Friday, October 29, 2010

Street Degree

     One valuable lesson my mama has taught me: "Never be afraid to ask questions--never be afraid to ask." Many times you won't get the answer you desire, but many times you will.


Thursday, October 28, 2010

Denmark



I miss you.

You snuck up on me once again. My thoughts got carried away. Carried away.

It was all such a whirlwind when I met you.

Full of promise with your royalty and well designed outlook.

Yes it all gives me butterflies.

It's true. You had my heart. But now, you have it once again.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Sabotage!


     Twice this month the battery in my car needed a jump. I knew my battery was getting old, but my sweet "Shaquifa" (Yes, that's my car's name), had never pulled two tantrums like that before. Plus, I'm pretty regular with car maintenance and upkeep, especially since my Dad is pretty much a mechanic--mostly for fun, but he gets the job done.

     Anyhow,  this last Sunday, I had just gotten gas, when..."Wallah!"my car wouldn't start...oddly enough the alarm in my car still worked and my power windows could still hang. Hmm.

     So I called AAA. The guy was a sweet greasy mechanic. But he was not trying to smile or even make eye contact with me. Bad day, I guess. He then runs a few tests on my battery. He tells me the same thing that another mechanic told me a few weeks prior: "You need to replace this battery right away--acid is leaking, the cables are awful, etc. If I give you a jump, once you turn your car off, it won't start again, unless you replace it with a new battery."

     Just as he's explaining this to me, I nod and smile, and decide to put the key in the ignition and turn it, just for fun.

     All of a sudden, my car starts! Um. What. Okay. That was weird.

     The guy doesn't seem happy or surprised. His lady may have dumped him that day, he was emotionally dry, he gave me nothing to work with.

     Then my AAA mechanic tells me, "You can buy a new battery today, because when you turn your car off, it won't start again."

     I politely smiled at him, declined the new battery offer and said,  "I know you are telling me all the things that you are supposed to, but my car will start again...and again...and again. And that's just counting today."

     Now he has a response. He kind of grins.

     I tell him, "Thank you, for coming out." and we part ways.

     I made many stops that Sunday afternoon and evening, after my battery apparently had died, and each time, my car started beautifully. 

     If I would have turned home in fear, I would have missed something very crucial and life-changing that Sunday night. (I'll share with you in a future blog, what that special moment was.)


     Oh, but don't you want to know the end of the car battery drama? So, I call AAA, today, because I'm finally prepared to buy a new battery, I knew the time would come soon, since my battery is well-aged--and I figured, I might as well just do it now.

    I have my dad with me as a new AAA mechanic inspects my battery--

     "You're battery is fine--You don't need a new one." (There was no acid leaking, by the way)

-------

      So about an hour later, my Dad is cleaning the cables to my battery...and he discovers a huge grey pleathery cloth stuck underneath my battery.

Saturday, October 09, 2010

Frankie Says, Relax! And Maybe Go Play Some Chess…



My wisdom nuggets for today:

“You make time for what you want to make time for.”

“You make time for who you want to make time for.”

Truly.

No need to hide behind excuses or failed attempts and intentions.

You are a creature of choices.

You are deciding daily who and what is important to you.

Truly.

We are always operating out of seen and unseen priorities. 

Who or what did you make time for today?

 --For that is the place where your heart dwells and is inspired to come alive, or on the other hand it may be the place where your heart is trapped and dying to break free.

Truly.

Monday, October 04, 2010

Lovin' Would Be Easy If Your Colors Were Like My Dreams


When true love is presented, it seems as if the notion of sacrifice quickly surfaces. I'm learning more and more that sacrifice is vital for love to flourish.

The world paints a different picture, though. Go get yours and just do you.

But in the end, subscribe to this superficial and self-preserving philosophy, you'll be left by yourself, still wanting, still aching, still knowing that there's something more.

Sacrifice is much like the art of pruning a tree. You cut away branches in order for the tree to produce more fruit, more life.

Yes, the act of sacrifice cost something and is painful, but this art is not only meant for the compassionate elite, but us everyday people. Because in the end, our sacrifice will yield the fruit that our hearts are truly after.

The beauty of sacrifice--becoming the bravest of hearts.
I want a heart that is brave and free,
A heart full of colors to share, beyond my wildest dreams...