afrodominicana

[afrodominicana]

Final Friday

Today's the Final Friday of the year. Gonna do something I haven't done in almost 20 years...blog.

On this Final Friday of the year, my first, official Tumblr post. Not a reblog, not an Instagram picture, not a comment on someone else's brilliance (many brilliant people in these here Tumblr streets). My first post, my own words. Let's goooo

What inspired me to write tonight? A desire to get words out faster than I can write on paper. An eventual desire to make words leap off the screen, into your eyeballs, sear them onto your brain. Before this metaphor gets further away from me...

I've always been a good writer, got a way with words. I write better than I speak, even without editing (last paragraph notwithstanding). I used to write poetry, stories, essays. Only poems for fun, but I my stories and essays were bomb. My sister loves to write, has written whole novels, many times over. She inspires me.

They say your 30s are for rediscovering what you loved as a 13 year old. When I was 13, I wrote poems. I loved to read. I would do full-on regular push-ups in gym class, though I never ran the track. At summer camp,I shot arrows, shot a rifle, shot pictures with a film camera. I loved boy bands and boys. I loved DMX and Ja Rule and TLC and Destiny's Child and 702 and Brandy and Monica. I loved Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera and Eiffel 65. I loved my agenda, planning things out. Imagining my future with elaborate descriptions and drawings of the rings and jewelry on my hands. I loved pressing shift F7 in Microsoft Word to look up synonyms and impress my English teachers with my expansive vocabulary while writing essays. I wish I had done the same with Spanish.

As a thrice 13 year old, 3 years removed, I can get down with that, with rediscovering who 13 year old Elizabeth was and how 36 year old Elizabeth can be. I just turned 3 dozen years old 2 weeks ago. Best believe in 3 years, I'll be thrice thirteen.

The new year is around the corner. But my new year already started. Birthdays are personal new years. And they count more. Elizabeth math: 36>2024

A holiday I've always wanted to celebrate during this time of year is Kwanzaa. Last minute Liz looked to buy a kinara (Kwanzaa candle holder) on the 26th. On a sunny afternoon, I walked into Sister's Uptown Bookstore, a Black-woman owned bookshop on 156th and Amsterdam (take the C to 155th Street and walk up and left). The store employees were chatting with a customer, who had a kinara and candles in hand. I suspected they were the last of their kind in the store. I asked the lady at the counter, and she said, "We just sold the last one. It's great that so many people are coming into Kwanzaa this year. Things are flying off the shelves." I bought two books instead, one by a Haitian author, and one by a Dominican author. Books by authors from the same island.

My search for a kinara led me to the Malcolm Shabazz African market on 116th and Lenox (take the 2 to 116th Street and walk towards 5th Avenue). As I strolled under the arched canopies, I sidestepped Muslim men prostrated in prayer, facing east. Noticed the name Fatoumata on one of the signs. Bought two dresses from two separate vendors, promising myself to haggle the next time I shop there.

Finally, I ventured north towards the South Bronx's only bookstore, the Lit Bar. On 133rd and Alexander Avenue (take the 6 to 138th Street and walk down). There, I marveled at the little Black girl painted on the wall. Treated myself to a 5 year one line a day diary, a tote bag, a glass of Moscato, and a plate of fruit served in the cutest way. Go to the Lit Bar! Buy a book, buy a glass of wine, get lit!

I did not find a kinara, but I found much more.

Today's nguzu saba, one of the 7 principles of Kwanzaa, is UJAMAA, cooperative economics. To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together. In short, #BuyBlack and reinvest back into the community. Another way is a susu. All members of a group of people contribute the same amount monthly to a pot, which goes to one person. The next month, it goes to another person, and so on and so forth. Imagine all we can do if we pool our collective resources, intellect, and creativity together.

#BuyBlack #Kwanzaa

[afrodominicana]

Anyone else imagine them together in a relationship now?

2020 Really was the time we attack every character with the Himbo Beam

#Him #Professor Utonium #Powerpuff #Relationships

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Birthday girl. ¡feliz cumple, Abuela! https://www.instagram.com/p/CaD1LCCA9Zy/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Jules Lefebvre (1836–1911), Judith - 1892

[afrodominicana]

Triple vaxxed, double-masked, single patron. The Lehman Trilogy was fantastic #broadway https://www.instagram.com/p/CYInrJYAFNo/?utm_medium=tumblr

#broadway

[afrodominicana]

I declare 34 to be the year of more. Declaro 34 el año de más. #Lizmás https://www.instagram.com/p/CXkrg_YAqVX/?utm_medium=tumblr

#lizmás

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Lizmás Annual Ice Cream and Hot Cocoa Social. I'm a fan of delicious opposites. La fiesta anual de helado y chocolate caliente Lizmás. Me gustan los opuestos deliciosos. 📸: @adammaldonadonyc 🧊🍨🔥🍫 #MerryLizmás #IceCreamAndHotCocoa (at Aubi & Ramsa) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXkrSt5gDxr/?utm_medium=tumblr

#merrylizmás #icecreamandhotcocoa

[afrodominicana]

Spent the day yesterday with my beloved grandma. She gifted me 70 cents. 😂 Pasé el día ayer con mi querida abuela. Me regaló 70 centavos. 😂 #MerryLizmás https://www.instagram.com/afrodominicana/p/CXkoiuxAnlb/?utm_medium=tumblr

#merrylizmás

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Sometimes, you've gotta light your own candles. A veces, tienes que encender tus propias velas. #MerryLizmás #LizTheSeason #Lizmás https://www.instagram.com/afrodominicana/p/CXknI0GAz1O/?utm_medium=tumblr

#merrylizmás #liztheseason #lizmás

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The Big Quit, Piotr Szyhalski / Laborcamp

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Beverly Johnson

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Photo by Drew Carolan, 1981

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He is so serious

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Me, in all the seasons.

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It’s okay to rest. You don’t have to always be focused on progress or productivity. Sometimes it’s enough to just take it easy.

-goodthingsarewaiting

[afrodominicana]

What a great reminder.

I came up with a checklist for myself to help me with the basics. It’s ends with gratitude so you don’t leave the list feeling negative if you answered no to most of the questions. Hope this helps someone out there.

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