Random and Not So Random Thoughts

Sometimes I have thoughts that I write down with the intent of sharing on this blog. The issue is usually they are only a paragraph which would make for a short post. Before this point, they were just sitting in my Evernote app waiting for their day. Lol. Well I decided to combine a few of them into one post. There is no rhythm or reason. They are just my random and not so random thoughts. I will definitely be sharing more post like this.

1. I am the Road Rage Queen. I have gotten better though. I rarely ever flick anyone off or roll my window down to cuss them out. I still struggle with people doing stupid, inconsiderate things. They will get the horn or the evil glare as I pass by them. I believe that some people may not be aware of their driving mistakes and others just don’t really care. My suggestion for either group of people is they should be required to take the written part of the driving test at least every 10 years. This would refresh people’s knowledge about the do’s and do not’s of driving. Let’s be real, most people received their temps and/or driver’s licenses between the ages of 16 – 20 or so. Who and the hell truly remembers that information from so long ago?!? Nobody! I remember a few things, but if I had to take the test today, there is a good chance I may fail. I wonder who I need to contact to discuss this idea 🤔.

2. Here is another random car related thought. I wish that there was a device that allow us to call people in their cars and tell them things like your back lights are out, or their fuel door is open. Then of course, people like me would use it for bad as well. Like cussing them out or tell them to get out of my way. Lol. Nevermind, this may not be such a good idea.

3. This one time at Krogers I actually remembered to grab my Free Friday Download. It was some kind of Cheetos that wasn’t a Cheetos. Lol. They weren’t bad though. The bag was kind of little and I had to find a clip to close it because I wasn’t going to finish them. It hit me, why aren’t chip bags resealable like a Ziploc bag. Unless you are getting the tiny $.30 bag, chips have multiple servings. There is a chance that if not closed properly, chips can become stale. No one wants stale chips. So they would end up going to waste. If the packages were resealable it would preserve the chips for longer. I know this is a great idea, but the chance a manufacturer will actually do it is slim. I truly think any container that holds multiple servings should have a way to close/seal it to preserve freshness.

4. Men and women’s restrooms should be place in the same location at every place of business, church and school. Seriously! This happened to me awhile ago. I was at IHOP and went to use the restroom. I went right and walked into the men’s room. How did I know, well there was a man washing his hands. Thank God, it really could have been worse. I know that I am not the only person this has happened to. Well now I know the women’s room is on the left in IHOP. The other day, I was in J. Alexander’s and the women’s restroom was on the right. Ok picked a damn side and stick to it EVERYWHERE. Yes I realize that I could be more attentive, but why when restrooms could just be universally placed. Also, no matter how the establishment is set up, the women’s restroom should be first, period. This is not up for debate. Lol

5. I am so tired of people doing racist, stupid, ignorant shit and then apologizing like it makes it all better. If you have not studied up on another person’s culture, have a friend of that culture explain to you in-depth the importance of their culture and/or do not know the significance of your actions, DON’T FUCKING DO IT. IT can be anything involving another’s culture that is not your own. IT is blackface, calling people names that are degrading and disrespectful or acting like everyone in this country are not immigrants. Except for Native Americans, none of us are original occupants of this land. Whether we came here willingly or unwillingly as slaves. Others who are in need of opportunities, jobs, education or a safer environment, should be welcomed. There are lines and people seem to be crossing them every day. And then the first thing they say is, “I didn’t realize that it was offensive” or the golden line, “I’m not a racist”. Enough is enough! Get your shit together and get educated or sit your dumb ass down somewhere. Geesh! And if you are really racist, say that. It is best for people to know who they are dealing with. Quit hiding when the truth is found out. This country is truly showing its true colors and they are not pretty like a rainbow.

My mind is overflowing with these kinds of thoughts. I write them down, but I don’t share them too often. I guess because I figure no one really wants to hear them. I believe if you are reading my blog, that you are interested in hearing these things. I hope so at least. Or maybe just bored. Lol. I’ll take it either way. I hope your new year is going well and will continue to do so. Please feel free to share some of your goals or victories with me. I would love to hear them. Be well and whole.

My Hair Journey

I have always had hair and a lot of it. I ask my mom how did she do all this hair. She explained that it was not unruly like it is now. When I went from junior high to high school, I transitioned from a jheri curl to a press and curl, then to a relaxer. I will say that I had a pretty long jheri curl so my straight hair was a nice length. I got bored with that and decided to cut it off. I had what I called dog ears. The hairstyle that T-boz from TLC wore. Oddly enough, I did that style before she made it famous. I eventually cut the dog ears off and just had my hair short all around. It grew back out after that to its normal long length. My hair grows pretty fast which I am thankful for.

There have been times that my hair was not long and it was not by choice. I went through a period when I was first diagnosed with a thyroid condition where my hair got so thin. I made a decision to cut it in a short style right above my ears because it looked so bad. I kept it that length until it regained its normal thickness. I started to let it grow back. I also began to relax it myself due to my schedule and my beautician’s schedule not matching up. I liked taking care of my hair.

Now my natural hair journey is one that I wanted, but was too scared to embrace on my own. I was bored with my hair, as usual, and decided to add some color. As recommended I waited two weeks after the color application to relax my hair. As I stood over the sink washing out the relaxer, I also washed out gobs of my hair. It was like something in a movie. Yea…I felt my heart drop down into my basement. Screamed, cried a little. Had a small freak out session. What most woman would go through I’m sure. Thank God for thick hair. It was noticeable but I didn’t exactly have any bald spots. This prompted me to cut off one side. The thinner side. I loved that hairstyle 😍!

My hair was still falling out. I did not relax my hair anymore and allowed my natural hair to grow. I kept the shaved side low and maintained the other side as best as I could. One day I said enough. Went into Steve’s Sport-n-Cuts and relieved myself of all my relaxed hair.

Talk about freedom. It was really a change for me. My hair was the shortest it had ever been and I was finally natural. This could be a lesson. If you are not specific about what you ask for, you may get it, but not how you want it. Lol. I wanted to go natural, but this was never the way I wanted to get there.

This natural hair journey has been…a learning experience, adventurous, annoying and necessary.

2010 – 2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

I know that I will not relax my hair ever again, but I do like to occasionally have straight hair. That is when I would stop by Steve’s Sport-n-Cuts and have Sydona flat iron these curly strands into submission. This allowed me to check my length and gave me a break from my time consuming wash, condition and style sessions.

Then there are of course the times when I have gotten bored. Added a little color.

Bored again, 💇🏾‍♀️

Shaved my one side again. Still love this hair style, but I think this will be my last time doing it.

And then there is the time when I am just plain tired. Tired of the long wash, condition and style sessions. Tired of my arms and back hurting as I stand for hours taming my rebellious hair. Knowing that my hair would be so much healthier and longer if I gave a shit about taking care of it. Knowing that I don’t care or want to take care of it any longer. Despite all of the naysayers and protest, I did this…

I can’t explain how free I felt when I got up from Sydona’s chair. I looked in the mirror and it was everything I wanted. She is a rock star when it comes to hair and she met and exceeded my expectations. She gave me a look that was feminine and perfect for my face and head shape. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I made the right decision.

Here I am a week later without a regret and still in love with this cut. I have received looks of disbelief, anguish and even anger. But like India.Arie said, “I am not my hair”. I have mostly received compliments and statements to my bravery. I appreciate every compliment that I have received. But the real response I value is the one within myself. I am loving every minute of it. To the point that I may wait a little while before I allow it to grow back. This style is a true wash and go. Something that became an impossibility once I got a little length on my hair after the first big chop. I will enjoy and embrace the next phase of my natural hair journey. It will continue to be a journey for me because as boredom sets in, there is no telling what I will do next. As always, be well and whole.

2019 – The Year of Me

I am not a fan of resolutions but I am a fan of goals. I have some serious goals for 2019. I recently found a journal entry typed out on a piece of paper. After reading that entry I realized where I was at the end of 2018 is exactly where I was at the end of 2015. This has caused me to reevaluate my life. I can’t say that the things I was interested in changing at that time is any different from right now. My life is definitely different, but the main issues that I had are still the same. Resolved to not do the same things another year. I need a breakthrough. So I have labeled 2019 as The Year of Me. I will have tunnel vision about my goals and objectives. I am set on a path of discovery, honesty with self, vulnerability and relationship with God. I know that I have to get out of this rut. I have to change some fundamental thoughts and actions. Get down to the why of things. So with that being said, it is time to put in some work.

As I stated in Reflections, 2018 wasn’t terrible. I started the year off pretty good, but about 3 months in I was distracted. I never got my focus back. My micro goals were not accomplished, so therefore I didn’t accomplish any major goals. So suffice it to say, I am carrying over goals from last year to this new year. I do not want to negate my accomplishments from last year. I did some things. But not near to half of what I wanted. I do have some new goals as well.

One important goal that I want to accomplish within the first 6 months is to get a mentor. I have never had one. There has been people I admired and looked up to, but have never sought to create a relationship were knowledge and success principles could be shared. It seems that it would be beneficial to speak to someone who is already successful in the industry that I want to pursue. Or someone who is succeeding in an industry where no one else is. Or just succeeding in life in general.

I want love. I want to give love and I want to receive love. I want to meet a man who I want to kiss. I know that sounds crazy, but I’m picky about who I kiss. No walls up, full transparency. Wow 😮! It will never stop being scary for me. I know what I am looking for. The me that I am right now could not handle the kind of love that I am wanting in my life. I am a saboteur. The way for this to be attainable may be therapy. I am so serious about this. There is a possibility that I am broken like a toy, not in spirit. So another one of my new goals is to seek wise counsel. There needs to be someone who has an unbiased view of me to tell me about myself. I know it is going to piss me off, but I will be open-minded. How else will I get to my breakthrough? This goal is one I want accomplished within the first 3 months.

Now this one is a carryover. Debt!!! I am so tired of it hanging over my head. I did work on some of it in 2018, but I barely scratched the surface. In 2019, new micro goals to get things either paid off or paid down. This is a must! I don’t want to live this way any longer. I will not live this way any longer. I will set a 12 month goal of the debts to be paid off and an amount I want knocked off the larger ones. These will be broken down in 3 month increments to give myself an idea on how it is going.

For 2019, create a list of things that you want to see manifested in your life. The goal is to write out your heart’s desire. The things you tell people you want or would do if you won the lottery. One thing I ask is to BELIEVE that it is possible. No negative self talk or doubts! Yes you are deserving of your hopes and dreams. Write it down with it being non-negotiable. Write it down with no plan B. For instance, I want a house on a lake or a river, hell even an ocean. I will not settle for anything less the next time I purchase a home. There is no substitute. Now it may not happen in 2019 but I am believing it for myself. I am still going to write it down, paste it on my vision board for 2019. I will envision myself sitting on my deck or in my breakfast nook looking out across the water, drinking a steaming hot cup of coffee. Now what the rest of the house looks like I have no clue. Lol.

Seriously, I want to see people’s timelines and comments on this post, talking about their achievements, hopes and dreams coming to fruition. Post pictures of your vision boards. I want whatever it is that you want for yourself to happen. I will pray for your dreams and goals. I am your cheerleader in this life. If you need a word of encouragement, I got you. Happy and successful people spread love and joy and this is truly what the world needs right now. As I have said before, the world needs you. I need you. Be well and whole in this blessed year of 2019.