If you could return to the past to relive a part of your life, either to experience the wonderful bits again, or to do something over, which part of you life would you return to? Why?
First the musical interlude!
Tyrone Davis – If I Could Turn Back The Hands Of Time (Best Version)
Early childhood when my brother Stephen and I were little and both of our parents were alive. Those were the best days of my life. Playtime. Carefree. No worries. Could eat anything I wanted. No bills. No debts. The Love of my Mom and Dad. True Happiness.
My little Thanksgiving mini-vacation is coming to an end. I’ve been off from work since Thanksgiving and I had a great time being with Stephen and my New Jersey cousins. That was lots of fun. Always great breaking bread with those we Love.
Friday Stephen and I spend a rather quiet day together and Yes I had him outside walking with me on a Soulful Strut. He rather enjoyed it. Stephen had a big smile on his face as the two of us pumped arms and legs strutting proudly like peacocks along Fulton Street in Brooklyn. I did not make him walk too far and we did stop so I could purchase him some much need clothing. So he got some goodies out of the deal as well as exercise. When I retire Spring 2018 I will be taking photos full-time.
I Love My Soulful Struts. Part of my inspiration for taking long leisurely daytime strolls aside from my doctor telling me to exercise was reading the book Wanderlust: A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit. Excellent book. I highly recommend reading this book.
Every day I tell God and the Universe that I want to be able to do my Soulful Struts five days a week enabling me to not only get much needed exercise but present me with more photographic opportunities. As many of you know I have a Photography Blog called Roaming Urban Gypsy and that’s what I am, a Roving Street Photographer.
My Dad Edward G. Palmer was an amateur photographer. He used to have his photos made into Kodachrome Kodak slides. I still have the slides many dating back to the early 1950s in my closet. Let’s hope they are not dissolving!! Dad also specialized in Black & White photos. This was back in the days of film and having to get that film developed. Daddy had a great day of expertise and would have made an excellent photo-journalist.
I Love taking pictures of my Beloved New York City then showcasing them on Roaming Urban Gypsy. Whenever I’m in photo mode I feel so happy, joyful and centered. Anytime I’m doing either writing or photography I feel I’m in my Purpose, my reason for being. Also the walks exhilarate me. I can feel those endorphins pumping me up! Walking exercise and taking pictures gives me a peace of mind and a sense of creativity.
Allow me to share the gems of my photographic excavations!
Warning! This Post is Not PC. If you get easily offended stop reading now. Contains Brutal Language.
Judges 4-5 New International Version (NIV)
”
4 Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading[a] Israel at that time.5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided.6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor.7 I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”
8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”
9 “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.10 There Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him.”
Matthew 11:12 King James Version (KJV)
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
DeBorah The African Warrior Queen
I come with Words of Peace and Praise of Thanksgiving upon my lips
Along with a Sword in my right hand.
Third Eye Opened in the midst of a Changing Life,
I refuse to play the victim any longer!
Pale riders your rule has come to an end. StepandFetchIt and Mammy are long gone. Ethiopia and Nubia Rule once more.
I will defend my Queendom unto death for there be more with me than against me.
Though I be petite in frame, know this my enemies, Don’t sleep on the size!
Victory is mine.
All bullies shall feel sharp cold steel against their necks.
Negotiation has come to an end! This time all abusers shall be repaid 100 fold for their unholy acts.
Never again shall my precious temple of mind and body suffer desecration!
Arise My SiStars!! Arise My Warrior Queens!!
The Thieves shall be banished from my Holy Temple!
12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God[a] and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’[b] but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”
Post Script ~~ Dear Folks of the Caucasian Persuasion. Do Not Touch my Hair. This is not a petting zoo. Do not ask me stupid questions like, “Do you comb your hair?” Do Not compare my braids, locs or cornrows to Medusa and I won’t say anything about your wrinkles, age spots or your open audacity and stupidity to think you can come up to any random Black person that you don’t know and just spew the first idiotic thing that issues forth from that pie hole in the middle of your face. And No you Do Not have the right to become offended if I call you out on your arrogance and foolishness. Keep your ignorant racist sexist dumb words and attitude to yourself! Don’t get it Twisted. Mammy and StepAndFetchIt are long gone. In fact do me a favor. Shut the Fuck Up and stop commenting on my appearance! Don’t Fuck with the African Goddess! I am a Proud Uppity Black Woman with Attitude. Don’t you forget it.
French National Anthem – “La Marseillaise” (FR/EN)
My blogging buddy K.B. who lives in Paris is safe, alive and well. He is grateful to all Americans for their prayers, encouragement and support.
I totally disagree with the hate towards France being spewed on Facebook!! Yes we all know that France was a Colonizer back in the 18th and 19th Centuries but the people alive today, the people maimed and killed in those horrible attacks have nothing to do with with what happened centuries ago. Yes we do need to learn and heed the lessons of the past. Colonialism and Slavery must continue to be taught in schools so we recognize wickedness and choose another path. On that note yesterday I left a group that I thought was about the positive because of the evil statements made against France. People who return hate for hate are little better than the oppressors.
Winston Churchill – We Shall Never Surrender (Full Speech)
Governments often make problems that make others suffer. My parents, grandparents and great grandparents went through racism and Jim Crow but they did not hate this nation, their country. As a Black woman I experience bias, racism and bigotry often but that does not give me the right to lump all white people in the same pot as an excuse to hate and spew venom. As a Christian I represent Jesus Christ so I can never do this. My spirit and soul do not allow me.
Love Train [Original 12″ Version] – The O’Jays (1972)
Many of those murdered in France and on the Russian airplane blast were innocent children. Hatred solves nothing. We cannot go back and change the past. Also keep in mind on 9/11 many French, European and other nations supported New Yorkers and Americans. Being Pro-Black does not give me the right to be anti-white or anti-European. Why? Because the Love of God and His compassion is in my heart. Most people of color have experienced bias and bigotry in some form but I refuse to deny aid, support or prayer to those in need. I pray for everyone. I’m still praying for the innocent Russian people killed in that airplane explosion. Hate is divisive. Please do not use this tragedy as an excuse to incite or fan the flames of hatred. I wholeheartedly and unashamedly support and stand with the people of France and victims of terrorism worldwide! Show Love to all.
I know what it is to be treated with the wide brush of stereotypes.
Working with the general public can be a challenge and if you’re a Black Woman wearing a uniform, a uniform that designates a form of authority more challenges come your way.
My Great, Great Grandfather William Henry Halstead left his life as a Free farmer and joined the Union Army for the benefit of his enslaved sisters and brothers and for his descendants unseen and yet unknown. But maybe he did know that Stephen and I would reap the benefits of his sacrifice. My Dad Edward G. Palmer left City College and joined the Air Force to fight for an America that did not even consider him a man but duty and honor came first. Thanks to the sacrifices and Love from my ancestors my generation of Black Americans became the first generation to benefit from the Civil Rights Movement. I’m carried on the shoulders of giants.
My Mother, Grandmothers and Aunts rose above the indignities of Jim Crow.
Sadly some look at me and see only color or gender. I’ve been approached by white males thinking that I’m a drug dealer or available for sex. Obviously I had to set them straight. They needed to be firmly re-educated.
But I’m more than race, nationality or gender. Like most people on this earth Black, Brown, or white I’m a human being of complexity. That’s why I had to speak out against vile remarks being leveled at the French people. God created people. Humans created race & divisions.
I’ve come to think that the reason God placed me in the museum was to root out my preconceptions, illusions and delusions about people of other faiths.
Over the almost 8 years I’ve worked there the Ladies and Gentlemen I’m closest to are Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu & Jewish. By being around and in close contact with co-workers outside of my faith I’ve learned a lot and mostly not to be judgmental. I’ve even visited their Houses of Worship and learned that these faiths are not so different from Christianity. If I had been born in Iran, Egypt, Bangladesh, India, I would be a practitioner of that faith. We are all people who want the same things in life.
One God. Many Paths.
Earlier this year I spent two weeks in the hospital. The reason I’ll keep private but the person who visited me and took me home is Gay. Again another lesson of acceptance. Every time I’ve prayed for help God sent someone from another race, faith, gender, or sexual orientation to assist me.
I could lower myself to the level of bigots, haters, slanderers & spew a fountain of venom and vindictiveness but I choose not to. I choose if not to Love everyone but to at least to respect all people regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation. When I make mistakes or say the wrong thing I go back and apologize. Nobody is perfect but these errors in judgement provide me the opportunity to examine myself.
I’m sure as I make my way towards March 2018 and retirement God will have even more Life Lessons on my path towards Enlightenment.
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Tattoo….You?.”
Do you have a tattoo? If so, what’s the story behind your ink? If you don’t have a tattoo, what might you consider getting emblazoned on you skin?
Number of Tattoos on my body. Let’s see so far 9 and counting. I plan to get another one soon. Two devious demented Hello Kitties (One is a Dominatrix), tramp stamp (really hate that name), a dolphin, my Mom’s name Mable on my left arm, a Cross and me and my Dad’s image on my right arm, a Black Panther on my back. After my parents died I wanted to honor them so I got tattoos in their memory. No I’d never tattoo a boyfriend’s name on me because those are temporary relationships.
I plan to get a Semi-colon on my right arm because my story is not yet over.
I really Love Tattoos but I will never tattoo my boobs, hands, neck or face. Why tattoo boobs when in a few years they will be sagging lower than some of these kids pants and as for exposed body parts, well to be honest I need my job and they stipulate that our uniforms must cover all tattoos. I will also NOT autograph the junk in my trunk because that too will also succumb to the ravages of time and gravity.
Piercings are cool as long as don’t have so many that you set off metal detectors from two blocks away! My ears and belly button are done. Thinking of getting a small nose piercing. As for the naughty parts I really don’t see the logic in having non-stop orgasms. I prefer to sing opera with a handsome Chocolate brother in the privacy of the bedroom not 24/7/365!
I will continue to decorate my body temple as long as my skin canvas remains smooth and supple!
Espiritu en Fuego/A Fiery Spirit 