Not hating, Just stating…

Men run their mouths. Women are known to talk about people: “That weave is a mess.”; “Those shoes are tore down.”; “She KNOWS she should not wear that dress!”. But men take gossiping to a whole other level. Men that run their mouths, in THEIR minds think they are helping situations, when in reality, they are making them WORSE! The road to hell is PAVED with good intentions, you know?

Last week was the week of men-related FOOLISHNESS! I found out that my “boyfriend” had been placing my name in things that had nothing to do with him or me (yes that is PROPER English, look it up). He had said so much that it caused a serious riff between my co-worker and one of her good friends in the building. To the point where he decided to stop speaking to her, off the strength of what the ex told him I said. Yes, you read that right, the EX. That is another story, for another lifetime… Thank GOD for clarity, AMEN!

MOVING ON!

The air was cleared between my co-worker and her friend and subsequently between her friend and I. Based on what he said and what I said, the EX is not only a pot-stirrer but a habitual liar, who volunteers lies and exaggerations constantly and continuously. I had witnessed it, but refused to believe that I would ever be victim to it. BLINDED! In the end, I am glad that it all came to light but still a little put off that he PREVIOUSLY had the audacity to tell me he didn’t trust me! UGH!

There was another incident involving a man running his mouth that I was not directly involved in, so the details of such will just have to go undiscussed. Suffice it to say, the male involved had no reason or BUSINESS saying anything to anyone. He aggravated a tense situation that had been dormant 2 weeks under the guise of playing “peacemaker”. Remember what I said about that road to hell? Yeah, be careful out there.

If person A is tlaking about Person B & Person B is doing the same with Person A, sometimes, it’s best to tell Person A to TALK to Person B directly and C your way up out of it. Otherwise you end up being the bad guy, the culprit, the liar, the bitch, the agitator… Other times, it’s best to just stay out of it all together… don’t ask questions, don’t give your unsolicited opinion ut even when you can’t bring yourself to  stay out of it, for GOD’S SAKE… do not RUNTELDAT!  Especially if you are retelling an inaccuracy that you have fabricated into the MOUNT RUSHMORE of lies.

 NO BITCHASSNESS!

Allow me to get serious with you, just for a moment.

I was in church last Sunday and the topic was Hi, Hater… Interesting, I know.
But it was about the story of Joseph and how after his brothers had done all of these terrible things to him, he still forgave them. They put him in a pit, they sold him into slavery, and he still persevered, came home & forgave them. WOW! That is like superhuman, right? That was what I was thinking. Until the minister broke it down like this:
Forgiveness:
- helps us get rid of unwanted baggage… you can lug things around in your spirit and just like at the airport when your bag is too heavy, you will pay for it! (I took that from Minister Bill Lee, I can’t even lay claim to that nugget!)

- helps you embrace something new… Joseph was the youngest when he was sold into slavery and when he returned, he found out he had a younger brother and he embraced him. Had he not come backand forgiven them, he would have never known, get it? GOOD!

- helps you restore what was lost… Sometimes you can hold a grudge for so long that you are not even yourself anymore. Once you have forgiven someone and released that negative energy and attitude all kinds of things will come back to you.

Just a little something to think about… I’m not preachin, that ain’t my ministry… idonthink… I am just passing on some words that I needed to hear & I hope YOU recieve it too. If you care to read about the story it’s in Genesis 45: 1-6(or 18 depending on how much YOU want to read lol)

I’ll be back with more shenanigans, PROMISE! But first I got a WHOLE LOT of forgiving to do!

Kind Sir,
I have heard your name once or twice. I understand that you are a graduate of Howard University and are presently in Beijing doing your thing and I can respect that. But approximately 40 minutes ago, I was introduced to you more formally in picture form.

Hi, there, yes, hello… I am going to just leave it at that. Teeth, nose, ears… and I could not BELIEVE what is under that white Nike shirt.  I would like to thank your mama, your daddy, your ancestors & the Lord above for creating you. It was a pleasure to meet you… yes indeed!

Sincerely,

Bri

AMEN!

I have gone to Miami every year for the past 5 years or so. And everytime I go, it is a new experience. I have been with different groups of people & each time is an AWESOME time!

Miami never ceases to amaze or amuse me. I realize I can’t drink like I used to, so my Wet Willie’s days are drawing nigh. But News Cafe & Jerry’s are still the BEST places to eat good assed regular food! The hot tubs @ the Shelborne, the infinity pool @ the National, the rooftop lounge @ the Townhouse. AMAZING!

I bought jewelry on top of jewelry only for ME this year. I met Whiteboy from I Love New York & I Love Money and he is the hottest Jewish boy I have ever met & I have met some HOT Jewish boys! I partied with my people at The 5th & didn’t wake up with a hangover! I finally got to ride a scooter through the streets of South Beach. AWESOMENESS!

I had never travelled with my co-worker before, but she was an AWESOME vacation partner. See how I keep using the word AWESOME? Yeah… I love South Beach with an all-inclusive resort on the sunny shores of JA, a close second. But South Beach has always been the place I HAVE to go each year.

The plane ticket was $160, the room was a STEAL, the transportation to & from the airport was a lil steep, but not bad when split 2 or 3 ways. I didn’t want to leeeeeave… I still had a list of things I didn’t get to do. My friend had a personal issue so we missed the strip club & then the heat got the best of us so we missed going to Dream. I wanted to have plantains & blackbeans & rice @ Lario’s. I wanted to ride a bike down the beach again. I wanted to go to the MAC store & have a fabulous Miami queen make me FLAWLESS! UGH! I want to go back, NOW!

All in all, it was not perfect & not everything went as planned, but hey Miami is as close to paradise as you can get in the continental US. My uncle was asking if I went to Key West… um, when you are in MIAMI do you NEEEED to go anywhere else? UH UH!

As of today, I have 22 days before I feel the RUSH of the city that never sleeps… I can’t wait for that EITHER! I am by no means a jet setter, but there are places that I HAVE to go regularly because they make me feel so alive! I am presently shaking my shimmy as I type! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

When you are in love…. the dumbest things seem smart.

… the easiest things seem hard.

… the smallest things seem huge.

… the shortest amounts of time seem like eternities.

… the closest things seem distant.

And guess what… it is. Everything old is new again and until you are no longer in love, nothing anyone says can save you from yourself.

And guess what… it is okay. If you aren’t getting crackhead thin, or ginormously obese and you aren’t contemplating suicide or homicide and you are able to see the forest from the trees but choose instead to focus on just one plant, it happens.

You can’t beat yourself up over it & you can’t let people convince you that you are the ONLIEST one to have been there. Sometimes you have to learn your own lessons full-on in order to really learn the lesson. The most important thing is to know what the lesson is & learn from it.