It’s March 2020, and just wow.

There has been so much tragedy and terrible stuff in our world– between Kobe and Gianna’s deaths, the president (and his entire being), America’s pending elections/the political climate, wildfires, and now Coronavirus. Our lives feel like something made for a disaster movie, and many of us are trying not to be overwhelmed with sadness, anxiety, or depression.

I haven’t known what to really say over the past couple months, but I wanted to acknowledge the state of the times before transitioning into the other topics I had in mind. When I started this blog I wanted it to be a place where you could come and experience the different facets of my personality as well as learn a little bit about the world I see. Since the world I see is a bit in shambles, I had to check myself and regroup on my perspective.

I’ll start with

My heart goes out to everyone going through it right now.

Award shows, sporting events, and TikTok challenges are cool and all but we’re all out here going through the real deal. We’re coping with some pretty tragic public and personal events–and while I know everything will be ok eventually, it doesn’t feel like it will get better any time soon. I’m working on accepting our new reality, leaning on my faith, and embracing that we truly need each other now– more than ever.

Don’t forget

A word to the wise…don’t forget to take care of you. Unplug from this madness every once in a while. I know I’ve been working so hard check my attitude in the online comment sections because sometimes I just want to to go full fledged Wreck It Ralph, but I know it doesn’t solve anything. Being an angry Smurf only adds to the crazy, so your girl has to simply disconnect from the swirl and reconnect to what matters…and that’s this here spirit.

Happiness is

Remember that happiness is forever in a state of flux, but we can all attain it. What I’m working at in my life is having authentic joy and peace. Understand, it’s definitely a challenge…the road to happy is NOT easy but I want to live a life that I know I’ve enjoyed through all of the ups and downs. I don’t want my lows to take me out the game and I don’t want my highs to ever make me forget what I’ve been through.

Right now, we’re going though a weird low and I know I refuse to personally wallow in it for long. I’m finding things that lift my spirits like writing more, tipsy Neflix time with my pup, and Dj D Nice Club Quarantine dance parties. And I’ve got so many cool stories to share too, but for now I just want to feel how I feel–weird and unsettled. I can’t pretend to be completely celebratory when the reality happening around us seems so merciless.

Anywho…Hope you all are well and I’ll drop some goodies soon. <3

-D.Wright

America’s dirty little secret is White supremacy. There I said it.

As an African American woman in this country, it’s not safe for me to turn a blind eye to the climate of race relations and civil rights in America. We can no longer afford to pretend that racism isn’t weaved throughout the very fabric of America’s existence, and the march on Charlottesville is huge reason why.

Over the weekend, on the campus of the University of Virginia, we witnessed about a hundred or so white men and women march throughout the sleepy college town a night before their big “Unite the Right” rally. They proudly held up Nazi salutes with one hand and their now famed tiki-torches in the other. They chanted things like “blood and soil,” “you will not replace us,” and “White lives matter,” along with other reported racial epithets. It was like something out of the 1960’s. They confidently, no they angrily paraded throughout the campus and finally stopped under the statue of Robert E. Lee where all hell practically broke loose.

Photo courtesy of Vox.

There was pepper spray and chemical spray used amongst the protesters and counterprotestors…clubs and torches being flung. There were recorded fist fights and beatings. The news swept through Twitter like a wild-fire and took the world by storm. There were responses of sorrow, indifference, fear, anger…you name it, the world expressed it. The one emotion that annoyed me the most was that of surprise. Why are we surprised? Why are we now just getting “woke,” because it’s trendy? These people have lived amongst us, dormant, for decades. If you’re Black, you’ve likely experienced stories of these types of people from your family, friends, and community. They were our “Boogie-Man.”

African Americans have continuously rallied for support against these people for years but it’s almost been as if folks thought we were crying wolf – citing things like Black Lives Matters, Black on Black crime and drug epidemics as the supposed root of the problem. But the internet has ripped off the band-aides and rose colored glasses, and now here we are. These are your teachers, preachers, politicians, cops, doctors, nurses, lawyers, business owners. These wolves hidden in plain sight are the future of America and they hate all people who don’t look like them or represent their beliefs. They are domestic terrorist. You all are finally seeing “post racial” America for what it really is…a hot, disgusting mess.

Photo courtesy of Yahoo.

Writer for Vox, German Lopez, said it best when speaking to the fragility of these self proclaimed “victims” who marched at UVA…

[su_quote cite=”But they’ve seen their racial security challenged. They saw the first black president with Barack Obama. They see demographic statistics that show white Americans will no longer be the majority in the coming decades. They see all of this talk about Black Lives Matter and the importance of diversity, including through policies like affirmative action. They see recent moves to tear down Confederate monuments in the South. And they themselves may have been accused of racism at some point in their lives, perhaps after they raised concerns about any of these issues.”][/su_quote]

These folks are mad because they will one day no longer hold the majority of this country. So on Friday, August 11th, 2017, the pot officially boiled over .

Photo courtesy of Slate.

The next day, hundreds more of neo-Nazis and Ku Klux Klan members met for part two of their rally but something was a little different. The news had spread about the evening before and a larger group of counterprotesters and media outlets joined. It all ended with a fatal car crash killing thirty-two-year-old Heather Heyer with 19 other people injured. The driver was 20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr. of Maumee, Ohio.

Photo courtesy of CNN.

There is still fallout happening after this whole debacle. The President made a statement that was actually applauded by the likes of David Duke, there’s been more criticism of the police, two officers actually died in route to the rally, the Republican party is scrambling, Deandre Harris has been talking about his beating, and the public is just stunned. It’s all so amazing to see unfold, and I don’t mean that in a good way. It’s insane, and all I can feel is interchangeable sadness and numbness. Most embarrassingly, the world is watching. Our dirty little secret, is secret no more. It’s just dirty.

Time to clean house. <3

-D.Wright

First off, I’d like to say that Rep. Maxine Waters  is my soul sister. She’s my fairy shade mother and queen of giving no effs. Representative Waters is strong, opinionated, all about her business and taking the social media stratosphere by storm with her no nonsense approach to political buffoonery. This woman is sprinkling her sweet-and-sassy Black Girl Magic all over Washington and taking no prisoners as she gains new fans across the country.

I obviously love her, and think she’s hilarious but there are so many reasons why she’s caught the attention of the world and millennials in particular…Her trolling skills are none to be reckoned with. Over the past year she’s trended on Twitter with her remarks on the 2016 elections, James Comey, her Black woman at work situation that stemmed from inappropriate comments made by staunch conservative and terrible human being, Bill O’Reilly, and now from her latest command to her adversaries – never waste her time. Auntie now has us all reclaiming our time and we’re here for it.

Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Sentinel.

Even though she was clearly sending a message to Treasury Secretary  Steven Mnuchin, we can all learn a lesson from those three simple words – reclaiming my time.

I’ve decided to give you good people a good word today and here it is…

When to Best Reclaim Your Time

• Reclaim your time from pointless conversations
• Reclaim your time from failing relationships
• Reclaim your time from dead end jobs
• Reclaim your time from sabotaging yourself

Photo courtesy of Elle.

Reclaim your time from pointless conversations.

Why on earth would you argue with someone just for the sake of argument? My dad always told me to never argue with a fool and I don’t take that advice lightly. Sure, debates are cool but if you’re consistently finding yourself locked into stressful conversations that are causing you to lose brain cells and sleep, go ahead and reclaim your time. Move around and don’t engage in petty conversations or become the person mad at yourself for falling into traps you saw set. Then for my net gnats, don’t tempt yourself. Don’t voluntarily jump into the black holes of Twitter hashtags and Facebook comments. Go read a book or something. Reclaim your time.

Reclaim your time from failing relationships

If your romantic, familial, or friend relationships are terrible going nowhere fast (not at your doing)…do yourself a favor and reclaim your time. Get out of there quick! There’s no need for you to engage in unhealthy interactions with people who don’t honor the person you are or are working to be. Don’t argue with your uncle at the cookout. Don’t throw wine on Susan at that nice charity gala. Reclaim your time. Surround yourself with people who bring the best out of you and lift you up in life.

Reclaim your time from dead end jobs

If you’re unhappy and ready for a change, it’s time to stop giving energy to those jobs doing nothing for your purpose. I’m not saying be an idiot and quit the job that’s paying your bills, I’m saying begin to align yourself with work that makes you happy and helps you leave the footprint you want on the world. Consider getting extra training or certifications for your dream job or even create your own job! Just don’t sit there and complain about “the man” taking the best years of your life when you can create the life you want doing the work you’re passionate about. I’m just saying, reclaim your time.

Reclaim your time from sabotaging yourself

This is a tough one because you might actually think you’re always awesome and continuously winning (but no one else does because you’re a joy kill or a leech) or you might just be the one who beats yourself up over the smallest feats. Stop it! Reclaim your time. You have to snap out of self destructive behaviors and seek sound, healthy counsel from those who can help you be your best self. If your friend tries to course correct some things they see going awry, reclaim your time and reroute. If you are your own worst enemy and suffer from low self esteem… stop it right now! Reclaim your time. Do some soul searching, find a spiritual advisor or therapist and get to work. Be that light you desire to see!

Photo courtesy of Vibe.

Maxine Waters was just trying to tell this dude to get to the point. I challenge us all to get to the point and stop wasting valuable time.

Thank you Auntie Maxine…thank you. You are eternally my #WomanCrushWednesday! <3

-D.Wright