[This is a word-for-word transcription of the video below]
I went to Church this morning and when I say, “Church” – we mean Beach. And I sat in my… I wanted to sit in my favorite pew, which is a bench but there was somebody sitting there. So I tried to enjoy it from a different space, but that didn’t work. And then, after a few minutes there, I walked on over and stood by the…closer to the railing. And I could hear the sermon from the ocean. It was beautiful.
I’m having a tough day. The past few days, questioning way too much. Over-thinking. Of course. That’s my whole jam, I guess. And…
My goal isn’t to be…I know a lot of people think the goal is to be…
[I should be filming it this way, but…I don’t know…I’m already doing it this way. So…it’s just easier to hold. I don’t have it on the mound right now so…]
The goal isn’t to be ecstatically happy every day. That’s not it.
But the goal is to progress. To move forward. And…
I feel like I moved forward and I just stepped back four miles. And I’m uneasy about it. And I’m just feeling… I’m not sad or happy — I’m just in that space…
I keep thinking of Chadwick Boseman. And I love that he said, “Take your time, but do not waste your time.”
I don’t think I’m wasting time. But I do need to figure this out.
My writings been fierce and furious. I wake up at 4:00am, coffee automatically percolating, and the only thing guiding my way through the dark is the smell of fresh brewed covfefe. Covfefe being the only funny contribution to our existence by the idiot man leading my country at the moment… but oh, I digress. I usually sit. Write and write some more.
Coffee. Coffee. Coffee.
It’s so early, the quietest time of the day, it’s sheer perfection. I hate this apartment complex I live in – everyone moves around too much, walks, breathes, lives and just mutherfucking annoys the hell out of my existence every single day. What I hate most about Covid? That all these “neighbors” are home. All. The. Time. I hate them I tell you, hate. Don’t they know I’m trying to write a masterpiece????
Alright, alright. Clearly, I need coffee.
Coffee brewed, coffee poured, soothing to my soul. The birds are even sleeping. It’s dark as all hell outside. But I know the sun will pierce through soon enough.
I open the front door.
Ugghhhhh.
I was expecting a breeze of cooler air, but no! It’s still. It’s the same temperature out there as in here. Damn it. It’s so muggy. WHY?
Breathe. That’s okay, my coffee smells amazing. Focus.
Yesterday had been a bad day. I read my written work for my next book – 5 chapters – and realized how god-awful it was…is. I mean is. It’s still awful today. I cried. 5 chapters in, I thought it would be brilliant. While I wrote them, I believed I was writing the next Alchemist, the next… something. But no. Hell to the no! Hell to the NO so badly, I’m writing this instead. THIS is better than all of that, and THIS, THIS is me rambling, venting…
But this is writing. This is the creative process. Those 5 chapters really do suck. They do. They’re NOT me. They’re ME pretending to be a writer who published a book who now needs to write a second one.
I think it just hit me. Today, for the first time, I realized I’m officially a real writer. I mean, I’m already an author, but today, reading this crap that I wrote, I think made me realize that a real writer would know it’s crap and start over. And Lord help me Jeezus, this stuff sucks! I’m “throwing it out” and starting over. And yaaaassss…. Before you ask, I can’t really throw it out cuz it’s not paper, but I’m just trashing it and starting from page one.
Yeah, today, I became a real writer. It’s freaking me out a little bit.
If one more person asks me how to be an ally, I’m gonna…
I’m gonna help.
So how can you be a better ally to people of color as a writer or creative person? I’m gonna give you the same answer I keep giving every other person who asks: Listen. Be considerate. Be open to learning more. And remember, it’s not about how you FEEL, it’s about THEM.
Photo by Jumana Dakkur
If you feel uncomfortable right now, then you’re doing it right. If you don’t know what to say, what to write… good. I don’t say this to be cruel but I’ve been uncomfortable for most of my life, so if you’re finally feeling uncomfortable about racism, you’re probably on the right path. We’re all mostly on the same page now.
Honestly, being an ally just means being a good person who cares about other human beings. Period. But I get that it can be a scary and confusing time for people. All people. I’m here to help.
Maybe an example can clarify this for you. Hear me out.
When marriage equality was an issue for the LGBTQ+ community, I didn’t sit back and wonder “how can I be an ally?” It didn’t even dawn on me to ask the question. I didn’t call up every person I knew who happened to be Gay or Lesbian and ask them, “Is there something I can do to help?” I’m not part of the LGBTQ+ community and I have no real idea what they’ve gone through as individuals – but I’m sympathetic because I value them as human beings fully and completely. I have much empathy for any LGBTQ+ person being treated badly or wronged in any way. Even if I don’t understand all of the complexities of their particular “ism” – when I SEE hurt, I understand it as PAIN and I react accordingly.
So, why is it so easy for me to relate to the LGBTQ+ community and act as an ally when it may be hard for White folk to know what to do during this horrible time in our country regarding police brutality, Black folk and race relations?
Well, part of the reason could be that I grew up around people who were gay and lesbian. I was a dancer as a kid and most of my instructors and dance mates were gay or lesbian. I was comfortable around people who were not “heterosexual”. I also frequented many clubs as a dancer. Transgender folk didn’t scare me probably because I didn’t understand it fully and Drag Queens were performers to be envied and revered. I didn’t see them as “other” or less than me – not subconsciously or ever. When you know different people, it makes it harder to dismiss them for any reason.
But still. It’s hard to know what to do to help. Especially if you don’t know Black people or people of color in general. Even if you do know — it’s a tough time. I mean, I get it. I completely appreciate the want and the need to know. So, here’s what I did.
Photo by Shane Aldendorff
First, I listened. Listening to people is always a good place to start. As writers, actors and creative folk in general, we’re observers, so listening is easy. And when I didn’t understand something like the plus (+) sign or what the “Q” means at the end of the acronym “LGBTQ+”, I used Google to figure it out. So second on the list, is research. When I had a question, I first tried to learn what it meant on my own so I didn’t burden my friends who were going through a difficult situation. Timing is a thing people! There is a time and place to ask questions – be sensitive and choose wisely. Again, don’t make it about you and what you need. Instead, observe, listen, learn and research. When people are crying and protesting over the murder of George Floyd, it’s probably not a good time to ask what you can do. Instead, just be supportive. Listen. Listen. Listen.
The most important thing I did to be an ally was to make sure other people in my circle were aware of my standards regarding the subject regardless of how intricately I understood the subject. These are common things I said during the whole California “same-sex marriage” time period in 2008, to people in my life. Family and friends:
“No, you will not use that kind of language to talk about Gay people like that in my house.”
“No, we cannot be friends if you have a problem with Gay & Lesbian people.”
“If you don’t like the idea of a Pride Parade, you don’t have to go to one. I don’t go to the Tournament of Roses parade and I don’t make loud announcements about it. I just choose not to participate.”
“Are you sure you want to use the Bible as your evidence for why two men can’t marry? Okay. But do me a favor and watch this clip. It says it so much better than I ever could – but if you still want to argue your discomfort with the Gay community by using Bible verses, let me know. I have twelve years of Catholic school under my belt and like Martin Sheen’s character in this West Wing scene, I’ve read my Bible from cover to cover so…we can go there if you want too…let me know when you’re done.”
“Honestly, I don’t know what being Gay has to do with raising a child. I was raised by a single mom till 11 and then raised by a neighborhood of people that included gang members, teachers and coaches. I turned out just fine. But clearly, you’ve never met a foster child who’s been in the system, have you?”
I could go on and on…
My point is this: as writers, as creators, as storytellers, you have the sensitivity and the ability to be an ally just by being compassionate. Then, you can use your voice loudly to be an advocate. You don’t need to walk in my shoes or know my every emotional thought about the President, the protests, the murders, the police, etc., to be a good and decent person – to be an ally. You don’t have to write about Black people or develop new characters based on something you don’t know – that would go against that one principle of always ‘writing what you know’ and probably turn out pretty bad. My question would be, why don’t you know more people of color? It may be where you live, it may be part of your upbringing, but then do THAT – change THAT! Get to know people of color. Do your research. Ask questions – yes, at the appropriate times. Read books and articles from artists who are NOT like you! My goodness, if you can’t name at least 10 authors who are people of color, then yes, you have some work to do.
Being an ally, just means being a good person. That means, understanding that you may have possibly never valued Black life as much as your own. It’s nothing you did wrong, it’s just part of a systemic angst our country was built on. No one is blaming you personally or hating you for being White. No one. What we are screaming about is that by doing nothing about the systematic racism and oppression that exists in our country and even at times, denying it’s truth (even when you have video proof), yes you are contributing to the pain of so many people – and that, we will no longer allow. Its just not in anyone’s best interest. It really isn’t.
Look, I’m here. I’m happy to answer whatever questions I can. I may not have all the answers and I’m certainly not speaking for all people of color, but I’m listening and learning too. One of the most recent things I’ve done is reach out to White male friends and ask them questions about what’s happening right now, and seeing how they’re doing – honestly, I think they’re stunned that someone’s asking. But yeah, we’re all in this together. And the only way we’re going to get through it, is if we keep having the conversations…
My book Canela, is at its core a book about people being “allies”. Remember, being an “ally” is just the new trendy way of saying, loving thy neighbor. When we can see each other as worthy and precious, taking care of your fellow human being, standing up for them when they need help and valuing them, becomes real easy and natural to do.
I may not know much, but I still have faith in the best of who we all can be…
Thanks for stopping by. This has been a post I’ve included in my Author Toolbox Blog Hop. If you’d like more information on this writer’s group please visit:
My first book was not intentional. After receiving a large bonus check from the company I worked for at the time, that basically amounted to more money than my mother had probably made her entire life, I realized I hadn’t gotten here on my own. I wanted to reach out to everyone who had helped me. The process started out as a series of letters to specific individuals I wanted to thank for helping raise me after my mom passed away. I posted one of these “letters” onto my website and after receiving much encouragement from friends and strangers, I went through the creative process of finding a way to weave a connective thread through all the letters. That’s how my first book Canela came into existence.
Now, I’m writing my second book. This time, it’s very intentional. The story continues on in the same vein, a “fictionalized memoir” – authentically true moments, captured in a chapter – spliced with other moments and/or characters to make a bigger point. But this time, it feels a harder. It IS a harder.
I’m still writing what I know and what I want to write, but my head now knows it’s for other “readers” or anyone who wants to read it. When I wrote Canela, each “chapter” was specifically a letter to one person. The entire book is me having a conversation with one person. Taking those letters and going back and weaving together all the stories to make them into chapters was actually the part I enjoyed most, even though it was the most difficult.
So, because I’m an “author” now and deemed a “real writer”, I’ve been studying and considering all the ways to go about writing this second book. You know, more professionally. More organized. Like a real writer would. The best way to do that is to learn from the masters, right? Read what they wrote, read all that I can about how to write, how to develop a story, how to create characters…
Damn, if I didn’t just get all messed up in my head real quick! Doubt set in almost immediately. I was waking up at night wondering, why am I even bothering? I never said I was a writer! I’m a friggin’ dancer. A performer. A goddamn financial adviser on my worst days. Writing? When did I start writing “professionally”? I already wrote one book. I can tick that off my stupid-ass bucket list, which seems to have things on it I never wanted to accomplish! “Author” wasn’t even ON my bucket list – so yeah, I’m done! WTF? Why am I putting myself through this again? I’m not a writer. I can’t do this anymore…
I’m gonna go off on a tangent here but there’s a point. I got hung up on these four male characters. Real men in my life at one point or another – honestly, it’s not even really about them per se, but about my ability to write and portray them “correctly”. The problem of course, is that while I’m writing, I’m learning about my own “isms” and it’s becoming emotional. There’s so much self-analysis in the process. This is part of what I’ve been contemplating: the thing that makes a person (character) attractive visually is not the same thing that makes a person (character) attractive for real.
What does that mean exactly?
Well, we all know someone who is physically stunning, but the minute they open their mouth or a crisis appears, they reveal their true colors and somehow all that “beauty” you thought they had disappears instantaneously. That’s easy. But how do I write that for each individual person (character) in the scene/situation? To make it even more annoying, as I’m clearly over-thinking this writing process, I realize I’ve dated some major assholes in my life – regardless of how “pretty” they may have been! Since I’m the common denominator in all my relationships, clearly that says more about me than it does about them, right… Ugghh! But I digress!
And down the rabbit hole we go…
I got so hung up on “character development” that I ended up over-analyzing who these men were that I honestly just couldn’t write. It was emotionally draining. I just had to put the pen down.
There’s a lot going in our world for sure, but this wasn’t about that. I got stuck. I got sad. I then reinforced the idea that I wasn’t a writer anyways, because look – I can’t even figure this out. So, see? Why. Am. I. Bothering. With.This?
Then, there are signs. Whether you believe in it or not, when you’re least expecting it, even if you’re not hoping for it – you get knocked upside the head with an idea, with a solution, or just a reminder.
Jonathan Capehart, an American journalist for the Washington Post and also an MSNBC contributor, posted his latest podcast on Twitter that featured the magnificent Billy Porter. Let me be clear: I don’t listen to podcasts EVER. I am the ONE person on the planet who does not enjoy listening when I can watch or better yet, when I can read. I don’t know what it is, but whenever I try and listen to a podcast my mind wanders and I’m off doing something else. I really have tried. I hate that I don’t enjoy them. It’s just not my thing. Until yesterday.
I’m not a crazed fan of Jonathan Capehart’s or of Billy Porter – both of these men are just fabulous at what they do and I have much respect. And for whatever reason, (SIGN. SIGN. SIGN.) I clicked on the link, thinking it was a written article by Mr. Capehart and when I realized it was a podcast, just listened to it.
In 30 minutes, I changed my whole perspective on writing my book. Again, the podcast is not about writing at all. Honestly, it’s just a wonderful interview with Billy Porter. But Billy Porter said more than a few things that just rang true to my soul – the most impact to my creative heart was this:
“Your authenticity is your service…lean into that…”
My authenticity. It’s not only good enough, it’s needed! How I write a book, how I go about the process, however I choose to make it fit, is exactly what I’m here on the planet to do. I don’t need to be like anyone else. I don’t need to write like anyone else. I can’t. I’ll be unhappy. I’ll surely fail. But if I want to be of real service to the world, to my community, to myself, then I need to be authentically me. That means being okay with HOW I write and how I go about the process of writing, creating, producing whatever it is.
I am a writer. I’ve written for as long as I can remember. It has been my therapy, my best friend, my sounding board, my comfort. Writing is part of who I am. Just like being a performer, a dancer, an actor, will always be the best parts of me. It doesn’t matter the level of money I’ve received for my service, what matters is that being authentically me and sharing THAT with the world is my contribution. My talent, my greatness doesn’t lie in how I copy someone else’s work, but instead how I learn all that I can to be my best self and share all of me as best I can.
As far as writing those four beautiful men into fully developed characters…well, I was able to flesh out much more easily their entire ethos once I stopped trying to write like everyone else. Once I stopped beating myself up for being and writing like ME.
I’ve got so much work to do. I honestly didn’t intend to write this much today, but at least now I can share this with the #AuthorToolboxBlogHop. That makes me happy. For anyone reading this who doesn’t know about this Group, please click on the link and check it out. If you are a writer – this may be a great group for you to be a part of.
In the meantime, if you did listen to the Jonathan’s podcast, you’ll know he made reference to this clip. Oh, what joy! I really am all about the JOY. And if you don’t know who Billy Porter is, find out – but also, watch this and enjoy true talent. This really is a beautiful soul creating authentically some fierce JOY. What an artist!
6. Have you ever been to a professional sports event? – I’m originally from Boston. It’s mandated for every child born in the state.
7. What is the last thing you said out loud? – “Oh my God! You’re a f*cking Moron!” Screaming at TV watching “someone” doing a press conference.
8. What is your favorite ice cream? – I don’t eat dairy anymore. But it used to be chocolate chip!
9. What was the last thing you had to drink? – Water
10. Do you like your wallet? – I get compliments ALL THE TIME. It’s very unique.
11. What was the last thing you ate? – Spinach Salad w/Chicken
12. Did you buy any new clothes last weekend? – No.
13. The last sporting event you watched? – NBA Championship 2019 😦
14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? -Popcorn is not my jam, so just regular, I guess. At the movies, sharing it with someone.
15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? – My friend Mia
16. Ever go camping? – Yes!
17. Do you take vitamins? – No.
18. Do you go to church every Sunday? – If you mean the beach, then yes. I go three times a week at least.
19. Do you have a tan? – Born this way. Don’t be hatin’.
20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza? – I prefer Chocolate Cake above all else. But sure, Chinese food, if you mean American Chinese food over pizza wins every time.
21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? – No.
22. What color socks do you usually wear? – depends on the outfit. Prefer NO socks.
23. Do you ever drive above the speed limit? – Not on purpose.
24. What terrifies me? – The pain I see in others that I cannot fix or help them with.
26. What chore do you hate? – Doing my own bookkeeping.
27. What do you think of when you hear an Australian accent? – Hot men? My friend Andrea and I were just talking about how men with accents trump all other “must have’s” in men. Hahahaha!
28. What’s your favorite soda? – Root beer
29. Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? – Drive thru.
30. What is your favorite number? – 12
31. Who’s the last person you talked to? – Beata
32. Favorite cut of beef? – New York steak, short loin
33. Last song you listened to? – “River” Bishop Briggs
34. Last book you read? – “The Alchemist” again.
35. Favorite day of the week? – Saturday morning
36. Can you say the alphabet backwards? – Yes. (the trick: write it down first.)
37. How do you like your coffee? – with Almond creamer
