where ya'll been?
i'm just playing...i'm being my normal non-bloggin' self. but as we say in the Baptist church: "judge it to my head and not my heart."
a whole lot has happened since ORDINARY HEROES, and i'm continually absorbing lessons from the life of an independent artist. i'm sitting in one of my coffee spots in town, wondering when i'm going to get one of these of my own so that i don't have to deal with the occasional extremely loud rock music (it all depends on the supervisor of the day, of course) in an environment where i'd like to think a writer could meditate. it makes me think of the kind of place i'd love to hang out in: jazz in the air and on the walls. hip-hop every now and then. on Sundays some gospel and/or gospel jazz. some warm colors and some hardwood, with some pictures of people who look like me at least SOMEWHERE on the walls (wassap Sal's Pizzeria!!--ya'll remember that from DTRT?) so, one day it'll happen, even if i just have to outfit the garage and bring some friends over from time to time and pretend we're being "hip" and "urban."
i got into a pretty heated discussion the other day with a white friend about the nature of white supremacy. we had done some work together and, at every turn, in the eyes of some people--all of whom just happened to be white--everything i did was not right. i was the brother in the crew. when i pointed it out, then i was told--again--"that's not true." uhm...hello...can somebody look up the word "supremacy?"
had a good start to the day today with the NPR roundtable. Cheryl[sp] Corley sat in for Farai and once again it was myself, John McWhorter of the Manhattan Institute, and Professor E.R. Shipp of Hofstra University. we spoke of the FBI and the Patriot Act, Life Magazine's demise, a bill pushing for lighter sentencing for Prisoners who want to donate organs in South Carolina, and other things. click on the link if you want to hear it, or if you want to just catch up on some good discussions. the Round Table on News and Notes is one of the few places you can find solid dialogue on what's happening in America from the perspective of diverse black folk.
speaking of diversity, i'm hot on the trail of this twisted idea i've been working into a screenplay. ooo...it's wicked, and i can't WAIT to talk about it. but i'm gonna have to, you know. as the old adage goes: "Old men speak of what they have done; Young men of what they are doing; and Fools what they hope to do." so i'm trying to really be either young or old, you know? don't worry, i'll rap about it here when the time is at hand. and somebody better come see it. i'll tell you this much: 1. it's a faith-based film, and 2. it's NOTHING like any "faith-based film" you've ever seen or imagined.
so, i'm jogging last night, trying to stem the tide of the tire that seems an inevitable part of the thirtysomething male's mid-section, mid-life evolution, and i'm listening to the ipod. i'm rocking Tim McGraw's "Live Like You're Dying," followed by India.Arie's "There's Hope," and finished off with Hezekiah Walker's "Grateful." man, i had already run past my limit, but a brother broke down on the trail man. i mean, i'm glad it was black dark, but it felt like i was standing in an open, sunlit field. especially when i began to reflect on all the blessings God has just flat out showered onto me over the years.
sure, we can bitch and moan about all sorts of things: bills, relationships, bills, relationships, bills (does that cycle ever stop?). but when we start counting all the great things we have going for us, like being able to even read this, or have access to a computer to read it on, or someone to read it to us, etc., we really ought to be grateful.
so the better part of yesterday i spent trying to find nice things to do for other people. i planted some seeds. heck no, i won't say what they are. that defeats the purpose. i really can't stand that "lookatmegivealmstothepoordoasidoyoupeons," demonstrative stuff. the more stuff i did, the better i felt, and that's what giving does.
so give a little. give a lot. it all comes back.
i'm 'bout to tackle the morning. did i tell you i have a myspace page? it's not all tricked out or anything, but you can hear me attempting to sing. www.myspace.com/jeffobafemicarr. add me! (i always wanted to say that).
peace and blessings
joc
