This is for the Bottle Poppers

Time certainly flies, doesn't it? One minute i'm writing about the end of 2008 and the next minute, it's darn near the middle of 2009. My bad, people, my bad. But this I can tell you: This has been an interesting year thus far, filled with unexpected bumps, bruises, victories and most recently, violations!(hahaha, this is a funny one, y'all)

Uptown Saturday Night(literally)
It was a mildly warm saturday evening and the vibe was right to step out on the town. My girl, Kiana, had a girl in town, so the setting was perfect for entertaining. We decided on hitting up a spot to mingle, grab a drink, and enjoy the music. When we got to this popular Atlanta spot, we get in, no hassle,thanks to one of the promoters.

Libations, it is!

We get a drink and toast to the bon vie(the good life for those who dont know french;i dont either, but it's a title to a popular 80's dance song.) The place wasnt' crowded yet, so we were able to have conversation without screaming over one another. After our second drink, we decided to walk to the VIP(very important person is what it typically stands for but this night it might stand for voluntary ignorant people)area to sit on the plush,black leather seats. Why not? the couch was unoccupied. Three minutes into resting our backsides on the couch, a young, young, lady approached us. Evidently she was one of the staff. " Excuse me, are you all buying a bottle?" "No", we quickly replied in unison. " Well," she interjected, " This area is reserved for the BOTTLE POPPERS!" The look on my face was a mixture of " you got to be kidding me" coupled with" Are bottle poppers a new psuedo breed of people?" Once she said that, merry ole Kiana said to her " Ok. When someone comes to sit here, we will happily get up." The young, young lady walked away. Onward with our nights, tushes resting on the couch.
Two minutes after her three minutes, a gentleman in a suit approached us. He, evidently, was a member of the security staff. " We are recieving a complaint that you all wont get up! THIS AREA IS RESERVED FOR THE BOTTLE POPPERS!" Oh boy, i thought. This new breed of people must be awfully important. Earth Angels? Members of Jesus's army? Shape Shifters? "Sir", I began. " There is no one here. Once these BOTTLE POPPERS emerge, we will kindly get up. But since your feathers are getting ruffled into one huge goose down for a king size bed, we'll get up now." (The last part i didnt say to him,but i wish i was that verbally savvy at the moment) " Ma'am, i just doing what i was told".
No worries, brotha. The three of us laughed, got up and stood next to the super human seating, nodding our heads to the music. Mind you, we were good and safe to be in the VIP area, but not good enough to be sitting there.
I thought I had left all this behind in Los Angeles. Hollywood has landed. Its now also known as Atlanta, Ga.
We are all light hearted ladies, so we laughed at the silliness of the situation. As we were standing, Mr. security came up to us and said," you ladies can sit down." A sudden change of heart? Behind him was a rather smooth looking brotha...he got that well seasoned look. He approached us and said, "Please sit down. The young lady who first approached you all is new and doesn't quite understand the rules..." Lawry's (well seasoned, get it? hahaha) was actually the owner of the venue. So polite and daper was he, that he made us forget that we were treated like sub humans with this BOTTLE POPPERS rule. He introduced himself, and we reciprocated. Not only was he apologetic, but he was courteous. He got us a bottle of white wine and our own table...until, of course, the actual BOTTLE POPPERS came in and bought us out. All was well, though. He invited us into the ULTRA VIP(back to very important persons) area where we had a BIGGER couch AND we got to invite all of our friends into our world on the big, comfy couch. Isnt that ironic?

Moral of the story? Not sure. You guys come up with one. I just know that it pays to keep your cool and be who you are in this world of psuedo races and super humans. Big up to Mr. Lawry's and Mr. DJ, as the night sailed along.

Ten Things I've realized in 2008

Its the end of what we know as a year, and I figure i keep it simple, as thing #11 i've learned(learning) is how to keep things chill...

Number One:
People are only to you what they show themselves to be;nothing more.

Number Two:
Change is necessary for growth. If you're not changing, you're not growing. STEP YA GAME UP!!

Number Three:
Believing in your prayer manifests what your praying for;doubt cancels your prayer.

Number Four:
Physical death is mandatory;what you do with your life is optional. Choose wisely. Dream big.

Number Five:
I'm pretty damn funny! (aha)

Number Six:
I'm ready for love (for real, y'all!)

Number Seven:
DO NOT SETTLE...IN ANYTHING!

Number Eight:
Good R&B music is making a comeback! (thank God: if I bought one more CD from decades gone by, my christmas wishlist would have included a time machine! Beam me up,Scotty!!)

Number Nine:
Men have a hard time understanding the fact that i'm 31 years old, in possession of inner and outer beauty, and single. The question ALWAYS arises, " WHY ARE YOU SINGLE?" When i get married, the question will then be, "DAMN, WHY ARE'NT YOU SINGLE?" Irony at its' finest...

Number Ten:
Communication is the key ingredient to any sucessful relationship, whether it be personal or business. If you want something, say it! If you want OUT of something, SCREAM IT! If you need soemthing,demand it! If you need me, whisper in my ear...but only once, I cannot stand repetition!! (I am truly an organized mess!)

Merry Christmas
Happy Kwanzaa
Happy Hanukkah
(If I missed any other celebratory ritual, please forgive me...but make it merry and happy and don't forget the real reason for the season!)

Yours Truly...

SahshaJay

Harvest for the World

I must admit, I'm "sappier" than most. I often shed a tear or two during an emotional climax of a movie, at weddings(especially when the groom cries....that's love) or even when I hear a song that touches my spirit. So it should come as no surprise that when I hear of death, especially of the young and gifted, my soul weeps, my mind questions, and my heart aches.

In the past two weeks, I have been bothered by the news of the deaths of a Mr. Federico Borjas, a full time San Diego police officer, a single father and a reservist, who was killed while serving in Afghanistan, and by Darnell Donerson, Jason Hudson, and Julian King, the mother, brother, and nephew of Oscar winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson. Lives taken away for what appears to be no justifiable reason at all. Lives that i'm sure, had a lot more living in them. My seemingly endless plea for all of you to "go hard" in this life, Meaning, do everything with a zest and vigor that is unmatched by yesterday...will that plea fall on deaf ears? I pray not.


A couple of months ago, I wrote a blog, encouraging us to live life to the fullest, to make each moment count and take steps to pave a better way for the next generation. Have any of you all taken heed? The fact that I have to write THIS blog, once life is lost, is a confirmation of sorts, that this moment right here, is the only one we have. What we choose to birth in the now, is solely up to you.

We are in the midst of a huge paradigm shift for our nation and world. In less than one week, we will have a new "head" of state, who with time, will implement a series of laws and set a new foundation for us to grow as a collective union.(Yes, i'm saying that Barack Obama has won the election and will be sworn in January 9th, 2009)
Yet and still, no man is a nation unto himself. What will_________(fill in the blank with your name)do to institute change? What seeds will you plant that'll bring a harvest for the world?

I dedicate this blog to the lives of Federico Borjas, Darnell Donerson, Jason Hudson,and Julian King. I dedicate this to the friend of my boy Stevie, who died a couple days ago from a brain tumor at the age of thirty. Do you know anyone gone too soon? Add their name(s) to the list. As death in this lifetime becomes them, let life also be reborn in you.

Live Full.
Love Fearlessly.
Laugh Hard.
Party Harder.
Pray Often.
Forgive Daily.
Reach Higher.

To see or learn more about the fallen soldier, His family has set up a webpage. www.federicoborjas.com

I do my best to write a blog once a month, and boy, am I pushing it...

This fact has always fascinated me, even as a "youth": God could have made the entire world in a day. Instead, time and patience was taken into consideration, interweaving each living organism to one another to create...life. I can imagine the mind of God, the thoughts of the Most High, as It contemplated the details of each person, plant, and animal. What a shame it would have been if God was in a rush making you and I, inadvertently leaving off a leg, or giving me three arms instead of two, simply because He was in a hurry to get to the next creation!

(OK. that is a funny visual...stop imagining me with three arms!)

So riddle me this: WHY DO PEOPLE RUSH TO GET INVOLVED WITH ONE ANOTHER??? Why don't we take the time to find out what purpose each person serves in our life before we make them a main dish? And why, oh why, do we blame ourselves, if we meet someone who's purpose is just temporary, if it doesnt work out longterm? Look, people(especially ladies)Patience,understanding, and purpose was taken in the very fabrication of you and I,not a detail overlooked, not a trait left unexamined. Shouldn't we take the same amount of care in choosing who we let into our lives and determining their relevence in our space? If you are in a relationship(friendship or otherwise)right now, ask yourself these, or similar questions:

1)What have they deposited into my life?
2)What separates them from my previous relationship(s)?
3)Can their presence in my life elevate me and am I elevating them to levels neither of us have been to?
4)IS THERE MORE PAIN THAN PLEASURE? MORE DISCOMFORT THAN DELIGHT?

Depending on how you answer these questions, do what you have to do to elevate or eliminate these people from you space, or at bear minimum, keep them at arms length!("I'll love you from afar" comes to mind with some people)

Trust your spirit(most of the time, we know folks are just taking up space in our life, distracting us, "filling a void" so to speak)and know that there is NO NEED to make he/she "the one" only because you all have ten things in common and happen to have the same initials!(I swear, we make all sorts of justifications) Take the time to learn yourself to know where you're going and if he/she is fit enough for the journey! You will save much energy and emotional distress. The person you're attempting to make your soulmate could simply be a soul lesson and the one you disregarded as simply "the homie" can be your angel in disguise!

Come along with me, on this adventure called LIFE and I promise, we will make it together. Just give it a little TIME!

Lata Gatas!!

SahshaJay

Thank you for being a friend!

A friend



In the deep seas of my mind, I thought about, and reeled in the finest of treasures, ones, like most rare treasures, that lay there all along, waiting to be discovered; waiting for its worth to be weighed; waiting for me to bring them to the surface for all others to see their value...These rare, precious treasures are my true friends...


Dictonary.com defines friends as a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter. I define this people by name: When I call your name, please stand up and be recognized:

(In alphabetical order, certainly not in order of preference, for they are all preferred :)

Aisha Lastar Hollins

Christopher Lavon Jones, Jr

Frederick Ross, Jr

Kiana Nyree Welsh

Shelli Tinae Price

What a disgrace it would be if these treasures stayed buried, for the world not to witness their glory! Oh, what a gift they have been to me over the thirteen to twenty-seven years they have been in my life! Each one of them, created equally, but serving a slightly different purpose than the next…I truly cannot imagine how I would maintain my sanity in this crazy world without them!

God is constantly and faithfully great to me and I’m often reminded of His greatness and love for me when I look at my friends. Angels that have occupied earth to comfort and care for me, laugh with me and lend a shoulder to cry on. Friends who, when I’m my toughest critic, reflect the greatness in me. A mirror has never looked so clear…

I pray that in everyone’s lifetime, they are as privileged as me to encounter such seraphim, pieces of heaven on earth, which, along with God, lead you to the light at the end of the sometimes unclear, unpaved tunnel.

I can run on longer than Slauson Avenue in Los Angeles or El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego (two seemingly never ending streets in southern California, for those unfamiliar with the wonderful West Coast!) about the greatness of these people, and those attached to them: Parents, wives, fiancées, children, etc. I can talk until I’m blue in the face, purple in the lips and red in the cheeks about how much my life has benefited from their luminous presence…but I recede for now.

In closing, thank you, Furious Five, for being constant. Thank you, California’s finest, for opening your hearts to me and my family. In the best of times and the times when you’ve all felt like dismissing me as a friend (yes, you’ve had the thought at least once, ha-ha), yet stuck by me like irresponsible people to their excuses, or, more positively, like Jesus sticks by the truth, I thank you with these words. A small measure, yes, but a true measure indeed. Now that you all are reaching for your Kleenex, here’s to you, my dear friends:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmgL9l6VSjo
(cut and paste link to view)

Peace, love, and many thanks,


SahshaJay

Insomnia's a girl's best friend

The 11th commandment: "thou shall not go eight weeks without posting a blog..."

Thank God for pardon and grace:)

...and like the most of us, I will stumble, possibly letting another eight weeks or so pass without another entry. I aplogize in advance.

Pushing forward, as time does, I get the most powerful unction from the spirit to write at the most "inappropriate" times...I have to be up in a couple of hours...but when the feeling is this real, I got to go with the flow.

FREEDOM'S FREESTYLE(I'm in the cipher)


Insomnia is a friend of mine. She approaches me with purpose and intent.

Insomnia is when The Most High communicates with me, my attention is shared by no other.

Insomnia and I take magical rides through the inner depths of me, bringing back tresures that would otherwise go undiscovered.

Insomnia doesn't need a drug to tame it, on the contrary, Insomnia is the drug, we fly high...

But as with anything, too much of it can leave you in a daze, walking through the day in a haze...Thank God for Insomnia's consciousness, only calling on me when necessary.

Insomnia has made me a bigger, stronger, more beautiful lady: Its' adventures in paradise always leave me with one to grow on...a beautiful mix of destiny and pleasure.


Insomnia told me to tell you that it's alright to be who you are when you're with her: The things that keep you up at night are meant to keep you awake in this life...

Insomnia will come visit you soon. Make sure to wake up.



Until next time, don't sleep too tight.

Paz y Amor,

SahshaJay

Live It Up!

Hey guys(and gals...please don't get politically correct, I often don't:)

As the lovely, lovely month of May is coming to an end, along with spring, I find it unexcusable not to write, in closing.

A lingering thought has been on the brain like George Bush's trigger finger to the war in Iraq, the plummeting economy and the non existant health care system in the Un-united states...What if this was your last moment on this earth, in a physical body??

I can hear you now..."Sahsha, what kind of mess of a thought is that??" I can't call it, but it isn't meant to stir up a sense of morbidity, or gloom. It's more so a mental stretch...an excercise if you will, that will prayerfully help us use the remainding 90 percent of the brain that lies dormant.

"If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take..."


If that be the case, how would our loved ones reflect on the lives we have lived? More so, how would you describe the time you had on earth? Did you use your time wisely, effectively? Did our actions positively influence others? Did we accomplish what we were brought here to accomplish? Do we even know what that is??

Have we treated ourselves like we have the life and light of God living within? Lets make sure at the end of the day, and each day, we live it like there is no tomorrow. In essence, there isn't. All that there is, is NOW! (Disclaimer: this commentary IS NOT an excuse to live like you have no good sense. Remember, your body is a vessel for God to manifest his presence on earth...Back to your regularly scheduled program)

So as you rise with the morning sun, give thanks for another day granted to you. Why not use it for something new! Make a small step to change something that brings you closer to your destiny. In the meatime, your step will encourage others to take steps, too. As you continue along your daily walk, make sure your smiles outweigh your frowns, your laughs topple your tears, and your words comfort fears. Always listen to the quiet voice within...its God ordering steps:)and make every moment count!Don't exist counting the moments. Begin planning for that "thing" you ALWAYS wanted to do, do not allow anyone to hurt you in the name of love, and love so much that hurt is a memory.

In closing, i saw this while driving today and it moved me:

"Existing is mandatory. Living is optional"

Peace, Love, and Happy Travels,

SahshaJay