An Assignment

As has been par-for-my-course lately, I'm down to the wire with my blog. Since this is the last one for this class, I have been a little stumped about what to write. Luckily, I finally had a eureka moment while driving back home a few minutes ago. In the midst of my confusion about this blog, I suddenly heard Bonnie Rait singing 'Let's Give 'Em Something To Talk About'. Well, if that's not clarity, then I don't know what is!

So here's my answer to her ruling. It's an assignment that goes a little something like this. I want each of you to set aside an hour each week that's dedicated to only dreaming, reflecting, and relaxing. I don't care if you only dream about the little red fire truck you played with everyday as a child. The point is to keep the mind open to positive ideas. Everyday, increasing levels of negative news is broadcast to us about the bleak outlook facing the world. I challenge each of you to create a center of joy within yourself, just for those days when things may seem a little bit crazier than usual. Visit that place often; write about it (we know how now). Whatever your route to that special place is, start making the trek often. Just like any path, the more often you venture down it, the more familiar and easier the journey becomes.

So, now that you have the idea proposed, I hope to hear that some ice tea glasses, lawn chairs, and journals will be posted for relaxation duty! Try to dream in color people; however, in hard times, black-and-white will do. The point is to just keep dreaming no matter what; dreaming helps you keep your eyes focused on the beauty of the future.

Before I close, I want to leave you with one of my favorite poems. I've loved this piece since I was small. It's simple, yet powerful, in my opinion. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Dreams

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken winged bird
That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

Langston Hughes




Be Blessed,

Kharamel

Back Down Memory Lane!

Wow! My title is a cliche' that may have come to mind when many in my class did their interviews for the current essay assignment. For me, however, it is has a double representation that still fits my assignment. My piece is about how I view my mother's strength through adversity and her special affinity to music. The title is a line from a song I have heard played around me all my life. I can't help not to smile while strolling down memory lane, thinking of days when music steadily filled the air around our home, and the rest of my families'. To this day, as a song comes on the radio, whoops and hollers often come over everyone, while people excitedly swap memories permanently ingrained in the notes. If you are getting a visual of a Tyler Perry movie right about now, that is truly appropriate. Days with us can go that way with a simple blowing of the wind.

During my interview, I had only a limited amount of space available on my recorder; however, the further I went with my mom into the questions, the more I knew I wanted to talk. Actually, I probably needed to talk because before long we were babbling over one another. I brought it under control; however, in my mind I knew I could go all day with her. I know that for posterity's sake, I'll have to go back and redo the moment. There are so many details that need to be on record of her experiences. Plus, I want to have our voices on tape having fun like that. I really think I need to-informally. I want to hear songs playing in the background, instead of in my mind. During the whole interview of information I had heard a thousand times, yet somehow had a couple pieces off here and there, I steadily heard Minnie Riperton hitting her high notes and singing sweet and clear the words... Back down memory lane!!

Be Blessed,

Kharamel

Spring What?!

Once again, Spring Break has proven to be my early April Fool's Day joke. As a matter of fact, I think I have been busier during my so called "break" than I normally am during school. Now, even at the last minute, I'm still sitting up at the last minute trying to figure out how to do all the things I still haven't had the time to finish. I tell you, sometimes I wish I had the power to transform myself into Stretch from the Fantastic 4. That's about the only way I figure I have any chance of ever being able to survive being pulled into so many directions!

All right, enough already of my blubbering! I may as well realize that I need to change my name to Mazda! You know-Zoom, Zoom, Zoom! Oh, don't pretend you haven't seen the commercial and thought to yourself, "Hmm... That sounds like my life!"

Be Blessed,

Kharamel

Well...

This is one of those times that I truly have nothing I feel like writing about. Nothing in my personal life has occured this week that stands out as something I feel like putting on the internet. But, since I have to blog, I guess I will be putting something on here. So here goes. I went to slate.com and checked it out for the first time. It was an alright sight, I guess. I wouldn't call it a place I would go on my own. I didn't really care for the articles; however, the cartoons were decent, especially this one .

With these things being said, I do hope my spring break has a little bit of excitment in store for me. I guess I will see. I do hope all of your spring breaks go well!

Be blessed!

Kharamel

Not Again!!

I know the rule for our blog says that we shouldn't write about what we did today; however, just this one time, I have to bend the rule a little. I'm sitting here at o'dark-thirty still studying because my day has been totally bonkers! Man, I wish I only meant that I was somehow talking about those candies that I used to love when I was a kid! Does anyone remember the Bonkers candy?

Anyway, besides my usual Supermom routine, I added a few new hats to my repertoire today. I was an impromptu volunteer firefighter of sorts, on-the-spot graphics guru, a computer tech-not, a troop wrangler, and-of course-a Wal-Mart flunkie. That last task probably applies to 99.999% of the shopping world from the looks of their stock performance; however, I feel that I am especially drawn to them, since I found it necessary to make two trips there for things that I couldn't remember once I made it to the store.

Now, in the middle of the night, I'm studying the things I should have earlier today had I been more organized in the first place. I truly don't know what got into me. Whatever it was, I sure hope it's gone! Not only do I have the things I didn't get finished today there waiting tomorrow; I also have the distinct displeasure of the "spring forward" time crunch to deal with. Ugh!!

When we were kids, my brother would always say to his twin and I, "Sucks to be you!", whenever we found ourselves in a disagreeable situation. I tell you, the yearly time change seemingly always falling on a too busy weekend just SUCKS!!

Hope your weekend goes better than mine!

Be blessed,

Kharamel

Ouch!!!

My cousin called me a few minutes ago wondering where my blog post was for this week. Boy am I glad she did. I've been in bed suffering with a migraine since yesterday afternoon, although I did manage to scramble out for a couple hours this morning, with the help of some heavy pain medication. The only problem was that it only lasted about two hours. Needless to say, I drove myself home almost in tears.

I really don't know why these monster headaches have decided to descend upon my family and I. My brother has them so bad that his aura makes him have personality changes. His actual headaches are almost painful to watch. Even my son is now beginning to go through the motions. Guess it's time to go and buy him his first pair of "cave" curtains. I'm talking about the type that block most of the light from entering the room. They're crucial for those times when you literally wake up with what I call "vampire light syndrome". On those days, I know I'm in trouble because I can't even stand a glimmer of light even before the pain sets in.

Today I got caught up in the frenzy of the moment, as I tried to accomplish as much as I could in the short time I had available to me before the pain flood gates reopened. As I sat in my meeting working through details for an upcoming project, Hurricane Katrina #2 resumed in my head without warning. As much as I enjoyed what I was doing, I thanked God for the close of everything. As I stepped onto the elevator that would take me down to the lobby, I couldn't help but note the somewhat inverse relationship between it and my situation. My pain was rapidly rising in my head, which was at the top of my body. The elevator, however, would rapidly lower my pain racked body from the top floor of the building to the lobby so that I could get to my car, go home, get back into my cave, and try to ride out the pain until this migraine decides to let up on me for this time.

The pain is stubborn this time. It won't go anywhere. I'm still lying here in my "cave", waiting for it to depart. These headaches have been with me for so long that I almost feel as though the pain is somehow personified. Maybe if I ask it in the right manner to leave me alone, it will. I don't know; I'm desperate. Maybe one of those old childhood songs will work:

Pain, pain
Go away
Don't come again
Another day!!

Nope, didn't work. Still hurts. Guess I'll just have to pray and keep trying the medication.

Be Blessed!!

Kharamel

Girl Talk

My cousin and I have been out all day today rolling around doing nothing at all. Man, it has been a great! It's been kind of like our old days. Back in the day we used to ride around and crack crazy jokes that made no sense to anyone, but they were still hilarious. One was about a Portabello mushroom. My cousin made me laugh so hard, I ended up darn near choking to death off my water I was drinking at the time. Some how or another, I steered my truck off Jewella Ave. into Max's Pawn Shop's parking lot and she gave me a half-assed attempt at the Heimlich maneuver. When I could breath again, we finished laughing and continued our trip.

We still laugh about the stupidest stuff in the world all the time when we drive. I still choke off my drinks while I laugh. In the end, life still goes on for us. If I could post a camcorder or some other recording device in the car to catch some of our sessions in the car, we could probably make tons of money of the stuff we do and say in the car. I mean look at all the money Seinfeld made off his show about nothing.

I Got Nothing!

I have been trying to think of something to post on my blog for days. Now, it's the bottom of the ninth, and I still have nothing! Last week I received a bye from the 'Writing Gods' since the last day landed on my dad's birthday. I couldn't help but write that one; I mean the computer literally posted the date in my face. The week before that I had a case of delirium. I'm a little too old to be running around talking about playing Superwoman, so I HAD to be delirious! Today, I'm just stuck.

So, let's see if I can at least make this a little interesting by telling you all what I wish that I had done this week. Let's go with the top 5 activities that I didn't get done this week.

5. I still haven't started reading my new book I just HAD TO HAVE! It's Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. I was in such a hurry to buy it a couple weeks ago. Now, I'm looking at it here on my dresser and still in the bag.

4. I was supposed to catch up my laundry yesterday. Well, that didn't happen. I guess I can give myself a little credit; I at least did one load. Now if I could only find the time to finish the rest.

3. I still have yet to watch the last two dvd's I have bought. This is one item that really had to be taken care of. I'm famous for buying movies and never watching them. As a matter of fact, I still have to watch my copy of Ray and Dreamgirls. I rushed out the first day Ray was released to buy it. My son finally broke the plastic on it about six months ago. I have no idea why I do things like that.

2. I said every day last week that this week I would go to Bed, Bath, & Beyond for some Warm Vanilla Sugar body products. OK, now I guess I'll have to take my journey there next week.

1. So, what's the number one thing that I didn't get done this week? Well, I were Brain and I had a partner named Pinkie, I think the conversation would go like this:
Pinkie: What are we going to do today Brain?
Brain: Same thing we do everyday, Pinkie. Try to get some sleep!!

OK this post may sound totally ridiculous; however, you were warned--told you I had nothing!!

Be Blessed!

Kharamel

Voice On The Telephone

I always knew his name. It was one of the strangest I had ever heard. I still don't know what it means though. Must be a family name because it was passed down through three generations, and I haven't run into any others with it. Doesn't matter because even when the name didn't have a face, it was beautiful to me. He was too, although I hadn't seen him.

Fast forward to age eighteen, my first place, and my first telephone. The combination of those three items equaled the key to finding my mystery man. Being the inch-high private eye I have always been, I got my mark with no problems. It was strange at first, but we got past that real quick. The gift of gab is--well it's just that, a gift. When all else failed, we talked, and talked, and talked. We let it all hang out--the good, and the bad. We got over the past, enjoyed everyday, and pondered over our future through my marvelous telephone.

As much as I wanted to see his face, it's funny that I only ended up seeing it twice. First I met him a few years after the first phone call, during a family gathering. I was right; he was beautiful. He stood at the bottom of the staircase, with a smile just like mine. He wore a trucker hat, his skin had freckles, his hair was sandy-red, and he absent-mindedly stuffed his hands into his front jeans pocket just like me. He was beautiful. That's the image I try to hold of him. The next and last time I saw him was when he called me and told me he needed me. I flew home to hold his hand while he took his last breath. That was the last phone call and the last image of him; yet even still, he was beautiful.

It was 1992 when I made the first phone call, and 2003 when I made the last. In between the two, I can't count how many there were. I can say they were the best of my life and they were a lifetime's worth. I accomplished my childhood goal during that time: I saw his face. What happened that was more important was that I saw him on the inside. I saw him honestly, and I thank him for that. I love my telephone. I cherish the connection it brings to the outside world more than the internet, anyday.

Today, February 7, 2009 is his birthday. He would be 74 years old. Happy birthday, Reaber Wright III. Happy Birthday Daddy!!

Love,

Your Baby Girl

Supersister's Need Z's Too!

As has been typical of this semester so far, my day has been completely haywire up to this point (meaning 11:20 p.m.). For some reason, I can't seem to get into bed at an hour that falls on the day that I actually started on to save anyone's life, let alone mine. Every night when I take my routine stroll to the medicine chest for my evening 'fix', my full bottle of prescription Ambien seems to sit there and laugh at me.

Maybe not, huh? Maybe they're just laughing with me 'cause they want to play, right? I mean medication could have dreams of a purpose in life, too. It's not the poor little Ambien's fault they were sent home with a genius that can't remember to slow down and take one of them early enough during evenings when she OBVIOUSLY needs to get some kind of decent sleep, so that she'll have enough hours to sleep off the effects of the medication before her mornings starts the next day.

Oh, wait a minute. I really am sleepy, because in that last sentence I flipped into speaking in some other person (don't ask me if it's first, second, or third because I never really got that whole premise straight back in high school 18 years ago; and I've been winging it since I've come back to college). Now, if I could only channel spirits from the 'other side' at the same time, I might have something to show for these trances I seem to go into at my desk sometimes at night. There's a thought!

I live a life right now that's a constant rat-race; so, I never anticipate completing all daily tasks, in lieu of the myriad 'ah man' events that always come up. During those times, I just do what all Superwomen do, since Alicia Keyes put our secret out there: "....even when I'm a mess, I still put on a vest with an S on my chest. Oh, yes, I'm a Superwoman!! Yes I am!"

OK, maybe I can't fly and all that; however, some days I sure feel like I need to. Have you seen traffic on Youree Dr. lately? Anyway, it really doesn't matter. I do know that God is good ALL the time; He blesses me each and every day! So maybe my Ambien pills and I will continue to have our little 2 a.m. comedy sessions, since I have a 'little' extra protection.

Besides, with the two of us up at that time of morning, you never know if my cape may start working. And you KNOW what that could mean for the country!! I mean, Sec Clinton (then Sen Clinton) did say the phone could ring at 2 a.m. Now, I'm just saying, what if President Obama and First Lady Obama had taken their Ambien after a long day? Hey, I could go on, fly to the oval office, hook the country up, and answer the phone! Think about it. Everytime they showed that commercial of THE phone (you know which phone), you never saw a caller ID on it!

Alright, it is past time for me to wrap this up, because I just had a vision of me flying into the oval office, getting only partial info, and then having to *69 the caller back using morse code with the little button that hangs the phone up. Oh, yes, I'm sleepy ya'll! When you are starting to have issues during a daydream, its time to let it go!

Hope you had as much fun with this as I did!

Be Blessed!!

Kharamel