Change has come

Hey!

Things have been changing for me recently and I now have time to sit down collect myself, say thank you, and write. We're 3 months into the new year and I've got a promotion, my own apartment, a haircut, and no car, lol. They are all connected and I'm thankful for each one of them. The past month or so has been a month of growth. I'm growing into my adulthood and my womanhood and I'm accepting it with open arms. It's very comforting and exciting to see yourself mature seamlessly. Of course we all have our "moments," but I'm proud of the woman I'm becoming, and it inspires me to keep growing and living! I also know I'm getting older because all I want to do on the weekends is catch up on sleep lol. #elderly 

This promotion had come just in time because I had been feeling under challenged in my old position and my mind was restless. I couldn't sleep at night because I was fearing that I was wasting my potential and intelligence. I was thankful that I had a job, but baby, I wanted to QUIT. I just wasn't getting what I thought I needed. I felt like I had learned all of what I was supposed to in that role. So, yeah, I'm glad about this new title.

 I've got my own place now. No more living off the fat of the land at my parent's because they've decided to move back to Houston. They wanted me to come, but I unlike them, am not retired and can't just up and move. I felt I was getting older and now was the best time for me to make this move. I'm still between both places, but I sleep at my apartment most nights and my mama has already left for 5th Ward leaving daddy to pack up the house. It's an adjustment to say the least but I know it'll be good in the end. I'm still in the beginning stages. No bed or tv  yet, but come May when I get JSU out of my pockets, I'll more to spend. My car broke down about a month ago. Ivy was old and well used. I see it as a silver lining because now I don't have to spend money on car maintenance, insurance, gas, etc.  

On to this hair honey, I had long been thinking about a change in hairstyles. I got inspired to cut all of it while was getting those trendy linings for a couple of months last summer. So I did it. Took my shoulder length hair and had my stylist chop it and give me a tapered cut. I LOVE it! I already feel so different. I've never had short hair before and I feel free. I'm #summertimefine  and it's barely spring, LOL

All these things are happening all at once. I'm beyond blessed, thankful, and grateful for them and for the people in my life who are supporting me. We'll see by the end of the year where I am emotionally, but right now, I 'm floating. Watch this Black girl fly (word to K-Dot)

Here's to change, it's making me better even when I don't feel like it is.

That's my before and after picture. #Cheekbones #TWA #new

2013 : Year in review

Happy New Year!!

I decided to write this post after watching my internet cousin Evelyn's vlog on YouTube. She's pretty fab, check her out. On to my year...It came in just as it went out, surrounded by loved ones and crying from laughter. Lots of things happened, but the most important was that this was the year that I planted some seeds for my future. I began a repayment plan with my former university, Jackson State. (I won't get into the foolish saga of actually getting the payment plan) My education is important to me, and I've decided that this brokeness that I'm experiencing is only temporary. I've always been frugal, but these payments are testing my patience. It's cool though, I'm going to pay the money, get the transcripts, graduate, get the career and the salary I deserve. Point. Blank. and The Period. I confronted some feelings about a boy that I had been burying for far too long. It was cathartic in a way. Real tears came from face. (If you know me, than you know that was a milestone.) I also had to be truthful with another man about how we weren't going to work out. That was hard. I'm built tough, but I'm not here to hurt feelings My besties and I had a friend talk that was long overdue, necessary, and helpful. We've been down for each other for over a decade and decided long ago that we weren't in the business of breaking up so we had to confront some issues. I became closer to them and to some women that we met through African dance class. These ladies have been a blessing. Slightly older, so much wiser and have shown us what our future can look like if we do it right. My folk threw me a surprise birthday party! I learned to crochet and it has made me feel more feminine, and in touch with my elders and ancestors. I read more books. I dated more men. I failed and succeeded.
 I've always been confident, but with each year I gain more self-love, empathy, compassion, knowledge, happiness. 2013 was no exception. It was a year of growth, and progression. I'm glad about it. 2014 is going to be good. It won't be a bowl full of cherries, but that's life. I'm ready for whatever. I'm going to spend my year becoming a better me. Reading more, writing more, loving more, living more.
I got some real advice right before the new year started. My good friend, Annessa said "I've been where you are, I've been 26. So let me tell you something you may not know, YOU'RE DIFFERENT. The End. You may feel like you're just like everyone else, but you're not. Know that. Embrace it." It clicked. She was telling me something that I knew but I don't really act on. So apart of me being a better me in 2014 will be to radiate my being different to as many folk as I can. I hope that your year will be as great as mine. I'll keep you all posted...

Special Guest Blogger

Hi all,

My baby sister is preparing for college and in an effort to get some scholarship money, I will allow her to post on my blog for the world to see. I hope you all enjoy!


Failing Forward:
What Happens When You Stop the
Chickens From Coming Home to Roost?
or
How Disallowing Failure in Our
Schools Has Destroyed Our Society

The complete lack of a freedom to fail in our current educational system threatens to institutionalize students, conditioning them to view laziness and poor work ethic as fully acceptable. This training will, however become ruinous to society, those students who somehow never surrender to this way of thinking will spend their lives dragging their contemporaries’ dead weight and those who do believe what their they’re, taught will partially unwittingly, burden our society.

Recently one of my teachers addressed me in an inappropriate manner. They were very upset, because I was about thirty-five minutes late to class. I, though, did not understand why this teacher was so upset, because I had only taken their cue. On an average school day I show up late to approximately 3 out of 4 of my classes, and every one of these teachers simply jokes about my lack of punctuality. While you may say I was wrong, consider that I do receive high marks in these classes, so it would stand to reason that the teachers appreciate my tardiness. While you may claim I’m being facetious, we are all driven to do what most benefits us, so if I am rewarded for decidedly lazy behavior, why wouldn't I cultivate these habits? I am not an exception, far worse I am the rule, most American students fully understand that they can act however they want and still be passed on as long as they make some token effort. While I have attempted to right my behavior, it is difficult in such a permissive culture, so what about a student with less determination , a young person who needs guidance, they will flounder and accept what happens around them as the right way to behave. Is it any wonder that so many young people are unprepared for life after organized education?
The real issue here is not a few undeserved A’s, though, it’s what happens when the young people who have been trained to do nothing and receive everything become accountable for their own behavior. Unfortunately they are only further rewarded as adults by having their bad habits accommodated. How are they rewarded? Welfare. Welfare in itself is not a bad idea, but when it is misused as it often is now, the people receiving “help” never learn to help themselves, they remain perpetual children. This practice of sustaining those who should fail, through other people’s resources, only hurts our society, but it can’t be stopped from the end it must be nipped in the bud. Schools must begin allowing students who don’t do what is fairly expected of them to fail, even if they’re as awesome as I am. The freedom to fail is the only thing that can save our society from itself.