I try not to make assumptions about people because my life experiences have taught me that appearances are not always what they seem.  I can’t count the number of times (unfortunately) that I have admired a couple’s seemingly happy marriage only to hear that they are getting a divorced.  And I have been shocked more than once when a white-bred suburban friend has told me about their love of hip-hop and R&B–and I’m talking back in the day when the world wasn’t as musically integrated as it is now.  Nope, you just can never tell about some people.  Take my young friend Stuart for example: looking at his photo you wouldn’t think that he knows about and celebrates African American culture, but seriously this dude is down in the most colloquial sense of the word.   And just so you don’t get it twisted by his hilarious and life observational Seinfeld-esque tweets, keep following him on Twitter and you will see that he’s a Christian always speaking the truth and standing on God’s word.  Stuart is an inspiration to know.

In this area of faith, my husband and I are an anomaly in our current environment and as such have certain assumptions made about us.  Because of where we live (intown Atlanta, not a suburb) and our kids go to a very progressive school and of course because we both have dreadlocks, it is assumed that we are a reflection of our environment (and hair).  Comments are often made to us or about us that are meant to affirm or agree with what people think our values are.  This is the problem with assumptions and not taking the time to really get to know someone versus who you think they are according to superficial criteria.

Well if you don’t know, now you know.  We are dread-lock wearing, tattoo-having, hip-hop-listening, intown-living, funki-dressing, fun-loving, Bible-believing, God-honoring, Jesus-loving Christians.   *Gasp!*–Yes, it’s true that Christians can look like us and act like us too!  ”Great” you say….until I am in a high school parent meeting with you and I say that my husband and I do not believe that our kids should drink under-age, do drugs (at any age) or have pre-marital sex (although really this is just common sense).  Or when I say that no, I don’t believe that people should get divorced just because they are “unhappy”–they should really try to honor their commitment to God and each other and work it out (again really not a Christian thing, just common sense).  Or any number of statements that I can make that are contradictory to my environment and the world at large.   Right…uh-huh, we are those kind of Christians.  See, now why are you looking at me like I have 3 heads when we were cool just a minute ago?

BUT I’ll tell you what:  If you promise to not make assumptions about me, like all dread heads smoke weed or that all Christians are home-schooling 18 member families (not that there’s anything wrong with that) then I promise not to assume that you can’t dance because you wear Dockers or that you are a heathen going to hell in a hand basket.  Deal?

© 2009 – 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I just got back from Blogalicious 2009.  This was my first blogging conference so I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I was very impressed by the conference as a whole; the venue was beautiful, the food was fantastic, the sponsors were generous, the swag bags were overflowing, the parties were jamming and the lovely hosts from MamaLaw were gracious and efficient.  The information that I obtained was varied and rich and the women bloggers that I met were interesting and smart.  The keynote speeches from James Andrews (my husband) and Karen Walrond were inspirational, while sessions like Taking Your Blog to the Next Level and Secrets to a Successful Blog provided good answers, but I left the conference also asking myself more questions.  Questions like: Am I blogging with purpose?  Am I passionate?  Am I even doing this right?  And mostly…Why do I blog?

I asked and I answered:

I blog to give information in categories like Techknow Mama, Things I like and Ma-Gyver.

I blog to entertain in Kickin’ It Old School and through many of the silly travel family videos that I post in T as in Tango.

I blog to build a community through posts about myself and my family in What About Me, My Charmed Life or Word From the Mother.  I hope that the more you know about me, the more you will share about yourself; that creates community.

I blog Deep Stuff to foster discussion and conversation.  I’m a thinker and I know you are too.

I blog to save the world from mediocrity.  We’ve got to keep the bar high people.  We’re all fabulous; let’s live it!

Through it all, I blog to tell stories.  As Scott Rosenberg says in his book, Say Everything: How Blogging Began, What It’s Becoming, And Why It Matters, “A [blog] post is a shared memory….And in the end, that’s what we want and need to remember about our lives, and the lives of others: not factual details but meaningful stories.”  Whether I am writing about Disney World, my marriage, Henry Louis Gates or the best cupcakes, I aim to do it with passion, transparency and authenticity in a way that hopefully makes you remember your own stories.

I blog because I have a voice and I have something to say.  And that is reason enough.

© 2009 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I woke up this morning seemingly with all forces against me: it was raining, I didn’t feel well and my daughter was grumpy and moving slow.  Despite these odds I managed to push through what I was feeling and get my morning started on a good note due to my “gospel boogie” playlist on my iPod.   I tweeted about it and my Twitter pal and real life friend @pschwed wanted me to post my playlist; she said it sounds perfect for what her daughter calls a “bloopy” day (I like that word…it describes today perfectly).  As you can see, my playlist is heavy on Kirk Franklin and Canton Jones–2 of my favorite artists who make me wanna get up and boogie.   I know everyone who passed my car today thought I was listening to Hot 97 because I was grooving so much.

So this is for Paula and anyone else out there who needs a lift today:

Message in the Music–Debra Killings

Fix It–Canton Jones

Holla–Canton Jones

Keep On Praisin’–Fred Hammond

Looking For You–Kirk Franklin

Stay Saved–Canton Jones

Better–Kirk Franklin

1-2 Victory Check–Tye Tribbett

Good Time–Canton Jones

Old School–Lisa McClendon

Stomp–Kirk Franklin

Brighter Day–Kirk Franklin

Everybody Dancin’–Canton Jones

Get On The Floor–Canton Jones

ATL–Canton Jones

Heaven–Mary Mary

The Real Party–Mary Mary

© 2009 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

*This is an on-going list that I will update from time to time.

Own another dog *This is my sweet Chili Dawg!

Swim with dolphins

Travel to the South Pacific Islands

Stay overnight in an Irish castle (because I am royalty, after all)

Rent a villa in Tuscany

Learn to surf (that could be a problem as I am afraid of sharks)

Write my memoirs

Appear on Sesame Street

Own a horse

Go on safari

Live on the beach

There.  It’s out there.  God, are you listening?

© 2009, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I heard this song the other day and it brought back memories.  I honestly don’t remember any other songs by Mass Production, but “Firecracker” was the jam!   I still know all the words, as I am gifted like that, but this particular song is burned in my memory for a reason.

I was in 7th grade when I decided to try out for the pom-pom squad; this was a big deal because most of the girls on the squad were 8th graders.  Pom-pom and cheerleading wasn’t really even my thing, but you know, this was 7th grade and I wanted to be a part of something and be popular in Jr. High.   Fortunately, I had 8th grade neighborhood friends who let me be a part of their try-out team.  They were a cool bunch, hip on all the latest music and dance moves; they chose “Firecracker” as our performance song.   For weeks we rehearsed our routine after school until it was flawless.  Finally the day came for try-outs….and I woke up terribly sick.  Not a fake I-don’t-want-to-go-to-school Ferris Buller kind of sick, but an Oh-God-no-this-can’t-be-happening-to-me kind of sick.  I had to stay home from school and missed the pom-pom try-outs.  But do you want to know what made it really bad?  The “ain’t that a blip” about the whole thing?  EVERYONE ON MY TEAM WHO TRIED OUT MADE THE POM-POM SQUAD.

And that’s why I will never forget “Firecracker.”  But despite my tragic adolescence recollection, it’s still a jam.  Take a listen ♬:

© 2009, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.