Dear Bill Cosby,
Thank you. On behalf of every youth who has ever watched your shows and dreamed because of them, I say thank you. For creating family television that was funny, yet appropriate. For showing that black families do exist and are attainable. For showing that big dreams don't have to be of being a lawyer or a doctor, like the Huxtable parents, but can be of making a difference in a classroom, like Theo.
For showing that an education is not a pipe dream. For showing that you can get out of the friend zone like Dwayne Wayne. For showing that black women are more than mad and that black men are more than thugs. For showing that blended families do work and that love is all a child needs. For showing that college can be fun, but it's primary purpose is still for learning.
For showing that racism does exist, but it's how we respond to it that matters. For showing that we are not our circumstances, we are what we make of them. For showing that giving back is a part of success. For showing that respecting your elders doesn't stop at 18. For showing that learning never stops. For showing that friendships do last.
Thank you for making television matter and making issues real.
Awkwardly,
Me
Monday, January 27, 2014
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Fast Food Mayhem
So, in honor of Taco Bell reportedly killing off their Volcano Burrito, today's post is a list of fast food items that have been discontinued, that I still miss.
1. McDonald's Big N Tasty - Oh my goodness, this sandwich was the bomb. It was one of my go to items when I was really hungry. I would always get it confused with the Big Mac, which I hate (strange, right?).
2. Wendy's Twisted Frosty - Wow, I loved these things.And it's funny because I hated them at first. They were essentially Wendy's version of the McFlurry, but done so perfectly. When they were first introduced as the Fix and Mix Frosty, you would receive a packet of whatever mixture you chose and had to mix it yourself. But then, they upgraded to having a machine mix it. Best upgrade, ever. Without a doubt, to this day, remains my favorite soft-serve ice-cream. And what really irritates me is that most cashiers at Wendy's don't remember it, even the ones who used to serve it to me. And frankly, it makes no sense not to have it, because I know you have Oreo crumbs back there. Pour them into the stupid cup with the stupid Frosty and make me a happy customer!
3. McDonald's Supersize and Wendy's Great Biggie Fries - Anyone who knows me, knows that I can and will go to town on an order of french fries. Potatoes are without a doubt my favorite food (*cough* addiction *cough*) Goodbye to the days when an extra-large order a fries was available at my beck and call. Oh, well.
and finally, 4. McDonald's Strawberry Sundae - Thought technically not discontinued, they are not easy to come by here in Indiana. This sundae was a staple of my childhood and I really miss it. I don't like Caramel Sundaes and Hot Fudge is okay, but Strawberry takes the cake for me. I've had a few McDonald's mess it up, but for the most part, strawberry wiped hot fudge up with a mop when it came to sundaes in my book.
Hmmm, now that I look at this list, it seems like the only places messing stuff up, by taking stuff away are McDonald's and Wendy's. Get yourselves together, people!
1. McDonald's Big N Tasty - Oh my goodness, this sandwich was the bomb. It was one of my go to items when I was really hungry. I would always get it confused with the Big Mac, which I hate (strange, right?).
2. Wendy's Twisted Frosty - Wow, I loved these things.And it's funny because I hated them at first. They were essentially Wendy's version of the McFlurry, but done so perfectly. When they were first introduced as the Fix and Mix Frosty, you would receive a packet of whatever mixture you chose and had to mix it yourself. But then, they upgraded to having a machine mix it. Best upgrade, ever. Without a doubt, to this day, remains my favorite soft-serve ice-cream. And what really irritates me is that most cashiers at Wendy's don't remember it, even the ones who used to serve it to me. And frankly, it makes no sense not to have it, because I know you have Oreo crumbs back there. Pour them into the stupid cup with the stupid Frosty and make me a happy customer!
3. McDonald's Supersize and Wendy's Great Biggie Fries - Anyone who knows me, knows that I can and will go to town on an order of french fries. Potatoes are without a doubt my favorite food (*cough* addiction *cough*) Goodbye to the days when an extra-large order a fries was available at my beck and call. Oh, well.
and finally, 4. McDonald's Strawberry Sundae - Thought technically not discontinued, they are not easy to come by here in Indiana. This sundae was a staple of my childhood and I really miss it. I don't like Caramel Sundaes and Hot Fudge is okay, but Strawberry takes the cake for me. I've had a few McDonald's mess it up, but for the most part, strawberry wiped hot fudge up with a mop when it came to sundaes in my book.
Hmmm, now that I look at this list, it seems like the only places messing stuff up, by taking stuff away are McDonald's and Wendy's. Get yourselves together, people!
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Performing is a Science
I feel like there are negative connotations surrounding performers. I'm still undecided about my major and career choice, but I'm leaning toward performing because that's where my passion lies (well that and potatoes, but I don't think anyone would pay me to eat potatoes all day). Oftentimes, when I mention this, people consider it a waste, because I'm so smart.
But being a performer isn't some cop out to get out of studying. It's a difficult thing to grasp, the emotions and experiences that make up a person. I wrote in one of my application essays about why I love performance and here's the excerpt that explains it best:
And I love the self-confidence that this builds. In a world where it can seem like everyone is always trying to tear everyone else down, there's still a place where I can go and feel like I can do anything. And this transfers over into other areas of life. I can ace my Spanish class, I can raise my SAT scores, and I can figure out a way to make things work.
When I struggle with a dance move, I know that I WILL get it. It's not a question of if, it's a question of how long it will take to get there. And maybe that's what being a performer is about, doing the things that you never thought possible in a way that makes people care.
But being a performer isn't some cop out to get out of studying. It's a difficult thing to grasp, the emotions and experiences that make up a person. I wrote in one of my application essays about why I love performance and here's the excerpt that explains it best:
So for those of you who don't know, I'm in Asante Children's Theater Academy. One thing that I love about being in children's theater is that I'm constantly being challenged and learning new things. Can't is not allowed in the vocabulary of an Asante Children's Theater Academy student. The only thing that we can't do is what we tell ourselves that we can't.When I reached a point where my tumultuous emotions seemed larger than life, performance gave me a vessel to communicate. When my self esteem was shattered due to severe bullying, performance gave me the ability to crawl out of depression and rebuild my confidence from the ground up. When my grandmother’s fragile health began to fail, performance gave me an escape from worrying about doctors and medicine and hospitals.Performance taught me things that no textbook ever could. It broke down the formula of life into variables that I could control and manipulate. Not unlike any math problem, analyzing another character’s experience became an intricate puzzle to me. And while I often struggled through the process, the end result was worth it. Because each analysis gave me an insight into how I think and view the world.
And I love the self-confidence that this builds. In a world where it can seem like everyone is always trying to tear everyone else down, there's still a place where I can go and feel like I can do anything. And this transfers over into other areas of life. I can ace my Spanish class, I can raise my SAT scores, and I can figure out a way to make things work.
When I struggle with a dance move, I know that I WILL get it. It's not a question of if, it's a question of how long it will take to get there. And maybe that's what being a performer is about, doing the things that you never thought possible in a way that makes people care.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Riding the Struggle Bus
Taking college courses while in high school sounds easy. And for the most part, it's pretty enjoyable. Spend time off campus, get decent lunch, learn things. But sometimes, there are incidents.
This morning, my high school got a two hour delay. "YAY!" right? No, because I still have a 9:00AM class at my local college and now I have to figure out how to get there on time. So, I head on over to google and search for the quickest route.
After that, I find out that the next bus is due in 10 minutes. And the bus after that will make me late. So, I grab everything, throw it into my back pack, slip my feet in my shoes (which are not all the way on… and I'm not wearing socks) and run down to the bus stop. And then I discover exactly why our school has a delay. It is FREEZING! I wrestle with my backpack and pull my socks out of the bottom, manage to yank them onto my feet and then try to put on my shoes. At this point, I have to stop every 15 seconds to try to warm my fingers up, and my toes are starting to hurt. After I finally manage to get my shoes on, I start looking for the bus. None in sight.
The bus coming from downtown comes, but it's headed in the wrong direction. I think I'm getting sick, my legs are freezing through my pants, and I'm pretty sure I can literally feel the cells in my toes being pierced with ice. Finally, Struggle Bus 1 pulls up, a full 20 minutes late. I get downtown and have obviously missed Struggle Bus 2.
5 minutes later, Struggle Bus 3, a different bus that takes a similar route, stops and I hop on. I am not on Struggle Bus for an entire 3 minutes before we get into a car crash. Who crashes into a bus? IT'S A FREAKING BUS FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! So, I'm sitting there and Struggle Bus 2 pulls up beside us. So I hop off Struggle Bus 3, and try to get on Struggle Bus 2. I hit a patch of ice and slide legs first into the door base of the bus. I'm pretty sure I nearly broke both of my legs. The force pushed me back and I landed on my behind and almost slid under the bus. 3 hours later, my legs still hurt, and I think I'm sick. A word to the wise, don't ride the Struggle Bus.
This morning, my high school got a two hour delay. "YAY!" right? No, because I still have a 9:00AM class at my local college and now I have to figure out how to get there on time. So, I head on over to google and search for the quickest route.
After that, I find out that the next bus is due in 10 minutes. And the bus after that will make me late. So, I grab everything, throw it into my back pack, slip my feet in my shoes (which are not all the way on… and I'm not wearing socks) and run down to the bus stop. And then I discover exactly why our school has a delay. It is FREEZING! I wrestle with my backpack and pull my socks out of the bottom, manage to yank them onto my feet and then try to put on my shoes. At this point, I have to stop every 15 seconds to try to warm my fingers up, and my toes are starting to hurt. After I finally manage to get my shoes on, I start looking for the bus. None in sight.
The bus coming from downtown comes, but it's headed in the wrong direction. I think I'm getting sick, my legs are freezing through my pants, and I'm pretty sure I can literally feel the cells in my toes being pierced with ice. Finally, Struggle Bus 1 pulls up, a full 20 minutes late. I get downtown and have obviously missed Struggle Bus 2.
5 minutes later, Struggle Bus 3, a different bus that takes a similar route, stops and I hop on. I am not on Struggle Bus for an entire 3 minutes before we get into a car crash. Who crashes into a bus? IT'S A FREAKING BUS FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! So, I'm sitting there and Struggle Bus 2 pulls up beside us. So I hop off Struggle Bus 3, and try to get on Struggle Bus 2. I hit a patch of ice and slide legs first into the door base of the bus. I'm pretty sure I nearly broke both of my legs. The force pushed me back and I landed on my behind and almost slid under the bus. 3 hours later, my legs still hurt, and I think I'm sick. A word to the wise, don't ride the Struggle Bus.
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