over eat or smoke because they want to. They know it’s not healthy, but the good feeling they get while eating and smoking is why they do it. Attach that good feeling to a better habit.
The experts also suggest going public. Post your resolutions on facebook on your blog, even here. You’ll be motivated by all of the eyes on you… And you know someone that reads your resolution is going to ask you about it… It’s a way to make yourself accountable. My resolutions? Thanks for asking. My last post covered it. My plan for this year is to reconnect with old friends and form stronger relationships. I’ve already taken steps in that direction.
What are your resolutions?
