The Green Side of the Grass

I met a man at the grocery store. His name is Dan. He worked there... scanning groceries in the express lane.

He was supposed to be fast, but he wasn't.

It was the express lane.

15 items or less.

His hands shook every time he reached for an item. If the bar code was not easily seen, he rotated the item, at his own pace until he found it. Then...beep. He very deliberately scanned the item.

He may have had Parkinson's. The symptoms were there. He was slow. He was shaky.

Ah, but he was pleasant.

He asked me if I was having a good day so far.

"So far, so good," is what I said. I smiled.

"What about you?"

Dan said. "Everyday I wake up is a good day for me. I'm blessed." He paused when he said it. He looked me in the eye when he said it. Not one of those quick standard answer, I'm Blessed. Like this is what I should say, I'm Blessed. I believed him.

Then he said something I loved.

"I woke up on the green side of the grass."

Then I thought...I want to wake up on that side, too...everyday.

Thanks Dan. So nice to meet you.

It's Make a Difference Day!

Today is a day where we can all get involved at some level to make a difference in our communities; essentially, we can make change happen in the world around us. On this "national day to help others," we can step out of ourselves even just for a moment and do something.

Check out the Make a Difference Day website to find projects in your area, or you can try volunteermatch.org to find places to volunteer your time.

My day will consist of a 5K raising money for cancer research, a parking lot sale to support one of our inner city charter schools, and a food drive.

It may not sound like much, but I'm doing my best to Make a Difference in some small little way. You can too.

Sunday's Best: Tees for Change

Each Sunday the Sweet Potato Pie Project highlights an organization, website, or blog that is moving toward global awareness, environmental responsibility, or social change.

This week's "Sunday's Best" is Tees for Change.

Andrea Ayers started this line of environmentally friendly, organic, positive message tees because of her need to be reminded of her own power and possibility.  She believes very strongly in being eco-friendly and positive thinking. 

These tees are 100% organic and made under sweatshop-free conditions.What's even more amazing is that for every T-Shirt or Onesie you purchase, a tree is planted.   Gotta love it!

In Regard to Beautiful Things (#3)

Beautiful things are hopeful, fresh, and breathtaking.

So, if I could be a more beautiful thing, today I'd choose to be Kimora and Djimon's new baby boy, Kenzo.

Kenzo, the little brown chocolate drop was awe inspiring on his own, then I had to see the love that Djimon and Kimora share, equally...genuinely.  Well at least that is the way it appears. That's just more beauty.

Blended families are hard work, but it seems like this one is off to a great start and it's truly a beautiful thing.

A Beer with Barack?

OK...I can't help but be slightly annoyed that since 2007 a great deal of my life has been all about supporting Barack Obama, and I feel that I've been slighted. 

Don't get me wrong, I am glad that I knocked on thousands of doors, made even more phone calls, hosted countless house parties, organized a major get out the vote campaign days before the election where my home was basically a campaign office.  

Hey...I even had Barack's sister Maya in my house with CNN on my living room floor with boom mics and ish.  Oh yeah...I even drove in the motorcade.

I believe that President Obama is doing a fantastic job and I will continue to support him in every way that I can.  But, now I have an issue with Obama.

I've never been invited to have a beer with Barack, and this is a problem.

I didn't realize all I had to do was perform "stupidly" in order to get that kind of invite.

Sgt. Crowley arrests Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. for being in his own home after he verified that it was indeed him...and he gets a beer with Barack.

Barack, Love...you're killing me.  Maybe I should have cussed some of those mean people out while I was phone banking.  Maybe I should have traded obscenities with my neighbors when they got out of control about the idea of your candidacy.  Perhaps I should have been the volunteer that egged the houses in my neighborhood, after I discover my home had been egged.

I guess if I have to act "stupidly" to get some love, I should forget about that beer and figure out how to make mine a mojito. Yeah, what do I need to do to get invited for a Mojito with Michelle?

Any ideas?

In Regard to Beautiful Things (#2)

Beautiful things are emotional, reflective, and expressive.

So, if I could be a more beautiful thing, today I'd choose to be....

The performance from Melissa and Ade on tonight's So You Think You Can Dance. This number tackled the subject of breast cancer as choreographed by Tyce Diorio. It left most of the judges in tears.

I was left wiping tears away as well. Well the fact that it was danced to Maxwell's "This Woman's Work" helped; it's such a beautiful song. Thank you Tyce, Melissa, and Ade.

Check it out here.

Today, I Learned Something New

So today, as I browsed from blog to blog to blog, I ran across this awesome line of hand-painted clothing.  

Alicia P.'s line of clothing, jewelry, and fine art did more than impress me, it got me to thinking.  I started imagining what my clothing line might be like; that is, if I suddenly became creative in that realm of expression. But somehow I don't think me and some fabric paints from Michael's Arts and Crafts Store would have anything on Alicia P.

This line is what I call style-wise.  It's socially conscious clothing that hones thought and message. And her other stuff is quite simply, just nice to look, wonderful to hang on your wall or from your ears. While reading her about page, I learned that Alicia P. has a desire to learn "as much as she can about other cultures." 

Hey... so do I.

I wondered which shirt I was going to buy.

I was impressed with her choices.

Barack Obama

Frida Kahlo

Bob Marley

Stevie Wonder

Billie Holiday

Nina Simone

Jimi Hendrix

I'm sure you know which 2 I was leaning toward.

But then, a name I had never heard of....

Fela Kuti

I asked myself... Who is Fela Kuti?  Maybe I should have known this one.  But I didn't.

So I looked him up.

Nigerian Born.

Musician Composer.

Played Lots of Instruments.

Human Right Activist.

Pioneer of Afrobeat Music.

Formed Political Party "Movement of the People"

Tried to Run for President of Nigeria.

Got Beat Up by Law Enforcement.

And much much more.  He had ideas and thoughts.  He was a fighter for the people.

Just your typical Black Man.  ;-)

Thanks for the learning opportunity, Alicia P.

To learn more, check out Fela in this video.  I also learned there is an Off-Broadway production of Fela's life coming this fall.

It's amazing to me how we rely on our musicians to spread ideas and bring attention to human atrocities.  Who are some of your favorite musical freedom fighters?