Monday, January 19, 2009

What a weekend

If only Martin Luther King, Jr. had made it to see his 80th birthday…What a weekend!

What a weekend to be an African-American.

What a weekend to simply be an American.

Not only is it MLK Day, but it falls on the eve of the inauguration of America’s first Black President, Barack Obama.

Hollywood couldn’t have written it any better.

I recently heard a story from a buddy that got me to thinking about how far we’ve come from the days of MLK to the election of Obama.

My buddy, who is Black, was riding the bus when a white lady comes-up and looks at him. After a few moments, she speaks to him “You look like him…Obama.” My buddy paid the comment little mind as he bears lil resemblance to Obama…other than being Black.

Upon telling me the story, my first inclination was to roll my eyes and cite the old ‘You all look the same to me,’ mentality.

But as I thought about it, I changed my mind.

At least she engaged my buddy.

Back in college, I wrote an MLK Day column where I implored people to communicate with folks of other races and backgrounds. Communication is key.

Who knows how many people of color this lady on the bus has dealt with. Based-on the interaction with my buddy, I’d venture to guess not very many. But Obama seems to offer a bridge to start a dialogue that has been lacking for far too long.

Instead of focusing on the negative(s), look at how far we’ve come.

Blacks have gone from slavery, to Negro, to segregation, to Black, to African-American and now President…(a gross over-simplification, but I am not a historian.)

Some would think we are at the end of the road. But I caution those people, as I whole-heartedly disagree.

Obama’s election is a great accomplishment and it has now placed the issue of race on the table, in a way it never has been before, but we still have a very long way to go.

Should a Black President be a big deal? In a perfect world, No. We should be excited about the new President, not the color or his skin.

Now I am not naïve enough to talk about rainbows and seeing a world without color. MLK said it best in his famous ‘I have a dream’ speech:
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

I am not knocking the truly historic and monumental shift that Obama’s Inauguration represents. I just want to make sure that we don’t lose sight of the goal in all of the euphoria.

The fact that MLK’s words are still as relevant today as the day he uttered them only proves my point.

Racism is still alive and well in America. Obama does offer hope/proof that we are moving in the right direction. But to tout Obama’s election as the culmination of MLK’s Dream is premature.

We need to see Obama’s election as a step (a very big one, at that) towards the mountain top that MLK spoke of in his speech.

And as my buddy’s story exhibits, it’s gonna be a bit awkward at times, but it looks like we are getting there.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

An update on ‘Being Green’

Instead of coming-up with another ‘baby-step’ idea this month, I am going to offer some reviews on some of the changes that I have made.

First-off, is commuting to work by bus…I am loving it! I’ve driven to the Eastside a couple times since getting my bus pass and experienced harsh reminders of how stressful/horrible traffic is. In fact, during the snow of the past couple weeks, I didn’t even touch my car. And shockingly, I didn’t miss it. In fact, the snow even got me to walk (the whole mile +) to and from the bus stop. So not only am I being greener, but also getting a lil exercise.

Next are the green cleaning supplies…and there is a stinker, literally.

Earth Friendly Products Ultra Dishmate- Natural Pear
This product is definitely not a stinker. It’s a serviceable dishwashing detergent. I use the same amount as I would of a non-green detergent and it simply gets the job done. It cuts grease and has a nice scent. It is supposedly pear, but I’d say it’s closer to vanilla.

Arm & Hammer Essentials- Mountain Rain
I have already reviewed this product and find it to not only be equal, but superior to any laundry detergent I have used. It’s pretty heavily scented, which I like, but seems to be quite a black mark among eco-Nazis. *I also still use cold water to wash my clothes, and have seen no ill-effects on the cleanliness of my clothes.

Bright Green Chlorine-Free Bleach
I am indifferent on this product. I cannot say if this product works or not. I have seen no benefits or hindrances to using it. It is twice the price of regular bleach, but is Non-toxic and Biodegradable. I don’t recommend it as it seems to be a non-factor.

Bright Green Toilet Bowl Cleaner- Lemon Scent
I highly recommend this product…if you want your toilet to smell worse than before you cleaned it. I am not sure who formulated this product, but the ‘Lemon Scent’ smells faintly of mold and stale urine. I am not sure about you, but in my book, nothing says clean like mold and stale urine. If you can get past the smell (I can’t) it really is a poor toilet bowl cleaner, as it did little to remove stains or any other of the things that would render a toilet bowl clean. I will note that this product is Biodegradable, which about the only good thing it has going for it.

Ah, I am glad I got that off of my chest.

Please feel free to add a comment recommending some of the better green products you’ve come across or warning against some of the bad ones.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Depression 2009

As I sit here, sipping my 50-cent coffee, watching folks hard at work cleaning-up after the 2nd Snowpocalypse, it dawns on me.

There is no Christmas music playing. And those workers aren’t simply pressure washing the excess sand, but removing Christmas lights.

The holiday season is over.

Let the depression begin.

While Christmas shopping tends to bring-out the worst in people, the season on-the-whole seems to bring out the humanity in folks. Families get-together, friends have parties, employers give out yearly bonuses and even in these tough economic times charities see an influx of donations.

It’s freaking beautiful.

I am a Christmas freak. I love the music, I love the food, I love the parties. Simply put, I love the love.

And now it’s over. (A tear.)

I always get pretty bummed-out around this time of year. *And not just because I got to spend Christmas Even and New Year’s Eve all-by-my-lonesome, as I did this year.

It’s a lot like a 5 year-old who binges on a ton of candy, I love the high and hate the inevitable crash.

So nearly a week into the New Year, I am in a sour mood.

This is the week when folks really begin to see what resolutions are going to stick and which aren’t. I am failing miserably on mine. This is where the hope raised in a drunken stupor begins to come back down to reality.

Reality sucks.

I think that is the beauty of the Holidays and New Years, you get to suspend reality for a bit. Kids dream of the perfect present and adults look to the New Year hoping for a change after a year that may not have progressed as they liked.

But sadly, the excesses that are excused by “Oh, it’s the holidays,” reasoning must be reigned-in as folks buckle-down for the coming year.

Maybe we are all just that gluttonous 5 year-old at heart. I know I am.

Guess the trick is to find that balance.

But with the New Year comes a reminder that change is coming and though it seems all but forgotten now, sunny weather is on the way.

Something tells me that the first time I hit a tennis ball over the net, I’ll have long-forgotten this sad sack-dom that befalls me annually.

But until then, I need some candy.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

A change is gonna come.

As I awoke last night to the sound of howling winds, I got to thinking about the coming New Year.

And yes, I am alluding to “Winds of Change” there. Cheesy, I know. But it was 3:30 AM.

See, 2008 started-off with a bang. After being unemployed for half of 2007, January saw me get a job and a lady in the same week…things were looking up.

If only I hadn’t peaked there.

The relationship didn’t last, with me playing the role of a Neville Brother, having ‘Played the Fool.’ And the job, while offering a paycheck and chance to work with some good folks, turned-out to be a mind-numbing dead-end position in an industry that is seriously hurting.

Woo Hoo…

While my lot is better than some, as I am employed, I am ready for a change.

Howl-on Winds of Change! (I am sticking with it.)

I saw a glimmer of hope for change in the election of Barack Obama this fall. Not just in a political sense, but because his election is an example of the seemingly impossible actually coming to fruition. I mean, America elected a Black man!! That is some historic and unheard of stuff!!

So I figure, if a Black man can become President, a dude like me should be able to land a slightly more fulfilling job or at least get a date.

Sadly, I don’t see 2009 offering any improvements on the global/national economic front. Which makes searching for a job a daunting task. But that is my resolution, transition to a career doing something that offers more than just a paycheck. (A desire I’ve shared previously on this blog.)

But if there is one thing I take away from 2008, it’s that I am still here and swingin’.

Many folks sum-up 2008 with one phrase, “It is what it is.”

My challenge to you for 2009, is to flip that sentiment and become proactive. Tweaking a line from Kanye West illustrates my point, “Don’t play the hand you are dealt, change the cards.”

Really take the time to examine your life and identify an area you’d like to see improvement in. Then take steps to make that change a reality. And hold yourself accountable.
Last year, I decided I had been fat-ass long enough, made an honest effort to change and am now in much better shape. So it can be done.

With that I sign-off, wishing you Good Luck, Good Health and Good Friends in 2009.