No matter how crummy I am feeling, there is always something or someone who brings sunshine into my day. Yesterday morning, while laundering some things for Spring, never mind that it has disappeared for now, it will return, I like my clothing freshly washed for the new season. We use a cash card for our washing machines. The fix-it guy was fiddling around with the card machine and I said good morning and asked if it was broken, he said no, that someone had put a "Duane Reade" card in the machine. Huh? Why? You do not get money from this machine, not even change. We chatted about the weirdness of folks and before he left, he gave two cards to me "with a little money" on them. One has $4.50 and one has $5.00. What a nice thing to do. Nothing beats the kindness of others. I am thinking that maybe I made his day by talking to him, instead of acting like he was invisible. (smiling).
Well, Imus is history. I won't miss him because I did not listen to him. I think firing this man, is like putting a tiny band aid on a huge gaping sore. He did say something stupid. He was very foolish to think that he could say on the air (or anywhere), what he hears black people say everyday, and not be called on it. Still, I do not believe that he was or is the problem, just someone who thought he could get away with anything because he had done so for so long. I know that he has said disrespectful things in the past because I have friends who listened him religiously. My personal feelings about him have not changed, just vindicated. Now that he is gone, I think it is time for us to clean our own houses. My mother was right when she told us as children and has continued to be right since that long time ago, "Never call people out their name." I hope that this is a positive step torwards 'everyone' understanding that it is never o.k. to call a woman a whore, no matter how you spell it, no matter how you say it; even when it rhymes.
I bought a ticket to see Ailey at the PAC in May. Last night I watched a repeat of an Ailey program and again was so moved the watching an old clip of Judith Jamison dancing, "Cry". I can remember the first time I saw her. I had fallen asleep on the living room floor while watching television. I was awakened by music and saw the commercial for Ailey's coming performances. Jamison was dancing and I was mesmerized, I found my pencil and the only thing I could remember was "Alvin Ailey", but I found the information and bought two tickets that same week.
2 comments:
Greetings:
On Imus. I believe he has built his career on controversy. His style has worked for him, until now. Even now, probably, because I am sure he will profit/learn somehow from this...and we may never know. What came to mind for me was, we won a battle, but we still lost the war. Why do we let this man define us? We allow him to make us a victim of his sense of humor? No, I don't think so. My hair is nappy, I don't have a problem with that, and whore, oh no, he cannot be talking about me as a woman he does not know me, i.e, he did not know these young women. Perhaps this is a wake up call so that we may learn to respect one another in our community, so that our youth understand words are powerful. We must also remember America has always been a country proud of emphasizing there is freedom of speech available to everyone.
Valerie Kelly
Dreamchild Legacy Productions
From your lips to "His" ears, and our hearts. I am hopeful that some good comes from this.
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