Tuesday, October 13, 2015

buddy

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buddy [bud·dy / bədē] adjective: when you’re too clueless to realize that a person is actually trying to get to know YOU better and you, unwittingly classify that person as someone who could want nothing more from you, than, well, nothing really.

I
 spent most of these years doing all the things I used to do with family and friends before I went away to be the thing that my parents always wanted me to be. The Family (you choose) dinners, epic spades tournaments, random adventures, movie nights, taboo matches, and holidays stuck on campus – on duty. So when anyone suggested doing any of these things, it was second nature. It was normal. It was custom. Of course we’re hanging. What else would we do? What time can I expect you?

What movies do you have? I have all kinds. What type of movies are you interested in? Anything! Pick something good! Pick something you haven’t seen! Okay, I’ll be over later tonight.

Well, I suppose I should get this stuff off the couch. I’ll just…yea…put it on the floor right next to the couch. Do these sweats smell? It was hella hot today and I just took my work clothes off and put them on. *sniffs sweats* Well, they’re not that bad. I’ll just turn the AC up and get a blankie. Ugh. I have to put on a bra again. Dammit.
*knock, knock* Hey! What’s up! *hugging* Nothing much, how are you? You know, same ol’, same ol’…sooooo, what are we watching??? *shares movie selection* OMG! I haven’t seen The Eye yet! Let’s watch that one! Okay, I’ll put it in. You got something to drink? Juice? That work? Yea.
See. Just like normal. Whether you’re a guest or a key holder to my place, I’ll always get you something to drink or something to eat. My Mommie raised me that way (read: right). Something about taking care of people that has always been with me. You cannot enter my space and not get your needs met. If they aren’t met, I would have gone down swinging

We sat on the couch, next to each other. Close, but not in a way that seemed awkward, you know. Like movie theater close but there isn’t an armrest, so you can’t win the war #ThumbsUp, so you’re a little closer but space exists. As we were watching the movie I did what most curious, extroverts, who accidentally spoil things by saying what they’re thinking but not on purpose because they didn’t realize they were audibly speaking their inside thoughts – ruined it.
So what happens? She like gets eyesight then like gets in an accident and loses her eyesight again or something?
We watched it to the end. I mean, I didn’t know how she lost her eyesight. I couldn’t prophesize what type of accident it would be. I don’t have Lion-O’s sword #sightbeyondsight. And neither did Jessica Alba. She should have known better. Anyway, where was I going with this? Yea. When you ruin a movie you have to do other stuff since you can’t talk about the shock of the movie. He used that opportunity to talk to me about me.


But how can you like me though? I’m hella awkward. I’m curvy in awesome places…AND in all the other places. I’m helllllaaaa old (not really, but I am, and I am dramatic, so….). I am weird. I like things that boys like. I have only really started dressing like a girl because I have to do the adult thing now. And my God, I’m ordinary, in the most invisible ways. His narrative was different. The exact opposite. And he happened to like the narrative he had. He wasn’t familiar with the document I had been reading from, which probably caused him to wonder about me – but I cannot know that for sure #LikeImGoingToAsk #iThoughtYouKnewMe. How the confident being he saw sashaying with all that sassafrass mindlessly in red could not see what moved in the most intriguing ways before him. (don’t worry, this will be my struggle for years and years; it plays like a broken record. get used to the music, bro).

Movies and conversations end. Just like morning, becomes afternoon, to become evening, to end as night. And because we are who we are, we would become the next thing. And end to begin again.

Monday, October 12, 2015

WhineAboutRunningAndWine #WickedGoodTimes

So, I have really good ideas, right? Like drinking and running, right? I’ve done this before so it’s nothing new, remember?  Right.

WineAboutIt…then Run.

This dumb idea’d good idea? Wicked Wine Run. I’ve heard about them, mostly because Napa is an earthquake away. But something always keeps my schedule out of reach of wine’ing and running. So, imagine my surprise and excitement when it’s coming to the south of the South Bay…Monterey! OMG! That’s only like an hour or so out! Let’s do this!

Just so happens that there’s a deal going on. You can register for the 5k run AND the 1k Wine Walk for the low low *helllllaa low* price of $30 United States Dollars!

Bruh. I signed up so fast, it’s like the card number typed itself.

This is also the most clever and ingenious way to get your non-runner-friends to sign up for a run… Because when it comes down to it, there is isn’t an excuse east or west of the Mississippi. This is how that conversation goes…

No, I’m not really into a running.
So, what you’re telling me is, you missed that WHOLE part about the wine?
Oh. That makes sense. Sure I’ll come.

Pretty much.

So a gaggle of girls and some of their mates signed up for the Wicked Wine Run because the word wine appears before the word run so the priorities are aligned.

We all also prepared accordingly to those priorities. Yea, I’m seriously into this running thing, but with work, with summer, with happy hour, I got a bit busy. So training wasn’t the most important thing. Neither was it for everyone else. Then someone *I won’t mention your name or initials* decided to get pregnant without consulting me…ruining effectively my reason for living for doing this event in the first place with said person #SheBetrayedMeAndRosé.

As we approached the event, conversations changed…

So…how’s your training been going?
Well, I haven’t really been “training” in the running sense of the word.
So, I plan on walking, is that bad?
Ummmmm, how else we’re going to keep up with each other… #iWasReallyAlwaysWalkingThisButIneverToldYou #TheWinePart

Crisis Obverted. We’re all walking. And we all feel really okay about this decision because…WINE!

Now, we just need to figure out how to get to the run. In Monterey.

*looks into the matrix on the race website for information about event #BecauseBrunchPlans*

Soledad? What’s that? *thinking* Homegirl from CNN? No, they didn’t mean that. Soledad…what does that mean in Spanish? Lonliness? HOW DID THEY KNOW I WAS LONELY?!?!?! OMG THE MATRIX IS REAL! #ThatShadeTho Wait. This isn’t about me…This thing says it’s a city? A real city? Oh, it must be like a few minutes away from Monterey. Because, why would they advertise the location of the event as Monterey and it’s actually in a city that’s almost an hour *more* south of Monterey? Because, they would never do anything like that. They would never employ trickery and schemes to get me to sign up for an event that doesn’t even have a medal.

You already know where I’m going with this. -_-

So, we made the pilgrimage to Lonliness, CA because we heard there was wine.

Things to note when doing a wine run that you actually walk:

1. Bring your own water. In a vacuum sealed container: MY DUDE! The dust was real! I mean, I hella appreciate that they had water stations because if I were serious about running the wine run, I would have been in desperate need of it. But, since I was walking, and just grabbing water because everyone else was, I probably could have saved myself the lightly dusted agua.

2. Wear a hat or a visor. Something really just to protect your face. Not only does dust kills grapes…it also ruins eyesight and a cute hairstyle. Just cover that ish up. But with a regular hat. Not your wine drinking hat. Your wine drinking hat is too cute for this. I was busy trying to look cute pictures when I should have been more concerned with keeping my health premium down. That 20/20 vision was in jeopardy.

3. Sit down somewhere and drink the wine because you’re at a vineyard you big dummy. The most important thing on the list. Why on God’s wine filled earth would you come to a Vineyard and the first thing on your list is to do a 5k? I mean I get it, but after it happens, it doesn’t make much sense. I mean, just drink the wine. It’s not rocket science, its fermentation and patience. And patience is a virtue. Which is also a good name for a bottle of wine. Wait, what was I talking about?

But, what’s always a good idea is:

4. When there’s a 1k Wine Walk…be in the last group out. Because, anybody, even the lowest among us, would give up our lives before wasting wine. OMG! There is nothing like hearing, go ahead, take as many as you want…you’re the last group that will have you PR your first 1k Wine Walk #iToldYalliWasGonnaBeGreat #LookAtMeWalkingAllFastToTheNextTable 
#IamLegitimatelyBuzzedAtThisLastTable #WellDoneLonlinessCA.

We had a fantastic time adorned in our College Football gear, playing homage to all the games we missed whining about wine walking. Even got some bacon cheesy fries courtesy of my little sister who obviously loves me because there was BACON LEFT!! I am absolutely sure I would have been like, girl, they only had a few pieces of bacon. I didn’t realize it until they were gone. My bad. You okay, right?

Which is the exact reason why when I meet Peter at the gates, we’re going to have special conversation. He’s already shaking his head at me.

Why did they make bacon so delicious, Father God?!?!?! Why Jesus?!?!?!?

Wait. What was the post about? Yes! Wine. Whew. Yes, we walked and had wine, then walked again while drinking wine…and whining about stuff. Yes. That’s happened.

Those bacon thoughts though. 


#15ThingsIn2015 Challenge
5 new states (Louisiana – 1 down, 4 to go) #iShouldWorkOnThisOne
4 new friends (OldieButNewbie #RunningHubby; My Child; WickedWineRunCrew (6 people!) – 8 down, -2 to go)
3 new running events (Shamrock Half; St Charles Road Race; Orange County Half; Wicked Wine Run – 4 down, -1 to go)
2 back-to-back running events (0 down, 2 to go)
1 Half Marathon PR (Rock N Roll San Diego! 6 minutes! – 1 down, 0 to go)

Thursday, October 8, 2015

naïveté

naïveté [na·ive·té / nīˌēv(ə)ˈtā] noun: being oblivious to what will happen to a young man when you place one specific unbothered and unaware black woman in a red dress at work (at a college).

T
this is. just as good a start as any. It's not the actual start, but it's a start. It's the start that actually counts for something. As many of my starts will have it, they tend to begin with me in the middle then I recognize the beginning when I'm almost at the end. Since I like you, i'll put them in order this time. 

It's my dream dammit! #LetMeLiveAbundantly #IDontWakeUpLikeThis
Start? I got up and put on a red dress. Then I went to work. That's pretty much it. No agenda. No special commemoration of anything. No intention other than to be professionally dressed for the work day. I made my way through the maze of my email. Journeyed here and there about the campus. Ate a meal in the dining hall. Caught up with colleagues in between tasks. Then finally made my way home. I exchanged that nameless red dress for stolen UCLA Football Adidas sweat pants #ThanksTab #OrSean #OrCraig #MaybeAkil *looks on the tag on the back of the sweat pants* #WhosePantsAreTheseAnyway?... The day began and ended like many work days. And I never thought of it again. 

Middle. Until I had to think about it again. A man in uniform, with which I shared many a duty night, informed me that I should have known what I was doing when I wore that red dress. I should have been aware of what emotions were being stirred up in others. Actually, I knew very well what I was doing *he says* - that's what I did it o_0?? Apparently, *and this was news to me* I was supposed to know better than that. I was supposed to know that people would notice me.

What red dress are you talking about anyway? I don’t even own that much red stuff in my closet as a matter of fact. I’m not even sure the color looks good on me. All I know is, I passed by you in that red dress. It’s been on my mind ever since.

A brown curvy (in every place) body adorned in a red dress. Look. Linger. Lust. Love. We chuckled about it and went about our night on call. Being on call has a profound way of interrupting my most awkward moments at precisely the right time. It’s a saving grace that has been with me since my RA1 days. Bless God for that duty call! Somebody better say Amen! Wait…what were we talking about? 

The dress. Well, he wasn't the only person who saw me in that dress. Two young me on their way to some undergraduate shenanigan noticed me on my work journey and mentally bookmarked that frame. When they got the opportunity, they wasted no time to inform me of the dastardly deed I'd done walking around a college campus dressed like that. Not that they were upset about it or anything. They just wanted to make sure that someone put me on notice for it.

End. I have always been completely oblivious of the being that I am, the body I inhabit and how they collectively, with no regard for any particular thing, traverse the world. I honestly, seriously, believe that nobody is checking for me. Because, why? Exactly. Then there are moments like these, where a conversation reflects just what I've done. I finally face the mirror. I marvel in awe. Then, like Drew on the night of her 31st date, I go to sleep to wake up for the 32nd like nothing ever happened.  

That day a young man (young men, but...) was attempting to get my attention by directly communicating with me. And all the while I could not even fathom the possibility that those words could mean anything else. Especially in the context of me.



1RA: Resident Assistant – that job you get when you go to school in Los Angeles and your Daddie tells you that your only option is to live on campus.  

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

...defining ish.

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What is up with all this defining stuff man? I’m obsessed with it. I’m part scientist you know, because people be trying to figure out the meaning of life and how to chop down tree stumps at the same time. And how exactly does that machine work? Pass me one of those tool thingies. Duh…of course I want another glass of wine. Was that even a real question?

It’s such a wonderful predicament to live in these extremes. To live life in the moment, and take it for whatever comes. Then, in the very next moment to need to know the meaning of it. To be able to figure it all out, you know? Make sense of the most nonsensical things. Like our choices. The affairs of our hearts. Feelings. Like, I really try to figure out what my feelings mean. Like seriously, we joke about feelings, but how often do we admit being in them tho?!?!?! Just me? Okay. I’m the only one of us here who’s been stuck in a feeling…or six? Okay.

I wish there was a dictionary for those joints homey.
Anyway, what is all of this? Well, a window was open in my life a very long time ago. Just a sliver of a crack, but open, nonetheless. I almost had a chance at being brave, doing something different, stepping out on air, and gliding through clouds. I didn’t take that chance. I stayed inside of me. Afraid of all that unknown on the other side of the castle wall. I just didn’t Lord, and I could not tell you why #Brownstone.

When the chance found me again, I hesitated.

Now I’m here. With all these afterthoughts.

…defining ish.

…and looking for the victory in it. #FindTheLittleLovelyInTheseThings


Friday, October 2, 2015

The Almost And Still Counting Dictionary

inTheBeginning! (this is the start)

I guess you wonder where I've been…

Or you’ve been really into your own life as much as I have been avoiding mine. Anyway, it doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking about you or trying to figure out how to tell you about what’s been going on.

I came back to let you know that I’ve been eating bacon, sweet potato cookies, at all kinds of live music shows, and working really hard for this money because adultbirth.

I’m going to get you all caught up on that. Promise. Pinkie Promise. While I do that, I’m going to get really real with you. We’re going to have some fun and change things up. Got a short story to tell ya, which isn’t really short, cause frankly, I do be going on and on, on these posts about stuff that only takes like a few minutes to talk about, but somehow I drag it out, kinda like I’m doing now, and since I forgot where I was, I’m going to stop typing, reread what I wrote and finish the thought, mmkay?

*stopped typing*

*began reading*

*started back where I think I left off*

How did this all start you ask?

I wrote a dedication to my fear one day. More like a wish. Or a hope:

dedicated to my fear
and the day
we leave this dying
world as strangers.
may we never see
one another again.
and perhaps our unknowing
will lead me back
to me.

♪♫ I never thought it would be so demanding, letting go of fears and talking out my feelings ♫♪…but that’s why I’m here today. Because this is what it demands. There are so many things I have not talked about, because of my fear. I was afraid to open my mouth and just say it. So many missed opportunities because of the crippling impact of being scared of what I was feeling.

It’s interesting though, that I have simultaneously lived a life so full or fear, yet one full of courage. How curious is that? My life, as is, requires this of me. If I ever want to live my life alive though, I’ve got to do something. Like this particular thing. I mean, how much longer can I live in this unintelligible space? It’s like, no fun at all.

It sounds like I’m about to drop a serious bomb on you, hunh? right? No?! Maybe?!?!?! See!!! I mean, I am, but not really. It’s just, when you’re in the car on your way home and that song comes on, you get it. And since ♪♫ it's easier to turn tears into a [blog], [rather than fix] what went wrong ♫♪ you realize for the first time in the thousand times you listened to it, that THE time has come. You don’t want to do another single thing that you might live to regret…and when you look back over your life and think those things over, you realize, there are some regrettable things (if you were the regretting type) #andpeople #andshoepurchases.

♪♫ I can't figure out who's truly sincere, through the many years, I can't find the reason ♫♪ Reasons, really. I cannot find the reasons in much of any of it. I hung on to my naiveté too long past maturation. So, I never really knew who an actual buddy was to me and who he wasn’t. I turned strangers into lovers, and would be lovers into friends. You never see your mistake, because it’s always too early into things. And you know that time is all circumstantial anyway. It so new and you’re figuring things out – and all the while it feels soooo good. But honestly, ♪♫ when do you know really, giving all your love's such a sacrifice, when to expose the depths of your poor soul? ♫♪

But, eventually ♪♫ someone took my heart, ripped it all apart ♫♪…just like that last time eventually came, that you never really forgot about, because it never quite goes away. You find yourself in that inextricable place of ♪♫ still trying to piece it together ♫♪

What does piecing it all together again look like? Recreating normal again, another time that feels (new). It’s kind of like being alive, but not quite. The difference between that alive living and that (new)normaling is your motivation. You don’t have it in you to do anything anymore. You acquiesce to everything – every single thing. It’s not even about leaving it to chance. It’s almost like you care so much, that you can’t actively care about anything. It just hurts. It’s just…

♪♫It's easier to turn tears into a blog, then fixing what went wrong, the pain can be so stifling… I never thought that love could hurt a heart so long, it has been so long, it seems like forever ♫♪

It’s gonna get a little weird in here. I’m going to expose part of myself to you, in hopes that I find me. Don’t try to figure it out. That’s where I went wrong. I tried to know, even in that beginning when there was no way of knowing, that you’ll maybe read about.

Trust me. You’re going to have to let this thing happen. Every Tuesday will pick up where we left off the Thursday last. And then you’ll know. ...i'll just keep defining ish.

Careful though. There is no untelling.

♪♫ I never thought it would be so demanding
Letting go of fears and talking out my feelings
I can't figure out who's truly sincere
Through the many years, I can't find the reason but
When do you know really?
Giving all your love's such a sacrifice
When to expose the depths of your poor soul
I can't forget the last time someone
Someone took my heart, ripped it all apart
And I'm still trying to piece it together
It's easier to turn tears into a song
Then fixing what went wrong, the pain can be so stifling
I never thought that love could hurt a heart so long
It has been so long, it seems like forever ♫♪

See you Tuesday.