On this edition of #ThrowbackThursday, we have one of the biggest L’s of the year. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, news and social media has been flooded with stories about Roy Moore’s epic loss on last Tuesday night.

For you less informed folks – Roy Moore (GOP Judge/candidate and likely pedophile) went up against supposed good-guy-lawyer (I hardly ever believe those words in the same sentence) and Democratice candidate, Doug Jones, for the special Senate election.

For months there had been lots of finger-pointing and serious sexual assault accusations against Moore. It felt like victims were literally stepping forward every week and reports of his nefarious behavior was up for display on nearly every media outlet imaginable. Never one to disappoint or stray away from the most asinine and predictable behavior, the good ol’ boys of the GOP continued to sweep allegations under the rug and labeled them as a guise to destroy Christian ethnics and the nuclear family. If you could see my face right now. Moving on…One thing panty-robbing Roy did have going for him was the backing of the White House. He basically had an enthusiastic tangerine prince, a la #45, who spoke praises over his preferred candidate and (per the usual) never failed to take jabs at the media who were actually doing their jobs of reporting news on this creepy crawler and his opponent.

Side Note: I’m really trying hard not to make more jokes or pass too many judgements on this dude but let’s be clear, I think he’s touching on everybody in these streets and I think it’s terrible.

Reality Sunk In

All of the hype came to a crash when Roy received the results late that evening.

Photo courtesy of Chicago Tribune.

Clearly there was shock, disbelief, and a level of “distraughtness” that we hadn’t witnessed by this wasp nest since Obama’s last win.

Moore stood in front of a small audience and attempted to rally the troops by telling his audience “God is always in control.” Why yes He is Roy, yes He is #thankyouGodweneededthisone. Then he had the nerve to rattle off some badly rehearsed excepts from Psalms. It was a complete travesty and a train wreck you you can view here.

Political Gangs

I learned something that night. Honestly, I think I knew it already but found it to be more apparent than ever before. Americans are legit in political gangs. I mean come on, it’s like the Crips & Bloods on steroids and ruining everyone’s lives.

I knew we were doomed when I watched that video floating around showing die hard Republicans hell-bent on ignoring actual facts to vote their affiliation. And yes I’m absolutely sure there are some lunatic “libtards,” as they’re lovingly referred to, out here but I mean right now we’re clearly having some issues with conservative voters and their overbearing/under-applied beliefs. So…I’m literally looking at this video like whoa. These people are real life in a gang and don’t even know it.

Photo courtesy of ThyBlackMan.com

This blindly loyal bunch seemed all too familiar to the very thugs most of their pedigree generally try to distance themselves from. In this video, one person goes as far to say that even if the allegations were true, they didn’t want to lose a seat in the Senate. Double blink. What? Y’all already know I think this is not only problematic but just flat out disturbing. What kind of troubled human beings think it’s ok to exchange policies for humanity? Seriously, this gets a big ole WTEFF.

So note to self and to you good people…Don’t be in a political gang – it’s divisive and stupid. Right is right and wrong is wrong. If people are doing wrong, that doesn’t mean support them in their wrongdoings. That means hold them accountable. There are some folks I’ve admired my whole life that are being accused of terrible crimes against women, and guess what…they should be held accountable. I’m not going to give them a pass because they’re a part of groups I align with or because it’s inconvenient for me and doesn’t fit the narrative I’d like to continue to tell about their greatness. NO. They need to be held accountable no matter my personal feelings for them.

That’s called having balance. Try it.

Black Votes Matter

There was something else that we learned that fateful Tuesday night. Black Votes Matter.

Now if you’re conservative and reading this, please try to see past your bitterness and disdain for a group (#BlackLivesMatter) you hardly know anything about to understand my point. Black people are tired and want progress, too. White conservatives are not the only group in America that want to make serious changes, minority voters should not be discredited or disenfranchised. Black Alabamians did not seem to align with anything the GOP was selling and the polls pretty much reflected the divide. People at the top with some good common sense should probably start asking questions like “why is that” to honestly seek real answers around the division between party and race. Obviously those out of touch with the African American community had no clue this one was coming but word on the street was Jones campaigned pretty hard in African American communities and spoke to their growing concerns.

Jones’ win literally came down to race and based off this wild Tuesday night, these 2018 midterms are going to be something to see. I’m just glad Alabama got it right, even if a small minority tipped the scale. <3

-D.Wright

Let’s talk about dogs that are actually worthy of the term this morning. I’ll definitely be getting to the political ones later. #ShoutouttoAlabamafordoingtherightthing.

Anywho, I was with my buddy JJ visiting the SoulTaco truck at Throughgood Coffee a few weeks ago, and it was a pretty amazing day out. People were out in their super cute fall outfits and they had their fur babies running amuck. That’s when we ran across this cutie…

As you could imagine, there were definitely shrieks and those emoji finger wiggles of happiness happening all over the place. I mean, come on, this is a cute freaggin doggie. Right in time, JJ’s ADD kicked into high gear. She stopped in mid-conversation only to say “His name is Roger. I don’t know if it’s a he or a she but his name is Roger.” And that my friends, is where our story (and the point of my post) begins.

Stop naming dogs human names.

I actually have a brother named Roger and yes he’s heard his fair share of “Go home Roger” that I’m sure could last him a lifetime. So imagine poor Roger, who’s already tortured enough, running into a puppy with his name. How awkward is the conversation “Oh funny, I have a dog named Roger too”? I’d imagine not funny at all but one of those moments where you question your parents for not naming you something a little more dazzling.

I am in no way a puppy name elitist, ok maybe just a little, but got dang it human names are so weird on dogs and they confuse everyone! I told JJ that Roger was a terrible name for a puppy (of course totes my opinion) and mostly because I feel like it’s weird. What if you’re yelling “Come here Amber” and whole a grown woman turns her head because she and the dog share a real life name? The whole thing is just messed up.

But maybe I do feel like there might be an exception, like maybe a human nickname or something. I guess I understand that people would want to name their dog a human name to prove that they have a little semi-human companion but it’s still crazy to me.

For the record, I’ve always felt this way and totally expressed as much to everyone who knows me. My sister named her dog Audrey and most might think this little cutie is romantically named after THE Audrey Hepburn, but she wasn’t. There was a whole strange rhyming situation that derived from Audi, and now some poor chick out there and my sister’s dog share a name.

I’m old school when it comes to this sort of thing. It’s more in the sense of once I get my puppy, I intend on naming it some ridiculous name with two syllables so it can understand what the heck I’m yelling. I want my dog to be clear that it’s not any ole human off the street and that she’s my quirky little sidekick.

So with that being said, here is my shortlist of appropriate puppy names:

Buddy
Peanut
Teddy
Trixie
Burger
Comet
Cocoa
Gizmo

I think you get the picture, the dern dog needs to know it’s not a human but I’ll digress for now.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, Roger turned out to actually be a she named Donut. Now that’s a puppy-dog name and yes the tacos were amazing. I will definitely be going back and hopefully get to see Donut frolicking in the doggie park the next go round.

What do you think about dogs with human names and if you did name it something less quirky than what I was envisioning, what would it be? <3

-D.Wright

So it has begun friends.

It’s already been a over a week in but the time of turkey, dressing, crazy decorative lighting, overly played Christmas songs and wild family shenanigans has been ushered in by the November food fest we call Thanksgiving. Also let’s not forget the ever anticipated lip-syncing extravaganza that took over the streets of New Your City, a la the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Speaking of the parade, 1. I’d personally LOVE to do it, it’s like a right of passage for any artist, 2. I think my cousin got to perform with the Prairie View A&M marching band. That’s pretty cool and yes I’m low-key jelly. It’s ok though, my time to shine will happen sooner than later – even if I have to jack a Sesame Street float and hold Elmo hostage. That just got dark real quick…I didn’t mean it. I love me a lil Elmo’s World.

Anywho, Thanksgiving came and went, and it was different for me this go round. It was definitely slower and super chill. I enjoyed seeing everyone and hanging with my people but I liked stepping back a bit too. Oh, and there was the food! Anyone who knows me, knows I ate everything I could. My best friend Adrienne, who I generally refer to as Adra, cooked her booty off! I probably should have taken more pictures, but I also decided to try and live in the moment. I’m finding the balance in all of this social media jazz but seriously, it’s hard to look fab when you’re eating like it’s the Last Supper and you’re borderline ready to pop that one top jean button. Don’t pretend like you’re not guilty of a little glutton.

KoKo, Dee and Me!

It was so fun though. The week started with us celebrating my girl Korlynn aka KoKo’s birthday, then going out for Ethiopian food later in the week and ending with a mini baecation as the kids say. Yeah, you read right and no I won’t dive into it now. Maybe later.

Lucy Ethiopian’s Qinttot No. 4

Well enough about me. How was your Turkey Day and are you ready for Christmas? I know I’m not. What I do know is we should all take a moment to reflect in this season of gratefulness and just throw out some positive vibes. It’s time to set up for the the new year and really make a splash in our world. <3

-D.Wright

I’m proud to say been a couple months since I’ve been writing to you all here on Sounds About Wright and I want to make sure that we get better acquainted.

I kinda hate social media. I know, I shouldn’t admit it out loud but it’s a lot of work and I just like to live (unless I’m snapping pictures of meals, that’s my only real online vice).

If you’re ever looking for me out there on the interwebs, you can find me a couple places. I’ll make it easy for you. Check it below.

Facebook

Facebook.com/SAWrightBlog

This is where you can find me most of the time. I like talking with everyone about random articles and crazy stuff I come across. Sometimes you might get a short essay or two but aside from my Kanye rants we have fun there. It’s kind of the baby-blog version of SAW. Stop by and say hello when you get the chance. I’d love to chat it up with you.

Twitter

Twitter.com/SAWrightBlog

Ok, even though I’m an OG of Twitter, I still haven’t gotten it down pat. Here I just talk to random people and a couple of  folks I know about all of the breaking stories and news updates that hit. You might also get the occasional .gif from me, but I promise they’re all really good.

Instagram

Instagram.com/SAWrightBlog

I LOVE taking pictures of stuff but here I mostly share food and break my new blog posts here. I do share a few pictures of my adventures here but I’ll make sure to get better with that. I was told I do a lot of cool stuff and people would probably want check out the same spots as well. We’ll see. And you all might know by now I have a lot to say, so as I see things I’ll photo journal it here.

Well.. there you go! I’m obviously everywhere and fortunate for you guys they all have the same handle. In addition to my social networks, I’ll start shooting you all emails when you sign up for my list to keep you posted on new content and other fun stuff. I’m also still working on how I want to attack these podcasts and playlists, but just keep rocking with me. You won’t be sorry! Wellllll maybe you will. #joking

Oh yeah, feel free to drop a line in the comment section. I won’t bite.

Talk you you soon! <3

-D.Wright

Prepare yourselves…this is going to be a real one.

The C-Word

Let’s talk about control. Control is a false idol. It’s something we’re forever chasing and (funny enough) not able to completely relish in because it’s hard to maintain. It’s our means of exerting power to sway the outcomes of events, or matters, surrounding our lives. We fuss and toil over details that have no real significance other than to scratch the itch. We overanalyze our abilities and scrutinize our works and when that isn’t enough – we extend the courtesy to others.

You might be wondering how it is that I became such the subject matter expert. I’ll be honest, I don’t know the when or the how…I just know I am. I’m ready to release that control and exchange it for something a little bit better – authorship.

The Meltdown

Many of you know I’m a huge fan of therapy and this story started with a little trip to my friendly therapist, Dr. Kay. There was definitely a meltdown involved. I’m not ashamed to say it. I was not coping well emotionally and was not afraid to let her know. That poor lady…she has a lot on her hands. I came in with unresolved issues all from different areas of my life that I absolutely felt I had no control over. It was maddening. I was flailing down a rabbit hole. And after plenty of tears and irrational ranting, she gave it to me.

[su_quote cite=”You can’t control everything, no one can, but you can be the author of your life. You have to be the author of your own life.”][/su_quote]

The Resolve

I’m sitting there, glassy eyed and it hits me. I can’t control anyone else’s narrative but my own. I’ve always heard, “You can’t control what you can’t control” and it finally sunk in. I can’t control how others respond to me, or what other people think or feel about anything. What I can control is what I think of myself, what opportunities I create for myself, and what I contribute to the world. I had to ask myself, “What do I want to contribute to the world, and how can you plan to make that dream a reality?” I mean, Dr. Kay definitely posed a lot of wonderful questions for me to consider what exactly it was that I wanted to create for myself.

The Challenge

Now I’m challenging you, as much as I’m challenging myself, to think on what it is that you can create and contribute for yourself. What are the things you can reasonably control in your life? What can you let go of? I sadly used to think that my success rested on the chance of someone discovering me and my talents. That’s something I absolutely can not control or depend on, but what I can control is discovering myself and proudly creating a path that makes sense for me.

So will you join me in becoming the author of your own life? It’s high time we create and promote some beautifully unique stories to share with the world. <3

-D.Wright