"willow trees are flexible. their slender, supple branches bend with the wind. this makes them more resistant to breaking when the weather becomes wild and is hostile to most other trees. follow the example of the willow today, Sagittarius. someone may enter your life today and attempt to wreak havoc. this individual may be bad-tempered or overpowering. if you try to resist by reacting in the same way, you will break. although the outcome may not involve a loss of any kind, it will leave you feeling emotionally battered. but if you can bend, you will feel enlightened instead."

-------

I felt so overwhelmed last night. frustrated for the past couple of months. wondering what I'd gotten myself into, and having to realize that I can't change my environment, and can't keep changing environments every time I'm unhappy with the management. that there's something going on here, a lesson to be learned---I have to not change myself, but how I react to what's going on around me.

-------

"you just keep being your smiling, bubbly self," he said. "set the example."

Diary of a Mad Black Woman

"As long as you hold the doors in the front, this train ain't goin' move. And if the train don't move, nobody's gon' nowhere. DO NOT HOLD THE DOORS!"

nope, it's def from the work...

...but sometimes a few tears, a deep breath, and a quick call to mahj are all you need to make it better.

my

patience

is

dwindling,

waning.

my

tolerance

for

bullshit,

gone.

as much as I love having people around, sometimes I crave time alone...

...so I take long walks.

by faith and courage

and then I walked to the door, stepped outside and made a left. crossed Park Avenue. there's a new store there now, def not Gorgeous, where I used to get my sausalito cookies. where I gave C-H-O-P-P-E-R-ah the side eye. I saw swimsuits or something more ridiculous in the windows. but I guess at least someone's occupying the space.

to Lex. to 77th street. six years of doing this walk, last time was five years ago, and little has changed. of course the class of '04 skipped their reunion. I wasn't surprised. disappointed, but not surprised.

and that's why I went, regardless. groupthink. i'm over it. for six years my school spirit was kept at bay. my beliefs about the need for diversity remained hidden. for six years it seemed that it was more engaging to bitch about what the school was doing wrong than offer meaningful suggestions about how to do it right. and for six years, I found it easier to be a follower, rather than a leader.

but today, I decided to have a stake in a school and a community I care greatly about. because, at Hewitt, I learned the importance of family. of community. and even if I was the only of 23, I was surrounded by enrichment and development. a faculty and staff who recognized my intelligence and nurtured it. a faculty and staff who not only listened to my dreams, but helped me achieve them. and so I hope to ensure that another young black girl, just like me, can experience the privilege of attending a great preparatory school, just like Hewitt.

greetings, from Black Friday

...and i didn't even hit anyone