Thought(s) for the Day 1/30

I came across both of these while checking my email and couldn't pick which I liked more... so, you get both :)

"I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning how to sail my ship."
Louisa May Alcott

"Nothing but heaven itself is better than a friend who is really a friend."
Plautus

Sailor and Friend,
B

Do Me a Favor?

I know I've been M.I.A. for sometime now, and it's a tad improper for me to go missing them pop up all willie nillie and asking for favors...

but...

Could you please go to this link, and vote for Jadon Woodard. Better yet, if time is on your side: watch all the videos and choose your favorite, honestly. I'm almost positive that all roads will lead back to him. But if you just trust my opinion and don't feel the need to view the others, here's what you're voting for:

Yes, you may have seen him on one of Sprite's Slam Dunk Contest commercials. I'm just saying, my boy is doing it. One more thing, if you remember to do this same act, everyday, until February 5th you'd make my heart smile in a major way.

I Appreciate You,
B

Thought for the Evening 1/21

"Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it."
- Mark Twain

Need That,
B

Thought for the (First)Day(of Classes) 1/19

"Attack life, it's going to kill you anyway."
Stephen Coallier

So True,
B

Life Has A Funny Way of Sneaking Up On You

Something always brings me back here.
One way or another.
It's been a while.
But, here I am.

So, the theme song to this post is Ironic by Alanis Morisette.

:Proceeding:

I get a phone call from my grandmother saying that my brother got into an altercation with the soon to be mother of his child, left the house, and told my gram to tell me that he loves me. Upon this not so fun fact, I go back and forth between calling my grandma, my brother, and my dad.

Now, the details of their altercation have lost importance in lieu of the light bulb that just flashed in my head.

First off, upon dealing with this (if that's even what I did), I go looking for comfort. There are people I want to call, but I really just want an in-the-flesh hug. And right now, there's about one person I could call for that in Philadelphia and get a guaranteed response. Nonetheless, they don't stay all that close, and I just told them today that I don't want to be there crutch. Hence, I need not make them mine.

With that being said, I then go to another source.. not the source I would typically/ever go to... but because I am just in need of a hug and company, I figure they will have to do. I hit them up expecting them to not be awake, but they were up-just not close.

And that's probably best cause that probably wouldn't have been the type of comfort I was seeking. Either way, I tell myself to just go write. Duh. And here yall are... here I am. Talking to everyone, no one, and myself all at once.

And it's funny that my older brother is what brought me here, because I've been meaning to write about my experience (while back home) with my younger sisters for sometime now. Now, isn't that time, but I'm just saying.

As it relates to my brother though, he was in the wrong. My grandma, being the saint that she is, has no problem pointing this out, wants him to claim fault where it's due, and deal with the consequences like a man. [not-so-random book plug: A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines]

In a general sense, I can agree with these requests/thoughts. However, that's my brother we're talking about, and though he was at fault-I only want good things for him. Him turning himself in (which is what my grandma [and now I] thinks he should do) might result in not so good things, since he's already on probation with the chances of serving 5years in the event of anymore "trouble".

So no, I don't want him in jail. Yes, I realize he has never learned his lesson regarding the law, because he always walked off scotch free (with the exception of his not so clear record), but I just don't want that life for him. We actually got in an argument, and he hung up on me about 3 times. Such is life.

I love how my grandma can see the right no matter what though. I'm a Libra. We're all for balance. I should embody that. Guess I'm still wet behind the ears. It just kind of checked me though, because earlier today I was telling someone that I felt like I was in a good place for the most part.

I didn't have any obligations that I didn't opt to be a part of. I wasn't lying to anyone or caught up lying to myself. I'm somewhat happy with my academic career and where it's going. I feel purpose driven even when my path looks hazy, etc. Then this happens.

And though this wasn't hardly about me, it just reminded me that I still have some growing up to do. It was like life saying, "Oh, so you think you're at a good place? You still can't choose right from wrong." And here I am, waving my white flag, saying "Touche." to life. It's crazy.

Granted, I still want what I want for my brother. And I can't say that I'm not completely pissed (and that's an understatement) with his babies mother for how she chose to handle this, but I also can't say that if she was my sister I wouldn't have instructed her to do the very thing she did and then some.

Blood is thicker than water, but right should always prevail over wrong. It's just the law of the land. At least it should be. Even when I don't like it. Note to self.

That's All,
B

I'll leave ya'll with a little melody.
It could be worse, right?


Did I mention I have work at 8AM, and it's the first day of classes? Yup. Isn't it ironic? "Have to laugh out of frustration."

:)

[while posting/proof reading this I realized that this song by Goapele always puts me in the right place. Woosah.]

Appreciate Greatness

You Just Got To,
B

Another Old Post

[I'm clearing out my drafts, and this is from September of 2008. I posted it so who knows why it's in drafts, but there's no harm in seeing it twice if it was from 2yrs ago, right? Right.]

True Indeed,
B

:)

✞ Attack at a Church in Egypt Kills 7

Monika (looks at post below) told me about this. Read the article by clicking on "this".

"Retaliation for a Muslim man raping a Christian girl?"

Rape is bigger than religion & religion should be bigger than murder. I guess the operative word is SHOULD.

Poets feel too much as is. This is something else, man.

We ALL Gotta Do Better,
B

More Conversations W/ Mon, Sitcome Series #3.2434,533

MONIKA: haha i had a dream u were in it

sooo i never have dreams!

we were CIA aagents at a ball all dressed up (the same haha)

ME: lmAO

whose we?

?

MONIKA: and we were hiding from terrorists but we failed bc we couldnt shutup/ our hair would fit anywere because it was always too big

so they found us

me and you haha

then i woke up

soo uhh just thought id share

haha

ME: lmao are you kidding me? hilarity

MONIKA: no the night before that

i had a dream that kelly [readers note: kelly is black] had an asian kid but neglected it

so i had to take care of it

i thnk its finals delerium

ME: lmao definitely is it

granted, youre usually delirious anyway

MONIKA: i cant believe i wasted a dream on kelly

ME: lmao a wasted dream? exactly.

MONIKA: haha

where v u been

its like i needed to have dream bc i never see you

so its kinda ur fault...

ME: lmao way to blame my greatness for your illusions

MONIKA: hahahaha

ME: ive been hiding. really ive been in my rm, up at ridiculous hours thinking about work-not doing-oversleeping-and than repeating the process. today that changes though.

i feel like i just gave a really inspirational speech lol and all the people are clapping while i stand on the podium and my voice vibrates from the speakers

MONIKA: today? u mean tonight

ME: right now. u meant what i knew!

MONIKA: LMAO

ur delerious too

iv been a hermit in my room too

i turned on my christmas lights bc it statted feeling like jail

[this picture was taken at work with my Egyptian princess Monika LOL clearly we were bored, but hey- when in Rome, you do what Romans do]

Meant to Post This A Month Ago,
B

Thought for the Day 1/5

“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.”
John Maxwell

I Aint the Captain of the Yacht
But I'm on the Boat,
B

This Woman & Her Poetry Has Changed My Life.

And this isn't even her best work, it's just moved to get to writing.

"..Fear is only a verb if you let it be, don't you dare let go of my hand."

I Need to Write,
B

Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda

This should have been the thought of the day on NYE. However, I'm just getting this dropped into my lap. Here you have it:

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."
-Edith Lovejoy Pierce

I Deserve This Shit,
[currently listening to Drake's The Winner, which is where that line's from]
B

P.S. Random/thoughtful things make my heart smile.

For example?
This.

Sorry, Shanee Renee but it was the only way I could gaurantee being able to view it for ever ever and years to come. Who knows when's the next time I'll need a sure reason to do this--> :)

Thought for the Day 1/2/2010

[putting the "2010" in the date of this post just seemed necessary]

"Our destiny as a people rests not in our stars but in ourselves... I am neither optimist nor pessimist. I am a possibilist."
Max Lerner

Doing Some Reading,
B