Starting Over: A New Venture

The next race starts as soon as we cross the finish line. So if we loose one race, we get back in the blocks and take off again. Being in the race for the long run is the best way to win the race. I guess I see my life like the Tour De France. Many races to complete, one journey. Once again I am starting a new race, this time I'm venturing out to become my own boss. After more than 13 years working in the service industry and seven years of motherhood I am combining the two skills and starting a new business venture. Kidz Reign is my new baby. Kidz Reign will be an unique experience for children and adults. I will keep you all posted. I just wanted to get out that I am starting my own business and I am very excited and afraid, but I must step out on the faith I claim to have and watch God work His magic. Check out my website it is under construction but it will give you an idea of what type of services I will be offering. Halloween is my target Grand Opening but it's not concrete.

email: kidzreign@yahoo.com
http://www.kidzreign.com

Michael Jackson 1958-2009

I went to a funeral once and the preacher preached a eulogy called, "The Dash". When you die the dash represents your life. What you did, who you knew and what they say about you when you are gone. Today we mourn a legend. A man who was born into a poor family and with a great deal of hard work and determination he has become the most famous person in the World. Michael Jackson's dash is incredible. He has single-handily sold more records than anyone in the world. He has fed people all over the world. He has stopped the live television. He has broken every color barrier. He integrated MTV. He innovated music videos. He was a prolific song writer, a unbelievable performer, and an unusual man. Being as famous he was, he could not have been a regular guy. What person could take all the shit he took? He lived his life the way he wanted to. He has sold out stadiums all over the world. I remember the day he was burned shooting the Pepsi commercial; you would have thought he died that day. Yes, he obviously had inappropriate relationships with children but their parents sent them over there. We all have our crosses to bare. None of this has anything to do with the fact the loss of Michael Joseph Jackson is HUGE! Every singer wishes they could have to success of Michael Jackson. His accomplishments could ever be duplicated or taken away. No matter what negative things he may or may not done he is and will always be the originator and King of POP! I have been watching the news all evening and at first the news was negative but now they are singing his praises.People usually die the way they live and Michael is not letting us down. He will be missed. I know his life may have been short but boy he put a great deal of work into his dash. What are you gonna have in yours? RIP- Mike. You deserve it!

Are Professional Sporting Events really Reality TV?

Right after the start of the Iraq War, the St. Louis Rams played the New England Patriots in New Orleans for SuperBowl XXXVI. The Patriots had just won a controversial game against the Oakland Raiders in their home stadium. The Rams were a heavy favorite. Preceding the game there was a pre-game show that was very "patriotic", every living former president except Reagan was in attendance. And of course the Patriots win the game. We have all thought at one time or another our team was being cheated. But that game was more than that. It seemed as if the Rams just quit. It was like a movie. Seven SuperBowls have been played since that game and the Patriots have won more SuperBowls than any other team since the war began. I don't think that's a coincidence. There have been other fixes in sports. Most people don't enjoy professional boxing for this reason. How many times have you heard someone say "the fix is in"? As I watch all of the KOBE vs. LEBRON media hype sponsored by the NBA ans Nike, I remember that the game I was brought up to love has turned into an updated version of the Harlem Globetrotters. The Cavs are this season's "bum-killers" as Charles Barkley pointed out. They are in the role the Lakers were in last season, close but not close enough. The script will play out however the NBA wants it too. They pay the officials to make sure it does. People say, "cheaters never prosper", sure they do!

Memorial Day

Monday was Memorial Day. Memories of fallen soldiers who have served our country. No one in my immediate family has been killed in the military. Today I am remembering the family and friends who have died. I have lost too many close friends in the war in our country. The war that African-Americans are fighting with each other. Gangs, drugs, money, women and jealousy have taken the lives of people near and dear to my heart. I wonder why no one has a day set aside to remember them? People like John Mack who was killed in 1987 going to the mail box, he was supposed to call me right back, he never did. Or what about Rodney"Black-Bart" he was on his way to pick me up from my Aunt's house on Thanksgiving; he didn't make it either. Or how about Kyiara Morrow-Love she would be graduating from high school this year if someone did not kill her when she was only two-years-old. Soldiers know when they board military planes they may not come back but the people I just listed had know idea that day was their last day. I think of them all the time but mostly on days like this, days when everyone is laughing, eating and drinking and they are not present. The list goes on and on but this my memorial day : In Memory of; Finniel Davidson, Virginia Hill;Deon Griffin; Buford Bates Jr.; Jerome; Craig Bridges; Cosie; Rachel; Patrice; Nicky Bam; Kevin Copeland; Dano; Chris Beard; Patrick Johnson; Gladys Waugh; Cynthia Swancy; James Stewart; Lamont Ford; Dannie Grayson; Bruce "Genius"; Donald "Blazer D"; Malik Price; Carla Daniels; Kevin Wickes; La Tasha Harland; Andre' Evans; I could continue for pages but these are people who will not have a special day to be remembered but the people who knew them and loved them remember them daily. This is my Memorial Day for the ones we lost.They are gone from earth but will never be forgotten!
(bold reflects murder victims)

What Is YOUR Business?

People always refer to whatever is going on in their life as their business. I asked myself this morning, 'what is my business'? My life is mostly an open book. I enjoy sharing this book with others as a comfort for me, but usually to help others who may be going through what I am going through. I have a tight knit circle of friends. We share personal information back and forth. I don't always tell all of them everything but I do assume the people who need to know will find out from someone in the circle. How am I supposed to know what was really a secret or just a secret between the circle? Of course I could care less if people in the circle knew I took my mate back after an affair or that I my mother is an assisted living facility but I don't want everybody to know. Then I asked myself: "who can you trust?" Now that depends, some friends I can leave with my cash but not my man, some I can leave with my man and not the cash, I can leave my daughter with all of the them, some friends I cry on their shoulder and some cry on mine but in the end we all cry, fight, laugh,drink and learn together. If you have been friends for over 10years at this point what is "your Business". These women have seen me at my best and my worse and they still put up with my B.S. Women talk by nature, don't take it personal when you seem to be the topic of discussion among your circle of friends. They don't mean any harm because if they did, they wouldn't talk about you they would ignore it and you!

Newly Single?

Single sounds bad. Table for One. One ticket please. But when you are single you can do whatever you want to do. Just think, you don't have to be responsible for anyone but yourself. You can lock up your house and feel free to roam. And lately I've been seeing a lot things to get in to. Yes indeed! The best thing about being single is it's all about YOU! Get a massage, have a drink, buy a meal and take some to go. Go to a Jazz bar and enjoy the sights and the sounds. Meet some new people. Go somewhere you would never go. Like a strip club lots of nice men and women go there to have fun and let their hair down. The world is yours. Hell take one of those young cats down and show 'em how the seventies babies get down. No really, single is fun and free. Take it from me I spent the majority of my adult life single and I loved IT! Do YOU BOO! I love you! It's your time to shine. Now go get ya swagga back!

Remember Senior Year? Life Changes Quick!

With so many of my close friends and family members' children graduating this year, it took me back to my Senior year. I thought I was GROWN. You could not tell me NOTHING! Last week my fiance's daughter went to the prom. She looked beautiful. All dolled up. But there was one difference, no dates. Stag is in style. The BFF's went together looking like a million bucks. Her father proudly placed the corsage on her wrist and he was as proud as a Peacock. I remembered when I went to the prom. I wished my Dad was there to see me off. My date was arguably the finest guy there and all I wanted to do was go be a man 9 years my senior. :( Anyway, all this has me thinking of all the fun and excitement I had back then. Seems like yesterday, but actually it was almost twenty years ago. Looking for material for the dress, shoes, jewelry, and you know the Feather was Bangin'! Times have changed, people are spending thousands of dollars on Proms and renting hotel rooms for there children. I guess it's because this is the closest most girls will come to a wedding? Sad, but true. Do the parents who spend this ridiculous sum of cash on a prom spend equal cash on tutors, trips abroad or college prep-courses? Probably not because we live in a world of appearances. As long as we look good, then it's all good. I hope it all works out. All the money my mother spent on the festivities, I didn't get my CapNGown until two days before graduation. And some of these kids going to prom are not graduating or going to college. Where do you go when you don't seek an education in 2009. HELL, the military won't even take you. I went on a US tour after graduation. I roamed the USA in search of LOVE, FUN, AND CASH! Had lots of Fun, found and lost LOVES and wasted ALL the CASH! My Senior year was exciting. I had all these hopes and dreams of what I thought my life would be. Boy was I naive. Life is rough. You only get what you put into it. Hard work and perseverance pay off. The best advice I can give to a young person is enjoy this last hooray because real life comes fast and furious and it does not give refunds or exchanges. Once you buy it you keep it!

When is the Relationship Over?

Most people have a had a relationship go all wrong. One day everything is all laughs and giggles and then one big blow out and you never speak again. Well that's how it seems at the time but really relationships end before we officially call it "quits." I had a relationship with someone who I thought was a friend. But time after time this person kept doing things I did not like. Offensive things. Rude and selfish things. I let them pass because I was giving the person the benefit of the doubt. But in reality I knew this relationship was over months ago, but of course there is always the straw that breaks the camel's back. Now the relationship is over. Why don't we end these hopeless relationships before someone gets hurt. This is not just for intimate relationships this goes for platonic friendships as well. There's nothing worse than being betrayed by someone you considered a friend. But as we grow older we realize that everyone is not a true friend. True friends don't need validations or pats on the back. They always come even when you don't call and they will never betray you for silver or gold. We choose our friends. And we make our enemies. Life is too short to dwell on negative issues but for anyone holding on to a friendship/relationship that you know has run it's course, be the bigger person and cancel that subscription to bullshit. If you are sitting around waiting for a grown man/woman to change: new flash........It's not going to happen! You change. Stop taking shorts. Only deal with the real! Don't be like Gladys Knight, be the first to say, "Farewell" Look to the future where positive relationships beget positive results. In your heart you know when it's over.........JUST SAY IT!

Equal Right to Pay.........I'll pass

That Bullshit! Yes, I am on it! I am sick of being responsible for everything! Why did women want liberation. I wish is was like the old days. Forget the notion of having it all. The only people who have it all are white and blonde. And it comes with many strings attached like Viagra. The rest us the other hand are forced to do it all. Most the time, with little appreciation or compensation. Personally, I'm over it. I'll take the back seat for a while. Bring home the bacon, I will fry it. I don't have the energy nor the desire to worry about cooking, cleaning, mothering, fucking, and paying. I would rather watch last week's episode of the Tudors. So to all the working mothers of the world, we should all say, "fuck it" and let the men do the worrying like it used to be. Women didn't have strokes and heart attacks. We had babies. I'm not trying to be a man. We are messing up God's natural order. Men were sentenced to work. And we were sentenced to labor pains. Somehow they stop working and we still have the labor pains. What the hell happened?

A Change Would Do You Good

Another hang over. Damn, I've been drinking since the 8th grade. Back then I did not know what a hangover was. But now, the recovery time is a little too extensive. I look back over these last 20 years and I think of all the fun I had drinking with my girls and I'm over it! This past weekend I realized that fun with friends is cool but the whole "homegirlitis" I'm cool, I want more. I have stayed at many of the country's four and start hotels and resorts. All I can tell you about them is what the lobby and bar look like. I never take time and enjoy my $300 a night vacation because I have a hangover. Then when I finally get myself together, I get dressed and go out and get faded again. Yeah, a change can do you and me good. It has taken me along time to get to this point but I would rather write, play poker or read a good book. My interests have changed and to get where I want to be, a hangover is just something else blocking me from my destiny. I'M COOL~

Why Do Women Read Relationship Books Written by MEN?

Think Like a Man, Act Like a Lady, by Steve Harvey is now becoming a film for the big screen.Why? Most of the details in this book are common sense. Every women over the age of thirty should know when a man is playing them. When a man really wants to be with you he does everything in his power to let you know that he wants to be with you. If you are still chasing a man after two years of dating, news flash; he is not fucking with you. Move on! I find it funny how the very men who give this advice to women want to get paid for the information. If they where as genuine as they pretend to be they would tell you for free, like your mother did. The messages are not new, they are just coming from a new source. The same people that have been cheating on their women and wives for years are now giving out health relationship advice for $19.99 plus shipping and handling. I've been thinking like a man for twenty years and you know where it got me? NOWHERE!Thinking I could date multiple men at a time and tell them lies, big mistake. I let some good men go playing too much. Men are not the smart ones, women are. The problem is we watch the news, listen to statistics that tell us there are no men. That is not true. All men are not gay, on drugs, or in prison. Maybe you should think about dating a younger man, or one who drives are car you don't like, or one who wears clothes that may not be in style. Our expectations of a man may be too high.Women want the knight in shinning armor, I say save yourself! Work on you and once you have thrown all your old baggage away and killed your demons you will find the right person and you don't need Steve Harvey or Dr. Phil to tell you that because you already know.

This is a re-post and has been slightly updated when I heard the news Steve Harvey's first book is now in film production....Once again, I am confused!

Happy Easter!

Today is Easter Sunday. Christ died for all of us. We should be grateful for salvation. Although we may not always do the righteous thing, we should always be working toward being the bigger and better person. Love yourself and your family as Christ loves us and the world will be a bigger and better place. May God bless you and keep you from the grasp of the enemy.
Take a little time to be thankful and grateful. And help someone today!

Yolanda

Don't Drink Alcohol and Drive....Period!

It can happen to anyone. Have a couple of drinks at a friends house, a club or your local watering hole and get pulled over by law enforcement. You may not even have a "buzz" but take it from your girl, it is easy to find yourself in a world of trouble that can last up to ten years. I just want to warn you again. If you happen to live in South LA, Inglewood, Gardena, Culver City or any of the other recent areas that the CHP has deemed in need of extra support you could find yourself in HOT water, to say the least. I know Westchester has always been known for partying, but we need to be mindful of the consequences for a "good time". On the other hand, if you are high off on Illegal drugs. You can take ten NA classes and all will be forgiven. I don't smoke or do drugs but I thought you might want to know!

Ya girl,

Yolanda

Finding Yourself in the "Parenthood"

Up late watching last week's Oprah, the topic is Motherhood. Mothers are telling secrets about things they do to their children. I thought to myself, "can I be the same Yolanda I used to be, before Brooklynn?" When I first had my daughter it was very hard to find a way to be Brooklynn's mom and Yolanda. Yolanda was not the mother type. She was wild and crazy. But Brooklynn's mom can't behave that way. I am responsible for what kind of person she is going to become. Wow, that's a great deal of pressure. I never considered that when I decided to become a mother. Now, six years later I think I'm a pretty good mom. I have changed. At first I felt like I had lost my old life but when I think about it, I did loose my old life. Good! Yes, at first it was bad but now that I have this new life (her's) I can start all over. Everything I have learned I can teach her. Maybe she won't make the same mistakes I have made. She will have more information than I had. I will not let her believe in fairy tales and play with Barbies. She will live in reality and play with humans. She will learn how life really goes. Life isn't fair and people don't always live happily ever after. Parents don't be so hard on yourselves, being a parent is like being a doctor; you take the oath but it's still a "practice". I love my daughter, but I love me too!