... On getting that STATUS!!

Oh man....

status, status, status...

It is that time...

That time to give out some "STATUS".

That **Original Oldgirl Platinum Plus Card**carryin' status, that is.


Now, I read something at one of my blog sister's spot. It was a lament of sorts:

"**Sigh** I thought that I would be eligible for a Platinum Oldgirl card in about a year or 2, but after last night, my application would be denied...in fact, I don't even think that the Oldgirl Board of Directors would even deliberate as long as Tyra and 'em on ANTM."

I think she did something that SHE felt put her status in jeopardy.

It left me scratching my head and gazing skyward, fighting to understand...

To the point where I thought to myself, the next time I grant someone their "Oldgirl" card, I need to explain what this truly means.

It ain't got nothing to do with whether I like you or not. Man oh man, it ain't got nothing to do with "Oh, you did something wrong, so you are DENIED."

Wow. That's some craziness. Judgmental, even. ICK.

But in a nutshell, I grant a card when someone consistently inspires me.

Now, there are people out there who inspire me all the time. Lots.

But to be more specific, do I think about you when I am in a hard place emotionally or mentally? Do I think about something you've overcome, or are going through, and it helps me move forward?

Have you given me advice that causes me to "turn a sharp corner" in my life? More specifically, as I'm barreling down my lane in this road called Life, and I am coming up waaaay to fast on a sharp turn and it looks as if I'm about to crash, do you lean over and grab the steering wheel with ease and help me negotiate that turn?

You know, do you do something that helps an Oldgirl get through them crazy times? I'm not talking about financially. (Let's get that straight right now, man. Lee don't borrow bread.) When I think of you, does it give me courage? Does just watching you and the things you do jack my faith up a notch?

Are you a positive influence in my life?

Hmm...

I know, I know that's a lot to understand.

But THAT's what gives you status.

I don't know, if it's just me, or not, but it seems like I live in a society where it is wholly acceptable of finding ways of getting over on the system or on people. That "getting over" mentality disturbs me deeply.

I tend to draw near to people who aren't like that.

So, when I come across people who help people out of the goodness of their heart, I truly appreciate it, for this is the type of person I hope to someday be. And it inspires me to "pass it forward", i.e., to work hard on being the type of person willing to lend a helping hand, to be a good listener, to be a good example, and to be the type of person who one can come to for advice.
I think that is my vision for myself, and a viable goal to work toward... I continue to be a work in progress.

So, three Bloggers (retired and/or going strong) have been granted their Original Oldgirl and Oldboy status.

Sharon (Ms. JustWriteNow). I met Sharon at an Atlanta book club conference, at a Tayari Jones reading back in 2005. I remember her asking questions that I was way too afraid to ask my favorite author. I sat next to her in a novel writing seminar, and we got to talking, and later emailing, etc... She started blogging, and leaving comments all around the blogosphere that were so incredibly heavy that they shut the whole post down, lol. We've talked on the phone much, and she has helped me deal with some isshas that have bothered me for years... We spoke on the phone a couple of weeks ago, and as usual, I leave whatever convo we have... a MUCH better person.

Chele: The recently retired Chele had the most fabulous blog. What I liked most about her was that she wasn't afraid to say "I'm hurting" or "I'm depressed". I know that don't seem like much, but when you are willing to face and deal your hurt or pain, instead of burying it... well, that's a good thing. Growing up, I've had to bury alot of my feelings, and people who know me know that I hide my feelings and don't talk much about them. Well, I learned from her, that it's "okay" and that even though such feelings arise, they will past. I also learned from her the power of self assessment.

She also wrote two of the most important books I've ever read: Raymond's Daughters, and her collections of poetry and essays, Confessions of a Beautiful Woman. Both had isshas in them that helped me see much about myself, moving me to the point of getting a bit overly emotional, but nevertheless helping me solve some deep-rooted things that were really bothering me.

Hassan: What can I say about the first Original Oldboy? The brother is something else. I credit him for verbally pimp slapping me hard, snatching me out of my utter misery and depression over my brother joining the military. Plus, just like Chele, he has such a powerful way with self-assessment, not afraid to examine himself and his life AND make the much needed changes to get where he needs to be. For that, I am grateful, and because of him, I am QUICK to assess my ownself, in the most honest manner possible. I am quick to move forward and make the necessary changes, or at least know that is what I must do.

So, I hope you can see what I mean by "Status" here.

So with all that said, I have TWO Original Oldgirl cards to award, one of which I will award today. The other will be awarded on January 3rd, 2008, when the recipient turns 30 (a requirement of status: you must be at least 30 years old.)

Now...

I've gotten questions galore over past couple of years:

"When you gonna give ya girl her Original Oldgirl Platinum Plus Card carryin' status?"

"Who?" I ask.

"You know, ya girl... Tayari Jones?"

"Oh," I always say. "I don't know. Haven't really given it much thought."

For she is a frickin' celebrity in my eyes, one of my favorites. LOL. I choke when she is around. I try to remember to watch my English and be on my best behavior.

For I want to be like her when I grow up. I want to be an artist, a powerful storyteller... able to bend a simile with my bare hands. Able to leap a metaphor in a single bound.

I remember the first time I'd read some of her writing, a short story entitled "Press and Curl", from an anthology of African American short stories. This is the way I find new authors. I will read an anthology, and if I like the story, I will go buy everything that the author has written. (For example, right now I am reading an old anthology Shaking the Tree: a collection of New Memoir and Fiction by Black Women.)

I remember reading Tayari Jones' story, and being blown away. In my opinion, it was the best story in the book. I remember telling my best friend LadyTee.

"Man, I found this chick who can write her ass off!"

LOL. Yeah, that's just how excited I was.

I ran to Borders and bought her first novel... and looking around to see if she had written something else, so I could buy that too.

So I read Leaving Atlanta, and it blew my socks off. The Untelling left me floored too.

I was over at the book-remarks website, author Cynthia Rax's website devoted to black literature, and there was a list of "author blogs" over there (I didn't know what a "blog" was). I saw that Tayari had one of these blogs, so I visited.

I began reading, and as I was struggling through my own manuscript at the time, began to take note of some of the advice she was doling out in some of her posts. I remember wanting to leave a comment, but thinking for some reason, that I wasn't allowed to do so. So I just kept reading, and one day left a comment anyway.

She sent me an email on 6/24/05, which I have kept and still read often, when I am having a bad day.

"Hi! Thanks for visiting my blog. I just have one little comment for you. Always remember, you already ARE a writer. You may aspire to publication, etc. but your heart it what determines if you are a writer or not."

Whoa. I didn't know WHAT to think about that.

So, her blog was the first blog I'd ever read... and because of that, the infamous "LadyLee" blog began.

(You didn't know that, did ya?)

Tayari was the main reason I paid my 240 bucks to attend the National Black Book Club conference. I remember thinking that I could pay some doggone bills with that money, but I wanted to see this author, this author who's writing was on a whole nother level, speak... to hear her read from her own work. Then she answered a bunch of writing questions. It was like a damn workshop or something. (Sharon and I STILL talk about some of the advice she gave). She signed my books, and even took a picture with me. Even remembered me as "LadyLee" from her blog.

Shoot man... after that, I could just gone home, as far as I was concerned! It was over! I was done!

I continued to peruse her blog, leaving comments here and there. I would go see her speak whenever she came to town... and learn MUCH to help my own writing in the process.

She got stranded one time, while at her parents house in the ATL, and called me for assistance. Man, that was waaaaay too much for me to handle. Me and my brother took so many pictures and movies that day that I knew Tayari had to be thinking "These are some wack fools here!" LOL.

Yes, I am a fan. A fan for life. I will always support her and her writing.

And I will always jock like crazy. LOL!

But lately...

I would say, in the past year or so, she has become much more than one of my favorite authors.

First of all, I have calmed down tremendously. Yeah, I throw a lot of shrines up to her over here at the House of LadyLee but uh... I don't choke up and lose my mind in her presence, LOL.

I remember her coming down to my lab, and hanging out for lunch last January. (I wish I could have arranged the proper lab tour for her, instead of my impromptu bootleg version, lol.) I think that day, after some of the things she and I talked about, that I saw that she is a real person.

I talked to my best friend LadyTee later that day about it all.

"So how was lunch, Lee?"
"Man, it was off the chain. I was blown away. I had lunch with my favorite author. DANG!"
"That's good. I'm glad you had a nice time."
"But one thing I know."
"What's that?"
"Man, it is weird, but Tayari is, I don't know, normal."
"Why you say that?"
"Wasn't expecting that. Tayari is some damn Celie. She got the same isshas we got, same concerns, dreams and stuff like we have. That is strange."
"Well she human, girl."
"Yeah, but it's just weird."

Weird indeed. But makes her more real. Yes indeed.

To the point where if I see her or talk to her, I want to say "What's up Celie?" LOL. (You know I'm too reserved to do such, though).

And I am finding out that we have A LOT in common. A whole lot, to the point that it is scary. I'm not sure she see that, but I do.

But I have learned much from her. MUCH. 5 minutes of talking to her about some writing craft isshas is the same as an all day workshop. She explains things so succinctly that I have to be death, dumb, blind and stupid not to understand it. I'm STILL not sure how she do that sh**. She's a teacher at heart, and maybe that's it. I don't know, but I appreciate it!

I see her as a mentor of sorts. Now, in anything I do, I have mentors, ALL of which are ones I don't ask to mentor me, but who I just sit back and watch, and take note of what they are doing, and how they handle situations. I have mentors who don't even know they are mentors. And she is definitely a mentor to me.

I found myself whining to her the other day about my writing class isshas, (and I shut myself up real quick after I realized I was whining, lol), but again she said some things that straightened my head out, and gave me the courage to move forward in spite of how I was feeling.

And that, I am glad of... Really though.

And I am always referring back to that first email that she sent me. It stretched much further than writing. It became something universal with me. It causes me to be more cognizant of where my "heart" is on a matter, and keeps me true to what's in my heart in all my dealings, concerns, attitudes, hopes, dreams, and actions.

I have learned from her that it is essential to lend a helping hand, and that there are always ways that I can be helpful to people all around me, whether in action or words... these are things I can continually work on...

So with that... Miss Tayari Jones... Miss Celie... Racer X!

I hereby annoint you an Original Oldgirl. One who has made an impact on me, one who has given me courage to develop in my writing skills, one who has given me the courage to push forward in this dream no matter what...

I hereby extend to you your Original Oldgirl Platinum Plus Card, good worldwide and on every planet in the solar system, good even on the Sun itself...with no monetary limits whatsover.

So if the police ever try to run up on you, or some folks try to jump ya, you can yell-

"Get back! I am an Oldgirl!"

I'm an "OG"!

"Get the **** back!!"

No, you'll still catch a beat down, and you'll still get locked up...

But you'll have the pride attached to being an Oldgirl...
One who is an Original!
One who is full of wisdom!
One who keeps it real!
One who has been through it all!
One marching like Miss Sophia on her way to a place of peace and victory......

One who drops science and knowledge like it ain't nothin' but a thang!!

Congratulations... you Original Oldgirl you!

Use your card wisely!!!

~That Oldgirl LadyLee~