I’m not sure this post makes sense. My mind’s abuzz with laundry and house guests and getting to Costco or learning to make the perfect roast chicken in a day. I used to know how however that was followed by too many years of speed dialing food in or stopping at Fairway.
This weekend and the following week belongs to me and too many houseguests, here, and guests at CLo’s. CLo and W are exploring their Hispanic/White redneck roots and going to a Dave Matthews concert in New York.
When CLo married W, two cities, Atlanta and New York, were abuzz with talk of CLo, who thinks she’s more Black than most African American’s and other Blacks, marrying a man so white he has to use SPF 50 on a low sun day!!!!! CLo, is Hispanic Caucasian though when she tans.
He taught her to appreciate The Stones and other white rockers; she taught him Black culture.
They’re perfect together.
One of my goddaughters–they both will be here this weekend thought she was Black until she was ten. It was an honest mistake. Her cousins are all blonde or Black. Yes we live The Jerk Always been one of my favorite movies.
Her mother, Lucia, placed her at a mirror and asked her to look at herself. She’s so pale she “failed” the Apgar skin test at birth until Lucia unanthesized herself, and said to the doctor: “Look at me. Look at her father. We’re whiter than her.” The doctor changed the score.
I had lived in a perfect world of my own imagination until then. I thought people of all colors really could attempt to understand each other and get along. At least in New York. This was an awakening. There had been earlier ones, but I thought we were better than that and it was a “class thing” that people like me who worked in social services could help change.
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It was rainy yesterday morning and afternoon and then the humidity was so delightfully thick my body felt wonderfully embraced but the laundry couldn’t dry outside. Which is how I began the great laundry debacle of 2010. Don’t ask.
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My blog has been so heavy recently as has my writing. Yet really the stories are ones of hope and happiness for I am both hopeful and happy. Except for the recent foray into the affliction of the gifted. Amazing how much better one feels when the problem is “under control.”
So maybe it took me until this milestone birthday to get it together. It’s been difficult watching so many blogging associations and social networks gain importance and think “but where do I belong?” I belong where I have always been with a little blog called Courting. When I am ready for my book to be publicized it will be. I’m doing it the old fashioned way. Writing, writing, writing and not caring about being known. I was. I will be again.
It’s not that I don’t believe in social networks. I think they serve a great purpose. But I need to work unobstructed without thinking “am I popular?” “Am I not?” What the frig is this? Junior High?”
I’m vain enough to believe that I can attract people when I need them. I’m old enough to understand that work comes before pleasure and while social networks are an integral part of work, product comes first. And so I trudge on my product.
I’m not going to BlogHer though it will be in Manhattan in August. I have ideological difficulties with it for a start. It seems that mommy bloggers rule and I ain’t. I don’t do product placement.
I have always thought of my blog as a place to practice writing and to get to know some wonderful people but not an entity onto itself. Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps I began at the perfect time to become famous for blogging itself. But I also took this time as a journey of self discovery and maybe for me that’s more important.
And that’s my manifesto. I’m counting on you, my blogging friends, my friends from all areas of my life, my family, my family of friends to help when I need it and I know you will know when as I will.
I have to edit these pictures. But I’m the tall one with my sister and cousins, and the other picture is of my parents before any of us were on this planet.
Have a wonderful not quite mid-summer weekend. I won’t let it be mid-summer!!!!!! In some ways it feels as if it’s gone on forever. In other ways it feels as if it hasn’t begun yet
Our Wal Mart made a million dollar profit last weekend. That would be a good thing for our economy and is. But we did it on the backs of all the people who aren’t going to the Gulf and that is horrible.
Lordy but it is warm here. What’s an apgar test?
I’m not so sure your walmart’s million is good for your economy as it’s mostly crap we don’t need coming from China… sorry, but that’s my rant!
I’m sure the Carolina coast is doing well this year and it’s sad what is happening in the Gulf. Let’s hope that well’s cap holds.
Interesting family stories.
Apgar skin test?
The Jerk?
I need translations 🙂
@Doug Doug, today is our first truly beautiful day! The Apgar test is one they give every baby at birth or just after to see their reflexes and skin color apparently
@TC TC Steve Martin starred in The Jerk–he was a poor Black boy who didn’t know he was adopted and/or white. One of the funniest movies ever made–and I didn’t want to see it
@Sage Sage I don’t like Wal Mart but I guess it could help the economy though they have been cutting back employees hours (saying they’re hiring more) It’s just so sad that such a huge profit was made from the Gulf
Well, speaking of birth and all. Happy birthday!
Happy birthday, Pia. Hope you had a wonderful day!
Hey Pia, Happy Birthday! You say it’s a milestone but didn’t mention which one. I’ve had so many milestones that I run away now on my BDay, especially the milestones.
This was a good post; you got down a little on a bunch of us. This and your last one. BTW, I own what I put on my blogs also but not the comments. What they wrote is theirs. They belong to the writers but if I don’t like or appreciate I throw them on their rears.
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Missed your birthday by this much |_|
Hope it was happy.
Felicidades!
– John
Happy belated birthday.
I loved this post.
I don’t understand how people can actually live their lives and do all that blogher and social network stuff in a serious way.
Happy birthday, Pia. If my calculations are correct, I have now wished you a happy birthday at least five different ways. Sorry, I don’t Tweet. However, I’m currently trying to book a carrier pigeon 🙂
This was just a great blog entry. Loved the Hispanic white redneck roots line. And I’m sure you’ve forgotten more about roast chicken than I will probably ever know.
Had my own laundry debacle. I had really been on a pretty good laundry hot streak, too. Then I put a delicate shirt in the dryer a few weeks ago. That was followed by the gum incident. Hot streak over.