Januarys with Twist

Witnesses don't celebrate holidays and it never really bothered me. Never really wanted to celebrate Xmas. Even though we were po growin up, Pops always managed to hit us with a toy or two at some point during the year. Thanksgiving wasn't the least bit of a desire, my extended fam stayed havin family dinners back in the day. 30 niggas at grandad's crib or 30 niggas at our crib, eatin at 8p even though everyone was told to come through 5p. Birthdays not a big deal, Moms did acknowledge it though. I mean, someone couldve caught a stray bullet on Ferry and Wholers or anything unforseen could happen, so as a fam we're always thankful that we lived another year. just no cake. and new year's is also something i always personally acknowledge.

mostly on some meditation type steez, though. like, where am i at and where am i going kinda thing. this past year i was sittin at the crib witha glass of shiraz and realized that for about the past 5 years or so, i've consistently been at a pretty important stage, which is the ill thing about being young. life is still new and your roads are still crissing and crossing and all that good stuff. it's been a bit of a blurse. the blessing being that its fun and exciting and fullfilling. the curse being that its not always convenient and can be frustrating at times.

blogs are self-indulgent...well, let me not blame it on the blog...i'm self-indulgent...so why don't we take a look back at where i was at and where i was headed the past coule Januarys.

Jan 2000 -- I had just finished the first semester of my junior year at University of Buffalo, but by the time the new millenium (or as people with big tongues or plain old niggas that can't talk like to call it, "the new minilinum")...anyways, by the time the new millenium came, I had already decided I was moving to DC. I had set the date of July 1. So thats where I was at, preparing to make this huge move away from the fam, friends, and everything. That was my first Dollar and a Dream move. Although, when July came, I don't think I had a dollar, but the Dream was still kickin.

Jan 2001 -- I had just got let go from my temp assignment and hadn't yet made a decision on where I was gonna finish school. I did however get a call from the temp agency for this job I thought was BS. "I ain't gonna be nobosy's secretary." I got in there and flipped it though. AFPA hired me in like March when my resume didn't really warrant it. they paid for the bulk of my schooling. I made friends. 2001 is when I started getting it, but at that time, in Jan, it was still tenuous. I didn't doubt myself or anything like that, but i'm sayin, it had been close to 6-months and i was broke and that much further away from my degree. It was all good though. Oh, and my nigga Rek had come through to visit, which was one of the all-time great visits. It was full of incredible happenings, like us walking from Rhode Island Ave station all the way to my crap-apartment in Bladensburg. and us getting accosted by a homeless Nazi in G'Town that was wearing size 22 kicks and he was probably a 12, which led to Rek walkin up to dude in front of the Daily Grill and literally folding the tip of sneakers over his feet so that it was touching the front of his ankle. a wildly good time that also included a couple 2am listening sessions where disected the bass-line on Badu's "Didn't Ya Know", I put Rek on to Billie Holiday and he put me on to Miles' "Ife" off the Big Fun album, which happens to sport my favorite album cover, which I had blown-up, matted, and framed. it hangs on my wall. Oh, and a visit from my sis Lyd.

Jan 2002 -- it had been a year at AFPA. i was makin dough. had started up Howard. kopped my Maxima. moved into my pad with the balcony and bought furniture. Me and my man Tony were plannin our trip to Europe for the summer. 2002 was gangsta.

Jan 2003 -- I had decided that i had to move on this college degree thang. so I was preparing to tell AFPA that I was gonna jet in the summer. that was gonna be a big move for, my second Dollar and a Dream decision. take out a loan, look for a gig and try to finish about 1.5 years of school in one year. and i had about half year to get ready

Jan 2004 -- i was working full-time as a nightime news aide with the Washington Post and preparing to start my last semester of school where i was slated for 24 credit hours, which included advanced spanish that i was horrified i'd flunk. i also founf out i'd be embarking on my first internship w/ the AJC, but only if i indeed graduated. anyways, 24 credit hours and full-time job put a hurtin on me, but i finished, graduated w/ my nigga Tony all my fam came through for the ceremony and then me, my sisters and my crew popped bottles and partied VIP at H20 that night. great year.

Jan 2005 -- preparing to head to Orlando for what I hoped to be my last internship. after finishing my AJC internship the previous summer, I came back to DC and got comfortable at the Post again, until my girl Keya hipped me to this winter joint in Orlando. it was a good move. went there and did some good stories, stuff that helped me get hired here and probably more importantly, met some cool people i count as friends now, which i never expected. that was a fun 4months.

anyways, i was preparing for that at the time. the internshiop started Jan. 10, i believe. meanwhile i was in NYC w/ my sisters and visiting friends, spending all my money the week before.

Jan 2006 -- which brings us to now. i'm here in Hernando. doin my thing. i guess my outlook right now is focused on bleeding this job for all its blood, looking forward to a move into the city when my lease is up in august and hopin to make a couple friends. thats the gist. i guess when i think about it, 2006 is the first year where i don't have anything huge planned or i'm not looking toward taking some huge step, outside of a job promotion, perhaps. somethin's gotta give though. i might need to shake things up. it just wouldnt be a Twist type of year if i didnt.