Relationships

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Butt…

[caption id="attachment_1003" align="alignleft" width="149"]Me in 2014, around the time of the Brad Jackson incident.[/caption] An old college classmate smacked my ass in a diner a few years ago. I didn't know this was considered sexual assault until recently. His name was Brad Jackson. He was one of the first people I met at Southern Connecticut State University after transferring from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University. He was friendly to me when I didn't know many people at my new school.…

Your Baby is a Bastard

Bastard (definition): A person born of parents not married to each other. After you get married, it seems like the first question people ask you is, “When are you having kids?”  If you've had a baby, but haven’t gotten married, people ask you, “Well, when’s the wedding?” I have a 5-month-old son named Alexander. His father and I have been together for three years. We are not married. At least once a week, someone makes it their business to let…

Greatest Regret of All

[caption width="281" id="attachment_894" align="alignleft"] Photo: Me and "Michael Jackson" in Los Angeles in 2007. / [/caption]When I lived in Los Angeles, one of my favorite places to visit was Mr. Chow, a Chinese restaurant. I liked the dark lighting, the walls lined with mirrors, and the fact that I could bump into Lindsay Lohan on the way to the ladies’ room and “Carlton Banks” at the bar. The food was pretty good too. The first time I visited the restaurant, the waiter came…

Behind the Story: Miss Light

I don’t really feel like I can take credit for writing the “Miss Light” story because it came to be while I was half asleep. Saturday night around 3am, I experienced sleep paralysis and woke myself up exerting so much energy trying to turn over. “Write about your friendship with God,” a voice in my head said. “What?! How the heck am I supposed to do that?” I thought back. “Don’t worry, I got you. Grab your notebook.” And out…

Miss Light

[caption id="attachment_883" align="alignleft" width="260"] Getting ready to go out; staring at my own image.[/caption] My friend Imani invited me to spend the weekend with her at her apartment in Harlem. “You should definitely go,” said Miss Light, my most supportive and oldest friend. She was energetic and optimistic. She smiled bright and could light up any room. “Imani’s never invited you to her house before. You should definitely go," she repeated. “Okay,” I said. “What are you going to do this weekend?”…

“Where’s Your Mom?”

[caption id="attachment_874" align="alignleft" width="381"] My mother and me as 4-month-old.[/caption] It’s a question I’ve been hearing for most of my life. The short answer is “I don’t know.” Although we've sent text messages to each other, the last time I saw my mother was December 25, 2015. This past Christmas, she mailed a gift. The return address listed a post office box in a city 45 minutes away from where I live. Growing up, my mom told me stories about…