Tables turned

Yesterday I was able to meet six people from different walks of life within a 6-hour time span.

The first was 10-year-old Jessica who I met in a new home set to be raffled off in Bossier City. The proceeds went to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a place Jessica knows very well.

I never would have guessed that this friendly little girl, bright-eyed and full of smiles, was 10 – or a cancer survivor.

When she was 7, she was diagnosed with Level 4 Rhabdomyosarcoma (and when I asked how to spell it, Jessica rattled it off like a pro.) It was discovered when she developed a tumor the size of a softball on her right thigh.

Now that she’s doing better, Jessica wants to educate others on the rare disease, “Because me and my mommy weren’t aware,” she said.

I was amazed by this little girl who spoke better than most adults and truly cared about others. She wanted people to donate to the fundraiser to help the other kids at the hospital while she focused on spreading the word about childhood cancer. She also made sure to tell me about her 4th grade teacher who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and she wanted to wish her good luck.

And Jessica didn’t just want to tell her story. Before I left she made sure to suggest that I talk to some of the other kids at St. Jude.

From there I went to one of the poorer neighborhoods in Shreveport where a photographer and I spent time with some shotgun house residents.

Most were 50 years old or older and had lived in their homes for many years. I met one man who had been homeless at one point and now loved his house that only costs him $125 a month. Another man had been relocated to his current house after Interstate 49 was built through his old neighborhood.
I even spoke to a homeless man that is living in an abandoned shotgun house because he’d rather be there than a homeless shelter.

They all had stories to tell, reasons why their lives followed the path they have.

I went home last night feeling a little more enlightened. I think at times even the most open-minded people can have narrow-minded moments, simply because of the fact that it’s hard to think outside of what you know, what you have personally experienced.

I didn’t have to suffer through a terrible childhood disease. I’ve never had to live in low-income housing. I’ve never been homeless. But each of those people touched me and taught me things through their stories that I wouldn't have learned in a classroom or a book.

See, being a journalist isn’t just about what you do for your readers. Sometimes it’s what your readers do for you.

Thanks

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone that's been calling, checking on me and asking about the boyfriend.

He's doing well. The other day he said he's actually having fun. Figure that one out...

Also, I know - as some of you continue to remind me - that I'm falling off with this whole blog thing. I'm going to try to do better and blog atleast once a week.

Who knew I had so many fans? lol.

Genius

I know there are a lot of quotes out there, some inspirational, others funny. Some famous while others aren't quite.

I came across this one the other day that I think will continue to stick with me:

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."
~ Bill Cosby

I love it.

Weight gain

I can't believe this.

I just stepped on a scale near my co-worker's desk and was shocked when the needle went past 125, past 130 and right on up to 140! Well, 139 to be exact.

Now, I will admit that I haven't weighed myself for over a year. The last time I went to the doctor I weighed in at about 127.

I knew I had gained some weight lately, but 139?!

An exercise plan is in the works for sure. The problem is I'm not very disciplined. It's hard for me to stay with a routine, so these next few weeks that I try to implement one will be more than a little difficult.

Any advice, or motivation, is much appreciated.

On a happier note...

Some friends and I got together at Photographer Val's to celebrate the 25th birthday of a fellow reporter last Friday. It wasn't much - just food, drank (yes, I said drank), conversation and laughs.

Here are some photos from the party entitled, "David joins the '25 is awesome' club."

The birthday boy and his cake.

Doesn't everyone look like they're having a really good time?

Paparazzi Val (who shot all these photos) strikes again.

Quite a few folks dropped by.

Me and the b/f.

Huddled in the kitchen is where we stayed most of the night.

The party also served to break-in Val's new house, which she bought last month. She's so grown up. Shoot, at 25, I guess we all are.

He's gone...

So, the boyfriend left this morning for his 6-month deployment. Around noon he started on a series of flights that will eventually land him in Iraq.

It was kind of weird this morning when we said goodbye. It was very similar to any other morning that he’d leave for work except the hug lasted a little longer, I had tears in my eyes and we both knew that instead of him coming back at the end of the day, he won’t be back until the end of the year.

I don’t know what I was expecting. Some long, drawn out proclamation of love? A promise of a blossoming future? I think we both knew we have to deal with the situation at hand and though those other thoughts and feelings have to be put on a back burner right now it doesn’t mean they don’t exist or aren’t important.

I’m really not handling it as well as I thought I would. I’ve been crying off and on since he left at 7:30 this morning. (Those that know me know that I’m EXTRA emotional.) I really want to be the strong girlfriend that knows this separation is only temporary and is confident her boyfriend will be back in December, unharmed. For some reason I just can’t be that person right now no matter how hard I try.

This weekend was spent packing, cleaning and just enjoying some down time. He even took me on a mini-tour of his job, showing me their training tools, different types of explosives and their equipment, like the robot they use to disarm bombs. Seeing some of that stuff gave me a better understanding of what he does and, I thought, calmed my fears a little. But all of that was forgotten this morning as he left my apartment.

But, I guess it may be too early to tell since this is only the first day. I can only hope that it gets easier and I can be the person he needs me to be.

Still, December 17 can’t get here fast enough.

It's not just for old ladies

What do you think about when you hear somebody talking about book clubs?

Me, I think of a bunch of older women gathered around a table talking about the plots, similes and allegories in a book I would probably never read.

Well, last month my friend Ashley started a book club and I'm enjoying it. The first book, Things Fall Apart, was a rough one for our group. Not that many people read it (Including me...sorry!) so the discussion was short.

But this month we read The Coldest Winter ever by Sister Souljah and it was drastically different.

I'd read this book before, but I read it again to refresh my memory and really enjoyed our discussion afterwords. Our group of seven had a lengthy discussion and other readers bought up topics, situations and ideas I hadn't thought of before.

For June we're reading my pick, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.

So, once again my assumptions about something have been wrong. Our group is young, lively, opinionated and even has a couple of men.

Book clubs definitely aren't just for old ladies...

Forget Los Angeles

Yep. Forget Beverly Hills, all the glitzy events and swanky, exclusive night spots.

I live in Hollywood South.

Since Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans, a prime location for movie production, Shreveport has not only acquired more than a few evacuees, but a substantial portion of the movie industry as well.

It seems like everyone's been in town lately. Rob Corddry from The Daily Show, Mike Epps, Martin Lawrence, Denzel Washingon, Jessica Simpson and Queen Latifah have all been in town or still are, filming movies. And that's a very short list of actors that have come to the area.

Just today I was walking into Starbucks and who was holding the door open for me? Forrest Whitaker.

I was so shocked, I didn't even have time to get star struck. I said hello. He said hello. He was off with two other men, back to whatever they were doing.

I guess that was better than my episode with Rob Corddry, where I followed him to the bathroom in a downtown bar.

Now, I met these two when I wasn't even trying. Just going about my everyday business. I wonder what could happen if I actually tried to put myself in the places I know they're going to be.

Hmmm...maybe I should start carrying around a camera to capture these moments and post it on here for ya'll to see.

Then maybe ya'll will want to move to Hollywood South.

I.S.O. real journalism

I graduated from college with a load of debt, a print journalism degree and visions of what I thought a career as a journalist would be like.

I’m starting to think that those visions were naïve if not completely outdated.

Classes and research on journalism of the past had me thinking that I’d be able to change the world with tough, hard-hitting stories. I thought I’d have the time to do in depth series and features on issues of concern to the world. I thought that at the end of the day, everything I did, and my newspaper did, would all be in the name of quality journalism.

Nope.

I don’t have time to do those stories I dreamed of, instead I’m bogged down with a lot of other random stories and tasks. And I feel like even if I did have the time, there wouldn’t be the space. Advertisements and obituaries sometimes seem like the priority since they bring in the money.
It’s all about the bottom line, everywhere I go.

Maybe my original visions of journalism do still exist. Maybe I’m just not at the point in my career where I can do what I want. I guess I’m still paying my dues.

I hope that’s the case and not what many have suggested – that the world of journalism that used to exist and inspire is no more.

Either way, I’m going to keep searching until I find it…

Never say never

Like most women I had a detailed idea in my head of my Prince Charming and never thought I’d stray from what I wanted.

Someone who’s…
…college educated
…employed in corporate America
…taller than me – at least 5’10
…equipped with a great sense of humor
…a hopeless romantic
…sensitive
…caring
…blah, blah, blah

Unreal.

As I continue to meet people I realize that part of growing up is realizing that no one is perfect. Not even me. (Can you believe it?) So who am I to expect perfection when I can’t offer the same?

I also realize that prince charming comes in different shapes, sizes and backgrounds and my prince charming could be the next girl’s frog.

Now I’m with a man that is hilarious, taller than me, and caring, but…
…never went to college but is smarter than me most days. (Ok, everyday. Lol)
…doesn’t wear loafers or button ups but has his own style that I love just as much.
…isn’t a hopeless romantic but does things in his own way that makes me feel special and cared for.
…doesn’t work in corporate America but works to defend his country everyday and is trained to do things most folks can’t do.

This is my prince charming and he’s nothing that I imagined or expected – he's even better.

(Thanks Bestest!…our conversation earlier today got me to thinking and made me want to write this.)

The other N word

Nappy.

That word has the country in an uproar right now after Don Imus' comment about the Rutgers University women's basketball team.

So like everyone else , I guess I'll add my .02 cents.

"Nappy-headed hos."

I think I may be one of few people who is more upset that he called those girls hos than nappy-headed. As I said in my blog for work, nappy just doesn't hold as much weight as the more offensive N word.

I can't believe he called them hos. I really can't. He knows not one of those girls to judge and publicly degrade them that way.

I've sat around for the past day or so listening to other people's take on this whole thing.
Most have joined Team Al Sharpton and feel the statement was racist. One person even suggested she would delete the word nappy from her vocabulary, similar to the movement to stop using the other N word after the Michael Richards' rant.
For some, it has brought to light the way we, as blacks, talk to eachother. For even more, this is a 1st Amendment issue and Imus should be free to say whatever he wants.

My stand? Imus has a history of saying racist and ignorant things and he's been allowed to continue. It needs to stop. Yes, there is such a thing as freedom of speech, but along with that, especially for the media, comes a certain responsibility.
I'm not really for taking nappy out of my vocabulary. I mean, I don't say it a lot as it is, but I don't see a point in not using it. I mean, sometimes my hair gets tangled, kinky...nappy. It is what it is.
But all in all, I don't really find his comment racist. Just ignorant as hell.

On another note: I'm tired of people saying the most ignorant things publicly, that they know aren't acceptable, only to turn around and apologize profusely as if that will make it all better. I know the basketball team has agreed to meet to accept his apology, but I wouldn't be down for it. He's not sorry he said it, just sorry it created such controversy, which in my book means he's not sorry at all.

So, I guess we'll wait and see how what happens in the next few days. Call me a pessimist, but I'm sure everything will go back to the way it was. Imus will continue his show. People will continue to listen. The girls from Rutgers will go back to life as national champs.

And I'll keep using the word nappy.

As promised...

Here are some pics from my portion of the "Quarter Century Celebrations of 2007."


Me and Ky, the Aries of the group. (Yes, that's a tiara on my head...lol)

Me and Marlie at lunch in the Galleria where we made a new friend that gave us that strawberry cup. lol

Hangin out at Firewater Bar & Grill

Us doin' some line dance at Firewater

Naudia, Tywana and Marla our first night at Pappadauex

My birthday pastry at Grand Lux Cafe

Next up...Kyla turns 25 next month back in my old stomping grounds on the east coast.

As you can tell, I love my friends. I mean, I have to. I wouldn't do this for anyone else. This celebration endeavor is becoming very expensive...lol.

I'm officially 25

And I don't know how I feel about it yet...

I had a great weekend. My friends came down and met me in Dallas where we shopped, ate and partied the weekend away.

(More pictures to come...)

Then I came back yesterday and spent some time with the boyfriend - a simple and refreshing dinner and a movie.

I'm old now, and here are just a few things that happened this weekend to prove that fact...

1. On Saturday, after an awesome dinner at Grand Lux Cafe in the Dallas Galleria, I (and all of my friends) climbed into the bed and took a nap before going out.

2. When we did go out later that night, it was only for an hour or so. Then we headed back to the hotel and got back in bed.

3. After getting home around noon, I took another nap.

It's weird, but I feel myself slowing down and not wanting to hang out like I've always done.

I'll take watching a movie at home with the boyfriend, a quiet afternoon with a good book or just a good nap over hanging in the streets.

Guess I just can't do it like I used to...

Life is precious

I know, I know. Everybody knows that.
But do we?

Today I had the unfortunate duty of covering a funeral. It was for a 17-year-old girl, Amanda, who died in a bad car accident. She and her boyfriend, who was driving, were hit by an 18-wheeler. Her boyfriend survived. She did not.

As I stood in the back of the church, listening to the service, surrounded by her grieving family and friends, I realized that that could have easily been me. How many times had I gotten a ride from a friend or boyfriend that could have been my last? How many times have I been behind the wheel, not paying attention?

I think we always believe "That can never happen to me."
But ask Amanda. It can.

Though I hated it, I guess it was a good reminder of all those cliches about life we tend to ignore:
We never know when it's our turn so don't put off tomorrow what you can do today.
Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Life is precious.

He's leaving

We were eating stir fry I had made.
I was lying on my bed. He was sitting on the floor in front of the TV.
“Oh yeah, I found out where I’m going today.”
My boyfriend (Rico Ramon Don Juan aka Mark Storm…Ha! sorry folks, inside joke) is a Senior Airman in the U.S. Air Force. The first half of 2006 he was deployed to United Arab Emirites for six months and had been told he would be deployed again in June. He just didn’t know the location.
“Where?” I asked.
“Iraq.”

I was quiet while he kept eating and watching TV. I wondered what he was thinking, if he was worried at all about telling me and if he was scared.
I was.
There were different thoughts fighting for attention in my head – news footage from Baghdad, stories I had read, military funerals I had covered.

Neither of us said anything about it for awhile. Finally I said I didn’t want him to go and that I was going to kidnap him so that he couldn’t.
It was silly, I know, but I didn’t know what else to say about it. I was still processing what he told me. I mean, I’m still processing it three weeks later. There are questions and thoughts that are still works in progress that I can’t even piece together to write on this blog.

I was upset about it for the few days after I found out. Then my mom reminded me it’s not about me. It’s about him and what I can do for him before he leaves and when he gets back.

Suddenly I felt selfish. Of course I was worrying about his safety and his feelings about being deployed again. But I had also been wondering what I was going to do without him for 6 months, how lonely I was going to be and how much I will miss him. Thoughts of how pointless the war is also crossed my mind more than a few times… but I guess that’s neither here nor there…

So, I’ve been operating off of my mom’s advice. I don’t want him to worry about me worrying about him and I want him to know I’m here now and will be when he gets back in December.

These next couple of months before he leaves should be interesting…

Two years gone by

Two years ago today I walked into the Chillicothe (Ohio) Gazette, my first day as a professional journalist. Wow.

These two years have flown by. I've covered meetings, parades, funerals and told the stories of some remarkable people. I've since left rural Ohio, stepped up to a bigger paper here in Shreveport.

In honor of this anniversary (you'll come to learn I recognize ANY anniversary and milestone...lol) I thought I'd make a list of why I love what I do.

Everything I love about writing, the freedom, the creativity involved and the satisfaction from a somewhat finished product, is often overshadowed by the process.
Though at times frustrating, annoying and completely nonsensical, I love my job, and here are some reasons why…

1. I’m always meeting new people.
2. I learn something new just about everyday.
3. Through my writing I’m able to teach something new just about
everyday.
4. Work has the possibility of being different everyday.
5. Being a journalist is like a license for being nosey. I can ask questions many don’t or
feel like they can’t.
6. The feeling I get when someone mentions how a certain story made them feel, how it helped them, or simply the fact that they remember it.
7. I have a desk at 222 Lake St. but really, my office is the city outside of The Times building.
8. I particularly love being a minority in this field and the fact that I can bring a certain perspective and vision to a newsroom that is lacking the diversity.
9. This may not be a good reason to some, but I love the fact that journalists are often local celebrities. The longer you’re at a paper, readers start to know you and expect certain things (quality, style, etc.) from you.
10. By telling other people’s stories, I’m able to learn more about myself and others which I think makes me more tolerant and understanding of things I’ve never experienced.

I could probably write a list just as long of why I’ve considered looking for a new job on a few occasions, but it’s always better to look at the bright side, right?

So, here's to two years of accomplishments, disappointments, struggles and success. I hope the next two (and many more after that) are even better.

It starts...

This is a big year for all of my friends and I…we’ll hit the big two-five. Many don’t see it as a big deal, but to us it’s a milestone and an excuse to do some big-time celebrating. (As if we needed and excuse…)

The “Quarter Century Celebrations of 2007” kicked off this past weekend with my friend Tywana’s birthday in Philly.

I flew into Philadelphia Thursday night. Friday, my other friends Marla, Kyla and Nadia drove up from Maryland and we all headed to Atlantic City for Day 1 of the festivities at Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club.

Good food, good drinks, good music, great friends, we all had a good time. The rest of the weekend we just hung out, laughing, catching up on what everyone had going on, laughing, reminiscing, and did I mention laughing? Whoever said laughter is the best medicine was absolutely right. Today, coming back to work, I felt refreshed and ready for another week.

Who would have known we were celebrating what many women dread…getting older.

Tywana’s got a great outlook on turning 25. She’s finishing up dental school, has a great man in her life and of course good friends and an awesome family…what more could she ask for at any age? (I know, I know Tywana…a salary, but that will come.)

Next month is my turn. I hope I cope as well as Tywana did…

Welcome!

Hello blogosphere…

Before I really get into the craziness I consider my life, I guess I should introduce myself to those who don’t know me.

I’m a 24-year-old journalist (dangerously close to 25…March 25!) who has lived in a couple of different places in the past few years. From northern Virginia to south central Ohio to my current residence in northwest Louisiana, I’ve enjoyed moving and the different experiences and acquaintances that have resulted from it.

A Hampton University graduate, I’ve got big dreams of using my writing to change the world for the better, whether it’s for a newspaper or one of the many books I hope to write. (still working on the Master Plan.) The dream makes me naïve to some and just plain crazy to others, which is OK because I like a challenge.

Like the header says, I think life is an ongoing journey without a specific destination. I want mine to be filled with varying experiences, faces, places and happiness. I try to live by one of my favorite sayings: Happiness is a way of life, not a destination.

Not exactly sure what I’m doing here, just taking a wild leap, hoping to learn more about myself and others all while developing my own writing style and a habit of writing for pleasure more often.

So I’m asking that you bear with me and let me know what you think. If you think I’ve said something absolutely crazy or something you can relate to, I’d like to hear it.

Enjoy!