Anatomy of a hero: Notes from an Emotional Intelligence training.

Hiya you throngs of people you! 😀

OK so today I attended a training at work called Emotional Intelligence.  If you’re thinking it’s a Oprah-ish, new agey, What-Color-is-Your-Parachute kinda deal, you’re right.   Not to trivialize it, I did gain some good Ah-ha-moment! insights in the session but  those are for my thoughts only…I don’t Ah-ha! and tell.   What kinda girl do you think I am?  But here are 3 that I’m willing to part with:

1. Emotional Intelligence trainers who look like AND have the affectations of Richard Dreyfuss (and thereby have you thinking about What About Bob the entire session) are distracting.
2. Some phone apps still make noise—loud noise even though you’ve silenced your phone. My bad.
3. Librarians are an Emotionally challenged bunch! Breathe! Do the Harlem Shake! Give a hug! Receive a hug! Something! Dang!

Lastly,  I will leave you with one helpful exercise that Dreyfuss had us do.  He instructed us to think back on those ‘heroes’ in our lives that really inspired us or made an impression on us and isolate the characteristic in them that we liked/admired.  Give this one a try!

Here’s my short list:

• My Grandmother– Powerful love
• My Mama– Superhuman selflessness
• Sister Vanessa (pre-school teacher at my Elementary school)- Kindness and grace under fire
• Lady J. Boone– Excellent Listener
• Mrs. Parker (7th grade teacher)- Nurtured all students, not just the squeaky wheels
• Ummi– The picture of patience
• My Big Sister– Responsible before her time…

So many others (lots of women huh?), not enough space.  Who are your heroes and why?

Until next time…

Give me! Give Me! I need! I need!!!!

A simple constitution

Saw these rules posted on my sons bedroom door. No small print. No high falutin’ language, straight no chaser. We could learn something from the elementary school set eh?

Oh! Note how “rules” is misspelled but “circumstances”? There’s not a ‘c’ outta place. Well ‘rules’ always has been one one of those tricky words with a deceptively simple spelling. **You are witnessing a mother’s defense of her son’s superfluous l’s.**
See how ‘extra’ we get with age?

Enjoy the simplicity!

In case you missed it, that’s:

Da Rulles

1. No mean ugly girls.  (Standard boy’s club contractual line item)

2. No jumping on our awesome airbed.

3. No girls come in under any circumstances.

4. No farting girls.  (Now this, I thought, was brilliant.)

5. No girl never step one step in our room. (Re-iteration. All the best documents do it.)

6. No girl will never come in our closet. (Just to clearly define the parameters of the room.) 

Dear girl child in a world of men,

**I usually keep it light and easy in here but this has been on my heart…

A poem:

This is a moment for you,

Never mind what he has to say…to explain it away.

Let me say to you that it’s not OK.

Your innocence–even “fast tailed” girls who scribbled their love in notebook margins–to have it swept away?

Glittering un-guarded prey?

It’s not OK.

Too many secrets to keep,

Too many touches and whispers to sweep,

Under the family rug,

Well that got damned rug is lumpy!

And yeah I’m feeling jumpy and might just jump cuz,

It’s not OK.

Too many roses with too many thorns cuz somebody thought

It’s OK…one word, un heard, it’ll be OK…

One kiss, who’d miss the light in her eyes when I steal it away? When I drain it away?

Girl child know that it was never OK,

It was never OK.

It was never OK.

And you shall inherit the earth someday.

A Sunshine Award on a cloudy day!

Hi guys!

I have been M.I.A. and was actually kicking around the idea of going black (no racist) permenently.  Yup I was gonna fold up my lil’ popsicle stand and go back to a life sans blogging.

Imagine my surprise when in a chance checking of my WP stats and comments I spotted a little missive from a fellow blogger, Aquah *Lekker* Garla, a “free spirited, adventurous African girl” with a sparkly pink blog packed with insight, (African!)  fashion and humor.  Miss Aquah bestowed me with the following honor and as such I will do 3 things; proudly place the Sunshine award icon on my page, pay it forward by sprinkling around a few awards of my own and lastly I’ll inwardly pledge to get back in the blogging saddle…because what was I thinking ‘abandoning writing’? I’ve always been better with pen and paper…

Thanks for tuning in 🙂

Here are the instructions to receive and nominate others:

• Include the award’s logo in a post on your blog
• Answer 1o questions about yourself
• Nominate 10 other bloggers
• Link your nominees to the post and comment on their blogs, letting them know they have been nominated
• Share the love and link the person who nominated you!

Q & A on yours trulay (still can’t resist bustin a rhyme):

1. My favourite color: BLUE…Bleu…BloO
2. My favourite animal: I don’t desire to be up close and personal with any animal.  Many of them are beautiful from afar but favorite animal? To do what with? Really question makers? Really?
3. My favourite number: Huh? Ok I’ll play along. 2.
4. My favourite drink: Water
5. Facebook or Twitter: FB
6. My passion: It waxes and wanes but I’ll always come back to writing…
7. Prefer giving or getting presents:  I love them both equally. Today I’m in a getting mood. Why?? Whatcha got?
8. My favorite pattern: I love a good plaid.  Not to wear, just to look at.
9.  My favorite day of the week: Friday
10. My favorite flower: I love a good sunflower

Here are 10 bloggers that I think you all should check out! (in no particular order):

Anansi The Poet keeping poetry alive…

Picki Niki eat (or pick) vicariously thru Niki!

Grown and Curvy Woman  She’s a breath of fresh air!

The Proverbial Lonewolf Librarian He’s got great little digestable chunks of info perfect for my (quicky) professional developement needs!

Chocolate and Raspberries When I’m feeling unabashedly girly I go here 🙂

Topicless bar  :)!

A Writer’s Voyage Fantastic voyage…Hope She come back and drops a few lines soon!