By C. Imani Williams
Hello, Queens and Kings. I greet you with love in the midst of everythaaang! This more-than-totally-amazing and life-changing graduate program I keep going on about is kicking my butt. Know that I'm claiming the victory. However, this month's column will be a straight up Imani Sistah Girl rant. If you aren't in the mood, I still love you and I totally understand if you check out now.
If you're still reading, thank you. Sometimes we just have to sit back and breathe. The thing is, I can't really do that with 11 looming deadlines hanging overhead.
Consequently, my flow has been off the last few days. I have been a bit off creatively and decided to visit local coffee house that thankfully offers open mic on Thursdays. I needed to be around creative energy and the space had a nice vibe. Not the 'D' home vibe, but it did the job.
With nothing new to share, I read a piece on the Jena 6 in the spirit of organizing for justice and loving black young men in these crazy times. I finished with True Lies, a piece referencing the overt daily oppression that was in my face often when I lived in in Arizona. They were two very hard pieces for me that are reflective of my time there and, in some ways, they speak to my growth as a black woman and a revolutionary.
Following my less-than-stellar read that night, a conscious sistah read. I complimented her before I left for the night, and I returned home energized from all the talent and shared energy ready to tackle my work load, with God at the helm and taking one day at a time.
Being away from Michigan and specifically my beloved Detroit has been challenging and full of self-awareness and deeper sense of purpose. I want to see more of the world and how I fit in. Living overseas is no longer a farfetched notion.
With newfound awareness, I am learning to appreciate the little things. For me, there is absolutely nothing more peaceful than riding my cruiser on the bike path along the beach. The ocean calls me and the brilliance and the sun blesses me by splashing my face with rays. When I ride I gain clarity and insight and it's a beautiful thing.
I'm becoming more comfortable with the weight that was lost due in large part to emotional stress. I am tickled pink now that I'm over the bulk of whatever stopped me from eating like a healthy person. In this process, I'm back to single-digit clothing. I'm 46 and this was totally unexpected. Now that the scare is over, I'm enjoying moving with a lighter and healthier step. I want to say as part of my testimony that emotional issues need to be dealt with, or else they will deal with you.
Mother Nature has a sense of humor – don't ever doubt it. I'm completely off HRT for menopause symptoms, so I have guaranteed nightly hot flashes. Black Cohosh needs a boost! They also come during the day, and at random moments I break out in a sweat from the top of my head down to my chest. But I don't have a period and I get to ditch my bra. I'm quite giddy at being able to get a hanger of three exercise bras for ten bucks.
I love it! I feel good in my skin and about my body for the first time in a long time. My breasts and butt are proportioned and I no longer mind being President of the Itty Bitty Titty Comittee. And as my sista friend always says, 'I'm loving me some me!'
