Priorities versus Options - Which one are you?

I am my own top priority. There are also a few people in my life who I consider a priority..my daughter is a given, followed by my family and my close friends. These people show up in my phone as "ICE" - "In Case of Emergency". They are the people that, God forbid something happens to me, I would like contacted because they would know what needs to be done. Some of those ICE's were deleted today. And it's nothing personal. It is, rather simply, that they are no longer priorities in my life - primarily because they have neglected to make me a priority...

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Dance Fever vs. My Aging Reality

As I write this, I am contemplating filling up the bathtub with warm water and Epsom salts to soak in. And it is the NEXT. DAY.Next day of what, you might ask? Yesterday, I went to dance class for the first time in over six years. When I was growing up, I was a dance fiend. Everywhere I went, all I did was dance. I danced for about 12 years, from elementary school to the end of high school when my dance school closed, and then 2 years in college. I then taught for two years and eight months, up until two weeks before I was due with my daughter,...

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Go and Get De Switch From De Back...

If you've ever grown up in a West Indian household, you know that either your mother, your father, or one of the many elders that you grew up with at some point was bound to be the one to beat you when you got out of line. Now, granted, when I say beat, I don't mean abuse (though I will readily admit, in some folks cases, it was rather borderline), but I mean the phrase that every kid growing up in the islands or anywhere with nice foliage dreaded..."go 'long in de back and get de switch..." In America and in more recent times, it was amended to,...

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Did I Miss Something?

The ongoing running joke with my friends and I is that the WEIRDEST, most UNUSUAL things happen to me. Lately, I've been trying to attribute it to the fact that 30 is staring me in the face. My best friend has told me flat out that this is not the case, that I, very simply, attract madness for whatever reason. Now. I've talked before about the incident with a rodent that will remain nameless. And who could forget seeing Spiderman on 5th Avenue. The things I see and that happen to me sometimes are priceless. Today was no exception. To start,...

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Being a "Quitter"

I got this from my cousin - she has a friend who is a motivational speaker. These are some of her words of wisdom. "it's ok to Quit....."Motivational Speaker - Veraunda Jackson1. Quit arguing with people about the same old foolishness! Respect their position and keep it moving!2. Quit telling people your secrets when you know they are not going to keep them! And if you keep telling them, then quit getting mad when they tell your secrets!3. Quit trying to pull people on your journey who don't want to travel with you. Either they believe in you and...

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When It's Ok to Be an Asshole...

So. I got myself caught up watching TV today. Yes, I watched the VMA's, solely for the Michael Jackson tribute. Job well done on that, MTV. (BET, take notes...lol) Of course, by now, I am sure that you have heard about the Kanye West/Taylor Swift debacle. It happened as I was preparing to turn off the TV (the tribute was over! Whaat?!). So when I saw the whole thing unfold before my eyes, my first thought was, "Nooooooooooooooooo...Kanye, what are you DOING??!??!?!?! You're being more of an asshole than usual!!!!"Now of course, when you think of...

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Your Help Is No Longer Needed...Thanks!

Ok. I love when I hear the following: "After all I'm doing to help you, the least you could do is..."Stop. Just stop. Why do I have to feel entitled to do you a favor or comply with something you asked for if you offered me assistance? And yes, this is going to sound utterly selfish, but here's the thing...I NEVER ASKED FOR HELP. Part of the reason that I do not ask for help is that I do not want to then later on feel entitled to do something in return that I am not sure I will be able to do. Another reason is that I hate when people offer their...

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Ignorance and the Fear of Knowledge

Ignorance is a POWERFUL drug that when people take it, is more powerful than any crack cocaine. Ignorance is a powerful narcotic that seeps into the veins of even the most educated.Ignorance, when used correctly, is addictive and hazardous.And the dangers of ignorance, much like cocaine or heroin or cigarettes, is well known. Growing up, we saw the catch phrases on the after school specials and non profit commercials: "Reading is fundamental"...."A mind is a terrible thing to waste"....you get my drift. So why are people so comfortable, so complacent...

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Monogamy and OPP

I'm sure everyone knows and remembers Naughty by Nature's song, "OPP". Those of you who hit up Grae events (www.graegram.com, www.graeenterprises.com - shameless plug, lol)have probably heard it at least once recently and bopped out HARD to it (who's down with OPP? EVERYbody!!) But think about this for a second. Most of us aren't down with Other People's Property...or are we?The interesting thing that I've noticed about relationships in this day and age is the lack of their true existence - or, rather, people's hesitance to get into them for one...

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The Punk Club

Some friends of mine and I were having a drink or two and "talkin' a likkle shite" and, of course, when you have two or more girls in the room, and alcohol is involved, the conversation inevitably turns to men and either a. what man of the day is pissing said girl(s) off, b. how men ain't 'shit', or c. who are we crushing on? Now, I am a firm believer in not generalizing: I am not one of those women who run around saying men ain't shit, because they're not, no one woman has met every man, and, if the men you keep encountering ain't shit on a consistent...

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Behind Closed Doors

WARNING: THIS BLOG IS NOT FOR THE PERSON WHO HAS A PROBLEM WITH TALKING ABOUT SEX...What's the freakiest thing you've ever done? Like, the stuff that you wouldn't even dare whisper around your mother for fear she would look at you and tell you "go 'long and get de belt"? Come close and whisper it inna meh good ear...No? You're not going to tell me? GOOD. I don't wanna know. And neither should everyone else. The thing is, your sexual experiences should be a private encounter. Granted, every girl has a girlfriend or two that they mention a freaky...

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