Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Happy Hump Day - DuWayne and Will! Yes, I'm talking to you! LOL!
Can I just say, Michelle Obama is stunning. Absolutely stunning!
So it killed me when critics labeled her as "inappropriate" for baring her arms and "showing too much skin" at President Obama's address to Congress last week. I mean...really?
Her breasts weren't spilling out of her top, cleavage in everyone's face trying to draw attention to them. She wasn't dressed like she was going to the club. Didn't flash any thigh. She simply went sleeveless in a sophisticated, beautiful dress - just like the classic dress she wore for her official White House photo pictured above.
Are people really that envious of her? Are they just looking for something - ANYTHING - to find wrong with her? It's as if the critics can't STAND the fact that not only is she brilliant, but she's a fit, toned, strong and healthy woman.
I, for one, admire how well she takes care of herself. She's spoken in interviews about getting up at 5:30am to work out. I can barely wake up early enough to get to work on time at 9:30am (okay..9:45...okay sometimes 10), let alone set aside time to work out. She makes herself and her health a priority - just another reason to love her in all her fabulosity.
Last night as I was wrapping up at work, I was telling my sister that I just wanted to go home and relax. I've had a trying couple of days, and I just wanted to chill. But then I saw this picture of me on Facebook that made me cringe. I emailed the pic to my sister to show her what I looked like in the photo so she could give me the honest truth - and boy did she. Nicole is my mirror and my conscience. Needless to say I didn't go straight home last night, but carried my wide hips to the gym instead.
I dragged my wagon to NYSC and sauntered into the studio where the boxing class was about to begin. I was already dreading it. My boxing instructor is a beast, and he can actually be quite mean when he wants to motivate us. He realized I had been making the gym my favorite charity lately, so he decided to punish me since I missed a couple classes. After we'd been sparring for about 5 minutes, him trying to punch me in the face like he was Chris Brown, and right before I was about to cuss his ass out - I thought about Michelle Obama's arms. Next thing you know, HE was the one ducking. I pictured myself in her Michael Kors sleeveless dress, and almost kicked his ass! Talk about motivation!
If the First Lady, who has two girls to raise and a President to hold down, can get up at 5am to make fitness a priority, then surely I can do better. Sure, I'd love to replace Poland Springs water with Snapple 8 times a day. Of course after a hard day at work I'd love to go home and veg out in front of the tv or play around on Facebook all night. But at some point, these can't be options for me anymore. There are only two choices to make - be lazy and unhealthy, or fight it and be fit. I'd much rather pry myself out of bed early or walk my behind to the gym at night than hasten the death of my spirit by not taking care of my body...one spoonful at a time.
As the spring approaches, I could easily say it's about getting into a size smaller jeans, or wearing a flirty dress, or even going sleeveless like our fierce First Lady. But it's really not about that. I miss my athletic, healthy self. It's not about vanity, it's about taking care of ME first.
Will I give up a half hour of sleep in the morning, or will I give up a half hour of my pilates dvd? Am I willing to push myself to the gym at the end of the day even when I'm tired, or will I hate myself when I get home as I realize I could have watched tv on the elliptical machine at the gym? Will I do whatever it takes to obtain the healthy body that I want to build, or will I complain that there aren't enough hours in the day to take care of ME? These struggles will be daily attempts at courage - not just the acquisition of a cute figure - that I hope will one day be permanent changes in my life. I have to forgive myself for failing time and time again to do what is right for me, and simply rise up to start over again no matter how many times I have to do it. (**doing bicep curls**) First Lady - watch out!
-b
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Hey y'all!
Today is one of those days I wish I had a guest blogger. My mind is all over the place today and I'm super busy and stressed at work, so I know I don't really have time to come up with a well thought out post. At least not the way I'd want it to come out anyway.
I'm up late chatting with my cousin...you know..."Snoop" :-)
She's asking me, "Where are all the Barack's?" A lot of women I know have pondered the same thing. I told her that this topic could piggyback off of yesterday's discussion. I don't want my blog to become a relationship blog - but hey, it's on my mind and that's what we were talking about. And since I don't have a guest (still waiting on that "Bitchassness" blog Rameer), you'll have to just flow with me.
"Snoop" asks, "where are the Barack's? Why do we get the leftovers?" By "leftovers" she specified men who had bad credit, 5 baby mamas, no education, have commitment issues, no relationship with their parents, no assets, don't want to think out the box, have ex-wife or ex-girlfriend drama, no place of their own, are gay, in jail, have no ambition, lack compassion, lie, cheat, are high maintenance, and have some bitchassness in them (Rameer....still waiting...)
These are all HER words y'all, not mine. Okay...the "bitchassness" part was me ;)
ANYWAY...my question back to her was..."well, are you a Michelle?"
Of course she said yes :-)
We women ALL think we're the "Michelle" to his "Barack." But is that really true? Can we HONESTLY say that if a "Barack" stepped to us in his fly blue suit and killer smile, charismatic personality and stunning genius, we'd be ready? Would a man like that even notice us? Would we be his reflection? Michelle Obama is a force to be reckoned with in her own right, so we see why Barack clings to her. We want that from our mate too. But can we ask for a "Barack" if we're not a "Michelle?" Be honest....
"Snoop" said, "well, there are more 'Michelle's' out here than 'Barack's.'"
Now that I kinda agree with. Not kinda...I do. That's a blog for a different day, as I don't have time to research the statistics right now...but I will. I DO know that the ratio of men to women is not as steep as we think it is. I read it was actually 80 men to every 100 women...for us - but I don't know how true that is. We start out by outnumbering you and then it goes downhill from there :)
Add to that staggering incarceration rates; we are enrolled in college more than you are and graduate from college more than you do; factor out gay men, DL men, baby daddys, commitment-phobes, and bitchass men (I think I just like saying "bitchass") and it gets downright sad . And we're assuming you want to be with US...which I think most of you do. We tend to look for our husbands in college, but the majority of you are not there with us. We look for you at work, but the majority are not there with us either. We want to marry YOU and tend to be loyal to our men. You have many more options, and EXERCISE those options. We tend not to (even though that's slowly changing). I could go on all day...
....see...told you I was all over the place. I digress...
My point is this. If the odds are stacked against us and there are only a handful of "Barack's" out there, make sure you ARE the "Michelle" to his "Barack." And let's be clear - I use "Michelle" because I'm addressing the women who are looking for "Barack." By "Barack" we mean his ideal. A good man. One that we would be proud to call our man. So when I say "Michelle," I mean the fabulous woman she embodies, in all her glory.
But what I'm really saying is be the best you. Be the Queen that you are. Be prepared to meet your King. There may not be enough Kings for every Queen, but stack the odds in your favor. Don't ask for what you are not. Because in that 80 men for every 100 women, I didn't say all 100 women were "Michelle's." We just ASSUMED they were.
And do you think Michelle would be just as fly WITHOUT Barack? Of course she would. So stop asking where the "Barack's" are. If you're a "Michelle," HE will find YOU.
-b
