Tales from My Notebook: What Can Brown Do For You?

    This is one of my the first pieces I wrote after I decided I wanted to become a blogger...

  In the driveway at my mom’s house is a 2001 Suburban. Tan with leather seats, fully equipped with the soccer mom tv, seat massagers and a 3rd row that folds into the floor. She was convinced by the media, family members, and friends that since she had a lot of kids, a Suburban was the car for her. She longed for this car and scraped and saved and scraped and saved until she got her prize. The Suburban, or Brown as she calls it, has had a lot of miles and work put into it. After a few minor problems finally there was an accident. A little smashed in the front but still recognizable and not functional at all, Brown still resides in the driveway. If people come over, even Mom, there is only one parking spot now because of all the space Brown takes up.
      Notice I said if people come over. No one really wants to circle the block for a parking space and walk down the block to her house. People have to rearrange their cars around Brown because even though it does her no good, she will not get rid of it. We told her to junk it, sell it, burn it, or give it to the car Gods. Just do anything to get it out of the way, but she is standing firm. Brown has done so much for her in the past that she can’t possibly get rid of it. Brown was there when she moved from her rental house to her home. Brown was there, going hard, on those harsh winter days to get her back and forth to work in 13 inches of snow. Brown was there for her through thick and thin, however the key word is WAS there. Brown does nothing now but take up space and remind her of how things USED to be.


     A lot people are in similar situations. It may not be Brown, or a car but we still have things in our lives that do nothing but take up space and cause problems. Friends, jobs, boyfriends/girlfriends are sometimes factors in our everyday lives that we are holding on to simply out of habit simply because we have been told not to give up on things or people and that some things are meant to last forever. Because of that we put more and more work into creating these lasting relationships under the impression that when you come by something good, give your all to make it last.
     This is true, but we also have to operate under the following belief system. People are put into your life for a reason or a season. Every job, friend or person that comes into our life is not meant to be around forever. Sometimes you have use situations for the season they were given to you, learn you lesson, incorporate it into your life and keep it moving. You could possibly miss out on blessings and other avenues because you are too busy working on something that isn’t meant to last.
     It’s the responsibility of each and every person to look into their driveway and see who is useful and who is taking up space. Who or what are you holding onto simply because you are used to having it there? Who or what are you holding onto simply because you have been through everything together and one day things will be right? Who is useful to you and who is taking up space? Who is there to encourage, uplift, support and motivate you and who is there to show you that you have to be careful to your trust, show you that love is blind, or teach you some other lesson? Ask this question of everybody in your life: Are you here for a reason or a season??

United States of EricaMommyBombshell

"I know we'll be just fine, when we learn to love the ride"

I don't know who these people are, but I want to thank them for this song.

I really, really like music. When they say "it calms the savage beast" I really believe them. Whoever they are lol. But seriously though folks, since I write I actually listen to the lyrics in songs and try to decipher the hidden meanings. It's the geek in me, I can't help it.

So anyways, my life has been like a whirlwind lately and yesterday came really close to a breaking point. I wasn't gonna off myself or anything, but I was almost at that "Why me?" feeling. You know, right when you feel like nothing else can go wrong and if it does something or somebody is gonna get hurt?

So after a long day, I remember that I missed the season opener of US of Tara (Showtime, get you some) so I went to watch it On Demand. Now, I've never ever watched any episode of the show when it airs. I always watch it On Demand and have seen the whole 1st season twice. NEVER, have I really listened to and took in the words...until last night.

And that last phrase is all I heard really, but when I heard it everything just snapped into place like a puzzle piece. Tara suffers from a version of multiple personality disorder and on the show all of her "alters" are really just her. From Alice the homemaker to T (like the letter, not the drink) the rebellious teenager, they are all versions of Tara. When she just can't handle a certian situation anymore, she zonks out to let "other people" take on the situation. Instead of facing her problems, she runs from them and to doctors and meds and more problems.

I know in the show a dramatic event happened that made Tara this way, but she can't remember it which means she couldn't have dealt with, accepted or even acknowledged said problem. She didn't accept life. She didn't accept that sometimes shit happens. She didn't know that on the roller coaster of life after you go down you always come back up.

So just when I was laying down last night with the TV timer set to go off as soon as the show ended, I realized that I have to enjoy the ride. We all do or we'd all end up crazy and scattered. Yes I am a mother, daughter, sister, friend, writer, model, blogger, aspiring author and publicist. As long I use God as my seatbelt on this rollercoaster of life, I can do all these things successfully and enjoy the ride. You can only ride once, might as well make the most of it.