I have to say that this whole election process has been one of the most surreal moments in American history and I am glad I was able to experience it in my lifetime. Though as the days of election closed in it became evident that we could have a black president I still wasn’t sure that it could happen.
There have been two subjects that were always taboo to discuss with others. Money and political alignment. People just didn’t talk about those things with one another. In the past months that has changed.
I must say that I was glad to be able to experience this, especially in New York. I say this because in California I may have been a little disconnected from the process for several reasons. One being that I would be driving therefore missing the general buzz that filled the air that day. Second, because I lived in a predominately white area in California. There would be an excitement, but the excitement that permeated Harlem was incredible.
I initially went to the wrong polling place and I am glad that it wasn’t where I was supposed to vote. The lines were ridiculous. They stretched around buildings and blocks. People didn’t seem deterred. They were determined to place their vote. Young, black, old, white it didn’t matter, they were going to place their vote.
So just in case you didn’t know taking photos inside a polling place is a bad thing. You’re not allowed to do that. In all honesty I’m not sure if I knew that or not, so I started snapping away. For a while nobody said anything. People kind of stared at me but so what? Eventually someone said I couldn’t take pictures and I stopped. So yeah that’s a bad thing.
I had to vote at the most ancient polling booth ever. I wish I could’ve taken a picture but I had already gotten told this wasn’t allowed and there was a long line. Plus I wasn’t trying to do anything that would disqualify my vote. So you just have to close your eyes and imagine it based on my description. You know most places have the computers you can vote on or the little machines that you mark. But not in New York. They always have to be the difficult state. First off, there was a physical person there to describe how to use this contraption. Contraption or The Beast are the only words that truly capture the magnitude of this polling booth.
You walk in and the curtain closes behind you. It made me feel like The Wizard of Oz. Like I was controlling something else. The Beast was much taller than me. Literally. You have to mark your choices and at the bottom was this huge lever that you had to use both hands to move from right to left. I think in its previous life this was the same lever used to awaken Frankenstein. Then you were done. I felt bamboozled. How did I know that it really counted my vote? People don’t get their own individual ballots that they drop in a box or anything. You turn the lever and that’s it. Was this some kind of conspiracy?
People were just so excited to vote. They were even friendlier than normal. A New Yorker actually smiled at me. Can you believe it? I thought I might pee in my pants!
When I got off the train and entered Chelsea it was the same type of pandemonium. Sure the sea of faces were a different color but it seemed everyone and their mama was voting. I got to work and people were talking about it. I really felt bad for McCain supporters. In general, I noticed those for McCain weren’t so vocal about their platform and beliefs. It was like they were in hiding hoping to not be discovered.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Election Day (Part 2)
After work I attended an election party. Watching the electoral votes jump and the anticipation was almost too much to bear.
Once the polls in California closed it became all too real. We had a Black president. You could hear all types of noise radiating throughout the city. There was this magnetic energy that everyone was feeding off of. So we grabbed our cameras and ran to 125th St. This is a major street in Harlem and we knew tons of people would be there celebrating.
As we walked it began to rain, as if on cue. Great we elect a Black president and now our hair is going to be nappy. Hey at least I know the First Lady can relate. Her hair probably naps up in water just like mine!
It became real to me that when a little child that wasn’t white tells their teacher that they want to be the president it’s not just a far off fleeting dream. That child really could be the president. Excuses about “The Man” (whoever he is) holding us back had been disbarred to some degree. I heard a girl walking down the street crying, “The first lady looks like me!”
So we stayed outside for a while for the festivities, but it became clear I needed to get home. Some people will use any excuse to start acting ignorant. With the amount of drinking and celebrating going on I knew it was only a matter of time before things got out of hand.
So we went back, watched his eloquent speech then prayed for him and our country.
Here are some other pictures you can check out if you’re interested!http://flickr.com/photos/barackobamadotcom/sets/72157608716313371/show/
Once the polls in California closed it became all too real. We had a Black president. You could hear all types of noise radiating throughout the city. There was this magnetic energy that everyone was feeding off of. So we grabbed our cameras and ran to 125th St. This is a major street in Harlem and we knew tons of people would be there celebrating.
As we walked it began to rain, as if on cue. Great we elect a Black president and now our hair is going to be nappy. Hey at least I know the First Lady can relate. Her hair probably naps up in water just like mine!
It became real to me that when a little child that wasn’t white tells their teacher that they want to be the president it’s not just a far off fleeting dream. That child really could be the president. Excuses about “The Man” (whoever he is) holding us back had been disbarred to some degree. I heard a girl walking down the street crying, “The first lady looks like me!”
So we stayed outside for a while for the festivities, but it became clear I needed to get home. Some people will use any excuse to start acting ignorant. With the amount of drinking and celebrating going on I knew it was only a matter of time before things got out of hand.
So we went back, watched his eloquent speech then prayed for him and our country.
Here are some other pictures you can check out if you’re interested!http://flickr.com/photos/barackobamadotcom/sets/72157608716313371/show/
Halloween Pictures
So the guy on the right put on this kangaroo mask and decided he was Jay Z for Halloween. That's messed up!
Yes this is a man.
So they win the award for being most clever. They are baked potatoes!!!Saturday, January 24, 2009
Halloween Pictures
Can you guess who he is?.JPG)
She made this outfit herself. Hey, why does that baby have a cigarette in his mouth?Halloween in NYC
I have never been a fan of Halloween. Ever. In my house it was referred to as the Devil’s holiday per my mother. She really hated Halloween. So for old times’ sake I will recall a Halloween memory. Close your eyes and remember with me. Ok don’t really close your eyes because then you can’t read the memory. Just imagine with your eyes open.
So it was Halloween and I was probably in the 6th grade. My mom had decided that because she couldn’t stand Halloween nobody else in America would enjoy it either. At least in our neighborhood. So while it was still light outside she hid candy around the house for us to eat. When night fell is when the real fun began. Come in closer. Closer. A little bit closer. I want to whisper what we did in your ear. We turned off all the lights. Closed all the blinds and sat really still. We didn’t want the evil trick or treaters to know we were in the house. They weren’t getting any candy. We could hardly breathe. TV? Forget it! The glare from the TV would let the evil six year olds know we were inside. There’s no telling what they would do. They could knock down the doors. In anger and hunger they would mistake us for chocolate bars and eat us. This is a true story. We really did sit in the dark one Halloween. Sorry mom. You knew I had to share this story.
So fast forward years and years later to Halloween in New York. It’s a lot scarier than those six year olds let me tell you. We decided to go out that night. Mainly because there is a huge parade that takes place. I was particularly interested in the parade because hundreds of everyday people would be dancing to Thriller during the parade. So Jaime, my mom and I step out the door and that’s when the drama ensues. It’s like Halloween gives everyone an excuse to act however and wear whatever they want. Here are some highlights (and there are pictures below).
4) A woman at my job is a Wiccan (witch) so we began to discuss it. Come to find out witches fast too. She was fasting because Halloween is like a sacred day or whatever. We talked and I listened and put in nuggets about Jesus when I felt led.
3) In our effort to see the parade better we got the bright idea to climb the scaffold in front of a building. It looked pretty stable and sturdy. We were gung ho until this drunk guy kept encouraging us to go up there with him. When he yelled “Paul help me get these girls up there!” we knew it wasn’t the smartest idea.
2) Unicorn vs. Pornocorn. Yes I saw a grown woman who had sewn her own unicorn costume, horn and all. Later I saw a man dressed as a pornocorn. Can you guess what his horn was made out of? If you guessed a blown up condom you would’ve won a million dollars. Can you believe it?
1) Hundreds of people doing thriller in the streets. I couldn’t get it on camera because it was way too crowded.
So it was Halloween and I was probably in the 6th grade. My mom had decided that because she couldn’t stand Halloween nobody else in America would enjoy it either. At least in our neighborhood. So while it was still light outside she hid candy around the house for us to eat. When night fell is when the real fun began. Come in closer. Closer. A little bit closer. I want to whisper what we did in your ear. We turned off all the lights. Closed all the blinds and sat really still. We didn’t want the evil trick or treaters to know we were in the house. They weren’t getting any candy. We could hardly breathe. TV? Forget it! The glare from the TV would let the evil six year olds know we were inside. There’s no telling what they would do. They could knock down the doors. In anger and hunger they would mistake us for chocolate bars and eat us. This is a true story. We really did sit in the dark one Halloween. Sorry mom. You knew I had to share this story.
So fast forward years and years later to Halloween in New York. It’s a lot scarier than those six year olds let me tell you. We decided to go out that night. Mainly because there is a huge parade that takes place. I was particularly interested in the parade because hundreds of everyday people would be dancing to Thriller during the parade. So Jaime, my mom and I step out the door and that’s when the drama ensues. It’s like Halloween gives everyone an excuse to act however and wear whatever they want. Here are some highlights (and there are pictures below).
4) A woman at my job is a Wiccan (witch) so we began to discuss it. Come to find out witches fast too. She was fasting because Halloween is like a sacred day or whatever. We talked and I listened and put in nuggets about Jesus when I felt led.
3) In our effort to see the parade better we got the bright idea to climb the scaffold in front of a building. It looked pretty stable and sturdy. We were gung ho until this drunk guy kept encouraging us to go up there with him. When he yelled “Paul help me get these girls up there!” we knew it wasn’t the smartest idea.
2) Unicorn vs. Pornocorn. Yes I saw a grown woman who had sewn her own unicorn costume, horn and all. Later I saw a man dressed as a pornocorn. Can you guess what his horn was made out of? If you guessed a blown up condom you would’ve won a million dollars. Can you believe it?
1) Hundreds of people doing thriller in the streets. I couldn’t get it on camera because it was way too crowded.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Nov. 2: Black Girl Finds a Church!!! She thinks
This is too good to be true! I must be dreaming. Did it actually happen? Did I actually find a church that my suits me? Yes I did. Let me tell you how things come full circle. This whole looking for a church thing has been crazy and I feel I have been pretty open to churches. I just wanted to go to a church with good worship and a good word. Now I had been to some that possessed one or the other but not both. So a couple of people had told me about this church I should visit.
I will admit I was a little apprehensive because the church name had Baptist in it. When I think of Baptist all that rushed to my mind was: traditional, old school, stockings (I hate stockings! They make my legs itch and I break out in hives when I wear them), MLK Jr. fans and people catching the spirit and running into walls when the organ strikes up. That may offend some people, but that’s what I think about. I understand that it was an unfair generalization, but that was where I was at. But I was at my wits end so I decided to go and you know what? I really enjoyed it. The pastor is young, the crowd is young and they were lively. They adhered to the spirit and that’s most important. Here is the kicker. Do you know where the church is located? At the end of my block. Literally three minutes walking distance. Crazy right.
Let me tell you something. Before I moved here everyone kept talking about letting Dominicans do my hair. That they make your hair grow, etc. Now I have let Dominicans do my hair since I moved here and there has been ups and downs. Yes they are cheap. It costs like $20 to get your hair done. But in my opinion you get what you pay for. They encourage everyone to get perms because it makes their work easier. They don’t use anything to straighten your hair except a blow dryer. So a perm makes it easy. But for someone like me that has Celie from The Color Purple hair and doesn’t want a perm, they charge me more and don’t get my hair straight. Plus the blow dryer is set to temperature hell so that you feel like your scalp is on fire. So I will be doing my own hair unless I need it trimmed. Then I will just go to a black salon where I’ll have to sit for five hours and a trim means cut three inches. Is there Supercuts anywhere close?
I will admit I was a little apprehensive because the church name had Baptist in it. When I think of Baptist all that rushed to my mind was: traditional, old school, stockings (I hate stockings! They make my legs itch and I break out in hives when I wear them), MLK Jr. fans and people catching the spirit and running into walls when the organ strikes up. That may offend some people, but that’s what I think about. I understand that it was an unfair generalization, but that was where I was at. But I was at my wits end so I decided to go and you know what? I really enjoyed it. The pastor is young, the crowd is young and they were lively. They adhered to the spirit and that’s most important. Here is the kicker. Do you know where the church is located? At the end of my block. Literally three minutes walking distance. Crazy right.
Let me tell you something. Before I moved here everyone kept talking about letting Dominicans do my hair. That they make your hair grow, etc. Now I have let Dominicans do my hair since I moved here and there has been ups and downs. Yes they are cheap. It costs like $20 to get your hair done. But in my opinion you get what you pay for. They encourage everyone to get perms because it makes their work easier. They don’t use anything to straighten your hair except a blow dryer. So a perm makes it easy. But for someone like me that has Celie from The Color Purple hair and doesn’t want a perm, they charge me more and don’t get my hair straight. Plus the blow dryer is set to temperature hell so that you feel like your scalp is on fire. So I will be doing my own hair unless I need it trimmed. Then I will just go to a black salon where I’ll have to sit for five hours and a trim means cut three inches. Is there Supercuts anywhere close?
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Nov. 3
I had an audition today for a hair show in Lisbon, Portugal. It was one of the most awkward things ever. My agent sent me to it, but I am not a model. I am nowhere close to being a model. I don’t have the height, looks, lack of thighs rubbing together. Now I am not downing myself. I like me. It was just weird. It was like crashing a party that you accidently got on the guest list for. The crazy thing is I keep finding myself in these places where I feel I don’t belong. I wonder if there is a reason or if there’s something I am supposed to be doing. I didn’t get the gig but the point was that I went and didn’t let fear get in the way.
I also got asked to do a read through for a movie short. I figured why not. Again, not an actor but at this point in my life I am trying to attempt as many new things as I can. I want to learn to be fearless. That’s the only way to live a full life I believe.
Have you ever started a project or a job and wondered if you were doing a good job? That’s how I felt at my job. I had no gauge of whether I needed to improve my performance or not. I know I was doing the best I could and trying to take as much initiative as I could but I just wanted to know that I was doing the right thing. Finally after being at my job for over a month I finally got that. My bosses finally told me that I was doing an excellent job. That was nice to hear. It wasn’t so much about being pat on the back. It was more so about making sure that I was on the right track.
I am learning how much is based on mindset. Everything begins in your mind. As a man thinketh so he is. It is really true. I try as much as I can to think the right things about myself and others. To train my mind to believe what I want it to believe and vice versa. The mind can’t distinguish from what is real and what is not. So I am literally reprogramming my mind to think the right things. To line my thoughts up with how God sees me and how I want to be in the future. I never realized how tough it is to do that on a regular basis, but I am doing it.
I also got asked to do a read through for a movie short. I figured why not. Again, not an actor but at this point in my life I am trying to attempt as many new things as I can. I want to learn to be fearless. That’s the only way to live a full life I believe.
Have you ever started a project or a job and wondered if you were doing a good job? That’s how I felt at my job. I had no gauge of whether I needed to improve my performance or not. I know I was doing the best I could and trying to take as much initiative as I could but I just wanted to know that I was doing the right thing. Finally after being at my job for over a month I finally got that. My bosses finally told me that I was doing an excellent job. That was nice to hear. It wasn’t so much about being pat on the back. It was more so about making sure that I was on the right track.
I am learning how much is based on mindset. Everything begins in your mind. As a man thinketh so he is. It is really true. I try as much as I can to think the right things about myself and others. To train my mind to believe what I want it to believe and vice versa. The mind can’t distinguish from what is real and what is not. So I am literally reprogramming my mind to think the right things. To line my thoughts up with how God sees me and how I want to be in the future. I never realized how tough it is to do that on a regular basis, but I am doing it.
11/1/08: Be Humble
Today I will give a lesson on things you never say to people. So remember my hood friend Ohio? I hadn’t seen him in a long time. I mean I had actually started getting worried. I had no information on him so it wasn’t like I could check to see if he was alright. But alas I saw him today and this is where I wanted to insert my foot in my mouth. I am not one to hold my tongue though I try. I said, “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you. I thought you got shot or something!” I was earnestly concerned but why the heck did I even need to say that? Stupid!
I got to see an old friend today. She moved to Jersey after having her baby. It was cool to catch up with her. She brought along her brother and sister. Her brother is an opera singer at Julliard. That now makes two black opera singers I know personally. That’s probably all the black opera singers in the world. Ok I am just kidding.
You know how to tell a humble person from someone who isn’t? How and when they use their gift. So I said I knew two opera singers. Both sing great and went to Julliard. The difference? One I have only heard sing within the confines of a play or opera. The other sings down the street and thinks that anyone as much as humming to an Ipod is a challenge for them to show off their skills. Nobody cares. Just sing in your head.
Random note: I met two Tuskegee Airmen in the elevator today.
I got to see an old friend today. She moved to Jersey after having her baby. It was cool to catch up with her. She brought along her brother and sister. Her brother is an opera singer at Julliard. That now makes two black opera singers I know personally. That’s probably all the black opera singers in the world. Ok I am just kidding.
You know how to tell a humble person from someone who isn’t? How and when they use their gift. So I said I knew two opera singers. Both sing great and went to Julliard. The difference? One I have only heard sing within the confines of a play or opera. The other sings down the street and thinks that anyone as much as humming to an Ipod is a challenge for them to show off their skills. Nobody cares. Just sing in your head.
Random note: I met two Tuskegee Airmen in the elevator today.
Oct 30 : Vote for the Black Guy
I can’t believe that I almost didn’t take this job because I was attached to the people where I was. It’s not that it’s the most amazing job ever but I enjoy it and it allows me to utilize more of my skills. This season of my life requires me to leave a lot of the things I don’t want to leave for something unknown. I never know if it is going to be better than what I left but I always know that God has me.
So the homeless guy on our block got arrested today. He was a special guy. No I never spoke to him, but I respected this cat. He built his own little house on the block. He made it out of cardboard boxes, old radiators, and plastic, whatever he could find. He even had a cot on the inside and a door. Yes a door. I saw him sitting at the door one day talking to another homeless guy like it was nothing. At night I would see he sweeping inside to make sure it was clean. Every morning he would pack up all the stuff and lean it against the wall. No one ever tried to steal his stuff and no one threw it away. It was almost like a street code. Well eventually the owner of the store where he was parked in front of called the police because he was getting fined for all the trash. So the police came and the garbage men came and threw away his house. I walked by many days wanting to take a picture of the house, but felt it a little intrusive and disrespectful so I didn’t.
It’s starting to get cold here. I know we haven’t even hit the dead of winter yet. I think the winter is going to make me grumpy. Snow is cute on TV and in movies but not to live in.
Have you ever heard of Black Solidarity Day? I hadn’t until my mom told me about it. I guess apparently people have been celebrating it for years and some people actually take off work to celebrate it. It is observed annually the day before Election Day where people of African descent abstain from social, political and economic affairs. It is based on the play by Douglas Turner Ward called “The Day of Absence.” In this play blacks literally disappeared. It was an effort to show people what the world would be like without black people. In New York it’s still pretty popular. I love learning about that type of stuff. I would’ve never known that.
So I know that everyone is not going to agree with what I write. This may be one of those comments. A lot of people have been going back and forth with people voting for Obama solely because he is black. Now this is what I have to say. I am not mad at any person over the age of 60 who is solely voting for him because he is black. To think of history and how some people have gone from seeing white and black signs on bathroom doors to having a part in electing a black president you can’t really be mad at them for doing so.
Now when it comes to the younger generations we have more of a responsibility because we have to live with the rewards and consequences of who we choose. It is important for us to know the issues and have an understanding of what is going on. All I’m saying is that if I was 60 or 70 I would probably vote for him just because he is Black.
So the homeless guy on our block got arrested today. He was a special guy. No I never spoke to him, but I respected this cat. He built his own little house on the block. He made it out of cardboard boxes, old radiators, and plastic, whatever he could find. He even had a cot on the inside and a door. Yes a door. I saw him sitting at the door one day talking to another homeless guy like it was nothing. At night I would see he sweeping inside to make sure it was clean. Every morning he would pack up all the stuff and lean it against the wall. No one ever tried to steal his stuff and no one threw it away. It was almost like a street code. Well eventually the owner of the store where he was parked in front of called the police because he was getting fined for all the trash. So the police came and the garbage men came and threw away his house. I walked by many days wanting to take a picture of the house, but felt it a little intrusive and disrespectful so I didn’t.
It’s starting to get cold here. I know we haven’t even hit the dead of winter yet. I think the winter is going to make me grumpy. Snow is cute on TV and in movies but not to live in.
Have you ever heard of Black Solidarity Day? I hadn’t until my mom told me about it. I guess apparently people have been celebrating it for years and some people actually take off work to celebrate it. It is observed annually the day before Election Day where people of African descent abstain from social, political and economic affairs. It is based on the play by Douglas Turner Ward called “The Day of Absence.” In this play blacks literally disappeared. It was an effort to show people what the world would be like without black people. In New York it’s still pretty popular. I love learning about that type of stuff. I would’ve never known that.
So I know that everyone is not going to agree with what I write. This may be one of those comments. A lot of people have been going back and forth with people voting for Obama solely because he is black. Now this is what I have to say. I am not mad at any person over the age of 60 who is solely voting for him because he is black. To think of history and how some people have gone from seeing white and black signs on bathroom doors to having a part in electing a black president you can’t really be mad at them for doing so.
Now when it comes to the younger generations we have more of a responsibility because we have to live with the rewards and consequences of who we choose. It is important for us to know the issues and have an understanding of what is going on. All I’m saying is that if I was 60 or 70 I would probably vote for him just because he is Black.
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