Live Life
As I sit here in my old boss's office, hearing the outside traffic (transporting other human beings on their own path in thier own lives), the dim sound of someone else's radio and distant chatter is my only company. For the first time since arriving here, I am alone. Huge Sigh. I missed my own company. The ability to review my life and think in what way I can actually improve it, be a better person and mother. Wow. New York. How did I ever live here? Don't get me wrong, I looooove my home, but to be honest, I also really hate it. There is so much to love--the wide variety of human beings, the eccentricities of humanity, the great abundance of amazing food, but my goodness, there are some things to hate about it as well and I would be the first to say that WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ALL OF THE POOR PEOPLE IN NEW YORK? Well, actually, we should say in the whole world, cuz as I write this there are many, not only right here in the city from which I type, who are going to bed without food tonight, under some strange roof, if they are even under a roof at all.
Wow. Life. Or is it?
While New York continues to build, build and build, I have to wonder where will all the poor people go? Take for example the projects on Myrtle Avenue that has been bought. The projects are supposed to provide affordable housing for ALL, yet this one in particular has just been privatized and the poor? They are being moved out. (Sounds like New Orleans...)There is so much wealth in this city. You see the designer bags, the fancy cars, buildings, stores, but you also see the people upon whose work this city depends: the porters, the cooks, the waiters, the train conductors, the bus drivers. I mean, can these people really afford to live in New York? I know that I wouldn't be able to.
I saw the most amazing program about Lisa Left Eye Lopez the other night. It was a view into the life of a very extraorinary human being. I feel priveledged to have had the opportunity to find out what an amazing woman she really was and not buy into the way she was portrayed in the media. It's quite ironic that someone as myself, who try to remain totally critical of the media, is still prone to it. Ah, humanity. Yes we have had many triumphs, and many "victories" but my goodness, we are all, every one of us, very simply programmed. In terms of how we sometimes treat each other...we all do it. It's amazing how the one thing keeping us from getting it all right in the very thing that supposedly sets us apart from every thing else, and that would be our supposed intelligence. I'm not knocking human beings--I'm very much one and so am an expert at it: I'm just saying that sometimes, we can act so damn simple. I'll give you an example, okay, here goes: I'm turning into my mother. Every single thing that has bothered me about my mother I now do. Ouch. That has to be like, the ultimate revenge! I sniff my nose constantly, I yell when I talk, I repeat myself, I rub my toes together when I'm laying down, I don't wear make-up (because she does) I mean--I have not evolved.
But the great thing about it is, I can change. I can tell myself that I do not want to be the type of person who turns into a teenager when I'm around my mother. I can tell myself that I will let what this person says just flow throw me. I can tell myself that no matter what, I will remain calm and never lose sight of how nonsensical it all really is and the only thing that justifies all of this (every thing around us, the computers, the cars, the buildings,)is that we will all strive to be nicer to each other! I'm so serious. But I fail!!! ARggghhhhhh!
New York is a great sucker of time. Every time I go out, I end up staying out way longer than anticipated. Like today. Kai and I were going to a resaurant on 83rd and Broadway (GREAT SUSHI!!!!) and we arrived there at 2.30 and we didn't get home until like after nine pm. Don't ask.
Kai seems to be enjoying it here. And this boy is not complaining. That's pretty cool. It's wonderful seeing Marie. I am so lucky she puts up with me! Really...I mean, she is just good people. She looks amazing, haven't aged a day, and trucking on, helping put these amazing books out there in the market. I mean, she really has her hands in a lot and although I know it is a challenge for her to be in this business, she is still doing it. We are so lucky. And then I think about all the great people I was fortunate enough to meet through her: Glen Thompson, Safiya Hendersen, McKinley Dabney, Clemenza, Gwen Terry, there are just so many I can't even name every one here. She is like the sun to so many of us young, struggling, inspiring artists and writers. Marie D. Brown is the Queen Bee. Her house is like a museum and a shrine, rolled into one, plus she's got the most amazing Black book collection. Kai asked me if her house was a book store! I am so lucky.
And then I mentioned Glen Thompson...Glen owned Harlem River Press, among other Presses, and back in the day his office was in the same building as Marie's when she had her offices downtown on 625 Broadway. She's the literary agent and Glen the publisher. Every time he came back from England, he'd have a box of chocolate for me. But now it's getting late, and my alone time must come to an end. I'll continue about Glen during my next post...
Live Life
Be Present
Listen More
Lesley-Ann
As I sit here in my old boss's office, hearing the outside traffic (transporting other human beings on their own path in thier own lives), the dim sound of someone else's radio and distant chatter is my only company. For the first time since arriving here, I am alone. Huge Sigh. I missed my own company. The ability to review my life and think in what way I can actually improve it, be a better person and mother. Wow. New York. How did I ever live here? Don't get me wrong, I looooove my home, but to be honest, I also really hate it. There is so much to love--the wide variety of human beings, the eccentricities of humanity, the great abundance of amazing food, but my goodness, there are some things to hate about it as well and I would be the first to say that WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ALL OF THE POOR PEOPLE IN NEW YORK? Well, actually, we should say in the whole world, cuz as I write this there are many, not only right here in the city from which I type, who are going to bed without food tonight, under some strange roof, if they are even under a roof at all.
Wow. Life. Or is it?
While New York continues to build, build and build, I have to wonder where will all the poor people go? Take for example the projects on Myrtle Avenue that has been bought. The projects are supposed to provide affordable housing for ALL, yet this one in particular has just been privatized and the poor? They are being moved out. (Sounds like New Orleans...)There is so much wealth in this city. You see the designer bags, the fancy cars, buildings, stores, but you also see the people upon whose work this city depends: the porters, the cooks, the waiters, the train conductors, the bus drivers. I mean, can these people really afford to live in New York? I know that I wouldn't be able to.
I saw the most amazing program about Lisa Left Eye Lopez the other night. It was a view into the life of a very extraorinary human being. I feel priveledged to have had the opportunity to find out what an amazing woman she really was and not buy into the way she was portrayed in the media. It's quite ironic that someone as myself, who try to remain totally critical of the media, is still prone to it. Ah, humanity. Yes we have had many triumphs, and many "victories" but my goodness, we are all, every one of us, very simply programmed. In terms of how we sometimes treat each other...we all do it. It's amazing how the one thing keeping us from getting it all right in the very thing that supposedly sets us apart from every thing else, and that would be our supposed intelligence. I'm not knocking human beings--I'm very much one and so am an expert at it: I'm just saying that sometimes, we can act so damn simple. I'll give you an example, okay, here goes: I'm turning into my mother. Every single thing that has bothered me about my mother I now do. Ouch. That has to be like, the ultimate revenge! I sniff my nose constantly, I yell when I talk, I repeat myself, I rub my toes together when I'm laying down, I don't wear make-up (because she does) I mean--I have not evolved.
But the great thing about it is, I can change. I can tell myself that I do not want to be the type of person who turns into a teenager when I'm around my mother. I can tell myself that I will let what this person says just flow throw me. I can tell myself that no matter what, I will remain calm and never lose sight of how nonsensical it all really is and the only thing that justifies all of this (every thing around us, the computers, the cars, the buildings,)is that we will all strive to be nicer to each other! I'm so serious. But I fail!!! ARggghhhhhh!
New York is a great sucker of time. Every time I go out, I end up staying out way longer than anticipated. Like today. Kai and I were going to a resaurant on 83rd and Broadway (GREAT SUSHI!!!!) and we arrived there at 2.30 and we didn't get home until like after nine pm. Don't ask.
Kai seems to be enjoying it here. And this boy is not complaining. That's pretty cool. It's wonderful seeing Marie. I am so lucky she puts up with me! Really...I mean, she is just good people. She looks amazing, haven't aged a day, and trucking on, helping put these amazing books out there in the market. I mean, she really has her hands in a lot and although I know it is a challenge for her to be in this business, she is still doing it. We are so lucky. And then I think about all the great people I was fortunate enough to meet through her: Glen Thompson, Safiya Hendersen, McKinley Dabney, Clemenza, Gwen Terry, there are just so many I can't even name every one here. She is like the sun to so many of us young, struggling, inspiring artists and writers. Marie D. Brown is the Queen Bee. Her house is like a museum and a shrine, rolled into one, plus she's got the most amazing Black book collection. Kai asked me if her house was a book store! I am so lucky.
And then I mentioned Glen Thompson...Glen owned Harlem River Press, among other Presses, and back in the day his office was in the same building as Marie's when she had her offices downtown on 625 Broadway. She's the literary agent and Glen the publisher. Every time he came back from England, he'd have a box of chocolate for me. But now it's getting late, and my alone time must come to an end. I'll continue about Glen during my next post...
Live Life
Be Present
Listen More
Lesley-Ann
