I...

I write because I write
I learn because I do
I create because I am culture
I am because we are.

Congrats

Congrats to Barack and Michelle Obama for being inaugurated as the 44th President and First Lady of the U.S. of A. Not only is Barack Obama leading by example the way the country and our moral characters should go, but his union with his beautiful wife and family is just as inspiring and worthy of admiration. Hats off to you President Obama. Indeed, this is change we can believe in.

Dealing with Haters

It is good to be cordial and communal yet I prefer not to shake the hand of a Hater. Rather, simply give them the finger. We don't see palm to palm.

NY is getting smaller

...at least for me. That big, gigantic, intimidating place that everyone says New York is supposed to be is feeling smaller, more intimate to me these days. Granted I don't hang around Times Square that much (any more), and stay away from other touristy spots, but still, other boroughs are just as crowded yet I'm not feeling cramped.

I have found my own niche, my own lane in NY and maybe that's what allows me focus in the crowds. Or it could be my travels around the world that play a part in this, constantly reminding me through memories that the world is bigger than this big city. But I am not even sure that either one of them is it. I think in the end, NY is a city like any other city. It may look grand and mysterious at first, but once you settle in and get to know your way around some of that mysticism looses it touch. Eventually, you run into people you know on the streets, go to house parties where everyone knows your name, and are able to give directions to other newcomers to the city. This is a very interesting observation for me. I am at home...no matter where I am at.

Black Jack

I've been real busy lately...and tired, as there is always work to do. I have started a couple of posts that I didn't complete but really want to post something because this year I am challenging myself to post at least once a week. So, this one's for me....

Just recently got cast to play the lead role of Jack Jefferson in a rendition of "The Great White Hope". I won't lie, as tired as I have been, researching more about this brother gives me a boost, a little bit more energy to face the world with tenacity, courage, and audacity. So, this one is for Jack too. That's it.

A Nu Book

A wise man told me recently, "Forget about starting a new chapter in your life. Start a new book....'cause things will never be the same again." I've taken these words to heart and I am living their truth day by day, moment to moment.

2008 was a character building year. I dealt with death (R.I.P. Aunty Chinwe), financial trouble, and uncertainty in my career and purpose. I also experienced new life through new works, financial recovery, and a extreme amount of clarity in my choices and future. I am thankful for it all, but I know things will never be the same again.

Moving forward, I recognize today is a new day, an opportune moment for me to be my best self. That self is different from who I was yesterday...and may be different from who I will be tomorrow. What I do know about that self is that NOW is the moment to be it. If 2008 built character, then 2009 is about living in that character's skin, to put it in acting terms. 2009 is about fully breathing and becoming that character. And with any character, there is a back story, a future, experiences, memories, a life that is built around him. There is a book.

Thank God for today, the yesterdays to come, and the tomorrows that have passed. Here is to a nu book. My story.

Being the change we want to see

For some today is the day. The day that their world changes, maybe forever, possibly witnessing a day that many thought impossible. For others, it's just another day, maybe carrying a little extra weight because of this casting selection to the political theater we have been watching for the last 21 months. But it's just a Tuesday in November like so many other Tuesdays and Novembers that have come and passed. Whether the former or the latter, I encourage all to do something a little bit different today. Yes, get out and vote. Not for me, not for a particular candidate, but for yourself. Impact your lives by getting involved in politics, taking a stand, not being complacent. These are definitely interesting and definitely changing times we are living in. Don't let those changes pass you by or not be in your favor. Be a part of the world you want to see. Create it. Contribute to it. Live it and love it.

Beyond going out to vote, I also encourage others to do something different within their personal lives. Get up and go jog if you have been meaning to get in shape for a while. Go watch a movie if you have been meaning to get some down time and ease some stress. Invest in a project. Finish a project. Project your light unto the world. Once again, these are definitely interesting and definitely changing times we are living in. There doesn't have to be too much emphasis placed on this moment, but some acknowledgement should be there. On a personal tip, I voted for Barack Obama. Yes, I believe he is a change that we have been looking for, but I also believe in the change that is going on in the world. From better intercultural relationships on the 'people's level', to more confidence from Africans in being 'authentically' African, to my (young) generation assuming leadership positions in many institutions, organizations, and cultures, I believe there is a spirit going around, a fundamental shift that is occurring within the lives and the consciousness of so many people. Yes, indeed, there is more hope, more opportunity, more potential today than I believe there was yesterday. And I believed this before Barack's candidacy for president. However, his rise, effort, and accomplishments have only confirmed this belief. I can now see that not only is change something that I feel, it is something that a whole lot of people feel.

Now, how do actualize this change, this opportunity to grasp the better? Well, only we can answer that. It's like how we say in the capoeira world: Go with the flow but also control the flow. It's about balance. Point is, we can feel change and want change, but if we don't actually put some action behind it, some physical effort to match our mental trains of thought, then we won't be going anywhere with our ideas. It'll just be that: an idea. But if we do something, back up our talk, live in moment and not just live for the moment, we can be anything, and I mean and believe anything, we want to be. We are the ones we've been waiting for.

I won't write too much more right now. I just wanted to post something. I just wanted to record the fact that I am thinking about this right now. I just wanted to do something a little bit different this morning and write when the thought is fresh on my mind, like I have been meaning to do for a while...and be the change I want to see.