Category: Junior Literary

life is a blob

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Life is a blob. It is an amalgamation of many different definitions and reasons and questions. And the blob changes continuously for each individual, a metamorphosis without clear stages. The blob will digest you slowly, suffocating you, or the blob will meet your feet like a buoyant trampoline. Sometimes we become lost in the blob, and it morphs into something hideous and terrifying; it adopts the same consistency as bubble gum. And sometimes we allow it to become something grotesque; we allow it to swallow us whole, apathy and all.

How can a blob have any beauty?

How can a blob “blobbier” than a blobfish have any beauty?

I appreciate the blob, even despite its mess. I appreciate all of its colors and textures and emotion. I think that the blob is beautiful (although not as beautiful as a blobfish).

I know that saying this alludes to me loving the blob, but I do not, in fact, love the blob. I do believe, however, that the blog deserves care and respect.

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reasons to respect the blob

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• Tacos
• Coffee
• Dinosaurs
• Cats
• Dogs
• Plants
• Jurassic Park
• Batman
• Sleep
• Blue
• Orange
• Green
• Food
• Writing
• Art
• fam (hah)
• Music (…)
• Reese’s
• Some people

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random rant

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Why do we expect life to be linear? Perfect lines do not exist in nature. I feel that it is important to not fight the currents of effect; I feel that it is important to trust the waters of existence, to allow yourself to be shaped by the waves.

Have a little faith in chance and find comfort in the fact that we can not control where we end up.

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some of my reasons (just…reasons)

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• Coffee
  • Seven in the morning: in front of my window, watching the sky (drained of color); running down flights of stairs or slouching in the elevator; always in a hurry.
  • Nearing noon: discombobulated but rested; cartoons from the living room; voices; lazy, lazy, lazy; whipped cream and chocolate syrup; never warm because I oversleep. (thank you  🙂 )
  • Ten in the morning: rocking chairs; cold air but warm sun; distant passing vehicles; still; peace.
  • Whenever o’clock: coffee house?; fourth block?; lit. classes?; either a half-hearted attempt to stay awake or indulgence taking over.
• Oranges peeled on the way to class.
• Desk dinos
• Gifts
  • Coffee
  • Words
  • Compliments
  • Understanding
  • Tacos
  • A dinosaur door sign
  • Reese’s
  • Time
• Music
  • Laughable music videos
  • An amazing range of sound
  • LyRicS
  • s y n t h e s i z e r s
  • Making fun of your music taste out of shame
  • Tears for Fears
  • A broken, despairing flute
• Taco pillows
• Tortilla blankets
• Depression fries
• Dandelions
• Eating outside
• Cactus coffee cup
• Writing stuff
• Time

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oh no…random spill

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Please do not stress; write everything down and take it one step at a time. Eat while studying so that you can convince yourself that you are happy. Open your eyes every once in awhile; do not be afraid. Doubt will never be a stranger, so remember your accomplishments. Take your microwaved tacos down the stairs with you; never throw them away. Try not to ruin the mood of others because of something temporary; you will regret it. Do not say good bye when leaving; say you will see them later. Feel free to take two cupcakes. Feel free to stretch across a bench and stare up into the branches of a tree. Collect all of the dandelions you want, but never throw them away. You have time; you have time; you have time. Live intentionally; do not be afraid of living the life of a dreamer. Take risks with your art, and do not fall prey to barriers. Feel free to dance like a car dealership balloon, and do not forget how momentous the little things in life are. Draw all over your arm and wear that hideous 90’s shirt and know that courage is not completely without fear.

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Wednesday’s Fun Fact:

February = stress (& guacamole)

also:       

(I know…the truth hurts.)

Peace.

Black History Month is from February 1st- February 28/29th, but you probably already knew this—many people do. However, what people don’t know is how this month came to be and why we celebrate black history, which is what inspired me to write this blog.

Origin

In 1926, Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History created “Negro History Week” as way to recognize and celebrate the progress of African-Americans. The event was set to be the 2nd week in February because it coincided with both, President Lincoln and Frederick Douglass’ birthdays, and their birthdays had already held significance in the black community since the 19th century.

Woodson created the week because he believed that black history was important, especially at a time when no one else was recording it. This resulted in The Journal of Negro History , which was one of the first texts that contained the history of African-Americans. After the ten year journey writing the book, Woodson said,

“If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated. The American Indian left no continuous record. He did not appreciate the value of tradition; and where is he today? The Hebrew keenly appreciated the value of tradition, as is attested by the Bible itself. In spite of worldwide persecution, therefore, he is a great factor in our civilization.”

The release of the book caused a surge in popularity of Negro History Week for many decades, and mayors all over the U.S. declared it a holiday.

Because of Woodson’s work and dedication to the teaching of black history, at a time when it wasn’t even acknowledged, he was deemed the “Father of African-American History”. His early efforts have resulted in the Black History Month we know today.

Black History Month

In February 1969, students and teachers at Kent State University proposed that Negro History Week be an entire month. The following year, Black History Month was born and celebrated annually at Kent State.

Just 6 years after Kent State’s first celebration, colleges and schools across the country were celebrating the month of black of history. Even President Gerald Ford was in support of the month, encouraging people to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history” at the U.S. Bicentennial.

Conflict Arises

Despite the tremendous strides Black History Month has made, some people disagree with it entirely. In 2006, Morgan Freeman had an interview with 60 Minutes in which Mike Wallace asked him about Black History Month.

Freeman says that Black History Month is ridiculous and that “Black history is American history,” but he’s not the only celebrity who believes in this.

In 2016, ten years after Freeman’s interview, Clueless star, Stacey Dash, tweeted, “Either we want to have segregation or integration. And if we don’t want segregation, then we need to get rid of channels like BET and the BET Awards and the Image Awards, where you’re only awarded if you’re black. If it were the other way around, we would be up in arms. It’s a double standard.”

Why Do We Still Need Black History Month?

Do you think that Black History Month shouldn’t exist, like Freeman and Dash? NowThis News says, “No, we need it [Black History Month] for the same we needed it in 2019 and every year before that… In US news and current events today, in 2020, Black History Month is important more than ever. In short: America has a loonnng way to go for equality, black rights, and eradicating racism. ” In the video, the news outlet asks people why they think we still need Black History Month; here’s what they had to say:

Why Isn’t There White History Month?

One of the many disputes about Black History Month is the fact that there’s not history months dedicated to other races and nationalities. However, this is just a misconception. There are months dedicated to commemorating different races, nationalities, gender, and sexuality. Besides, you have to think about why Woodson created “Negro History Week” in the first place: people weren’t acknowledging the history of black people.

Similarly, the same argument applies to that of the dispute of W0men’s History Month. At some point in time, change occurred as a result of strides made by phenomenal women, so we celebrate their efforts and progress in that month. It’s not to say that men aren’t great, but that men didn’t have to overcome the same obstacles as women, and the same applies for why we don’t have a white history month. As stated in the video, “Even though words like “black” and “white” seem the same, they function quite differently. ” So, it isn’t actually as black and white as it may seem.

The Importance of Black History Month

According to a blog by the National Museum of African-American History and Culture,

“Carter G. Woodson’s vision for black history as a means of transformation and change is still quite relevant and quite useful. African American history month is still a beacon of change and hope that is still surely needed in this world. The chains of slavery are gone—but we are all not yet free. The great diversity within the black community needs the glue of the African American past to remind us of not just how far we have traveled but lo, how far there is to go.”

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Thanks for reading!

Hello loves, it’s ya girl Maple. Lately, things have been absolutely hectic. I mean, just wild. Even so, I have been able to find spots of positivity in many ways. Before I begin, I would just like to say how thankful I am for the people + things that have supported me during these days. Now, let me share with you the things that have brung me happiness. I hope this will encourage you to find specks of joy in the midst of despair as well!

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 Humans: Before, I really preferred plants + animals (and I still do…we’ll get to that), but I enjoy the company of humans as well. You see, I’ve always enjoyed conversation with my close friends, but lately I have a new appreciation for everyone. I feel like everyone needs to be loved, and I see the goodness in each person. I really appreciate how people are so helping and kind. I am trying my best to make sure you all know that I genuinely care + appreciate you guys. I am always here if anyone needs me. I promise you won’t be a bother!

Animals: Ah yes, animals are truly wonderful. I have so much more of an appreciation for animals. I mean, they are just so loving. So many animals are hurt, abused, and it breaks my heart. I hate that they go through this. We really should be more loving towards our friends. And also, maybe 

Plants: Funny story, yesterday I was crying about eating plants because I love them. I believe plants are wonderful + lovely. Looking back, I literally cannot just eat air. Unless?? Nope. Anyway, I got more plants yesterday. There’s just something about the way they light up a space. But I got them from Walmart in the garden section. They sat outside, in a little cluster where no one seemed to notice. The sign said that they were marked on clearance. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I was so upset to see that they were just because they were hurting. So I am a plant mom again. 

Trust me, there are many more things that I am truly grateful for, but these are the ones that are currently in the front of my mind. I find that it is helpful to practice mindfulness, seeing the things that are truly lovely. I wish you all a bright day, and I have a sneaky suspicion that things will get better from here on out. Take care of yourself, be gentle, and know that crying is not a sign of weakness. 

-Maple 🙂

Hello, I hope all is well and you’re having a great black history month! To continue on my series of appreciation to African American artists. This week I will discuss The Black Arts Movement, and I’ll name ten influential African American artists who were apart of the BAM. 

The Black Arts Movement, also known as The Black Aesthetic Movement, was a period (1965-1975) were politically driven black artists challenged racism through their craft. The assassination of Malcolm x in 1965 was the catalyst for The Black Arts Movement. The supporters of the Black Panther Party divided into two groups: Revolutionary Nationalists and Cultural Nationalists. Revolutionary Nationalists identify as the Black Panther Party, and Cultural Nationalists used the arts to exposed racism. The goal for the Cultural Nationalists was to demonstrate black pride and to achieve freedom through the art of writing, dancing, acting, singing, visual art, and music.

Amiri Baraka, an accomplished African American writer, moved from his home in Manhattan to Harlem. Baraka opened up the first Black Arts Repertory Theater and School (BARTS).  He visualized BARTS to be an art school catered to and from the black community.  In the theatre segment, all of BARTS performances were written and performed by African American artists. In the literature segment, BARTS artists created poetry, novels, plays and published many extraordinary works. BARTS was the first establishment of The Black Art Movement, and even though it operated for only a year, BARTS attracted many artists. It also provided a fine example to others and broaden the BAM movement across the nation.

The Black Arts Movement began in Harlem with BARTS but quickly expanded to the states: Illinois, Detroit, and California. For instance, John Johnson and Hoyt Fuller published Negro Digest,  a magazine that promoted black writers, in Chicago, Illinois. Also in 1969, Robert Chirsman and Nathan Hare created The Black Scholar. The Black Scholar was the first scholarly journal to print academic African American studies.

However, music was also a detriment part of the BAM, specifically, jazz. Cultural Nationalists saw that they could use jazz as a political source; as a result, many jazz musicians and poets collaborated.  This created a new genre of literature and music: Jazz Poetry. Here is a video of the infamous jazz poet, Jayne Cortez, reciting her works. Experience the amazing collaboration of her spoken word poetry and jazz.

https://youtu.be/0PqqSPgUm2s

 

The Black Aesthetic 

Now after reading all this, you may be wondering, “What is the black aesthetic?” During the Black Arts Movement the term ‘Black Aesthetic’ was used to describe works of literature, music, art, and theater that captured African American culture. With the BAM came a new way to express their work, that, black artists created. Writers like Ntozake Shange didn’t confine to westernized, European English nor did she let anything limit her creativity. In her writing, she wrote by her own rules and communicated her craft by using, what we know today as, African American Vernacular English.

In all, there isn’t one exact way to define ‘Black Aesthetic’. It means many things in various ways. According to Tate.org the black aesthetic means, “a cultural ideology that developed in America alongside the civil rights movement in the 1960s and promoted black separatism in the arts.”

However, I believe that the ‘Black Aesthetic’ doesn’t promote black separatism in the arts. Simply because black culture is an art, in itself. I believe it radiates off the walls; it is in the air you breathe. Black art is everywhere; therefore, it is impossible to separate it from anything that is true art. I believe that the ‘Black Aesthetic’ has more to do with the black identity. When you disregard the rules, and barriers that have been placed on you as an artist. When you have decided to create by your own rules and standards. To me, that is the ‘Black Aesthetic’.

Ten influential artist who were apart of the Black Arts Movement

1. Sonia Sanchez

2. Gwendolyn Brooks

3. June Jordan

4. Benny Andrews

5. Kay Brown

6. Nikki Giovanni

7. Amiri Baraka

8. Dr. John Henrik Clarke

 

9. Rosa Guy

10. Wanda Coleman

I know I haven’t shared that much of my writing, but I thought today would be a good day to share some of the pieces that I am most proud of.  I’ve always enjoyed writing poetry, and it is my favorite type of writing to do! Please enjoy, and hopefully these will inspire you/ provoke a thought.

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Abuse is Your Party Trick

Breathe whispers down my throat.

Trail your fingers up my spine.

Grasp at my insecurities like gold,

Just because you think I’m yours.

 

Claim me as your broken dolly,

The one you need to keep safe.

Growl at the passersby viciously,

While holding my limp form.

 

Don’t you see what you’re doing?

Before I was filled with life,

But now I try to survive from you.

I can’t act perfect any more.

 

You call it protective, honey,

But I call it control issues.

You call me delusional,

But I call it gas-lighting.

 

I am done.

 

Done with toxic waste

that you cover up in 

false smiles,

gifts,

and compliments.

 What’s That in the Windex?                                                                                                        

All over America women are cleaning homes.             

It’s apartments in New York; condos                                                                            

in California; cabins in Alaska.                                                                                            

All over America women are making messes they’re                                                            

supposed to be cleaning up with brooms;                                                                            

sweeping away at the floors with glee.                                                                              

Anger fumes in her brain, confined but spewing out                                                        

in squirts of blue Windex.                                                                                                    

Uncleansed despair wipes like a dust rag                                                                         

from the laundry bin against the back of her eyes.                                                                

If she wants to clean up anything, it’s                                                                                 

her husband’s vile mentality.                                                                                            

If she wants to sweep up anything it’s his                                                                             

pitiful attitude towards her every day.                                                                                      

Her life is supposed to be polished;                                                                                        

it’s meant to shine.                                                                                                                   

Look, she says, once I was your welcome mat

that you could walk all over, but now 

I have reconsidered my role.

It’s not incompetence darling, 

it’s war.

Rainbow Baby

Your eyes are dull blue,

crows feet kissing the corners.

My eyes are blue too,

looking at you with wonder.

You didn’t think I would

be here with you today.

Here in your arms crying,

after you did all the work.

Saying I was your rainbow,

as you lulled me to sleep.

What is this love?

To be pressed against your

chest beating with life—

something you decided

to share with me.

Only a momma’s heart

could produce this

pure connection.

 

I hope you have enjoyed reading some of my poetry. Poetry was the first thing that I really started writing. I started off writing love poems. In fact, back then I was really into rhyming poems. It was much different than the poetry I write now. Thanks for reading!

-Maple 🙂

 

 

 

 

As I mentioned in my previous blog, every post in the month of February will focus on black history in honor of Black History Month. The same goes for Women’s History Month in March. There won’t be a specific format for each post; it will most likely vary based on the topic.

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Miss America was the first national pageant dating back to 1921. It all started when 16-year-old, Margaret Gorman, was named “The Most Beautiful Bathing Girl in America”. She was then recognized as “Miss America”.

 

 

However in 1950, Yolande Betbeze,  refused to pose in a swimsuit, even after she won the title of Miss America. Because of the controversy her refusal caused, there was no Miss America pageant in 1950, so Betbeze won the crown in 1951. This was a pivotal time in the pageant world; it is said to have been the point in which pageants began to focus on intellect, morality, and leadership abilities rather than just beauty. From then on, the pageant has focused more on scholarship than beauty, and Betbeze continued to fight for change in pageantry being active in the feminist movement, NAACP, CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), and SANE (The Committee for a SANE Nuclear Policy). Nevertheless, the shift in the pageant world caused the creation of the Miss USA and the Miss Universe pageant in 1952.

The End of Rule Number 7

When the Miss America pageant was established in 1921 there were rules set in place. One rule was that contestants had to be in “good health and of the white race.” In 1950, that rule was abolished. However, there were no African-American contestants in the pageant in 50 years (they appeared in musical numbers, but only cast as slaves).

In 1971, Cheryl Browne, competed as the first African-American in the pageant. Browne faced discrimination for competing, and although she did not win, she paved the way for other African-American women.

 

Nearly a decade later, in 1983, Vanessa Williams became the first African-American woman to win the Miss America pageant. She, too, faced discrimination, and a few weeks before the end of her reign, Williams was pressured into giving up her title due to a scandal that arose when a magazine bought and published unauthorized nude photographs of her. In 2015, thirty-two years later, while she was serving as head judge of the Miss America pageant, former CEO, Sam Haskell, publicly apologized to her during the pageant for the events that occurred in 1984.

 

According to Wikipedia, “Miss USA has been held annually since 1952 in select states.” It began as a result of before-mentioned Yolanda Betbeze’s refusal to pose in a swimsuit. Pageant sponsor, Catalina, agreed with Betbeze and created Miss USA along with Miss Universe.  It is currently operated under the Miss Universe Organization, which also operates Miss Teen USA. The pageant was owned by current president, Donald Trump, from 1996 to 2015, and is now owned by WME/IMG.

In 1990, Carole Gist was crowned Miss USA; she was the first African-American to do so. She then went on to win first runner-up in the Miss Universe pageant. Since then, there have been nine African-American women to win the title, with the latest being Cheslie Kryst in 2019.

 

 

The Miss Universe pageant is under the operation of the Miss Universe Organization. The current president of the Miss Universe Organization is Paula Shugart, who has held this position since 1997.

In 1977, 25 years after the pageant’s start, Trinidad native, Janelle Commissiong was the first African-American to win the title of Miss Universe. Since then, only 4 African-American women have won the title. Most recently, Zozibini Tunzi won the title for 2019.

 

 

 

Miss World is the longest-running international beauty pageant. It began in 1951, when Eric Morley created a bikini contest at the Festival of Britain celebrations; he called it the Festival Bikini Contest. It gained popularity and became a pageant; it was later named “Miss World”. It faced many controversies due to its beginnings as a bikini contest. The fact that the first winner of the pageant was crowned in a bikini added to the controversy. As a result, in 1976, swimsuits were replaced by evening gowns for the crowning; the first winner of the pageant remains the only one to have been crowned in a bikini.

50 years later, in 2001, Agbani Darego, became the first African-American woman to win the Miss World pageant and represent Nigeria.
In 1968, J. Morris Anderson created Miss Black America before Cheryl Browne broke the racial barrier in 1970. However, it was still a time when women of color weren’t necessarily unable (Rule #7 had been abolished) to compete in the Miss America pageant, but it was still frowned upon. Creator of the pageant, J. Morris Anderson, told The Post, “Many Black people had been convinced that Black skin was ugly, that curly hair was bad hair. There were kids who might have seen their mother pinching their nose so it wouldn’t be broad and would be more European.” As a result, the pageant thrived. Black women started seeing themselves as beautiful, and soon after, the #BlackIsBeautiful movement began. Despite all of the good the pageant brought, it went on hiatus from 1996 to 2009 due to a scandal in 1991 with boxer, Mike Tyson. However, the pageant has been supported and praised by many influential people, such as Curtis Mayfield who wrote the pageant’s theme song, Oprah Winfrey, who competed in 1971, and Stevie Wonder who has sung at event numerous times.

 

In 1983, Miss Teen USA was created for girls aged 14-19. Eight years after the pageant’s start, in 1991, Janel Bishop became the first African-American to win the title of Miss Teen USA. The pageant was held in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Pageantry in Mississippi

The Miss Mississippi pageant was created in 1934, and has been held in Vicksburg since 1958. Since the pageant’s start, four women have won the Miss America title from Mississippi. In 1987, Toni Seawright (Pascagoula , MS) became the first African-American woman to receive the crown; she was 4th runner-up in the Miss America pageant.

 

Two decades later, in 2007, Kimberly Morgan (Oxford, MS) was crowded as the second African-American woman to win the title of Miss Mississippi.

 

 

 

 

In 2014, one of own, MSA alum, Jasmine Murray (Columbus, MS), became the third African-American woman to win the Miss Mississippi title. Previously, she won Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen in 2006 and competed in the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen pageant in 2007 where she placed in the Top Ten. She also competed on American Idol in 2009.

 

In 2018, Asya Branch (Booneville, MS) became the fourth African-American woman to be crowned Miss Mississippi. Recently, she became the first African-American to win Miss Mississippi USA, and she will represent our state in the 2020 Miss USA pageant.

Black Women Reigning in Pageants

In 2019, history was made. For the first time ever, top beauty pageants: Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, Miss America, Miss Universe, and Miss World have all crowned black women as their winners simultaneously. From women of color being banned from participating in pageants at all to having all black women crowned at the same time is astonishing; pageantry has come along with equality. And these 5 girls show some real #BlackGirlMagic.

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Thanks for reading!

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**MSA’s annual Black History Month production is this week: February 7-8 at 3:30pm in the Enochs Black Box Theatre.**

IT’S FEBRUARY SO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS…IT’S BLACK HISTORY MONTH YOU GUYS! (the shortest month of the year)

To celebrate I have decided to dedicate a blog post to African American artists for the whole month of February. Whether they may be perished or alive, I really want to express my appreciation towards them. Because they help pave the way so I, a black artist, can succeed. So, with that being said, for my first blog post I have decided to write a letter to the divine, Maya Angelou.

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Dear Dr. Angelou,

As a young girl, I always knew about you, even though I was never introduced to you. “The great and talented Maya Angelou,” is what I always heard when your name was mentioned. I was thirteen when I discovered the documentary Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise. While watching the documentary I immediately became inspired. This may sound a bit odd, but I felt a connection with you, Dr. Angelou.

You see, when I was a little girl I did not speak. I have a speech impediment that causes me stutter and mispronounce words. I was bullied by my family members and others.  I became very ashamed and self-conscious about the way I spoke. So, I decided to remain quiet, and communicate to others by simply pointing my hands. The only person I spoke to was my mother because she was the only one who could understand me. I began to take private speech lessons in preschool, and this lasted until I was in the 3rd grade. I was shy, quiet, and did not have many friends. As a result, I turned to reading and writing to entertain and comfort me. When I learned that you were mute, it made me feel accepted in a way. I understand that you decided to be mute for a completely different reason, but I found it inspiring that you took that tragic experience and transpired it into something phenomenal… your book: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. 

I wish that I  had the chance to meet you, watch you recite one of your poems, or even be in your presence. Even though it saddens me that I will never get the opportunity to meet you. I want to thank you. I want to thank you for never believing in the ones who didn’t believe in you. I want to thank you for never giving up even though times were extremely hard to be a black woman. I want to thank you for reminding me that I am a phenomenal woman¹. I want to thank you for your writing, acting, dancing, singing, and activism. Finally, I want to thank you for providing an example and and being a phenomenal role model. For little black, magical girls and little black, joyful boys to look up to. I thank you, Dr. Angelou.

Sincerely,

Stephyne Weathersby

 

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Maya Angelou: Sunrise: April 4, 1928 Sunset: May 28, 2014

Maya Angelou was an African American poet, singer, dancer, memoirist, and civil rights, activist. She published autobiographies, essays, books of poetry, plays. Performed in movies, and television shows in her lifetime.

 

 

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Phenomenal Woman¹ – A poem written by Maya Angelou.

Greetings, everyone. (:

I know that you were probably expecting more Tears for Fears, but their third and (hopefully) final post will release later. For my sanity (and yours), I can not type another colossal post for another week or two.

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Peace out, January. I am glad to finally add you to my month collection because you lasted for an eternity.

Looking back, I feel as if I experienced an entire semester during January. The month began after the passing of another year, and it ended on a Friday. The days in-between vary in shape and color.

I started off ceaselessly anticipating the start of my second semester at MSA. At home, during the break, I had a lot of time to think, and fear lined most of my thoughts. For some bizarre reason, I dreaded resuming my life in Brookhaven. Yes, I looked forward to not spending everyday oversleeping, watching Mission:Impossible, and impatiently involving myself in meaningless crafts (wait, I want to go back now…), but I almost dreaded returning to Brookhaven. Why? Well, I have a habit of always expecting the worst. I imagined that my classes would only bring me stress (hah), and I also imagined that I would lose everyone close to me (a bit dramatic, no?).

Well, to my surprise, I had the best first week back, and it started immediately when I returned. I genuinely missed MSA and its people, and being back reminded me of why I came to Brookhaven in the first place. To give you a bit of insight, I neglected my Popeye’s and unpacked bags to s o c i a l i z e. Therefore, my relentless fear of being estranged faded after I realized that people were glad to see me. I learned (and am still learning) an important lesson: Although negative thoughts seem to hold a permanent place in your head, do not dwell on them; if you fritter your time away on reliving every grey moment, you forget the endless supply of yellow within.

Although I often veer from any schedule I put together, I like having a routine. I know that routines can quickly become repetitive, but having one provides me with a lot of freedom. Allow me to explain: When I inherit a new schedule, I am overwhelmed and clueless as to how I manage my time; however, having a routine enables me to efficiently go about completing tasks. In short, having a routine lets me know how much I can procrastinate and at what time. As MSA runs on block schedule, I struggled with my schedule adjustment for quite some time during January, but I eventually found a routine.

As the month progressed, stress caught up to me (partially due to the shift in my schedule). It seemed as if the sky would remain grey forever. At times, I felt like an island stranded in the open ocean. I present to you another lesson, however: Never give in to a grey sky; never sink into the open ocean. Although clouds seemed to inhabit my chest, raining night and day, they dissipated with a little help. In the past, I would have sunken into this state, but the people in my life made me decide otherwise. I began to disregard the grey, and I was able to feel more present as a result.

I present to you another lesson: Never become discouraged by the process of growth. You will give it your all, desperately wanting to rise above the grey, but you will fall. You will land on your face and wonder why you continue to try. But, after, you will stand and regain your footing, and you will try again. And you will try because life is not meant to be lived with clouds in your chest, grey in your sky.

I ended up having some of the most “full” days of my life, and I am forever grateful. MSA has hurled a volley of frustration at me, but I do not regret coming here at all. For the first time in memory, I do not mind attending school. Sure, I have a lot of stress, but its influence has drastically reduced. I am more tolerate, also, and I can have a 9/10 day despite needing to approach an intimidating mass of homework. Peace has found me, and I hold on to it everyday in hope that it will never leave. But I have a lot of optimism, now, and I am not afraid.

The month ended on a Friday, drawing to a close after many weeks of change. And I felt one hundred percent drained, needless to say.

All in all, I appreciate January despite its stress and its length. It showed me that you can overcome the grey and find happiness. It showed me that the people in your life are worth fighting for, even if it feels like you only regress on your path toward positive development. It showed me that stress will always have a permanent place of residency in your life, but it is how you deal with it that makes a difference. And it showed me that growth manifests in the form of a scatterplot, not a perfect line graph.

I leave you with a few final words of advice: Do not give in to the grey, do not cling to negativity, and do not forget the people in your life (ahem, correction: every person).

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Wednesday’s Fun Fact:

Mike Score (of the band A Flock of Seagulls) used to be a hairdresser…

One thing about me: I love thrifting. I don’t always buy something when I go, but if I do then I’m definitely going to use or wear it.  I mean, that’s just everywhere though. Not just while thrifting.

One thing I probably enjoy more than thrifting for clothes is thrifting for books. I love finding books that appear to be older with the pages slightly wrinkled or worn. Every book has their own personality, but I find more personality in the books sitting on the dusty shelves of thrift stores. It may sound like I have been doing this for a while, but honestly, I didn’t even really enjoy reading until a little over a year ago. In fact, the first book I ever thrifted was last summer, and was my book by Mitch Albom, For One More Day.  Although I’m ashamed to say, I only recently finished the book… like a couple weeks ago. I took many breaks in between– partly because I didn’t want to finish the book. You know when you find a TV show you really enjoy watching and you hesitate to finish it because you know that when you finish it, you will never be able to enjoy it the same? Yeah. That’s how I felt about this book. Perhaps it was due to it being the first book I every truly owned (and was determined to read), and I wanted to savor the accomplishment of reading it. It’s a whole new experience reading a book that you and only you own. You have the “write” to do whatever you wish with it: underline your favorite passages, highlight meaningful phrases or words, or even write in it yourself. All things in which can express how you feel while reading it.

As I had mentioned earlier, I started reading this book immediately after I bought it in July, and even though it is only 197 pages long (lol), I very recently finished it. So yeah… I took  a lot of breaks. If you guys know me, you know I really don’t cry. I mean sure, we all have our moments, but me– not so much. But believe me when I tell you, this end had me so emotional. I was crying crying. This book in general was so filled emotion though. The main character, Charlie or “Chick”, was going through it, and it felt like I was right there going through it with him. I could fell his pain, his guilt, his confusion, and his joy. This honestly was the type of book that made me want to become a better person after reading, and those are such important books in life. That’s the type of writing I wish to write one day. Such an inspiration. I’m not going to tell you what it was about because I’m not sure how to do so without giving away the book, but feel free take my word and read it 🙂

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. I hope you all have a good day and an even better week <3

“go get learnt” -my brother

Hey y’all! I made a playlist last semester and it was more of an “on a whim” post for me, but I want to take the time to actually list out the songs I’m currently listening too. This playlist consists of some of my favorite artists and some are new. I’ve always been open to new music no matter the genre, so today I want to share some music with you all. I hope that I have “put you on” with these songs. Enjoy!

1. Lemon Glow-Beach House This song is the most recent song in my playlist. I heard it through a shared playlist from an MSA alum actually. It’s labeled under the genre Alternative. This song just calms me down so much. I will admit that it’s more on the weird side of my usual music choice, but I love it!
2. Crash-Key Glock This song is just straight fire. If you’ve never heard of Mr. Glock himself…GO TAKE A LISTEN…LIKE…NOW!
3.  SIX’FO-ZaeHD & CEO I got this song through the popular socail media app Tik Tok. The song features a very hard bass, which is a must in almost all my music! This is a good dance song as well.
4.  CHANGE MY LIFE- Stunna 4 Vegas & Blac youngsta This song is honestly a party song. It’s a hype song with a lot of bass. I love it here!
5. WHAT TO DO?-Jackboys & Travis Scott ft. Don Toliver This song is a lot calmr than the previous 3. It features the angelic voice of my man Don Toliver, which if you haven’t heard of him, I would highly recommend listening to his music.
6. Exxus- Glass Animals This song is a smooth, alternative song that just screams a chill vibe. I would reccomend this song for those car rides with your best friends at night when y’all are scavaging for food.
7. I’m Not in Love-Kelsey Lu This song is perfect for the upcoming dreaded day—Valentine’s Day. Any song about love captures my heart. I HIGHLY recommend listening.
8.  Werkin Girls-Angel Haze I found this specific song through the HBO’s Euphoria Apple Music playlist. If you are all for the new age of female rappers, then this is definitely the song for you!
9.  Frio-Omar Apollo If you never heard of Omar Apollo don’t feel ashamed because I am new to his music as well. This particular artist makes alternative music with a mix of his Spanglish (Spanish + English) language coming through is some of his songs. In this particular song, the entire song was in Spanish. Don’t feel afraid to listen to this song because your Spanish vocabulary isn’t very fluent! This song is a BOP!
10.  Stomp and Grind-Grandma ft. Rico Nasty This song mixes the likes of alternative music and rap. This unlikely duo created a timeless song that will calm you down and hype you up at the same time. We LOVE it here!
11. Proud Family-Tory Lanez Ever watched the Proud Family on Disney Channel? Well, this song is a modern remix of the song, but male artist, Tory Lanez, took the song and definitely made it his own. 10/10 would recommend.
12. BLOW-Ed Sheeran,Chris Stapelton, & Bruno Mars This unlikely trio came together to create this country/rock song. Every time I hear this song, I think of of my favorite DC comic character Aquaman. 10/10 would recommend.
13.  The Blood Still Works- Malcolm Williams & Great Faith Despite not being a new song by any means, this song has been constantly on replay lately. A good gospel song NEVER hurt anybody!
14. Break the Fall- Grandma This band has honestly blessed my ears with their album “Even if We Don’t Get it Together.” This particular song is on the album and one of my personal favorites from it.

I don’t want to overwhelm, but this is a good majority of my playlist. It’s very diverse and there’s a little bit of everything in there. I hope you take the time to listen!!!

 

*All of these songs can be found on Apple Music!*