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September 28, 2006

Mama Saga's 5 Bum Rule

Before there ever was a saga, there was a Mama, and Mama Saga tried to impart a whole lotta her wisdom in her daughter. Some of it stuck, some of it didn't, but every once in a while, some of it will pop back up as a very simple tru-ism that needs to be taken to heart. And the 5 Bum Law is exactly that.

The 5-Bum Law:: if you hang around 4 bums, you're bound to be the fifth.

Quite eloquent for it's simplicity, don't you think? Yeah, and it's a whole lot clearer than that whole "birds of a feather" thing. Particularly if you're a 15 yr old know-it-all, whose penchant for selling/smoking weed, dating older boys and hanging out in clubs was beginning to grate on her Mama's nerves. Yeah, for Mara (tee-hee) those words definitely struck a chord. A wrong chord, but a chord nevertheless. She stashed the words in the long-term memory banks, for future use.

jump to now:: and you're wondering why is this relevant? I've been spending most of my time, busting my a$$, in meetings with my coworkers. Not the usual suspects, I'm on a new team, new project, new role. But I'm spending a whole lotta time, with a whole lotta Lifers: folks who have been with theGig for a long time, and look forward to retiring from it. I'm talking 15+ yr folks.

I'm not liking what I'm seeing.

Oh, how to characterize my colleagues, hm? They're...there's a lot of anal retention around here. Some of it for good reasons (protecting the company interests, that kind of thing) and some of it not (retain feelings of superiority and control, shameless and unbridled self-promotion/self-interest, that sort of thng). I mean, there's the typical back-stabbing, back-biting, outright lying and cover-your-a$$ manipulations that surface in the average corporate environment ("Office Space" or "The Office" anyone?). But lately I've been exposed to so much more of it, yanno?

Oh, and flat-out, downright rudeness, the kind that just makes you make the Scooby-Doo face, while you're thinking "rhut da rell?" (that's "what the hell?" for those of you not versed in Scooby-Doo speak). Like, I say hi to colleague, and colleague looks at floor, to avoid responding. Or, I approach a door that a colleague is coming out of, with my hands full, look colleague in the face, hoping they help me out....and they keep it moving. Or, I run into a colleague, that I worked on the same project - under the same manager with in class, say "Hi" enthusiastically, trying to spark a conversation, hoping to find a homework partner, or at least some empathy, and get...a dry "Hey" in response.

*checks breath and underarms for BO. finds nothing. shrugs*

aside:: while I know that *some people* just get down like that, I've never gotten all this *jazz* from people I've worked with before. And I've worked in some shyt-holes before. Trust me.

a minor meltdown:: yeah, I had a lil thing recently. The kind of "pack-up-yo-desk-and-send-out-mass-yet-foolish-email" kind of thing that turns into Internet legend. 'Cept I was intercepted at the pack up yo desk stage by a good friend, and steered toward the local watering hole, to vent. Then, subsequently counseled to take a long, hard look at where I was, and decide what I wanted to do.

The jury's still out. However, I do know that I don't want to end up being one of those obnoxious, overbearing, manipulative a$$holes in 10 yrs, yanno? And there's the rub: in order to survive and (preferably) succeed, you have to adjust. It's funny now, when I hear people say: "Oh you know, since they make more money now, they've changed." Hell, that's what we're all supposed to do. If we make changes in our life, we're supposed to adjust to those changes, right?

'Cept that's not a good look in this case. Picture saga on "The Apprentice". I'd be the new "crazy black bytch they had to get rid of". Yeah, that's not far off my current reality, trust me.

Not the kid, no sir. No matter what I decide, I'm leaving as I came in the door, spirit and integrity intact. I just gotta prep for that exit being hastier than I may have anticipated. Like tomorrow. ;)

Posted by saga_30311 at 03:56 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

September 21, 2006

For Jamal, Mike, Darryl…

For Jamal, Mike, Darryl…

I heard him barge in the door, as I lay in the bed freshly showered, Toss his keys unto the counter, plodding heavily toward the bedroom…

And as I looked up at the scowl embedded unto his face
I inquired "Rough day?"
He silently climbed into the bed and buried his face into my chest.

And I smelled the frustration emanating from him,
And as a lone tear collapsed from his cheek unto my breast

I uttered immediately "I understand":

(To all my brothers out there in the struggle);

I understand…

Chuckling incomprehensibly at your boss's unfunny fable regarding his
inability to dribble/much less shoot a basketball/and the awe/reverence he
holds for Michael Jordan/Magic Johnson/ Allen Iverson/
Latrell Sprewell(?!)'s ability and how well "you people" seem to be at
sports….

(His father forced him to study and he never had time for games)

All the while deep inside that you wished your father had been around to
keep you off the streets/ away from those dimly lit midnight courts/
that might've saved you from those two semesters of academic probation/
and the one year trip to junior college…

I understand…

Hitting the glass door/ceiling (sic) at 120 mph/after the spectacular
phone interview/when "Megan" (she didn't become Ms. Fischer until she saw
you) finally realized that yes, you are THE Mr. Hughes/
THE Mr. Hughes she's supposed to see at 10:30 am sharp/
by the confusion on her face I'd say the 9:30 sharp got the job…

I understand…

Working 8,10,12,14 hour days of hard/monotonous/tedious/backbreaking/
physical labor in the hot sun slinging pallets/installing drywall/
tearing down sheet rock/breaking rocks/picking cotton/as your foreman/
overseer/pats you on the /shoulder/head/ass/and shouts "Good Job"/
and the "BOY!" hangs swinging in the air…
And you hang on to that piece of a job/despite the 1250 you busted your
ass for on your SAT/despite the sonnets (raps) you write constantly in
your head/despite your girl/wife/family/peeps encouraging/goading/pushing/
screaming at you/telling you that you can do better/
because the bottom line is/you need that check

I understand…

The cop who pulled you over because the Eastsidaz/Wu-Tang Clan/
Jagged Edge/O-Jays/Al Green/Yolanda Adams playing in your '99 Navigator/
96 Camry/91 Firebird/87 Regal/83 Nova/62 Benz was too loud/
and you praying to yourself/that at the end of the encounter/conversation
with Officer Whomthefuckever/all you want is to be able to go home safe/
alive to your family

I understand…

How it felt when the elderly Caucasian lady/clutched her purse tighter
to her side in the elevator/crossed the street as you passed/peeked at you
suspiciously in the checkout line at the grocery store/(right after she
told you how "exotic-looking" you were/you blushing with guilty pleasure)/
and all because your $95 MECCA/Esco/Iceberg/Sean John/Tommy jeans are big
enough for you to carry your 9mm concealed/
so that Black Mike/lil' Man/Dre/Rashad/and 'dem up the block/
don't catch you slippin'

I understand…

Sistahs gave you NO LOVE in school/'cause you were smart/'cause your
clothes was busted/'cause you were serious about your schoolwork/
'cause you weren't good at sports/'cause you didn't sell drugs/
'cause you couldn't be down

And now sistahs STILL give you NO LOVE at work/'cause you're getting paid
very well/'cause your clothes are fly/'cause you drive a nice car/
'cause you play harder than you work/'cause you embody
everything they can't have/'cause you are everything their man ain't/
and they're still hating on you 40-50 hours a week

I understand…

You spend more time/energy away from home/than at home/and the time you
spend away from home/society/your community/your own people/
spend that time emasculating/castrating you/telling you repeatedly/
you don't fit into their American Pie/you don't measure up
to their Standard of Living/you don't represent their New World Order/
you don't count/can't count/will never count

Yet, I also understand…
That if you lay your head upon my breast/as I run my hands through your/
tousled, curly black hair/long thick dreads/over your smooth bald scalp

My arms will always embrace you/and if you let them they will hold you up

My heart will always be your shelter/with no glass ceilings/walls/doors/i
f you'll only step over the threshold

My soul yearns to dwell with you/through all eternity/in peace and harmony/
without the everysecond drama that being brown/red/yellow/butter pecan/
caramel/cappuccino/off-white/mahogany/beige/café au lait/black can bring

Every fiber in my being/while not fully experiencing what it is to be you
Black Man/empathizes/sympathizes/synthesizes/supports/encourages/
agrees/considers/comforts/tenders solace/proposes compassion

And in my mind the least/most/all that I can say is

I understand…

And as Jamal/Mike/Darryl lay on top of me, head heavy on my chest,
frustration palpable in the air

I appreciated that single tear

© 2006 ~ Sagacious Media

Posted by saga_30311 at 10:03 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack

September 20, 2006

the Accidental Lockout

I can't say much about my actual accident more than I've already said - no injuries (well my neck and back hurt, and my knees are begging for relief), and my truck is jacked up (and so are my knees from the Nissan Sentra the insurance actually covered. I need a tall girl rider on my policy).

What I can discuss is the lunacy below:

That pic would be off the tow truck driver, rescuing his damn self. See, after the accident occurred, drivers information exchanged, police were called, insurance companies notified, and road blocked for about 35 min, this guy finally shows up. Friendly type, he jumps out of his truck to survey the damage to ensure that he could tow the truck, and....

proceeds to lock himself out of his tow truck.

yes, that would be Mr. Man, attempting to break into his tow truck (having locked both the extra key, and Slim Jim in the truck). Another 30 minutes of waiting for another tow truck to break into his to truck, and he managed to pop the lock himself with a coat hanger and a screwdriver. Lawd, please help the babies....

Posted by saga_30311 at 05:51 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Afterthoughts: The Southwest Community Festival

Ok, I have a few afterthoughts from the festival:

no pics???:: Nah, I was too busy working and enjoying myself to snap anything. Sowwy.

Learning, Scale & Volunteering:: Let me say that I've never participated in a volunteer event of this scale or magnitude (impact). But in participating I learned a WHOLE LOT about the efforts required to put together an event of this scale, and the whole Concert/Festival/Event planning thing. I have a lot more respect about the process, and I have a great deal of respect for the genre. And I'd love to learn more (HINT: this is why people say they get MORE out of volunteering than they put in. The fringe benefits).

We Gots to Do BETTER:: my people, I swear...even though the event went off well, there were some hiccups:

• lost children/parents? - tbere were 5+ lost kids that turned up, or parents that reported losing their children. Now don't get me wrong, these things happen, but for hours??? One toddler (about 2) was missing her parents for 2+ hours. I'm just saying....


• drunken/wanton behavior - it's a Community Festival meaning a family event. Why are adults engaging in drunken/wanton behavior so that they'd lose their kids in the first place? For that matter, sipping a lil something in front of your kids? Ok, maybe - but getting drunk? Hells naw.


• g-hetto shyt - I ain't even going there. It would take me too long to cover it.


• beef - can we have one community day without a fight?


• dramatic cunty-ism is so OVA:: have I mentioned lately how much I love that phrase? Anyway, again, it's a community festival for c-h-a-r-i-t-y. We can all do without excessive demands for freebies and attitudes. From everyone involved. For real.

the Artists:: overall, the talent was nice, although there were a few independent artists that definitely needed a "Hoe, Siddown" check. See g-hetto shyt, above. Alls I'm saying is, have ur stuff together before you perform in front of an audience, particularly an audience of ur folks, because ur folks are merciless. And keep ur thong in ur pants....lol.

Generally, the talent was good, particularly for this being a benefit concert. They were on time, professional, and the performances were excellent. Shoot, I caught the sound check, and felt like I could skip the show....lol.

the real "regular" dude:: the highlight of the day (for me) was Raheem DeVaughn, who I just want to show a WHOLE lot of love to. Now, when I say he was regular, I mean he was down to earth, like from up the block. He even ate our homemade chicken & grits with us for breakfast.....lol.

But the performance?! Off the damn chain, I mean dude had energy! I love artists who are still hungry, and who still have a connection to his fans/peoples, because they feed off the crowd's energy, and put that into the performance. He performed most of his album, and a few cuts I hadn't heard, and it was live (better than the album). Even interrupted the performance to quell a squabble in the crowd - talked to them brothers about unnecessary beef, like they were his mentees - then finished his set. It was excellent, and yet real - "regular". Diddle, diddy, er diddee dee, (what's his name this week?) 'ya heard? Regular ain't always a bad thing.

Posted by saga_30311 at 05:15 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

September 18, 2006

the shortest OE known to man...

I am SO SORRY for being MIA for SO long. The last couple of weeks have been incredibly hectic, so I haven't had time to do much except publish/junk comments....

aside: them dayum spam comment/trackback spyders are worse than friggin roaches. A MT upgrade is imminent.

Ok, meanwhile the OE (hover over pic for a sorta explanation):

gradSchool:: the primary reason for the missing-ness. I'm down to my functional core, but the classes got more intense AND interesting.

theDating:: I'm meeting more men (mostly online) and subsequently weeding out more men. But I'm learning that's a good thing.

theVolunteering:: the Festival was quite the learning experience. I'd say it went off well, but it did have its high points, and low points. I have to tell y'all about the dude that was real "regular" and the lost parents...

theFamily:: they're beautiful, both kids. And somehow, I'm still doing good raising them, even with the overflowing plate.

theEpiphany:: sometimes we need a symbol, or ritual, to let things go. Think "Waiting to Exhale". There will be a fire, and some things burned in effigy...

theTruck:: I wrecked my car, to the tune of $5K. And there were other cars involved. No injuries, so I'd say that all who were involved were blessed.

theErVisit: that's ER Visit to those who aren't Java fluent. Completely unrelated to the wreck. Dizziness, vomiting, blood pressure of 153/101. I thought food poisoning, Dr. said earache (vertigo). Enuff to scare me into a diet-exercise plan...

theDeStress:: My pool FINALLY opened, and I'm spending a whole LOT of time in it.

Ok, that's it. So, looks like I have at least...oh...6 stories y'all will want me to elaborate on? I'm on it, but if you don't hear from me, ya may want to holla! (shouts to Melodi, Princess and DP for getting on me about the dustbunnies here...lol).

Posted by saga_30311 at 11:06 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

September 08, 2006

Southwest Community Festival

REMINDER: The Festival is this weekend. Tentative showtimes have been added, and the lineup of artists has changed (see schedule below). Please come out and support it!

This is both a PSA and a solicitation for Volunteers. Please, if you're interested in volunteering - email me asap and I'll forward you details.

Posted by saga_30311 at 10:15 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

September 06, 2006

South Fulton Tour de 29: A Festival of Cities

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my neighborhood? I truly do, cause there's ALWAYS some civic/community activity going on. And they're geared towards ma peoples (brakka people for those of you wondering...)

So, if you happen to be in Atlanta over the next few weeks, or live here and want to check out my 'hood, the 'SWATs'
(you know, that "rough' section of Atlanta as typically characterized by N. Fulton County residents and the media) come check out:

The second annual South Fulton Tour de 29: A Festival of Cities takes off Friday and continues throughout October, coasting through six cities along and around U.S. 29. Hapeville, East Point, College Park, Union City and Palmetto got together with the Fulton County Arts Council to plan one of the biggest arts-related events in the area.

You can view the schedule by clicking here.

* I'll make a prettier version of their schedule after my org's community fest...lol *

Posted by saga_30311 at 09:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack