I've finally done it... I've found a day that I can theme! Waiting so long for the inspiration, waiting so patiently for a topic... and it's here.
I've decided to coin my Thursday blogs 'Check Yo' Self Thursdays'... Here, I plan to post something I've had to check myself about over the week, with the hopes of changing my perspective or whatever it is I need to change. It's a day of introspection... a day where you can reveal that you've done something wrong, or had think about or re-think something... reposition your morals, etc. etc...
I'm checking mySELF because... (should be how you introduce it... every Thursday... my only requirement... then feel free to comment on others checking themSELVES)
OKAY? Okay...
I'm checking myself because the way I think, at times, keeps me accepting a certain level of separatism yet bitching about it when it isn't so... confused? Let a sista break it down...
I went in Half-Price Book Stores the other day. It was one I had never been in, needless to say my mom and I traveled to East Hell to find it AFTER we left Borders... When I got there, I scoured the labels on EVERY shelf in that humongous store and became quite perturbed when there wasn't a section for AA fiction. They had AA studies but I wasn't looking to study... I wanted me some feel good something... maybe even some gritty something... and there was NO section in the store for me to peruse for it...
I thought about going up to the desk to ask, until I passed a Terry McMillan book in the general fiction section. So I started to look at the titles instead of the labels and what I found was that in this East Hell HPBS we (AA) were integrated! Here is where my problem was...
While I was grateful for the act, I found it HARD to find an AA book to read. It wasn't that hard when I went to other HPBS and walked my lazy behind over to the AA section (all three shelves of it) and found a few titles that piqued my interest... ALL the while complaining about why we have a section anyway... But in this store, I was upset because they didn't have an (easy) section for me to walk to and grab something from... what the hell?
Do you know what type of mental anguish that caused me. How could I be so... so... conflicting? I had to take my own criticism like a big girl though... I had to dust off my OLD thought process and really check my black behind. Growing up a little... maybe a lot... but when I checked out, I had to right my 'wrong'... I let the clerk know that I was very impressed about AA titles being mixed with all the 'other' titles...
Then I got my bubble busted. The very nice blond told me, in a little I'm-uncomfortable voice that they received so little of it, it was best to just mix it in...
Ohh how I deflated... I THOUGHT it was because our fiction was just as good and there was no need to separate. I THOUGHT it was a sales tactic... after all it made ME purchase one of my oldie-but-goodies (The Canterbury Tales)...
A while later I realized it didn't matter WHY they chose to integrate... the MOST important thing was why I was so bothered yet elated about it!
I had to check myself y'all...
YOUR TURN!
stay peace
Genesis
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Check Yo' Self...
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9 comments:
I know, I know, we want it both ways. You have captured the essence of WEB Dubois when he talks about our "twoness", our having to transcend and navigate two worlds. Great column!
Thanks! It really bothered me that I thought two different ways. I'm going to have to check on WEBD...I haven't read anything about him or by him since high school...I know, I should be checked for that too...lol
First time poster & first time reader of your blog. It's funny because where I live in Los Angeles AA authors do have their own section but when I went to the Barnes & Noble by my work (irvine in the "oc") they were mixed in with all fiction. I wondered why myself.
ANyway, I need to check myself with the BS I've been dealing with and accepting from a certain somebody in my life. As of Saturday, I have cleaned my slate of all the BS in life. I told myself that 08' was going to be great, and dang it, Im sticking to it!!! I had to check my self, real quick...
Been there, done that! I like having a separate section. Sometimes I don't want to browse the general shelves when I know I want a AA book...I don't see why they can't put a book in the AA section AND on the general shelves if they have more than 2 copies, although I'm sure it might drive the employees crazy. Great post and theme!
Great blog...great theme.
Glad you checked yourself on this. I'm in Donna Hill's camp when it comes to the African American lack of lit section in mainstream stores. I don't think we should have them because I don't believe that our books should be separated. Yep...it definitely makes it a little harder on us...but I also believe that if we were integrated...we wouldn't have so much crap on the bookshelves because...if you easily find them...you can't easily purchase them...hehe.
Yea...I need to check myself because I'm wrong for that...but do I get points for honestly...hehe.
xoxo
We all have to check ourselves daily for being bi on what we want and on what we know is best...
Great Post!
mama deep
Good topic, theme, whatever you want to call it. You know you creative.
I need to check myself on allowing others to use me as there foot stool. All the time people try to use me to their advantage, example: I'm preparing taxes it was agreed that I would do 9-1 and 6-9, because i have children who gets off the bus at a certain time. Why is it everyday at 1:30 I'm still waiting for the person to come and re leave me. Had I put my foot down they wouldn't continue to do it. So I need to check my willingness to take short end of the stick while my children suffere.
kobelicous
Thanks for stopping by and here's to firsts (clinking glasses)!
And how awesome to ridding yourself of people who aren't a positive in your life!
Chel
That would definitely make the clerks stir crazy! But it's a good idea. I wouldn't have ANY complications with that.
Yas
I'm learning toward that thought, especially since my desired separatism is because of my laziness... Lazy in looking for what I want and knowing all the information about what I want (authors AND titles)... I've been flying by the seat of my pants in my searches with only knowing half the information...lol
mama deep,
bi? I love that! Gotta call it what it is! luv and hugs...lol
JC
Yeah, I'm glad you check yo self on that! Nobody's more important and needing than your babies... don't make me take a ride to the GA!
Just dropping through. Some readers prefer books to be in a seperate section, while others don't. Why can't the books be listed in alphabetical order and in their appropriate genre? That's been an ongoing debate. The consumers dictate what the book stores do (I've been told their were polls done on this subject).
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