My sister sent me this...
apparently this tour company in Washington DC... which provides a personalize look at Black DC is in danger of folding. Let's see if we can make that an impossibility, shall we?
Pass this post along...
Chocolate City Tour
Labels: mah peoples...
I have no idea why I went.
Ok, I do know why I went. I'm a glutton for punishment AND needed a reference check. I got both.
Last Friday night I went to the meet and greet for my 30 year class reunion. A little background info for ya.
Beginning my sophmore year in high school I attended a small, catholic school 6 miles from my home and childhood friends. My new classmates were mainly middle classes brats... sorta like me, now that I think about it. The racial demographics were approximately 80% white, 15% hispanic, 4% black and 1% asian. The religious demographics were approximately 99% catholic and 1% protestant/other. The gender demographics were about 50/50. I really didn't like it there, but, according to my father (who knew best, of course), I'd receive a fine, college preparatory education and interact with a diverse group of students and enjoy the experience. Uh huh.
Well, it was the late 70s. Big hair and platform shoes and huge dreams. I survived the experience with my soul intact... and my sense of reality only slightly skewed. I was the "token" in the honors program. This meant I spent 99% of my high school career in classes with white males with, if I was lucky, at least one other female in the room. It also meant, except for breakfast, lunch and social/sports events, I didn't see black folk very often. Again... I didn't like it.
So... last Friday night when I did finally get up, get dressed and drive out to the pizza joint where the meet and greet was being held, I fully expected to know at least two people in the room, the host and hostess... high school sweethearts, Cy and Diane, neither of whom I ever had a class with, but both of whom knew me... because of my sister, their fellow band geek. I wasn't staying long...
I entered the joint, full of smoke and drunk white people, stepped up to the bar and asked where the reunion party was... I was directed to the back of the place and as I stood in the doorway, looking for an aged, yet familar face in the crowd, all eyes fell on me. I smiled, waved and continued to look for someone I knew. I guess I appeared to be lost to the white haired woman closest to me, so she extended her hand (I swear she did) introduced herself (I didn't recognize her maiden name, so immediately lost interest in her existence) and said hello. I told her who I was, she naturally didn't know who I was and I just smiled at her, took back my now sweaty hand and followed the waitress who was passing into the room with a large, freshly baked pizza. Let me eat something... and find some liquor... not necessarily in that order.
I weaved my way through the crowd of balding, possibly successful men and greying, housewife on sabbatical women and stopped in front of the buffet. As I gathered up some of the pizza and located the chianti, someone called my name. It was Mary (this was a catholic reunion... 90% of the girls were named Mary) who grabbed me just as I put my hands on the carafe of wine and hugged me. She then did something just... wrong. She brushed her hand across my face and announced to the anonymous man standing with her that I still had the most beautiful skin she'd ever seen in her life. Why on earth was my face so flawless (nevermind the perimenapausal acne that was causing me to become suicidal) and why did I still look like I was 18 years old? (I was 17 when we graduated, you perkly little snot.)
I smiled, made a mental note on how thin she was, thanked her and excused myself to get back to that carafe of wine. Fully armed with food and spirits, I renegotiated my way through the crowd, smiling and saying hi to these strangers and found a table. I was about to sit down when another person called my name. I recognized this one. Tanya... crazy Tanya. I noticed something that almost made me laugh. She was with several others I recognized... every single one of them non white... all standing off in a corner enjoying each other. I'd found the minority section of the room.
We laughed and talked and someone pulled out a yearbook and we attempted to identify the people in the room. Then someone said it... why do we all look the same and they look different? We all knew the answer, and it wasn't necessary to say it, but someone did anyway. "Cus they grow old way too fast." We all silently agreed with that assessment.
There wasn't an honors program graduate in the joint. I didn't have classes with ANY of these people... but I knew some of them, and made them laugh as I signed the guest book and put my email address in the column. If I get an email from any of ya'll... I'm sending it to my spam file, you've been warned.
30 damned years, and the overeducated hispanics and blacks were sitting in the corner being ignored by the "average educated" white people. They didn't care that we were teachers and psychotherapists and nurses, or engineers and authors and had our own businesses and masters degrees or working on our Ph.Ds. We still weren't important... after all this time. Most of them didn't WANT to know that we were as successful as them.. if not more so. They were there to show off what they wanted everyone to think they were. We were there to give high praise to each other for what we'd become despite being ignored.
Man on man... as I wandered out of the room with people asking why I was leaving so soon (soon, I've been here 3 hours and you ain't said shit to me) I made another mental note... don't show up at any more class reunions.. These people are assholes.
Labels: mah peoples...
Health care and the care of your health. You'd think the two would go together like water and ice or ice and steam, but for some reason, there appears to be a difference between the two.
I have always had health insurance. I have moaned and bitched about the change in deductibles and the copays, but, at the end of the day, I pay the premium, the co pay, the deductible and see the doctor. Because I am blessed enough to do this, I have no "pre existing condition" to be an aggravation for me when I've changed jobs and need to change carriers. Its worked out nicely.
The clinic where my doctor practices was closed for about 3 months last year due to flooding. The computer files were lost and for a while there, noone in the joint was sure who owed them money and who didn't. I've been getting bills in the mail that I wouldn't normally receive because, naturally, everything is submitted to the insurance company. Ladies and gentlemen, health care, even the preventive maintenance, wellness stuff, ain't cheap. I make the necessary phone calls and resubmit claims and everything is ok now, but I couldn't imagine having to pay out of pocket for that stuff. I feel for people who have to.
I also feel for doctors. When I took my daughter in for her menigitis vaccination before heading off to college a couple of years ago, the doctor asked specifically... can she have this done at the infirmary? I asked why. He was plain.
That vaccination will cost the clinic $127 and the insurance company will
probably only pay $50 of it. We have to eat the rest. Its gotten to
the point where clinics and doctors are working for free while the patients are
padding the pockets of the insurance companies.
This is what the health insurance debate is about. People needing insurance, having insurance and paying insurance, yet, for some reason, the insurance companies aren't providing health care ASSURANCE.
Some say the problem lies in the deregulation of the insurance companies several years ago (gee, doesn't that sound familiar, can you say "bank deregulation"?) Some say its just general greed of hospitals and insurance companies. I say its a spiralling mess of both.
So, all the nice people screaming like banchees at town hall meetings are confused. They're functioning under a delusion created by health insurance lobbists who want to make sure that the "good thing" their clients have been living with all this time, doesn't fade to black.
And then there's this other notion of what's really going on. Remember 9/11? Remember how, after the dust had cleared, the insurance companies had to pay off claims and rates went up and everything?
Remember Katrina and Rita? Same thing there. Notice how in and attempt to "balance" things out, the banks started all of that adjustable mortgage rate stuff? Remember the bottom falling out of manufacturing and everyone packing up and moving to China? How many more dominos will fall before its all over?
Well... I believe everyone should have health insurance. Everyone should visit the doctor at least once a year. This will cut down on the number of pre existing conditions, which will reduce costs in health care which will... well you see how it works.
If folk would just stop screaming lik e banchees at town hall meetings....
but we'll discuss thatin part 2....
Labels: mah peoples..., politics as usual
Random thought #1: Men landed on the moon 40 years ago. I remember that. Damn.
Random thought #2: My 30th class reunion is in 7 weeks. I suppose I should go. Double Damn.
Random thought #3: I love the way God makes people stop and pay attention, don't you? Don't miss the total eclipse of the sun Wednesday, July 22nd.
Random thought #4: Speaking of July 22nd... happy 105th birthday granny... hope you and granpa and daddy and uncle and all the rest of yall are having fun in heaven...
Random thought #5: I look amazing for my age... thanks moms! (ok... vanity moment over)
Random thought #6: I am both nervous and excited about my new job I'm starting in August. Its been a minute since I've stepped out on faith and it all worked out well. This new adventure in education will take me someplace I need to go and I will be better for the experience I am sure...
Random thought # 7: When I get my student loans paid off, I do believe I'll work on my Masters. Just what will I major in?
Random thought #8: I need to write more. My head is about to burst.
Random thought #9: My jewelry is HOT... why aren't I excited about this?
Random thought #10: Mama C is gonna be ok!! yea team!!!
Random thought #11: I knew my second born child being a pleasure to raise was a smoke screen... give me strength Lord...
Random thought #12: Nice ass... wait... ok.. I'm ok... where was I?
Random thought #13: I need a new laptop... scratch that .. I WANT a new laptop...
Random thought #14: What recession?
Random thought #15: My bible study buddies and I are being lead "outside the gate"... I wonder what God REALLY wants of us out here in the wilderness?
Random thought #16: I want another cat... how can I convince hubby that 2 cats isn't any more work than one?
Random thought #17: Chocolate, cream and raspberry? on my living room walls? mmmmmm
Random thought #18: C has a dorm room to herself this year... will reiterate the importance of me not becoming a grandmother before my time...
Random thought #19: Reiterate same to J.
Random thought #20: Reiterate the importance of ending my fertile years without a hitch to both my doctor and husband...
Random thought #21: Write letter to congressman and senator concerning health care reform. Make it forceful and forthright...
Random thought #22: Take lawn chair to beach and sit there til the sun goes down...today.
Random thought #23: Smile at random people ...
Random thought #24: I think I hate my cousin... pray about that more.
Random thought #25: Plan October mental health weekend... I need it already...
Random thought #26: Write a letter to Pat Buchanan and ask him seriously, why he's so.. afraid.
Random thought #27: Drop a note on the WhiteHouse.org site just to say "good job so far, keep up the good job"
Random thought #28: Check into Facebook Addiction counselling...
Random thought #29: Finish the bracelet, will ya... and the choker too...
Random thought #30: I think I'll get my Masters in Sociology... what the hell...
Random thought #31: Stop and go make jewelry or something...
Random thought #32: Man I love vacation... so much time for randomness...
ok... I'm done... for now...
sigh... amani na baraka rafikis...
Labels: random thoughts
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