Do you ever just feel like you’re watching your own life on television? Like “WOW look at her over there writing in that notebook, what’s in there? Oh, piiizza, that looks yummy.”
That’s how I’ve been feeling lately. Like that time I had that weed lollipop and music sounded different, and I was remembering all these things from childhood. (If I could guarantee it’d be like that every time, I’d partake in those more than twice a year.) My brain is very on right now, which I guess is why I’m up at 3:13 a.m. the night before Thanksgiving, with no Thanksgiving plans.
SYNCHRONICITY
Anyway, synchronicity, I’ve been wanting to write about that for a few days.
- Reading Terry McMillan’s Waiting to Exhale, I thought of how years ago my Paw Paw’s brother’s nurse, Marguerite, died of shingles. I went got my brake tag and the man recognized my last name.
"Braden, now you wouldn't be any relation to Dr. Braden huh?" "Yes, sir, that was my Paw Paw's brother." "Nice to know the name is still alive, he was my doctor for many years, up until he passed." "It's so crazy, I was just thinking of his nurse, Marguerite, and how she died after getting shingles." "Marguerite, I always remember her name because it's my mama's middle name. (looks at my Dillard alumni sweatshirt) In fact, she taught at Dillard for 30 years, Patricia Morris."
Then later a friend on Twitter, my amazing future accountant, mentioned shingles.
- I was randomly thinking of Archie Bell and the Drells, specifically the song “Tighten Up.” The next day, it played at Seaworthy, where I was enjoying my first ever staycation.
- Also on the staycation I saw a handsome gentleman and said to myself I sure wanted to learn more about him. Chile I get back to my room and find a DM on my phone, we had been following each other on Instagram and he recognized me. (Glad I didn’t say nothing too saucy on Instagram, and I hope he doesn’t follow me on Twitter!)
- And I shared a photo of my Writer’s Chronicle, with Jericho Brown on the cover. The next day, my homeboy DM’ed me like OMG because he just found out about Jericho Brown, and here he was on my Instagram.
ANTICIPATION
Did you ever play the computer game, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? There was a part where, if you flew to the right place to meet people to interview to lead you to the perp, a message on the screen would say “A V.I.L.E. henchman! You must be on the right track.” When I see angel numbers or other nods from my departed loved ones, I know I’m doing something right. Onward I go.
One of my spiritual advisors, Vida, she’s the one who got me into angel numbers. The (Ludacris “Area Codes” voice) 222’s and 444’s, 555’s, 333’s. Also, I met Vida through Ada, who, along with another one of my spiritual advisors, Tatianna, got me to understand alignment. Basically what we call synchronicity is evidence of alignment, proof that you’re on the right track.
FEELINGS
Other feelings I’ve had lately, are that I’ve come a long way from where I started and that I can only go up from here. My friends and friendTors are all achieving and it seems like it’s our time. Praise His holy name. It’s as if all my friends and I are in a Hip-Hop Harry dance circle, waiting for him to say “WHO’S NEXT?!”
I just wish my mom were here to see it. I’d love to take her as my plus-one to all these things, with Franklin. And I want Deborah Cotton here, and Michael Mizell-Nelson.
So what am I working on now? You didn’t ask, because comments are off by design, so I’m finsta tell you: literary stuff.
My journalism stuff been poppin’ lately, and I’m thankful. I still want more gigs actually, specifically bylines that pay more or lead to others that pay more.
“I got a baby, I need some money / yeah, I need cheese for my egg.”
Cardi B
This literary stuff though, it’s what I need to do right now. Been sitting on so much for years. (Just now, I got that watching myself on TV feeling.) Many reasons for not doing it earlier, but like my favorite Instagram-social-media-deep quote goes, “You are on time for your life.” Been entering paying contests and trusting that the Universe — Creole Jesus out the 7th Ward an’em and my mama’nem — will provide. I just want to get my mom’s memoir out.
Oh and also, I’ve been wanting to start a certain… non-profit? Foundation? For years now, but I don’t know how to do it. I know exactly what I want to provide, but how do I start it? What do I call it? How do I fund it? I know it’s a good thing, because a guy I know with selfish intentions told me to go about doing it in a different way. I think if I had $500 per person I wanted to help, times 10 people who need it, that’s $5000. Plus I guess $1000 for mailings and operational fees, and $1000 cushion. That’s only $7000.
Lord, I promise if I get 7000 random dollars, and my personal finances are good enough to keep bills paid and food on the table, I’ll start the … whatever within a year’s time.
