Thoughts on the Louisiana Career Diploma...

The Louisiana legislature is continuing to move ahead legislation for a career diploma. A career diploma is an alternative diploma for poor performing high school students that have no intentions on going to college. The curriculum for this alternative diploma will be geared towards work force development instead of college preparedness. Poor performing students will be required to make this decision after their sophomore year. Representatives claim that the aforementioned diploma will decrease the state’s dropout rate by easing standardized test scores for the identified poor performing students that choose this alternative curriculum. Gov. Jindal has already his given support of this legislation and is expected to sign it.

This legislation is quite reminiscent of a famous debate in the late 1900’s between W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington. The two opposing sides that stemmed from the debate were training in skills for African-Americans represented by Washington vs. well rounded college education including liberal arts represented by Du Bois.

Booker T. Washington’s philosophy came out of his “Atlanta Compromise” speech. In this speech, Washington suggested that African-Americans give up demands for social equality and civil rights in exchange for gaining economic respectability and independence via working for whites as farmers, domestic servants, manual laborers, etc… In his call for blacks to master a skill, Washington asked whites to provide skilled jobs for blacks in agricultural and mechanical fields. The historically black university, Tuskegee University, was born from this philosophy (as Booker T. Washington served as the first teacher at the university that has a primary focus on agricultural and mechanical educational training to date). Washington believed that obtaining a skill and finding work would be the best way for blacks to gain all the benefits of full citizenship.

In contrast, W.E.B. Du Bois believed that obtaining the following: a college education with liberal arts training, civil equality, and the right to vote were all pertinent to blacks gaining full citizenship. Du Bois believed that this type of liberal arts education (college training) was at the forefront of the pathway to black leadership. Du Bois believed that Washington’s philosophy of providing blacks with skill training perpetuated inferiority of the race.

In the spirit of that same debate over a century ago, The Louisiana Career Diploma legislation brings about quite similar opposing theories of how poor performing disadvantaged children should be educated. And just as the century old debate focused on the education of a particular marginalized group, the Louisiana Career Diploma is being cultivated to target a particular group of marginalized people which are minorities in poverty that are falling behind in high-school. Should their educational curriculum be aimed at skill/workforce development or should it be aimed at college preparedness.

A career diploma will place students that are lagging behind at a greater disadvantage. With the downturn of the economy, the competition to get a slice of the economic pie is growing. How can legislators determine the fate of a 16-year-old high school student’s future? Presenting a child with the option to pursuit a career diploma could stifle the growth our youth. It could also sharpen the disparities that already exist in educational and career opportunities for poor and minority populations. I believe that this legislation will continue to oppress poor and minority people by keeping the rich and powerful in power and the poor powerless. A career diploma closes off opportunities for minorities and poor children to gain access to the same resources (college) as their more affluent counterparts.

In conclusion, I believe that this is an offensive piece of legislation and I am saddened that it is receiving such an overwhelming amount of support from legislators. Perhaps if legislators invested that same amount of time into authoring legislation that aims to close performance gaps, Louisiana’s educational system could be an institution that fosters the cultivation of college bound youth.

Many years ago an African-American boy by the name of Calvin Mackie had very poor academic performance at a New Orleans high-school. Still he held on to his aspiration to become an engineer. Calvin went on to take remedial classes while enrolled at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA (An institution where Martin Luther King was educated). Mackie pursued a dual degree program at Morehouse College and Georgia Tech. He went on to earn a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering and mathematics. Upon completion of his bachelor’s training, he went on to earn a masters degree in mechanical engineering and then a PhD. Dr. Mackie worked as an associate professor at Tulane University’s school of engineering for eleven years.

I wonder how many Calvin Mackie’s will never see their full potential because of the Louisiana Career Diploma.

Things that make you go hmmmm...

In Tangipahoa Parish, a white justice of the peace, Keith Bardwell, refused to marry a white woman to a black man. Bardwell stated that he does not marry interracial couples because of his concerns about their offspring. He claims that children that are the offspring of such a union suffer because they are not accepted by black or white society and he does not want to be a part of their suffering. To spite his actions, Bardwell maintains that he is not racist.

"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way," Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday. "I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else." (Associated Press, October 16, 2009)

I find Bardwell’s position on the offspring of interracial couples particularly perplexing. The President of the United States of America is bi-racial. Oscar winning actress Halle Berry is bi-racial. Grammy award winning singer Alicia Keys is bi-racial. The aforementioned examples were a product of the union between a white mother and a black father. This is the exact union that Justice Bardwell is trying to ban due to the problems that the offspring will face. I wonder what President Obama, Halle Berry, and Alicia Keys would say to a decision that seeks to virtually ban their existence.

Bardwell says that in the past, he has always asked if couples are interracial, and if they are, he refuses to marry them. Bardwell has served as a justice of the peace for 34 years.
Laws that ban interracial marriages (miscegenation laws) were overturned 42 years ago. In 1967, the Supreme Court ruled to overturn these interracial marriage bans in the case of Loving vs. Virginia. In this case an African-American woman named Mildred Loving was married to a white man named Richard Loving. Because of the ban, they traveled outside their home state of Virginia to get married. Upon their return, they were arrested and practically exiled. The couple took their case to the Supreme Court in hopes to legally return to their rural hometown in Virginia and live happily ever after.

Ironically, Virginia was one of the first of two colonies to ban interracial marriages in the 1800’s. However, the removal of this ban, in the state of Virginia, in the year of 1967, served as a precedent for other states to follow.

So then, why is it that in 2009, a justice of the peace (who is an elected official by the way) is refusing to uphold the removal of this ban? He argues that he did not break the law by refusing to marry the couple. He claims to have recused himself from performing the marriage ceremony and went on to say that he referred the couple another judge that would perform the marriage ceremony.

The historical debate of interracial marriage is quite reminiscent of today’s debate of same sex marriage. I would argue that just as it was ruled unconstitutional to ban interracial marriage nearly 40 years ago, it should be unconstitutional to ban same sex marriage. The premise is the same for both situations. Homosexuals are discriminated against in the same manner that African-Americas are discriminated against in this country. The fight for gay rights has followed a path that is quite similar to the civil rights movement. There are a lot of parallels in the two struggles.

So this idea of banning two adults from being married whether the reason is that they are of two different races or of the same sex is a discriminatory practice, nonetheless. In both instances, persons having nothing to do with the relationship between the two people that are in love and wanting to get married are passing discriminatory judgments about whether or not the couple should have the legal right to be married. This phenomenon of passing judgments occurs too often in life, however, it becomes very problematic when the person passing the discriminatory judgment is a person in power.

In the case of Justice Bardwell, of Tangipahoa Parish, he had the power to perform the marriage ceremony and his refusal to do so was an act that impeded the marriage process of the interracial couple. I will not argue Bardwell maintaining the position that he is not racist. But I will argue that to spite his motives, his actions were racist. Justice Bardwell used his power to put his discriminatory ideas into action. The nation is in an uproar, as it should be. The internet is buzzing with talks of this small Louisianan Parish. Justice Bardwell even appeared on Good Morning America. In the spirit of this upheaval, I wonder if anyone ever considered the idea that our country is putting discriminatory ideas into action by not legally recognizing same sex marriage. Just wondering…

The need to belong...

Yesterday I spent some time reflecting on the idea of friendship circles. We all have them, however, my more organized and carved out friendship circle died an abrupt death a few years back. Not a big deal I thought, right? I mean I have tons of friends here and there and everywhere. But the interesting thing about that is when I'm having a shitty day or just want to go out and have some fun or even just need a quick favor I spend so much time trying to figure out who to call that most times I decide not to call anyone at all.

For example, a few years back I was stranded at work and I couldn't think of anyone to call. So I actually called RTA (Regional Transit Autho

rity of New Orleans) Ridline and got information on our local bus service. From there, I caught the damn bus home...Now why would I do that?!? I mean I could have called tons of people to pick me up from work and give me a ride home but I just kept feeling like I didn't want to bother anybody. So there's my burden when i need a favor...

And my burden when its time to get out the house...often times when I go to social functions I find myself feeling like I just don't quite belong...so alot of times I choose to just stay home.

And when I'm having one of those days...well I just think who wants to be bothered with that...so I sit at home and cry instead of bothering someone else with my issues...I mean they have their own problems, right?

So when and how did it get to this point??? Certainly it wasn't always this way.

There is a level of comfort and belongingness that all people find within their social circles. Often times within these social circles exist the people that make up your social support system. For some of us its either family or friends and for others of us (that are very fortunate) it is a combination of both. These circles consist of the people that give you the emotional and physical comfort that you need. Quite often, for women, this support system exists among your friends...

Now many years ago I had inarguably the best social support system among friends that one could ask for...I was truly blessed to have the the dream team when it came to my group of friends and we even had a relatively smooth transition from the "sisterhood of the traveling pants" friendship to the "Sex in the City" friendship. But somewhere along the way, this thing called life pushed us apart in the physical sense. But i will say to date I have one of the most emotionally sound friendship circles that one could ask for...I mean we're all there for each other on an emotional as needed basis...and that is where it counts most, right?

When I first noticed the distance in the physical sense, I told myself real friends don't have to talk to each other and be around each other all the time to maintain a friendship. Then it went from not talking "all the time" to only talking a few times a year...and not even hanging out once a year...And it happened within the blink of an eye...

Now I still maintain my views about not defining friendship through physical proximity and the frequency of phone conversations. But what I will say is that I'm coming to the realization that my lack of having that friendship circle/support system in the physical sense has taken its toll on me. Everybody needs someone to call up and say "Look i'm having a shitty day, let's go out to eat...or let's go grab drinks...or even someone to call on the phone and just cry b/c you're having a breakdown and you don't even know why. This is a major part of developing coping mechanisms throughout life's trials and tribulations. Your social support system can help you keep your self-esteem in tact when you're going through things like bad break-ups or maybe even the quarter-life crisis in which you are trying to figure out what to do with your life.

As I reflect on some of my most eldest social support systems, I have come to realize that my friendship with those girls helped me to get through so many of life's trials and tribulations. So of course I must tell the stories and shot out all my girls...

Here we go!

I first began to develop social support systems through friendships in elementary school...It all started with my cousin Lauren...We were inseperable...sleepovers every weekend...kite flying days...mardi gras parades...hay rides...haunted houses in city park...camping trips...dancing school at Syrell's...cabbage ball at Kenilworth Park...we had all the fun!

Then there was Me, Jade, and Miki...the dynamic trio! We shut Jean Gordon Elementary School down baby!!! We had a frikin blast...the plaza on weekends...cheering for Pontchartrain...pig-fest weekends where we loaded up on McKenzies pastries and snacks from K&B, sleepovers, the Super Fair...McMain dances...you name it!!!

Oh and I must add that Jade became my live in adopted sister...talk about inseperable...she moved in! lol!!!

Summers with DeLarge...we were the dynamic dou! Bio-Star, Chem-Star, Math-Star at Xavier...Jack-N-Jill Teen convention with Mad Dog (lmao)----we drove 'em insane...Jack-N-Jill, Jack-N-Jill, Gernon Brown baby!!!, dances, parties, trynna sneak out to go on "group dates" (lol), same schools from elementary to12th grade...too many memories to name...my partner-n-crime always!

And then my "sisterhood of the traveling pants was born"...It was 4 of us....me, mikeela, jessica, and keena...and we called ourselves WFC and if I told you what that stood for I'd have to kill ya! We had a blast!!! McMain Dances, 35 Dances, St. Aug dances, talents shows...events every weekend...sleepovers, WFC conferences and conventions (so funny), never a dull moment...we loved like sisters and boy did we fight like sisters! And yes we all fought!!! We had dance competitions between the twerkers and the pee-poppers (what ya'll know about that CHALLENGE)...bucked each other up 24-7...always thought all eyes were on us (especially at the dances)! We were some clueless lil' girls...lol! In our minds (our little bubble of a world) we were the stars of the show and everybody was watchin'! There was no depression or no long periods of sadness, we always pulled each other out of it real quick...lights out at your house and no food in your frig, you can come stay with me...you don't like the way you look and we're about to go out, somebody is gonna drag your ass out of it cause you were going...we rolled all 4 or none! And it wasn't that life was so simple back then, we just made it that way...Even as we got older we kept that same emotional connection...an unsaid promise to always be there and we always are!

The Palship....JUSTUS...me and Keena! enough said!

And then there was BYG...Me, Ari, Tam, and Keena...that was our McMain/Science & Math High-School crew...missing the school bus to Science & Math on purpose to cut class, lunch at Picadilly's, Sweet 16 party, prom junior and senior year, dances, parties, dressing alike, ridin' in the previa...oooh we all had beepers and thought that was shive(wtf, lmao!)...picture line at the dances...2-door cars senior year...Good Times, Great Girls!!!

Me and Mimi...Still inseperable to date! and way too many memories to name...but she would die if i didn't throw her in here...love ya chick! and just for you here we go: first night tipsy at the Red Room, weekends in ATL shawty, House of Blues Thursdays 2000-2004, camel boots with camel purses (lol), trynna holla at lame dudes for shits and giggles, downtown lunches in New Orleans, food & shopping...did i say food & shopping, Miami weekend quick trip, laugh together, cried together, friends for life!

Me, Miki, and Kayontae...DC3...to sum it up at 27 years old we all still get on 3-way to talk on the phone...yes 3-way still exists...lol! I frikin love these girls!!!!

And since then there have been close knit family like friendships...but more friendships on an individual level rather than a group. Shot out to Acey & Chandra Kerley to name a couple...but these people already had established their group...their home team of friends when we met...and at one time I had already established mine, I thought?

So after that long blast from the past...today i look up and wonder where my girls at? While I'm still very much connected to them in some way...in the physical sense, so much is missing...So I'm concluding that social circles that provide you with emotional support are the basis of a strong friendship but when that friendhip is absent in the physical sense it leaves one feeling lonley at times...and I dare say feeling out of place, almost like you don't belong because the people that made you feel like you belong aren't around...

Man, I miss my girls!

My Hair Story

So in honor of the opening weekend of Chis Rock's Good Hair documentary (to spite that I was unable to see it because it is not yet playing in New Orleans), I thought I would reflect on my own personal hair story.

So it all started with afro puffs...I believe I rocked this from birth to about 2. Then once it was time to start school I wore two braided ponytails. My mother has an obsession with smooth, straight roots and i did not have a perm, so in order to achieve the look she desired, she blow dried my hair straight every morning and then braided my two ponytails. My hair was super thick and my mom developed a condition called water on the wrist, just from styling my hair each morning. To spite her condition brought on by all my thick ass hair, we held on to the natural hair and toughed it out without a perm.

As I got oler I became obsessed with my hair. I was never pleased with the way it looked, no style was ever perfect enough. My mom became frustrated with me and so at the tender age of 8, I took over combing my own hair. What kind of 8 year old combs there own hair??? Dee Wright baby...

I managed to damage it pretty badly in the 5th grade...by the 6th grade I had figured out how to die my entire head honey golden brown by emptying a bottle of sun in in my entire head and spending the day in a chlorine filled pool. So by the time I started middle school I was damn near a blonde!

In the 7th grade I said good-bye to pressing combs and started getting perms.

I started high school with a hideous ass haircut where the front of my hair was cut short and the back was long. I spent what seemed like forever trying to grow that cut out.

By my sweet 16 I was rocking a hairstyle inspred by Monica on the "Boy is Mine" video in which she wore half her hair up in a ponytail adorned with chopsticks and the other half down...I wore it super straight with bangs. That became my signature look. I had over 50 pairs of chopsticks in every color for every occassion.

Well by 17, I had a hair tragedy in which my stylist did not thoroughly rinse all the perm out of the back of my hair. When I went to wash my own hair the next week it started coming out in handfulls.

I was devastated! I spent atleast a year crying over it. I ended up having to get my hair cut into a bob. I thought it was so ugly and so in turn I thought I was so ugly. In attempt to compensate for the perceived ugliness, I developed an addiction to color.

I started dying my hair every color under the sun from red to blonde with black and brown in between. Then I discovered extensions...extensions were a never ending cycle for me...get them in...take them out...get them in again...snatch them back out...never satisfied...

Then I went through a cutting phase...I was cutting my hair every two weeks...

By the time I turned 23, I looked up and my hair was saying fuck you Danielle (and rightfully so). I took sometime to self-reflect...All those years I hadn't been happy with the way that I looked and I was taking it out on my hair. Whenever something went wrong in my life I chopped it off, added extensions, or colored it. I had to force myself to separate my own personal issues with my physical appearance from what was actually staring back at me in the mirror.

I decided that I was no longer going to use my hair as a crutch to feel better about my physical appearance...I was going to learn to like the way I looked with my hair in its natural color, texture, the whole nine...

So about 4 years ago, I grew out the perm and the color. It was hard...I mean I hated the way I looked most times. Of course, I still flat ironed my hair straight....but it was so thick! And in the New Orleans humidity it would frizz up sooooo easily. And my natural hair color that I hadn't seen since the 6th grade was atrocious to me.

Then one day I just said fuck it...this is me and I'm gonna learn to like it! So I just decided that thick frizzy dark brown hair was cute and I been rockin' it ever since. I don't worry about my hair frizzing up, I just grab a ponytail holder or just wear big hair. I've succombed to the urge of extensions only a few times...always ripping them out within a week or two of getting them. I've learned to like my hair exactly as it is...and when I don't like the way I look I challenge myself to investigate the underlying persisting cause of my discontentment instead of trying to take it out on my hair.

I no longer define the way I look by my hair. Now don't get me wrong I damn sure think my hair can help me to enhance a look. However, I don't think it'll help me to view myself in a more positive way.

Opposite my girl India, I am definately my hair! The cycle of changes that i have endured via my hair is the perfect reflection of my evolution as a person!

what good are intentions???

I was inspired to write this blog because not so long ago and throughout the course of my life I find myself constantly being hurt by someone who excuses their actions with "my intentions were never to hurt you." Well, you did hurt me, so what good were your intentions? In fact where were your intentions when you did what you did???

And as a result...

I've been reflecting on not just my own encounters with intentions but infamous encounters that most people are familiar with. So let's take a short time to reflect on some of history's examples of intentions that were not followed up by actions that were in line with those intentions...

During biblical times, there existed intentions...David did not intend to betray Uriah while Uriah was at war fighting for him...however, he still slept with Uriah's wife Bathsheba...and in this case, David's intentions held no value because his actions betrayed Uriah...

The Danziger 7 did not intend to kill 2 people when they rang shots across the Danziger bridge during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina...but two people are dead...two lives are lost...and the Danziger 7 are still here reporting to work as New Orleans Police Department Officers?!? R.I.P Ronald Madison and James Bisette...Intentions?????

In 1995, Bill Clinton did not intend to betray his wife by having an affair with a 21-year old unpaid white house intern named Monica Lewinsky...but he did! And although I do not agree with his personal life having been publicly scruitinized nor do I believe that his affair should have been brought to the grand jury (I mean let's reflect on how many past presidents cheated on their wives and were never forced to undergo such scruitiny)...However, I do believe that this was a humiliating and excruciatingly hurtful situation for Hillary to be subjected to and to spite the fact that none of these consequences were his intentions...his actions were no good

Jayson Blair did not intend to decieve readers by playgiarizing and fabricating elements of his stories in the New York Times...but he did! In this case we have a perfectly talented journalist writing for the New York Times with no logical reason at all to playgiarize...and to spite his intentions he still decieved readers...

Don Imus did not intend to demean the Rutger's Women's Basketball team by describing the members of the team as "nappy headed whores"...but he did! Good intentions will not take away the anger, outrage, and pain brought on by this both racist and sexist comment. And to add insult to injury, Don Imus returned to the radio waves just 8 months later sending the message that this type of behavior is acceptable.

Drunk drivers do not intend to kill people; but in 2007 alone, nearly 13,000 people were killed in alchohol related crashes. Good intentions will not bring these people back to life!

Quite often in life we all have good intentions and do not follow them up with good actions. Perhaps our stories are not as extreme as the aforementioned isolated incidents, however we can learn from these situations and be more careful to follow up good intentions with good actions! I believe that this is a pertinent part of maturation into adulthood. Let us all grow up and stop using our intentions as an excuse to do whatever the hell we want.

So I must ask, what good are intentions?

God, what do you have planned for me?

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, they are plans for good, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

Ok so I am definately going through a quarter life crisis! At 26 years old I'm looking around at all my friends and peers getting married, having babies, buying houses, and getting degrees. I have been in 5 weddings so far and I'm scheduled for another this coming October. I have been at the forefront of coordinating shower after shower, engagement parties, bachelorette parties...you name it and i've helped to plan it.

When my mother was my age she had a PhD and was teaching at a local university in New Orleans (UNO). When my father was my age he was starting his pest control business that he still operates today. Back then, my parents were cultivating their pathways to success..a pathway that I am so very proud of.

Today, my dad is the only licensed entymologist in the state of Louisiana. And to spite the adversities he experienced brought on by racism...he perservered and obtained his licensure nearly 30 years ago.

My mom was the first African-American female to obtain tenure at the University of New Orleans...And she went on to be alot more firsts, paving the way for future generation to come. She was at the forefront of countless movements, and through her work the study of environmental justice was born!

Yes...I think my parents kind of a big deal!

Which leads me to ponder what the hell i'm on the pathway to accomplish????

I mean i'm really confused. I feel like my life is everything but together. Over the last 5 years I have changed professions 4 times! My mayoral fellowship with the city's health department is ending in 5 days. I do not have another job lined up, just praying and interviewing at this point. I have not gone to Tulane to go register for my PhD classes that I plan to begin taking in the fall. I took my first time homebuyers classes, but I am in no position to buy a home in the midst of all my confusion. I consider career changes at least 6 times per day. I live in New Orleans so my social life consists of running into the same people over and over again at the same events...womp, womp, womp....And did I mention i'm too poor to feed my shopping addiction which is the one thing that keeps me sane? And don't get me started on my non-existent dating life...so marriage and a family is no where in the picture anytime soon for me. So where is my life headed...ugh!!!!!!!

So as result I am experiencing the ultimate quarter life crisis...I am beyond confused! I feel like my options are limited, i'm getting old, and I don't know which way to go...I never thought my twenties would be like this. I have spent more time worrying about my future than actually enjoying the present. Sometimes I look at myself in the mirror and say "Dee you can't be serious??? I mean what the hell are you doing with your life..." And all I can come up with is I have no clue.

I used to have direction and somehow it got lost in my life's twists and turns...I had my life all planned out and then I graduated from college...Since then I decided to just go with the flow and that has been disastrous, yet meaningful if that makes sense at all. I mean here I stand more clueless than ever before...but at this point in my life I understand that everything that happened in the past has brought me to the point where I am today and it all makes perfect sense (NOW)...

At 21, I couldn't understand why I was working as an assignment desk assistant a WWL-TV News. Then one day, while rolling teleprompter for the afternoon news and finishing up a 5 am to 5 pm shift, I met the deputy director of the Mayor's Office of Communications. He called me in for an interview the next day and that same week I was hired as a press writer. Then as time progressed that job didn't make any sense to me...but I couldn't figure out what else to do...I mean I wanted to go to graduate school, but in what?????

So then Katrina devastated the love of my life, New Orleans, and I was forced to move to Baton Rouge. I was miserable living out there and I spent a year trying to figure out how I could get back home. And then one day it came to me like an epiphany...just go back to school. So I looked up graduate programs at Tulane University (cause its in New Orleans) and saw that the School of Public Health had a concentration in Health Communications and Education and I thought to myself hmmm this will be the perfect opportunity to tie in my collective work experiences of working in health news at CNN,being Health Section Editor of my college newspaper, working in broadcast journalism at the news station, and then in communications at the mayor's office...I'll do this! So I applied on line, took the GRE, and moved back home within some weeks of my decision.

But then when I moved home and started school, my personal life began to drastically fall apart. During my second semester of graduate school, my boyfriend of 3 years and I decided to part ways...and I was devastated. At the time I though that he was the man that I would marry. Somehow, through the depression, insomnia, weight loss, and hair loss...I kept my grades together. In spite of it all, I pulled through and graduated with my MPH.

Life is sooo funny, when I was working in the Mayor's Office in 2004/2005 I thought if I could just get out of here, I'll never come back...and I got out of there, got a master's degree only to come right back as a mayoral fellow in the health department.

But today it makes sense that I would do a mayoral fellowship in the city's health department (of which i would've known nothing about had I not peviously worked in the Mayor's Office) with the greatest health director in the world, Dr. Kevin U. Stephens, MD, JD (Google him)...And it makes perfect sense that my ex-boyfriend and I broke-up back then because today he makes my skin crawl (so marriage would've been out of the question)...and it makes perfect sense that I had to find a graduate program that was in both health and communications...It makes perfect sense that two years ago my hair fell out, it was time to grow a new head of hair anyway...lol...Even the friendhips that I lost and thought would have lasted a lifetime, I have accepted that those people were just there for a reason or a season. All of the trials and tribulations...even Katrina makes sense now. These meaningful disasters have helped to shape my life and continue to shape who I am and where I'm going...

And as for the future, ya'll just pray for me...I'm following God's Plan!

Harvard, LLC

On Thursday June 4th, 2009, my cousin Lauren Lynette Causey (LLC) will graduate from Harvard University with a Master of Education with a concentration in Language and Literacy. I am soooo excited!!! She is the first in the fam and the only "child of the village" to graduate from an ivy league institution and not just any ivy league school but, Harvard!!! I mean come on Harvard is part of the ivy league holy trinity...Wow!!! She is so tight!!!

The first African-American to graduate from Harvard University was Richard T. Greener in 1870. Since Richard T. Greener paved the way for future generations of African-Americans to graduate from this prestigious instition, graduation rates for African-Americans at Harvard University are very low. In fact, enrollment for African-Americans at Harvard University is very low. But that didn't stop my Lerner (as I affectionately call Lauren).

I have always admired my cousin Lauren. I firmly believe that there is nothing in this world that she can not accomplish. When Lauren graduated from undergrad (Howard University), she ventured off to New York and lived there for 4 years working at Scholastic in the contracts department. Imagine the level of independence it takes to move to such a big city at the tender age of 21!!! But she did it with such grace and confidence!

And so it comes as no surprise that she is graduating from Harvard University, because Harvard is lucky to have such a phenomenal woman to join the ranks of their alumni. So, on June 4th, 2009, not only will Lauren obtain her master of education from Harvard, but most importantly, Harvard will obtain its LLC (Lauren Lynette Causey)!

Remember her name...Lauren is destined for greatness!!!

letting go...

So Friday night, I decided it was just time to let it go. I felt like I had been a prisoner in my own thoughts since last August. Can you imagine waking up in the morning thinking about the same situation that you went to bed the night before thinking about? It was complete torcher! But thats the Danielle way...always obsessing over some obstacle in life that I was not able to resolve in a manner that met my needs and expectations. It happens every year. And then one morning, like magic, it just vanishes...I just let it go...I just wake up from the never ending nightmare of my thoughts and realize that some things are meant to be broken...some situations are just unfixable!

So why is it that while i'm being torchered by my thoughts I can't just have faith that the moment will pass? Well, its because at the time it doesn't feel like it will ever end. The moment feels ever lasting. Its grueling...its miserable...but it somehow on someday eventually ends...

I am no longer consumed with thoughts of why things happened the way they did or wondering what I could've done to prevent things from happening the way they did. I just decided that it just happened, exactly the way it did and exactly the way it was supposed to. I was sad about it for exactly the right amount of time and I let it go the exact second that I needed to do so. And that's just it!

There is no secret method to letting go. There is no learned coping mechanism for life's trials and tribulations. Its a very natural process that happens in a time period that is specific to each individual and that individuals' situation. It takes some of us two seconds and others of us two years...It just varies. Some of us can get over it just like that and others of us can not, some of us need anti-depressants to get over the hump and others of us just need a glass of wine...some of us need to seek talk therapy via mental health professional and others of us just need to talk to our person (see Grey's Anatomy to understand Christina and Meridith). Whatever the case may be...its all good!

When I was going through my rough patch many people felt that my felings were unwarranted and exaggerated. I believe that those people were all wrong. They weren't me, so how could they determine how I should feel about or react to a certain situation? And who were they to tell me how long this feeling should last?

I just needed some time. And now, I've bounced back, like I always do and like I always will. I'm armed and ready for the next storm, so bring it on (which was me hitting a cement post at the gas station at an estimated total of...drumroll please...$800 with my broke ass, but its cool!) ...

Hey, that's life (well my life atleast)...i'm rolling with the punches...Let's get it!!!

The Renaissance Woman

~Make a wish and place it in your heart. Anything you want, everything you want. Do you have it? Good. Now believe it can come true. You never know where the next miracle is gonna come from, the next smile, the next wish come true. But if you believe that it's right around the corner, and you open your heart and mind to the possibility of it, to the certainty of it. You just might get the thing you're wishing for. The world is full of magic. You just have to believe in it. So make your wish. Do you have it? Good. Now believe in it. With all your heart.~ One Tree Hill

Jamila Aiesha Coleman is a professional architect, jewelry designer, interior decorator, clothing designer, seamstress, hat designer, graphic designer, painter....the list goes on...she is the little girl that had big dreams and the 26 year old woman that made them come true. Let this be an example of what you can achieve in life if you believe in yourself and work hard to cultivate the talents that God has given you. Do not set limits on what you can achieve...do not be afraid to tap into the genius that lies within you. Do not be afraid to dream, your wish just might come true!

This is dedicated to my ACE!!!

While watching a low budget movie, I was interrupted by a phone call from my dearest college friend. I told her I was watching a movie, but I could here in her voice that she needed someone to talk to. So, I lowered the volume on the movie and insisted that she continue with the converstaion. As we began to talk she began to reveal a side of herself that not too many people ever see...I know this side of her because we were roomates in college. But very few people get to see the REAL her. She has this very tough facade that tricks people into believing that she doesn't care what anybody thinks or says about her. But I know a different side of her, the human side that does actually care what people say and think about her.


As the conversation persisted, she expressed that her best friend told her that she didn't feel like putting up with her ways and that she didn't want to be bothered. She started crying and she said to me, "Dee, do you think I'm a bad person?" She went on to say, "I mean if she thinks that about me, do other people think the same thing.?"


This made me reflect upon quite a few recent incidents in my life and I began to wonder, do we allow what our friends think define what we think about ourselves? And if what they say or think can cause us to second guess ourselves so easily, then are we secure with who we are?

Throughout my life I've had some friends to say some really hurtful and untrue things about me. And when this would happen, I would allow others to make me feel stupid for caring about what what was said. When the truth is, we all care. When you care about people, you respect and value their opinion and of cousre you care about what they think. And anybody who claims to feel any differently needs to just be real with themselves. Now, the level of caring that takes place may differ from person to person, but the botom line is that we all care to some extent..and we are all affected by what other people think.

So....what do we do to move forward from it. Well, I try to assess the credibility of this persons' thoughts or comments. Is it really a reflection of how they feel about me or are they using me to place the blame on how they feel about themselves? Does this person have the ability to see things in a clear and realistic way? Is this a person that usually has your best interest at heart?There is a fine line between constructive criticism and just plain jealousy. Evaluate what is being said and who is saying it before you begin to second guess what kind of person you are.
Caring about what others think can be a good thing. It helps to keep all of us in check.

When you look in the mirror, who do you see? Don't let other people change what you see. Don't ever let someone else be responsible for the way that you feel about yourself. Now, if you don't like what you see, then change it. If you do, blow yourself a kiss and keep it moving.


We all get angry, hurt, upset, and confused and sometimes lose our ability to think rationally. That makes us human, not crazy. Don't beat yourself up for being human...and don't let the person that is responsible for your irrational acts make you feel guilty about a reaction that they caused.


Emotions are not meant to keep bottled up, let them out. But let them out and move on. And anybody who punishes you for being emotional is not meant to be in your life.You are who you are. Don't hold on to those emotions, set them free beacuse they have the ability to weigh you down. Please refer to Ms. Badu's Bag Lady...Its so real!!!

We are all multi-faceted and we will come across people that bring out the best and the worst in us. The key is to surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you and accept you at your very worst. That's your home team...identify you hometeam...identify your ACE!

Food for thought...

Why is it so important to look a certain way? I mean being percieved as attractive is at the top of the majorities' priorities. And as superficial as it is, its real. I must admit I am guilty of internet stalking celebrity images just to look at the emerging fashions, make-up trends, and hairstyles. And don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with getting inspired by someone who's style you admire. But my question is, why is that so important? How many of us are guilty of judging someone by their appearance? And although we are all products of the society that we live in, as adults shouldn't we be responsible for changing something so petty, so ridiculous, so meaningless. After all, wouldn't it be great to be at the forefront of a movement designed to cultivate the self esteem of youth based on who they are rather than what they look like? I wonder if that will ever be possible...

Jazzy Java Cafe

After church today I went to my favorite new coffee shop, Jazzy Java Cafe located in New Orleans East on Bullard. While waiting for my coffee I began talking with the owner about the pace of business. Jazzy Java Cafe is approaching its one year anniversary and due the slow progression of the re-population of New Orleans East, business is not meeting the hopeful expecations of the owner.Nonetheless, she is hanging in there,hoping for the best.

As a lifelong resident of New Orleans East and an avid supporter of African-American entreprenurship I make it a point to frequent the coffee shop atleast 3 times a week. The coffee is great and the pastries and sandwiches are delicious...They have everything you want in a coffee shop from free wi-fi to an incredibly peaceful and intimate ambiance topped off with a lovely decor.Its pefect for studying, reading a book, hosting a book club meeting, or just kicking back and relaxing with a few friends. Some of my favorite treats to enjoy at jazzy java include the jazzy lulu (steamed milk, expresso, toffee nut and caramel), almond croissants, coffee cake, and almond muffins. Yum!

I think its of primary importance that African-Americans patronize black-owned businesses. If we don't, then who will? Jazzy Java Cafe is an example of an agent of change paving the way to african-american entrepreneuship in new orleans east post-katrina. Let's support them and the countless other giants whose shoulders they stand upon like, Rodent Guard Termite & Pest Extermination, Quick Courier, Liberty Bank, Subway (Caton St., Claiborne Ave.), Mona's Accents, The New Orleans Tribune, The Louisiana Weekly, Data News Weekly, Lil' Dizzy's, Dookie Chase Restaurant, Hamps Construction, The McKenna Museum of Arts, etc... Let's add Jazzy Java to the list of black owned businesses whose endeavors we continuously support!

If you work or live in New Orleans East, grab a cup of coffee from Jazzy Java on your way to work. If you live near New Orleans East, grab a cup of coffee on the weekend or stop by for a sweet treat...How far will you travel for Starbucks? A former Starbucks addict, I assure you Jazzy Java is much better! I am certain you will find something that you will like at Jazzy Java and I guarantee that you will continue to visit this establishment.

Exactly as I am....

So recently, Shaun Robinson's (Spelman College c/o 84) book Exactly as I am hit the bookstores. I rushed out on my lunch break to go buy it! The book promotes self-esteem in young women and encourages women to accept themselves exaclty as they are. It sounds simple, but the road to executing such a simple process can take most people a lifetime to achieve. I'm still a novice in my journey...But there are quite a few things that I have come to accept as a part of who I am...

I am very sensitive....I take alot of things to heart and internalize alot of things that people say to me. Its hard because my feelings get hurt very easily, but because of this I am very cautious and sensitive to other people and the way that they feel. I think this trait actually helps me to be a better person everyday...a more caring person....and a person that is always conscious of the way that their actions affect other people.

I've decided that my body was made perfectly for me, my style, and my personality...As a result of this I don't worry about my weight anymore or feel self-conscious about the way that my body looks...I just make sure that when I get dressed in the morning, what I have on compliments the body that GOD gave me...believe me that's half the battle with body image issues...you have to wear clothes that work for you...Every body is different and what looks good on someone else probably doesn't look good on you. Know what works for you and rock the shit out of it!!!

I am on a lifelong journey to find a job that is fulfilling. This is difficlut for me because I have a vast range of interests that are ever changing...I'm the little girl that wants to be 80 million different things when she grows up. So yes, I'm flighty and scattered...However, I recognize and accept who I am...as confused as I am. A self-proclaimed hippie...I have interests in writing, broadcast journalism, public health, public relations, cosmetology, make-up artistry, and education, what can I say....I even daydream about being a video vixen.lol! I want it all...But I am a woman with a plan to execute any dream that I have ever set forth to accomplish. I've decided that school is for the confused....so I will be in school until I get it exactly right! PhD here I come...

I've had moments in my life where I will have crushes on 5 different guys at one time, and that's my perrogative! In life, you only have to get it right one time in one relationship....that's why they're called THE ONE! I don't beat myself up over failed relationships anymore...rather, I see every past relationship as trial and error...Its like finding that perfect shoe....keep trying different pairs on until you get it right. Oh and its never too late to get it right...

I pay close attention to the way that people treat others. Even if I bring out the best qualities in a person, that doesn't gain brownie points with me. I want to see that you are a good person all across the board...because I AM! I very seldom take into consideration people's intentions, but rather I assess actions. Only GOD knows you're heart. I believe that adults should be held responsible for their actions. I do not care if your intention is not to hurt somebody else...if you do it in the process, you are responsible...I very seldom am willing to budge on this matter and I don't make very many exceptions...When people show you who they are, believe them...

I believe that everything happens for a reason, even if the reason never becomes clear to me...So if something doesn't work out I accept it and I very rarely put up a fight...Now as a result, I can not stand a quitter...I am attracted to men that are persistant and most of my dearest friends have strong personalities...I admire the fight in people....but that's just not my own personal style!

I am not afraid to dismiss a person from my life if I don't think I am being treated the way that I deserve to be treated. I am willing to face the pain head on....I don't take the easy route and deal with a man until I am over him...I will call it off while I'm still in love and I just deal with the excruciating pain of heartbreak. But once, I'm hurt like that...it's over. I never look at that person in the same light. And I don't engage in meaningless relationships with other guys to get over someone...I do it the hard way...so when i'm done i'm done....I don't believe in transferring feelings...that shit does not work for me...

This is exactly who I am...Still a novice in accepting exactly who I am, but I am enjoying my journey!

I Once Loved a Boy...

I once loved a boy...I realized I loved him when I was 10 years old...It took him 7 years to even notice me! I loved him so much I went out and bought a Wu Tang Clan chain just like his and I would wear it to get his attention. When he would come to the house to wash my mom's car on saturdays I would wake up early so that I could run downstairs and stare at him while he washed the car...I looked forward to seeing him at Jack-N-Jill meetings on Sunday evenings and tutoring during the week...He finally noticed me the summer before I went off to college...It was a great summer and a great Christmas break that followed...We were young, he was not ready to settle down...I was...We didn't make it...But today, he is one of my closest friends and the only person i will call at 3:00 a.m. and cry becasue i've had a bad day, a bad dream, a bad thought....I loved this boy, I love this man, and I will always love this man...

I once loved a boy so much that whenever I was around him I would get butterflies in my stomach. I thought he was the greatest guy to ever walk the face of the earth. Never met anybody that made me feel that special...we got older, we grow apart...I no longer love this man...I no longer know this man...

I once loved a boy so much that he consumed all of my thoughts....Just the sound of his voice made my heart skip a beat. Back when I believed that there was actually a man of MY dreams....he was it...We were so young...When we broke up, it was the first time that I actually felt the pain of a broken heart...I had experienced hurt feelings before, but never a broken heart. Things were never the same after that...Today, this man is my friend...and when i'm around him my heart beats at a normal rate...lol!

I once loved a boy so much so that he was my everything...We were attached at the hip, always together, the best of friends...we grew older, we went through alot of changes, things were never the same...Today we're still cool! I think he's great...just not for me...

I once loved a boy that was waaaay too old for me! Lol! He was one of my dearest friends and definitely helped me to get through a major transition in life. Over the years we would lose touch and always find our way back to each other! We are still very close friends and I will always love this man!

I once loved a boy so much that an argument with him would make me sick to my stomach...The relationship took all my energy....I lost sleep...missed meals...wrecked cars...lost weight...my hair fell out...And today, I think this man is a joke...I do not love him and I do not understand the love that I once had for him...THANK YOU GOD!!!

I once loved a boy that was my very best friend. He did some very hurtful things and I allowed that to affect the way that I felt about myself. I am no longer friends with this man. I do not love this man...I do not like this man...And some days I even hate this man...

I have loved many boys...but very few men!

Growing Pains

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your request to God...And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

So many times in life I find myself worrying...all day long and all night long about things that I have absolutely no control over. So much so that I am a self-diagnosed insomniac...In fact I've gone days without any sleep...just laying awake at night worrying. And although God has, does, and will make a way, I can't seem to stop this worrying.

Life is so funny because I can remember being so depressed over relationships that ended and I look back at those situations and thank God for taking these people out of my life. I couldn't see it then, but hindsight is 20/20. You can't be afraid to let go of people and situations that aren't meant to be...holding on to all that dead weight blocks you from the blessings that you are destined to recieve.

When I was younger I never dreamed that throughout life I would be forced to face so many seemingly insurmountable obstacles. And although these obstacles are just moments in time that don't last forever...they are still moments, they still last, it still hurts, and its still very difficult to overcome.

And I still worry...I worry about the many uncertainties of my future that I face everyday, I worry for my sister, for my parents, for my cousins, for my family, for my friends...I worry about countless disapointments from past relationships and allow them to affect my current and future situations...And I wonder why people do the things they do and even with the low expectations that I have of these people I wonder why or how i even feel disapointed by their actions and then I wonder why it hurts so damn bad every time...

I think about this alot and I have decided that this is life. Its normal interactions with people, family, relationships. Life is just hard. But the point of it all is to overcome these challenges and gain wisdom fom every situation. So my goal for this year is to make every difficult situation count...to walk away from each situation with some very valuable lesson...to not just learn from my mistake but to take away from each situation the wisdom that God wants to instill in me through these obstacles, these challenges, these trials and tribulations...these disapointments.

Every passing moment is another chance to turn it all around!

Single, not dating and not actively looking either...

So I'm single...been that way since a tragic break up in '07. But here's the thing, that doesn't mean I need you to try to hook me up with any and everything thats available and possibly interested. And that doesn't mean that I have to give everyone a chance, just like I don't expect everyone to give me a chance. No, I'm not going to try something to see if someone will grow on me and I don't want anyone to do that for me either. Let me figure out what I want and who I'm interested in without your assistance.

For example, please don't send your friend in the baby blue seersucker suit to come try to get my number. I don't care if he's a doctor. No thanks. I'm actually kinda feeling the dude that works at subway, he always makes my sandwiches perfectly!

And no I don't want to be hooked up with your best friend. I'm sure he's nice I believe you. My best friend is nice too!

And mom, please stop trying to hook me up with people that remind you of my dad. I love my dad but I don't want to be set up with a younger version of him.

I realize that I'll be making 27 this year and have no possible prospects to even begin thinking about marriage and a family. And I do want those things for myself. I mean everybody around me is getting married and starting families. But when the time is right, I believe that I will have my chance. In the meantime, I don't want to rush or force anything....I just want it to happen naturally.

So no, I won't be sharing 1 guy with the other 5-10 females he's dealing with. I don't think any man is worth that and I'm not participating in that foolishness. I think its just nasty! No, I don't think it's tight that you have a job....i think you're supposed to because you're a grown ass man. So no that doesn't impress or excite me.

Rather, I think its imporatant to see the potential in a prospect, where they're going in life, and possibly where the two of you can go together. I'm really not sizing up what you have today, because all that can be gone tomorrow. Look at the economy, people are losing jobs everyday.

And furthermore, please stay away from me if you have a girlfriend. I'm not getting involved in that. I want no parts of it....and you expressing that you feel a certain way about me won't change that. It doesn't make me feel special. It just makes you look even more like the scum of the fucking earth! How about that....

And no I don't feel flattered when you try to get at me....i'm single not depserate...It doesn't make my day when you try to move our "just friends" status to the next level. We're friends so I already know how much of an ass you are and how serious you are not and I just feel insulted by your actions...i mean do you really think i'm that fuckin' stupid!

And since I don't want to subject myself to your bullshit doesn't mean you have to stop speaking to me...But I guess that means we were never REALLY friends in the first place, huh? Get over yourself, I didn't reject you, I just see you for who you have shown me you really are. I mean maybe if your actions showed me differently, I might actually consider taking you seriously.

And finally me being single does not mean I am available to answer your phone calls and hang out whenever you feel like it. I am not available 24 hrs. a day....Call me at a decent hour if you want to talk...stop interupting my sleep! I have work in the morning....I do have some sort of life and it does not revolve around you and meeting your needs. Stop assuming that because I don't have a man, "Oh call Dee if you need something, she ain't doing shit." NOOOOOOOOOOO! Please can I breathe, can I live?

I'm single....And i'm not miserable! I'm cool with it...companionship is nice and trust me I do get lonely at times. But I won't be rushed or forced into anything...And I don't need help, I'm not on a lifelong quest to find a man. And while i'm not knocking those that are....that's just not my thing...So please, stop trying to hook me up...I got this....And when I decide that I want your help, I will definitely let you know...

Until then, just accept the fact that I am single and I don't want to be placed on the meat market!

So not a part of this world!

Up until about 5 minutes ago I was on the fence about whether or not I belong in this world I live in...now i am certain that I do not. What the fuck is wrong with people. I get soooo tired of watching people mistreat others because they feel that certain people are important and certain people are not. Having been a victim of this treatment myself on multiple different occasions, I am numb to it. But I hate to see others feeling disrespected and worthless because of it. When will poeple realize that we all hold the same value in God's eyes. No one person is more important than another.

I'm sitting at work and I watch a friend of mine wiz by the receptionists desk with a ticket to the Mayor's Ball for one of the doctors on the hall. The receptionist jokingly said, "I want a ticket , you got one for me?" And my friend continued walking briskly and ignoring the receptionist and insisting that she was looking for the doctor. C'mon is it that serious? I mean could you not have taken two seconds out of your schedule to acknowledge the receptionist or let's go a step further...give the receptionist a damn ticket too. What makes one person more valuable than another. Degrees? Social Status? Gender? Race? You can't just go through life walking over people based on some superficial hierarchy.

And furthermore, the mayor's ball is so fuckin' boring. Does anybody want my ticket....matter of fact i'll give the receptionist a ticket. Shit! I can never stay at that event longer than an hour anyway. It is both a privelege and an honor for anyone to even want to attend it. And let the record show that just a few weks ago, that same doctor who's request my lovely friend is busting her ass to fulfill (by bringing her these extra tickets to the ball) called me on my cell phone and said the following: " Who is that lady that works in the mayor's office, I know you know her and she was talking to me like I was supposed to know her and I don't even know her name." Wtf! It pissed me off that she didn't remember my friend's name and was trying to play her like she wasn't important. Then I see my friend turn around and do the same thing to the receptionist.

People please stop thinking you are so important and other people are beneath or even above you for that matter. Let us all decend to ground floor, get off our high falutent asses and just keep it real!

And whats worse is that same doctor used to treat me like a peace of shit until she found out who my mother was and since then she has consistently tried to connect with me on the lamest shit ever. ..Jack-N-Jill...anybody who knows me knows that I can't take someone serious who totes around their membership to Jack-N-Jill like its the fuckin pulitzer prize. Please doctor, continue to treat me like the true piece of shit that you thought I was before someone told you differently based on what my mother has accomplished and the social circles she is a part of.

I am not my mother...and don't get me wrong if I reach 25% of her accomplishments someday I would be overjoyed. But please don't treat me like I became a new person overnight becuse she is my mother. I am still the rags you saw yesterday. I can't even afford my cell phone bill most months. And while mother is the shit, I am not...so don't act like you and I developed some things in common overnight. You were just talking to me like I was a piece of shit and throwing ink pens at me, now we're friends? Get out my face please, now. And stop fuckin' talking to me about Jack-N-Jill. I am 26...I graduated from Jack-N-Jill, count 'em 1, 2, 3, 4,...drumroll please 8 years ago (nearly a decade) and while I am the biggest supporter of all organizations that target african-americans, particulary those with a cause or a mission to serve the community I am not with the classist bullshit that goes along with it. While Jack-N-Jill fostered my passion for community service, I do not believe that the JILLERS are above or beneath anybody else. So get out of here with that.

I obviously do not belong in this world because I don't care about being imporatant, embracing certain cliques of people, being a part of certain organizations, etc...Why don't people just create their own social circles and organizations based on...OMG here it comes... people that you want to be around because you like the person, not who they know , what they do, or where knowing them can get you. Let's stop treating life like it's a stage and we're all actors and actresses...People get paid to act, so take your show on broadway and get a paycheck if that's what you want to do with your life. Please stop being so disingenuine.

Start measuring people's importance based on the role that they play in your own life. For example, your mother, your father, your sister, your cousin, your best friend...important to you because of their "person", because of the love that they've shown, because they are always there for you, because they make a difference in your life everyday...Lets stop worrying about where your relationship with certain people can get you in life. Let that bullshit go..Please! Its worthless...a relationship that has no value and is based strictly on convenience. Surround yourself with people that have your best interest at heart and fuck all the rest. Size up the people that are in your life and align yourself with the people that are down for you, people who are solely concerned with who you know, what you do for a living, or where you may or not be going in life, or even what social event you can get them into...

Let us all take some to reflect on Lil' Wayne when so elequently said you worry about yours, let them worry about theirs, cause i got mine"...He's right! Get yours! Do you! And stop getting caught in all this meaningless bullshit. Meanwhile, I'll be on the first flight to Mars....

I just had to vent!