Icon

I grew up when people paid for HBO just to watch Moonwalker or any Michael Jackson concert. I remember that the first 20 minutes were a bunch of people crying and Mike just standing there. I remember a lot of pyrotechnics and flashing lights. The same flashing lights that Kanye wrote about. The same flashing lights people hope will save Kanye from the sunken place even though most of us recognize its probably too late. Fame does something to people. Michael was an icon to my generation, just as Kanye is an icon to another generation. Both have tragic stories of loss, and in many ways, they both ultimately lost themselves. Mike died an unrecognizable drug addict and pedophile and Kanye has not been right since his mother died. Kanye is no longer the College Dropout who spit rhymes with his mouth wired shut. Instead, he spits on TMZ about slavery being a choice without giving clout to the systemic mental slavery that still occurs. For someone, who grew up watching the Cosby Show, dancing to MJ tracks and rapping Kanye lyrics... it's a sad day for Icons. Maybe being iconic shouldn't be idolized because it's costing our Black men their legacies and their minds. Free thought ain't free!

Happily Ever After

I love all things Disney. I love Mickey Mouse. I have a collection of Minnie Mouse Ear Headbands. And while I love Disney, it is partially the reason why some of us have disillusions about love. Disney for all intents and purposes invented the fairytale and mass marketed it to little girls. We believed that "Someday our Prince would Come," and we would live "Happily Ever After." At least, that's how it worked out in the movies. Our parents didn't always remind us that it was "make believe." Some of us still have this notion that our "fairy godmother" is going to fix everything, so we can go to the ball. I'm not saying that your "happily ever after" won't happen. I am saying that you have to be realistic in your search and your expectations. Your Prince Charming might be a little sarcastic. Your Princess might have a little baggage. I'm saying that just because you're not married with kids doesn't mean you won't be. 

He looked at me and said aren’t you a little old to believe in fairytales?

And I looked at him and smiled…  and even though I wanted to yell …“no”

I explained to him that ever since we are little girls, we are taught to wait on our knight in shining armor,

Though they never told us that his armor might be a little tarnished

Or that in his search for you there were many other princesses who fit into your glass shoe

And that before sleeping with you he was sleeping with Beauty

Mama never told us that our Prince Charming just might be a Beast

And sometimes it easier for him to save a damsel in distress

Than to stress himself over our unrealistic expectations

To rescue us from towers of insecurities of our own creation

All because the last prince made promises he never intended to keep

I wanted to tell him that you’re never too old to believe in fairytales

As long as you know that nobody’s perfect

And happily ever after usually follows a slew of broken spells,

And some heartache and pain, and that’s just on the surface

That’s not all the soul searching or death defying tasks that only true love would ask

That’s not getting on bended knee with the possibility of you rejecting me, all in hopes loving eternally….

That’s not accepting your kids as my own, and making a home

That’s not forgiveness, or agreeing to disagree

That’s not trusting again even though you’ve been hurt…

He looked at me and said aren’t you a little old to believe in fairytales?

And I looked at him and smiled and said….Love is a fairytale and that’s always worth believing in….