Ahhhh. I tried to mix letters together to adequately capture the sound of a sweet sigh. You know the type that feels like a good stretch? Like your soul settling within in itself. I gave up only slightly disappointed in my linguistic fail. A writer who can convey sound is sharp. And each day I get better.

So do you.

It’s easy to think big picture. To set the goal. To aim high. What’s hard is starting. Learning something new. Practicing. Even when you suck and you will ’cause duh, it’s new. Will pride allow you to be a beginner? To stumble? To crawl? Or must you sprint? Must you think ahead to the big race or can you stay in your day, in your moment, on the task at hand?

Practice now. Read these words aloud. Feel your lips and tongue and jaw forming the sounds. Notice how different words feel physically. The o’s that make you round your mouth. The th’s that flatten the tongue. Take this level of presence, of attention, to the next thing you do. Feel your body as you sit or you stand. 

Okay, about to shift gears and a transition alludes me, which is fine. See, I’m practicing. Guess that was kind of a segway. Okay, I’m gonna talk about Janika now.

Janika is a woman on this list. I met her a couple of years back when I was frightfully teaching in the ‘burbs. The source of my fear is a long story but let’s just say I had gotten used to deficit. The school’s plethora of resources and expectations and “support”, as in white women constantly looking over my shoulder, had me on edge. And there was Janika, hair over one shoulder, cool as a cucumber and unbothered by the Karens who flanked us. She walked into my class one day and quietly shook her head. Then she came back and began to hang posters.

See Janika is a Virgo and you probably know Virgos need everything to be perfect. She kept me together for the semester I managed to stay out there. (Y’all know I can’t stand too many rules.) And she keeps me together still. She’s the woman in yellow who greeted you at the door for Queen. She’s the one who lovingly wraps each copy of New Black before I send them to you. And she’s the denim chick in yesterday’s IG posts.

Banke Awopetu
Word Goddess

P.S. Today’s quote comes from my nigga Jesus. Matthew 6:34. He’s saying chill out. Focus on what’s in front of you. 

P.P.S. Time for our daily task! Pick up a pen and describe your current moment. Perhaps you’ll focus on your physical surroundings. Maybe a particular sound has your attention. Birds or crickets? Crying baby? Snoring mate? Hum of the fridge? Maybe you’ll describe your mood and thoughts. What emotion do you feel right now? Why? Be as vivid as you can. 

P.P.P.S. Click here to pre-order New Black before they sell out. 

P.P.P.P.S I had the pleasure of making a few hand deliveries last night. Check out my IG story to meet some of the folks. You know they on the list 🙂