In 1992 I voted for the first time. I can’t remember which fraternity (probably the Alpha’s) did a voter registration drive on the campus of Virginia State University and I registered. Because that’s what you do when you turn 18, you register and then you vote. I was so very excited when the right Rev. Jesse Jackson came to our campus to head up yet another voter registration. The rally was held in the open space behind Foster Hall (the student union) and the really handsome man with the short fro who sings for all those types of events sang. I was moved to tears. And then Jesse said GET ON THE BUS!! So even though I had already registered and had a very important class in less than an hour I was stirred, ready and willing to get on the bus to go register… BUT I didn’t! I’ll never forget that moment. My mother who is a retired social studies teacher always made an impact on being a good citizen and doing you civic duty. So it was never a question of whether or not to vote, just like it wasn't an option to not go to college. Those were just givens. I was probably well into my 20’s before I realized that not everyone’s parents are like that. Even to this day when I meet people who are able bodies crime free and yet do not vote. I almost want to be like ‘is ya crazy or is ya stupid!!!’ It absolutely galls me that 2008 was the first time so many people, especially Black folks, voted. Like all of a sudden because the choice was for a Black man to be president you decided that now is a convenient time to exercise your right. I mean, I’m not mad, but it is very interesting to me. In 1992 when Bill Clinton was on Letterman, and Arsenio it just sealed the deal that he was the coolest man alive. On the day I walked to the elementary school near my dorm and voted. I was excited and happy to be official!! Fast forward to 2008 when it was cold, and just 4 years prior when I attempted to get John Kerry in office, there was no line. I was in and out and no one really had much to say about the whole process. But in 2008 there was an energy the spurred everyone to be on one accord. I didn’t buy any tee-shirts, but I do think someone gave me an Obama button. I was almost afraid to wear it for fear it would jinx the process. At this point in my life all of my grandparents had been deceased and my father, but my mother shared the same awe as I did. On that night we sat on the phone well after 11 after the official announcement had been made that Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States of America we were unable to put into words the magnitude of what was really happening. The Obama Family came onto the screen and tears flowed. Flowed for everyone that came before us who suffered to even be heard all the women and men and not just people who looked like me, people who were interested in everyone being equal and having a voice. So again fast forward to 2012 on election day as I sit at my desk not doing any work, but encouraged by all of my online friends and family who are energized! Some of them voted early. Some of them are for or against various measures on the ballot. But what important is people are talking about it and that makes my heart so very full and happy!
Ok… now onto the shenanigans at the polls!! So my neighbors are not very attractive, in general. I kept looking around for a cutie to get in line but alas, it didn’t happen. The really big dude behind me was not very chatty and had a red face. I wanted to engage him in conversation but he really didn’t wanna talk. The 2 couples in front of me, well one almost knocked me down to get to steps in front of me, the other had snacks, but I resisted the urge to ask for any. I was glad I made the decision to make coffee. I was hungry also, but I really thought getting there at 6:45(ish) would mean I would be in and out. SO that was not the case. I had to stand in line, but only for about 1 ½ hours which was not bad at all. Basically there was only 1 bonnet which I was expecting more. On any given day I can see about 8-10. There was this baby who looked like Big Baby from Toy Story. And then there were these 2 guys who were talking about not being that old but they were not good representative for early 40 somethings. So what confused me the most is that there was this big thing about having a photo ID. Now this may have been in other states, but it was news across the country nonetheless. So as I attempted to had the pollster my drivers license he looks at the screen and says ‘how do you spell you name?’ And I say uuuhh… just like it says here on my license. So perplexed I say ok so you don’t need my ID?!?! Cause the woman who is sitting near you almost snatched it out my hands for the primary. SO OKAY that kinda baffled me.
I am so tired of the political commercials. This is one thing I will be happy to go away as of later today/tomorrow. Although my favorite one was Mayor Rawlings-Blake and Jonathan Ogden ‘West Virginia, Don’t make me send Jonathan Ogden over there’. This was for the gambling expansion.
Ok so, I am a proponent of staying in you lane and I veered out of mine last night. After seeing everyone’s dismay on facebook about T-Dawg or T-dog (not sure which is right) being killed off Walking Dead I say to myself SELF why are you missing out on this teevee adventure? I’ve been hearing about this show, so I go to my on-demand only to find out, this is the 3rd season! I don’t start shows if I missed the pilot let alone the 3rd season. But I’m like well I can start and if it’s good I’ll get the 1st 2 on Netflix or something. So for the 1st 5-10 minutes there is NO dialogue. You just see people coming into a house trying to see if any zombies are in there and they are looking for food. Tame enough right? So then the zombies come out of NOWHERE and the people run and jump into cars and motorcycles and leave. At one point there is another story line where this Black Xena princess woman is fighting off the zombies. There are 2 chained zombies with no mouths in this store or something and I’m like HOLE UP WTF IS GOING ON HERE?!?! So in general zombies get shot, bashed in the head, head cut completely off and just they die! And then one who the old dude thought was dead grabs his leg and basically bites him. Well then instead of killing this guy which is what you do when someone gets infested is to kill that person RIGHT?!?! So they proceed to chop off his leg and THAT is when I said ENOUGH! I have had enough!! And went back to my on-demand and watched Bob’s Burgers which is so freaking hilarious!! The kids started working on a weed farm which they thought was a blueberry farm… WHEW I might have to watch it again!!
I love that my iPod has a good mix! I was rocking out to Radio Head and then Nas came on and then Faith!!
So I haven’t bartended much this year and my story are really lacking. But I DID bartend last week for a friend’s birthday party. His ‘people’ are not big drinkers so I really did not expect them to do much damage. BUT THEY DID! But what was really funny is… well ok let me back up. His party was a masquerade party. Just wear a mask, not a costume. So this Queen came in with a toga type sheath thingamabob with a gold leaf Olympic like thing on his head! Everyone was like DA HELL HE GOT ON?!?!? Along with his house boy whose costume no one could really figure out which also did not have a mask. I had a mask that I had had for years so the feathers were going every which way.
I am no officially addicted to YouTube! I have more subscriptions than I care to admit. But some days I just need that mindlessness. I am amazed how much content people really have on this. I mean there are whole series of scripted shorts that are on here. I am partial to the vlogs… or video blogs, like Funky Dineva, Kid Fury, Issa Rae’s RatchetPiece Theater and Jenna Marbles. But the series I love are The Mis-Adventures of an Awkward Black Girl (created by Issa Rae), And now the Unwritten Rules, and Number. These are the ‘black’ shows. What is even more hilarious are the comments. People get so amped about what someone else said and there is a great ease at calling someone everything but the child of God. I don’t say not a thing I wouldn’t to your face! It doesn’t even occur to me to hide behind the computer.
