Not Your Avergae Thanks Giving...

Now this post is inspired by some one's actual Thanksgiving day post ...I feel as though his post brought a dose of much needed reality to people that don't really have an idea about real gratefulness is about.

I arrived home this Thanksgiving at about 4:00pm. No one was home except for the kids (my cousins)...between the ages of 5 and 14. There was some food but it had all been wrapped away and placed in the axillary refrigerator in the basement. I went down stairs as instructed and served myself up some cold left overs which I put in the microwave and heated up. No turkey, sweet potato pie or collard greens I might add...I guess we skipped it this year. My aunt and oldest cousin (25) had gone to work because they both work in the health care industry and their slave master told them they had to work today. The only adult home was my debilitating Grandmother who was fast asleep in bed. So after eating I went upstairs to computer to catch up on some online stuff since my computer at school had crashed earlier that week.

I began to think, I wasn't particularly disappointed by the lack of festivities occurring at my house. I am accustomed to it..my family is not one of those lovey-dovey families were we have mandatory family time, call each other everyday and end each conversation with the all to misused phrase "I love you" (notice I said misused not over-used, there is a difference). This holiday was no different than any other. Usually I don't really look forward to Christmas or family holidays like that because as I grew up and realised that those days are like any other and are catered to two groups: Kids and the Retail Industry.

Now on to my main point: THANKFULNESS which is associate dearly with GRATEFULNESS. Now we sit around a table once or twice a year and are asked one by one we what we are thankful for and being honest with ourselves some of us think long and hard and hope that we are not the first one to be summoned because quiet frankly, most of us can't think up a white lie quickly enough that wont seem cliche or shady.

This is life people, it's that life that we as westerners live. We who have the most privilege in the world...sit and stuff ourselves with turkey on Thanksgiving day and give ourselves presents and Xmas day because we are so "GRATEFUL" for what we have...Isn't that ironic: each Holiday that we are suppose to be thanking someone else, we give our selves a pat on the back and presents i.e. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter? We give ourselves more because we are so grateful for what we have been given. Isn't that a little counterproductive and hypocritical to you? I think we all know that we go through certain experiences for a reason.

I grew up in a poor family. My mother did whatever she had to do so she could give as close to a normal life as possible. I am forever GRATEFUL for that. I'm grateful because I didn't grow up having everything. I'm GRATEFUL because I had the opportunity to see the difference between the poor and the rich(most of us are rich whether we think so or not). I'm grateful because I don't know how the fuck I got this far but I did. I'm grateful for the fact that I can even have a relationship when so many thousand of others have to hide themselves because of fear of being killed and battered and shaming their family to the point that there mother commits suicide all int the name of love. America, think about what you have and be GRATEFUL!!! Give the someone who doesn't have as much as you then say Marry Christmas or Happy Thanksgiving. Tired of words without meaning.

Next time you decide to curse out some sales person about your ipod touch not working or you say something demeaning to the McDonald's lady at the drive through window who can hardly speech English but is stilling working every hour she can to make a penny, or threaten the guy at the dry cleaners that through away your overpriced D&G sun glass that you left in you jacket, THINK, am I REALLY thankful or is it a bunch of fake bullshit I use to make me feel a little bit better about myself.

- A very Special K who is hoping this post makes you just a little more thankful.

Enjoy your Holiday

OMG!!!!

Aight aight...haven't been around to give ya'll a post. I actually had soooo much damn material that I didn't know what to do with it. I was planning a very nice article about this kid at my school and his experience coming out to his African family and his mother and sister disowning him. It would have been soooo damn interesting and educational for our community. It was crazy how his shyt went down. His sister wrote him this crazy-ass letter stating how she never had a brother and she was going to kill him with her own hands. She claimed that he forgot his culture and was evil and she ould never ever forgive him for what he had done till the day she dies. It wasn't a nice experience at all for the young man but it was certainly a reality check for those of us that have the privilege of being honest with our family members (not including myself). What brought a great extent of gravity to the situation was thatthis kid is a Freshman and 16 at that!!!!!!

Needless t say they kid is out at school (didn't take much to tell) and someone who aparently dislikes him facebooked his sister stating that he was he alledged lover. Damn, that's why I don't let people know my business cuz NIGGAZ S GRIMMY!!. Man I was plannnin gthat posts for so long I was going to post the letter that she wrote and everytign (with permission of course). I mean it wasn't so much the drama associated that really brought up my desire to wite abut it but every now and then i allows us to appreciate how much freedim gay/bi people haev in America. Sometimes we really take it for granted.He apparently lost the letter. If he ever finds it I'll right a full post on that.

Anyway, want to know what I've been doing for so long? Here's the list:

- Had my midterm exam

- Spent time with my prince (spoiled prince, but yet still a prince (wink, wink):-)

- Planned an event ( I plan events at school)

- Did (and currently doing research for my undergraduate thesis on No-Fault Insurance Laws in NY State and the benefit the insurance companies rather than Medical Practitioners (Sounds boring but its really not!!!) - If you are a law student hit me up!!!!

- Worked at my regular campus job

- Worked at my internship 2 days a week (was able to settle 3 cases (-:)

- Attended various meetings, committees, etc.

- Did flyer work (hobby)

- Went to Philly last weekend for my other job (Upward Bound). Good thing is hotel, meals and expenses were all paid for and I still got paid!!!! (-:

- Studying for my upcoming exam

- Went home twice to visit family

- Browsing apartments

- Planning my trip back to Trini, hopefully everything will go well (leaving on Christmas Day)

- Spent some more time with my prince

- Looked around for his X-mas gift

- Computer gave out on me just wont turn on!!!!

- Went to see my best friend (subject of the last article)..see below for update.

- Got tested - I'm CLEAN (thank God!!!)

- Looking forward to catching up on work during Thanksgiving


Update: Since the last post I went to see my best friend. The situation has gotten a bit better. He's taken a lot of responsibility upon his shoulders. He is currently staying at shelter for displaced teens. It's not the best but it's clean, safe and constant. He applied to a NY Sate program called Job-core. So he will be sending him off to up-state NY for a few months in order to train him for a job and help to put his life together. They also assist with job-placement and finding affordable housing. He's really eliminated a lot of distracting elements from his life. His phonebook went from 250 to 30 contacts and he broke up with his dude (or rather the other way around). He got a job at a restaurant until he goes upstate. Still hasn't spoke with his Mum or sister. The situation is pretty messed up because he's not a dull person, he speaks 6 languages!!!!

Here are some pix I took Last night.