Return of My Blogmoir

My Half Born Day

So March 16th was my half born day. What a perfect day to pick up my personal pen and return to my blogmoir. On this day, I usually go through old journal entries to see how far I've come in the past six months and write goals for the following six months until my actual birthday. But this time, I am at a blank. Partly because I was loopy from migraine meds. But mostly because I've been inconsistent with journal entries lately so there isn't much to analyze. So instead I say a prayer grateful to see another half born day.


Blasé Tidbit

My blogmoir will no longer be published on its own separate site. Don't fret! No panic! www.LiteraryMarie.com is your one-stop-shop for all things bookish and my personal memoir in blog format of events and people in this fuckery called life. Blogmoir posts will be easily recognizable by my signature logo.

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Have fun navigating the new layout, reading my archived blogmoir posts here and laughing at new posts. Smooches for visiting! I heart you...and you...and you too!

 

M A G I C

It is easy to fall into a routine, especially when it works for you. But routines are not progress. Step outside of your comfort zone and make magic happen.

 

Only Meatball in the Rice

Sarcastic Chick Rant Alert 

So much for a post-racial America. My blood boils whenever I hear/read Zimmerman's name. I get chills and a wave of sadness when I think of Fruitvale Station. I am still not mentally ready to watch 12 Years a Slave. Need I mention the recent Grammy snubs where Macklemore wins over Kendrick Lamar and HOV. It is mind-blowing to hear racist crimes, comments and illogic in 2014.

I am often the only meatball in the rice in the workplace. It is like working two jobs: (1) your salaried position and (2) being the only black example in an office of sprites. It is super annoying to be asked my opinion on anything black-related. Must I comment on everything POTUS does? Must I share thoughts on every racial news story? Carrying the burden of representing the black community is enough; don't pick my brain too. I am tired of being viewed as a live science project when my brown skin tans. If I get one more "you didn't sound black on the phone" look...whew, ancestors give me strength! Not to mention that whenever chicken is on the menu, I am assumed to choose it as my lunch. (Yes, this all actually happened.)

Le sigh. I have been forced into a "let's give them something to talk about" mood. This Black History Month I am putting on a symbolic black beret. I feel like humming old negro spirituals like We Shall Overcome just because. Dare anyone to ask what song is stuck in my head. I should change the wallpaper on my computer to an image of a plantation with slaves in the field. Maybe I will temporarily change my job title to Sprite-Acclaimed Urban Connosieur. I might as well wear primarily black all month. This meatball is rebelliously rolling around in the rice slinging gravy.

So Fed the Fuck Up,

 

***Flawless Blogoversary

01.01.14  ♤♡  Page 1 of 365

Today is memorable for several reasons.

• My Blogoversary ~ I started this blogmoir in 2011 as a memoir in blog format of events and people in this fuckery called life. It has been fun sharing my experiences with you. Cheers to many more!
• Today is the first blank page of a 365-page book. I intend to write a good one.
• I am starting to collect images, words, affirmations and physical trinkets for a vision board. I've heard about the positive effects of maintaining a vision board and feel this is the time to start. Last year was very rough for me; 2013 was almost as bad a year as 2008 was. So something's gotta shake! My purpose for the vision board is to bring positive energy by looking at the things that make me happy and goals I will achieve. I have a blank corkboard ready and set to go!
• Resolutions set you up for failure. Instead I make a life change. Today is the first day I will set aside time to meditate and rest my mind. I will not overextend myself. I will value my time. I will create a healthy balance between work and play. I will allow more "me" time. *insert Flawless hands here*

 

Somewhere in America: A Social Media Rant

{insert obligatory reason why I haven't blogged in over a month here}

Now that part is out of the way...

Social media has ruined America. Before you dismiss my rant, pick a random Facebook "friend" or Twitter "follower." When was the last time you spoke to or saw this person? Hold that answer.

I'm willing to bet $5 that one of the first things you do in the morning is check your feed on a social media site. I am also willing to bet you frequently reach for your phone throughout the day to check a social media timeline or post an update. Don't feel guilty if this is true. It's the American way! But it's a gift and a curse. We have lost all sense of communication. Seeing relationship statuses change, selfie and foodie pics on Instagram, up-to-the-minute Foursquare check-ins or live tweeting a television show with others has given us a false sense of communication and keeping in touch with family/friends.

Remember the days of dropping by someone's house because you were in the area? Or the days of picking up the telephone and calling someone just to say hey? These days you send a text full of abbreviated words beginning with "WYD" and ending with "Text me if you want to hang out soon." But you both know you won't hang out anytime soon. It's more of a polite way of ending the text conversation. 

You probably know more about celebrity lives than your own relatives' lives thanks to Twitter. You know more birthdays of friends than your own family thanks to Facebook calendar. And I bet you know every step of someone's daily life thanks to status updates and tweets. You "see" people all the time, right? When in reality you only played a time-sucking game, liked a status or commented on a picture. This DOES NOT equal communication. This BARELY means you've kept in touch. Now think of the question I asked earlier in this post. Did you REALLY just speak to or see this person or was it online interaction? Hmmm...

And now Facebook has taken away all privacy rights. Surely you are not surprised. It was a long way coming. I saw the writing on the wall (pun intended) when privacy settings had to be manually updated every other week. Ain't nobody got time for that. With these privacy settings changed, even more strangers can stay abreast of your every move. So maybe now is the time to stop posting your whereabouts, every event you attend, your OOTD (outfit of the day) and a pic of every meal you eat. I promise you the event will still happen and the food will still taste yummy if you don't post about it. (And speaking of food, for goodness sakes put your phones away when sitting at a table eating dinner. You're killing the vibe. Don't be rude!)

In the words of Jay-Z, "Fuck hashtags and retweets; 140 characters in these streets." Get off your computer and enjoy real life with real people. Thank me later.

 

Grown Woman

Some days, I want to throw all sense of responsibility out of the window. Being a grown woman can be quite overwhelming. 

 

Beach is Better

That moment when you throw your hands up and say eff it. Some things just aren't worth it.