Paths Not Taken

This past week has been very hectic for me. The kids really enjoyed their birthdays and my brother and his daughter came in from Virginia. He and my niece were touring colleges in South Carolina and Georgia, she fell in love with Spelman and now it’s her first choice. I am so proud of her. We had a great time. Here are some pictures I took with my new digital camera. Enjoy!

Morgan, Dorian, Khouri, and my niece Mykail

Morgan with her Spelman tee shirt

Morgan and Mykail

Birthday Girls, Morgan & Khouri

Me & Mykail

Me & the Big Brother

He just wouldn’t get off the damn phone

Enjoying the family

Life is good.

can someone help me with getting the right date adjusted on that damn digital camera because it is ALL types of wrong!!!!!!!!!!!

One of my favorite songs, (and I have plenty) is Three Little Birds by Bob Marley and the Wailers along with the I-Threes. Whenever I hear this song, it reminds me of my three beautiful daughters. I am honored and blessed to have them in my life. Morgan, Dorian, and Khouri I love you with every ounce of my being and tomorrow and Thursday Morgan and Khouri turns a year older. Soon you will be old enough to get out of my house and begin your lives as the successful women I know you will be. If not, don’t think you’re bringing your little butts home to mooch off of me and your dad, because we’re moving to Mexico after the last of you graduates college. Don’t worry you’ll find a fairwell note taped on the front door. Just kiddin………NOT!!!!! Seriously, here’s to you my darlings:

Don’t worry about a thing

‘Cause ev’ry little thing gonna be alright

Singin’, "Don’t worry about a thing,

‘Cause ev’ry little thing gonna be alright"

Rise up this morning,

Smiled with the rising sun

Three little birds pitch by my doorstep

Singin’ sweet songs of melodies pure and true

Sayin’, "This is my message to you-u-u".

Singin’…

"Don’t worry about a thing,

‘Cause ev’ry little thing gonna be alright".

Morgan and Khouri,

Happy Birthday darlings. I’ve loved you since the first day we met. 

Wouldn’t it be cool to be a super hero in the workplace? I often think of off the wall stuff like this from time to time. I would be "Office Avenger" avenger of all that is stupid and fake in the world. I would rid the workplace of the evil likes of :

"Sista Lula Mae", you know the sista that always carries the Bible with her everywhere she goes. Always telling you that if you live by the word of the good book, you’ll get to the Pearly Gates faster. (all this while the married deacon is waiting in the parking lot to take the bitch to lunch) "Pearly Gates" my ass!

"Co-Hoe", Co-Hoe comes in many disquises. You know the type, this bitch will sleep, suck, or ass kiss any and everything to climb that corporate ladder. Co-Hoe can transform herself with a blink of an eye. She knows her prey! She assumes the position until she’s ready to pounce. Co-Hoe can be somewhat clueless at times, thus bringing much entertainment at her expense. (meaning public displays of monthly ass whippins by other co-worker’s wives or the fact that every co-worker she has slept with in the office all get together and talk shit about her) Being Co-Hoe can be a grueling task.

"Proverbial Backstabber", she comes off as the sweet innocent fresh faced girl who always says the right things. She usually keeps to herself. Her evil ploy is to befriend anyone who gets in the way of her goals of being the "office superstar". Once she’s befriended her prey to the point where they reveal every bit of information pertaining to a new office project, she begins to pitch ideas to the boss that are not only ideas stolen from the poor sap she’s befriended but takes all recognition of bringing the project to light.

"Ms. Rosa Lee", we all know Ms. Rosa Lee, she’s the ole girl who has been with the company for over 30 years. Her plot of evil is to NEVER RETIRE! Suffering from cataracts, you can’t see shit anyway, so give someone a chance to bring fresh new ideas to the company instead of "hanging in there" for another 4 months until you do retire. I’m sure some of the other co-workers could help you "hang" in there alright. TAKE YOUR ASS HOME!!!!!!!!

"The Know It All", everyone knows Ms. Rhonetha, her evil and somewhat annoying ploy is to have knowledge of every topic in the free world. She vex her way into conversations and completely takes over. Ms. Rhonetha is like the plague to other co-workers, and must be demolished.

"The Hypochondriac", every office has one of these. This is the person who always has an ailment of some sorts. If it’s not her damn neck, it’s her foot, leg, or toe. When she first enters the office, everyone knows not to ask her how she’s doing in fear of getting a full diagnostic report. The sympathy and special treatment that she receives is the source of her strength. To stop this evil is to truly give this heffa something to complain about………. I’m just sayin!!!!!!

As "Office Avenger", it is my duty to  protect all of the honest, hardworking, and decent employees who actually come to work everday to get the job done, to shield them from the evil that lies within.

I am………"Office Avenger"

*The names in this post are NOT related to the co-workers I know……. well, not really but close enough! I’m sure that everyone has similar evils in the workplace if you do, what are they and how do you handle it?

I’ve always wondered if there was someone out there who had the same thought process as I did. Back in high school I can vividly remember being labled as not being "black" enough or not being "light" enough. I always had that pressure of being either one or the other. I often felt that I had to hide my real identity to comply with what others thought was acceptable, like the music I liked to even the clothes I wore. The more I tried to hide who I really was the more unhappy I felt. As I’ve grown, I’ve come to the conclusion that it wasn’t me who had an identity comlex, I was fine the whole time. It was them that wasn’t open enough to venture outside of their little world to see the many different possibilities that the world had to offer. What I wear, the music I listen to, and the way I carry myself does not identify my blackness. My blackness comes from within, it’s in my heart. This is something I will carry with me as long as I exist and I will wear it proudly. I no longer need the opinons of others to identify the person that I am. The truth is, I’m black, beautiful, and proud to be just that. Who I am, the music I listen to, the people I befriend holds no bearings on my ethnicity, it only makes me more open to the world around me and if you don’t understand that which I’m saying, then maybe you were’nt meant to.

I recently had this conversation with a dear friend of mine. We both grew up in different towns but pretty much had the same views. We listened to the same music, and we both felt that we had to "fit in". Our experiences has made us the people we are today, professional, strong willed, and not afraid to take a stand for what we believe in. It took several years for our paths to cross, but I think it was for a reason. It’s amazing to share past experiences with someone who "gets it" and not judge. Friends like this comes once in a lifetime. My mother always said that if you could count your friends on one hand, your the luckiest person in the world, and my mother was never wrong about things like this.

With that said…..Dear Friend, I thank you for your understanding and the ability to stay true to who you are. Your ability to listen, your capability to comprehend the words I cannot speak, and for teaching me that it’s ok to feel.

Thank you!

Oh yeah, don’t go ego trippin just because I wrote all of this sappy shit, I just threw back a couple of Heinekens.

I have alot of passions but I guess my main passion would be music. Music is like the sixth sense….you hear, see, smell, touch, and sometimes can even taste it. I think people’s lives are centered around music in one way or another. It’s like a soundtrack and everybody has one. If you think about it, when you hear a certain song it takes you back to a particular time or place. That’s the power of music. I listen to all types of music because I hate being pinned to a certain genre. I consider myself to be universal when it comes to my music, and to prove it…here is a taste of some of my evergrowing music collection:

It’s Amy Winehouse…….need I say more?????

Amos Lee…..Supply and Demand album I can’t fit this guy into a certain genre…..he’s in a class all by himself (cute too)

John Mayer………Contiuum album. I’m speechless. Wonderful and has a bluesy feeling about it.

Everything But The Girl, the Language of Life album is beautifully crafted. Beautiful!

Saved the best for last….Ms. Kate Bush..the Sensual World album to me, is the best to date. An oldie but goodie! Her voice is hauntingly beautiful.

Whose in your music collection?

Why is that the middle member of the Jr. Glam Squad is eight years old and developing breast? Hell I’m 33 years old and I still have none! I had to do a double take this morning and liked to fell the hell out! Why do the girls now develop so fast? I guess I’ll have to load the guns for sure now. I thought about buying 3 pistals and have their names engraved on each one, so that when the first punk comes to my door with pants sagging, all I have to do is politely ask who they want to see and pick the right engraved pistal and start bustin caps! (He don’t know me very well, DO HE)

Who the hell is "T Pain"?

Why is the Glam Squad listening to Beyonce? I’m sorry……..Beyaki

Who the hell is "Lil Mo"?

Why the hell am I even thinking about these people?

It’s time for Brook Forrester from the Bold and the Beautiful to officially open up her new clothing line………BROTHELS "R" US!

Why did I go into the office this morining completly forgetting that today is my day off? My boss reminded me and I left with the quickness.

Why is the smallest member of the Jr. Glam Squad looking at me like she can decipher my most inner secrets? Ohhhh Shit!!!!!

Why can’t I have a mommy free day…..JUST ONE! work doesn’t matter I still feel as though I’m around children, IDIOTS.

Why does my boss sound like some cartoon character?

Why am I transfixed on red headed white men? Can’t explain it, I think there hot!

Why are the two younger members of the Jr. Glam Squad askin for an ass whippin by jumping on my damn living room chairs, and don’t know I’m looking dead at them while I type?

Just wondering…..Just pondering!

People come into your life for various reasons, some to encourage and some to discourage. Recently I’ve learned to weed out the negatives in my life and replace them with positives. Luckily I have only 2 people whom I can call friends. One of them (whom I’ve known since the 3rd grade) is a strong uplifting person who challenges me in every aspect. Someone who knows me inside out and never judges, for that I’m truly blessed. The other, I think our paths crossed for a reason (what the reason is, i’m not fully sure) but I’m glad either way. I’ll be a journey worth taking I’m sure.

I took a picture of this beautiful view at Hickory Knob Resort in McCormick, South Carolina

These gentlemen were gracious enough to let me take a picture of them in the middle of a jam session

At my most serene

These pictures were taken at a Youth Leadership Summitt a couple of weeks ago. I really enjoyed meeting the many kids that participated. Some of these kids have it rough, it really does them good to visit places and see things that they would not normally be exposed to.

I had a great time with these kids, some of the stories that they shared were worth knowing