I wanted to put down on my thoughts about my week before the next week starts. It started out as a typical week and as I look back to really honest I cannot really remember most of the first part. I feel as though my week started, took off, and left me behind to figure out what happened. It was a good week. On Wednesday I went to "volunteer" at The Making of Men Power Luncheon. I put volunteer in quotation marks because what I took away from the event was so much more than I had to offer with my volunteerism and allyship. I took away a hope that although the work is difficult and far from over it is possible. The young men in the Making of Men program are intelligent, outspoken, passionate, and powerful. This does not surprise me at all. What surprises me is the number of people who do not think this work is important. That black young men do not need this kind of support in today's world. I have heard some say that black young men need to stop "playing the victim." I am here to tell you, those young men are not victims but victors. They are proving people wrong. They are and will continue to change the world. They will do it with us or without us. And I have to chosen to be their ally in this.
Another less pivotal moment in this week, I had a friend not tell me the whole story. In the past this would have bothered me and caused me to question their friendship. This is not how as a friend should act. After some thought I realized they had their reasons and while I may not understand I will except that this is how it is. Of course, this person has no idea that I feel this way and again that is not important. What is important is that I talked to them about what was going on when I started to think something might be wrong. Even though I only received part of the story, it was enough. If you know me cognitive dissonance is not my friend. It is an evil master that pushes me to "know everything," to be a part of the knowing. Although I still do not know the whole story, I know enough to wish that friend well and move on to the next mystery.
My week concluded with prom. Every year I hear students say they are not going that prom is a joke or that the music is never good. Last night I did not hear any of that. I saw students having a great time, dancing, laughing and making memories that will last a long time.
All in all I had a good week.
