Living out Loud - The New Blaxploitation

In a Benadryl-induced haze, I wearily channel surfed my way into the hot mess of a show called Basketball Wives. Mind you, of the seven women, only one of them is married to a basketball player...but I digress.  I watched *cough* 3 episodes and I saw no one working toward the greater good, looking past their own perfectly powdered nose to make a contribution to society.  Oh wait, they have paid for boobs, hair, and gallons of lip gloss so I guess they are contributing, in their own way. The episodes were chock full of neck rolling, finger waving, drink tossing, and b*tch slapping.  Lights, camera, catfight! (cue the Isaac Hayes soundtrack!)  Like the Real Housewives of Atlanta, these women of "reality" TV are so busy living out loud that they can't hear our cries to "turn that sh*t off!" Their noise comes at a time when psychologists have written us off as unattractive, our hair and hues continue to be the subject of documentaries, and our wombs have been labeled weapons of mass destruction.

Juxtapose, if you will, those images with the press coverage of our first Black FLOTUS traveling the world, wowing royalties, dining with world presidents, and teaching young people how to take pride in themselves and become better global citizens - all this while rendering the fashion critics speechless! Not only is she stunningly attractive, she's also kick-ass smart, she's comfortable enough in her own hair and skin to shake a tail feather and break a sweat in the hot sun, and her womb has produced two very beautiful and well-rounded young ladies. This is the "reality" that I want my young sisters aspiring to. Oh and by the way, she IS married, to the President of the United States.

Be it ever so humble...

My home, albeit a pre-war apartment in Harlem (or Washington Heights, depending on whom you ask), has always been my sanctuary, my little oasis in this concrete jungle. Yes, my super, who is frequently MIA, seems to have developed an intense fear of a mop and broom and my new next-door neighbors may not be the quietest family (EVERYthing they do is loud!). But at the end of a long day, there is NO greater feeling than closing my door behind me, taking off my shoes at said door, and exhaling as my humble abode welcomes me with wide outstretched arms. "Oh, how I've missed you" she seems to say.  To which I truthfully reply, "and I, YOU, my darling!"

For the last 2 weeks, HOME has been "no place" to come home to.  She had a little bit of a short circuit and as a result, had to be re-wired, re-plastered, re-painted, and dusted from ceiling to floor, corner to corner. According to the electrician, she should have caught on fire, possibly with me present! Holy ashes to ashes, Batman! We knew that it wasn't going to be pretty so we gave each other a hug, put on our dusk masks, held hands, and braved the process together. And now, with brand new wiring, a healthy dollop of plaster to cover her exposed underthings, and a fresh coat of semi-gloss (you go, girl!), we are back to our old selves. Reunited and it feels so good!

What I've learned:

1. EVERYthing, if examined closely, can be a metaphor for life.  HELLO!? Don't wait for an electrical fire to tell you that you need to re-wire; a little smoke is enough of a warning!
2. Don't get overwhelmed by the process.  If you take it little by little, or as the painters kept telling me, poco a poco, there is always light at the end of the very dusty tunnel.
3. Because you live in almost Washington Heights, not every Spanish-speaking worker is Dominican!
4. Unless you're willing to ply them with coffee, lunch, and grease their palms a little bit, do not expect the workers to go above and beyond the call of duty on what the landlords are paying them.
5. Friends who are willing to sit through the dust and debris while you're not home and get black lung all in the name of friendship, truly love you.  Treasure them! And by all means, ply THEM with coffee and lunch too!
6. Everything looks better with a fresh coat of paint, even ratty toenails!
 

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home!