“Now I move with aggression.
Use my mind as a weapon.
‘Cause chances is never given,
They tooken like interceptions.”
Yoooooooo the last 36 hours have been litty. Wanna hear about it? Great! ‘Cause you know I wanna tell.
I gotta go backward first. My first year in Houston was filled to the brim with loneliness. I remember crying, thinking, “I just wanna sit in somebody’s kitchen.” Intimate and familiar, the kitchen is the hub of a home. No friendship is solidified without time there.
Fast forward to now. Tuesday night I started the drop-offs. A play on Willy Wonka, each handpicked attendee for next week’s New Black pop up event gets a Black ticket. I started with Cannon. Super sharp and warm, her home is a haven of exposed brick and books and plants. Our woman to woman talk made me sigh in delight. Then I went to Ashura’s.
Ashura is a dude on this list who radiates masculine energy. We met two years ago at an art event and I remember thinking, “Banks, don’t stand too close to this dude.” His manliness was damn near irresistible and I like to be the heartbreaker, thank you very much. We continued to bump into each other and I continued to keep him at arm’s length until he came to Queen, my one-woman show. There was a demon (who everyone dismissed as a drugged-out white dude, but we wrestle not with flesh and blood…) trying to disrupt the performance. Ashura stood and physically tossed him out. We have been friends ever since. So when I called at 1 am to bring his ticket, he was down. And guess where we hung out? That’s right, his kitchen! I could have cried remembering my past ache for friends.
A few hours later, I met up with Eric, another dude on this list. Eric came to an event I threw in Rochester a few years back and reached out when he opened one of these emails and realized I had moved to Houston too. Eric is in his first year here, so you already know he’s going through. We sat at the Breakfast Klub and talked for over two hours. It was a refreshing dose of home.
Next, I took a ticket to Shana, a woman on this list and the first model for the New Black ads you’ve been seeing all over Instagram and Facebook. I felt peace the moment I stepped into her space. We shared hurts and healing and our quest for more. Shana is an artist, but more than that, she is a beautiful soul.
I left Shana for some flotation therapy. (Gotta balance the hustle out.) Then sat on Bean’s porch. Bean is a well established spoken word artist. There’s some low-key rivalry between us, which love thankfully overshadows. So when he nervously showed me a mock-up for his first publication, I was happy to read and encourage him.
I left Bean and went to Brian’s. Brian is the first friend I made here. The first person’s kitchen I sat in. He is an amazing photographer and filmmaker who has been touring and ignoring my calls and making me feel neglected. I told him that, then he clowned me per usual, and we caught each other up on our exploits. He was the second man in less than a day to cook for me 🙂 How’s that for the kitchen?
Banke Awopetu
Word Goddess
P.S. Today’s opening quote comes from Wale’s “Ambition.” Sorry for him, Meek Mill had the hardest bar on the whole joint.
P.P.S. Okay, time for our daily task! We are all a reflection of the six people we spend the most time with. That time can be in person or on the phone. Who is in your top six? What did you gain from each person?
P.P.P.S. I wish I could claim credit for the brilliant Black ticket idea, but that comes from my social media strategist, Mikos Adams. If you’re looking to learn digital marketing tips and tricks, Mikos is your man. Oh and of course, he’s on this list 🙂 Oh, and he’s also the one who gave me the title Word Goddess 🙂
P.P.P.P.S If you wanna see hilarious footage of the dropoffs, check out my Instagram story (@banketheauthor and there’s a link on the way bottom of this email).
P.P.P.P.P.S. You know New Black is gonna sell out, right? Click here to pre-order yours!
|
