As Humans on this Planet We Have Got to Do Better

The more I see of this world specifically the daily grind that is DC the more I want to move to another country. I am super estatic that Obama is president, Michelle is the most beautiful First Lady to grace the white house with her presence but this city is so gutter it turns my stomach. I think travelling by bus gets to the underbelly of the city. It allows you to see the true grit. And DC is truly gritty. It certainly doesn't stop there. Camden is another destination this is not the glimmer in the eyes of your all American experience. Sadly it doesn't stop there. My voice today just felt like a lone voice in a desolete forrest.

INTERIOR U8 Bus to Capitol Heights

The Characters: Aimless youth, drunkin impaired, babies, adults and fools

The Scene: People load on to the bus like any ordinary day. There is a white man that is fiddling with papers who gets up and pulls the bell around 44th and Nannie Helen Burroughs. The drunkinly impaired man with the crutches decides that he needs to inform the white man that he was somehow wasting people's time and should have had his papers together an organized his stuff off the bus.

White Man:

(loudly)

I didn't ask you for no lecture man. I don't need no lecture from you...

Drunkinly Impaired:

(incoherently)

Mumble mumble mumble

Moves crutches to the side, rises slowly hobbling to his feet. bucks at white man

Bus Patrons:

Laughing, gasping

Yeah Get him. Awwww! Yeah

stand on bus chairs, swing from poles, jump off bus, call police

Lone bus patron:

(seriously)

This is not funny. This is not funny. Stop laughing! This is unbelievable. This is insane.

to the bus driver

Did you call the police? What happens?

Bus Driver:

I pushed the button. What else do you want me to do? There are the police right there do you want to get them?

911 Operator:

911 emergency do you need the police?

Lone bus patron:

Yes there is a fight?

911 Operator:

Where are you?

Lone bus patron:

44th and Nannie Helen Burroughs they are one the bus fighting...

This was my journey home. I was the lone bus patron saying "This is not funny." It was truly disheartening to see the reaction that the youth had to those two grown ass men fighting. Excitement! Arousal! Exuberation! Were it not for a couple of civil minded men on the bus who broke things up the drunkinly impaired man would have pulled a blade. There were about 5 police cars that arrived and about nine or so police who did absolutely nothing. The bus driver had to tell them to get the man who started it, Mr. Drunkinly Impaired Man, off the bus. Once he was removed patrons who had their right mind to get off the bus reboarded and we rode up the street. As soon as I got home I went to this site.

Techniques! I love em.

I feel in love with Polaroid transfers years ago. My first one was similar to the one above. I was an experimentor sometime ago. Once someone brought something to my attention I was on it. "Have you ever shot slides?" Off I went to Penn Camera to get slide film and spend more money. I picked up the film then set up a date with my friend Andrea and shot. Some years later I fell into a Polaroid transfer workshop and the same slides I shot of Andrea were the ones I used for my Polaroid transfers. She had made a ring from a flower and turned to face the sun and I caught her in that instance and that was the image that I transfered. I love techniques that allow you to be hands - on. The end result is a renewed piece of artwork that has a life of it's own. It is rustic in a lot of ways in that it looks weathered and worn. It is an exciting process that gives me a sense of fullfillment because of the process itself. Check it out for yourself and create!

Today's Inspiration

I am a lover of SHOES and photography. When I saw today's inspiration it was the perfect mix of my two loves. I love the way the wedding dress hits just above the ankle to show off that beautiful shoe and the thick wooden heel is the perfect contrast with the beautifully manicured lawn. The waves and curls in the petticoat are gorgeous and just add more rich texture to the image. I think that is what I like the most about this shot, the texture, it is so alive. This is my inspiration for the day. I hope it inspires you as well. 

Kudos to the photographer who ever it is! And thank yous to Wedding Cabaret

A Sea of Women in White

The Art of Living Center held the CentroNia Girls Saturday Arts Program, Project Metamorphosis. It was a fabulous event. I am so pleased with my girls work. I must admit it was like pulling teeth to get it done but in the end it did work. I am more inclined to show photos then talk about it though so...

If you missed it... not to worry the documentary and the publication are coming soon! You will get to see the process and the program and hear first hand accounts of the experience!

Casino Night Anyone?

@Teatro Goldoni 1909 K Street

About Pediatric HIV/AIDS, Inc.

Pediatric AIDS/HIV Care, Inc. provides children living with HIV/AIDS with education, therapy, and youth programming to empower them to live healthy and successful lives. Pediatric Care has been serving youth for over 20 years and will continue to do so until the stigma of HIV/AIDS is eradicated.They are the only organization in the DC area devoted exclusively to vital support services for children and adolescents living with HIV/AIDS. Their comprehensive range of psychosocial services is designed in response to the complex needs and wishes of the person. They are especially focused on supporting young people orphaned and affected by HIV/AIDS. The children and adolescents who have priority for enrollment are those with an imminent or recent AIDS-related lossFor more information, visit the website at http://www.pediatricaidshivcare.org/

Memorial Day

I am not a big fan of the out doors. Never really liked bugs. Don't really like getting all dirty and grimy. Put me by a window or on a screened porch though and I am fine. 

Last week my auntie texted me and asked if I want to attend a cookout her sister (my other aunt of course) was having. I agreed. So my Memorial Day weekend was spent in Deleware with my estranged family. I love my aunties to pieces. They are funny, intelligent, family oriented women. Between the two of them I have five cousins four of whom I got to spend time with over the weekend. My mother's uncles don't have any children so I was the only grandchild. I am use to a compact family. I stayed the night in Deleware where this morning I counted 7 wash clothes in the bathroom for the household. That did not include the 3 overnight guests that included myself my other auntie and my cousin. The experience was a little surreal.

I think that I may have been a bit nervous and I know that I had to stop myself from tearing up several times. Especially, talking to Mr. Collins, who is my paternal grandfather, because I miss my pop-pop so much (my mommy's father). Hearing Mr. Collins talk about the war and his military travels made me think of him and his stories. Mr. Collins told me about a time when the word "MF" cost him $500. To this day he doesn't like the word. It was fun seeing where I could possibly get my "idiosyncrasies". Like both of my aunts sleeping with the fan on just like I do. I like the sound of the motor because it puts me to sleep. My cousin Danielle and I had the same toe nail color. (more of a coincendence than anything else, i know.) My Auntie Cheryl swears that I look like her mother. My father enjoys taking pictures too. "Look she is definitely Michael's daughter. Look at all the pictures she took." 

I am the oldest of the neices and nephews by about ten years. Because my mother and father didn't really work out I missed out on having little cousins to babysit or tease and this weekend confirmed that. It just felt so comfortable to be there and it was hard because it still felt like I was on the outside. Alot of time has been lost. I missed the bumps and bruises, laughs and nicknames... and the reason behind those nicknames. 

My father and I have yet to have a real conversation about anything since the funeral last year (his mother). I mean a cookout with a whole rack of cousins isn't really the best place to have the convo we need to have. Some parts of me is glad that we couldn't other parts want to scream "What's wrong with you man?!"

Sometimes I think about the way in which things are connected to determined how things could be disconnected. Being connected to my mother and disconnected from my father caused a disconnect from my aunts and cousins. Obvious though right. I wonder how could they live without me... how could he live without me? I have the feeling that my father is proud of me. I mean I am a polite, charming, attractive young lady. I was raised to respect myself as well as my elders. I am not on drugs... I mean there is a whole list of things I suppose. All of that I attribute to my mother and maternal grandparents. I am still waiting to give my father credit for something. In the pictures we took yesterday I was searching for my face in his. I was looking for the connection, for the me in him. In every picture of me there were teeth. Partially because my aunts kept me in stitches and partially because if I stopped laughing I probably would have started to cry. I think he is still trying to live up to his nickname Cockoman. He got it because he was so arrogant and cocky when he was younger. One of the only "stories" I know about him. 

I am hestitant to post this blog. I mean I mainly post about art in some way shape or form or at least I try. Sharing the craziness that is my life within the last couple of posts is a little weird. I guess it fits under the catergory of commentary and these are certainly my life and times. 

Unconventional Ideas

So I stumbled upon Ted.com, Can really remember how but I travel there daily to learn something new or hear a story and laugh a bit. The author of The Tipping Point Malcolm Gladwell presented this piece. I enjoy talks like this one. Check it out and check out Ted