Tales from My Hood...

My friend Thirsty always comments about my living in a suburb of Atlanta s opposed to the actual city of Atlanta. Two events of the past week make me realize how right he can be.

I go into my cleaners to get my work clothes for the week and I am greeted by Salim.

“You don’t unbutton shirts, I don’t clean any more.”
“Excuse me?”
“You shirts, no unbutton.”

Okay. So I decipher that Salim is saying that I fail to unbottom my dress shirts. And he’s right. They aren’t unbottoned. I take the shirt off, pull out the tee-shirt, and throw it in the hamper or on the floor.

So basically Salim is saying that I cannot bring my dry cleaning to him any longer.

My response;
“Okay. I’ll just go across the street. Thank you for your work. Sorry for the inconvenience. Have a nice day.”

Mo’ Better Chicken is a hole in the wall, soul food restaurant located around the corner from my house. I probably eat there twice a month. The food is usually mediocre at best but for a quick vegetable plate, it’s good enough.

So I go in, survey the vegetables, and spy a bowl of potato salad. I love potato salad. I ask for a sample and my request is denied. When I ask why, I get-
“You aint gon’ go into Burger King across the street and ask for no samples. Why you gone ask me?”

“Well, a whopper always tastes like a whopper at each Burger King I may visit. However, everyone’s potato salad tends to be different. But no matter. I don’t want the potato salad. I don’t want anything in here. I would like to speak to the manager.”

“I’m the manager.”

“Oh, hell. Oh well. I don’t want a sample of potato salad or of anything else here today or tomorrow or ever. I’ll never eat here again.”

Sad the poor service in my hood. And was a small sample of potato salad worth the cost of losing a sale of $4.99?

Oh Atlanta! You disappointed so...

So the New Year has come and I can say that last night was the lamest night Atlanta’s ever seen!

I was speaking to Uncle Dee and he commented that this was the first time we have ever been in want of something to do for New Year’s eve.

It’s hard to believe the city I love so much has fallen so low.

The house parties used to be plentiful. This year they were nonexistent. The clubs were open but they were far from popping. Well, the high prices that gradually increased as the night waned were popping for sure but defiantly not in a good way.

On a bright note, I did bring in the New Year at church. Tabernacle was off the chain last night! It’s just that after church was over, there was nothing to do.

I should have gone to New York with Monty and Thomas or DC with Douglas and Fee.

Oh well. Now I know for next year!

When love calls, you better answer... fool!

Today my friend Thomas from North Carolina was in town and after church and brunch, we were headed home and became caught up in a very combative discussion. I really thought about this topic and I already know that what I am going to share is not a commonly held belief and that many readers will not agree but I am going to say this…

Sometimes, when it comes to love, you really do have to settle!

So many single people emphasize that they will not settle for less than their desired expectations. Whether its education, career, or appearance, many of my single friends simply will not accept love from anything less than the ideal.

I believe that the ideal is simply that… ideal. It does not exist in reality.

When I think about love and the loves that matter the most, they were not choices that I made or great catches that I sought out. I did not pick my mother, my sister, or many of my friends. The loves that came to me were happenstance. And I do not love my mother less for not having a college degree or my friends less for not having ideal careers. Consequently, I would not love a lover any less for a deficiency in either of the above areas.

Some key points from the conversation:
If love calls, answer.
It may not be love at first sight, but it may be the love that is right for you. And finally, who are any of us to question the gifts God may place in our lives?

So what are your thoughts on this? If you have a minute, go ahead and let me have it…

School ain't gone help none!

Oh my God! Today, I meet a real-life version of Mary Jones, the mother of Precious from Sapphire’s noted novel Push. It’s just that in this case, Precious is an underachieving sixteen year old male who is currently failing my class.

I have never in my life had a parent conference like this. She screamed at me, insulted me, and called me names. And all of this because her child made the choice to not complete course assignments.

The poor child has a very low average in my class and the cause of the low score is six zeros for unattempted work.

I don’t care about a student’s grades. That is not my concern or something I should be concerned about. I care about a student learning. If a student learns, their grade reflects that learning. However, in this child’s case, as seen in the very low average, learning has not occurred.

As I am sitting in the conference, I could not help but think:
Why are you having a conference with a week left in the semester?
Why did you act like I have not been calling you all semester to discuss the child’s very low average?

This Conjure (love you, Purveyor) had me sitting in that meeting feeling like Ms. Weiss (Mariah Carey’s character from Precious).

And you know you lying about that welfare!

I don’t think I can legally go into great detail (oh, I swear my education director reads my blog) but know that this Conjure gave me a headache and it is still lingering… although this glass of Marker’s Mark is making me feel slightly better…

My thoughts on the next mayor of Atlanta...

The battle to be the next mayor of Atlanta has the city and the kids in an uproar. It has me in an uproar.

I do not live within the city limits of Atlanta. I actually live six miles outside of Atlanta proper in a house located in Dekalb county that will never sale. I cannot vote for mayor so my opinion does not matter but the election results will have far reaching effects on me and everyone who calls Atlanta (proper or metro) home.

At first I thought the idea of Mary Norwood as mayor was promising. I agree with a number of voters that the idea of Atlanta’s first white mayor getting elected in over forty years is refreshing. The election of President Obama proved that race is not a pressing issue when voters are given a qualified candidate. The problem with Mary Norwood is that she is not qualified.

A great article appeared in last week’s Creative Loafing. Read it at http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/our_pick_for_mayor_kasim_reed/Content?oid=1115613 .

Kasim Reed has worked hard to build connections within the city and state that will prove exponentially beneficial to all within and around Atlanta.

What? You mean I can go home? It’s been 72 hours already?

Hello… I’m back and my life is still a mess.

Let me say right now that I am very sorry. I feel like a bad friend for abandoning your for an entire month. I am glad that you read this blog. I value your commentary and your input. It means a lot to me that you take time out of your day to read about my life. It’s just that lately, I have really been going through a lot and I needed some time away from introspection and revelation. But with the help of friends and first family, I am back and ready to blog away.

An update:
Hello. Have a seat. I have something to tell you, honey. Parker and I are not together but it does not mean that we do not love you very, very much. We do.

I thought that was funny. We are working on our relationship- I don’t know if that will result in a relationship that is a partnership or a friendship but it will result in two people who love each very much.

And now it’s time for the Atlanta’s mayor’s race…

Trying out new iPhone app...