Transitioning out of Transition

Its interesting how comfortable one can get in the "transition zone" I have been so used to being in survival mode. And in someways I still am since I am not quite out of the woods with school. But the sun is shining and all I can think--no matter how corny it is--is "my future's so bright, I gotta wear shades." I am particularly excited about this new year. I've made significant career and personal progress and hope to add that to the love/relationship thing too. I'll be turning 30. Graduating. Joining the work world(okay sort of excited about this). Lastly, I'll be ending the cycle of being broke I have lived in for nearly the past three years.

For the first time in my grown life, rather than run the streets, or make fetal attempts at getting close enough to watch the ball drop in the Square,I'm starting a new personal tradition, I am going to church. So much to be thankful for and what better way to start off the new year than by thanking Him for all he has taught me, and given and taken on my behalf. I will also lay my burdens and hopes at the alter.

In 07, I look forward to(in no particular order):

1) Making something happen with "The Teacher"--I think he is the one and I need to be patient to see that through.
2) Graduating with Honors and deferring law school.
3) significantly reducing the amount of cursing I do--NYC brings the worse out of me.
4) Continuing and completing my goal to be fitter, finer, and foxier before Trinidad in March--18 lbs to go and perhaps I will comfortably rock a bathing suit.
5) Getting a job in Cleveland. Cleveland is where my passion lies and I have to get past the glitter and popularity of my last two residences in DC and NYC. (BIG SHOUT TO OSCAR IN L'Ville-- Thanks.)
6) Living by myself with my own stuff and not having to deal with collecting rent from others
7) Getting my finances back on track so that WHEN I am back in Cleveland--I can buy a house in 08.
8) Retiring the job of the fifth digit.

So, to all of you may 07 bring unexpected opportunity, growth, and happiness. Thanks for listening.

A Wonderful Life

'07 will be my 31st year on this earth--I will leave my 20's behind. My theme song will be Jay-Z's "30 Something". I will go to Jamaica to act like I have lost my mind for a week. .

For all the excitment of exiting the 20's and the drama of bad relationships, partying too much, and having my head in the clouds--I think the current crop of fools in their 20's are much worse off than me or my friends were. I find myself sitting around with my fellow old asses, looking at these fools in their early and mid 20's like they done fell out of a tree and bumped their damn heads. The coonery and buffoonery these fools seem to have latched on to has me dreaming of inciting the largest "intervention" on the behalf of sane black folks everywhere--off to rehab and deprogramming these little nucca's need to go.

If I remeber correctly, in the 80's and 90's the idea was we all wanted to be more original than the other. Uniqueness--especially if you were a city kid was in. Conformity was not. Now its white tee's, grills, and throwing dollars in the air at the club cause some fool's rap song talks about it.

For this new year I wish for many things. Peace. A significant slow down in global warming. A boyfriend so I can quash the "maybe she is a lesbian" rumor... But most of all I wish for some overwhelming sense of pride, drive, and desire to change the world not just conspicuosly consume bullshit, to overtake the lost ones in their 20's.

May the new year bring the revolution that many of have been praying for.

Last Time I Looked, I was Grown, Part Deux

New York City bans trans-fats served in all restaurants

Yes, I am aware of how bad these fats are for folks. Everytime you pick up a piece of fried chicken you may be taking some seconds off your life--no doubt. And 30,000-100,000 people might be saved a year by keeping away from Trans Fats. However, I unlike the ADA have a problem with the fact that more and more of our civil liberties are being dismantled by "we know what's good for you." legislative moves. This crap is more big brother than life saving--and an annoying ass publicity move.

I am bothered by the fact that in a city with an enormous gap between rich and poor, a fleeing middle class, a 40% high school graduation rate, and a crumbling infrastructure (1,000's are employed to band-aid the water main and subways system every day--it is over 100 years old,mind you.) we take out time to make a big publicity stunt and call it a ban. How is NYC, which can't even collect its property tax, going to enforce this ban? Especially since it will not necessarily count against a restaurant during health inspection. After all, NYC is already deemed one of the healthiest cities in the country, trans fats at a million Crown Fried Chickens included. How about spending more time on closing down food spots that are truly a health hazard?

Perhaps, I am becoming more of a liberal liberatarian. But at some point, individuals need to make better choices about what they eat all by themselves. Not because the government said so. We see and hear that "its not our fault" and "we have been victims". We have become an increasingly legalistic society because its not our fault and our legislative bodies continue to support this Tom Foolery. Some of us choose to eat McDonald's everyday--super sized, and then get coranary heart disease--and then want to sue McDonald's(successfully, mind you). The court system supports it. Legislators figure out ways to penalize Mcdonalds. I would say if you ate anybody's fried shit daily you will probably kill yourself. That, my friend, is poor choices and perhaps a lack of knowledge about good nutrition, but a poor PERSONAL choice all the same. Like my daily-ounce-of-bourbon-drinking-once a week tabacco-chewing--great grandmothe who died at 91 would say, "moderation is the key baby." If you don't excercise that moderation, then the consequences are yours to deal with.

And the legislature should leave that shit alone--and go deal with the public school mess. That is where the greatest trouble lies. Perhaps that is why we make bad choices and need Daddy to fix it? Cause we are a nation of uneducated folk?

Patriarchy is ruling the day and allowing us to hold on to our childhood longer and longer. We just do what we want-healthy or unhealthy--until its legislated otherwise. What's next? Are we going to go back to prohibition? Alchohol-related deaths are far greater then "I eat everything fried" deaths. Will we ban that again?

Probably not. I'm sure the liqour lobby is not small.