Out Of The Shade And Into The Light

No, I still haven’t bothered to watch the Gangland program yet! I’ve heard enough on the grapevine and can imagine the rest for myself but I’ll give it a fair assessment next week.

I had to change it up because I’m still really confused by something that blew up in the media recently, REALLY confused! When did being a star in the public eye give us the right to air disgust at a woman’s choice to not paint her face? In fact, that’s being too polite – who the fuck do certain people think they are?

I am, of course, talking about Alicia Keys and her appearance at the VMA’s. I’m honestly dumbfounded at how shallow these people are and the fact that they took the time out of their day to post how offended they were on social media.

I know the world’s gone mad for sure for many, MANY reasons and this crock of shit is definitely one of them. Why should she have to “pretty up” for the masses? Is her talent not enough that you want to own her face too? IT’S HER FACE!! You may think she looks better with make up on – that’s YOUR opinion and you are more than welcome to it, but I would say that in publicly doing so and the way some of you bitched about it says more about you than it does about her.

Your actions speak volumes that with all the troubles going on in the world right now you find the time to whinge about this.😑

Did she say she wouldn’t ever perform again until we free the face, rock its foundation and all follow suit? Did she start an #AllFacesMatter movement? Did she say she despises all those who choose to wear it and finds them all deplorable? No.

She made a choice, which is hers to make, and really should have no affect on your day whatsoever. How can you see beauty in a mask painted on her face but not in its purest form? Why is it more acceptable for us to accept a false image and shun reality?

In her case, even when they accept it, it’s only halfheartedly as she’s accused of having the money to look good naturally!🙈Really!? So how much money does that take then? I’m no expert but I’d figure it would cost more to buy all the paraphernalia you need to put your face on than soap, water and moisturiser.

Maybe the reason why her skin looks so healthy and glowing is the fact that she’s not clogging up her pores with crap and allowing her skin to breathe naturally. In my opinion you are fighting a losing battle when you bitch about having to cover up your bad skin with layers upon layers of slap to “look good”. Who is it you’re trying to impress anyway? If it’s purely self satisfying then go knock yourself out, but if it’s for the benefit of others; if they’re really so small-minded and petty as to only want to know you because of a mask you’re wearing are they worth all the effort?🤔

I’m not against make-up or those that choose to wear it but I’ve never been a fan. I’ve never owned or used more than 3 items in my life. My make up kit consists of eyeliner and lipstick/lipgloss and they only make an appearance when I’m going out-out and even then, after the first application has worn off it’s straight Vaseline on my lips!

I’m comfortable with the way my face is (for now! 👀), and I honestly can’t be arsed with any of it, but should circumstances change, IT WILL BE MY DECISION TO MAKE! And it’s not because I’ve always had perfect skin because I haven’t. I was your typical spotty teen and I’ve had some volcanoes erupt on my chin and forehead in my time along with the best of them, but I honestly believe my not trying to cover them up and feeding them more bacteria helped a lot to give me the skin I have today.

Yet even still, as much as I’m comfortable with it people still believe that to be classed as truly beautiful you have to have some form of enhancement. I’m getting married next year and have been asked by several people what am I going to do about my make up? Apparently I’ve got to at least get my brows done if not lashes and foundation. Erm….do I?…..Why? For whose benefit? I’m good and my fiancé has been happy with the same face for decades and on the day we finally decide to make things legit I intend on meeting him down the aisle with the same face he loves thanks!

Feel free to go full on Coco the Clown on YOUR day or any other day for that matter, but for me that’s not the one!✋🏾

I’ve watched the tutorials on how to go from duff to buff and the more layers I see being applied the more my face starts itching. On the real, some of these women deserve awards for the masterpieces they create because if you’d have shown me a before and after picture I would never have put them in the same room let alone say they were the same person.

Whether you’re a natural beauty or a work of art, as an adult that decision is yours and yours alone to make, and I don’t get why it should matter to anybody else – especially enough for them to get verbal about it. The REAL issues are with you not the person of your displeasure. As Alicia said, DO YOU!!

When you truly take that step you understand that it doesn’t matter what little love is shown from those who mean nothing to you. They’re all about the shade – picking the right one to blend in and throwing the rest in our direction. What they don’t understand is that no matter how much shade they throw, they can’t dim that glow!🌟

It comes from the inside out, and shallow people rarely get that deep. #RealTalk.

 

Congratulations Dame Sarah Storey, Team GB and all those rapping for their countries in the Paralympics.

Always Do You, Stay Blessed & #CelebrateLife

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Forgive Them Father

I didn’t have to think twice about this week’s topic. It’s something that no matter who you are, no matter what our many differences, you have dealt with it – because we are all a part of it – Humankind.

You cannot escape hearing one awful situation after the next. Innocent lives taken away because of what? Because my skin tone’s better than your shade, or my God’s greater than yours, or you love someone I don’t agree with – so that gives me a right to wipe you out!? I’m seriously trying to understand what makes a certain percentage of us so twisted you can happily destroy another innocent life.

That’s not to say I don’t believe that SOME people do deserve to die (or at least suffer for a really long time) I put my hands up, I do. But I’m talking about the real lowlife scum of the earth. The murderers, rapists, paedophiles etc. What I can’t comprehend is how one can take another’s life because their lifestyle or colour or whatever isn’t the same as yours. Is it nature versus nurture, a chemical imbalance or are they just plain evil? #AnswersOnAPostcard

As I understand it – well in Christianity anyway, and in the few religions I have a little understanding of, the whole purpose is to live right, love and treat your fellow man as equal, follow the guidelines that have been set and those that don’t will be dealt with by the Lord. Obviously there’s a bit more to it than that but you get my gist. It seems simple enough right? WRONG!

I was raised a Christian but have chosen to follow no specific religion. That’s not to say I don’t believe that there is some form of higher power or that I don’t know love or compassion or faith because I do, but I’ve seen way too many hypocritical people judge, criticise, condemn and kill in the name of the Lord. Believing that their shit doesn’t stink or they can go about being heathens throughout the week because on Sunday all of their sins will be forgiven. Hiding abuse behind a cassock or a bible. KMT!

I make no apologies, I choose not to put a name on my belief or live by a set of rules that many over centuries have interpreted in their own way and try to make their abhorrent actions justifiable. I thought only He could judge? So why do so many followers believe they are judge, jury and executioner? #JustSaying

I know we will never all sing from the same hymn book but the world would be a much better place if we just really did leave the retribution to the Almighty and not take it upon ourselves to mete out his punishments. I’m sorry but I feel nothing but contempt for those who choose to do so. I guess that’s another reason as to why I’m not a practising Christian. They’re (supposedly) all about forgiveness and I haven’t quite mastered that.

Forgive them Father;  ’cause I bloody won’t!

 

 

R.I.P to the Orlando 49 and Jo Cox

 

Show A Little More Love, Stay Blessed & #CelebrateLife

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The Only Kind Of Hit I’ll Condone!

Well, Well, Well…..what a week! My emotions have been as bipolar as the weather – NO LIE!! I’ve been saddened by the passing of a friends loved ones, and of Muhammad Ali – a great example of a true legend, especially within the Black community, and a lover of real talk too. May he rest in peace along with the relations of various friends who are being laid to rest or are being mourned.

Not gonna lie, this week’s been a bit of a bitch. You know them ones – each day brings a little something with it to add a little grey to your day! I try not to let it cloud me for long though (pun intended). In fact after visiting an old friend on Tuesday it reminded me of how blessed and resilient we can be.

She’s had more than her fair share of serious, life-changing experiences that understandably a lot of us couldn’t handle, yet she continues to smile, bus’ joke, laugh and live life despite it all. I can’t help but get a feel good vibe at that.

Another reason to smile is the glorious days of sunshine we’ve had (that’s in between the hay fever and the biblical thunderstorm that disrupted my goddamn viewing pleasure, playing with my Sky and emotions to boot! No panic though – I watched BB on the iPad and caught the last Blindspot on demand – I know you were concerned!)

I’m a straight up sun-child and any chance to top up my vitamin D will make me a happy bunny. It seems to be contagious too. It’s amazing how much nicer folk can be when the sun has got his hat on. It’s also just as fascinating how unhygienic and “eclectic” some can be but we won’t dwell on that….well….just long enough to say I’m in favour of people loving themselves no matter what their shape or size, but a high number of you, (AN EXTREMELY FUCKING HIGH!), need to make your acquaintances with my friends soap, water and deodorant!

Ultimately whatever mood decides to take hold of me, be it sadness, happiness, disappointment, disgust, heartache, frustration (yes, that was my own personal rundown of this week’s lot), there is one thing I can rely on – and I mean really rely on – to boost the joy, soothe my soul (even if it’s just a little) or evoke great memories. Music: the one thing that has an answer for every kind of emotion I could possibly feel.

Though I’m predominantly an ‘anything-old-skool raver’ (I was a teen in the 90’s, need I say more?) I’ve been blessed to have many great musical influences of all genres from an early age and it’s one of the sweet things in life I can’t bear to live without.

You may well have seen me driving by, music blaring, singing along tunelessly whilst performing a little shoulder skank or the two finger gun salute hand wave – I DON’T BUSINESS, and I am totally unashamed to say I don’t care! I’m not feeling you – I’M FEEEELING A TUUUUUNNNEEE🔊

There’s some who won’t have a Scooby about what I’m talking about but true, bonafide music lovers will. Whether it’s the lyrics, vocals, emotion, beat, bass, whatever – something will hit you!

And when it hits you, you feel no pain.

Go on I dare you. Find a song, pick your poison, kick back and relax or jump and shock out – FEEL A TUNE AND START YOUR FRIDAY RIGHT!

Wheel And Come Again, Stay Blessed & #CelelbrateLife

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Forget You

Last week was all about the love and this week is more of the same, but today I’m focusing on the love of my people. Not all of my posts will be this long or deep (pinky swear), but I’d like to explain and hopefully get you to comprehend why I get so frustrated when people suggest we should ‘move on’ from slavery. I understand this subject may leave some feeling a tad uncomfortable but nevertheless, I’d like to address the big white elephant in the room.

Let me clear something up straight away: This isn’t a dig at all White people, I know there were slaves of different ethnicities throughout time, and I am fully aware that all lives matter BUT this is addressing the special breed of people who think they are better than Black people due to a sense of ‘White superiority’. This is addressing the ones who would either like us to forget, or would like us to go back and this is addressing the fact that BLACK LIVES MATTER.

You should already know the atrocities placed upon us back then, but if you don’t know, I suggest you get to know. Go check out Google or better yet visit The International Slavery Museum in Liverpool for a real up close look at the life and times of a ‘happy slave’ – and my they were happy!!!

Happy to be taken from their homes in shackles to be sold to a White man (if they survived the journey). Happy to be made to work like a dog and treated as such for life, FOR FREE. Happy to be tortured, abused, raped, lynched and murdered on a daily basis. Happy that they weren’t allowed to read or write or better themselves in any way without severe repercussions. Happy to have their children sold and sent away to whatever White man offered the best price, whilst the mother breastfed the children of the same people that sold her children.

Happy to be handed down like the family silver in a will. Not set free – but passed on to the next. Happy to have no fortune to hand down after years of backbreaking labour and even more happy to know it’s the fate that awaited their children. Happy to be told they are worthless and lazy and to be grateful that their master was so kind to allow them to live such a happy life, and the reward in Heaven for their years of blood, sweat and tears will be great if they are faithful servants and death finally grants them some relief. REAL FUCKING HAPPY! With all that on offer, wouldn’t you be!!?!?!?

It’s easy for David Cameron to say we should move on from the painful legacy of slavery. Easy because it wasn’t White people who suffered. Had the script been flipped I find it hard to believe he’d be so quick to offer up the same sentiment. They’d be wanting theirs and then some! “We” love a bit of history but are quick to sweep the dirtiest parts under the carpet. It’s all well and good to talk about and commemorate the world wars, but our war at their hands doesn’t get a mention.

Tell me something, if we were so worthless how come the trade was so great? If we were so worthless why were West India merchants and planters (posh names for slave traders and owners) paid millions in compensation for the loss of their ‘property’? Seeing as we are the lowest of the low why, when you could have granted us straight freedom and be rid of the bind, did we then have to continue to work for you, for free, for a further four years to pay for the privilege of “freedom”? Yes, it was painful David, but not for y’all! And moving on would be a damn sight easier if we were given even a fraction of what was well overdue. #JustSaying

We’ve more than earned the right to be compensated. Other races have received their reparations but we know that’ll never happen to us – not in my lifetime anyway – and the reason as to why is simple. Both here and in Amerikkka and for a Hell of a lot of White people in the world we will never be seen as anything other than the help. We are truly seen as worthless now because they cannot exploit us as freely as they use to and profit from us. REAL TALK!! What do you think happened to all the slave masters, traders, overseers and the like? They didn’t suddenly stop being racist sons of bitches because slavery was abolished. They went on to run things ensuring us n****s could have our so called freedom and guaranteeing it’d be a damn hard ride.

They’d made sure that their children had fun days out at the lynchings prior to the abolition of slavery and made sure the hate was passed on to the next generation and the next and the next and so it continues. The evidence is as clear as day, especially in Amerikkka. Anytime we try to build ourselves up, they knock us down. It’s funny how they managed to disband the Black Panthers yet the Ku Klux Klan are still in full force today despite the clear evidence of what they stand for and the crimes committed against us.

Don’t get it twisted either, the Black Panthers were not a bunch of terrorists. They were there to help their people and not scared to fight fire with fire. It didn’t scare them, but it damn sure scared a lot of white people. Seeing that given an opportunity we didn’t need them to survive and could do for our own, how dare we! We’re not meant to survive and thrive we’re meant to struggle; so let’s call in the overseers, my bad – the police and justice enforcers to set things straight. Job done!

It’s never been a fair fight and it never will be. What we need to do is understand this fully, and DO FOR US AND FEEL NO WAY ABOUT IT! There’s never an issue when any other race wants to support their people but it becomes an issue if we want to. Cast aside the notion that there is nothing to love in us, that our hair is too nappy, our skin too dark and to be accepted you must look like them. Having straighter hair and bleaching your skin will not endear you to their hearts. Underneath the mask you are still Black and your children will be too. Love the skin you’re in.

For those of us who are fortunate to have, help a brother out and build us up. To the stars who have the money and the power – use your platform to help inspire and aspire us to be a strong Black nation and stop bitching about the injustices of being Black – it won’t get you shit because they don’t want us to have anything. Teach our children OUR history so they are fully aware of the horrors we went through. Do you forget segregation ended just over 60 years ago? – that’s not that long ago.

Too dirty and worthless to sit with or eat with – but good enough to cook, clean and work for you and raise your children. Ain’t that a bitch! If you don’t know your history, you don’t know where you’re coming from and we must remember because the likes of Donald Trump are calling on those ‘good old days’ to come around again and should that happen it won’t be pretty, but I have a feeling this time around will not be quite as easy.

You want me to forget my history. I say forget you!🖕🏾

NEVER FORGET, Stay Blessed & #CelebrateLife

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First Timer!

After years of being told I should do it, I have finally decided to write my own blog! I’m not sure how often it’ll be – probably on a weekly basis, and there will be no rhyme or reason to what I write. It’ll be random but relevant to something I’ve either experienced myself or in the news that week.

Don’t worry RAW ladies, I won’t be invading your Wednesday spot on the regular! I’ll probably write up on a Friday, it’s just today was a kinda big day for me and a good place to start. You see today was my first check up since being told I was in remission last year. Although I’ve had A LOT of stress to contend with in that time, (a blog will soon be coming about all that TRUST ME!!)

I’ve felt ok, apart from the lovely neuropathy that chemotherapy so generously left me with. (Cheers mate! As if you hadn’t given me so much already!) I did, however, wake up feeling rather emotional. My rock would not be by my side where he’s been for every oncologist appointment I’ve had. I couldn’t feel too much of a way though as he was away organising things for our future so I sucked it up and pulled up my big girl pants. Then I checked Facebook and they’d made a little video of us celebrating being friends on there for 6 years. It was like sign I tell thee! Even though I’m fully aware of it, it was nice to see the pictures throughout the years and to know that there is someone who truly loves me and has my back.

Having cancer allows you to wake up and smell the bullshit of life! You get to see a lot of people for who they really are and how they truly stay! I guess I just want to say make sure you show your love and appreciation to those special people in your life as it is short and tomorrow is never promised. It’s not always about the big things. The little things – like holding your hand in a waiting room – can mean so much more.

I am glad to announce that I am still in remission (Woop! Woop!) and the Mr came back today so I am one happy bunny!!!😁

 

 

Stay Blessed & #CelebrateLife

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