Two-Thirds
I’m twenty days into no social media and I would be more eager to download my apps again if my best friend, Subrina, wasn’t keeping me updated on the happenings on each app, minus TikTok, though I know she misses us sending videos back and forth. (I might be projecting here!) All in all, it seems I haven’t missed anything of much importance.
I spent Mother’s day weekend with my family. I love them all so much. The relationship between me and each of my family members has improved in some way as we’ve been adapting to me moving out. I welcome the change and always look forward to visiting. I bought my mother a snake plant, which I owed her since Christmas — “Oh my Christmas gift!” she said over Facetime days before, and a nice card. I even threw in a real delicious breakfast paired with sparkling cider. We’re very festive individuals.
As much fun as I had there was one thing I couldn’t understand — why hadn’t my brother and sister gotten me a mother’s day card?
I’ve started volunteering at a food pantry, which I spoke about in my “Will Volunteer for Mangoes,” quickie recently. I love it! I was surprised they didn’t ask for an interview or a resume like they have at other places I’ve volunteered, they asked when I was available and when I arrived (after walking ten minutes away) they threw me right into packing bags. That was on Monday, they convinced me to come in Tuesday and we packed sixty bags filled with all sorts of goodies to be picked up and delivered and we also distributed to the dozens and people who showed up with empty carts. They left with carts filled to the brim with fresh fruits, vegetables, orange juice, dairy products and so much more, how they were able to even roll them anywhere after that was beyond me. One thing I can say, I’m great at systems and I have a method for how I like to accomplish tasks so when someone interferes with that it drives me insane. If you aren’t working as efficiently as me, please don’t help me. I’m all for teamwork but please don’t slow me down. Is that wrong to say? If so, I don’t want to be right!
After I finished volunteering on Tuesday, I had my phone interview for a job that I'm equal parts nervous and excited for. It’s a whole new work setting compared to what I’m used to. The stars really aligned on this one, in all aspects, even though I did take my interview outside while the sounds of the city blared loudly in the background. Probably not my best choice but hey, the in person interview was secured so no need to dwell on that. After the interview I facetimed Subrina to tell her how it went and that’s really my girl because after the call she sent me interview questions to consider. That’s love! It’s been so long since I had to interview for anything, it’s one of my least favorite aspects of applying for a job, besides writing a cover letter.
When I woke up Wednesday morning my poem “April Showers,” was on the front page of AllPoetry, which is the second poem of mine to displayed so prominently on the website. It’s one of my top five from the 30 day challenge and one that I’m really proud of, after all that walk in the rain in Central Park inspired it. It was worth the soggy socks! When my poetry resonates with others I get so giddy inside. I feel seen.
My grandma called me from work a few days ago and told me she loved my poem “Eye of the Storm,” which spoke of growing up having a parent that suffered from addiction. The generation curse that has wreaked havoc on plenty of families, mine unfortunately not immune. It’s one of the first poems I wrote when I discovered I truly had a passion for writing and probably the most personal. An unspoken secret in my life and I know it’s something others have struggled with but often I get caught between telling too much of the family business versus speaking my truth and sharing my life. The best gift I can receive is someone reading what I’ve written and feeling comfort in my words, knowing they aren’t alone in their experiences in this life. (Well, that and this STAUD Tommy beaded purse I’ve been eyeing for a while.)
When I went into the food pantry later that day, the whole place was empty and the coordinator tried to convince me to help him with administrative work. I didn’t send a resume in so there’s no way they know how proficient I am with computers, I signed up to pick things up and put them down, not type and answer emails. That’s my former life! So I treated myself to a trip to the nail salon instead.
Recently, I’ve decided to stop following the crowd. White toes this, white toes that! I’ve had lime green (my absolute favorite), chrome purple, and now barbie pink nails. I love doing the fun, bright colors in the spring/summer and dark, deep colors and jewel tones for fall/winter. (I look amazing in chocolate brown!) Still have yet to find someone to give me a proper foot massage however, they beat your feet instead of rub them. What’s up with that? I listened to a girl complain she had been there for two hours and still hadn’t gotten her nails finished but people were in after her and out before her. I felt bad but girl, I’m trying to come back here. I respect her for speaking up for herself in the nail salon because people will sit there for hours and say nothing then leave and complain to their friends and online. Unfortunately, I’m not excluded from this group of people. I’m grown now though! I’m speaking up and you’re gonna fix my nails if something is off with them, pretty please.
After my nail salon visit, did I focus on those interview questions? Of course not. Instead, I traveled all throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan to find an outfit for my in person interview. I found the prettiest green, flowy blouse but finding shoes on the other hand — a hassle I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. The perils of having long, wide feet when the shoes either don’t fit your foot at all or they have your size but they look too much like a clown shoe. I’m jealous of you small, dainty feet women, truly. All hope was not lost though! I found such cute shoes in a style I had been wanting for a while and went home pretty happy!
(Sidenote: What is it about the subway that helps me get more reading done than sitting in my own home?)
Did I mention my in person interview was Friday? The rest of Wednesday and all of Thursday was spent brainstorming what to say in an interview. I loathe scripting for interviews but it’s good to consider responses to common questions. I couldn’t help but to feel anxious, it’s been a while since I interviewed for a job, let alone one that I felt drawn to.
(Sidenote: I spent an hour on Thursday morning on Tiktok. I had to be real about betraying my own promise to myself. I still stick by how I felt earlier in the week, like I wasn’t really missing anything of importance, so that made my hour feel that much more like a waste of time. I wanted to at least get some laughs in! I've come to realize that I start to feel overwhelmed listening to the opinions of so many people for hours a day, though I know the app can be helpful in some ways, it might be one app I give up for good. I find I enjoy living my own life more than watching other people live theirs.)
I was too jittery to stay in bed on Friday morning, waking up much earlier than my alarm. Giving myself time to get lost, I went the wrong way leaving the subway and still got to the interview with almost 30 minutes to spare. I was happy that my interview went as well as it did and I’m looking forward to the next step! Once I’m done with the interview process I’ll write about the experience in more detail.
I met my other best friend, Bernardo, outside of his office and we went to this cute little Thai restaurant with clouds on the ceiling. We caught up and had such a good conversation. As much as I love a comfortable silence, I also love being with someone I can have such long interesting talks with, about any and everything. We talked and talked. With full bellies we talked all the way out of the restaurant and down to the Highline enjoying the sights of the city while in search of a bookstore.
We considered walking the Brooklyn Bridge, but I was breaking in interview shoes and felt myself losing steam. We took the subway to the Brooklyn Bridge Park where we shared the most delicious donut as we watched the ships pass the Hudson. It’s so mind boggling to see the city from that perspective, it makes you feel so small. We shared a real sappy moment under that bridge and created a core memory I bet neither of us will forget. A Lyft home was absolutely necessary!
By the end of Friday, I had walked ten miles, moved onto the next round of interviews, seen sides of the city I’ve never seen before and had a perfect day with one of my best friends.
What a way to end the week!
Songs I have on repeat:
Heat of the Moment - Drake
Scenic Drive - Khalid ft. Ari Lennox and Smino
Radio - Sigala & Mnek
Music for Love - Mario
Curious George - Nicki Minaj
I Can See the Future - Tinashe
Best I Ever Had (Remix) - Nicki Minaj & Drake
R.E.M - Ariana Grande
I Get Around - 2pac ft. Digital Underground
(Mostly all love songs and then there’s 2pac, with my favorite song by him, and Nicki, comical woman that she is.)
What I’ve been reading:
The Maid by Nita Prose — “Hey maid, I see you got your maid outfit on like you always do.” A story about Molly, a maid who works in a prestigious hotel who discovers one of their most powerful visitors dead in his penthouse. I haven’t met many other characters in this book to decide who I think is the culprit, but the really twist would be to have her be the murderer. Her motive? To be discovered maybe. Detective Ashanti is on the case. Speaking of…
I finished reading the Murder of Roger Ackroyd. It was so good! I’m eager to read more novel featuring Detective Hercule Poirot. I guessed the murderer with about 100 pages left of the book, but I didn’t want to believe it would really be that person. And guess what? It was them! It hurt me so much but they were the only suspect that made sense. I have such a love for mystery novels and Agatha Christie just writes them so well, the little clues she sprinkles in along the way, you just have to “use your gray cells,” to piece everything together.
What I’ve been watching:
Ranking of Kings, an anime about prince Bojji deaf and mute, striving to be the best king ever after the passing of his father. I want them to draw me into the show because I would protect him at all costs! The art style is so unique and the opening is equally adorable. I thought it would be lighthearted but there are crazy murderer, betrayal, backstabbing, evils plots as expected when it comes to royal politics. Each episode is filled with twists and turns, just when I think I have a character or a plot line figured out everything shifts.
