Brookey's Cafe Blog

Happy Random Thoughts Thursday!!!

I know most of you have seen this on Facebook or via email forwards or wherever, but I had to repost this. This will make you smile if you're a Michael Jackson fan...and of course you all are :-) I WISH my commute to work was this festive everyday! Y'all better work it on the J Train!



If that wasn't a testament to MJ's influence and how his music touched everyone, I don't know what is :)

Now...random thoughts.

- I always bring "good" candy to work to put in my huge candy jar. It was overflowing yesterday morning - Snickers, Twix, Kit Kats, Milky Ways and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I haven't had one piece yet, and the jar is half full now (positive thinker). Greedy muphuckas.

- Details are coming out about Steve McNair's murder...so sad. I know some of you have asked me to blog about this, but I think I'll steer clear of it...for now anyway. No one deserves to be murdered though, and I feel sad for his children.

- I thought I tivo'd the Michael Jackson Memorial Tribute and I didn't. It didn't record. So sad now. Sorry Princess!

- This spinning class Monica has me going to kicks my ass! But she inspires me! She is doing SO WELL with her triathlon training...don't forget to donate!

- Still waiting for a good 90 to 100 degree day. LOVE the heat!

- Smart men are SO sexy to me. I get turned on sometimes watching the dudes on Jeopardy!

- Just because you rang and I see a "missed call" message on my cell screen doesn't necessarily mean that you get a call back. At least not RIGHT AWAY. You could have dialed me by accident. You want a call back? Leave a message or a text. If you don't leave a message, you didn't call.

- I have to take my braids out tonight. I have no idea what buffoonery is going on under there, but I have a feeling the knots will be beating my brains out!

- I think I'm gonna cut my hair short...gettin' that itch!

- Not the biggest T.O. fan in the world, but I might take a look at his show to see more of this :-)

DAYYUUUMM!!!

Go!

-b

Happy Hump Day!

So last night, emotionally drained from a day of mourning Michael Jackson, I couldn’t think of one thing to write about. I slipped into a white tee, sweating like a runaway slave who refuses to turn on her AC (not ready for sky high electricity bills yet) and sat in front of the fan...laptop buzzing. Then I hear a clap of thunder and think how sexy this thunderstorm would be if I had someone here to enjoy it with.

Oh...but wait! I FINALLY got my issue of Essence Magazine today – with the YUMMY Idris Elba on the cover. I DO have someone to share the sexy thunderstorm with...if only in my dreams. Pathetic I know, but so what...don’t judge me.

Y’all don’t know. This man could get it. I mean...GET IT! Talk about a chocolate drop. I’d drink his bath water with a straw. Long, slow sips. I’m getting tingly just thinking about him. Six feet, three inches of pure black platinum, with bedroom eyes and a silky, dreamy British accent to go with it. Yeah, he’d get his back cracked.

Thunder booming, I read the article and discover that the author shares my same lust. She writes, “Etched deep in our collective psyche is the notion of the Perfect Black Man: The brother who can handle his business in the bedroom, the boardroom or the streets. Simmering with alpha male masculinity...for women nurturing this fantasy, finding Idris Elba is like learning Santa Claus really does exist. Then all you want is to take a ride on his sleigh.”

Yeah girl, I hear you!

But come on...really? Does this PERFECT BLACK MAN exist? Yeah, good luck with that one. Idris is an actor, a character, a fantasy. A fine ass one :-)

Let’s face it. No one is perfect. All we have to do is find that person who is perfect for us. In the article, Idris said he wanted to date someone “regular.” Now, this Hercules of a man could probably have his pick of women...but he wants someone “regular.” That got me to thinking. Do “regular” dudes want “regular” women too, or do they want the “Idris Equivalent?” Halle? Beyonce? Gab Union? Men: insert fantasy here.

Do men want the “fantasy” chick or the “regular” chick?

Let’s get back to that in a minute shall we?

One night while out with a group of girls, we were talking about exes, guys we dated, men we kicked it with, etc. After running down my little list of suitors, one “friend” said, “oh yeah, Brooke gets some cuties. They be loving her for some reason.”

What did she just say? For “some reason?”

I look at her sideways.

Jokingly, I say to her, “For some reason? Why do YOU love me?”

What I really wanted to say was, “B*tch, what the f*ck did that mean?” But let me give her a chance to explain before I accidentally spill my drink over her head.

She then tells me that the fine ass men I’ve dated all preferred the “girl next door” type – not the “model” chicks. Read: size 0. I know what the hell she means, but I let it go...and I'm not wasting my drink.

Let me tell you the reason why they be loving me “for some reason.” Maybe it's because us “regular” chicks don’t obsess day in and day out about how we look. I couldn't give a damn about makeup, and hair is just hair to me. I don’t follow fashion trends and I don’t own a million pair of shoes. I shower a couple times a day, take care of my teeth, my skin, my nails and Miss Kitty. I wear sundresses and flip flips and a bra that fits. That’s about as much as I do when it comes to “beauty.”

It’s not that I don’t care. I do care about my appearance. But what I think makes “regular” chicks more approachable and/or appealing is the fact that we’re comfortable with who we are. Model chicks that are constantly sizing up other chicks don’t exude beauty. They exude insecurity. And that’s not cute.

Maybe the reason why a man or woman would choose a “regular” boo over a model, actor or other fantasy is because maybe...just MAYBE...regular people actually take time to cultivate a personality. Maybe they nurture their spirit instead of their eating disorder (if you can count your own ribs that's a problem). Maybe intelligence is more appealing than pretension.

When it comes to body image, I look at myself naked everyday and love my brown self. I know there’s work to be done, and I’m doing it. But this body breathes for me, supports me and moves me everyday - and for those reasons, I love it. I'm healthy. I’m strong. I’m soft. I’m curvy. I’m comfortable in my own skin.

Comfortable exudes confidence. Confidence is sexy. That’s why they be loving me bee-otch!

But hey, that’s just my opinion.

So men...tell me: “model” chick or “regular” chick? Women: Idris Elba...or a “regular” dude?

Damn...I’d still drink his bath water...

-b

Happy Tuesday!

Today is actually TMI Tuesday, and I had a blog ready to be written for it. After all, Pretty Ricky practically DARED me to write about sex today.

But on the day that we lay Michael Jackson to rest, I simply couldn't tear my thoughts away from him. This day should be a holiday. I'm mad that I'm at work instead of at the Staples Center. I feel like a member of my family is being buried today, not just Michael Jackson.

Just Michael Jackson. You shouldn't even put the word "just" in the same sentence as "Michael Jackson." His name is synonymous with genius, king, global icon.

Last night, Dateline showed footage of people from Cali to Sydney, London to Paris, Harlem to Tokyo, celebrating his life. They were impersonating him, singing his songs and dancing in the streets. They ranged in age from 3 years old to 90, all of them with the same love in their hearts for a man that touched generation after generation. My 5 year old nephew's favorite song? "Beat It." We played it no fewer than 10 times this past holiday weekend.



How do you say goodbye to a man who was the ultimate performer? How do you say goodbye to an entertainment mogul of his magnitude? How do you say goodbye to a global humanitarian? How do you say goodbye to the best who ever did it?

I won't.

I can't.

Instead, I choose to celebrate his life. I blast his music in my car - "I wanna rock with yooooouuuu!" and sing along at the top of my lungs...smile plastered across my face. I feel lucky to have experienced him, to have shared this earth with him.



Instead of mourning him, I choose to remember Michael for all the great things he did for children all around the world. I'll cherish the positive that surrounded his life, not the negative. I'll revel in the fact that this man evoked such emotion in people, myself included, that he brought them to tears. I'll appreciate him as a business man and consummate professional who set the stage for the likes of Usher and NeYo, and the standard by which all other artists should follow. I choose to continue to be amazed at his talent and how he constantly reinvented himself - yet stayed the same wonderful Michael. And I take today to thank God that He gave us such a wonderful gift of a human being and shared him with us for 50 years.




How do you say goodbye to someone whose life and legacy will live on forever through his music? How do you say goodbye to a life force whose spirit transcends and is too big for this world?

You don't.

You can't.

We never can say goodbye.

-b

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a great, long weekend! I know I did...spending time with my family always renews my spirit :-)

As the world prepares to say goodbye to Michael Jackson tomorrow with a Memorial Tribute at the Staples Center, I can’t help but think of all the high profile deaths that have occurred in the past couple weeks - Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Mays, and now Steve McNair. The only difference between Steve McNair and the rest is that he was murdered. While we were shocked at the death of MJ, and perhaps Billy Mays, the others we could almost see coming. After all, Ed McMahon was 86 years old and lived a full life, and Farrah Fawcett put up a brave fight against cancer. MJ was the picture of health just 2 days before he died and the death of Billy Mays seemed to come out of nowhere. But Steve McNair was shot. Dead.

What is going on? This is turning out to be one of the saddest summers ever as far as celebrity death is concerned. It goes to show that death is the universal equalizer, no one can escape it. We will all die one day, one way or another.

Death is as natural as birth...as breathing in and breathing out. Yet we don’t deal very well with death. We think of it as the enemy, especially when it happens in a violent, unfair way. Even though it signals a life cycle completed, we look at all the deaths I mentioned above as those of people who were taken too soon. For our loved ones, it's always too soon. We simply cannot conceive of an end to ourselves or the people we love, which is a natural response. Some of us sense deeply that we are immortal, and death is a sinister, external force.

As sad as it is to say goodbye to loved ones, death ensures that the stream of life is not dammed up, but is allowed to flow. Knowing that we have a finite amount of time on this earth should infuse our existence with life, make us trust the impulses of our heart and spirit and allow us to LIVE life to the fullest. Anxiety over death comes from our confusion that we mistakenly identify our true self with our physical self – our opinions, associations, memories and illusions about ourselves and life itself. But within our lifetime, we have lived and died many little births and little deaths over and over again.

We are not who we were at 10 years old, or 10 years ago. In order to become adults, we had to say goodbye to our childhood and adolescence. For some, in order to be married, you had to give up your singlehood. In order to become a parent, you had to put someone else first. Pieces of us are dying all the time, and new experiences give birth to a new consciousness and identity - and new life. Where there is life, there’s change – an all encompassing theme of existence. Without it, there would be no growth, no life, no death – nothing.

God is change, and to become one with Him allows us to go with the flow, knowing our spirit will live on forever. God manifests in infinite variety, and He gives us the entire Kingdom...a boundless gift of life that cannot be contained to this earth alone. From Michael Jackson to Steve McNair – perhaps we don’t bury our dead, but simply plant them in the faith that their spirit is raised up into a new life.

Knowing this may not comfort those who are grieving and suffering here on earth, and it seems we’ve lost so many in warp speed over the past couple weeks. Loss is never easy to take, but it goes to show that we must do it up big while we’re here. We have to love hard, and hug our children a little tighter. We have to tell those we love how we feel about them everyday while they're alive, not just in memorial tributes after they're gone. The cycle of birth, death and rebirth repeats itself eternally, and we all will experience it in our lives. And as above so below, on earth as it is in heaven, we should love in the image and likeness of God so that we too, are life eternal.

-b

TGIF!!!

I know most of you are off today gearing up for the long 4th weekend. Some are at the Essence Fest (Yolanda, don't be actin up!) Some are traveling, some are staying close to home. Whatever you do, be safe and have a blast!

Since I know most of you won't be around, I'll just leave you with this to make you feel good and feel like dancing.

How real is this? There will never be another like him. Ever.




CNN will air a Special called "Man in the Mirror," Saturday and Sunday at 8P. If you're around, check it out! :-)

Have an AWESOME weekend! Be good!

-b

Happy Random Thoughts Thursday!

- I don't need surgery on my knees! At least not now anyway :) yay!

- Why are people surprised that Michael Jackson's kids aren't his biological children? One look at them would tell you that. And he left Joe NADA - not surprising either. But he appointed Diana Ross to watch over his kids if his mother is unable to - interesting. I thought Janet would get them...but Diana seems to have some successful, "normal" kids...so why not...

- I'm glad this was a short work week, I plan to really relax over the next 3 days.

- I'm still mad at the BET Awards. BUT I hear that BET is trying to save "The Game." I love that show...I hope they get the same showrunner. That would help their programming BIG TIME!

- I got hit on by a woman AGAIN on the train earlier this week. What the hell man?!

- My cat has been wanting to fight every day this week, beginning by biting my toes. He then gets on his hind legs and swats at me. I wonder if he's mad at me?

- Did anyone else see the "Chia Obama" commercial? An Obama Chia Pet? Really?

- I want Edy's Popsicles - strawberry!

- Yesterday was my 6 year anniversary at A&E - time flies!

- The "Skank Robbers" trailer that they showed on the BET Awards had me thinking about Martin and all the characters he played on his sitcom. Martin is a wild boy!

"Look at the white shoes, look at the white shoes!"



"Siiiilence!"

"Girl, Missy Poo!"



"oh my goooodness, oh my goooodness!"



Hey, it's Random Thoughts Thursday - I needed that :-) LOL!!

Go!

-b

Happy Hump Day!

I'm on a roll with the guest bloggers this week! Serena asked me if she could be my guest today, so show her some love, and congratulate her on stepping out on faith and living her dreams!



Living Your Dreams! Think Big, Go hard or Go home!!!!
By Serena T. Wills

Hello everyone! Today marks the first day of me working for myself as a full time independent nonprofit consultant through my company Divine Wryte Creations, which has a two prong approach with the second one being my poetic/spoken word/creative writing side...you can check out my blog at http://divinewryte.blogspot.com

Just a little something about me to get started…but before we jump into the blog, I want you to ask yourself these questions:

Do you hate your job?
Dream about being your own boss?
Can I make my dreams happen?
I want to move up in my company but got haters in the midst…what to do...what to do?
Have goals, aspirations and don’t know where to start?
Afraid that you may get laid off with all the cuts we’re facing as a nation?
Keep telling yourself, “I need more savings to leave” but still finding yourself in your cube five years after you told yourself this?

(Sigh)…it’s a lot to think about, but you can do it (I feel like a motivational speaker today lol). I listen to the Michael Baisden Show and today is the Living Your Dreams series. One of the things that he talked about a while back was “Dream Thieves.”

Now think about it…all of us have encountered in some shape or form dream thieves, or what I also like to call them - haters. They can be as far away as a distant relative living 3,000 miles away OR right in your very own circle. They smile in your grill and talk smack about you behind your back.

I thought of the ones that were upset that I started my own consultant business because they thought about starting their own business, but never did it. Even artists who didn’t like the attention I was receiving or the fact that I’m now published - instead of saying, “I can do it too,” they are straight hatin’. I always tell people, “You are never too old to start working on your dreams! “

So you may be asking yourselves, “Serena what made you jump out and leave your job?” Well, on a Tuesday, January 27th, 2009, I was pulled into a conference room at 8:30am at my job. Already having thoughts of moving back east later in the year or in 2010, I sat with top executives that told me my job was going to change as of July 1st. They sold it as a promotion when it actually was a demotion. There was no negotiating. Finally, I heard my heart speak saying, “It’s time to go.”

After four weeks of prayer, meditation, setting up appointments with other consultants and artists that work for themselves, I decided to take my 12+ years of experience on the road.

Working for myself would also allow me to balance my creative side more so I can write, work on my framed poetry business and spoken word. I stepped up my game, paid off bills and put some money away, and decided to go for it.

Now let me back up, because I know there are people who love their jobs and want to excel in them. Your dream can be your 9-5 job. I’m just speaking about stepping out on my own because my dreams weren’t manifesting working in a 9-5. But I do have friends that love what they do and want to climb the ladder to the top to do bigger and better things to impact more people.

When I posted a question on Facebook on Monday that asked, “Who is living their dreams?” My friend Nikia chimed in with another good question. She asked, “I think the question is do you find peace in loving what you know you are born to do?” (Makes you say, “hmmmmm”). If you do it just for the money, your passion will get lost in it. When you love what you do, then the money will follow.

My dear friend Troy, who is a Tech System Consultant with a business forte and now focusing on self-awareness, teachings and consciousness stated, “It’s all more of a duty, rather a dream for me…all on your own terms.” Great point my brother.

Last thoughts: Be flexible, determined, focused, fight for what you believe in, collaborate and partner with other like-minded individuals, find a mentor (at least I did), keep your eyes on the prize (I know...old school), meditate, pray and most of all...love it!

Some Peeps of Mine Who Thought/Dreamt Big and Went Hard!

Melvin Gittens - owner of Para X Brand Clothes - www.paraxbrand.com.



Daoud and Dahkil - Coup d’etat (Live to Change Something) and Sunshowah Films.
Check out their tees known for “Teach the Babies” and “DUM MCS” and films productions on www.cdtbk.com.



Troy Tomlinson - the brother who spits knowledge that leaves an imprint in your brain - hit him up! http://blog.mylifescrossroads.com/.

Renee Service - Guidance Counselor in Fairfax County, VA. Her hard work got her school the national “RAMP” Award - Recognized ASCA (American School Counselors Association) Model Program. Do it big girl!

RiShana Pure LiT Blake - Founder of Pure LiT Productions. She has classes and seminars in NYC on creative writing, dancing, monologues and so much more. Check her out at www.purelit.com.



Justice Allah aka J-Live - One of the tightest hip-hop artists known. Between the crazy lyrics and his DJing skills, he’s an educated MC - not a "DUM MC" like jokers on BET! Check him out at www.myspace.com/jlive.

So ask yourself...what are my gifts and talents?...can I take them to the next level?...what do I need to do to make it happen?? I hope I inspired someone today - be blessed. Peace and Luv!


Serena T. Wills
"One Divine Wryter”