Never Late

In recent weeks I have been diligently working twitter, a social networking, micro-blogging avenue that utilizes instant messaging technology to interact with the world at large. In my discovery of like-minded individuals I have unveiled a whole exciting network of authors, publishers, bloggers, editors etc. etc. etc. In my excitement of following such creatively dynamic people as well as inviting to follow my, thanking them and directing traffic to my youtube videos I have opened a door of wonderful encouragement as well as received blurbs of others who have similar stories as do I. In a society that more times than not attempt to isolate you and make one feel not good enough, it is wonderful to hear from different people who have underwent obstacles and continued in this realm of life.

This morning I received a message from a follower who went to my youtube site and heard my story, the follower responded that like myself he also have taken a number of years to completely produce his novel and he felt better knowing he is not too late. As I pondered this notion of lateness, it behooved me to wonder: In a world that is filled with everything at its fingertips “Why should late mean never?” As of late I have ran across people who get extremely frustrated at humans, technology, government systems, even God for not moving fast enough for them. Have we been so consumed with fastness, that the concept of on time is still late?

I answered the follower with a loving message that it is never too late to release a good novel, for if I had that concept, I would not have finished mine. Admitting so, I also had a warped since of ideology that if I processed information after the fact it as to late or if I do not unleash a product at the time of thought then it would be too late. As I think of great inventors, designers, creator would we be able to enjoy the luxuries we now consume on a daily basis. If Thomas Edison did not try his invention 1000s of times, the light bulb might not have illuminated our spaces to this day. How about Coco Chanel who made a comeback after being out of the fashion industry for more than a decade with some of her most amazing designs. What about James Cameron who worked on Avatar for 15 years while awaiting for technology to catch up; had he released it at thought would it have been the highest growing film of all time. I am sure all these individuals wanted to release their designs with first thought, but often one must wait until they feel comfortable the time is right.

Creation is more than just thought, it is also a feeling, a strong spirit that says the time is now. I have never once regretted waiting 5 years to release my novel, for in that span of time I have grown as a writer, a parent, a woman and a human being. So for all those individuals who allow for themselves or others to make them feel bad because they did not produce or catch on right away, I say to you the more late, the greater the outcome.

Peace, Love, Bliss
Angelah

The Career of Being... Woman

Funny business a woman’s career. The things you drop on your way up the ladder so you can move faster, you forget you’ll need the again when you get back to being a woman… That’s one career all females have in common whether we like it or not – Being a woman. Sooner or later we got to work at it no matter how many other careers we had or wanted. (Bette Davis as Margot Channing – All About Eve)

From the moment we first learn how to walk, talk and think, little girls are groomed to be…Woman. We put on our frilly little dresses, wearing our mother’s makeup and pearls; have tea parties with our friends and stuffed animals pretending to be grown women. Then when we actually reach adulthood, reality sets in that those tea parties among other things were just a figment of our imaginations. So in response we shed our conditioned identity shucking all the etiquette of prim and properness for equality: Equal Work, Equal Pay, Equal Opportunity, Equal Law.

We step to the occupational ladder climbing the rung of “healthy competition” one sometimes two steps at a time. Due to the time consuming challenges which cultivate the art of woman, we toss those tools of winks, wiggles, passiveness, corsets and sometimes exotic hair and makeup for the external work environment. We decide it is beneficial to put aside those character traits, often viewed as character flaws in order to enter the jungles of survival of the fittest. When we do climb the ladder of success and reach the top we are called out our names (you know the one I am referring to for rap artists have made it a woman’s tag) the female counterpart of man who is referred to as a dog. Once we reached the top loneliness sets in and we discover it is no longer fun.

Then after hours, days, months and years of self-discovery we understand that the race to the top was really not a competition against man. After all he is not any smarter, better or more equipped then woman What we actually find out is the man is running an entirely different race that does not even include woman. So we wonder, at the top, do we climb down and return to the fields among the commoners and engage in the art of war between the sexes once more or do we remain in the shadow of “equality.”

Perhaps oftentimes woman is afraid to return because of those “things you drop on your way up the ladder” not knowing if those tools still exist within. I say no matter what a woman is indeed, always Woman. No matter how much she tries, she will walk, talk, think, act, look...Woman and that is a career that no one can ever decide nor take.

Peace, Love, Bliss

Angelah

Black Men "ENDANGERED": Legend or Myth

Since publishing my novel, I have thrust myself into the world of social networking/media as a means to receive cheap advertising/solicitation. Much to my surprise, there has not been an overwhelming response to preview my book, but a myriad of propositions from men. More than not these men are African American, which goes against the conditioning and sensationalism surrounding them. You see we women have been taught that there is a shortage of black men who were once labeled as an “endangered species.” My girlfriends and I discuss daily of the whereabouts of available men in our age bracket. Yet daily thousands of men are entering into social spaces approaching women.

Having been on Black Planet approximately six months I, myself, had more man propositioning me in a week than I have throughout my entire dating career thus far. As women fight like jungle cats to claim the territory known as the black man, It behooves me to think: Are black men really “endangered” or have women been duped by propaganda once again?

Between Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, Black Planet etc. etc. etc. we have been given 24 hour access to the world at large. One can sign up for these services and be instantly notified thru email every time someone follows, befriends, or subscribes to your space. The lakes are opening wider and deeper allowing more fish to be caught. Yet why are these intelligent, attractive males not being caught by beautiful, gifted females.

If the statistics are correct (everyone knows how I feel about statistics) and there is an African American male shortage, then the women being propositioned are being deceived by men who are seemingly involved. If the dating pool has broadened because of social networking than women, especially African American women, have been bamboozled once again by a society which desires to disconnect and disenfranchise a population of otherwise smart, rational people. Yet my analytical mind cannot help but discern between fact and fiction. The fact is there are a lot of single, black women who are not connecting with single black men. So I can’t help but wonder are most of the men soliciting women online really in a committed relationship. Have social networking become the new forms of prostitution?

So how does one who wants a committed relationship find the truth in order to weed out the players? Quite easily one would think, just ask, but we do not ask that simple question “are you with someone?” Are women afraid of the truth leaving us feeling alone, used and undesirable? Do we not care because we think a piece of man is better than none? Are we afraid of the truth because then we are forced to make a choice and deal with the consequences albeit good or bad, for one can only be held accountable for that which they know. Are beings so commanded by their hearts desire they cannot just be “friends”, “followers,” or “subscribers” with no strings attached, ascribing only to a web. Then again we all know what happens in webs, eventually you get trapped and swallowed up.

Peace, Love & Bliss
Renee Angelah