boxing day blues

26 Dec 2016 news 0 Comments

IMG_0552A couple of days before Xmas there were reports and videos on Facebook showing police brutalizing Black women. I didn’t share; these cases need to be known (#sayhername) but I didn’t want to circulate those stories before my favorite holiday. And then on Xmas Day I had the nightly news muted and saw that George Michael had died…didn’t post anything on social media and stayed off Facebook because I didn’t think I could stand another round of collective mourning. We’ve lost so many icons this year…and I LOVE George’s music. In fact, I knew I’d found true friends when I moved to Brooklyn back in ’94 and joined a youth collective and the two Black women I was closest to revealed they were fans, too. It was such a relief then—to know I wasn’t the only Black woman who loved his music and would defend him when he came under attack (which was often). But this morning on Facebook there were so many friends posting tributes and expressing their sadness…can’t find my “best of” CD so I’m listening to a GM mix on YouTube. No one does melancholy and drama like George, and so this soundtrack is perfect for today’s task—answering these end-of-year questions:

1. What was the most memorable part of this past year?
2. What were the 3 biggest lessons you’ve learned this past year?
3. Review your planner for the past year and assess your priorities. Are you happy with how you spent your time? If not, what steps can you take to adjust your priorities?
4. How are you different between this past year and the year before it?
5. What or who [sic] are you especially grateful for this past year?
6. Name 3 things you can improve on this upcoming year. What are concrete actions you can take to work towards these improvement?
7. From 1-10, how do you feel overall about this past year?

IMG_0544To answer #1, I’d have to scroll through my photos because I honestly don’t remember what I was doing in January. Last week I signed up for a two-day trip to DC, and seeing the National Museum of African American History & Culture was *definitely* memorable. I took lots of photos and posted them on Facebook while I was there, so now I feel like I don’t have much to say. But it was so invigorating to be on the top floor, surrounded by proof of Black genius and Black excellence in the arts. That’s been on my mind lately; I still haven’t decided whether competition produces excellence or simply opportunity. Few Black performers got a chance to take the stage a hundred years ago, but we still saw proof of Black genius because they were talented and made the most of their chance to shine. Would we value them less if more creators had a chance to share the stage? I think we’re too invested in the idea that genius is rare when really, it’s abundant—and that doesn’t make it less valuable. I watched a video on Facebook this morning about not being afraid to change your “brand.” I don’t think I have a brand—not one I’ve cultivated consciously—but I suppose I’m known by some for representing certain ideas or a particular point of view. I don’t see my politics changing anytime soon, but I do want to try something different in 2017. Maybe get back to playwriting or try—again—to make a short film. The goal this week is to finish one more novel before the year ends. Then I won’t have unfinished projects hanging over my head and I’ll be able to plan for the Viking novel and whatever else comes up. I want to go to New Zealand. Not sure why, but I feel drawn to the Pacific Islands. I got a last-minute offer to teach a YA lit class but it meets on Wednesdays and I already have 3 mid-week trips planned for the new year. Somehow teaching feels like taking a step back and I want to keep moving forward…into the unknown…