Awaiting the Great 2-0, Tho!

Hi, Everyone!

Well, it’s Sunday, February 9, 2014, and I am literally twelve hours away from celebrating my 20^th Birthday.

I’ve been sitting here in my dorm room, thinking about all the stuff that has happened to me in these past nineteen years, and I gotta tell y’all: All things considered, life has been really good to me thus far. Of course, there are some incidences that I wished never happened (and don’t worry—I’m not gonna travel down that road again), but the bottom line is that I made it through, thanks be to God. In that same light, if it was up to me, there would be no such thing as pain and sorrow, nor would there be any heartbreak and disappointment. However, since it’s not up to me and I don’t have that kind of power, I’ve gotta roll with it and keep on keepin’ on.

I really don’t have a lot to talk about today, especially considering that it’s Sunday, and I haven’t gone to church… actually, it’s been a minute since I’ve seen the inside of a church. I’m not gonna lie, y’all—the last time I went to church was around the time I spent Thanksgiving with Great Aunt Reesie ‘Nim. Yes, I know that is a shame, but I’d much rather tell y’all the truth than lie to y’all. Besides, I feel that I more than make up for it when I go home for my summer vacations and my Christmas breaks, and I always make sure that I read a couple of Bible scriptures and meditate for two hours in the morning on Sundays out here—Ruby’s my witness.

Yet and still, there is nothing like that real experience of sitting in a church and hearing the sermons from the preacher.

Okay, y’all—I reckon I’d better get goin’, but I’ll holla at y’all sometime tomorrow, and I promise that you’ll get an in-depth review on how I spent my birthday.

Smooches,

Natasha

Happy Birthday, Uncle Ronnie!

Good Saturday Morning, Y’all!

I’m just gonna cut right to the chase in today’s blog post and say…

Happy 48th Birthday to my Uncle Ronnie!

My Uncle Ronnie is the coolest—he’s always got a big smile on his face, and he’s always one to make people laugh, even if it’s at his own expense. Now, I will admit that Uncle Ronnie is a touch corny and even a bit mischievous, but he makes it work for him. Besides, it is well documented that Uncle Ronnie is his daddy’s son; he got his charisma from Grampa Clark!

I remember a story told to me in which Uncle Ronnie was about twelve years old. It was a Sunday morning and everyone was getting ready for church… well, all except Uncle Ronnie. Well, Gramma Jewel was under the impression that Uncle Ronnie was sick, so she ran upstairs to see what was up. Much to Gramma Jewel’s shock and chagrin, Uncle Ronnie was lying in the bed and watching cartoons. Naturally, Gramma Jewel demanded to know why Uncle Ronnie was not ready for church, to which Uncle Ronnie answered: “Well, Mom, I learned in my religion class that God is omnipresent, meaning that He’s everywhere at the same time, so there’s really no need to go to church every Sunday.”

Now, y’all already know that Gramma Jewel was not about to accept that answer—and Uncle Ronnie himself admitted that he was not expecting the rebuttal that he received. He said that Gramma Jewel chuckled rather ominously, then she put her hands on her hips and said: You’re absolutely right—God is everywhere, but I know that yo ass betta be ready for church in the next ten minutes!”

Suffice to say, Uncle Ronnie got up and got ready for church—quick, fast, and in a hurry!

There’s another story that Uncle Ronnie tried his absolute bestest to prank phone call Gramma Jewel about seven years ago. Gramma Jewel admitted that she would’ve never known it was Uncle Ronnie had he not broke out laughing. And y’all already know that Gramma Jewel told Uncle Ronnie not to quit his day job.

Well, that concludes today’s blog post, but before I do, I want to say once again: Happy Birthday, Uncle Ronnie, and celebrate it well. Love you lots!

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

The Legacy of Lynn Agnes Coleman

Happy Friday, Everybody!

As I promised on yesterday, I have a very special blog post for all-a-y’all, and just like mail carriers and pizza drivers, I do deliver. With that said, I am dedicating today’s blog post to a legendary figure in my family, my great grandmother Lynn Agnes Coleman.

I’ve been wanting to dedicate a blog post to my Great grandmother for the longest time, and I also find it quite apropos that this is Black History Month—it’s amazing how things work out like that! You know, I’ve always admired the contributions of legends such as Rosa Parks, Shirley Chisholm, and First Lady Michelle Obama, but it makes me that much more special to know that there are prominent figures in my very own family… and Great Gramma Lynn is one of those figures!

Great Gramma Lynn was born an only child on April 1, 1906 in Ruleville, Mississippi, to Horace & Bernice Brown. The other day, I made mention about the struggle of receiving a great education for African-Americans. Well, Great Gramma Lynn was a pioneer in her day, as she was the very first one in my family to not only further her education past Sixth Grade, but she also became the first family member in history to attend a higher learning institution. I know I have shared on countless occasions that Great Gramma Lynn planted the seed of furthering education; well, in so doing, she birthed the Rust College legacy, having graduated from Rust in 1928 with a degree in Sociology.

From the lovely reflections that I hear from Gramma Jewel, Great Aunt Reesie, my mom, and my aunts and uncles, I can tell that Great Gramma Lynn was truly a legend in her own time. Allow me to be bold enough to make this statement: Long before there was the Vipress (LOL), there was Great Gramma Lynn! She was stern but sweet, hard-hitting but soft-spoken, and according to Gramma Jewel, she was quick with a wooden spoon… hahaha! I’ve even heard stories of how Great Gramma Lynn rarely got angry, but when she did, it was nothin’ nice. However, she was a devoted woman—to God first and her husband and two daughters second. She worked very hard to make sure that her family got the best of the best, and she was also a sharp dresser!

And I know I’ve shared this story numerous times, but I love it just as much: Everytime Great Gramma Lynn’s birthday came around, she would say: “I still find it ironic that I, a smart and educated woman, would be born on a day designed for fools!”

Great Gramma Lynn went home to be with The Lord on July 23, 1984, where she was surrounded by Gramma Jewel, Great Aunt Reesie, and Grampa Clark. It was said that after she made a peaceful transition, her likeness was formed in the clouds, thus solidifying that she had truly made it over.

Today, Great Gramma Lynn’s legacy continues to live throughout all of the women in my family—and when I say “all,” I mean ALL! Y’all know that we adopted Becky last year... and that reminds me: Becky’s thinking about changing her name to either Jones or Coleman, as an homage to us.

I guess Great Gramma Lynn’s words of wisdom still ring true: “Goodheartedness produces goodheartedness—it gives above and beyond, and it never asks for anything in return, because it gives straight from the heart.”

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Countdown Until My Birthday

Hi, Everyone!

Well, I’m starting to feel a little better after that bad cold that I received on last Saturday. I’m still very careful not to go outside unless it’s time for my classes, but I’m not as stuffy and nasally as I was earlier in the week. And it’s kinda apropos that I’m starting to feel better, especially considering that I have a birthday coming up.

And speaking of my birthday, we are officially four days away until the big event. I am like, so totally ultra-excited that I’ll be turning 20 years old! I really don’t know what I would like to do for my birthday, nor do I have any plans for a party—if anything, I will be happy just to see another birthday.

That’s actually all the news I’ve got for today, but I promise that I’ll have a real good blog post for tomorrow. Until then, y’all have a gooden.

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

More Profound Knowledge About Rust College

Hi, Everyone!

My great-great grandmother Bernice Brown was once quoted as saying: “The only way you stop learning is when The Heavenly Father calls you from earth to Glory.”

Well, as y’all know, we are in Black History Month, and as an aspiring teacher, I have gained this thirst for knowledge and trivia… you know, I really don’t know where I’m going with this introduction, so I’m just gonna cut right to the chase: Do y’all remember a blog post from September, in which I talked about the history of Rust College? I had made mention of and further explained why Rust was first to give some learning unto those who were set free… well, special thanks to a fellow Rustite who graduated Class of 1999, I learned something else.

Check this out, y’all: Before the Civil War, higher education for African Americans was darn near nonexistent. Those who did receive schooling, such as Frederick Douglass, often studied in clandestine and oftentimes hostile settings. Some were even forced to teach themselves, period! I was also surprised to learn that most historically black colleges and universities (or HBCUs for short) were established after the Civil War, and most are located in former slave states and territories. It’s no secret that HBCUs are the backbone of higher education for African Americans, and continue to produce present and future leaders, doctors, and educators.

And, in addition to everything else mentioned, Rust College is the oldest HBCU in the state of Mississippi—I’m talking about the overall state of Mississippi.

The NBC theme still rings true to this day: The more you know…

Until tomorrow, y’all have a gooden!

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Officially One Full Year Without Mother Fields

Hi, Y’all!

First and foremost, I would like to apologize for not posting a blog on yesterday. You see, what had happened was… hahahaha!

But seriously, aside from my classes and a couple of pop quizzes, I spent most of my day in the bed yesterday. For the first time in my already illustrious Rust College career, I caught a bad cold. Actually I caught it sometime on Saturday evening. Fortunately, I managed to stop it before it could get any worse, and I thank God that I didn’t have the flu! So, needless to say, I was in the bed all day Sunday, stocked up with orange juice, hot tea, chicken soup, and Nyquil. I’m feeling a lot better today, but even still, I’m not leaving my dorm room until it’s time for class tomorrow.

And as you can see by the title of today’s blog post, it is officially one full year that we bid farewell to a wonderful woman, Mrs. Harriette Fields. I remember that fateful day quite vividly, in particular the tone that my mom had when she called me. I had assumed that she was tired from having worked all day, but I never would’ve suspected that she would drop some shockingly bittersweet news on me like she did. I still remember those words that stuck me in the heart like a thumbtack:

“Smurfette, I think I should tell you that Mother Fields passed away this afternoon.”

I was already laying on my bed, but I sat bolt upright when I heard those words. I didn’t quite know what to do, much less think or say, but I do know that the news of Mothers Fields’ passing threw me for a loop. Now, while I didn’t cry a river of tears, I did weep, only because I knew that Mother Fields’ presence would be (and still is) truly missed. As I mentioned in a dedicatory blog post, Mrs. Fields was a decorated fixture in the St. Matthew Baptist Church. My dad even joked that if one could get to Heaven by their works in the church, then Mother Fields’ name was already in the Lamb’s Book of Life… hahaha! Well, I know this much is true: It has already been recorded that none but the righteous shall see God, and in my humble opinion, Mother Fields earned her righteousness a long time ago.

Okay, y’all—I had better get some more rest, but I’ll holla at y’all tomorrow with another special blog post. Take care.

Smooches,

Natasha

Kickin' Off February With A Lot Less Baggage!

Good Saturday Morning, Everybody!

Well, it’s only been a couple of hours into this new day called February 1, 2014, but I gotta tell y’all—I FEEL FREAKIN’ FANTASTIC!!!

Don’t worry—I’m learning to come out of my shell… hahaha!

But seriously, y’all: I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of me, yet again. You see, late last night, I was on the phone with my Gramma Jewel, and she was telling me how she felt like she lost fifty pounds. “It’s amazing how something so small can carry so much weight!” she marveled.

I was listening to her talk about how we all need to be careful not to hold on to past hurts and disappointments, as such reminders have a tendency to weigh us down. Gramma Jewel then went on to say that even something as small as a post-it note can carry so much weight on our lives. Well, as Gramma Jewel continued to minister to me, I looked at my closet door. Though I do not have X-ray vision, I could easily locate that box of stuff belonging to a certain somebody who hurt me this past Christmas. I think I mentioned a week or so ago that I took any and everything related to Ray Hernandez and threw it all in that box, even the Share Bear Care Bear. Well, I am happy to announce that after my conversation with my Gramma Jewel, I looked into my closet and grabbed that box. Of course, Ruby asked me what I was planning on doing, to which I responded: “I’m gonna do something I should’ve done three weeks ago!”

Seeing as how it was after midnight (and by the way, it was still some kinda cold), I called Neo Theo and asked him to accompany me to the nearby dumpster. Ever a great supporting friend, Ruby emphatically stated that she wanted to come along to see what I was going to do. Suffice to say, I boldly and effortlessly threw that entire box of “Ray’s Memories” in the dumpster—nothing was salvaged, not even the ladybug clip.

When I turned around, Ruby and Theo applauded me, then trapped me in a big group hug.

“How do you feel now, Vipress?” Theo asked.

I told a great deep breath, and with a big smile, I declared, “Considering that I’m close to 140 pounds, I feel like I weigh thirty-nine pounds. Hell, I feel great!”

And believe it or not, y’all—I had the greatest night sleep that I ever had!

So here it is, a brand-new day in a brand-new month, and I’ve got so much to look forward to. This goes back to what my Auntie Cherri said to me about two weeks ago: The most dangerous woman in the world, is the woman who truly knows her worth.

And even though I’m nearing twenty years old, I am most definitely a woman that knows her worth!

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha