The Value of Friendship

So far, so good. 2009 rocks! I doubt the year knows that it rocks, but in my silly, giddy opinion, the first 5 days of 200nizzle have been excellent so far. A couple of days ago I was reflecting on how I spent last New Year's Eve Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day--it was totally wonderful and beautiful and appropriate. When I look back at 2008, the year really reflected how I spent the last day of '07 and the first day of '08: with friends, in my various spiritual committees, with a dog (although a different one than my current), enjoying NYC, eating well, and giving myself appropriate and loving self-care. For some people, this may seem totally boring, but for this-here Libra, it was nothing short of miraculous!

Anywho, if 2008 was a year of tremendous growth, change and self-reflective "gettin' my mind right," 2009 seems to be the year of enjoying the fruits of my labor as well as digging deeper into those scary places.

I've just spent the last 6 days in sunny, warm SoFla hanging out in West Palm, Palm Beach, Lantana and Hollywood (as in Squares, not Tinseltown). I spent time with two of my closest friends in the world, Kanye and Martha. Kanye's name is really another name, but I refuse to say her name as she wants me to call her by the name her mama gave her and I've known her looooooo these many years as her nickname. Thus, we reach the logical conclusion of calling her Kanye. There is something incredibly powerful about spending time with people who've witnessed you through all kinds of growth: I've known Kanye and Martha since I was 17 and I am so not 17 any longer (thank the pan-dieties)! But we've seen it all: graduation from college, horrible and great relationships, marriages, moves, career changes, degrees, illness, crack-headed decisions, crazy-ass shit with our parents, sibling drama and celebrations...everything that life touches, we've been through together.

A few years ago, we started getting together in NY or Florida, at least once a year. Kanye and Martha live in SoFla and I live in NYC, but they both have family in NY State and we get to be together once a year to talk about what;'s occurred in the past year, what we are currently challenged by, and our aspirations for the future. These gatherings are affirming, filled with laughter and vital to our spiritual, emotional, mental and psychic lives.

I feel incredibly grateful to have such loving friendships. Just a few days into the year, and I already have plans with a host of well-loved friends (and plans for serious snuggle-time with the Shorty when she gets back to NYC). It's such a good, simple loving life I have and I am happy I finally really appreciate it.

Happy 2009 ya'll!!

Oh I know...I'm Bootleg

*sigh* I'm sorry for the lack of updates--it's been a busy six weeks. I was busy with my Area Exams in order to qualify for my doctorate (once I write my dissertation). I PASSED!!! This is great news and means that my self-imposed prison sentence of being a graduate student is over and now I get to be more of an independent scholar. All is not complete and I am not yet a Doctor of Ideas, but I will be working on my dissertation proposal this summer. After I finish that and my committee approves it in the Fall, I can "officially" start writing my "diss," but ya'll know I've been working on that baby already. Anywho, I'm sure to blog about my participation in my exciting Lacan Summer Reading Group, who is Jacques Lacan? Click Here, por plus d'information.

So what do my days look like now? Well, I've just returned from my favorite place in the Mexican Yucahttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif=tan that shall remain nameless because Snow told me to stop blogging about it, less rude, fat, American heathens descend upon it, ruining all it's pristine glory. Well, it's already happening (thanks to me), but I still will refrain from naming the place. Anyway, it was glorious--the best time I've had, even as it was difficult as well. Here's me writing just a few days ago:
I think I was writing my friend Sandy Bell an email.

I did yoga twice a day most days. Once at a local place, with my lovely Mexican teacher, Carla, and also with the incredibly intense and energetic Elise. I also cultivated my self-practice, which I can't find any good links for right now so sorry. But I tried out some Yin Yoga to help me balance my more vigourous Hatha Vinyasa practice. But wait, where's the hip hop? Why all this yoga-smoga talk? Hey, hey, relax, I'm getting to it--it's all part of the same thing. Not convinced, read this article while I'm writing.

what's new for your girl Paradigm with song and rhyme? Well, I have two shows in Toronto next month for their Pride and some other things cooking in Detroit and my fair City, the N-Y as well.

Next blog, will be about my last two shows in Denver and Brooklyn, my Buddhist retreat, Peace Out East and much much more. Holla!

Listening to RIGHT NOW: Jean Grae's "A-Alikes," from This Week


write me ya'll!