Expiration Dates, Wanderings and Dialogue




Yesterday I visited a bookstore in the center of town called Atheneum Books and the book dealer there fell in love with the copies of The Organist's Daughter I had with me and so now there are a few copies there as well. We talked about my holding a reading there, and if so, having it in March. I'll be publishing a new collection then, entitled, Blackgirl on Mars (of course!).
Viana lives right around the corner from the bookstore so I walked over there and got my wine fix. I hadn't seen her in ages and Theo (her son) actually gave me a bit of love! (That's his cute little feet up there!)
The evening was warm and I really felt like liming--ya'll know what that is? To lime is to hang out, to old-talk, to chill HEAVY...enjoy the NOW and exchange ideas. So on my way to the train station I ring Amy's bell.
I've mentioned Amy before and so I was invited up (thank goodness!) and ended up chilling with her and her husband. It was really beautiful...we ate good cheese and exchanged ideas. Her husband, Lars Henrik Olsen, is an author and he gave me a book which he signed, for Kai. Kai's been reading it ever since we got home.
I love evenings like last evening...evenings where I don't have any plans and I can walk throughout the city and go with the flow. Evenings where I can just drop in on someone and feel welcome, but most of all LOVE. It's funny cause when I go off on my own like that, I end up coming home late...
I've been thinking about expiration dates a lot lately. You know, that everything has an end. As a child growing up, we moved a lot and due to the hectic energy of my childhood, things sort of came to an end a bit quicker than other families--whether we're talking about my father's happiness or sadness, the entering a new school (but having to move soon afterwards), the meeting of new friends...expiration dates came with haste and thus I sort of had an early lesson that hey, nothing lasts forever.
I've realized that that explains some of my anxieties about being here in Denmark...that I've been guilty of walking around with the "what's next?" attitude. When you're a kid growing up and your present ain't that kosher, you develop the ability to project your life into a future you hope will be there. In other words, you never learn to be in the present cause based on experiences thus far, the present sucks. But not anymore. Things are good now and I have no idea what the future holds. So I'm chillin and you know what? It's nice not having to think about where to next? Why waste my energy on that when I got now?
I'm really happy I connected with this Black Women in Europe and Jewels in the Jungle. I'm having conversations and exchanging ideas with a group of people that actually care about the same issues as I and from whom I stand to learn much from.
Ok...gotta go. Take care. Go in Peace, Love & Understanding.
Love,
the lab

Here are some interesting articles & stuff to check out:

License for Cultural Expression?
The New Affirmative Action
See How Beautiful We Are
This just in from Sister Suheir

Blessings People & thanks to All those whose Love I would be NOTHING without, whose support and belief in my work continues to fertilize and fuel me.
the Lab

Comments

Anonymous said…
The past is a memory, the future is a fantasy, living is now. I wish I was vise enough to know who I am quoting.

KR, Miss1AB
2:15 PM
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